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  • Solar Energy – JNNSM, Solar Cities, Solar Pumps, etc.

    Type Of Technologies in Solar Panels

    op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Context

    Large-scale solar projects in Tamil Nadu have seen rapid growth in recent years. By embracing advances in solar technologies, India can continue to lead in this sector.

    Factors driving growth

    • In the past five years, the cumulative installed capacity witnessed a four-fold increase in Tamil Nadu to 4.4 GW, as of March 2021.
    • High insolation level: Aiding this capacity addition is the State’s reasonably high insolation levels and matching solar potential, estimated at 279GW.
    • Decline in price: The sharp decline in the prices for solar and resulting cost competitiveness is another factor.
    • National target: Additionally, in response to the ambitious national targets and to spur sector specific development, Tamil Nadu released the Solar Policy of 2019, aiming for 9GW of solar installations by 2023.

    Type of technology use for solar panel

    • 1) Mono-crystalline Vs multi-crystalline panels: ‘First-generation’ solar cells use mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline silicon wafers.
    • The efficiency of mono-crystalline panels is about 24%, while for multi-crystalline panels it is about 20%.
    • Mono-crystalline cells are dominant today.
    • Although mono-crystalline panels are priced higher than multi-crystalline ones, the difference is diminishing and will soon attain parity.
    • This would result in mono panels being preferred over multi due to their higher efficiency, greater energy yield and lower cost of energy.
    • 2) Bifacial solar cells: Newer technologies incorporating crystalline silicon focus on bifacial solar cells, capable of harvesting energy from both sides of the panel.
    • Bifacials can augment the power output by 10-20%.
    • Within this, the Passive Emitter and Rear Contact technology is predicted to gain popularity. However, it is yet to achieve price parity for large-scale deployment.
    • 3) Thin-film technologies: It is classified as the ‘second generation of solar PVs.
    • In addition to being used in solar farms and rooftops, thin films with their low thickness, light weight and flexibility are also placed on electronic devices and vehicles, power streetlights and traffic signals.
    • Mainstream thin films utilise semiconductor chemistries like Cadmium Telluride with module efficiencies of around 19%.
    • Other technologies include Amorphous Silicon and Copper Indium Gallium Di-Selenide.
    • Nanocrystal and dye-sensitised solar cells are variants of the thin film technology. These are in early stages for large-scale commercial deployment
    • However, the efficiency of thin films is lower than that of crystalline silicon.
    • 4) Perovskite: These are grouped as ‘third generation’ and contain technologies such as perovskite, nanocrystal and dye-sensitised solar cells.
    • Perovskites have seen rapid advances in recent years, achieving cell efficiency of 18%.
    • They have the highest potential to replace silicon and disrupt the solar PV market, due to factors such as ease of manufacture, low production costs and potential for higher efficiencies.
    • 5) Use of Graphene Quantum-dots: Graphene is made of a single layer of carbon atoms bonded together as hexagons.
    • Solar cells made of graphene are of interest due to high theoretical efficiency of 60% and its super capacitating nature.
    •  Quantum-dot PVs use semiconductor nanocrystals exhibiting quantum mechanical properties capable of high efficiency of about 66%.
    • However, both these are in the early stages of research.

    Technologies to better integrate solar PVs into the grid

    • These technologies include weather forecasting and power output prediction systems; operation monitoring and control systems; and scheduling and optimisation systems.
    • Additionally, automatic systems have been developed for the smooth resolution of output fluctuations.

    Way forward

    • A portion of the budget for renewable energy targets should be set aside exclusively for new technologies.
    • Grants and subsidies can also be provided for their adoption.
    • Efforts must be taken to address gaps in research, development, and manufacturing capabilities in the solar sector through sector-specific investment and incentives.
    • There must also be greater industry-academia collaborations and funding opportunities for startups.
    • A comprehensive sector-specific skilling programme is also required for workers.

    Conclusion

    All these efforts would help the country become a global player in the solar power sector.

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India – EU

    EU, India and the Indo-Pacific

    op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

    Context

    Last month, the EU released it “EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”. This document is very rich and needs to be analysed in the context of the rapprochement between the EU and India, which culminated in the June EU-India summit, a “turning point” according to some analysts.

