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GS Paper: GS3

  • International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

    Iran started the first transfer of Russian goods to India via a new trade corridor which transits the West Asian nation, people on the Iranian side familiar with the developments told news outlets.

    The cargo will travel through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

    What is the news?

    • The cargo ship departed St. Petersburg for the Caspian Sea port city of Astrakhan.
    • It will reach the northern Iranian port of Anzali and then will be transferred by road to the southern port of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf.
    • From Bandar Abbas it will reach via ship to India at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

    International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

    • The INSTC is a 7,200 km-long multimodal transportation network encompassing sea, road, and rail routes to offer the shortest route of connectivity.
    • It was established on 12th September 2000 in St. Petersburg, by Iran, Russia and India for the purpose of promoting transportation cooperation among the Member States.
    • It links the Indian Ocean to the Caspian Sea via the Persian Gulf onwards into Russia and Northern Europe.
    • It will move freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

    Significance of INSTC

    • Trade facilitation: INSTC is aimed at reducing the carriage cost between India and Russia by about 30 per cent and bringing down the transit time by more than half.
    • New corridor in making: It has the potential to transform the economies of countries along the corridor into specialized manufacturing, logistics, and transit hubs by facilitating access to newer markets.
    • Multimodal transit: The recent Suez Canal blockade, which cost the global economy hefty damage amounting to US$9 billion, has amplified the optimistic outlook towards the INSTC as a cheaper and faster alternative multimodal transit corridor.

    Benefits offered to India

    • Export promotion: The INSTC connects India with Central Asia, and Russia, and has the potential to expand up to the Baltic, Nordic, and Arctic regions, increasing the scope of trade multifold.
    • Ease of trade: For India, it provides a shorter trade route with Iran, Russia, and beyond to Europe, creating scope for increased economic engagement.
    • Alternative Route to Central Asia: It opens up a permanent alternative route for India to trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, given the hurdles in the direct route through Pakistan.

     

     

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  • What is Agnipath Scheme?

    Defence Minister announced the ‘Agnipath’ scheme for the recruitment of youth in the armed forces for four years.

    Agnipath Scheme

    • This will be the only form of recruitment of soldiers into the three defence services from now.
    • The scheme aims at strengthening national security and for providing an opportunity to the youth to serve in the armed forces.
    • Recruits under the scheme will be known as ‘Agniveers’.
    • After completing the four-year service, they can apply for regular employment in the armed forces.
    • They may be given priority over others for various jobs in other government departments.
    • The move is expected to decrease the average age profile of armed forces personnel from the current 32 to 24-26 years over a period of time.

    Working of the scheme

    • The process of recruitment will commence in 90 days with a planned intake of 46,000 young men and women this year.
    • Enrolment to all three services will be through a centralized online system, with special rallies and campus interviews at recognized technical institutes.
    • Recruitment will be carried out on an “All India All Class” basis with the eligibility age ranging from 17.5 to 21, with medical and physical fitness standards in accordance with existing norms.

    Payouts of the Agniveers

    • The ‘Agniveers’ will receive an annual package of ₹4.76 lakh in the first year to ₹6.92 lakh in the fourth year, apart from risk and hardship and other allowances as applicable.
    • Under the ‘Seva Nidhi’ package, they will receive about ₹11.71 lakh, including contribution and interest, on completion of service.
    • The recruits will have to contribute 30% of their monthly emoluments to Seva Nidhi, with a matching contribution made by the government.
    • There will be no entitlement to gratuity and pension benefits under the scheme.
    • However, the ‘Agniveers’ will be provided a non-contributory life insurance cover of ₹48 lakh during their service.

     

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  • Coal Shortages in India

    Context

    The recent power crisis due to the coal shortage in India underscores the need for measures to avoid a repeat of episodes in the future.

