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GS Paper: GS3

  • Solar energy & India

     

    Context

    • Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said that civilisation will be mostly solar-powered in the future, a world without Sun will turn into a dark ice ball as the Earth gets all of its energy from it.

    Definition of solar energy

    • Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy, and solar architecture.

    India’s solar target.

    • Target: India is targeting about 500 GW by 2030, of renewable energy deployment, out of which ~280 GW is expected from solar PV. This necessitates the deployment of nearly 30 GW of solar capacity every year until 2030.
    • Commitment: Solar power is a major prong of India’s commitment to address global warming according to the terms of the Paris Agreement, as well as achieving net zero, or no net carbon emissions, by 2070.

    International solar alliance and India’s pledge

    • Climate action commitment: It symbolizes about the sincerity of the developing nations towards their concern about climate change and to switch to a low-carbon growth path.
    • Clean energy: India’s pledge to the Paris summit offered to bring 40% of its electricity generation capacity from non-fossil sources (renewable, large hydro, and nuclear) by 2030.
    • Global electrification: India has pledged to let solar energy reach to the most unconnected villages and communities and also towards creating a clean planet.
    • Global cooperation: It is based on world cooperation irrespective of global boundaries.
    • India’s Soft power: For India, possible additional benefits from the alliance can be a strengthening of ties with the major African countries and increasing goodwill for India among them.

    Some Interesting facts

    Solar power is the most abundant energy source on earth.

    Solar is the cheapest source of energy in the world.

    Solar electricity has been around since 1839.

    Solar panels can produce power without direct sunlight.

    Challenges before solar future

    • High Imports: Indian solar deployment or installation companies depend heavily on imports. It currently imports 100% of silicon wafers and around 80% of cells even at the current deployment levels.
    • Field deployment: Also, out of the 15 GW of module manufacturing capacity, only 3-4 GW of modules are technologically competitive and worthy of deployment in grid-based projects.
    • Land issue: Land, the most expensive part of solar projects, is scarce in India — and Indian industry has no choice but to move towards newer and superior technologies as part of expansion plans.
    • Lack of investment: India has hardly invested in this sector which can help the industry to try and test the technologies in a cost-effective manner.

    Way forward

    • Supportive policies and innovative technological approaches are needed for the sector to achieve its potential.
    • Indian policymakers need to plan for rooftop solar plus storage, rather than rooftop solar alone with the grid as storage (net / gross metering).
    • The declining cost of storage solutions, along with that of rooftop solar solutions, is likely to change the future of the Indian power sector.

    Conclusion

    • In the foreseeable future, one can witness a just and equitable energy order if solar energy, along with other forms of renewable energy, can be harnessed more positively.

    Mains question

    Q. Fossil fuels have a 60% share in India’s total energy mix in this context discuss solar future for India with challenges for the same.

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  • Consumerism should be replaced by minimalism

    Consumerism Context

    • The COVID-19 pandemic brought shifts in consumer behaviour. The world witnessed a shrinkage of demand. But post-pandemic recovery and suppressed consumerism is now leading to ‘revenge shopping’.

    What is consumerism?

    • Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts.

    What is minimalism?

    • Minimalism is owning fewer possessions. It is intentionally living with only the things we really need those items that support our purpose. Removing the distraction of excess possessions to focus more on those things that matter most.

    ConsumerismWhat Is Revenge Shopping?

    • Revenge shopping occurs when a customer who previously could not get access to certain goods or services for a period of time suddenly has access. It can also occur when customers have been deprived of other events or happenings.

    ConsumerismThe symptoms of excessive consumerism

    • You buy more than you planned: if you set out with a plan of what you need to purchase but consistently come back with more than you anticipated, then you’re falling in the consumerist trap.
    • You run out of storage space for your stuff: sometimes it can’t be helped if you live in a tight area or you’re disorganised. But suppose you’re in a reasonable situation and things you bring in don’t have an allocated home. In that case, you’re likely living excessively.
    • You rely too much on return policies: returning an item is useful. Particularly if you need to test a product for the intended purpose, be it sizing for clothes or a tool for a building project. However, suppose you’re depending on returns for purchases. In that instance, you’re not sure you need it, or if you can’t afford it, then you’re probably suffering from too much consumerism.
    • You routinely seek approval for your purchases: getting feedback on purchases can be reassuring, especially if you’re indecisive. Yet, there’s a difference between picking someone’s brain before buying and looking to justify your purchase after the fact. If you’re seeking post-acquisition approval, you probably don’t need the item.
    • You mistakenly buy things you already have: not much to say here. If you’re getting things only to realise you already have it, then you’re probably deep in a consumerist cycle.
    • You buy things on credit: if you’re strategic and disciplined, you can buy things on credit cards to acquire points and benefits. However, if you’re like the majority of us, then you’re vulnerable to buying things you can’t afford.
    • You constantly go over your budget: sometimes, you miss-forecast how much you need to spend each month. But if you set a realistic budget and find that you’re still going over, then you’re probably consuming excessively.
    • You regret your purchases: the most obvious sign that you have a shopping habit is you regret things you bought. Buyer’s remorse is an overwhelming feeling and one we want to avoid.