    Important takeaways from EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy

    • The EU strategy in the Indo-Pacific appears to be over-determined by China’s expansionism.
    • “The display of force and increasing tensions in regional hotspots such as in the South and East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait may have a direct impact on European security and prosperity,” the document says.
    • If security interests are highlighted in the beginning, they are rather low in the list of the objectives of the EU Indo-Pacific strategy, which are listed as: “Sustainable and inclusive prosperity; green transition; ocean governance; digital governance and partnerships; connectivity; security and defence; human security”.
    • Many paragraphs of the document are dedicated to values, including human rights.

    India does not figure prominently in the policy document

    • In terms of partnerships, India does not figure very prominently.
    • By contrast, ASEAN is presented as “an increasingly important partner for the EU”.
    • However, India appears in the list of the countries which already have an Indo-Pacific strategy and with which the EU is interested in a deeper “engagement”, a list made of ASEAN, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the UK and US.
    • However, the document does not mention the role India could play in value-chain diversification, a top priority of the EU since the Covid-19 pandemic in particular.
    • Yet, India is mentioned few pages later in a similar perspective when it is said that the EU will help “low and middle-income Indo-Pacific partners to secure access to the Covid-19 vaccine through the Covax facility and through other means”.
    • What the French see as India’s main asset, its strategic dimension, is not central in the EU document.
    •  India is listed as the EU’s first partner only in one area: “under the project Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia (ESIWA), which covers counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security and crisis management.
    • The pilot partners are India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Vietnam, with EU military experts already operating in Indonesia and in Vietnam.”

    Understanding the German influence on the policy document

    • Thus, the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is more in tune with the German vision of the Indo-Pacific than with the French one.
    • The fact that the German approach prevails in the EU document is a reflection of the influence of Berlin’s weltanschauung (worldview) in Europe — something Brexit has accentuated, Great Britain’s Indo-Pacific strategy being similar to France’s.
    • But China’s attitude may force Germany — and the EU — to change their mind in the near future.

    Conclusion

    By and large, the Indo-Pacific strategy of the EU remains driven by economic considerations and India, whose main asset is geopolitical and even geostrategic, does not figure prominently in it.

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  • NPA Crisis

    Gross NPAs of Banks to Rise

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    Gross Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of banks are expected to rise to 8-9% this fiscal from 7.5% as on March 31, 2021 but they would still remain below the peak of 11.2% seen at the end of fiscal 2018.

    What are Non-Performing Assets?

    • For a bank, the loans given by the bank is considered as its assets.
    • Any asset which stops giving returns to its investors for a specified period of time is known as Non-Performing Asset (NPA).
    • So, if the principle or the interest or both the components of a loan is not being serviced to the lender (bank), then it would be considered as NPA.

    Classification of NPAs in India

    • According to the RBI, a NPA is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment remained overdue for a period of 90 days.
    • Banks are required to classify NPAs further into Substandard, Doubtful and Loss assets.
    1. Substandard Assets: Assets which has remained NPA for a period less than or equal to 12 months.
    2. Doubtful Assets: An asset would be classified as doubtful if it has remained in the substandard category for a period of 12 months.
    3. Loss Assets: As per RBI, loss asset is considered uncollectible and of such little value that its continuance as a bankable asset is not warranted, although there may be some salvage or recovery value.

    NPAs of Agriculture Loans

    In terms of Agriculture/Farm Loans, the NPA is defined as under:

    • For short duration crop such as paddy, Jowar, Bajra etc. if the loan (instalment/interest) is not paid for 2 crop seasons, it would be termed as an NPA.
    • For Long Duration Crops, the above would be 1 Crop season from the due date

    Reasons for NPAs in India

    Impact of NPA on Economy

    • Depositors’ loss: Depositors do not get rightful returns and many times may lose uninsured deposits.
    • High interest on lending: Banks may begin charging higher interest rates on some products to compensate NPA loan losses.
    • Trust issues: Bad loans imply redirecting of funds from good projects to bad ones. Hence, the economy suffers due to loss of good projects and failure of bad investments

    Steps taken to curb NPA

    (A) By the Govt

    • Mission Indradhanush:to make the working of public sector bank more transparent and professional in order to curb the menace of NPA in future.
    • Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code: To make it easier for banks to recover the loans from the debtors.
    • Stringent NPA recovery rules: The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act or SARFESI Act of 2002 was amended in 2016.