    Factors contributing to power crisis

    • Spike in power demand: With the sudden early onset of summer in 2022, power demand spiked, riding on the back of the post-Covid economic recovery.
    • Increase in price due to Ukraine crisis: The matter was further exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict, which led to a sharp increase in the price of imported coal.
    • Consequently, power stations designed on imported coal stopped importing because it was no longer economical for them to generate, given their contract price with the distribution companies.
    • Availability of railway rakes: It’s not that domestic coal was not available since enough stock had been built in the mines.
    • The issue was of availability of railway rakes for transportation.

    What were the measures taken by the government ?

    • 1] Import of coal to 10 per cent: First, all generators have been asked to import coal to the extent of 10 per cent (as against 4 per cent earlier) and that half of this should be physically available by the end of June.
    • CIL as aggregator: Coal India will function as the aggregator on behalf of the generators.
    • CIL functioning as the aggregator is a better idea and it may be able to import at a cheaper cost by accumulating demand as well as standardising the coal grade to be procured.
    • Moreover, it would be easier for regulators to calculate the revised energy charge since the price at which coal was imported would be well-documented.
    • 2] Section 11 of the Electricity Act 2003 (Act) invoked: Under this section, the government directed imported coal-based plants to run at full capacity with the assurance that their enhanced cost of operation would be compensated.
    • 3] Tolling: The government invoked the concept of tolling, which allowed states to transfer their allotted coal to private generators located near the mines instead of transporting it to far away state generators.
    • This move would ease the burden on the availability of railway rakes.
    • 4] Seeking the consent of beneficiaries for hike: the government issued policy directions to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) overriding CERC’s regulations that made it mandatory to seek the consent of beneficiaries if the tariff went up by more than 30 per cent, if some alternate fuel is used.
    • 5]  Committee to rework the energy charge: A committee of officials was set up to rework the energy charge for imported coal-based generators.
    • 6] Additional working capital: The government is cognisant of the fact that there is a need for additional working capital and has advised REC/PFC as well as commercial banks to arrange for this.

    Issues with the measures

    • Use of Section 11: The government invoked Section 11 to give  direction to private generators to import coal at a higher cost.
    • Section 11(1) allows the government to give direction to a generation company to operate and maintain a generating station in extraordinary circumstances.
    • Section 11(2) of the Act mentions that the adverse financial impact on generating compacy due to directions referred to in sub-section (1) would be offset by the regulator.
    • Going by Section 11(2), the government should have left the job of working out the energy charge to the regulator instead of setting up a committee of officials to do so though, of course, the CERC was represented in the committee.
    • 2] No transparency: The committee has already worked out the revised energy costs for six of the plants but there is no transparency regarding the coal cost assumed, its calorific value, transportation cost, etc.
    • 3] Additional rakes: We have to bear in mind that the coal problem arose because of the non-availability of rakes.
    • With 38 MT of coal to be imported by October this year, and half of that by end of June, the need for rakes will not only go up but would be front-loaded.
    • We need the requisite number of rakes otherwise, we are back to where we began.

    Conclusion

    While the government is taking steps to increase coal imports and addressing the other issues, it must ensure that domestic production does not dip during monsoon season.

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  • What is Web 5.0?

    Former Twitter CEO recently announced his vision for a new decentralized web platform that is being called Web 5.0 and is being built with an aim to return “ownership of data and identity to individuals”.

    Various versions of Web

    • Web 1.0 was the first generation of the global digital communications network. It is often referred to as the “read-only” Internet made of static web-pages that only allowed for passive engagement.
    • Web 2.0 was the “read and write” Internet. Users were now able to communicate with servers and other users leading to the creation of the social web. This is the World Wide Web that we use today.
    • Web 3.0 is an evolving term that is used to refer to the next generation of Internet – a “read-write-execute” web – with decentralization as its bedrock. It leverages the blockchain technology and will be driven by Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.
    • Web 4.0 is not really a new version, but is a alternate version of what we already have. Web needed to adapt to its mobile surroundings. Web 4.0 connects all devices in the real and virtual world in real-time.

    What is Web 5.0?