    ConsumerismNegatives of consumerism

    • Causes more pollution: Consumerism as a system can have devastating effects on the environment.
    • A major contributor to resource depletion: The second main negative of consumerism is resource depletion.  Simply put, resource depletion refers to the idea that human beings are using up the resources on the earth as an ever increasing rate such that we will ‘deplete’ or completely use up some resources.
    • Leads companies to develop low quality products: Modern companies practice a technique called ‘planned obsolescence’. In general, planned obsolescence is best understood as products that are designed to fail. Modern companies do this to encourage consumers to repurchase a product over and over again.
    • Does not necessarily lead to increased happiness beyond a certain point: The main negative aspect of consumerism is that it does not necessarily lead to higher levels of happiness for people.
    • Global inequality: The huge rise in resource consumption in wealthier countries has led to an ever widening gap between the rich and the poor. As the age old saying goes, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”

    What can we do?

    • Extend the lifespan of your things: Repairing your things is not only an effective way to reduce your consumption, but it’s also beneficial to the environment.
    • Reframe shopping as a skill: When you focus on the role the thing you’re buying will play in the overall experience instead of the experience of shopping itself, you’ll be able to shift away from a consumerist mind-set.
    • Do the deathbed test: Not to get too dark, but if you were hypothetically on your deathbed today, and you were reflecting on your life, what would be your fondest memories? The quality of our lives is generally measured by moments of “that was a good time”, not “that thing I had was awesome”.
    • Borrow or rent instead of buy: A simple method for getting your consumerism under control is to rent or borrow items instead of buying them.
    • Practice minimalism: What’s the ultimate alternative to consumerism? Minimalism. A minimalist is someone who naturally rejects consumerism and sees value in having fewer things over more things. Minimalism is a powerful philosophy that impacts how you view material things, your relationships, commitments, and digital inventory.

    Conclusion:

    • The M.K. Gandhi once said: “The Earth provides-enough to satisfy everyone’s needs but not any one’s greed.” We shall find that Gandhian call to curtailment of wants is relevant in the rapidly depleting natural resources, bio-diversity and eco-system and its contemporary relevance

    Mains question

    Q. What do you understand by the term consumerism? Discuss importance of minimalism as there is rise in revenge shopping in post covid19 era.

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  • Species in news: Peninsular Rock Agama (Psammophilus dorsalis)

    A study carried out by researchers from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, undertook to characterise urbanisation in the region and also to understand where the rock agama reside in and around Bengaluru specifically.

    Why in news?

    • The study examined several environmental factors that could affect the presence of the lizard and revealed that they are found mainly in rocky places and warm spots.
    • Thus, the inference is that conservation efforts must point towards retaining rocky patches even while reviving landscapes by planting trees.

    Peninsular Rock Agama

    • The Peninsular Rock Agama (Psammophilus dorsalis) is a type of garden lizard has a strong presence in southern India.
    • This lizard is a large animal, strikingly coloured in orange and black.
    • They do not generate their own body heat, so they need to seek warmth from external sources like a warm rock or a sunny spot on the wall.
    • They are important in ecology from different aspects — they can indicate which parts of the city are warming, and their numbers show how the food web is changing.
    • Habitat loss and other such features of urbanisation have affected the presence of the animal in urban centres.

    Why study them?

    • Insects are critical components of a healthy ecosystem as they provide so many services, including pollination.
    • So, while rock agamas are interesting in themselves, they are also a good model system to understand other aspects of the ecosystem.
    • In cities such as Bengaluru, there is a lot of flora and fauna that is rapidly disappearing.
    • The rock agama is one such species which is dependent on rocky scrub habitats which are being converted into buildings and plantations.

     

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  • What is Artemis 1 Mission?

    NASA’s Artemis 1 mission has sought unexpected delay due to fuel leakages issue.

    What is the Artemis I Mission?

    • NASA’s Artemis mission is touted as the next generation of lunar exploration, and is named after the twin sister of Apollo from Greek mythology.
    • Artemis is also the goddess of the moon.
    • Artemis I is the first of NASA’s deep space exploration systems.
    • It is an uncrewed space mission where the spacecraft will launch on SLS — the most powerful rocket in the world — and travel 2,80,000 miles from the earth for over four to six weeks during the course of the mission.
    • The Orion spacecraft is going to remain in space without docking to a space station, longer than any ship for astronauts has ever done before.
    • The SLS rocket has been designed for space missions beyond the low-earth orbit and can carry crew or cargo to the moon and beyond.