    (B) By RBI

    RBI introduced number of measures in last few years which include:

    • Corporate Debt Restructuring (CDR) mechanism,
    • Setting up a Joint Lenders’ Forum, providing banks to disclose the real picture of bad loans, asking them to increase provisioning for stressed assets,

    Other terms related to NPAs

    Write-off effect

    • A loan write-off is a tool used by banks to clean up their balance-sheets.
    • If a loan turns bad on the account of the repayment defaults for at least three consecutive quarters, the exposure (loan) can be written off.
    • A loan write-off sets free the money parked by the banks for the provisioning of any loan.

    Twin Balance Sheet

    • It deals with two balance sheet problems. One with Indian companies and the other with Indian Banks.
    • Debt accumulation on companies is very high and thus they are unable to pay interest payments on loans.

    Four Balance Sheet Challenge

    • In his paper named ‘India’s Great Slowdown’, Arvind Subramanian (former Chief Economic Advisor) mentions the new ‘Four balance sheet challenge’.
    • It includes the original two sectors – infrastructure companies and banks, plus NBFCs and real estate companies.

     

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  • Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

    World Economic Outlook (WEO) Report by IMF

    IOCR | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has unveiled its 2nd World Economic Outlook (WEO) Report.

    About WEO Report

    • The WEO is a report by the IMF that analyzes key parts of the IMF’s surveillance of economic developments and policies in its member countries.
    • It also projects developments in the global financial markets and economic systems.
    • The report comes out twice every year — April and October.
    • It is based on a wide set of assumptions about a host of parameters — such as the international price of crude oil — and set the benchmark for all economies to compare one another with.

    Key takeaways from the October 2021 WEO

    • The central message was that the global economic recovery momentum had weakened due to the pandemic-induced supply disruptions.
    • It is the increasing inequality among nations that IMF was most concerned about.
    • The dangerous divergence in economic prospects across countries remains a major concern.

    Reasons for the slowdown

    There are two key reasons:

    1. Large disparities in vaccine access
    2. Differences in policy support

    What about Employment?

    Ans. There is a lag.

    • Employment around the world remains below its pre-pandemic levels.
    • This reflects a mix of negative output gaps, worker fears of on-the-job infection in contact-intensive occupations, childcare constraints, labour demand changes due to automation etc.
    • The main concern is the gap between recovery in output and employment which is likely to be larger in emerging markets and developing economies than in advanced economies.
    • Further, young and low-skilled workers are likely to be worse off than prime-age and high-skilled workers, respectively.

    Implications for India

    Ans. Reduce India’s growth momentum

    • IMF has suggested that India’s economic recovery is gaining ground.
    • Some sectors such as the IT-services sectors have been practically unaffected by Covid, while the e-commerce industry is doing brilliantly.
    • However, the recovery in unemployment is lagging the recovery in output (or GDP).
    • This matters immensely for India as it reflects jobless growth.
    • India was already facing a deep employment crisis before the Covid crisis, and it became much worse after it.
    • Lack of adequate employment levels would again drag down overall demand and affect the growth momentum.

    Threats to growth momentum

    • Usual unemployment: Even before the pandemic, India already had a massive unemployment crisis.
    • Sector-wise recovery: India is witnessing a K-shaped recovery. That means different sectors are recovering at significantly different rates.
    • Unorganized sector: A weak recovery for the informal/unorganized sectors implies a drag on the economy’s ability to create new jobs or revive old ones.
    • Contact-based services: Such services which can create many more jobs, are not seeing a similar bounce-back.

    How informal is India’s economy?

    • A NSO report titled ‘Measuring Informal Economy in India’ gives a detailed account of informal Indian economy.
    • It shows the share of different sectors of the economy in the overall Gross Value Added and the share of the unorganised sector therein.
    • The share of informal/unorganised sector GVA is more than 50% at the all-India level, and is even higher in certain sectors.
    • It creates a lot of low-skilled jobs such as construction and trade, repair, accommodation, and food services.