    • Web 5.0 is aimed at building an extra decentralized web that puts you in control of your data and identity.
    • Simply put, Web 5.0 is Web 2.0 plus Web 3.0 that will allow users to ‘own their identity’ on the Internet and ‘control their data’.
    • Both Web 3.0 and Web 5.0 envision an Internet without threat of censorship – from governments or big tech, and without fear of significant outages.

    What are the use cases for Web 5.0?

    There can be two use cases for how Web 5.0 will change things in the future.

    1. Control of identity: A digital wallet that securely manages user identity, data, and authorizations for external apps and connections.
    2. Control over own data: Say, we can grant any music app access to settings and preferences, enabling the app to take our personalized music experience across different music apps.

    Try this question from CSP 2022:

    With reference to Web 3.0, consider the following statements:

    1. Web 3.0 technology enables people to control their own data.
    2. In Web 3.0 world, there can be blockchain based social networks.,
    3. Web 3.0 is operated by users collectively rather than a corporation.

    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”rln965gnza” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

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  • Rising global food prices: Causes and Solution

    Context

    This increase in global food prices which manifested itself in the three food price crises since the 1960s offers some pertinent lessons for global food systems and the international community.

    Managing year-to-year volatility Vs. periodic spikes in food prices

    • Year-to-year volatility is easily managed by most countries through changes in their trade and domestic policies.
    • But steep and severe periodic price shocks can lead to some sort of a crisis at the global and national levels.
    • Implications: The crisis can emerge in the form of food shortages, trade disruptions, a rise and spread in hunger and poverty levels, depletion of foreign exchange reserves, a strain on a nation’s fiscal resources, a threat to peace, and even social unrest in some places.

    History of food crises after since adoption of Green Revolution

    • Data from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Bank/International Monetary Fund show that since the onset and the adoption of Green Revolution technology in the early 1960s, the world has been struck thrice by food price crises.
    • First shock-1973-76: The first shock was experienced during 1973-76 when the food price index (based on prices in U.S. dollars) doubled in nominal terms.
    • Declining trend: For the next two decades, food prices in real terms followed a declining trend and were at their lowest around 2002.
    • After this, nominal as well as the real prices of food began rising.
    • Second crisis-2008: This momentum built up to culminate in the next food price crisis of 2008, which was further intensified by 2011.
    • While the price shock began softening after 2014, food prices did not move back to their pre-2006 level.
    • Third crisis-2020: This time the increase in the food price index happened very quickly and it turned out to be very big – it has taken the food price index to its historically highest level.
    • Cause outside agriculture: All the three food price crises were triggered by factors outside agriculture.
    • They were not caused by any serious shortfall in agriculture production.
    • The interval between crises is reducing: The interval between two consecutive price shocks has narrowed down considerably and the severity of shock is turning stronger.

    What are the causes responsible for the recent food price crisis?

    • 1] Covid-19 and Ukraine crisis: It was triggered by supply disruptions due to COVID-19 and further aggravated by the Russia-Ukraine war.
    • The current food price spike first began in vegetable oils and then expanded to cereals.
    • Higher the global trade higher disruption: The effect of global trade disruption will be higher for commodities that are traded more and vice-versa.
    • 2] Diversion of food for biofuel: Another factor underlying the rising trend and spikes in food prices is the diversion of food for biofuel needs.
    • When crude prices increase beyond a certain level it becomes economical to use oilseeds and grains for biodiesel and ethanol, respectively.
    • The second reason for the use of food crops for biofuel is the mandates to increase the share of renewable energy resources.
    • 3] Increased cost of agrochemicals and fertilisers: Food prices are also expected to go up in the current and next harvest season because of an increase in the prices of fertilizer and other agrochemicals.