    Key objectives of the mission

    • With the Artemis Mission, NASA aims to land humans on the moon by 2024, and it also plans to land the first woman and first person of colour on the moon.
    • With this mission, NASA aims to contribute to scientific discovery and economic benefits and inspire a new generation of explorers.
    • NASA will establish an Artemis Base Camp on the surface and a gateway in the lunar orbit to aid exploration by robots and astronauts.
    • The gateway is a critical component of NASA’s sustainable lunar operations and will serve as a multi-purpose outpost orbiting the moon.

    Other agencies involved

    • Other space agencies are also involved in the Artemis programme.
    • The Canadian Space Agency has committed to providing advanced robotics for the gateway.
    • The European Space Agency will provide the International Habitat and the ESPRIT module, which will deliver additional communications capabilities among other things.
    • The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to contribute habitation components and logistics resupply.

     

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  • Fiscal prudence

    Fiscal prudenceContext

    • The Central government’s alarm has been on the mounting debt burden and the deteriorating fiscal situation in some States due to diversion in fiscal prudence.
    • As both the Union government and States are expected to work closely in a co-operative federal structure, frictions arising out of these exchanges might have repercussions on both resource sharing and expenditure prioritisation.

    What is India’s fiscal federalism?

    • Fiscal federalism refers to the financial relations between the country’s federal government system and other units of government.
    • It refers to how federal, state, and local governments share funding and administrative responsibilities within our federal system.

    Three issues in India’s fiscal federalism                   

    • First: are a set of issues related to Goods and Services Tax (GST) such as the rate structure, inclusion and exclusion of commodities, revenue sharing from GST and associated compensation.
    • Second: State-level expenditure patterns especially related to the welfare schemes of States.
    • Third: the conception and the implementation of central schemes.

    Fiscal prudenceMeaning of fiscal prudence

    • Fiscal prudence is defined as the ability of a government to sustain smooth monetary operation and long-standing fiscal condition.

    Where should state government spend the borrowed money?

    • Fundamental infrastructure: Ideally, governments should use borrowed money to invest in physical and social infrastructure that will generate higher growth, and thereby higher revenues in the future so that the debt pays for itself.
    • Targeted expenditure only: On the other hand, if governments spend the loan money on populist giveaways that generate no additional revenue, the growing debt burden will eventually implode.

    Fiscal prudenceWhy there is a need for Fiscal Council?

    • Institutionalizing fiscal practices: With a complex polity and manifold development challenges, India need institutional mechanisms for fiscal prudence.
    • Transparency: An independent fiscal council can bring about much needed transparency and accountability in fiscal processes across the federal polity.
    • Fiscal prudence: International experience suggests that a fiscal council improves the quality of debate on public finance, and that, in turn, helps build public opinion favourable to fiscal discipline.

    What does fiscal consolidation mean?

    • Fiscal consolidation is defined as concrete policies aimed at reducing government deficits and debt accumulation.

    Why fiscal consolidation is needed?

    • Fiscal expansion financed through debt and the resultant debt accumulation have important impacts on the economy both in the short run as well as in the long run.

    How to achieve fiscal consolidation?

    • Better targeting of government subsidies and extending Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for more subsidies
    • Improved tax revenue realization For this, increasing efficiency of tax administration by reducing tax avoidance, eliminating tax evasion, enhancing tax compliance etc. are to be made.
    • Enhancing tax GDP ratio by widening the tax base and minimizing tax concessions and exemptions also improves tax revenues.

    Suggestions

    • Amend FRBM Act for complete disclosure: First, the FRBM Acts of the Centre as well as States need to be amended to enforce a more complete disclosure of the liabilities on their exchequers.
    • Centre should impose conditionalities: Under the Constitution, States are required to take the Centre’s permission when they borrow. The Centre should not hesitate to impose conditionalities on wayward States when it accords such permission.
    • Use of financial emergency provision: There is a provision in the Constitution of India which allows the President to declare a financial emergency in any State if s/he is satisfied that financial stability is threatened.
    • Course correction by the Centre: The Centre itself has not been a beacon of virtue when it comes to fiscal responsibility and transparency. It should complete that task in order to command the moral authority to enforce good fiscal behaviour on the part of States.

    Conclusion

    • Fiscal correction at the State level is important. While there exists a need for raising additional resources at the sub-national levels, expenditure prioritisation has to be carried out diligently. The Centre, too, on its part needs to demonstrate commitment to fiscal discipline by sticking to announced fiscal glide path to ensure the sustainability of a frictionless cooperative federal structure.

