Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the formation of a composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) to capture the extent of financial inclusion across the country.

Key points:

• The index has been conceptualised as a comprehensive index incorporating details of banking, investments, insurance, postal as well as the pension sector in consultation with the government and respective sectoral regulators.
• The annual FI-Index for the period ended March 2021 stood at 53.9 compared with 43.4 for the period ended March 2017. 
• The FI-Index will be published in July every year.
• FI-Index comprises three broad parameters (weights indicated in brackets):
  • Access (35%), 
  • Usage (45%), and 
  • Quality (20%) 
• Of the three categories, Access, Usage and Quality, there has been more progress on Access, with Usage lagging the most. 
• The index is responsive to ease of access, availability and usage of services, and quality of services for all 97 indicators.
• The FI-Index has been constructed without any ‘base year’ and as such it reflects cumulative efforts of all stakeholders over the years towards financial inclusion
• The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion.
• A unique feature of the index is the parameter related to the quality of financial inclusion as reflected by financial literacy, consumer protection, and inequalities and deficiencies in services.
  • As the index looks beyond just banking services to include insurance, pension and digital payments, the approach taken for financial inclusion is broader than mapping progress under Financial Inclusion Plans. 

Shortcomings of the index:

• Less information: Just two numbers were announced: the index stood at 53.9 for the period ending March 2021, as against 43.4 for the period ending March 2017. 
  • Though the 97 indicators used have not been listed in this note, inequality at the district level is being mapped as one indicator of Quality.
• Lack of relevant data: There has been a high dependence on surveys, with the World Bank Findex and Financial Inclusion Insights data giving us some idea of trends in access and usage every two years or so. 

Schemes for financial inclusion

• The opening of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts has enabled millions to have access to financial services. This has addressed the supply side issue to a considerable extent.
• Six years after its implementation, the total number of accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana has touched 41.4 crores, with deposits adding up to Rs 1.30 lakh crore as of December 2 last year. 
• Other than PMJDY, there are several other financial inclusion schemes in India — Jeevan Suraksha Bandhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Stand Up India scheme, Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes under the social-sector initiatives, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY), Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme (CEGS) for scheduled castes, and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.
• Digital identity (Aadhaar), along with the proliferation of mobile phones with new payment systems, have addressed the first two challenges of access and usage to a large extent. The third challenge, i.e. quality, requires both demand and supply-side interventions. 

The current state of financial inclusion in India

• A significant segment of the country is still financially excluded, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s first composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) unveiled Tuesday, which seeks to capture the extent of financial inclusion across the country.
• The FI-Index of 53.9 for 2020-21 indicates that 46.1 per cent of the parameters considered are still financially excluded, despite the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana for unbanked sections of society, digital payment revolution and entry of a host of players in the insurance and mutual fund segments over the last couple of years. 

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

China’s Belt and Road plans are losing momentum as opposition and debts are mounting.

Background

1. China’s vast Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is in danger of losing momentum as opposition in targeted countries rises and debts mount, paving the way for rival schemes to squeeze Beijing out. 
2. President Xi Jinping launched BRI in 2013 to use China’s strengths in financing and infrastructure construction to “build a broad community of shared interests” throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.
3. But the President’s “project of the century” is now facing major challenges and significant backlashes abroad. 

Objectives of the Silk Road Economic Belt

The objectives of the Silk Road Economic Belt are in sync with its parent initiative, One Belt One Road. They are as follows:

• To create a cohesive economic zone by building hard infrastructures, such as rail and road links, and creating soft infrastructures in the form of signing a trade agreement and creating a commercial legal structure with a court system to monitor and enforce the agreements.
• To strengthen cross-cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between nations that are part of the BRI initiative.
• This strategy is also in line with pushing export of Chinese technologies in new markets, as well as increasing the production capacity in industries such as electronics, construction and logistics. It is expected that both the land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and the sea-based 21st Century Maritime Silk Road both will play a crucial role in this regard.