    Way forward for India

    • Transmission of international prices to domestic prices can be prevented only if there is no trade.
    • 1] Trade policy changes: This transmission of global prices to the domestic market can be moderated through trade policy and other instruments.
    • When international prices go too low, India has checks on cheap imports to protect the interests of producers; and when international prices go too high, the country liberalises imports and imposes checks on exports to ensure adequate availability and reasonable food prices for domestic consumers.
    • 2] Buffer stock: The policy of having a buffer stock of food staples has also been very helpful in maintaining price stability, especially in the wake of global food crises.
    • 3] Strategic liberalisation: India should continue with a policy of strategic liberalisation, as followed in the past, to balance the interests of producers and consumers.
    • 4] Maintain image as a reliable and credible exporter: The importance of agriculture exports to mop up food and agriculture surplus from the country is increasing.
    • Ongoing trends in domestic demand and supply imply that India will be required to dispose of 15% of its domestic food output in the overseas market by 2030.
    • This underscores the need to maintain India’s image as a reliable and credible exporter.
    • However, it is important to differentiate between the two situations: disturbing normal export and regulating exports exceeding the normal level.

    What are the implications for India?

    • Increased prices in India: Export and import in the agriculture sector constituted 13% of gross value added in agriculture during 2020-21.
    • Therefore, some transmission of an increase in global prices on domestic prices is inevitable.
    • Wheat export ban and implications: The recent ban on wheat exports and restrictions on the export of other food commodities by India need to be seen in the light of an abnormal situation created by spikes in international prices.
    • Some experts see it as a setback to India’s image as a reliable exporter as this move is seen to disrupt (regular) export channels.
    • A closer examination of data reveals that India’s action to ban or restrict food exports is not disrupting its normal exports.
    • India was a very small exporter of wheat, with its share in global wheat trade ranging between 0.1% to 1% during 2015-16 to 2020-21.
    • The international market is looking for around 50 million tonnes of wheat to compensate for the disruption in wheat exports from Russia and Ukraine.
    • If India had not imposed a ban on wheat export, it would have resulted in a severe shortage of wheat within the country.

    Global impact and suggestions

    • As the steam of Green Revolution technology slowed down with the start of the 21st century, food prices began increasing in real terms.
    • New breakthroughs required: The world requires new breakthroughs such as Green Revolution technology, for large-scale adoption in order to enable checks on food prices rising at a faster rate.
    • Increase spending on agri-research: This in turn requires increased spending on agriculture research and development (especially by the public sector and multilateral development agencies).
    • Strengthen global agri-research system: There is a need to strengthen and rejuvenate the global agri-research system under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) which is heading towards disarray.
    • Rethink biofuel protocols: Biofuel protocols have contributed to the global food crisis for the second time in the last 15 years.
    • Diversion of land under food crops and food output for biofuel should be carefully calibrated with implications for food availability.

    Conclusion

    • The last three food price crises were primarily caused due to an increase in energy prices and disruptions in the movement of food across borders.
    • Factors related to climate change are going to be an additional source of supply shocks in the years ahead.
    • Therefore, the global community must plan to have a global buffer stock of food in order to ensure reasonable stability in food prices and supply.

    Back2Basics: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

    • CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security.
    • CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food security, improve human health and nutrition, and sustainable management of natural resources.

  • The way forward on 5G

    Context

    The near-death of competition signalled by the incipient exit of Vi late last year pushed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to announce steps to prevent the premature exit of a sagging operator.

    About 5G

    • 5G is the 5th generation mobile network.
    • It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.
    • 5G can be significantly faster than 4G, delivering up to 20 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) peak data rates and 100+ Megabits-per-second (Mbps) average data rates.
    • 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.
    • 5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users.
    • Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connects new industries.
    • With high speeds, superior reliability and negligible latency, 5G will expand the mobile ecosystem into new realms.
    • 5G will impact every industry, making safer transportation, remote healthcare, precision agriculture, digitized logistics — and more — a reality.

    India’s telecom sector: From monopoly to hyper-competition to duopoly

    • India’s telecom market has seen monopoly as well as hyper-competition.
    • Twenty-five years ago, the government alone could provide services.
    • Technology and deregulation: In the following years, the combined forces of technology and deregulation helped break the shackles of public sector dominance despite the latter’s stiff resistance
    • In the following years, there were nearly a dozen competing operators. Most service areas now have four players.
    • However, the possible exit of the financially-stressed Vodafone Idea would leave only two dominant players-Airtel and Jio in the telecom sector.
    • A looming duopoly, or the exit of a global telecommunications major, are both worrying.
    • They deserve a careful and creative response.

