October 15, 2025

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Women Entrepreneurship

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Context:

The story of Falguni Nayar’s Nykaa can inspire much more women to become job creators. India needs much more entrepreneurs especially for small towns and hinterlands to dismantle patriarchy.

DATA/REPORTS

  • The United Nations development programme in its report on Gender Inequality observed that women spend 2.4 more hours per day on average than men on unpaid and domestic work.
  • Effect of pandemic- women are more likely to live in extreme poverty than men by 25%
  • According to estimates by International Labour Organisation, global female employment is at 19% more risk than males.
  • According to World economic forum’s Gender Gap Report, 2021, the gender gap widened in India by 3%
  • Also, the share of women declined to 29.2 per cent in professional and technical roles
  • Women at top positions -Only 8.9 % of organisations have top female managers and nearly 14.6 % of women occupy senior and managerial positions
  • Index of women entrepreneurs- India is ranked at 52nd position out of 57 surveyed countries
  • Innovation, economic growth and job creation
  • According to a study, measures to close the gender gap in India would lead to a 6.8 % gain in GDP
  • According to estimations by advancing women’s equality India could boost its GDP by 16% in 2025
  • More entrepreneurship would  help in building the economic potential of women and does the achievement of sustainable development goals by 2030

CAUSES OF LESS NUMBER OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Lack of education

  • The states with relatively higher literacy rates also have more women entrepreneurs
  •  The top 5 states with the highest percentage of women entrepreneurs in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh,West Bengal and Maharashtra 

Unconscious gender bias

  • The intentional and automatic mental associations based on gender due to traditions, norms & values, culture and experience have a major role in impeding the progress of women entrepreneurs
  • The automatic association enables quick assessment and often leads to decision making unfavourable towards women

Business is not women’s world

  • The stereotype of lack of confidence in business skills of women and a belief in the society that men are more competent in financial matters are also some of the major roadblocks for women entrepreneurs
  • Women are often treated with less respect and such attitudes are also reflected in the communications

Self-doubt among women

  • Because of the society and the environment in which women work, it is natural for them to have a feeling of low confidence in their own business skills
  • It is common to see even highly successful women struggling with self-doubt and underestimating their abilities while the opposite is true for men

Financial hurdles

  • Entrepreneurship involves risk-taking and women are often assumed to be less willing to take risks than men 
  • Due to stereotypes, fewer women actively approach investors and are reluctant to divest stakes.
  • Women are differently perceived than men even when they approach investors and also investors prefer pitches presented by men as compared to women in spite of having similar content
  • Indian women rarely own property to be used as collateral for loans. 
  • About 79% of women-owned ventures are self-financed families are often hesitant to provide financial support to their daughters’ entrepreneur ventures

Alienation of women in corporate culture

  • Masculine corporate cultures, an ecosystem of startups being characterized by ‘ bro culture’ of ‘alpha males’ lacks empathy and talking about emotional challenges is perceived as a weakness
  • Women do not feel comfortable in the prominent industry networks and they’re not being part of such networks cost them important opportunities to mingle and connect with people in the market
  • Thus, women entrepreneurs have to struggle much more than their male counterparts to get access to the market

Business is a man’s domain 

  • The predominant social norms expect women to give utmost priority to their home and not a career 
  • On average women spend five times as much time as men on household work, care and other unpaid activities
  • As it is said the most important career choice that women make is who they choose to marry because family support is considered a core success factor for Indian female entrepreneurs

Child care

  • When women entrepreneurs become mothers, they have to face another set of challenges. There are various negative perceptions in the society labelling mothers working leaving their children at home as selfish and are made to feel guilty
  • Allowing women to work with more flexible hours and space would be a good opportunity and will enable them to perceive entrepreneurial careers while reconciling with duties at home

Safety at workplaces

  • Women safety at workplaces and also at public places like while travelling are also challenges that hold back women
  • The perception of danger reinforces social norms that restrict women’s mobility and thereby economic participation and freedom

NITI AAYOG’S WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PLATFORM (WEP)

NITI Aayog in partnership with SIDBI has launched this platform to provide an ecosystem for budding and existing women entrepreneurs across the country

It is based on three pillars

  • Iccha Shakti – motivating aspiring entrepreneurs to start their business
  • Gyaan Shakti -providing knowledge and ecosystem support to women entrepreneurs to help them foster entrepreneurship
  • Karma Shakti – providing hands-on support to entrepreneurs in setting up and scaling up businesses

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

Access to education

  • The broad gender gap in economic participation and opportunity is also due to low women entrepreneurship
  • Equal access to education and encouragement to women to use their required skills, policies aiming at more women in senior and leadership roles will enable women to start their own businesses

Awareness of unconscious bias and disadvantage to women

  • Women need to deal with negative attitudes since changes in mindsets take time it cannot happen overnight

Sharing success stories

  • Sharing the stories on various social and traditional media can provide inspiration and proof that business can be a women’s world and strengthen the confidence of young female entrepreneurs

Safe work environment

  • A more inclusive, non-discriminatory and safe work environment will help in the retention of qualified women. 
  • The measures must ensure that women can commute between their offices and homes without any mental load of worrying about their security
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Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

The revelations about the misuse of Pegasus spyware have shaken the world and India has also felt its reverberations. There has not been any investigation on the matter and also a parliament session was allowed to be washed away as discussion on the issue was denied. The issue resembles the Watergate scandal in the 1970s which brought down US President, Richard Nixon.