Significance of Belt and Road Initiative 

• In the wake of the global slowdown, BRI offers a new model of development to China to maintain its economic growth. OBOR envisions building networks of roadways, railways, maritime ports, power grids, oil and gas pipelines, associated infrastructure projects which helps the Chinese economy.
• BRI has a domestic and international dimension: as it visualises a shift from developed markets in the west to developing economies in Asia, Africa And a shift in China’s development strategy concentrating on provinces in central and western China instead of the developed east coast region.
• Strategically important as China utilizes its economic clout to build it soft power.

Criticism and Issues with Belt and Road Initiative 

• Debt-trap diplomacy of China where BRI projects are pushing recipient countries into indebtedness and do not transfer skills or technology. For instance, Hambantota port, where Sri Lanka was forced to lease the port to China for 99 years. Also, there has been rethinking of projects in Malaysia, Maldives, Ethiopia and even in Pakistan.
• BRI represents the political and economic ambitions of China making countries like the US, Japan, Germany, Russia, and Australia unhappy about the impact of Beijing’s moves on their own economic and political interests.
• China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an important component of BRI, passes through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, which is the main reason for India signalling its displeasure over BRI and not participating in both the BRFs.

Syllabus: General Studies 3

Context:

A NASA satellite was successfully launched on September 27 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The earth monitoring satellite, Landsat 9, is a joint mission of NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Background

• The first Landsat satellite was launched in 1972 and since then, Landsat satellites have collected images of our planet and helped understand how land usage has changed over the decades.
• In 2008, it was decided that all Landsat images will be free and publicly available and the policy has helped scores of researchers, farmers, policy analysts, glaciologists, and seismologists. 
• Landsat images have been used to study the health of forests, coral reefs, monitor water quality and melting glaciers.

What is new about Landsat 9?

• The Landsat 9 joins Landsat 8 that was launched in 2013 and the satellites together will collect images of Earth’s surface. It takes 8 days to capture the whole Earth.
• Landsat 9 carries instruments similar to the other Landsat satellites, but it is the most technologically advanced satellite of its generation. 
• It can see more colour shades with greater depths than the previous satellites, helping scientists capture more details about our ever-changing planet.
• The instruments aboard Landsat 9 are the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2). 
  • They will measure different wavelengths of light reflected off the Earth’s surface.
• OLI-2 can see the light that we can’t see too. 
  • It captures sunlight reflected off Earth’s surface and studies the visible, near-infrared, and short wave infrared portions of the spectrum.
• TIRS-2 has a four-element refractive telescope and photosensitive detectors that capture thermal radiation and help study the Earth’s surface temperature.
• As the satellite orbits, these instruments will take pictures across 185 kilometers and each pixel will represent an area of about 30 meter X 30 meter.
• Landsat 9 will provide data that can help make science-based decisions on key issues such as impacts of wildfire, coral reef degradation, the retreat of glaciers, and deforestation.
• NASA is working in tandem with the other Landsat satellites, as well as European Space Agency partners who operate the Sentinel-2 satellites. They are getting a more comprehensive look at Earth than ever before. 
  • With these satellites working together in orbit, They will have observations of any given place on our planet every two days. 
  • This is incredibly important for tracking things like crop growth and helping decision-makers monitor the overall health of Earth and its natural resources

How will the satellite help monitor climate change?

• If a forest is affected by drought, it will be seen in Landsat images and can help the researchers decode the areas at risk. 
• Similarly during a wildfire, the Landsat images will capture the plumes of smoke and help study the extent of a burning. 
• The satellite images can also help recovery experts plan sites for replanting.
• Landsat images can also help identify water bodies affected by potentially harmful algal blooms. 
• According to NASA, scientists are now developing computer programs that would use Landsat and other satellite data to automatically warn lake recreation managers when blooms pop up.
• Landsat images have helped glaciologists study the melting ice sheets of the Antarctic and Arctic regions. 
• The images can help track cracks in the glaciers, movement of glaciers, and decode how further global warming will impact them.

Syllabus: General Studies paper 2

Context:

The biggest challenge today to Indian bureaucracy is the shift from desk to digital. 

