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  • Wastewater Treatment in India

    Sewage treatment plants (STPs) in India are able to treat a little more than a third of the sewage generated per day, according to the latest report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

    What is Wastewater?

    Wastewater is used water from any combination of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, surface runoff/ stormwater, and any sewer inflow or sewer infiltration.

    In everyday usage, wastewater is commonly a synonym for:

    • Sewage also called domestic wastewater or municipal wastewater which is wastewater that is produced by a community of people.
    • Industrial wastewater, water-borne waste generated from a variety of industrial processes, such as manufacturing operations, mineral extraction, power generation, or water and wastewater treatment.
    • Cooling water, released with potential thermal pollution after use to condense steam or reduce machinery temperatures by conduction or evaporation
    • Leachate, precipitation containing pollutants dissolved while percolating through ores, raw materials, products, or solid waste
    • Return flow, carrying suspended soil, pesticide residues, or dissolved minerals and nutrients from irrigated cropland
    • Surface runoff, the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil.
    • Urban runoff, including water used for outdoor cleaning activity and landscape irrigation in densely populated areas created by urbanization
    • Agricultural wastewater, generated from confined animal operations

    Wastewater in India

    • India generated 72,368 MLD (million litres per day) whereas the installed capacity of STPs was 31,841 MLD (43.9 per cent), according to the report.

    Treatment facilities available

    • Of this installed capacity, developed and operationalized capacity was 26,869 MLD (84 per cent).
    • Of the total operationalised capacity, 20,235 MLD (75 per cent) was the actual utilised capacity.
    • In other words, out of total 72,368 MLD sewage generated every day, only 20,235 MLD is treated.

    Skewed distribution

    • Five states and Union Territories (UT) — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Karnataka — account for 60 per cent of the total installed treatment capacity of the country.
    • These, along with five other states and UTs — Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan — alone constitute 86 per cent of the total installed capacity.
    • Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland have not installed sewage treatment plants.
    • There are states like Bihar which do have a small installed capacity of STPs. But on the operational front, they score a zero.
    • Chandigarh ranks first in terms of total sewage generated to what is actually treated. It generates 188 MLD of sewage and has an operational capacity to treat 271 MLD.

    Major issue: Reuse of sewage

    • The reuse of treated sewage is an issue which hasn’t assumed much importance in the policy planning of many state governments.
    • Treated sewage water can be reused for horticulture, irrigation, washing activities (road, vehicles and trains), fire-fighting, industrial cooling, toilet flushing and gardening.
    • The proportion of the reuse of treated sewage is maximum in Haryana (80 per cent) followed by Puducherry (55 per cent), Delhi (50 per cent), Chandigarh (35 per cent), Tamil Nadu (25 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (20 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (5 per cent).

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  • WHO tightens Global Air Quality norms

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) in its first-ever update since 2005 has tightened global air pollution standards.

    Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) 2021

    • WHO announces limits for six pollutant categories —particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and 10, ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).

    Air quality standards in India

    • India aligns with the WHO guidelines only in the case of ozone and carbon monoxide, as these have not changed. But both NO2 and SO2 guidelines are tighter than the current Indian standard.
    • The move doesn’t immediately impact India as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) don’t meet the WHO’s existing standards.
    • The government has a dedicated National Clean Air Programme that aims for a 20% to 30% reduction in particulate matter concentrations by 2024 in 122 cities, keeping 2017 as the base year.

    Significance of WHO’s AQG

    Ans. It sets the stage for eventual shifts in policy

    • WHO move sets the stage for eventual shifts in policy in the government towards evolving newer stricter standards.
    • This will soon become part of policy discussions — much like climate targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions keep getting stricter over time.
    • Once cities and States are set targets for meeting pollution emission standards, it could lead to overall changes in national standards.

    Challenges for India

    • The current challenge in India is to meet its national ambient air quality standards in all the regions.
    • The hard lockdown phases during the pandemic have demonstrated the dramatic reduction that is possible when local pollution and regional influences can be minimised.
    • This has shown that if local action is strengthened and scaled up at speed across the region, significant reduction to meet a much tighter target is possible.
    • The influence of geo-climatic attributes is quite pronounced in all regions of India, which further aggravates the local build-up of pollution.
    • This is further worsened due to the rapid proliferation of pollution sources and weak air quality management systems.
    • India may require a more nuanced regional approach to maximise benefits and sustain air quality gains.