    Mains question

    Q. Why Fiscal correction at the State level is important? Why fiscal consolidation is needed? Write in context frictionless cooperative fiscal federal structure.

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  • Scientific temper

    Context

    • India has not produced any Nobel Prize winner in science in the last 85 years — largely because of the lack of a scientific environment in the country.

    What is scientific temper?

    • Jawaharlal Nehru coined the term ‘scientific temper’; he defines it as an attitude of logical and rational thinking. An individual is considered to have scientific temper if she employs the scientific method when making decisions.

    Why it is important?

    • Scientific temper is very important for bringing forth a progressive society. It is free from superstitions. Irrational practices in developing the nation are in all aspects like political, economic and social.

    Its components

    • The vital parts of scientific temper are discussion, argument, and analysis. Various elements like fairness, equality, and democracy. The most important characteristic of a scientific temper is: – untiring search for truth with an open mind and spirit of inquiry.

    Constitutional mandate of scientific temper

    • In 1976, the Government of India reemphasised its commitment to cultivate scientific temper through a constitutional amendment (Article 51A).
    • Article 51A in the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution in 1976 says “It shall be the duty of every citizen of Indian to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of enquiry and reform.”

    Importance of scientific temper in nation building

    • Formation of public policy: Scientific temperament can become a part of the policy formation and plan through analyzing the performance of our nations, especially all the hardships and shortfalls that occurred in the past years.
    • Self -Reliance: There is a relationship between scientific temperament and becoming self-reliant. Our country is becoming self-reliant with the available technology and industrial infrastructure.
    • Quality education: It will help the children to assimilate the knowledge acquired through the practical observations in a scientific framework; thus, laying down a basis for the growth of a scientific perspective in the children.

    scientific temperChallenges before scientific temper

    • Political unwillingness: Most of the policymakers and the politicians to increase their vote banks include the stagnant ideologies and beliefs of the people in their public policies, and the government tends to give away in the popular public opinion rather than try to improve their thinking by including a more scientific approach to the various societal problems.
    • Prevalent orthodoxy: In India, people still have an orthodox ideology and will not adhere to the scientifically obtained solutions.
    • Low budget: Even after seventy years of independence, Indian Scientists are working on tight budgets, and they don’t have resources like other nations for conducting scientific research.
    • Pseudoscience: Pseudoscience is everywhere, whether in denying the science of climate change or the evolution theory that explains the secret of diversity that we see around us.

    Value addition / case study / Innovation

    An IIT Kanpur alumni Mr.Arvind Gupta tries to inculcate a spirit of inquiry among children through toys made from inexpensive everyday items.


    What can be done?

    • Directional efforts: Activities focused on school children can be undertaken like nature walks, visit to museums etc. ‘Science Express’, a collaborative effort of Ministry of railways and Ministry of Environment & Forests & Climate Change, is a progressive step because it provides a platform that can expose children and common people in far-flung areas of the country to scientific aspects of our everday life.
    • Policy initiatives: Children’s Science Congress organized by National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) is a good way to encourage scientific temper in children.
    • Public initiative: Civil Society organizations like, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) and Delhi Science Forum, which are People’s Science Movement, can also go a long way in boosting scientific temper amongst the community.
    • From Sensationalism to Sensible Science Journalism:The media must monitor the content to discourage and limit superstition and blind belief.
    • Scientific journalism: Science communicators do the critical job of bridging the gap between science, society, and policymakers. Science journalism should be promoted at the university level. Science agencies should fund science communication activities in their domains.
    • From Exclusive to Inclusive Science: Inequitable participation concerning gender and social diversity must be eliminated. The ‘open source science’ or ‘open science’ movement includes, at the core, open access, open data, open-source, and available standards that offer unfettered dissemination of scientific discourse.
    • Open science: Government has a significant role in facilitating open science and promoting and preserving a free-thinking, open-minded society.

    Conclusion

    • Let’s hope that someday all cultures free themselves from the shackles of blind faith  with science likely to play a major hand in this endeavour. Unto a similar goal, we should celebrate India’s constitutional provision for the scientific temper and vigorously safeguard it.

    Mains question

    Q. The shrinking space for scientific temper in India today is worrisome for some reasons. Do you think so? Identify these reasons and suggest way forward for scientific future of India.

    Discuss the importance of scientific temper, what kind of public culture is needed to advance it? 10 Marks

    Q.4 Explain why superstitious beliefs and practices abound in India. In this context, discuss the importance of inculcating scientific temper to remove superstitions. (10 Marks)

     

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  • What is Positive Indigenisation List (PIL)?