• This shift is not limited to a transition towards e-office and e-governance but includes the organisational and bureaucratic response to digital spaces, especially the use of social media. 
• The focus has been mostly on the former, while the latter has remained largely unaddressed.

Arguments for bureaucrats using social media

• The use of social media is gradually getting institutionalised in many Westminster system-based countries. 
  • During the Brexit debate in the U.K., many civil servants shaped public debate through the use of social media even while remaining politically neutral. 
• Many civil servants have become accessible to the common people and public service delivery issues have been resolved through the use of social media. 
• Social media has also created a positive outlook towards an institution long perceived as opaque and inaccessible. 
• Social media has increased awareness among people about government policies and programmes.
• Social media is becoming effective in dealing with cyber-crime, and in delivering social good.
• It provides an opportunity for bureaucrats to shape the public discourse and engage with the public while being politically neutral. 
• Social media ensures that blind obeying political executive is minimised and bureaucrats serve the people.
• Anonymity has been a hallmark of Westminster bureaucracies, including in India. But governance in public is now the new normal. 
  • Values are becoming more dominant than facts in public policymaking. And both values and facts are getting reshaped due to fake news and systematic propaganda within public policy circles as well. 
  • In such a scenario, the bureaucracy, which is expected to be the epitome of public values and a storehouse of facts, shouldn’t be expected to govern in private.
• Social media is critical for bureaucrats to equip themselves against the menace of misinformation and disinformation.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

• A group of US officials are set to tour Latin America this week to scout infrastructure projects as they prepare a counter to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

More in News

• The group is tasked with turning Build Back Better World (B3W), the international infrastructure investment initiative announced by the Group of Seven richest democracies in June, into reality.
• The program is focused on areas including climate, health, digital technology and gender equality.
• A formal US B3W launch event is planned for early next year that will include details of some initial projects aimed at narrowing the $40 trillion needed by developing nations by 2035.
• In just over a month, US officials also plan to huddle with allies at the Group of 20 rich countries and COP26 climate change conferences in Europe, which China is also set to attend. 

About China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

• China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which Xi launched in 2013, involves development and investment initiatives stretching worldwide. 
• More than 100 countries have signed agreements with China to cooperate in BRI projects like railways, ports and highways.
• It is a union of development and investment initiatives that would stretch from East Asia to Europe, and in the process significantly expand China’s economic and political influence in these massive regions.

• Belt and Road, or yi dai yi lu, is a “21st century silk road,” confusingly made up of a “belt” of overland corridors and a maritime “road” of shipping lanes.
• The plan, initially named ‘One Belt, One Road’, is two-pronged:
  • Overland Silk Road Economic Belt: On land, Beijing aims to connect the country’s underdeveloped hinterland to Europe through Central Asia.
  • Maritime Silk Road: The maritime component will build ports and railways to connect the fast growing Southeast Asian region to China’s southern provinces and beyond till Europe via the Middle East and East Africa.

Concerns

• • Economic imperialism: It is a form of economic imperialism that gives China too much leverage over other countries, often those that are smaller and poorer.
  • Expanding military presence: Some worry expanded Chinese commercial presence around the world will eventually lead to expanded military presence.
  • In 2016 China established its first overseas military base in Djibouti. Analysts say almost all the ports and other transport infrastructure being built can be dual-use for commercial and military purposes, called militarization of the supply chain.

• India’s Views

• • India, for its part, had taken an early stance against the BRI and refused to participate in the inaugural Belt and Road Forum in 2017 as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
  • It had long emphasised that connectivity projects should respect the participating country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, not create unsustainable debt burden, involve transparent accounting, and create benefits for the local economy.