    Government package for telecom sector to prevent duopoly

    • The near-death of competition signalled by the incipient exit of Vi late last year pushed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to announce steps to prevent the premature exit of a sagging operator.
    • As a part of its support package for the telecom sector, in October 2021, it dispensed with the requirement of performance bank guarantees required earlier as security.
    • It increased the tenure of spectrum holding from 20 to 30 years.
    • It allowed for the surrender of the unutilised or underutilised spectrum after 10 years.
    • Most importantly removed the levy of spectrum usage charges. 

    Why competitive telecom market is important?

    • Key to achieving digital ambitions: A competitive telecom sector is fundamental to realising India’s digital ambitions.
    • Innovation: Monopolies have no incentive to innovate.
    • Investment: The competition will guarantee that operators find it attractive to invest in network infrastructure upgradation and offer consumers a wide range of innovative service options.
    • Source of revenue: A competitive telecom sector would be an indirect source of tax revenue as well.
    • How to make market competitive? Competition cannot be willed into the sector.
    • It needs careful nurturing, assiduous fostering and regulatory neutrality. 

    Way forward on 5G

    • Structural changes: While the package may have prevented the exit of Vi from the market, to embed competition within the sector, structural changes are necessary.
    • The imminent 5G networks demand massive investment and sophistication of operations.
    • 1] Level playing field: This will not be achieved unless the playing field is level across the relevant operators and honest incentives are provided to operators to embrace new technology.
    •  2] Change the spectrum allocation method: There is no doubt that spectrum auctions have served India well in the past due to the acrimonious political economy associated with administrative spectrum assignment, including First Come First Serve (FCFS) method.
    • The auction regime worked well when demand exceeded supply, but if there is an adequate quantity of spectrum for everyone, that constraint would not exist.
    • Administrative assignments can thus be considered once again.
    • 3] Administrative assignments:  An administrative assignment will include the possibility that all spectrum can be assigned at reasonable prices and in the process, a grand bargain can be struck with telecom operators.
    • 4] Assigning 5G spectrum for private enterprise business: TRAI and the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) are considering whether 5G spectrum should be assigned to companies like TCS, Amazon and Google, among others, for their private enterprise business.
    • 5G spectrum assignment for enterprises would adversely affect the business model of telcos.
    • But there will be enterprises that telcos could serve that are not large enough to purchase 5G spectrum.
    • A grand bargain that allows enterprises to buy 5G spectrum while assigning spectrum to the existing telcos through the administrative route will also serve the revenue needs of the government.
    • 5] Privatise public sector operator: This is an opportunity to also signal to the public sector operator that 5G business is outside the range of its capability set.
    • Hence like Air India it needs to be privatised in the fullness of time.
    • These are difficult decisions and will need much more political will than in 1994.

    Consider the question “Why a competitive telecom market is a prerequisite for achieving India’s digital dream and why an eminent duopoly in the sector stands to threaten that dream? Suggest way forward.”

    Conclusion

    It would be tragic if India’s telecom-access market was to be reduced to only two competing operators, as we have a long way to go. What we need is structural changes in the sectors as well as the way the sector is regulated.

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    Back2Basics: Spectrum usage charges

    • Companies had to pay 3-5 per cent of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as spectrum usage charge to the department of telecom.
    • If they share spectrum with another operator, operators must pay an additional 0.5 per cent of AGR for that band as SUC.
    • However, in September 2021, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) decided to remove the floor rate of 3% of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for operators to pay their spectrum usage charge (SUC).
    • The removal of the clause fixing a floor rate of 3% was done to give effect to the recently announced telecom relief package.
    • Though the telecom package talks of scrapping SUC only on spectrum acquired in future auctions like that of 5G, if the 3% floor is abolished, as and when operators acquire more spectrum in future auctions, their SUC will become zero on the entire holding.
    • This is because of a complex weighted average formula to calculate the SUC of operators who have a mix of administratively allocated spectrum and acquired through auctions.