    Conclusion

    • Air pollution is a threat to health in all countries, but it hits people in low- and middle-income countries the hardest.
    • WHO’s new Air Quality Guidelines are an evidence-based and practical tool for improving the quality of the air on which all life depends.

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  • 22nd September 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

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    [WpProQuiz 788]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 788]

  • Centre announces uniform norms for Fortified Rice

    Days after the Prime Minister’s announcement of a rice fortification plan, the Centre has issued “uniform” parameters for fortified rice kernels (FRK) for grade ‘A’ and common rice.

    Plan for fortified rice

    • The fortified rice is to be distributed under various government schemes, including the public distribution system (PDS) and midday meals in schools, by 2024.
    • The specifications for such rice have been issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
    • Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution for the first time issued uniform specifications for Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK).

    What are the norms announced?

    • Common Rice have in case of procurement of Fortified Rice Stocks, of which 1% of FRK (w/w) should be blended with normal rice stock.
    • These specifications as per standard practice have been issued in respect of Paddy, Rice and other coarse grains namely Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Ragi.

    What is Fortification?

    • FSSAI defines fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.

    What is Fortified Rice?

    • Rice can be fortified by adding a micronutrient powder to the rice that adheres to the grains or spraying the surface of ordinary rice grains with a vitamin and mineral mix to form a protective coating.
    • Rice can also be extruded and shaped into partially precooked grain-like structures resembling rice grains, which can then be blended with natural polished rice.
    • Rice kernels can be fortified with several micronutrients, such as iron, folic acid, and other B-complex vitamins, vitamin A and zinc.
    • These fortified kernels are then mixed with normal rice in a 1:100 ratio, and distributed for consumption.

    Note: Biofortification is the process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is improved through agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology. It differs from conventional fortification in that Biofortification aims to increase nutrient levels in crops during plant growth rather than through manual means during the processing of the crops.

    What is the plan announced by the PM?

    • Malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in poor women and poor children pose major obstacles in their development.
    • In view of this, it has been decided that the government will fortify the rice given to the poor under its various schemes.
    • Be it the rice available at ration shops or the rice provided to children in their mid-day meals, the rice available through every scheme will be fortified by the year 2024.

    Why such a move?

    • The announcement is significant as the country has high levels of malnutrition among women and children.
    • According to the Food Ministry, every second woman in the country is anemic and every third child is stunted.
    • India ranks 94 out of 107 countries and is in the ‘serious hunger’ category on the Global Hunger Index (GHI).
    • Fortification of rice is a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets.
    • According to the Food Ministry, seven countries have mandated rice fortification – the USA, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and the Solomon Islands.

    Advantages offered

    • Health: Fortified staple foods will contain natural or near-natural levels of micro-nutrients, which may not necessarily be the case with supplements.
    • Taste: It provides nutrition without any change in the characteristics of food or the course of our meals.
    • Nutrition: If consumed on a regular and frequent basis, fortified foods will maintain body stores of nutrients more efficiently and more effectively than will intermittently supplement.
    • Economy: The overall costs of fortification are extremely low; the price increase is approximately 1 to 2 percent of the total food value.
    • Society: It upholds everyone’s right to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger

    Issues with fortified food

    • Against nature: Fortification and enrichment upset nature’s packaging. Our body does not absorb individual nutrients added to processed foods as efficiently compared to nutrients naturally occurring.
    • Bioavailability: Supplements added to foods are less bioavailable. Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a nutrient your body is able to absorb and use.
    • Immunity issues: They lack immune-boosting substances.
    • Over-nutrition: Fortified foods and supplements can pose specific risks for people who are taking prescription medications, including decreased absorption of other micro-nutrients, treatment failure, and increased mortality risk.

    Adhering to FSSAI standard

    The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sets standards for food items in the country.

    • According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg fortified rice will contain iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram), and Vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
    • In addition, rice may also be fortified with micronutrients, singly or in combination, with zinc(10 mg-15 mg), Vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), Vitamin B1 (1 mg-1.5 mg), Vitamin B2 (1.25 mg-1.75 mg), Vitamin B3 (12.5 mg-20 mg) and Vitamin B6 (1.5 mg-2.5 mg) per kg.