    This is why India is more vulnerable.

     

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  • Genetically Modified (GM) crops – cotton, mustards, etc.

    EU food recalled over alleged GM rice exports from India

    | Agriculture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    The European Union has recalled some packaged food items which were made up of Indian GMO.

    GM crops in India

    The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under Environment Ministry oversees the approval of GM Crops in India.

    • Bt cotton: It is the only GM crop that has been approved for commercial cultivation in 2002.
    • Bt Brinjal: Resistant to brinjal shoot fly, it was approved by GEAC in 2009. However due to 10 years moratorium imposed on GM crops by the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) appointed by the Supreme Court of India, its commercialization has stalled.
    • GM Dhara Mustard Hybrid 11: DMH 11 developed by Delhi University is pending for commercial release as GEAC has advised to generate complete safety assessment.

    However, unauthorized HtBt Cotton and Bt Brinjal are being grown commercially, with hundreds of growers blatantly defying the governmental ban.

    What about GM Rice?

    • GM rice is not grown commercially in India.
    • However, multiple GM rice varieties have been approved for confined field trials.
    • There seems a possibility of cross-contamination from such field trials directly or through seed leakages.

    India’s rice exports

    • India’s annual rice exports amount to 18 million tonnes worth ₹65,000 crore, and reach more than 75 countries.

    What is the EU move?

    • A European candy has recalled several batches of its product from the market due to the use of rice flour with genetically modified (GM) contamination that allegedly originated in India.
    • The EU notification has identified the product as ‘Unauthorised genetically modified (p35S and tNos) rice flour from India’.

    Impact of the EU move

    • This has led to the loss of reputation of India and its agricultural market.
    • With such a move by the EU, it is Indian farmers and exporters who have much to lose.

    Threats posed by GM crops

    • It is believed that consumption of genetically engineered foods can cause the development of diseases which are immune to antibiotics.
    • Besides, as these foods are new inventions, not much is known about their long term effects on human beings.
    • Genetically modified rice may potentially cause serious public health and environmental problems.
    • Two major issues about GM rice are their tendencies to provoke allergic reactions and the uncertainty of gene transfers.

    What can be done to reverse this?

    • Ban on field trials of GM crops
    • Slapping liability for illegal release of GMOs into the environment on developers
    • Probe to identify the source of the GM rice contamination

    Try answering this PYQ:

    With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements:

    1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests.
    2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization.
    3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Places in news: Mount Manipur

    Historical Sites | | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History

    The Union government has rechristened Mount Harriet, a historical tourist spot in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as ‘Mount Manipur’ to commemorate the1891 Anglo-Manipur war.

    Manipur’s connection to Mount Harriet

    • After the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, several Manipuris who had fought the British in the war, including Maharaja Kulachandra Dhwaja Singh, were exiled to the British penal colony in the Andaman Islands.
    • Since the cellular jail (Kalapani) was yet to be built, Kulachandra and the prisoners were kept on Mount Harriet, a hillock in what is now the Ferragunj tehsil of South Andaman district.
    • 23 men, including King Kulachandra and his brothers, were “transported for life” to the Andamans.
    • While some died there, Kulachandra was released and shifted elsewhere before his death.

    This is why Mount Harriet is an important symbol of the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891.

    About Anglo-Manipur War of 1891

    • Considered an epoch in the history of Manipur, the Anglo-Manipur War was fought between the kingdom of Manipur and the British over a month in 1891.
    • The battle was triggered by a coup in the palace of Manipur, which had been marked by internal factionalism in the years leading up 1891.
    • The British government took advantage of the internal dissension among the princes of the royal family.

    Battle for throne

    • In 1886, when Surchandra inherited the throne from his father Chandrakirti Singh, the kingdom of Manipur was not under the British rule but had links with the crown through different treaties.
    • However, Surchandra ascension to the throne was controversial and his younger brothers — Kulachadra, Tikendrajit — revolted against him.
    • The1890 coup by the rebel faction deposed Surchandra, and proclaimed Kulachandra, the next oldest brother, the king.
    • Surchandra fled to Calcutta seeking British help to reinstate him.
    • Instead, the British dispatched James Quinton, the Chief Commissioner of Assam, with an army to Manipur.
    • His mission was to recognise Kulachandra as the king under the condition that they be allowed to arrest the coup leader Crown Prince Tikendrajit and deport him from Manipur.