Major initiatives by other countries (to counter China’s BRI)

• Asia-Africa Growth Corridor: Japan, along with India has unveiled their own development cooperation with third countries under the banner of the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor.
• US International Development Finance Corporation (USIDFC): The US, meanwhile, has launched a new development finance institution, the US International Development Finance Corporation (USIDFC) to compete with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB), headquartered in Beijing, China, which substantially finances BRI.
• Blue Dot Network: And the US and Australia have joined Japan in announcing plans through the Blue Dot Network for an alternative to BRI.
  • Led by the USIDFC, the Blue Dot network was jointly launched by the US, Japan (Japanese Bank for International Cooperation) and Australia (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) in November 2019 on the sidelines of the 35th ASEAN Summit in Thailand.
  • It is meant to be a multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to bring governments, the private sector and civil society together to promote “high quality, trusted standards for global infrastructure development”.
  • However, there is no financing component involved in this.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

Germany has voted for a change. Germany’s centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) have claimed victory in the federal election, telling the party of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel it should no longer be in power. Angela Merkel was Chancellor for 16 years — from 2005 to 2021.

Impact of Angela Merkel on Europe and world

• Merkel broke the glass ceiling to become the first woman Chancellor from the conservative party and was kept in the post by a combination of political, economic, and social factors. 
• As a strong export-based economy, Germany under Merkel outperformed France, the UK, Spain, and Italy in Europe, and posted robust exports behind only China and the US.
• During her tenure, unemployment in Germany came down by an order of 3 million, and 5 million more people got jobs. 
• The financial crisis of 2008 was followed by the Eurozone crisis. Germany paid the largest amount in the EU’s first bailout of Greece in 2010. 
• In 2015, the refugee crisis swamped Europe, and Merkel pushed to take in the swelling numbers who landed on European shores. 
• Germany chose to go ahead with the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline to supply gas to Europe.

India’s bilateral relationship with Germany under Merkel

Since the inauguration of the India-Germany strategic partnership in 2001, relations have grown in a robust manner. 

• India is one of the few countries with which Germany holds Cabinet-level Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC).  The IGC is a unique broad-format dialogue chaired by both leaders with members of the Cabinet from the two sides holding initial discussions in their respective areas of responsibility.
• They signal growing political engagement and economic partnership that has led to strong institutionalised arrangements to discuss bilateral and global issues.
• Although trade and investment have been at the heart of the bilateral engagement, the IGC has expanded its scope to artificial intelligence and digital transformation and pushed forward the ‘Make in India Mittelstand’ programme. 
• Other areas of cooperation include science and technology, sustainable energy, smart cities, and circular economies.

Significance of Indo-German relations

• Tackling slowdown: As both countries are together reeling under slowdown, both can find ways to further collaborate and converge to find sustainable and effective solutions. 
• India stands to gain from Germany as Germany is an economic powerhouse just as Germany stands to gain because she is a promising market that is growing and developing. 
• High end manufacturing: Germany is famous for internationally acclaimed high-end brands like Daimler, Siemens etc.. India is an obvious choice for German companies due to the availability of potential markets and talent pools.
• Renewable sector: 

• India and Germany have signed an agreement on technical cooperation under the Indo-German Energy Programme – Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC).
• Germany also provides a loan of 7 million euro for training activities in the photovoltaic solar rooftop sector.

• Post-Brexit scenario: The kind of Europe that emerges post-Brexit is critical for India. Thus, we need to have a very good economic relationship with Germany as well as France in the post Brexit era.
• Germany’s role in reviving the India-EU free trade talks : 
  • India has made a special appeal to Merkel to take the lead in this context. 
  • India had called off talks when the EU banned 700 Indian pharma companies from exporting to the EU because one company was found wanting on quality standards.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

With the help of advanced technologies and newer experiments scientists have found certain clues about dark energy and made the first putative direct detection of dark energy.

Key Points

• The XENON1T experiment is the world’s most sensitive dark matter experiment and was operated deep underground at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy.
• Scientists noticed certain unexpected results in the underground experiment and write that dark energy may be responsible for it.
• The finding also suggests that experiments like XENON1T, which are designed to detect dark matter, could also be used to detect dark energy.

Dark energy Vs Dark matter

• In the universe, about 27% is dark matter and 68% is dark energy.
• While dark matter attracts and holds galaxies together, dark energy repels and causes the expansion of our universe.
• Dark energy has been noted as “the most profound mystery in all of science”.

