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GS Paper: GS3

  • Who was Hermann Bacher?

    Hermann Bacher, popularly known as the ‘father of community-led watershed development in India’, passed away at the ripe old age of 97 years in Switzerland September 14, 2021.

    Hermann Bacher

    • Born in 1924, Bacher, came to India in 1948 at the young age of 24 years.
    • He was to spend the next 60 years of his life here, most of it in Maharashtra.
    • Struck by the poverty he saw in rural Maharashtra, he dedicated his life to the upliftment of the poor, the landless and rural women.
    • Bacher was given Germany’s highest civilian award, the Federal Cross of the Order of Merit in 1994, in recognition of his outstanding efforts.
    • In 2017, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertifiucation (UNCCD) awarded WOTR the prestigious ‘Land for Life Award 2017’.
    • He is widely regarded and respected as a true ‘man of God’ for whom selfless service of the poor was worship at its most sublime. He is fondly remembered as ‘Bacher Baba’.

    Notable works

    • The 1972 droughts in Maharashtra led him to re-calibrate his developmental approach.
    • This meant that in rain-dependent rural Maharashtra, a shift had to be made from ‘resource exploitation’ to sustainable resource use, or ‘resource mobilisation’, as he described it.
    • He helped thousands of landless labourers’ secure title to land under the Land Reforms Act, 1957, beginning in 1965.
    • He also organised lakhs of farmers to develop their farms and increase their agricultural productivity by helping them access irrigation, improved and hybrid seeds etc.

    Pioneering water harvest

    • Since rain fell in the watersheds and landscapes villagers lived in, the only way to harvest and conserve rainwater wherever it fell was to undertake watershed development measures.
    • The idea was that “running water must be made to walk; walking water made to stop and sink underground”.
    • This meant, planting trees and grasses, conserving forests, undertaking soil and water conservation works such as digging contour trenches, raising farm bunds, etc.
    • It also meant building water harvesting structures on the streams (check dams, earthen bunds, etc) in a systematic manner across the entire landscape of the village, beginning from the top.

    Establishing the IGWDP

    • Through his work, was born the idea which later became the large-scale Indo-German Watershed Development Program (IGWDP) that he conceived and launched in Maharashtra in 1989.
    • This was in collaboration with and the support of the Governments of India, Maharashtra and Germany, NABARD and the non-profit sector.
    • Its unique and ground-breaking feature was that it put the villagers in the driver’s seat — the community would plan the programme, implement it and maintain the watershed assets.
    • Funds, substantial amounts, would be given directly to them and they would have to manage and account

     

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  • Linear No-Threshold (LNT) Model for Radiation Safety

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) decisively upheld the Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model to prescribe radiation safety standards, ending the protracted controversy on the topic.

    What is the LNT Model?

    • The LNT is a dose-response model used in radiation protection to estimate stochastic health effects such as radiation-induced cancer, genetic mutations etc. on the human body due to exposure to ionizing radiation.
    • The LNT model states that biological effects such as cancer and hereditary effects due to exposure to ionising radiation increase as a linear function of dose, without threshold.
    • It provides a sound regulatory basis for minimizing the risk of unnecessary radiation exposure to both members of the public and radiation workers.

    Why in news?

    • LNT model continues to provide a sound basis for a conservative radiation protection regulatory framework that protects both the public and occupational workers.
    • The model helps the agencies to regulate radiation exposures to diverse categories of licensees, from commercial nuclear power plants to individual industrial radiographers and nuclear medical practices.
    • There are also studies and findings that support the continued use of the LNT model, including those by national and international authoritative scientific advisory bodies.

     

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  • India needs a carbon policy for agriculture

    Context

    The UK is set to host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (CoP26) in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12 with a view to accelerate action towards the Paris Agreement’s goals. The focus should be on climate finance and transfer of green technologies at low cost.