PEGASUS

About Pegasus

  • NSO Group, an Israeli cyber security firm founded spyware called Pegasus in 2010
  • Founders of NSO group arr from Unit 8200, elite defence force of Israel. It is probably the foremost technical intelligence agency and also Israel’s largest military unit
  • Any iOS or Android device can be hacked and a variety of data can be stolen from the infected devices using the spyware
  • An exploit link is sent to the target user and if the user clicks on the link the code or  malware gets installed in the phone which allows complete surveillance

Pegasus in 2019

  • The use of Pegasus to target journalists and human rights activists was confirmed by Facebook’s WhatsApp in India
  • There was an allegation of the target of around 1400 WhatsApp users Pegasus by NSO group
  • Human rights activists , lawyers working in tribal areas, an  Elgar Parishad case accused, Bhima Koregaon case lawyer etc were some of those who were targeted in India

NEED OF SURVEILLANCE

Surveillance state- when all actions, locations etc of citizens are surveilled legally by the state to prevent crimes and to solve the cases at a faster pace 

To prevent organized crime – there has been increasing use of media to facilitate organised crime, provocation of extremism, money laundering etc 

Combat Terrorism- Surveillance can help in getting prior information about terrorist activities and thus help to counter the potential terror attacks 

Misinformation by Fake News- There have been many incidents of riots, mob lynching due to the spread of odd fake messages across social media platforms

LAWS FOR SURVEILLANCE IN INDIA

Telegraph Act (1885)

  • It allows interception of calls related to a telephonic conversation
  • Section 5(2)  of the act allows central and state agencies to  intercept electronic communication in case of any public emergency or to ensure public safety
  • According to law, the device can be put under surveillance if officials are satisfied that it is necessary to do so so to maintain sovereignty and integrity of the country, security of the state, friendly relation with other countries, public order or prevention of incitement to an offence

Indian Telegraph Rules

  • Officers who can order surveillance of messages are identified under Rule 419 A of Telegraph Rules
  • Directions of interception can be passed by the secretary to the government of India in the Ministry of Home affairs
  • At the state level, an officer of secretary-level who has in charge of the home department can pass such orders
  • Officer rank of joint secretary duly authorised by union home secretary or state home secretary can under unavailable circumstances issue directions under the rules

Information Technology Act (2000)

  • Section 69 of IT Act and IT Rules, 2009 deals with surveillance of all electronic communications 
  • Interception, monitoring and decryption of information through any computer resource including mobile phones is authorised to agencies under these provisions
  • According to Section 69 of IT Act -sovereignty and integrity of the country, defence of India, security of State, friendly relations with other countries, public order, prevention of incitement to any cognizable offence, investigation of any offence are grounds for which interception can be done by the government agencies

Indian Post Office Act (1898)

  • Central and state governments have the power to intercept postal articles for the maintenance of public safety as well as in cases of public emergency.

CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH STATE SURVEILLANCE

Freedom of the press- 

  • World press freedom index (2021) by Reporters without Borders has ranked India 142 out of 180 countries
  • There is an atmosphere of distrust because the safety of journalists as well as their sources are threatened

The chilling effect on the right to Freedom of Speech 

  • Surveillance can hamper the vital public watchdog role of the press which would undermine its ability to provide accurate and reliable information

Right to privacy

  • Puttaswamy judgement in 2017 has made the right to privacy sacrosanct and it forms an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Indian constitution
  • The supreme court also reasoned that there is a positive application on the state to protect the privacy of individuals

Lack of oversight mechanism

  • The power goes into the hands of the executive due to a lack of parliamentary or judicial oversight, the disproportionate use of power may lead to the spread of authoritarianism
  • A review by a three-member committee consisting of a cabinet secretary and two other bureaucrats is the only safeguard mechanism against misuse

Violation of Articles 32 and 226

  • Since there is secrecy involved in surveillance citizens are not able to show their breach of rights hence Article 32 and 226 which empowers the Supreme Court and High Court to issue writs is taken away.
Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

The 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement prompts a reflection on Jawaharlal Nehru’s major contribution to the field of international relations. The concept of not aligning a country’s policy with others can be traced to the Congress of Vienna of (1814-15) when the neutrality of Switzerland, by which it would keep out of others’ conflicts, was recognised.

NAM & ITS PRINCIPLES

  • Non-alignment movement was initiated by India, Egypt, Yugoslavia,Ghana and Indonesia in 1961
  • The idea of the leaders of all countries was that of neutrality, neither to help USA or USSR 
  • Bandung Conference -The basic concept of the group originated in 1955 during the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia.
  • Interests of developing countries-The movement represented the interests and concerns of developing countries to protect their autonomy.
  • Membership- the condition was that the country’s party to NAM could not be part of any multilateral military alliance for bilateral military agreement with global powers involved in the power conflicts.