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  • [Yojana Archive] Reforms in the civil Services

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    Context

    • Civil Service is vital for the government to function.
    • It’s regarded as the ‘steel frame’ of administration in India from colonial days.
    • The colonial legacy of civil service continues amidst the fast-changing era of globalization.
    • It is therefore, indispensible that civil service reforms are carried out as a part of good governance.
    • A reboot and re-orientation of it is needed to ensure effective service delivery.

    Civil Services in India: A backgrounder

    • Civil Services refer to the career civil servants who are the permanent executive branch of the Republic of India. It is the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country.
    • As India is a parliamentary democracy, the ultimate responsibility for running the administration rests with the people’s elected representatives.
    • The elected executive decides the policy and it is civil servants, who serve at the pleasure of the President of India, implement it.
    • However, Article 311 of the constitution protects Civil Servants from politically motivated vindictive action.

    Evolution of Civil Services

    Ancient India: Kautilya’s Arthasastra gives seven basic elements of the administrative apparatus- Swamin (the ruler), Amatya (the bureaucracy), Janapada (territory), Durga (the fortified capital), Kosa (the treasury), Danda (the army), and Mitra (the ally). The higher bureaucracy consisted of the mantrins and the amatyas. While the mantrins were the highest advisors to the King, the Amatyas were the civil servants.

    Medieval India: During the Mughal era, the bureaucracy was based on the mansabdari system. The mansabdari system was essentially a pool of civil servants available for civil or military deployment.

    Colonial India: The big changes in the civil services in British-India came with the implementation of Macaulay’s Report 1835. The report recommended that only the best and brightest would do for the Indian Civil Service to serve the interest of the British Empire.

    Post-Independence: Indian civil services system retained the elements of the British structure like a unified administrative system such as an open-entry system based on academic achievements, permanency of tenure.

    Post partition: When India was partitioned following the departure of the British in 1941, the Indian Civil Service was divided between the new dominions of India and Pakistan. The Indian remnant of the ICS was named the Indian Administrative Service, while the Pakistani remnant was named the Pakistan Administrative Service.

    Classification of Services

    • The modern Indian Administrative Service was created under Article 312(2) in part XIV of the Constitution of India, and the All-India Services Act, 1951.
    • Constitution has not elaborated the types and categories of services. As per the Constitution, the services are categorized into the followings categories:
    1. All India Services (AlS)
    2. State Services
    3. Local and Municipal Services.
    4. There are four groups of central, services Central Services Group A(Indian Foreign Service, Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Indian Statistical Service etc.), B (Central Secretariat Service, Geographical Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India etc.), C & D.
    5. The highest personnel strength among the entire civil services system in India is with Central Secretariat Service and Indian Revenue Service (IT and C&CE).

    Latest Developments

    • The Govt. of India approved the formation of the Indian Skill Development Service in 2015, Indian Enterprise Development Service in 2016.
    • Further, the Cabinet of India approved merging all civil services under Indian Railways into a single Indian Railways Management Service as part of structural reform in the sector in 2019.
    • Also the lateral entry of professionals in Civil Services has begun.

    Our discussion: Civil Service Reform

    • Civil Service Reform is a deliberate change effort by the government to improve its capacity to effectively and efficiently execute policies.
    • The purpose of ‘reform’ is to reorient the Civil Services into a dynamic, efficient, and accountable apparatus for public service delivery built on the ethos and values of integrity, impartiality, and neutrality.
    • The reform is to raise the quality of public services delivered to the citizens and enhance the capacity to carry out core government functions, thereby, leading to sustainable development.

    Why need CS reforms?

    • Accelerated change globally
    • Globalization
    • Technological advances
    • greater decentralization
    • social activism
    • Economic Reforms

    What are the various bottlenecks of Indian Civil Services?

    • Poor capacity building
    • Inefficient incentive systems that do not appreciate upright and outstanding civil servants but reward the corrupt and the incompetent
    • Outdated rules and procedures that restrict the civil servant from performing effectively
    • Systemic inconsistencies empanelment in promotion
    • Lack of adequate transparency and accountability procedures
    • no safety for whistleblowers
    • Arbitrary and whimsical transfers: insecurity in tenures impedes institutionalization
    • Political interference and administrative acquiescence
    • Dominance of few elite services in promotions, work allocations, and assignments

    Structural Issues

    Generalist Vs Specialist: Civil Services was designed to deliver certain core functions: Law and Order; Government programs and realizing Governments’ orders. However, changes/Causes/Reasons mentioned above led to change in the role of the state. 