    Cause of concern for India

    • According to the Global Carbon Atlas, India ranks third in total greenhouse gas emissions by emitting annually around 2.6 billion tonnes (Bt) CO2eq, preceded by China (10 Bt CO2eq) and the United States (5.4 Bt CO2eq), and followed by Russia (1.7Bt) and Japan (1.2 Bt).
    • India ranked seventh on the list of countries most affected due to extreme weather events, incurring losses of $69 billion (in PPP) in 2019 (Germanwatch, 2021).
    • The fact that 22 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world are in India is a major cause of concern.
    • Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital as per the World Air Quality Report, 2020.

    Issues raised in global negotiation on climate change

    • Nations are still quibbling about historical global emitters and who should take the blame and fix it.
    • Global negotiations on climate change often talk about emissions on a per capita basis and the emission intensity of GDP.
    • Per capita emission: Of the top five absolute emitters, the US has the highest per capita emissions (15.24 tonnes), followed by Russia (11.12 tonnes).
    • India’s per capita emissions is just 1.8 tonnes, significantly lower than the world average of 4.4 tonnes per capita.
    • If one takes emissions per unit of GDP, of the top five absolute emitters, China ranks first with 0.486 kg per 2017 PPP $ of GDP, which is very close to Russia at 0.411 kg per 2017 PPP $ of GDP.
    • India is slightly above the world average of 0.26 (kg per 2017 PPP $ of GDP) at 0.27 kg, while the USA is at 0.25, and Japan at 0.21.
    • In our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted in 2016, India committed to “reduce emission intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level.”

    Sector-wise emission and share of agriculture in it

    • Global emissions show that electricity and heat production and agriculture, forestry and other land use make up 50 per cent of the emissions.
    • But the emissions pie in India owes its largest chunk (44 per cent) to the energy sector, followed by the manufacturing and construction sector (18 per cent), and agriculture, forestry and land use sectors (14 per cent), with the remaining being shared by the transport, industrial processes and waste sectors.
    • The share of agriculture in total emissions has gradually declined from 28 per cent in 1994 to 14 per cent in 2016.
    • However, in absolute terms, emissions from agriculture have increased to about 650 Mt CO2 in 2018, which is similar to China’s emissions from agriculture.
    • Agricultural emissions in India are primarily from the livestock sector (54.6 per cent) in the form of methane emissions due to enteric fermentation and the use of nitrogenous fertilisers in agricultural soils (19 per cent) which emit nitrous oxides; rice cultivation (17.5 per cent) in anaerobic conditions accounts for a major portion of agricultural emissions followed by livestock management (6.9 per cent) and burning of crop residues (2.1 per cent).

    Way forward: Carbon policy for agriculture

    • Reward farmers through carbon credit: A carbon policy for agriculture must aim not only to reduce its emissions but also reward farmers through carbon credits which should be globally tradable.
    • Focus on livestock: With the world’s largest livestock population (537 million), India needs better feeding practices with smaller numbers of cattle by raising their productivity.
    • Switch areas from rice to maize: While direct-seeded rice and alternative wet and dry practices can reduce the carbon footprint in rice fields, the real solution lies in switching areas from rice to maize or other less water-guzzling crops.
    • Efficient fertiliser use: Agricultural soils are the largest single source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in the national inventory.
    • Nitrous oxide emissions from use of nitrogen-fertiliser increased by approximately 358 per cent during 1980-81 to 2014-15.
    • An alternative for better and efficient fertiliser use would be to promote fertigation and subsidise soluble fertilisers.
    • Incentives and subsidies: The government should incentivise and give subsidies on drips for fertigation, switching away from rice to corn or less water-intensive crops, and promoting soluble fertilisers at the same rate of subsidy as granular urea.

    Consider the question “Agriculture sector is one of the significant contributors to the greenhouse gas emissions. This underscores the importance of carbon policy for agriculture in India. In this context, suggest the steps needed to be taken under the policy.” 