    In line with the effort to promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing, the Defence Minister has approved the third Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) of 780 strategically important line replacement units (LRU).

    What is a Positive Indigenisation List (PIL)?

    • The positive indigenisation list essentially means that the Armed Forces—Army, Navy, and Air Force—will only procure the listed items from domestic manufacturers.
    • The manufacturers could be private sector players or Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
    • This concept was rolled out in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.

    Why in news?

    • This third list is different from the three PILs announced for the armed forces.
    • This list is in continuation to the two PILs of LRUs, sub-systems, assemblies, sub-assemblies and components that were published in December 2021 and March 2022.
    • These lists contain 2,500 items which are already indigenised and 458 (351+107) items which will be indigenised within the given timelines.
    • Out of the 458 items, 167 items (163 from the first PIL, and four from the second PIL) have been indigenised, so far, it stated.

    Other steps taken by the Centre to boost defence production

    • Licensing relaxation: Measures announced to boost exports since 2014 include simplified defence industrial licensing, relaxation of export controls and grant of no-objection certificates.
    • Lines of Credit: Specific incentives were introduced under the foreign trade policy and the Ministry of External Affairs has facilitated Lines of Credit for countries to import defence product.
    • Policy boost: The Defence Ministry has also issued a draft Defence Production & Export Promotion Policy 2020.
    • Budgetary allocation: In addition, a percentage of the capital outlay of the defence budget has been reserved for procurement from domestic industry.
    • Defence Industrial Corridors: The government has also announced 2 dedicated Corridors in the States of TN and UP to act as clusters of defence manufacturing that leverage existing infrastructure, and human capital.
    • Long-term vision: The vision of the government is to achieve a turnover of $25 bn including export of $5 bn in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025.
    • Push for self-reliance: The govt has identified the Defence and Aerospace sector as a focus area for the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ or Self-Reliant India initiative.

    Issues retarding defence indigenization

    • Excess reliance on Public Sector: India has four companies (Indian ordnance factories, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)) among the top 100 biggest arms producers of the world.
    • Policy delays: In the past few years, the government has approved over 200 defence acquisition worth Rs 4 trillion, but most are still in relatively early stages of processing.
    • Lack of Critical Technologies: Poor design capability in critical technologies, inadequate investment in R&D and the inability to manufacture major subsystems and components hamper the indigenous manufacturing.
    • Long gestation: The creation of a manufacturing base is capital and technology-intensive and has a long gestation period. By that time newer technologies make products outdated.
    • ‘Unease’ in doing business: An issue related to stringent labour laws, compliance burden and lack of skills, affects the development of indigenous manufacturing in defence.
    • Multiple jurisdictions: Overlapping jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Industrial Promotion impair India’s capability of defence manufacturing.
    • Lack of quality: The higher indigenization in few cases is largely attributed to the low-end technology.
    • FDI Policy: The earlier FDI limit of 49% was not enough to enthuse global manufacturing houses to set up bases in India.
    • R&D Lacunae: A lip service to technology funding by making token allocations is an adequate commentary on our lack of seriousness in the area of Research and Development.
    • Lack of skills: There is a lack of engineering and research capability in our institutions. It again leads us back to the need for a stronger industry-academia interface.

    Way forward

    • Reducing import dependence: India was the world’s second-largest arms importer from 2014-18, ceding the long-held tag as the largest importer to Saudi Arabia, says 2019 SIPRI report.
    • Security Imperative: Indigenization in defence is critical to national security also. It keeps intact the technological expertise and encourages spin-off technologies and innovation that often stem from it.
    • Economic boost: Indigenization in defence can help create a large industry which also includes small manufacturers.
    • Employment generation: Defence manufacturing will lead to the generation of satellite industries that in turn will pave the way for a generation of employment opportunities.

     

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  • Construction and demolition waste

    Construction and demolitionContext

    • Huge amounts of construction and demolition waste in a residential area is hazardous for human health and warrants immediate disposal.

    Why in news?

    • The Twin towers in Noida, Uttar Pradesh were demolished by controlled implosion. Their being located in a residential neighbourhood of Noida makes it even more essential to introduce interventions to mitigate pollution and waste, post-demolition.

    What is construction and demolition waste?

    • Construction and demolition wastes (CDW) are the status of building materials after the end life of buildings. CDW could be concrete, steel, wood products, asphalt shingles, and bricks from building.

    What is waste management?

    • Waste management refers to the activities and actions required to manage waste from its start till its disposal. This includes collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste together with monitoring and regulation.

    Construction and demolitionWhy they should be managed properly?

    • Waste management and diligent planning becomes critical for regulation of humongous solid waste being generated every day. With growing urbanization and rise of smart cities on the offing the issue of solid waste management becomes even more imperative.