How did they make the detection?

• Last year, the XENON1T experiment reported an unexpected signal.
• Scientists say that at energies around ~2 keV there are way more events than one expects simply due to noise and this could be due to dark energy.
• Though these sorts of excesses are often flukes, once in a while, they can also lead to fundamental discoveries.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

After two successive droughts in 2014-15 and 2015-16, Prime Minister set out an ambitious target to double farmers’ incomes by 2022-23. 

• The Ashok Dalwai Committee said that the target of doubling farmers’ incomes was in real terms and the goal was to be achieved over seven years with the base year of 2015-16. 
  • It clearly stated that a growth rate of 10.4 per cent per annum would be required to double farmers’ real income by 2022-23. 
• Lack of data about farmers’ income: According to an estimate of farmers’ income for 2015-16 by NABARD in 2016-17, the average monthly income of farmers for 2015-16 was Rs 8,931. 

Key points of data for 2018-19 based on the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of agricultural households 

• It was conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO). 
• As per this survey, an average agricultural household earned a monthly income of Rs 10,218 in 2018-19 (July-June) in nominal terms. 
• As per SAS for 2012-13, the nominal income was Rs 6,426. 
• In nominal terms, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) turns out to be 8 per cent between 2012-13 to 2018-19. 

Need for calculation of the growth rate of real incomes

• If we deflate nominal incomes by using CPI-AL (consumer price index for agricultural labour), then the CAGR is just 3 per cent. 
• If we use WPI (wholesale price index of all commodities), the CAGR in real incomes turns out to be 6.1 per cent. This difference is just due to the choice of deflator. 
• When one compares the CAGR in farmers’ real income (deflated by CPI-AL) over 2002-03 to 2018-19, it turns out to be 3.4 per cent (and 5.3 per cent if deflated by WPI). 
• The situation in the base year and terminal year influences the growth rates dramatically.
• A better method would have been to look at average annual growth rates (AAGR), if yearly data was available. 
• The AAGR for agri-GDP is available and at an all-India level, between 2002-03 to 2018-19, it turns out to be 3.3 per cent. This is very close to the real income growth (CAGR) of 3.4 per cent for the same period. 
• State level variations: State agri-GDP growth is volatile and depends on the monsoon. 
  • For example, Punjab with almost 99 per cent irrigation cover, will have a much more stable income than say Maharashtra with just 19 per cent irrigation cover.
  • There is a huge gap between agriculture GDP and farmers’ income growth in many states — Kerala, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh. 
  • The Gujarat region had a 27 per cent deficient rainfall than its Long Period Average (LPA) and Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu were 38 per cent rainfall deficient in 2018-19. Jharkhand had 31 per cent deficient rainfall, while Kerala experienced a major flood in 2018-19. 
  • The agricultural GDP growth of Gujarat was negative (-8.7 per cent) in 2018-19. This would surely depress the farmers’ incomes in the state for 2018-19. 
  • But overall, for the period 2002-03 to 2018-19, Gujarat’s agri-GDP growth is 6.5 per cent — one of the highest in India. 

Key takeaways from SAS surveys

• It is important to consider both the indicators (growth in agri-GDP as well as farmers’ incomes based on a survey of the specific year) to get a clearer picture of the state of affairs at the farmer level.
• The share of income from rearing animals (this includes fish) has gone up dramatically from 4.3 per cent in 2002-03 to 15.7 per cent. 
• The share of income from the cultivation of crops has decreased from 45.8 per cent to 37.7 per cent. 
• The share of wages and salaries has gone up from 38.7 per cent to 40.3 per cent. 
• The share of income coming from non-farm business has come down from 11.2 per cent to 6.4 per cent.
• The scope for augmenting farmers’ incomes is going to be more and from rearing animals (including fisheries). 
  • It is worth noting that there is no minimum support price (MSP) for products of animal husbandry or fisheries and no procurement by the government. 
  • It is demand-driven, and much of its marketing takes place outside APMC mandis. 
  • This is the trend that will get reinforced in the years to come as incomes rise and diets diversify. 
• Farmers’ income cannot be increased by continuously raising the MSP of grains and government procurement. Grain stocks with the government are already overflowing and more than double the buffer stocking norms. It will lead to a very expensive food system. 