    Conclusion

    Carbon policy for agriculture in India would help it meet its goals in reducing emissions while making agriculture climate-resilient.

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    Back2Basics: Anaerobic conditions

    • An anaerobic process in which organic food is converted into simpler compounds, and chemical energy (ATP) is produced. Certain types use the electron transport chain system to pass the electrons to the final electron acceptor, which may be an inorganic or an organic compound, but not oxygen.

  • Air India Disinvestment Deal

    After 68 years, Air India is all set to return to the Tata fold.

    What is the deal?

    • The Tatas will own 100% stake in Air India, as also 100% in its international low-cost arm Air India Express and 50% in the ground handling joint venture, Air India SATS.
    • Apart from 141 planes and access to a network of 173 destinations including 55 international ones, Tatas will also have the ownership of iconic brands like Air India, Indian Airlines and the Maharajah.

    History of Air India

    • Prominent industrialist JRD Tata founded the airline in 1932 and named it Tata Airlines.
    • As India gained Independence, the government bought 49% stake in AI.
    • In 1946, the aviation division of Tata Sons was listed as Air India, and in 1948, the Air India International was launched with flights to Europe.
    • In 1953, Air India was nationalised and for the next over four decades it remained the prized possession for India controlling the majority of the domestic airspace.

    Why was Air India sold?

    • End of Monopoly: With economic liberalisation and the growing presence of private players, this dominance came under serious threat.
    • Govt running an airline: Ideologically too, the government running an airline did not quite gel with the mantra of liberalisation.
    • Continuous losses: By 2007, AI (which flew international flights) was merged with the domestic carrier, Indian Airlines, to reduce losses.
    • Wastage of taxpayers money: But it is the mark of how poorly the airline was run that it has never made a profit since 2007.

    Why wasn’t it sold earlier?

    Ans. Fear over Operational Freedom

    • The first attempt to reduce the government’s stake — disinvestment — was made in 2001 under the then NDA government.
    • But that attempt — to sell 40% stake — failed.
    • In 2018, the government made another attempt to sell the government stake — this time, 76%. But it did not elicit even a single response.
    • In the latest attempt started in January 2020, the government has been able to finally conclude the sale.

    So how was it managed this time?

    • Govt gives up stakes: The mere fact that the government retained a partial stake. In other words, as long as the government kept a certain shareholding of AI, private players did not seem interested.
    • Operational freedom: That’s because the mere idea of government ownership, even if it was as little as 24%, made private firms wonder if they would have the operational freedom needed.
    • Debt sharing: In the past, the government expected the bidders to pick up a certain amount of the debt. This time, the government let the bidders decide the amount of debt they wanted to pick up.

    Significance of the deal

    [A] From the government’s perspective: A success

    • Disinvestment: It underscores govt commitment to reducing the its role in the economy.
    • Easing burden on taxpayers: This claims to have saved taxpayers from paying for daily losses of AI.
    • Economic reforms: Given the historical difficulties in AI’s disinvestment, or any disinvestment at all this is a significant achievement.

    [B] Business perspective: Still a failure

    • Missing the target: Purely in terms of money, the deal does not result in as big a step towards achieving the government’s disinvestment target of the current year.
    • Unresolved bankruptcy: The assets left with the government, such as buildings, etc., will likely generate Rs 14,718 crore. But that will still leave the government with a debt of Rs 28,844 crore to pay back.

    [C] Value perspective: Success for Tatas

    • Business success: From the Tatas’ perspective, apart from the emotional aspect of regaining control of an airline that they started, AI’s acquisition is a long-term bet.
    • Investment boost: The Tatas are expected to invest far more than what they have paid the government if this bet is to work for them.

    Conclusion

    • Complete liberalization: The privatisation of Air India is a message from the Government to the markets and global investors that it has the political will to bite the reform bullet.
    • Roadmap for economic reforms: The govt had to shed the “over-conservatism” that is typical of bureaucracy.
    • Future disinvestments: A transaction as “tough and complex” as Air India’s in an open, transparent and competitive bidding process, will boost future privatisation.