Largely Guided By Panchsheel Principles

  • United Nations and international law -to abide by the principles enshrined in charter of United Nations and international law
  • Respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, and diversity of all members states
  • Conflicts should be settled peacefully as per the charter of the United Nations
  • Despite the differences in the political social and economic systems of various members, there must be basic mutual respect and equality
  • Work towards the promotion of shared interests and values
  • Right of an individual or collective self-defence as per the charter of United Nations
  • Non-interference in the internal affairs of the member states and respect for sovereignty
  • Promotion of multilateral world order and solution of problems through discussions and dialogue

NAM IN COLD WAR ERA

  • The movement favoured the process of decolonization and hence helped countries achieve freedom. It also aided at the end of the Apartheid
  • It supported global disarmament and advocated for global peace and cooperation
  • It favoured the principles enshrined in  the Declaration of the establishment of new economic order by the United Nations General Assembly
  • The message of  the movement was to shape a new international order free from war, poverty, intolerance and injustice
  • It favoured a system based on principles of peaceful coexistence and genuine interdependence,a world that takes into account the diversity of social systems and culture

Shortcomings of NAM

  • It could not prevent Indo Pakistan and Sino Indian wars
  • The members of NAM did not adopt a supportive position towards India during the war.  Ghana and Indonesia favoured China during the Indo- China War of 1962. Also in 1965 and 1971, Indonesia and Egypt lent their support to Pakistan 
  • After the end of the cold war and dismantling of USSR, the NAM could not adopt a broader perspective of issues 

NAM AND INDIA

  • Being a founding member India was an active participant till 1970s tilt towards the erstwhile USSR led to doubts among small nations which led to the joining of either bloc by the members.
  • The disintegration of cold war structures India’s new economic policy of 1991 and inclination towards the US questioned the relevance and importance of NAM for India
  • In 2016 the prime minister’s kept the 17th non-aligned movement summit in Venezuela second time when India did not participate in the conference
  • India along with most of the NAM countries have aligned itself to the market based  liberal economic order and reaped benefits
  • India accepted the G20 membership and has also declared itself  a nuclear state through India believes in No First Use Policy
  • India   joined QUAD (US, India, Australia, Japan) which is considered an anti-China grouping as wells as SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) led by China to establish a balance of new and old global powers 
  • India believes in the principles of the multilateral world which is the foundational value of NAM
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Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

Recently, the CBI filed two charge sheets against serving and retired naval officers, and some others, for allegedly sharing details of the ongoing modernisation project of India’s Kilo Class submarines. 

  • The Kilo Class comprises imported submarines that are being retrofitted.
  • Experts say India has lost a decade in modernising its submarine fleet, while China has marched ahead in its larger naval and more specific submarine capabilities.

Indian Submarine Squad

  • Currently, India has 15 conventional diesel-electric submarines, classified as SSKs, and one nuclear ballistic submarine, classified as SSBN.
  • Of the SSKs, 
    • four are Shishumar Class, which were bought and then built in India in collaboration with the Germans starting 1980s; 
    • eight are Kilo Class or Sindhughosh Class bought from Russia (including erstwhile USSR) between 1984 and 2000; and 
    • three are Kalvari Class Scorpene submarines built at India’s Mazagon Dock in partnership with France’s Naval Group, earlier called DCNS.
  • The SSBN, INS Arihant, is a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, built indigenously. 
    • A second SSBN, INS Arighat, an upgraded version of Arihant, is likely to be commissioned within the next few months.
  • Most of India’s submarines are over 25 years old, and many are getting refitted.

The history of India’s submarine acquisition

  • India got its first submarine, INS Kalvari of the Foxtrot Class, from the USSR in December 1967. By 1969, it had four of those. 
  • During the 1971 war with Pakistan, the submarines were baptised into war. 
  • Between 1971-74, India bought four more Foxtrot Class submarines.
  • The eight Foxtrot submarines were a “good number at that point of time” and were doing a great job, as contemporary as we could operate at that time.
  • After 1974, India did not get new submarines for a decade. 
  • In 1981, it signed a contract to buy two Type 209 submarines from West Germany, while two others were to be assembled at Mazgaon Dock. 
    • These formed the Shishumar Class, the first of which was commissioned in 1986.
  • Parallelly, Russia offered India its Kilo Class submarines. 
  • Between 1986 and 1992, India got eight submarines from the USSR and the two from Germany. 
  • In 1992 and 1994, two German submarines built in India were also commissioned, adding up to 12 new submarines in eight years from 1986. 
  • By 1995, we probably had amongst the most modern submarine arms in the world.
  • India bought two more Kilo Class submarines from Russia in 1999 and 2000, taking the total submarine fleet to around 20.
  • Soon after, the older Foxtrots started getting decommissioned. Of the ten Kilo Class submarines, INS Sindhurakshak sank off Mumbai after explosions caused by fire. 
  • Last year India gifted INS Sindhuvir to Myanmar.