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context:

The Uttarakhand High Court issued a notification saying that it would resume functioning through the physical mode from August 24, and no virtual hearing will be entertained.

• A petition has been filed by the All-India Jurists Association, seeking a declaration that the right to participate in court proceedings through virtual courts via video conference is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a) and (g) of the Constitution. 
  • According to Article 19(1)(a): All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.
  • Article 19 ( 1) (g) of the Constitution of India provides the right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business to all citizens subject to Art. 19 (6) which enumerates the nature of restriction that can be imposed by the state upon the above right of the citizens.

Key points of the litigation

• The idea of virtual courts is seen as an affordable and accessible justice system observed by the e-committee of the supreme court.
• The plea also says the use of information, communication and technology is a fundamental right available to every lawyer under Article 19(1)(a) and (g) of the Constitution of India.
• Anuradha Bhasin v Union of India (2020) case: It was held by the Supreme Court that the right to access the internet and various applications/websites is a facet of various Fundamental Rights and Freedoms available under Article 19 of the Constitution of India. 
• Swapnil Tripathi vs Supreme Court (2018): In the fast-changing globalised world, it is obligatory for the Indian Judiciary to use Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) in the most optimal manner to make Justice available at the cheapest possible price for one and all.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context:

A recent report, “Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region” by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) reveals that India has warmed up 0.7° C during 1901-2018. 

• The 2010-2019 decade was the hottest with a mean temperature of 0.36° C higher than average. 
• Prolonged exposure to heat is becoming detrimental to public health, especially the poor unable to afford support for coping with the heat.

India’s vulnerability to climate change

• Assessment by the MoES shows that India may experience a 4.4° C rise by the end of this century.
• India has also suffered two of the 10 most expensive climate disasters in the last two years. 
  • Super-cyclone “Cyclone Amphan” that hit India in 2020, cost more than USD13 billion. The “June-October Monsoon Flooding” cost USD10 billion and around 1,600 lives. 
  • It was India’s heaviest monsoon rain in the last 25 years and the world’s seventh costliest. 
  • In early 2021, India suffered two more cyclones: Cyclone Tauktae hitting the west coast and Cyclone Yaas from the east. 
• India’s rising IDPs: According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, India’s Internally Displaced Populations (IDPs) are rising due to damaging climate events. 
  • About 3.6 million out of 170 million living in coastal areas were displaced between 2008-2018.
  • Uttarakhand residents began deserting their homes after the Kedarnath floods in 2013 due to heavy precipitation that increases every year. Within 2050, rainfall is expected to rise by 6% and temperature by 1.6° C.
• Coastal erosion: India lost about 235 square kilometres to coastal erosion due to climate change induced sea-level rise, land erosion and natural disasters such as tropical cyclones between 1990-2016. 
• India’s Deccan plateau has seen eight out of 17 severe droughts since 1876 in the 21st century (2000-2003; 2015-2018). 
  • In Maharashtra and Karnataka (the heart of the Deccan Plateau), families deserted homes in 2019 due to an acute water crisis. 

India’s climate initiatives

• India vowed to work with COP21 by signing the Paris Agreement to limit global warming and submitted the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with a goal of reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by 33%-35% and increasing green energy resources (non-fossil-oil based) to 40% of installed electric power capacity by 2030.
  • In their NDCs, countries communicate actions they will take to reduce their Greenhouse Gas emissions in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries also communicate in the NDCs actions they will take to build resilience to adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures.
• In 2015, India cofounded with France at COP21, the International Solar Alliance (ISA). It is a coalition of about 120 countries with solar rich resources— which aims at mobilising USD1 trillion in investments for the deployment of solar energy at affordable prices by 2030. 
• India held the top 10 positions for the second year in a row in 2020’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). The country received credit under all of the CCPI’s performance fields except renewable energy where India performed medium.