    New Challenges: Cyber security, complex business, trade, legal aspects are some of the major emerging threats.

    Recent Reforms

    (1) Mission Karmayogi

    • It is aimed at better services delivery to the public.- “governance, performance, and accountability”. lt promises a shift from rules to roles, silos to coordination, interdisciplinary movements, and a continuous capacity building exercise.
    • The focus of the reform is the creation of a ‘citizen-centric civil service’ capable of creating and delivering services conducive to economic growth and public welfare.
    • Accordingly, Mission Karmayogi shifts the focus from “Rule-based training to Role-based training”. Greater thrust has been laid on behavioral change.

    (2) National Programme for Civil Service Capacity Building:  

    • It aims for learning resources from the best institutions and practices from across the world while retaining Indian sensibilities and culture.
    • The mid-career training will now be available to all government staff instead of the top officers alone, and their profile and assessment will be continuous.
    • If there is a need for some special appointment, then authorities can do so by looking at the profile of the officers with the help of technology instead of depending on perceptions.

    Key features of the new Reforms

    • ‘Rules based’ to ‘Roles based’ HR Management
    •  Aligning work allocation of civil servants by matching their competencies to the requirements of the post.
    • To emphasize on ‘on-site learning’ to complement the ‘off-site’ learning.
    • To create an ecosystem of shared training infrastructure including that of learning materials, institutions and personnel.
    • To calibrate all Civil Service positions to a Framework of Roles, Activities and Competencies (FRACs) approach and to create and deliver learning content relevant to the identified FRACs in every Government entity.
    • To make available to all civil servants, an opportunity to continuously build and strengthen their Behavioural, Functional, and Domain Competencies in their self-driven and mandated learning paths.
    • To enable all the Central Ministries and Departments and their Organizations to directly invest their resources towards co-creation and sharing the collaborative and common ecosystem of learning through an annual financial subscription for every employee.
    • To encourage and partner with the best-in-class learning content creators including public training institutions, universities, start-ups, and individual experts.

    Way forward

    • Civil Service Reforms should realign the outdated structure and culture of the services and forgo its colonial hangover aiming to raise the quality and sensitivity of services to the citizens that are essential for sustainable economic and social development.
    • Rationalization and harmonization of service is the need of the hour.

    Conclusion

    • Capacity augmentation of Civil Servants plays a vital role in rendering a wide variety of services, implementing welfare programs, and performing core governance functions.
    • A transformational change in Civil Service Capacity is proposed to be affected by organically linking the transformation of work culture, strengthening public institutions, and adopting modern technology to build civil service capacity with the overall aim of ensuring efficient delivery of services to citizens.
    • The future of the country cannot be progressive without a reformed bureaucracy.

  • Streak Daily Compilation of Questions & Videos – Sep 22, 2021

    Maintaining consistency is one of the biggest issues faced by IAS Aspirants. Streak’s initiative is to help Aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.

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    1. Questions (PDF).
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    3. Burning issue (PDF).
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    5. Mentor’s phone call for support & encouragement.

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    UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on Geography – by Sukanya Rana

    Q1) With respect to India’s Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976, consider the following statements:

    1. Exclusive Economic Zone is an area beyond and adjacent to the territorial waters, and the limit of such zone is two hundred nautical miles from the baseline.
    2. Under the law, all foreign ships including warships shall enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial waters of India.

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
    a. 1 only
    b. 2 only
    c. Both 1 and 2
    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q2) Strait of Kerch connects black sea with which of the following sea?
    a. Mediterranean Sea
    b. Sea of Azov
    c. Aegean Sea
    d. Sea of Crete

    Q3) Consider the following statements 

    1. India is the second-largest producer of wheat in the world. 

    2. Some of the important winter crops are wheat, barley, mustard and peas. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q4) Which of the following statement(s) is/ are correct with respect to Unicorn Blackhole?

    1. It is roughly three times the mass of Sun found in milky way galaxy.
    2. It is type of stellar mass black hole, which is formed by the gravitational collapse of a single star.