Delays in modernisation

  • The 30-year plan (2000-30) for indigenous submarine construction, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 1999, envisaged two production lines of six submarines each, built in India in partnership with a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). 
  • The projects were called P-75 and P-75I.
  • The 30-year plan anticipated that India would get the 12 new submarines by 2012-15. 
  • Subsequently, India would make 12 of its own by 2030, taking the fleet size to 24, with the older submarines getting decommissioned.
  • The intention was that India would maintain a force level of 18 to 20 submarines at any given time. 
  • But the contract for P-75 was signed only by 2005, with France’s DCNS, now the Naval Group. Ideally the contract for P75I should have also happened then.

The current projects

  • Of the six being built, P-75 has delivered three Kalvari Class Scorpene submarines so far. 
  • P-75I is yet to take off; the first Request for Information was issued in 2008, then again in 2010, and the Request for Proposal was finally issued in July this year.
  • The project will be India’s first under the Strategic Partnership Model, which came up in 2015. 
  • The government will give the contract to an Indian Strategic Partner, which will then partner with a foreign OEM.
  • The two selected SPs are MDL and Larsen and Toubro; the five selected OEMs are France’s Naval Group, Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Russia’s ROE, South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, and Spain’s Navantia. 
  • However, bids are yet to be finalised. The earliest that the first submarine under the project can be commissioned will be around 2032, according to experts.
  • P-75, too, has been delayed. While the first boat should have been commissioned in 2012, it was commissioned in December 2017.

China’s capability, and worry for India

  • India needs more submarines for two reasons. 
    • First, we need it for our own maritime security. 
    • Second, the Chinese are going to be positioning a lot more ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean in the coming years.
    • China is giving Pakistan eight submarines and four destroyers, which can be used as proxy by China. 
    • India need to handle that very soon, and move on to the P75I as fast as we can.
  • According to a 2020 report by the Pentagon, China currently operates four SSBNs and is fitting two additional hulls. 
  • It has six SSNs and, and 50 diesel-powered attack submarines (SSs). 
  • According to the report, the Chinese Navy will likely maintain between 65 and 70 submarines through the 2020s, replacing older units with more capable units on a near one-to-one basis.
  • China has constructed 12 nuclear submarines in the last 15 years. It is expected to have up to eight SSBNs by 2030, the report said.

Nuclear Submarine coveted nature

  • SSNs have infinite capacity to stay dived. 
  • As they are not propelled by batteries, they need not emerge for charging by a diesel engine. 
  • Propelled by a nuclear-powered engine, these submarines only need to come to the surface for replenishing supplies for the crew.
  • SSNs are also able to move faster underwater than conventional submarines. 
  • All this allows a navy to deploy them at farther distances, and quicker. 
  • They are like the fighter jets of the underwater world.
  • India is among six nations that have SSNs, alongside the US, the UK, Russia, France and China. 
  • India got its first SSN in 1987 from the Soviet Navy, which it rechristened INS Chakra, which was decommissioned in 1991. 
  • In 2012, India got another Russian SSN on a ten-year lease, called INS Chakra 2, which has since been returned to Russia.
  • The government has also decided that of the 12 submarines to be built indigenously after the P75 and P75i projects, six would be SSNs instead of SSK. 
  • India is taking two SSNs on lease from Russia, but the first of them is expected to be delivered only by 2025.
  • But, during this time India has developed its own SSBNs, INS Arihant and INS Arighat. 
  • Unlike the other submarines, the SSBNs are strategic programmes and fall under the Strategic Forces Command, the tri-services command responsible for India’s nuclear weapons. 
  • That’s not a warfighting machine. It should not be counted as a submarine warfighting capability, because it is a deterrent.
  • India is building at least two larger SSBNs that will have bigger missiles, called S4 and S4* projects. The four SSBNs are expected to be commissioned before 2030.
Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Context:

The Supreme Court reserved its judgment on an appeal by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for relaxing its order specifying road width under the CharDhamMahamargVikasPariyojana (Char Dham Highway Development Project) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

CHAR DHAM HIGHWAY PROJECT

  • Objective:
      • Widening of roads up to ten meters to enhance connectivity to Char-Dham shrines- Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath, Kedarnath.
      • Development 889 km National Highways
  • Implementation Agencies
      • Public Works Department (PWD, Uttarakhand)
      • Border Roads Organization (BRO)
      •  National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL)
  • Chamba Tunnel-
    • Border Roads Organisation (BRO) achieved the  milestone by digging 440 m long Tunnel below Chamba town on Rishikesh-Dharasu road Highway (NH 94)