    Data to remember

    62 million tons of waste is generated annually in the country at present.

    India manages to recover and recycle only about 1 per cent of its construction and demolition (C&D) waste, says new CSE analysis.

    Construction and demolitionWhat are the impacts of construction waste on the environment and human health?

    • Air: Disassembling and shredding of construction waste generate dust or large particulates into the surroundings and affects the respiratory health of waste management workers and others.
    • Water: (Landfills are not properly designed to hold construction waste + Illegal dump sites + Improper recycling & disposal of e-waste) = compounds leach into the ground = Groundwater gets toxified due to heavy metals from demolition waste.
    • Soil: Soil is contaminated by direct contact with contaminants from construction waste or its by-products from recycling & disposal + indirectly through irrigation. Soils become toxic when substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and polychlorinated biphenyl’s (PCBs) are deposited in landfills. Contaminated soils have bad impacts on microbes and plants => the pollutants reach higher animals or humans through the food chain.

    Construction And Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 – Salient Features

    1.Duties of waste Generators

    • Construction and demolition waste must be separated by each waste generator, and it must be deposited at a collection site or given to authorised processing companies.
    • Should take care to prevent any trash or depositing that could block vehicles, the general public, or drains.
    • Before beginning building, demolition, or remodelling work, large generators (those that create more than 20 tonnes or more in a single day or 300 tonnes per project in a month) must submit a waste management plan and obtain the necessary approvals from the local authorities.
    • Large generators must have an environmental management strategy to address any environmental problems resulting from building and demolition work, storage, transportation, and waste disposal and recycling.
    • The waste from large generators must be divided into four streams, including concrete, soil, steel, wood, and plastics, as well as bricks and mortar.
    • The appropriate fees for collection, transportation, processing, and disposal must be paid by large generators according to the notices issued by the competent authorities.

    2.Duties of Service providers and Contractors

    • Within six months of the rules’ notification, the service providers are required to develop a thorough waste management plan for the waste produced under their control.
    • They must also remove all construction and demolition waste independently or through a third party after consulting with the relevant local authority.

    3.Duties of State Government and Local Authorities

    • Within one and a half years after the date of the final notice of these regulations, the responsible State Government department dealing with land should offer suitable locations for the establishment of the storage, processing, and recycling facilities for construction and demolition waste.
    • In order to prevent long-term disruption of the processing plant, the Town and Country Planning Department must include the location in the authorised land use plan.
    • In municipal and government contracts, materials created from building and demolition waste must be purchased and used to the tune of 10–20%.
    • The local authority must install suitable bins for garbage collection, removal at regular intervals, and transportation to suitable facilities for processing and disposal.
    • Large generators of construction and demolition waste must submit a comprehensive plan or undertaking before Local Authorities may approve the waste management plan;
    • Seek help from the relevant authorities for the safe disposal of any nuclear waste or building and demolition debris contaminated with hazardous or toxic materials from industry;
    • Local Authorities must provide the generator with the necessary incentives for salvaging, processing, and/or recycling, preferably on-site;
    • Million plus cities (based on the 2011 Indian census) must commission the processing and disposal facility within 1.5 years of the date of final announcement of these regulations.
    • Local Authorities will build a database and update it once a year.

    4.Duties of Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee

    • Construction and demolition waste management operating rules must be created by the Central Pollution Control Board.
    • The construction and demolition waste processing plant will receive authorization from SPCB.
    • The involved local bodies will keep an eye on how these guidelines are being applied.
    • Send an annual report to the State Government and the Central Pollution Control Board.

    Construction and Demolition Waste Management – Concerns

    • In spite of the aforementioned, industry and state pollution control boards operate poorly.
    • In India, between 25 and 30 million tonnes of C&D waste are produced each year, but barely 5 percent of it gets treated.
    • It is noteworthy that dirt, sand, and gravel make up 36% of C&D waste. This waste affects soil fertility and poses a threat to public health in cities.
    • The almost total lack of recycling also violates India’s obligations to reduce carbon emissions.
    • The need to recycle C&D waste is critical.
    • This is due to the fact that widespread sand mining is already eroding river beds and ultimately aggravating flood damage.