    Way forward

    • Other loss-making PSUs continue to drain taxpayers’ hard-earned money and get abused and fleeced in the name of social welfare.
    • The govt should imbibe this experience gained in future disinvestment biddings.

     

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  • RBI suspends G-Sec Acquisition Programme (GSAP)

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to halt its bond-buying under the G-Sec Acquisition Programme (GSAP).

    Why such move?

    • The GSAP had succeeded in ensuring adequate liquidity and stabilising financial markets.
    • Coupled with other liquidity measures, it facilitated congenial and orderly financing conditions and a conducive environment for the recovery.

    What is GSAP?

    • The G-Sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP) is basically an unconditional and a structured Open Market Operation (OMO), of a much larger scale and size.
    • G-SAP is an OMO with a ‘distinct character’.
    • The word ‘unconditional’ here connotes that RBI has committed upfront that it will buy G-Secs irrespective of the market sentiment.

    What are Government Securities?

    • These are debt instruments issued by the government to borrow money.
    • The two key categories are:
    1. Treasury bills (T-Bills) – short-term instruments which mature in 91 days, 182 days, or 364 days, and
    2. Dated securities – long-term instruments, which mature anywhere between 5 years and 40 years

    Note: T-Bills are issued only by the central government, and the interest on them is determined by market forces.

    Why G-Secs?

    • Like bank fixed deposits, g-secs are not tax-free.
    • They are generally considered the safest form of investment because they are backed by the government. So, the risk of default is almost nil.
    • However, they are not completely risk-free, since they are subject to fluctuations in interest rates.
    • Bank fixed deposits, on the other hand, are guaranteed only to the extent of Rs 5 lakh by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).

    Other decisions

    • The RBI, however, remained ready to undertake G-SAP as and when warranted by liquidity conditions.
    • It would also continue to flexibly conduct other liquidity management operations including Operation Twist (OT) and regular open market operations (OMOs).

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. The Reserve Bank of India manages and services the Government of India Securities but not any State Government Securities.
    2. Treasury bills are issued by the Government of India and there are no treasury bills issued by the State Governments.
    3. Treasury bills offer are issued at a discount from the par value.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 Only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

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    Back2Basics: Open Market Operations (OMO)

    • OMOs is one of the quantitative monetary policy tools which is employed by the central bank of a country to control the money supply in the economy.
    • It is a part of the Market Stabilization Scheme (MSS) by the RBI.
    • OMOs are conducted by the RBI by way of sale or purchase of government securities (g-secs) to adjust money supply conditions.
    • The central bank sells g-secs to remove liquidity from the system and buys back g-secs to infuse liquidity into the system.

  • What is Palk Bay Scheme?

    The Union Government is considering increasing the unit cost of deep-sea fishing vessels under the Palk Bay scheme to make it more attractive to fisherfolk.

    Palk Bay Scheme

    • The Palk Bay Scheme is the official scheme for diversification of trawl fishing boats from Palk Strait into deep sea fishing boats.
    • It is aimed at encouraging fishermen to take up deep-sea fishing and put an end to disputes arising between the India and Sri Lanka.
    • The project helps fishermen in the Palk Straits, who are not exposed to deep-sea fishing, to venture deep into the Indian Ocean, Arabian sea and other deep-sea areas to look for fish like tuna that are in high demand.

    Why need such a scheme?

    • Bottom trawling, an ecologically destructive practice, involves trawlers dragging weighted nets along the sea-floor, causing great depletion of aquatic resources.

