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  • Industrial Sector Updates – Industrial Policy, Ease of Doing Business, etc.

    Agreement for Emergency Response Programme for MSME

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The World Bank and the Government of India signed the $750 million agreement for the MSME Emergency Response Programme to support increased flow of finance into the hands of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

    How will the agreement protect the MSME sector

    1. Unlocking liquidity

    • The Government is focused on ensuring that the abundant financial sector liquidity available flow to NBFCs and that banks.
    • Banks and NBFCs have turned extremely risk-averse.
    • This project will support the Government in providing targeted guarantees to incentivize NBFCs.
    • Project will also support banks to continue lending to viable MSMEs to help sustain them through the crisis.
    • It will be achieved by de-risking lending from banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to MSMEs.
    • This derisking will be done through a range of instruments, including credit guarantees.

    2. Strengthening NBFCs and SFBs

    • Improving the funding capacity of the NBFCs and Small Finance Bank (SFBs), will help them respond to the urgent and varied needs of the MSMEs.
    • This will include supporting government’s refinance facility for NBFCs.
    • In parallel, the IFC is also providing direct support to SFBs through loans and equity.

    3. Enabling financial innovation

    • Only about 8 percent of MSMEs are served by formal credit channels.
    • The program will incentivize and mainstream the use of fintech and digital financial services in MSME lending and payments.
    • Digital platforms will play an important role by enabling lenders, suppliers, and buyers to reach firms faster and at a lower cost.
    • The digital platform will be helpful especially to small enterprises who currently may not have access to the formal channels.

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  • Innovations in Sciences, IT, Computers, Robotics and Nanotechnology

    Explaining Lithium increase in the Universe

    PIB | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: S&T – Applications In Everyday Life

    In a study recently published in Nature Astronomy scientists from Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) along with their international collaborators have provided a robust observational evidence for the first time that Li production is common among low mass Sun-like stars during their He-core burning phase.

    Importance of lithium in our life

    • Light inflammable, metal lithium (Li) has brought about transformation in modern communication devices and transportation.
    • A great deal of today’s technology is powered by lithium in its various shades [remember Li-ion battery!].
    • But where does the element come from?
    • The origin of much of the Li can be traced to a single event, the Big-Bang that happened about 13.7 Billion years ago, from which the present-day Universe was also born.

    Why lithium was thought to be different?

    • Li content in the physical Universe has increased by about a factor of four over the life of the Universe.
    • However, the rest of the elements carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, nickel and so on which grew about a million times over the lifetime of the Universe.
    • Li, however, understood to be an exemption!
    • Current understanding is that lithium in stars like our Sun only gets destroyed over their lifetime.
    • As a matter of fact, the composition of all the elements in the Sun and the Earth is similar.
    • But, the measured content of Li in the Sun is a factor of 100 lower than that of the Earth, though both are known to have formed together.

    So, what the new finding suggests?

    • This discovery challenges the long-held idea that stars only destroy lithium during their lifetime.
    • It implies that the Sun itself will manufacture lithium in the future.
    • This is not predicted by models, indicating that there is some physical process missing in stellar theory.
    • Further, the authors identified “He flash”.
    • “He flash” is an on-set of He-ignition at the star’s core via violent eruption at the end of the star’s core hydrogen-burning phase, as the source of Li production.
    • Our Sun will reach this phase in about 6-7 billion years.

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Remembering P C Mahalanobis

    op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

    Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, India’s ‘Plan Man’ and the architect of the country’s statistical system is more relevant now in times of Covid pandemic when we grapple with the lack of data.

    Analysing 1944 Bengal famine

    • He conducted a large-scale sample survey of Bengal’s famine between July 1944 and February 1945.
    • Sample survey helped in causal analysis and to assess the extent of the disaster and an estimate of the number of people affected.

    Relevance today

    • Bengal’s famine survey reminds us that we need estimates of the millions who will lose jobs or livelihoods in today’s pandemic.
    • The extent of feasibility, success and problem of online access also needs to be properly estimated in this new dawn.
    • Mahalanobis is perhaps more relevant today when the accuracy of different sorts of data is under the scanner.
    • Mahalanobis envisaged large-scale sample surveys as statistical engineering rather than pure theory of sampling.
    • He was instrumental in establishing the National Sample Survey (NSS) in 1950 and the Central Statistical Organization in 1951.