  • India specific factors that have bearing on inflation trajectory

    Context

    Inflation is turning into a global concern fueled by multiple global factors. However, in India there are a few other triggers that will have a bearing on the inflationary trajectory.

    Global inflation concerns

    • All that could have possibly triggered higher inflation globally has already occurred — multiple waves of the pandemic, supply disruptions, an overdose of policy stimuli, war, sanctions, energy shocks, geopolitical adversity and weather disruptions.

    1] Impact of MSP on inflation

    • The MSP that is fixed by the government for kharif and rabi crops has been one of the key policy instruments.
    • Policymakers in India have often acted with alacrity to protect the interests of farmers over the years.
    • In the last 20 years, the weighted average MSP for kharif crops saw double-digit growth four times — in 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2018.
    • Food inflation shot up to 12 per cent in 2007-08 as against 8 per cent in 2006-07 and 4 per cent in 2005-06.
    • The inflationary surge continued in 2009 as a monsoon failure hit agricultural output hard.
    • Global agricultural commodity prices started to rise in 2010 again and the FAO food price index reached an all-time high in July 2012.
    • One of the key reasons for the increase in food prices was the oil price surge and a rise in demand for biofuel production.
    • The global upside in food prices coincided with a 22 per cent increase in MSP for Kharif crops in India.
    • Following the rise in MSP, food inflation in 2012 increased by 14.6 per cent as against 3.6 per cent the preceding year.
    • In  2018, for the first time, the MSPs for all 23 kharif and rabi crops were fixed at a margin of at least 50 per cent higher than the cost of cultivation.
    • The cost of cultivation (A2 + FL) includes the paid-out cost and cost of imputed family labour.
    • Accordingly, the MSP of kharif crops in 2018 saw an annual increase of about 14 per cent.
    • However, despite the significant rise in MSP, food inflation in 2018-19 was muted at 0.3 per cent.
    • This was because farm input costs were under control and the terms of trade for farmers remained positive.

    2] Impact of GST on inflation

    • Raising the revenue-neutral rate: In the upcoming meeting, there is talk of changes in GST slabs and rates with an eye on raising the revenue-neutral rate from around 11.5 per cent, which is far lower than the 15.5 per cent estimated at the time of the launch of GST.
    • Avoid the shock: However, a GST rate shock to the system is best avoided given the global inflationary backdrop and the fragility of consumer balance sheets.

    3] Influence of weather

    • While the dependence of agricultural output on the quantum of rainfall has reduced, variance in the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall is emerging as a key risk.
    • A look at 2021 — a normal monsoon year with rainfall at 99 per cent of its long period average — is instructive.
    • The late excess rains delayed the crop cycle and led to crop damage in several parts of the country.
    • Likewise, the spatial distribution of rainfall remained uneven in 2021.
    • Thus, even with normal rainfall in 2021, there were several disruptions to the crop cycle and farm cash flows.

    Conclusion

    The government has taken various steps lately to rein in inflation. However, the RBI will have little freedom in case the GST council decides to accord revenue protection to states via higher GST rates or if the monsoon is not in line with expectations. One hopes these events pan out right, like the MSP hike, when most other things have gone wrong.

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  • Issues with the Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

    Context

    The 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) produced by Yale and Columbia Universities and released on World Environment Day (June 5) has triggered much consternation in India, as the country is ranked last (180th).