    Key components of the scheme

    • The project aims to replace all trawler boats and introduce over 2,000 deep sea fishing boats in a course of five years.
    • The scheme, under the aegis of Blue Revolution scheme – is funded by the Centre – 50 per cent and state government – 20 per cent for a boat costing Rs 80 lakh.
    • Of the balance 30 per cent, 10 per cent is contributed by the beneficiary (fisherman), and the remaining 20 per cent is funded by banks.

    Must read:

    [Burning Issue] India- Sri Lanka Fishermen Issues

     

     

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  • Challenges facing Indian Air Force

    Context

    A host of challenges greets India’s new Air Chief.

    Challenges

    • The challenges include the rewiring of India’s military into new theatre commands, the reservations expressed by the IAF about its “support” role and the visible depletion in operational air assets due to obsolescence and lack of new platforms.
    • The decline in platforms is stark and from a strength of 42 combat squadrons in 2002, the IAF now operates barely 30.
    • This shortfall in numbers would remain through this decade.
    • Even as there are plans to create new theatre commands and allocate existing air assets to the new formations, the depletion in numbers merits urgent review.

    Steps taken

    • The purchase of 83 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will be a fillip even as the sturdy MIGs are finally phased out.
    • In the next decade, the IAF hopes to induct the indigenous fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) — a new platform that would be built in India with a foreign entity, the “original equipment manufacturer” (OEM), and thereby move up to 35 squadrons.
    • Issues: The AMCA is “under design” and India’s track record in the design and manufacture of indigenous fighter aircraft is cost- and time-intensive.
    • As regards the MRFA, the request for information for 114 jets has just been issued.
    • The Rafale experience and the long delays associated with it would suggest that speedy selection of an OEM will be elusive.

    Way forward

    • Air power is becoming technologically more refined with unmanned platforms, cyber-space linkages and AI advances.
    • The inherent trans-border nature of this military capability needs astute professional and political husbanding.
    • Acquiring credible aerospace power with a meaningful degree of indigenisation will need a greater degree of national resolve, professional integrity and resource allocation than is the case now.
    • China has demonstrated the degree of suasion and intimidation that airpower can bring to bear in relation to Taiwan.

    Conclusion

    A reality check about the quantity and quality of India’s air power and the roles it can undertake should precede its disaggregation to theatre commands in the run-up to India@75.

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  • Seeding a data revolution in Indian Agriculture

    In June this year, two significant documents relating to the Indian agriculture sector were released.

    What are the reports about?

    • The first is a consultation paper on the India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA) and the second on Indian Agriculture: Ripe for Disruption from a private organisation, Bain and Company.
    • Through their work, these reports have depicted the agriculture reforms announced by the union government as a game-changer in the agriculture sector.

    Challenges highlighted

    The major challenges of the agriculture sector are:

    1. Food Sufficiency but Nutrition Deficiency
    2. High import of edible oil and oilseeds
    3. Yield plateaus
    4. Degrading soil, Water stress
    5. Inadequate market infra/linkages
    6. Unpredictable, volatile prices
    7. Post-harvest losses, wastages
    8. Lack of crop planning due to information asymmetry

    Key takeaway: Way for doubling farmers income

    • These reports in short argues that benefiting from the huge investments into the agri-ecosystem, doubling farmers’ income targets can be achieved in near future.
    • The Indian agriculture sector in future will encompass farm to fork and pave the way for a single national market with a national platform with better connection between producer and consumers.

    The forecast

    • The Bain report is a data-based prediction on agri-business scenarios, anchored to the agricultural set-up at present and predicting its future trajectories in another 20 years.
    • It includes targeting the production of alternative proteins, and food cell-based food/ingredients and initiating ocean farming, etc.
    • The report has a ‘today forward– future back approach’ and predicts a drastic investment opportunity development by 2025.
    • The agriculture sector (currently worth $370 billion), is estimated to receive an additional $35 billion investment.