    Data accuracy

    • Mahalanobis was very careful about data accuracy in his surveys.
    • In Kautilya’s Arthashastra, there is mention of the need for cross-checking by an independent set of agents for data collection.
    • This, according to Mahalanobis, was the “striking feature in the Arthashastra”.
    • This might have prompted him to have an independent supervisory staff during the conduct of field operations by the NSS.
    • His initial training in Physics might have made him conscious about errors in measurement and observation.
    • The desire to have built-in cross-checks and to get an estimate of errors in sampling led him to introduce the Inter-Penetrating Network of Subsamples.
    • The network is considered as the curtain-raiser for re-sampling procedures like Bootstrap.
    • Bootstrap is a revolutionary concept of statistics.

    Difficulties in conducting surveys

    • Even Mahalanobis could have faced hardship had he wished to conduct surveys now.
    • First, even in pre-COVID-19 India, it’s widely reported that surveyors were facing tremendous resistance from people due to some sociopolitical reasons.
    • Pronab Sen, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Statistics, and former Chief Statistician, expressed his concern that the survey system is already in “deep trouble”.
    • Conducting household surveys with the Census as the frame would be “very tough” going ahead.
    • The problem will intensify due to COVID-19.

    Use of technology for survey

    • Mahalanobis never shied away from technology.
    • He was instrumental in bringing computers to India.
    • The Mahalanobis-led Indian Statistical Institute procured India’s first computer in 1956 and the second in 1959.

    Consider the question asked in 2019 “How was India benefitted from the contributions of Sir M.Visvesvaraya and Dr M. S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science respectively?”

    Conclusion

    Mahalanobis wrote: “Statistics are a minor detail, but they do help.” This is an eternal truth. What Mahalanobis didn’t spell out is that one needs a top statistician for listening to the heartbeats of data and for framing data-based policy decisions for human welfare and national development.

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-China

    Indo-Pacific region

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

    As India tries to diffuse the tension along the disputed northern border with China, it must focus on the other potential fronts that China could open. India Ocean could be the next one. This article examines the centrality of the Indian Ocean for China and their approach to the region.

    India’s Indo-Pacific vision

    • This vision is based on our historical associations with this region.
    • This vision also acknowledges the importance of the Indian Ocean in building prosperity in this century.
    • So, the key points of this vision are thus-
    • 1) Inclusiveness, openness and ASEAN centrality and unity.
    • 2) India does not see the Indo-Pacific Region as a strategy or as a club of limited members.
    • 3) It is not directed against any country.

    China should have equal access

    • China is not a littoral state in the Indian Ocean.
    • Historically, Chinese naval activity was limited to the East China Sea, the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, and the South China Sea.
    •  In today’s context, China is the second-largest economy and the world’s largest trading nation.
    • The sea-lanes of communication in the Indian Ocean are vital to her economy and security.
    • Under international law, China should have equal access to the Indian ocean.

    China’s “Malacca Dilemma”

    • China thinks that others would block the Malacca Straits to “contain” the Chinese.
    • So, China has strategized to dominate not just the Malacca Straits, but the ocean beyond it.
    • The PLA Navy (PLAN) made its first operational deployment in the Gulf of Aden in 2008.
    • In 2009 China planned for overseas base or facility.
    • In 2010 a China State Oceanic Administration report alluded to plans to build aircraft carriers.

    BRI: Overcoming the deficiencies China face in India Ocean

    • The US hegemony and India’s regional influence in the Indian Ocean are thought of as a challenge to China.
    • So, China focused on 3 inherent deficiencies that they wanted to overcome.
    • (a) China is not a littoral state.
    • (b) Its passage through key maritime straits could be easily blocked.
    • (c) The possibility of US-India cooperation against China.
    • How to overcome these deficiencies?
    • (1) carefully selecting sites to build ports — Djibouti, Gwadar, Hambantota, Sittwe and Seychelles.
    • (2) By conducting activities in a low-key manner to “reduce the military colour as much as possible”.
    • (3) By not unnerving India and America by cooperating at first, then slowly penetrating into the Indian Ocean, beginning with detailed maritime surveys, ocean mapping, HADR, port construction and so on.