NEED OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION

  • Security Interests
      • With China continuously scaling up its building activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army needs to prepare itself for any unforeseen circumstances in future.
      • The recent report by the US Department of Defence on the Chinese military also highlights the strength of the People Liberation Army and its increasing hold along Indo- China border
      • The region has terrain & altitude where the defence of the nation is extremely important. The mistakes of 1962 cannot be repeated, building and widening of roads is necessary to take up artillery and missiles
      •  Supreme Court also observed that the defence of country cannot be compromised in name of environmental risks, there needs to be a balance 
  • Socio-Economic interests
      • The first phase of the forest where’s the extraction for development which led to widespread deforestation resulting in landslides and deprivation among people dependent on the forest for survival
      • This led to the Forest Conservation Act (1980) and Supreme Court directions to check forest-based industries. This resulted in a decline in state revenue from the forest.
      • The development in the region is required to provide employment opportunities and a decent standard of living to people
  • Basic facilities for people
      • Providing people with adequate health and education facilities infrastructure is a prerequisite.
  • Multiplier Effect
      • Increasing focus on infrastructure and connectivity would multiply into various benefits across the different sectors and boost the growth of Himalayan states
  • Viable & sustainable forest-based economy
      • To reap the benefits of unique Himalayan products there is a need for development in the region like storage facilities & efficient supply chain mechanisms ‘
  • Enhance connectivity
    • To increase accessibility and connectivity due to geographical and topographical factors, there is a need for construction projects like the Atal Tunnel which ensures all-weather connectivity

THREATS TO HIMALAYAN ECOSYSTEM

  • Affects the forests and also the forest-based economy
      • The first phase of forest-  the extraction for development which led to widespread deforestation resulting in landslides and deprivation among people dependent on the forest for survival
      • This led to activate of the forest conservation act 1980 and supreme Court directions to check forest-based industries
      • This resulted in the decline of state revenue from the forest. 
  • National environment policy 2006
      • According to the policy, several measures to conserve the mountain ecosystems including land use planning, watershed management, farming methods and promotion of eco-friendly tourism
      • Talked about best practice norms for infrastructure construction in the mountain regions to minimise the damage to the sensitive ecosystem
      • To promote tourism and local employment one cannot turn blind eye to the danger various projects unleash on the Himalayan ecosystem
  • Geographical Factors 
      • The himalayas are young fold mountains  that are tectonically active Kingdom of a guide and sensitive to the development activities
      • Himalayan landscape with steep slopes and shop gradients is not inherently immune to human engineering
  • Threat to Mankind
      • It is a transcontinental mountain range facing various environmental issues with huge implications for survival for one-third of all humans
      • Being called the third pole it is the source of Asia major rivers and it is a key driver in regulating the climate change
  • Melting of glaciers
      • Because of increase in temperatures and melting of glacier, will hamper the rivers and trigger massive  seasonal flooding followed by dry spells
      • Uttarakhand would lose approximately 70-99 % of glaciers by 2100
  • Environmental Outlook and ethos
      • Human induced changes to the ecological parameters would have an impact on stream runoff erosional as well as depositional processes
      • Indian Himalayan region is a home to 1000 species of flowering plants which is about 50% of all flowering plants of India, with the vast green cover it is a major sink of carbon dioxide
      • Attention towards the vulnerability of biological and physical features of the Himalayan mountain system is the need of the hour
  • Forest loss
      • In the Char Dham project, about 500 8.6 hectares of forest area would be diverted to non-forestry purposes
      • Around 33000 to 43000 trees would be cut down to build roads
      • According to estimates, Uttarakhand would take 40-45 years to recover from this loss
      • Road Edge Effect- it is an ecological phenomenon that wraps wide areas and creates ecological pressures on nearby flora and fauna 
  • Road blockages and landslides
    • Cutting out trees soil rocks from hillsides would make the entire slope unstable
    • Without fresh plantations, the bare hillsides would be more vulnerable to disasters like landslides
Read More

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

India will achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, Prime Minister said in CoP Glasgow. He was speaking at the ‘High-Level Segment for Heads of State and Government’ during the UNFCCC’s 26th Conference of Parties (COP).

  • India also raised the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of achieving 450-gigawatt non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatt, among other commitments including reducing carbon emissions.
  • International commentators expressed disappointment that India was promising nets zero-emissions only by 2070 instead of 2050. 