    Some positive suggestions

    • Need robust estimation and characterisation of C&D waste to design systems for material recovery: Cities need comprehensive assessment and quantification of C&D waste generation, to plan adequate infrastructure and systems for treatment and management.
    • Need of documentation: Cities must create easily accessible databases of buildings and their physical and legal attributes. Construction/demolition permits need to be inventorised with associated waste management plans attached.
    • Preparing for waste management from new generation material: Expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS), Styrofoam, plastic spacers, bituminous material and asbestos embedded within new wall assemblies are a recycling challenge. This needs special attention.
    • Infrastructure projects need to set up their own recycling facilities: DMRC has done so. Concrete can be easily recycled. Butt excavated waste is a challenge. Other infrastructure projects like highway and roadwork find recycling of bituminous material waste challenging. Globally, proactive prevention of waste is undertaken through modification of existing on site construction practices etc.
    • Responsibility of the construction Industry: The current system provides no incentive to the construction agencies for managing their own waste via waste reduction and on-site reuse and recycling. The Rules have created a push by creating a legal requirement for waste management but the financial drivers are missing. This requires fiscal strategy.

    Conclusion

    • Environmental and material challenges associated with the Construction and Demolition waste problem need urgent and immediate attention nation-wide to recover material, protect environment, and for clean air.

    Mains question

    Q. India manages to recover and recycle only about 1 per cent of its construction and demolition waste analyse the constraints in it. Also suggest some positive measures to address this challenge.

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  • INS Vikrant: All about India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier

    The nation’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1) , INS Vikrant is set to be commissioned on September 2, the Indian Navy has announced.

    About INS Vikrant

    • The name ‘INS Vikrant’ originally belonged to India’s much-loved first aircraft carrier, a source of immense national pride over several decades of service before it was decommissioned in 1997.
    • The original ‘Vikrant’, a Majestic-class 19,500-tonne warship, which was acquired from the UK in 1961, played a stellar role in the 1971 War with Pakistan.
    • The IAC-1 is 262 m long and 62 m wide ‘Vikrant’ displaces approximately 43,000 tonnes when fully loaded, and has a maximum designed speed of 28 knots (about 52 km/h) with an endurance of 7500 NM.
    • It has around 2,200 compartments designed for a crew of around 1,600, including specialised cabins to accommodate women officers and sailors.

    Why is it important for India to have an aircraft carrier?

    • An aircraft carrier is one of the most potent marine assets for any nation.
    • It enhances a Navy’s capability to travel far from its home shores to carry out air domination operations.
    • Having an aircraft carrier as essential to be considered a “blue water” navy — that is, a navy that has the capacity to project a nation’s strength and power across the high seas.
    • An aircraft carrier generally leads as the capital ship of a carrier strike/ battle group.

    Why is it a big deal that this warship has been Made in India?

    • Only five or six nations currently have the capability of manufacturing an aircraft carrier, and India has joined this prestigious club now.
    • India has demonstrated the capacity and self-reliance to build what is considered to be one of the most advanced and complex battleships in the world.
    • India has had aircraft carriers earlier too — but those were built either by the British or the Russians.
    • The ‘INS Vikramaditya’, which was commissioned in 2013 and which is currently the Navy’s only aircraft carrier, started out as the Soviet-Russian warship ‘Admiral Gorshkov’.
    • India’s two earlier carriers, the ‘INS Vikrant’ and the ‘INS Viraat’, were originally the British-built ‘HMS Hercules’ and ‘HMS Hermes’.
    • These two warships were commissioned into the Navy in 1961 and 1987 respectively.

    What indigenous components does the new ‘Vikrant’ have?

    • The indigenous content of the project is approximately 76%.
    • The warship-grade steel was indigenised through Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in collaboration with Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL).
    • It includes 23,000 tonnes of steel, 2,500 km of electric cables, 150 km of pipes, and 2,000 valves.
    • It also includes a wide range of finished products including rigid hull boats, galley equipment, air-conditioning and refrigeration plants, and steering gear.

    What weapons and equipment will the new ‘Vikrant’ have?

    • The new warship can carry up to 34 aircraft, including both fighter jets and helicopters.
    • It will be capable of operating 30 aircraft including MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 Air Early Warning Helicopters, MH-60R Seahawk multi-role helicopters, as well as the Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH).
    • Using a novel aircraft-operation mode known as Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR), the IAC is equipped with a ski-jump for launching aircraft.

    What else will be there on the new INS Vikrant?

    • The carrier is designed with a very high degree of automation for machinery operations, ship navigation and survivability.
    • The carrier is equipped with the latest state of the art equipment and systems.
    • It boasts a fully-fledged state of the art medical complex with the latest medical equipment facilities..

    Now that India has shown the capability, will it build more carriers?

    • Since 2015, the Navy has been seeking approval to build a third aircraft carrier for the country, which, if approved, will become India’s second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-2).
    • This proposed carrier, to be named ‘INS Vishal’, is intended to be a giant 65,000-tonne vessel, much bigger than both IAC-1 and the ‘INS Vikramaditya’.
    • The Navy has been trying to convince the government of the “operational necessity” of having a third carrier.
    • Also, it is argued that now that India has developed the capability to build such vessels, it should not be whittled away.
    • The expertise gained by the Navy and the country over the past 60 years in the art of maritime aviation should not be wasted either.