     China acting on the plans

    • The PLA’s new base in Djibouti is the prototype for more “logistics” facilities to come.
    • More port construction projects like Gwadar and Hambantota, are being offered to vulnerable countries.
    • These projects are commercially unviable but have military possibilities,
    • Chinese “civilian” vessels routinely conduct surveys in the EEZ of littoral states.
    • In January 2020 the PLA Navy conducted tripartite naval exercises with Russia and Iran in the Arabian Sea.
    • They have the largest warship building programme in the world.

    Consider the question “What constitutes India’s Indo-Pacific vision? Elaborate on the factors that explain China’s reluctance to subscribe to this vision.”

    Conclusion

    The idea of Indo-Pacific might potentially derail the carefully crafted Chinese plan. So, they now wish to cause alarm by raising fears about Great Power “strategic collision” caused by the so-called American-led “containment” strategy. It is important to look past their propaganda.

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  • Italian Marines Case

    Italian Marines case judgement could set a dangerous precedent

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

    The tribunal’s judgement in the Italian marines case was in Italy’s favour. But the basis used in the judgement could set a wrong precedent. India also ensures a fair trial against the marines in Italy. So, what would be the wrong precedent and why would be trial against marines will continue in Italy? Read to know…

    Background

    • On February 15, 2012 two Italian marines were held for killing two Indian fishermen
    • Fishermen were in India’s Contiguous Zone, 20.5 nautical miles off the Kerala coast.
    • And the marines were part of a security contingent on the Enrica Lexie, an Italian commercial oil tanker.

    What is said in the judgement

    • The tribunal was established by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
    • ITLOS was under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
    • Only the operative portion of the tribunal’s award is available till now.
    • It held that the marines were entitled to immunity in relation to the acts that they committed.
    • The tribunal also said that India is precluded from exercising its jurisdiction over the Marines.
    • However, the tribunal found that by firing on the fishermen Italy was guilty of “violating India’s freedom and right of navigation”.
    • The tribunal majority agreed with the Italian plea that the marines had immunity for they were state officials.

    The judgement could set the wrong precedent

    • India’s stand was that UNCLOS is not concerned with issues relating to immunity.
    • Immunity of state officials has to be governed by specific multilateral or bilateral treaties or agreements.
    • It should not be invoked to settle issues of jurisdiction.
    • Even if Italian marines are considered as state officials, they were serving on a commercial vessel.
    • Italy did so unilaterally without the cover of any multilateral or bilateral arrangement.
    • There is no convention that such persons as the marines in such cases are immune from local criminal jurisdiction.
    • Only heads of states, heads of governments and foreign ministers customarily enjoy immunity abroad apart from accredited diplomats who are covered by the
    • Countries may now enact specific laws to give immunity to their military and para-military personnel and others by declaring them state official.
    •  This can lead to an increase in tensions generally and especially between inimical states.

    What should be the next course of action for India

    • Indian government should ensure that Italy is made to pay fully for the loss of life and the suffering it has caused in this matter.
    • The government should also ensure that it closely monitors the case proceedings in the Italian court against two marines.
    • This is also a time for the executive and judicial branches of the Indian state to introspect on how they handled the whole affair politically, diplomatically and legally.

    Consider the question “The judgement of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Italian marines case was based on the immunity of state officials. What could be the implication of invoking immunity of state official in this judgement? What should be the next course of action for India?”

    Conclusion

    As a good international citizen, India has accepted the tribunal’s award. Now it must ensure that Italy fully honours it. The matter remains open.

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

    How to counter China

    op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    There is no doubt that an economically prosperous India will be well placed to deal with China effectively. So, to achieve this prosperity India urgently needs to embark upon the path of reforms. 

    How much China has moved ahead

    • In 1987, both countries’ nominal GDPs were almost equal.
    • China’s economic opening-up has left India behind, contributing to a military imbalance.
    • China’s economy was nearly five times larger than India’s in 2019.
    • Not coincidentally, from rough parity in 1989, China’s military spending last year more than tripled India’s.
    • Heightened vigilance along the LAC demands summoning scarce resources.
    • If India cannot close the economic gap and build military muscle, Beijing may feel emboldened to probe the subcontinent’s land and maritime periphery.