    The two enabling conditions for such investment opportunities are:

    1. Changes in the regulatory framework, especially recent changes in the Farm Acts and
    2. Digital disruption

    The IDEA of integration

    • Digital disruption: The blueprint of “digital agriculture” is similar to the digital disruption mentioned in the Bain report.
    • Integration: Eventually, the farmer and the improvement of farmers’ livelihood is the aim of the IDEA concept and it is proposed to happen through tight integration of agri-tech innovation and the agriculture industry.
    • Enabling conditions: To be precise, the IDEA concept profounds the creation of second enabling conditions (which is described in the Bain report).
    • Openness of data: The IDEA principles explicitly talk about openness of data, which means open to businesses and farmers, indicating the kind of integration it aims at.
    • Value-added innovative services: by agri-tech industries and start-ups are an integral part of the IDEA architecture.
    • Data architecture: The services listed in the document (to be available on the platform) are equally important data for farmers and businesses.

    A thread of digital disruption

    • The IT industry has opposition to IDEA mainly due to the ethics of creating a Unique Farmer ID based on one’s Aadhaar number and also the potential for data misuse.
    • Beyond the news coverage about the prospects of achieving the goal of Doubling Farmers Income on which the present government has almost lost its hope.

    Issues with these reports

    • The Bain report has not been widely discussed — at least in the public domain.
    • The assumptions used by authors especially for its ‘future back approach’, need more or less focusing on widespread food production in controlled environments.
    • The emission, energy, and other resource footprints and sustainability issues around these techniques are not adequately studied.

    Yet these reports are important

    • The report has convincingly demonstrated the business opportunity available in supply chains between farm to APMC mandi and mandi to the customer.
    • This can be realised with the support of digital disruption and the latest agriculture reforms.
    • Both these reports heavily rely on digital disruption to improve farmers’ livelihoods, without discussing how much farmers will be prepared to benefit from the emerging business.

    An unconvincing ‘how’

    • Digital divide: The fact is that a majority of small and marginal farmers are not technology-savvy.
    • No capacity building: That most of them are under-educated for capacity building is ignored amidst these ambitious developments.
    • Unrealistic assumptions: The Bain report relies on the general assumption that more investments into the agriculture sector will benefit farmers; ‘but how’ has not been convincingly answered.
    • Overemphasis on technology: Similarly, how the technology fix will help resolve all the issues of Indian agriculture listed at the beginning of the report is unclear in the IDEA concept.
    • Reluctance by farmers: These reports ignore the protest of farmers against the reforms without considering it as a barrier or risk factor resulting in a repealing of these new farm laws.

    Way ahead: Focus on the farmer

    • A data revolution is inevitable in the agriculture sector, given its socio-political complexities.
    • However, we cannot just count on technology fixes and agri-business investments for improving farmers’ livelihoods.
    • There need to be immense efforts to improve the capacities of the farmers in India – at least until the educated young farmers replace the existing under-educated small and medium farmers.
    • This capacity building can be done through a mixed approach through FPOs and other farmers’ associations where technical support is available for farmers.

    Conclusion

    • Considering the size of the agriculture sector of the country this is not going to be an easy task but would need a separate program across the country with considerable investment.

     

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  • Coal Crisis in India

    More than half of the country’s 135 coal-fired power plants are running on fumes – as coal stocks run critically low.  They have fuel stocks of less than four days, government data shows.

    Coal shortage in India

    • In a country where 70% of the electricity is generated using coal, this is a major cause for concern as it threatens to derail India’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
    • Utilities are scrambling to secure coal supplies as inventories hit critical lows after a surge in power demand from industries and sluggish imports due to record global prices push power plants to the brink.

    How did the crisis escalate?

    • As India’s economy picked up after a deadly second wave of Covid-19, demand for power rose sharply.
    • Power consumption in the last two months alone jumped by almost 17%, compared to the same period in 2019.
    • At the same time global coal prices increased by 40% and India’s imports fell to a two-year low.
    • India is the world’s second largest importer of coal despite also being home to the fourth largest coal reserves in the world.
    • Power plants that usually rely on imports are now heavily dependent on Indian coal, adding further pressure to already stretched domestic supplies.