    Significance of the induction

    • Vikrant is the largest warship to have ever been built in India, and the first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy.
    • It puts India in an elite club of nations that have the capability to design and build these giant, powerful warships.
    • The indigenisation efforts led to the development of ancillary industries, and generated employment opportunities for 2,000 CSL personnel and about 13,000 employees in ancillary industries.
    • This bolstered plough-back effect on the nation’s economy. That is, it pushed all money back that it consumed.

     

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  • Why Nepal postponed Gorkhas’ recruitment under the Agnipath scheme?

    Nepal has postponed the recruitment rallies which were to be held in that country to recruit Gorkha soldiers for the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme.

    Why has Nepal postponed Agnipath recruitment rallies?

    • Nepal is of the opinion that this new form of entry into the Indian military is not covered under the Tripartite Agreement signed between Nepal, Indian and UK governments in 1947, soon after Indian independence.
    • The government feels that the Agnipath scheme must be approved by it and for that political consultations with all parties in Nepal must take place.
    • This is move is visibly ‘inspired’ with inputs from China.

    What was the Tripartite Agreement between India, Nepal and UK?

    • Soon after Indian Independence on August 15, 1947, an agreement was reached by the governments of India, Nepal and the UK regarding the future of the Gorkha soldiers who were serving in the Indian Army.
    • As per the terms of this agreement four regiments of Gorkha soldiers – 2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th – were transferred to the British Army while the rest – 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th – remained with the Indian Army.
    • A new Gorkha Regiment, the 11th Gorkha Rifles, was raised by India soon after Independence.
    • The agreement also provides for the terms and conditions of the Nepal-domiciled Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army and for their post-retirement benefits and pensions.

    Significance of Gorkha Soldiers

    • Legend has it that Hitler’s very words were, “If I had Gurkhas, no army in the world could defeat me.”
    • An interesting historical aspect of Gorkha troops is that Pakistan, at the time of Independence, and China, soon after the 1962 war, had also requested Nepal for Gorkha soldiers.
    • However, this request was turned down by the Nepal government.
    • The largest body of Gorkha troops serves in the Indian Army while in the UK their presence has been reduced from four regiments to just two.

    Can Nepalese Gorkhas in foreign Armies be called mercenaries?

    • Mercenaries are understood as fighters who take part in a conflict for financial gain and usually are not parties to that conflict.
    • As per the definition of the 1949 Geneva Convention, gives the officially agreed definition of a mercenary.
    • It says that soldiers serving in sovereign armies are not considered mercenaries, and Gorkha soldiers cannot be called mercenaries.
    • In addition, Gorkha soldiers from Nepal serve side-by-side with Gorkha soldiers who are born and brought up in India.

    Have any changes been made in Gorkha unit recruitments over the years?

    • There have been attempts to reduce the dependence on Nepal for the Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army,
    • To this effect, the composition has increasingly been attempted to be balanced between Indian and Nepal-domiciled troops.
    • Also, a pure Indian Gorkha battalion was raised in 2016.
    • This unit, 6th Battalion of the 1st Gorkha Rifles (6/1 GR), was raised in Subathu, in Himachal Pradesh.
    • Otherwise, the ratio of Nepalese-domiciled soldiers and Indian-domiciled soldiers in a Gorkha battalion ranges from 60:40 to 70:30, though this will change further in future.
    • A change was made in the recruitment rules for Gorkha Rifles recently when the Army decided that soldiers hailing from the Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand will also be eligible for serving in Gorkha Rifles.

    What is the socio-economic impact on Nepal of Gorkha soldiers serving in the Indian Army?

    • A major economic and social impact is felt in Nepal due to the Nepal-domiciled Gorkha soldiers serving in the Indian Army and much of it has to do with the remittances that they send home.
    • Kathmandu receives a sustainable source of remittances from Gorkhas working in foreign armies.
    • This has significantly contributed to social modernization in the isolated villages, while the financial remittances spurred entrepreneurship development thereby contributing to regional development.

    Why induct Gorkha soldiers?

    • Gorkha soldiers are tough. Living in the hills of Nepal makes them strong and resilient and they can stand war, climate and terrain better than most.
    • No one can match their swift movement in the mountainous terrain.
    • They are cheerful in disposition and nothing disturbs their equanimity.
    • They are loyal to the core and fearless in battle.
    • All this makes them amongst the best soldiers in the world and they are much sought after.
    • Historically, they have deep rooted connection and affinity for India definitely due to cultural assimilations.

     

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