    Reforms: Key to progress

    • In 1991, India enacted changes allowing markets to set commodity prices.
    • But it did not similarly liberalise land, labour and capital.
    • Now, the government has delivered mixed messages about a revitalised reform agenda.
    • Some States have temporarily lifted labour restrictions.
    • Some others intend to make land acquisition easier.

    But a call for self-sufficiency could do harm

    • India emphasis on self-reliance could inhibit growth and constrain investment in a more vigorous foreign and defence policy.
    • Greater self-sufficiency is desired.
    • Home-grown manufacturing of critical medicinal ingredients or digital safeguards on citizens’ personal data would reduce vulnerabilities.
    • Imposing restriction to help the local defence industry would hamper acquisitions helping balance China.

    Competition from other countries

    • China is facing intense scrutiny for its role in the pandemic, geopolitical competition, trade wars, and economic coercion.
    • Businesses are revisiting whether or not to diversify suddenly exposed international value chains.
    • India’s competitors [like Bangladesh, Vietnam] are trying to attract the businesses shifting out form China.
    • These countries are highlighting their regulatory predictability, stable tax policies, and fewer trade obstacles.
    • While India remains outside the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, competitors are wooing companies seeking lower trade barriers.
    • Asian countries are pushing ahead: Vietnam just inked a trade deal with the European Union that threatens to eat into India’s exports.

    Way forward

    • India needs increased exports and investments to provide more well-paying jobs, technology.
    • Before committing to long-term, multi-billion investments, companies often want to test India’s market through international sales.
    • Liberalisation remains the tried-and-true path to competitiveness.
    • If India can unite its people and rapidly strengthen capabilities, it will likely discover that it can deal with China effectively.

    Consider the question “Do you agree with the view that slowdown in the reforms in land, labour and capital after the reforms of 1991 restricted Indias economic progress? Give reasons in support of your argument.

    Conclusion

    The choices that India makes to recapture consistent, high growth will determine its future. Bold reforms offer the best option to manage Beijing and achieve greater independence on the world stage.

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  • Agricultural Sector and Marketing Reforms – eNAM, Model APMC Act, Eco Survey Reco, etc.

    Aatamnirbhar in Agriculture

    op-ed snap | Agriculture | Mains Paper 3: Transport & Marketing Of Agricultural Produce

    India has been the net exporter of agricultural commodities since 1991, however, there is scope for increasing its net export. This article suggests the strategy to achieve this.

    Foreign exchange reserve: then and now in terms of grains

    • In the mid-1960s the country had about $400 million.
    • If India had spent all its foreign currency reserves just on wheat imports, it could have imported about seven million tonnes (mt) of wheat.
    • Today, India has foreign exchange reserves of more than $500 billion.
    • Even if the country has to buy 20 mt of wheat at a landed cost of $250/tonne, it will spend just $5 billion it is just one per cent of its foreign exchange reserves.
    • In that sense, the biggest reform in the last three decades that has led to “aatma nirbharta” in food is the correction of the exchange rate.
    • Another factor is coupling and the gradual integration of India with the world economy.
    • This has helped India increase its foreign exchange reserves from $1.1 billion in 1991 to more than $500 billion today.

    India: Net exporter of agricultural products

    • India has been the net exporter of agricultural products ever since the economic reforms began in 1991.
    • The golden year of agri-trade was 2013-14 when net agricultural trade surplus was $24.7 billion.
    • In 2019-20, agri-exports were just $36 billion, and the net agri-trade surplus at $11.2 billion.
    • With this dull performance doubling agri-exports by 2022 looks almost impossible.

    Let’s look at what India exports

    • Marine products with $6.7 billion exports top the list.
    • The second is rice at $6.4 billion of which basmati is at $4.6 billion and common rice at $2.0 billion.
    • Next is spices at $3.6 billion.
    • Other items are buffalo meat at $3.2 billion, sugar at $2.0 billion, tea and coffee at $1.5 billion, fresh fruits and vegetables at $1.4 billion, and cotton at $1 billion.

    Strategy to increase export

    • If one chalks out a strategy we would need to keep in mind the principle of “comparative advantage”.
    • That means exporting more where we have a competitive edge, and importing where we lack competitiveness.
    • Together power and fertiliser subsidies account for about 10-15 per cent of the value of rice and sugar produced on a per hectare basis.
    • So, we should offer similar incentives for exports of high-value agri-produce like fruits and vegetables, spices, tea and coffee, or even cotton, as we do for rice and sugar?