    This aggressive imposition of British law in a sovereign state was rejected by the king, precipitating the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891.

    Its aftermath

    • In the first phase of the war, the British surrendered and their officers — including Quinton — were executed in public.
    • In the second phase, the British attacked Manipur from three sides, and finally capture the Kangla Fort in Imphal.
    • Prince Tikendrajit and four others were hanged by the British, while Kulachandra, along with 22 others, were banished to the Andaman Islands.

    Significance of the war

    • Many say the war was described as a blow to British prestige.
    • In India, it was viewed as being part of the general uprising against British rule in the country, soon after after the Revolt of 1857.
    • The war led to Manipur officially becoming a princely state under the indirect rule of the British crown.

     

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  • Policy Wise: India’s Power Sector

    Lessons from the coal shortage

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    Context

    Normally, the power-generating companies maintain around 30 days of inventory of coal, but, currently, this has come down to three days.

    Factors responsible for the crisis

    • Supply side issue: On the supply side, because of low investment, coal cannot be mined more than the capacity which exists today. Hence, the increase in supplies will be gradual.
    • High global prices: The global coal crisis has led to higher prices.
    • Here, too, a sudden resurgence in demand after the pandemic has exposed the supply limitations.
    • The international price has gone up by almost 40 per cent in the last month.
    • China factor: China – a major producer and consumer – has also faced this problem as it has tried to save coal for the future and imposed restrictions on mining to go green.
    • Emphasis on lowering the dependence on import:  In India, coal imports have been traditionally high.
    • Under its atmanirbharta drive, the government has voiced concerns on this issue and asked generators to be more self-reliant.
    • Coal dependency came down over time, which also coincided with a lower phase of economic growth.
    • The same has happened in China where the government has taken the greening concept seriously and asked coal producers to control production and power generators and move over to other greener fuels.
    • This has made coal producers less willing to increase investment.

    Why power companies are reluctant to import coal?

    • Ideally, power companies should import coal.
    • But that increases the cost of power production and power tariffs cannot be revised easily, like in the case of crops.
    • The power sector, however, already has its woes.
    • Distribution companies have been running losses due to their inability to cut down on transmission losses or increase tariffs.
    • As their losses mount, the amount overdue to the generators increases.
    • Therefore, the producers are not willing to increase their costs.

    How it would impact the economy?

    • The economy has been showing signs of recovering and the October-December period is crucial because there are expectations of pent-up demand helping to accelerate growth.
    • Any disruption in the power supply can push back this process.
    • The challenge is that today all the three sectors, agriculture, industry and households, are equally important.
    • A lot of business is being conducted from home after the pandemic, and power disruptions will come in the way of work.
    • If power companies start revising their tariffs, inflation will shoot up.

    Conclusion

    The coal shortage problem is very serious as it affects power supply, which is the backbone of all economic activity. All stakeholders – the Centre, states, miners and power generators – must work together and plan the strategy going ahead.

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  • Suggestions on alternative foreign policy

    op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood – Relations

    Context

    A document has emerged from the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) in the nature of an alternative to the present foreign and defence policies named ‘India’s Path to Power: Strategy in a world adrift’. It is authored by eight well-known strategists and thinkers.

    Background of the document

    • In 2012, many of the same authors had produced another document, ‘Non-alignment 2.0’, in the light of the global changes at that time, as a contribution to policymaking, without criticising the policies of the government.
    • The present document, however, is in the nature of an alternative to the foreign and defence policies of the government, as some of its tenets are not considered conducive to finding a path to power for India in the post-pandemic world.

    Change in foreign policy

    • The first term of the Modi government was remarkable for its innovative, bold and assertive foreign policy, which received general approbation.
    • After his unconventional peace initiatives with Pakistan failed, he took a firm stand and gained popularity at home.
    • His wish to have close relations with the other neighbours did not materialise, but his helpful attitude to them even in difficult situations averted any crisis.
    • He brought a new symphony into India-U.S. relations and engaged China continuously to find a new equation with it. India’s relations with Israel and the Arab countries became productive.
    • In its second term, the government dealt with some of the sensitive matters, which were essentially of a domestic nature such as Article 370, citizenship issues and farming regulation.
    • The external dimensions of these matters led to a challenge to the government’s foreign policy.