    What is the likely impact?

    • Experts say importing more coal to make up for domestic shortages is not an option at present.
    • India has seen shortages in the past, but what’s unprecedented this time is coal is really expensive now.
    • Businesses at the end of the day pass on these costs to consumers, so there is an inflationary impact – both direct and indirect that could potentially come from this.
    • If the crisis continues, a surge in the cost of electricity will be felt by consumers.
    • Retail inflation is already high as everything from oil to food has become more expensive.

    Other reasons for this crisis

    • In recent years, India’s production has lagged as the country tried to reduce its dependence on coal to meet climate targets.
    • Prices of power-generation fuels are surging globally as electricity demand rebounds with industrial growth, tightening supplies of coal and liquefied natural gas.
    • India is competing against buyers such as China, the world’s largest coal consumer, which is under pressure to ramp up imports amid a severe power crunch.
    • Rising oil, gas, coal and power prices are feeding inflationary pressures worldwide and slowing the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Challenges posed

    • The desire to cut its reliance on heavily polluting coal burning power plants has been a major challenge for the government in recent years.
    • The question of how India can achieve a balance between meeting demand for electricity from its almost 1.4bn people has to be answered.

    What can the government do?

    • Experts advocate a mix of coal and clean sources of energy as a possible long-term solution.
    • It’s not completely possible to transition and it’s never a good strategy to transition 100% to renewables without a backup.
    • Long term investment in multiple power sources aside a crisis like the current one can be averted with better planning.
    • There is need for closer coordination between Coal India Limited – the largest supplier of coal in the country and other stakeholders.
    • For now, the government is working with state-run enterprises to ramp up production and mining to reduce the gap between supply and demand.

    Way forward

    • This is a global phenomenon, one not specifically restricted to India.
    • It is unclear how long the current situation will last.
    • With the monsoon on its way out and winter approaching, the demand for power usually falls.
    • So, the mismatch between demand and supply may iron out to some extent.

    Try answering this PYQ:

    Consider the following statements:

    1. Coal sector was nationalized by the Government of India under Indira Gandhi.
    2. Now, coal blocks are allocated on lottery basis.
    3. Till recently, India imported coal to meet the shortages of domestic supply, but now India is self- sufficient in coal production.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

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  • [pib] River Ranching Programme

    The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, is set to launch the River Ranching Programme in Uttar Pradesh under the Namami Gange Programme.

    What is River Ranching?

    • River Ranching is a form of aquaculture in which a population of a fish species (such as salmon) is held in captivity for the first stage of their lives.
    • They are then released, and later harvested as adults when they return from the sea to their freshwater birthplace to spawn.

    Objective

    The key objectives of the program are:

    • To sustain and conserve the biodiversity in the river.
    • Facilitate regular stocking of fingerlings of cultivable carps to enhance productivity
    • Increase fish production
    • Enhance income and livelihood opportunities to communities’ dependent on these resources

    Why need such a program?

    • River ranching helps in achieving sustainable fisheries, reducing habitat degradation, conserving biodiversity, maximising social-economic benefits and would also remove factors causing pollution.
    • In this activity, different species of fish are released in the river, which destroy factors that increase the level of nitrogen.
    • These fishes will also aid in maintaining the cleanliness of the river as they feed on organic remnants.

    Where is the scheme being launched?

    • In Uttar Pradesh, about 15 lakh fish fingerlings of native carp species shall be simultaneously released into the river in 12 districts by the department.
    • These districts include Bulandshahr/Hapur, Hardoi, Bijnor, Amroha, Fatehpur, Kanpur, Badayun, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi and Ghazipur.
    • Four other states namely Uttarakhand, Orissa, Tripura and Chhattisgarh will also witness the launching of nationwide River Ranching program.

     

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