    Decreasing the edible oil imports

    • On the agri-imports front, the biggest item is edible oils — worth about $10 billion i.e. more than 15 MT.
    • India needs to decrease imports through augmenting productivity and increasing the recovery ratio of oil from oilseeds and in case of palm oil, from fresh fruit bunches.
    • The maximum potential of increasing production lies in oil palm.
    • This is the only plant that can give about four tonnes of oil on a per hectare basis.
    • India has about 2 million hectares that are suitable for oil palm cultivation — this can yield 8 mt of palm oil.
    • But it needs a long term vision and strategy.

    Issue of subsidy to rice and sugar

    • Rice and sugar cultivation are subsidised through free power and highly subsidised fertilisers, especially urea.
    • It is leading to the virtual export of water because of their high water requirements.
    • One kg of rice requires 3,500-5,000 litres of water for irrigation, and one kg of sugar consumes about 2,000 litres of water.
    • This leads to increased pressure on scarce water and highly inefficient use of fertilisers.
    • It may be worth noting that almost 75 per cent of the nitrogen in urea is not absorbed by plants.
    • It either evaporates into the environment or leaches into groundwater making it unfit for drinking.

    Consider the question “While India has been the net exporter of agricultural products ever since the economic reforms of 1991, it is far from realising its potential to become the leading agri-produce exporter. In light of this, suggest the strategy that India should follow to increase India’s net agri-exports.”

    Conclusion

    The government must focus on augmenting export and decrease import dependence in agricultural products which will further its goal of aatmanirbharta and doubling the farmers’ income.

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  • Railway Reforms

    Why have Indian Railways opened doors for private players?

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

    Indian Railways has launched the process of opening up train operations to private entities on 109 origin-destination (OD) pairs of routes using 151 modern trains.

    Practice question for mains:
    Q. Indian Railways has been the lifeline of India’s growth story since Independence. Discuss various opportunities and challenges ahead of its privatization.

    Why such a move?

    • From a passenger perspective, there is a need for more train services, particularly between big cities.
    • The Railway Board says five crore intending passengers could not be accommodated during 2019-20 for want of capacity, and there was 13.3% travel demand in excess of supply during summer and festival seasons.

    Moving the paralyzed system

    • The Railway Board has moved ahead with a long-pending plan, setting a tentative schedule for private train operations, expected to begin in 2023 and in 12 clusters.
    • At present, scheduled passenger train services remain paralyzed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and various railways have been running only specials such as those for workers.

    What is the background of the decision?

    • The present bid is only for a fraction of the total train operations — 5% of the 2,800 Mail and Express services operated by Indian Railways.
    • The overall objective, however, is to introduce a new train travel experience for passengers who are used to travelling by aircraft and air-conditioned buses.
    • Without an expansion, and with the growth of road travel, the share of the Railways would steadily decline in the coming years.

    Bibek Debroy Committee Recommendations

    • Several committees have gone into the expansion and the modernization of Indian Railways.
    • In 2015, the expert panel chaired by Bibek Debroy constituted by the Ministry of Railways a year earlier, recommended that the way forward for the railways was “liberalisation and not privatization”.
    • It asked for entry of new operators “to encourage growth and improve services.”
    • It also made it clear that a regulatory mechanism was a prerequisite to promote healthy competition and protect the interests of all stakeholders.

    Why is the move significant for Indian Railways?

    • For the Railways, one of the largest organisations in the country, operating not just trains for passengers and freight, but also social institutions such as hospitals and schools represents a radical change.
    • It was estimated that a one rupee push in the railway sector would have a forward linkage effect of increasing output in other sectors by ₹2.50.
    • Train services operated by Indian Railways cover several classes of passengers, meeting the social service obligation to connect remote locations, and adopting the philosophy of cross-subsidy.
    • In more recent years, it has focused on revenue generation through dynamic demand-based pricing.

    Private players will be game-changers

    • Private operators are not expected to shoulder the burden of universal service norms, and will focus on revenue.
    • Even the first IRCTC-run trains have a higher cost of travel between Lucknow and Delhi than a Shatabdi train on the same route that almost matches it for speed.
    • So private operators would have to raise the level of their offering even higher, to justify higher fares, and attract a segment of the population that is ready to pay for this difference.
    • The government would have to explain that it has monetized its expensive fixed assets such as track, signalling and stations adequately for the taxpayer, who has paid for them.