    Issues with EPI 2022

    • Ignoring the past effects: Indicators may focus on current rates of increase or decrease in environmental pressures (flows) — as the EPI does for carbon dioxide emissions and tree cover gains — but under-state the accumulated effect (stocks) that relates to actual harm, thereby ignoring past effects.
    • Same standard in different socio-ecological context: When ranking countries, one is essentially applying the same standard across vastly different socio-ecological contexts – this involves difficult choices.
    • For example, the EPI leaves out arsenic in water, which is a major threat in Bangladesh.
    • Difficulty in measurement of frogress on climate change: Climate change is a global environmental problem, and because its effects depend on the accumulation of greenhouse gases over time, measuring progress in a given country is challenging.
    • Climate change mitigation has to be measured against what it is reasonable and fair to expect from different countries, taking into account their past emissions as well as national contexts.
    • There has been an inconclusive 30-year debate on this question; any choice of benchmark involves major ethical choices.
    • EPI has given 38 per cent weight to the climate change in the index.
    • They assume that the world must reach net zero emissions by 2050, and so the appropriate benchmark is whether all countries are reducing emissions and reaching zero by 2050.
    • Against CBDR: This approach is contrary to widely accepted ethical principles, especially the global political agreement on common-but-differentiated-responsibility (CBDR).
    • The Yale-Columbia approach ignores the fact that countries have different responsibilities for past accumulations and are at different levels of emissions and energy use.
    • The inclusion of indicators on emissions intensity and emissions per capita partly addresses this issue, but these two account for 7 per cent of the weight, versus 89 per cent for indicators derived from current emission trends.

    Implications EPI’s approach

    • This approach is guaranteed to make richer countries look good, because they have accumulated emissions in the past, but these have started declining in the last decade.
    •  Meanwhile, poorer countries that have emitted comparatively little in the past, look bad.
    • The EPI’s flawed and biased approach distracts from a much-needed honest conversation about the environment in India.
    • India’s local environmental performance on air, water and forests is deeply problematic.
    • Air quality in India is now the second largest risk factor for public health in India, behind only child and maternal nutrition.
    • Rivers and lakes are increasingly polluted, rivers are drying, groundwater tables are rapidly declining, and gains in tree cover hide declining natural productivity and diversity of forests and grasslands.

    Conclusion

    While indices like these have a limited attention-grabbing purpose, they serve this purpose well only when they are focused, limited to easy-to-measure metrics, and consciously minimise value judgements. The EPI 2022 resoundingly fails this test.

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  • 21 Years of BrahMos Missile

    On June 12, 2001 the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was first tested from a land-based launcher in Chandipur.

    What is BrahMos Missile System?

    • BrahMos is a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
    • The missile derives its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
    • Beginning with an anti-ship missile, several variants have since been developed.
    • It is now capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets and has constantly been improved and upgraded.

    Its capabilities

    • BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine.
    • Its first stage brings the missile to supersonic speed and then gets separated.
    • The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to three times the speed of sound in cruise phase.
    • The missile has a very low radar signature, making it stealthy, and can achieve a variety of trajectories.
    • The ‘fire and forget’ type missile can achieve a cruising altitude of 15 km and a terminal altitude as low as 10 m to hit the target.

    Background and development

    • The early 1980s the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme was conceived and led by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
    • It started developing a range of missiles including Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash and Nag, with a wide spectrum of capabilities and ranges.
    • In the early 1990s, India’s strategic leadership felt the need for cruise and guided missiles.
    • The need was felt primarily following the use of cruise missiles in the Gulf War.
    • An Agreement was signed with Russia in Moscow in 1998 by Dr Kalam, who headed the DRDO.
    • This led to the formation of BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM), the Indian side holding 50.5% and the Russians 49.5%.

    Tests and induction

    • In 1999, work on development of missiles began in labs of DRDO and NPOM after BrahMos Aerospace received funds from the two governments.
    • The first successful test in 2001 was conducted from a specially designed land-based launcher.
    • The missile system has since reached some key milestones, with the first major export order of $375 million received from the Philippines Navy this year.

    Strategic significance

    • Cruise missiles such as BrahMos, called “standoff range weapons”, are fired from a range far enough to allow the attacker to evade defensive counter-fire.
    • What makes the missile system unparalleled is its extreme accuracy and versatility.
    • With missiles made available for export, the platform is also seen as a key asset in defence diplomacy.