    Suggestions in the Centre for Policy Research report

    • Impact of domestic issues on foreign policy: The finding of the report is that domestic issues have impacted foreign policy and, therefore, India should set its house in order to stem the tide of international reaction.
    • This assertion at the beginning of the report is the heart of the report and it is repeated in different forms.
    • Importance of globalisation: The report rightly points out that “it would be incorrect and counterproductive for India to turn its back on globalisation…”
    • Revival of SAARC: The report also suggests that SAARC should be revived and that India should rejoin the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and continue its long-standing quest for membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
    • Strategic autonomy: The report also stresses the importance of strategic autonomy in today’s world where change is the only certainty.
    • Relations with the US and China: As for the India-U.S.- China triangle, the report makes the unusual suggestion that India should have better relations individually with both the U.S. and China than they have with each other.
    • The report concludes that since China will influence India’s external environment politically, economically and infrastructurally, there is no feasible alternative to a combination of engagement and competition with China.
    • Pakistan policy: The report asserts, “as long as our objectives of policy towards Pakistan are modest, resumption of dialogue and a gradual revival of trade, transport and other links are worth pursuing.”

    Conclusion

    The significance of the report is that it reveals the end of the era of consensus foreign policy and presents a shadow foreign policy for the first time in India. It remains to be seen whether any of the opposition parties will adopt it and fight the next election on the platform provided by the report.

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  • Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Fisheries Sector – Pashudhan Sanjivani, E- Pashudhan Haat, etc

    Improving livestock breeding

    op-ed snap | Agriculture | Mains Paper 3: Economics Of Animal-Rearing

    Context

    The revised version of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and National Livestock Mission (NLM) proposes to bring focus on entrepreneurship development and breed improvement in cattle, buffalo, poultry, sheep, goat, and piggery.

    Livestock breeding and challenges

    • Unorganised in nature: Livestock breeding in India has been largely unorganised.
    • Lack of linkages: Because of this unorganised nature there have been gaps in forward and backward integration across the value chain.
    • Impact on quality: The above scenario impacts the quality of livestock that is produced and in turn negatively impacts the return on investment for livestock farmers.
    • Roughly 80% bovines in the country are low on productivity and are reared by small and marginal farmers.

    Entrepreneurship development through NLM and Rashtriya Gokul Mission

    • The revised version of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and National Livestock Mission (NLM) proposes to bring focus on entrepreneurship development.
    • Breed improvement infrastructure: It seeks to provide incentives to individual entrepreneurs, farmer producer organisations, farmer cooperatives, joint liability groups, self-help groups, Section 8 companies for entrepreneurship development and State governments for breed improvement infrastructure.
    • The breed multiplication farm component of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission is going to provide for capital subsidy up to ₹200 lakh for setting up breeding farm with at least 200 milch cows/ buffalo using latest breeding technology. 
    •  Moreover, the strategy of incentivising breed multiplication farm will result in the employment of 1 lakh farmers.
    • The grassroots initiatives in this sphere will be further amplified by web applications like e-Gopala that provide real-time information to livestock farmers.
    • Poultry: The poultry entrepreneurship programme of the NLM will provide for capital subsidy up to ₹25 lakh for the setting up of a parent farm with a capacity to rear 1,000 chicks.
    • Under this model, the rural entrepreneur running the hatchery will be supplying chicks to the farmers.
    • This is expected to provide employment to at least 14 lakh people.
    • Sheep and goat entrepreneurship: In the context of sheep and goat entrepreneurship, there is a provision of capital subsidy of 50% up to 50 lakh.
    • An entrepreneur under this model shall set up a breeder farm, develop the whole chain will eventually sell the animals to the farmers or in the open market.
    • This model is projected to generate a net profit of more than ₹33 lakh for the entrepreneur per year.
    • Piggery: For piggery, the NLM will provide 50% capital subsidy of up to ₹30 lakh.
    •  Each entrepreneur will be aided with establishment of breeder farms with 100 sows and 10 boars, expected to produce 2,400 piglets in a year.
    • This model is expected to generate a profit of ₹1.37 crore after 16 months and 1.5 lakh jobs.