Key takeaways from COP26

  • PM announced India’s four other commitments — all by 2030. He called them the “gift of five elixirs” (panchamrit).
    • These are: 
      • reducing Emissions Intensity (EI), or emissions per unit of GDP, by 45% in 2030 relative to 2005 levels; 
      • cutting absolute emissions by one billion tonnes, presumably from projected business-as-usual (BAU) 2030 levels; 
      • 500 GW (1 Gigawatt = 1,000 Megawatts) of non-fossil fuel installed power generation capacity by 2030; 
      • 50% electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030; and 
      • net-zero emissions by 2070.
    • The PM also outlined the Indian Railways’ commitment of net-zero by 2030 and its ambition of installing 450 GW of renewable energy capacity.
  • Climate finance: To achieve its climate goals, PM said India expected developed countries “to make $1 trillion available as climate finance as soon as possible”. 
    • Today, as we track the progress on climate mitigation, the same way we must track climate finance.
    • Significance: The commitment is significant since India is the third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, after China and the US.
    • The most substantive new commitment relates to the 1-billion-tonne reduction in its total projected emissions from now until 2030. This is the first time that India has taken any climate target in terms of its absolute emissions.
    • Now India demands the US $1 trillion in climate finance as soon as possible and will monitor not just climate action but also climate finance.
  • One Sun One World One Grid group.
  • India and the United Kingdom announced an initiative to tap solar energy and have it travel seamlessly across borders.
  • India launched another international climate initiative called Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS), aimed at providing technical, knowledge and financial assistance to small island nations with the help of developed countries. 
    • Such an initiative should be undertaken in India too, where coastal erosion, sea-level rise, and urban flooding due to extreme rainfall exacerbated by haphazard urbanisation are acquiring threatening dimensions.
  • Forest Declaration: It is an ambitious declaration initiated by the United Kingdom to “halt deforestation” and land degradation by 2030. 
  • India did not sign the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use. 
  • It objected to “trade” being interlinked to climate change and forest issues in the agreement.
  • The declaration has over 105 signatories including the UK, US, Russia and China.
  • India, Argentina, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and South Africa are the only G20 countries that did not sign the declaration.
  • Twenty-eight governments have also committed to removing deforestation from the global trade of food and other agricultural products such as palm oil, soya and cocoa.

Global Methane Pledge: The United States and the European Union have jointly pledged to cut emissions of the greenhouse gas methane by 2030. 

  • They plan to cut down emissions by 30% compared with the 2020 levels. 
  • At least 90 countries have signed the Global Methane Pledge, with India and China abstaining so far. 
  • Methane accounts for about a fifth of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is about 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere. 
  • India is the third-largest emitter of methane, primarily because of the size of its rural economy and by virtue of having the largest cattle population. 
  • India has stated earlier that it plans to deploy technology and capture methane that can be used as a source of energy. 

Reviewing India’s goals:

The new policy paradigm asserted that although India was not a part of the problem, it was now willing and able to contribute to reduction efforts in global emissions. India’s pledge at Glasgow adheres to the Paris Agreement decision to increase emission cuts to tackle the rapidly escalating climate crisis.

  • Emissions reduction by one billion tonnes by 2030: India’s current annual emissions are around 2.8 billion tonnes and projected to reach about 4.5 billion tonnes in 2030 on a BAU basis. 
    • The pledged reduction would be a substantial 20%, comparing favourably with several developed country targets. 
  • Emission intensity: Both the 33%-35% decline promised in Paris, and the updated 45% reduction by 2030, are quite achievable and par for an emerging economy.
  • On installed power generation capacity, India’s extant NDC had incorporated the Government’s declared goal of 175 GW from renewable energy (RE) sources by 2022. 
    • India has reached only around 101 GW of solar and wind due to numerous constraints. 
    • If one adds large hydro and nuclear, both now considered renewable, the current RE installed capacity is about 150 GW or just under 40% of the total. It almost achieves the NDC target for 2030 showing under-projection. 
    • The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in its 2020 Report on Energy Mix for 2029-30 has projected around 525 GW or 64.3% non-fossil fuel installed capacity including 280 GW Solar and 140 GW wind. 
    • Only 267 GW is projected to come from coal and lignite, compared to 203 GW in 2019, so almost all of India’s future growth of capacity is to come from RE. 
    • India’s Glasgow pledge of 50% electricity from RE by 2030 is just a tad more than the CEA projection of 44.7%. 

These commitments may prove difficult as currently witnessed in the coal shortage crisis, combined with the need for storage and grid stability.

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Chennai Floods

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Context:

Tamil Nadu is suffering the fury of the northeast monsoon with heavy floods forcing a near shutdown in Chennai. 

  • At least four people have died in the city after rainwater inundated large parts of the residential areas and commercial hubs. 
  • It is due to the low-pressure formation in the Bay of Bengal, which caused the heavy downpour.
  • As in 2015, an extreme weather event is blamed for the flooding — more heavy rainfall is predicted. 
  • Climate experts have warned that such extreme weather events are likely to be frequent in the coming years. 
  • Chennai is built on flat coastal floodplains. 
  • Wetlands – including natural and artificial drains such as rivers, streams and canals, and water bodies such as ponds, lakes and backwaters – are the city’s insurance against heavy rains and cyclonic storm surges.

Concerns:

The impact of climate change is worsened due to poor reservoir management. The root cause of the city’s distress during rains lies in mismanagement of its water bodies. The unplanned growth of the city has led to the filling up of lakes and tanks and shrunk wetlands. 