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
    a. 1 only
    b. 2 only
    c. Both 1 and 2
    d. Neither 1 nor 2

  • Agri exports in India

    Context

    The Indian government has been encouraging agricultural exports to meet an ambitious target of $60bn by 2022.

    India’s agri-exports

    • The Ministry of Food Processing Industries shows that the contribution of agricultural and processed food products in India’s total exports is 11%.
    • Primary processed agricultural commodities form the majority share.
    • India’s export earnings will increase by focusing more on value-added processed food products rather than primary processed agricultural commodities (Siraj Hussain, 2021).
    • From 2015-16 to 2019-20, the value of agricultural and processed food increased significantly from $17.8bn to $20.65bn.
    • The Indian agricultural economy is shifting from primary to secondary agriculture where the focus is more on developing various processed foods.

    Changes in India’s agricultural export basket

    • Traditionally, Basmati rice is one of the top export commodities.
    • However, now there is an unusual spike in the export of non-basmati rice.
    • In 2020-21, India exported 13.09 million tonnes of non-basmati rice ($4.8bn), up from an average 6.9 million tonnes ($2.7bn) in the previous five years.
    • Indian buffalo meat is seeing a strong demand in international markets due to its lean character and near organic nature.
    • The export potential of buffalo meat is tremendous, especially in countries like Vietnam, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

    Challenges in Increasing agri-export

    • Lack of comparative advantage: The export of processed food products has not been growing fast enough because India lacks comparative advantage in many items.
    •  Domestic prices of processed food products are much higher compared to the world reference prices.
    • Non-tariff measures: The exporters of processed food confront difficulties and non-tariff measures imposed by other countries on Indian exports (Siraj Hussain, 2021).
    • Some of these include mandatory pre-shipment examination by the Export Inspection Agency being lengthy and costly.
    • Compulsory spice board certification being needed even for ready-to-eat products.
    • Lack of strategic planning of exports by most State governments.
    • Lack of a predictable and consistent agricultural policy discouraging investments by the private sector.
    • Prohibition of import of meat- and dairy based-products in most of the developed countries.
    • Withdrawal of the Generalised System of Preference by the U.S. for import of processed food from India.

    Consider the question “What are the challenges facing export of processed foods from India? Suggest the way forward.”

    Way forward

    • The main objective of the Agriculture Export Policy is to diversify and expand the export basket so that the export of higher value items, including perishables and processed food, be increased
    • Support to industry: The policy needs to nurture food processing companies, ensuring low cost of production and global food quality standards, and creating a supportive environment to promote export of processed food.
    • Focus on reputed brands: Reputed Indian brands should be encouraged to export processed foods globally as they can comply with the global standard of codex.
    • Indian companies should focus on cost competitiveness, global food quality standards, technology, and tap the global processed food export market.

    Conclusion

    India has competitive advantages in various agricultural commodities which can be passed onto processed foods. It has the potential to become a global leader in the food processing sector.

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  • Laws Related To Environment Conservantion In India

    08th Sept 2021

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    1. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981

    • The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 an Act of the Parliament of India to control and prevent air pollution in India
    • It was amended in 1987
    • The Government passed this Act in 1981 to clean up our air by controlling pollution.
    • It states that sources of air pollution such as industry, vehicles, power plants, etc., are not permitted to release particulate matter, lead, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other toxic substances beyond a prescribed level

    Key Features

    The Act specifically empowers State Government to designate air pollution areas and to prescribe the type of fuel to be used in these designated areas.

    According to this Act, no person can operate certain types of industries including the asbestos, cement, fertilizer and petroleum industries without consent of the State Board.

    The main objectives of the Act are as follows:

    (a) To provide for the prevention, control and abatement of air pollution

    (b) To provide for the establishment of central and State Boards with a view to implement the Act(Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board)

    (c) To confer on the Boards the powers to implement the provisions of the Act and assign to the Boards functions relating to pollution

    2.Environmental (Protection) Act of 1986

    • Environment Protection Act, 1986 is an Act of the Parliament of India
    • In the wake of the Bhopal Tragedy, the Government of India enacted the Environment Protection Act of 1986 under Article 253 of the Constitution
    • Passed in March 1986, it came into force on 19 November 1986
    • The Act is an “umbrella” for legislations designed to provide a framework for Central Government, coordination of the activities of various central and state authorities established under previous Acts, such as the Water Act and the Air Act.
    • In this Act, main emphasis is given to “Environment”, defined to include water, air and land and the inter-relationships which exist among water, air and land and human beings and other

    Objective of the Act

    The purpose of the Act is to implement the decisions of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment of 1972, in so far as they relate to the protection and improvement of the human environment and the prevention of hazards to human beings, other living creatures, plants and property.