    Conclusion

    The revised scheme of NLM coupled with the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund has the potential to dramatically enhance the productivity and traceability standards of our livestock.

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-Middle East

    Indo-Abrahamic Accord: A new QUAD

    | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

     

    The first-ever meeting between the foreign ministers of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States is being widely perceived as a new QUAD group.

    What is Abraham Accord?

    • The Israel–UAE normalization agreement is officially called the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement.
    • It was initially agreed to in a joint statement by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020.
    • The UAE thus became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to agree to formally normalize its relationship with Israel as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so.
    • Concurrently, Israel agreed to suspend plans for annexing parts of the West Bank.
    • The agreement normalized what had long been informal but robust foreign relations between the two countries.

    The idea of the Indo-Abrahamic Accord

    • The idea of an accord between India, the UAE and Israel was first suggested by Mohammed Soliman, an Egyptian scholar based in Washington.
    • The focus, then, was on India taking full advantage of the normalisation of relations between Israel and the Arabs.

    Prospects of India joining the accord

    • Adding “Indo” to the Abrahamic Accords — from think tank level to the policy domain underlines the extraordinary churn in the geopolitics of the Middle East.
    • It also points to new openings for India in the region and ever-widening possibilities for Delhi’s strategic cooperation with Washington.

    Significance for India

    The new minilateral consultation with the US, Israel and the UAE should started breaking that political taboo by:

    (1) Creating a minilateral in the Middle-East:

    • Such events mark an important turning point in Delhi’s engagement with the Middle East.
    • It suggests India is now ready to move from bilateral relations conducted in separate silos towards an integrated regional policy.
    • As in the Indo-Pacific, so in the Middle East, regional coalitions are bound to widen Delhi’s reach and deepen its impact.

    (2) India bridging the Arab-Israeli rift:

    • Often the Arab nations and Israel are divided over Palestine.
    • The simultaneous expansion of Delhi’s cooperation with Israel and the Arab world was considered impossible.
    • However, India’s new foreign policy broke from that assessment and demonstrated the feasibility of a non-ideological engagement with the Middle East.
    • This diplomatic pragmatism allows Delhi to reimagine its policies towards the Middle East.

    (3) Extension of cooperation with the US:

    • Thinking of the US as a partner in the Middle East is part of the reimagination.
    • For long, India defined the US, and more broadly the West, as part of the problem in the Middle East.
    • As a result, Delhi kept a reasonable political distance from the US in the region.

    (4) Miscellaneous:

    • India’s scale with Israeli innovation and Emirati capital could produce immense benefits to all three countries.
    • Add American strategic support and you would see a powerful dynamic unfolding in the region.

    Is it a new Quad in making?

    • It is perhaps too early to call the new minilateral with the US, UAE and Israel the “new Quad” for the Middle East.
    • It will be a while before this grouping will find its feet and evolve.
    • After all, it took quite some effort to build the Quad in the east with Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

    What is the kind of agenda that this group can develop?

    Economic Cooperation: Like the eastern Quad, it would make sense for the new Middle Eastern minilateral to focus on non-military issues like trade, energy, and environment and focus on promoting public goods.

    Technology cooperation: Beyond trade, there is potential for India, UAE and Israel to collaborate on many areas — from semiconductor design and fabrication to space technology.

    A new geopolitical entity: The new “Quad” in the Middle East is likely to be India’s only new coalition in the region. It provides a thrust to new regionalism to the west involving India.

    ‘Extended’ neighborhood: This engagement will open the door for extending the collaboration with other common regional partners like Egypt (better call it Suez Canal), who will lend great strategic depth to the Indo-Abrahamic accords.

    Conclusion

    • This engagement has thus opened up a new opportunity for India to go for deeper engagement with Israel without risking its relations with the other Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
    • In the evolving scenario, there seems much scope for a profitable trilateral synergy, but India cannot take its preponderance as a given.
    • There is much to be done in realizing the full potential of the “Indo-Abrahamic Accords”.

     

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