  • A parliamentary committee that enquired into the cause of the 2015 floods was categorical in its report that “encroachment of lakes and riverbeds played a major role in causing massive floods in Chennai”. 
    • Local mafia is involved in the “illegal business of usurping water bodies for real estate business”. 
    • A mass rapid transport system has severely restricted the flow in Buckingham Canal, which was designed also as a protective barrier against floods and sea ingress.
    • Over 300 lakes, tanks and canals have disappeared in the past decades and, according to the administration, over 1.5 lakh illegal constructions choke the cityscape. 
  • Uncontrolled urbanisation: The city’s built-up area grew nine-fold – from 47sq km in 1980 to 402sq km in 2012 – even while area under wetlands declined from 186sq km to 71sq km during the same period.

Chennai will have to reclaim at least a part of its lost water spaces and preserve whatever is left, including its two rivers which have been reduced to large drains, in order to better withstand the vagaries of climate-change-induced weather events.

Way forward for urbanisation in India:

  • Wetland policy: We need to start paying attention to the management of our wetlands by involving local communities. 
    • In most of our lakes, the shallow ends, which often lie beyond the full tank level, have disappeared. These shallow ends are called wetlands. 
    • They are sometimes owned by private individuals, other times existing as ecological commons. 
    • Regardless of ownership, land use on even this small scale needs to be regulated by development control.
  • Detailed documentation of wetlands and watersheds: Urban watersheds are micro ecological drainage systems, shaped by contours of terrain.
    • We need to consider natural boundaries such as watersheds instead of governance boundaries like electoral wards for shaping a drainage plan. 
    • The Metropolitan Development Authorities, National Disaster Management Authority, State revenue and irrigation departments along with municipal corporations should be involved in such work together.
  • Porous building materials: Our cities are becoming increasingly impervious to water, not just because of increasing built up but also because of hard, non-porous construction material that makes the soil impervious. 
  • To improve the city’s capacity to absorb water, bioswales and retention systems, permeable material for roads and pavement, drainage systems can be used. It will allow storm water to trickle into the ground, green roofs and harvesting systems in buildings. 
  • Making Sponge cities : They absorb the rain water, which is then naturally filtered by the soil and allowed to reach urban aquifers. 
    • This water can be treated easily and used for city water supply. 
    • This implies building contiguous open green spaces, interconnected waterways, and channels and ponds across neighbourhoods that can naturally detain and filter water. 
    • It implies support for urban ecosystems, bio-diversity and newer cultural and recreational opportunities.
    • These can all be delivered effectively through an urban mission along the lines of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) and Smart Cities Mission. 
    • Investments can only be done in a mission mode organisation with the active participation of civil society organisations at the metropolitan scale. 
  • Ban against terrain alteration: Builders, property owners, and public agencies have been flattening terrain and altering drainage routes. This causes irreversible damage.
    • Terrain alteration needs to be strictly regulated and a ban on any further alteration of terrain needs to be introduced. 
  • Stop the blame: Acknowledging the role of different actors in the city can create a practical space to begin this work. The constant search for a scapegoat to blame should stop.

We need to urgently rebuild our cities such that they have the sponginess to absorb and release water. Doing so will not just help control recurring floods but also respond to other fault lines, provide for water security, more green spaces, and will make the city resilient and sustainable. 

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Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India gave license to National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL), popularly known as a bad bank.

About National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL)

  • The plan is to create a bad bank to house bad loans of ₹500 crore and above, in a structure that will contain an asset reconstruction company (ARC) and an asset management company (AMC) to manage and recover dud assets.
  • The new entity is being created in collaboration with both public and private sector banks.
  • The proposed bad bank will have a public sector character and majority ownership is likely to rest with state-owned banks.
  • The objective of the bad bank is to establish a liquid market for Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) so that banks will be able to sell their NPAs at a reasonable price. 
  • The biggest advantage of NARCL would be an aggregation of identified NPAs (non-performing assets). 
  • NARCL, through its service company/operational entity India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL), will manage the resolutions of these NPAs.
  • The NARCL will acquire these stressed assets through 15 per cent cash and 85 per cent security receipts (SRs) in a phased manner. ₹90,000 crore of the asset will be managed in the first phase.
  • A government guarantee will back the SRs for a maximum amount of ₹30,600 crore, and the guarantee will be valid for a resolution period of five years.

Initiatives for NPAs recovery in India

  • Debt recovery tribunals under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions (RDDBFI) Act in 1993
  • Asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) as a part of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (SARFAESI Act) in 2002, and 
  • The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) in 2016.

Need for a Bad bank

  • Currently, the Indian banking system has one of the highest gross non-performing assets (GNPA) to total asset ratio globally. 
    • Post-covid stress scenarios estimated by the RBI pegs it at an aggregate GNPA ratio in the range of 12.5- 14.7 per cent.
  • Lack of liquidity: The secondary market of the Security Receipts (SRs) issued by the existing ARCs is quite illiquid. 
    • There is a dominance of the selling-bank in holding SRs, resulting in a limited demand for SR by other qualified investors.
    • The main reason for the limited demand is the average low debt recovery rate of only 27.8 per cent, with the most recent 2019-20 showing a debt recovery rate of 26.7 per cent.
  • The NARCL is essentially an ARC with only two distinguishing features
    • (i) NARCL is intended for dealing in big sized tickets, and 
    • (ii) NARCL has a partial government guarantee.