    Challenges ahead

    • Several critical issues remain unaddressed. For one, there will be questions over the financial viability of some routes.
    • Railways also tend to cross-subsidise passenger fares through freight revenue.
    • This translates to below-cost pricing, which will make it difficult for private players to compete.
    • On the other hand, higher fares needed to cover costs might bring them in direct competition with airlines, pricing them out of the market.

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  • Innovations in Biotechnology and Medical Sciences

    What is Raman Spectroscopy?

    Explained | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T,Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Mumbai-based researchers have turned to Raman Spectroscopy to detect RNA viruses present in saliva samples.

    Try this question from CSP 2017
    Q.Which Indian astrophysicist and Nobel laureate predicted rapidly rotating stars emit polarized light?
    (a) Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
    (b) CV Raman
    (c) Ramanujan
    (d) Amartya Sen

    The Raman Spectroscopy

    • Raman spectroscopy is an analytical technique where scattered light is used to measure the vibrational energy modes of a sample.
    • In 1928, Raman discovered that when a stream of light passes through a liquid, a fraction of the light scattered by the liquid is of a different colour.
    • While Raman was returning from London in a 15-day voyage, he started thinking about the colour of the deep blue Mediterranean.
    • He wasn’t convinced by the explanation that the colour of the sea was blue due to the reflection of the sky.
    • As the ship docked in Bombay, he sent a letter to the editor of the journal Nature, in which he penned down his thoughts on this.
      Subsequently, Raman was able to show that the blue colour of the water was due to the scattering of the sunlight by water molecules.
    • By this time he was obsessed with the phenomenon of light scattering.

    How does it work?

    • The Raman Effect is when the change in the energy of the light is affected by the vibrations of the molecule or material under observation, leading to a change in its wavelength.
    • Significantly, it notes that the Raman effect is “very weak” — this is because when the object in question is small (smaller than a few nanometres), the light will pass through it undisturbed.
    • But a few times in a billion, light waves may interact with the particle. This could also explain why it was not discovered before.
    • In general, when light interacts with an object, it can either be reflected, refracted or transmitted.
    • One of the things that scientists look at when light is scattered is if the particle it interacts with is able to change its energy.

    Applications

    • Raman spectroscopy is used in many varied fields – in fact, any application where non-destructive, microscopic, chemical analysis and imaging is required.
    • Whether the goal is qualitative or quantitative data, Raman analysis can provide key information easily and quickly.
    • It can be used to rapidly characterize the chemical composition and structure of a sample, whether solid, liquid, gas, gel, slurry or powder.

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  • Oil and Gas Sector – HELP, Open Acreage Policy, etc.

    What is Winter Diesel?

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    India’s armed forces may soon be using winter diesel for operations in high altitude areas such as Ladakh, where winter temperatures plummet to extremely low as -30° Celsius.

    This year BS-VI compliant fuel was in news. Try differentiating the Winter Diesel with the BS-VI fuel.

    What is Winter Diesel?

    • Winter diesel is a specialised fuel that was introduced by Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. last year specifically for high altitude regions and low-temperature regions such as Ladakh, where ordinary diesel can become unusable.
    • The flow characteristics of regular diesel change at such low temperatures and using it may be detrimental to vehicles.
    • Winter diesel which contains additives to maintain lower viscosity can be used in temperatures as low as -30°C and that besides a low pour point, it had higher cetane rating — an indicator is the combustion speed of diesel and compression needed for ignition.
    • It has lower sulphur content, which would lead to lower deposits in engines and better performance.

    Back2Basics: BS-VI fuel

    • Sulphur content in fuel is a major cause for concern. Sulphur dioxide released by fuel burning is a major pollutant that affects health as well.
    • BS-VI fuel’s sulphur content is much lower than BS-IV fuel.
      It is reduced to 10 mg/kg max in BS-VI from 50 mg/kg under BS-IV.

    This reduction makes it possible to equip vehicles with better catalytic converters that capture pollutants. However, BS-VI fuel is expected to be costlier that BS-IV fuel.

    With inputs from:
    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/pib-winter-grade-diesel/

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