    3.The Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 17 July 2000

    The rules are framed under the jurisdiction of Environment (Protection) Act.

    Objectives and Key Features

    • These Rules set the deadlines for phasing out of various ODSs, besides regulating production, trade import and export of ODSs and the product containing ODS.
    • These Rules prohibit the use of CFCs in manufacturing various products beyond 1st January 2003 except in metered dose inhaler and for other medical purposes.
    • Similarly, use of halons is prohibited after 1st January 2001 except for essential use.
    • Other ODSs such as carbon tetrachloride and methylchoroform and CFC for metered dose inhalers can be used upto 1st January 2010.
    • Since HCFCs are used as interim substitute to replace CFC, these are allowed up to 1st January 2040.

    4.The Energy Conservation Act of 2001

    As a step towards improving energy efficiency, the Government of India has enacted the Energy Conservation Act in 2001.

    Objective

    The Energy Conservation Act, 2001 is the most important multi-sectoral legislation in India and is intended to promote efficient use of energy in India.

    Key Features

    The Act specifies energy consumption standards for equipment and appliances, prescribes energy consumption norms and standards for consumers, prescribes energy conservation building codes for commercial buildings and establishes a compliance mechanism for energy consumption norms and standards.

    5.Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

    • In order to implement the various provisions of the EC Act, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) was operationalised with effect from 1st March, 2002. The EC Act provides a legal framework for energy efficiency initiatives in the country. The Act has mandatory as well as promotional initiatives.
    • The Bureau is spearheading the task of improving the energy efficiency in various sectors of the economy through the regulatory and promotional mechanism. The primary objective of BEE is to reduce energy intensity in the Indian economy.
    • This is to be demonstrated by providing policy framework as well as through public-private partnership.

    6.Forest Conservation Act of 1980

    Background

    First Forest Act was enacted in 1927.

    Alarmed at India’s rapid deforestation and resulting environmental degradation, Centre Government enacted the Forest (Conservation) Act in1980.

    Objective

    It was enacted to consolidate the law related to forest, the transit of forest produce and the duty livable on timber and other forest produce.

    Key Features

    • Under the provisions of this Act, prior approval of the Central Government is required for diversion of forestlands for non-forest purposes.
    • Forest officers and their staff administer the Forest Act.
    • An Advisory Committee constituted under the Act advises the Centre on these approvals.
    • The Act deals with the four categories of the forests, namely reserved forests, village forests, protected forests and private forests.

    7.The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

    Background

    During the Rio de Janeiro summit of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992, India vowed the participating states to provide judicial and administrative remedies for the victims of the pollutants and other environmental damage.

    Key Features

    It was enacted under India’s constitutional provision of Article 21, which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment.

    The specialized architecture of the NGT will facilitate fast track resolution of environmental cases and provide a boost to the implementation of many sustainable development measures.

    NGT is mandated to dispose the cases within six months of their respective appeals.

    Enabling Provision

    It is an Act of the Parliament of India which enable the creation of NGT to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues.

    Members

    The sanctioned strength of the tribunal is currently 10 expert members and 10 judicial members although the act allows for up to 20 of each.

    The Chairman of the tribunal who is the administrative head of the tribunal also serves as a judicial member.

    Every bench of the tribunal must consist of at least one expert member and one judicial member.

    The Chairman of the tribunal is required to be a serving or retired Chief Justice of a High Court or a judge of the Supreme Court of India.

    Jurisdiction

    The Tribunal has Original Jurisdiction on matters of “substantial question relating to environment” (i.e. a community at large is affected, damage to public health at broader level) & “damage to environment due to specific activity” (such as pollution).

    The term “substantial” is not clearly defined in the act.

    8.The Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications

    Background

    The coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and back waters which are influenced by tidal action are declared “Coastal Regulation Zone” (CRZ) in 1991.

    CRZ notifications

    India has created institutional mechanisms such as National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) and State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA) for enforcement and monitoring of the CRZ Notification.