Challenges for Bad Bank

  • International examples show that the effectiveness of ARCs hinges on: 
    • (i) a focused mandate for setting up the ARCs, 
    • (ii) limited lifespan of the ARC, 
    • (iii) market-based resolution of NPAs.
  • No fixed life span: NARCL has a focused mandate as stated in its proposal to acquire ₹2 lakh crore worth of stressed assets, but the absence of a clause about the lifespan of NARCL may lead to a moral hazard problem. 
    • Evergreening of Bad loans: Public sector banks (PSBs), who own 51 per cent stake in NARCL, may continue buying their own stressed assets through NARCL leading to the propagation and evergreening of bad loans.
  • The government guarantee of ₹30,600 crore is insufficient in providing liquidity and creating a market for the NPAs.

Way forward:

  • Specific mandate for the bad bank: A bad bank must have a specific, narrow mandate with clearly defined goals. Transferring NPLs to a bad bank is not a solution in itself. There must be a clear resolution strategy. 
  • Sunset clause: Government should address the lifespan issue of NARCL in the form of a sunset clause; a bad bank for perpetuity will pose long-term risks to the financial stability of a country, like Huarong in China.
  • There should be a fair and transparent mechanism while setting the haircut on the stressed assets by the NARCL.
    • A haircut, in this context, refers to the shortfall in recovery of the creditors in comparison to their claims submitted before the insolvency professional, as part of the insolvency resolution process of a borrower.
  • Minimizing exposure to bad loans: Indian banks remain exposed to these bad loans even after they are transferred to asset reconstruction companies (ARCs). 
    • To address this problem, RBI has tightened bank provisioning while liberalising foreign portfolio investment norms. 
    • Policymakers must ensure that the creation of the NARCL does not reverse this trend.
  • Removing multiple ARCs: The resolution of bad loans should happen through a market mechanism and not through a multitude of bad banks. 
    • In India, the Narasimham Committee (1998) had envisaged a single ARC as a bad bank. 
    • Yet, the SARFAESI Act, 2002 created multiple, privately owned ARCs. 
    • ARCs should be allowed to purchase stressed assets from mutual funds, insurance companies, and bond investors. 
  • The pricing mechanism should ensure that the net asset value (NAV) of the SRs is fairly priced, which will boost the participation and liquidity in the SR market.

While setting up a bad bank in the form of NARCL is a step in the right direction towards financial sector reforms; NARCL is just a palliative; it is neither a cure nor does it prohibit bad loans. Unless there is a strong political will to recognise bad loans and support legal infrastructure to address wilful defaulters, setting up a bad bank may become a moot point.

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Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

Recently the Defence Secretary of India stated that a free, open and inclusive maritime region, where legitimate interests of all nations must be respected, is imperative to achieving high growth.

Background

  • The Navy chiefs and heads of maritime agencies of Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, the Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand are taking part in the conclave. 
  • The theme for this year’s edition is “Maritime security and emerging non-traditional threats: a case for proactive role for IOR Navies”.
  • India hoped that its maritime neighbours understood, and were sensitive to, India’s “legitimate maritime security concerns”.

Concerns raised in the conclave

  • India cited that the “Unprecedented expansion” of conventional Navies could start a “new genre” of arms race.
  • Region cannot ignore the non-traditional threats, and the impact of expansion at an unprecedented speed of conventional Navies in the Pacific. 
  • Indian Ocean Region (IOR) nations are also witnessing enhancement of certain maritime presence and passages in the region, which may not always be innocent. The negative effects of such rapid expansion are felt far beyond the Pacific.
  • China has not only increased its forays into the Indian Ocean Region but has also set up a base in Djibouti and is expanding its Navy at an unprecedented rate.
  • The joint coastal radar surveillance systems in coordination with countries in the region and other cooperative efforts. 
  • Disaster relief
    • While seas open the doors for economic progress, the region is one of the most disaster-prone areas causing enormous destruction. 
    • Listing out several instances where the Navy was the first responder in case of natural disasters. 
    • The Navy would continue to work for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief as first responder and net security provider.

India’s request to the nations of the region

  • India emphasis on working with its partners on improving Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) surveillance.
  • India has supplied equipment, vessels and aircraft to friends like Vietnam, Mozambique, the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Bangladesh and Myanmar. 
  • India is willing to work with partners in upgrading maritime hardware and software.
  • The Navy chief laid emphasis on common efforts on information exchange for maritime domain awareness in the region and capacity building. 
    • India’s efforts are spearheaded by the Information Fusion Centre for IOR (IFC-IOR) located in Gurugram which also has several international liaison officers.
    • For a secure and prosperous future, it was important to adhere to international rules and laws and understand each other’s interests and sensitivities and act accordingly.
  • India was in the process of making a Standard Operating Procedure for dealing with disasters in the Asia-Pacific which would be shared with all nations concerned. 
  • India also hopes this will benefit our collective preparedness to deal with these calamities.

 

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