    Variants of Brahmos

    • Versions currently being tested include ranges up to 350 km, as compared to the original’s 290 km.
    • Versions with even higher ranges, up to 800 km, and with hypersonic speed are said to be on cards.
    • Efforts are also on to reduce the size and signature of existing versions and augment its capabilities further.
    • Versions deployed in all three Armed forces are still being tested regularly, and so are versions currently under development.
    1. LAND-BASED: The land-based BrahMos complex has four to six mobile autonomous launchers, each with three missiles on board that can be fired almost simultaneously. They are described as ‘tidy’ as they have very few components.
    2. SHIP-BASED: The Navy began inducting BrahMos on its frontline warships from 2005. These can hit sea-based targets beyond the radar horizon. The Naval version has been successful in sea-to-sea and sea-to-land modes.
    3. AIR-LAUNCHED: On November 22, 2017, BrahMos was successfully flight-tested for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal. It has since been successfully tested multiple times.
    4. SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED: This version can be launched from around 50 m below the water surface. The canister-stored missile is launched vertically from the pressure hull of the submarine and uses different settings for underwater and out-of-the-water flights.

     

     

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  • Tendu Leaves Collection in India

    Tribal residents in Chhattisgarh have decided to file an FIR against an official of the state forest department after he confiscated the tendu leaves that they had collected.

    Tendu Leaves

    • Leaves of tree species Diospyros melanoxyion are used as wrappers of tobacco to produce bidi.
    • This tree is commonly known as “tendu,” but also called “abnus” in Andhra Pradesh, “kendu” in Orissa and West Bengal, “tembru” in Gujarat, “kari” in Kerala, “tembhurni” in Maharahstra, and “bali tupra” in Tamil Nadu.
    • This leaf is considered the most suitable wrapper on account of the ease with which it can be rolled and its wide availability.
    • Tendu is also called ‘green gold’ and is a prominent minor forest produce in India.

    How it is traded?

    • In 1964, the trade in tendu leaves was nationalised in then-undivided Madhya Pradesh.
    • Until then, people were free to sell tendu leaves in markets across the country.
    • Maharashtra adopted the same system in 1969, undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1971, Odisha in 1973, Gujarat in 1979, Rajasthan in 1974 and Chhattisgarh in 2000.
    • Under this arrangement, the state forest department collects tendu leaves, allows their transportation and sells them to traders.

    Why is there a dispute?

    • The dispute is essentially about who has the right to sell the leaves.
    • State governments say only they can do so due to nationalization.
    • On the other hand, tendu leaf collectors cite The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and the 2013 Supreme Court verdict in the Niyamgiri Case to say private collectors can sell them on their own.
    • Tendu leaf collectors allege that the government gives them a lower price for the leaves, while it fetches a higher price in the open market.

    What do the tribals want?

    • The tribals, after having obtained forest rights leases under the FRA 2006, now want to sell tendu leaves on their own, with the permission of Gram Sabhas and make good profits.
    • Many types of minor forest produce like Mahua, Salbeej or the seeds of the Sal tree (Shorea robusta) and Chironji or Almondette kernels (Buchanania lanzan) are collected and sold by tribals.
    • Hence, there should not be a dispute over tendu leaves.

    Back2Basics: Forest Produce in India

    • Forest produce is defined under section 2(4) of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
    • Its legal definition includes timber, charcoal, catechu, wood-oil, resin, natural varnish, bark, lac, mahua flowers, trees and leaves, flowers and fruit, plants (including grass, creepers, reeds and moss), wild animals, skins, tusks, horns, bones, cocoons, silk, honey, wax, etc.
    • Forest produce can be divided into several categories.
    • From the point of view of usage, forest produce can be categorized into three types: Timber, Non-Timber and Minor Minerals.
    • Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are known also as minor forest produce (MFP) or non-wood forest produces (NWFP).
    • The NTFP can be further categorized into medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP), oilseeds, fibre & floss, resins, edible plants, bamboo, reeds and grasses

     

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