    These authorities have been delegated powers under Section 5 of the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 to take various measures for protecting and improving the quality of the coastal environment and preventing, abating and controlling environmental pollution in coastal areas.

    Key Features

    Under this coastal areas have been classified as CRZ-1, CRZ-2, CRZ-3, CRZ-4. And the same they retained for CRZ in 2003 notifications as well.

    CRZ-1: these are ecologically sensitive areas these are essential in maintaining the ecosystem of the coast. They lie between low and high tide line. Exploration of natural gas and extraction of salt are permitted

    CRZ-2: these areas form up to the shoreline of the coast. Unauthorised structures are not allowed to construct in this zone.

    CRZ-3: rural and urban localities which fall outside the 1 and 2. Only certain activities related to agriculture even some public facilities are allowed in this zone

    CRZ-4: this lies in the aquatic area up to territorial limits. Fishing and allied activities are permitted in this zone. Solid waste should be let off in this zone.

    9.Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

    Background

    In 1972, Parliament enacted the Wild Life Act (Protection) Act.

    Objective

    The Wild Life Act provides for

    1. state wildlife advisory boards,
    2. regulations for hunting wild animals and birds,
    3. establishment of sanctuaries and national parks, tiger reserves
    4. regulations for trade in wild animals, animal products and trophies, and
    5. judicially imposed penalties for violating the Act.

    Key Features

    • Harming endangered species listed in Schedule 1 of the Act is prohibited throughout India.
    • Hunting species, like those requiring special protection (Schedule II), big game (Schedule III), and small game (Schedule IV), is regulated through licensing.
    • A few species classified as vermin (Schedule V), may be hunted without restrictions.
    • Wildlife wardens and their staff administer the act.
    • An amendment to the Act in 1982, introduced a provision permitting the capture and transportation of wild animals for the scientific management of animal population.

    10.Biological Diversity Act, 2002

    Background

    The Biological Diversity Bill was introduced in the Parliament in 2000 and was passed in 2002.

    Objective:

    India’s richness in biological resources and indigenous knowledge relating to them is well recognized

    The legislation aims at regulating access to biological resources so as to ensure equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use

    Key Features

    • The main intent of this legislation is to protect India’s rich biodiversity and associated knowledge against their use by foreign individuals and organizations without sharing the benefits arising out of such use, and to check biopiracy.
    • This bill seeks to check biopiracy, protect biological diversity and local growers through a three-tier structure of central and state boards and local committees.
    • The Act provides for setting up of a National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in local bodies. The NBA will enjoy the power of a civil court.
    • BMCs promote conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biodiversity.
    • NBA and SBB are required to consult BMCs in decisions relating to use of biological resources.
    • All foreign nationals or organizations require prior approval of NBA for obtaining biological resources and associated knowledge for any use.
    • Indian individuals/entities require approval of NBA for transferring results of research with respect to any biological resources to foreign nationals/organizations.

    11.Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999

    Objective

    A rule notified in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (viii) of Sub Section (2) of Section 3 read with Section 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) with the objective to regulate the manufacture and use of recycled plastics, carry bags and containers;

    Key Features

    1. Thickness of the carry bags made of virgin plastics or recycled plastics shall not be less than 20 microns.
    2. Carry bags and containers made of virgin plastic shall be in natural shade or white.
    3. Carry bags and containers made of recycled plastic and used for purposes other than storing and packaging food stuffs shall be manufactured using pigments and colorants as per IS:9833:1981 entitled “List of Pigments and Colorants” for use in Plastics in contact with food stuffs, pharmaceuticals and drinking water.
    4. Recycling of plastics shall be under taken strictly in accordance with the Bureau of Indian Standards specifications IS:14534:1988 entitled “The Guidelines for Recycling of Plastics”.

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  • The big deal behind the ruckus over AUKUS

    The announcement of the new Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) trilateral security pact has naturally generated animated debate in strategic circles, before the QUAD summit.

    What is the AUKUS?

    • The first major initiative of AUKUS would be to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia.
    • The nuclear-powered submarines will give Australia naval heft in the Pacific, where China has been particularly aggressive.
    • While the US and Britain have had the capability for decades, Australia has never had an n-sub.

    Motive: To counter China

    • China has nuclear-powered submarines, as well as submarines that can launch nuclear missiles.
    • The three signatories to the AUKUS deal have made it clear though, that their aim is not to arm the new subs with nuclear weapons.
    • China has been one of Australia’s biggest trading partners, but the relationship has soured over the last few years.
    • It was in consideration of Chinese sensibilities that Australia had pulled out of the Malabar Naval Exercise with the US, India, and Japan after participating in the 2007 edition (of which Singapore too, was part).
    • Australia came back to Malabar in 2020, which marked the first time in 13 years that the navies of the four Quad nations war-gamed together.

    Australia at the Centrestage

    • This is primarily because a nuclear-powered submarine gives a navy the capability to reach far out into the ocean and launch attacks.
    • A nuclear-powered submarine offers long distances dives, at a higher speed, without being detected gives a nation the ability to protect its interests far from its shores.
    • In the context of the AUKUS agreement, nuclear-powered submarines will give the Royal Australian Navy the capability to go into the South China Sea.
    • It conclusively puts to rest a long-standing domestic debate on whether it was time for Australia to assess China through the strategic lens, overcoming the purely mercantile considerations that tended to dominate its China policy.

    What makes nuclear submarines so important?

    • A nuclear-powered submarine is classified as an “SSN” under the US Navy hull classification system, wherein ‘SS’ is the symbol for submarine, and ‘N’ stands for nuclear.
    • A nuclear-powered submarine that can launch ballistic missiles is called “SSBN”.
    • Conventional diesel-engine submarines have batteries that keep and propel — though not very fast — the vessel underwater. The life of these batteries can vary from a few hours to a few days.
    • The newer Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines have additional fuel cells that allow them to stay underwater for longer and move faster than the conventional vessels.
    • However, the fuel cells are used only at strategic times, when the endurance to remain submerged is required.
    • Both conventional and AIP subs need to come to the surface to recharge their batteries using the diesel engine.
    • The diesel engine also propels the vessel on the surface. However, the fuel cells of AIP can only be charged at on-land stations, not while at sea.

    Why is France unhappy about Australia getting these submarines?

    • The deal has complicated the relations between France and Australia, and also France and the US.
    • France is upset as it has been kept out of the loop. But, with the core objective of pushing back against China’s aggression, all five countries — US, UK, Australia, France and India — are on the same track.
    • The deal between France and Australia had been marked by delays and other issues.
    • The first submarine was expected to be operational around 2034.

    Does India have nuclear-powered submarines?

    • Yes, India is among the six nations that have SSNs. The other five are the US, the UK, Russia, France and China.
    • India has had the capacity since it got the Soviet-built K-43 Charlie-class SSN in 1987.
    • Commissioned with the Red Fleet of the USSR in 1967, it was leased to the Indian Navy, and was rechristened INS Chakra. The submarine was decommissioned in 1991.

    Indo-Pacific is the core issue

    • France, which like the UK has historically been an Indo-Pacific power with territories and bases across the region.
    • It has participated in a multi-nation naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal with the four Quad nations.
    • There is no gainsaying the fact that rapid accretion in China’s economic and military capacities, but more particularly its belligerence, has led to a tectonic shift in regional security paradigms.
    • Several countries have been obliged to review their defence preparedness in response to China’s rising military power and its adverse impact on regional stability.

    A chance for the UK

    • The AUKUS pact is also an emphatic assertion of the relevance of the U.S.-Australia Security Treaty (ANZUS).
    • New Zealand, the outlier, walked away in 1984 from the treaty that ironically still bears its initials.
    • Its “nuclear-free” stance ran counter to the U.S. Navy’s non-disclosure policy in regard to nuclear weapons aboard visiting vessels.
    • Close ties notwithstanding, Australia’s future fleet of nuclear submarines will not be permitted access to New Zealand’s ports or waters, as averred by PM Jacinda Ardern.
    • AUKUS provides a fresh opportunity to the United Kingdom to reinsert itself more directly into the Indo-Pacific.
    • It is already a member of the Five Eyes (FVEY), an intelligence-sharing alliance built on Anglo-Saxon solidarity (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S.).

    AUKUS is not a substitute for the Quad

    • It does not erode the Quad’s significance as a platform for consultations and coordination on broader themes of maritime security, free and open trade, health care, critical technologies, supply chains and capacity-building.
    • The AUKUS submarine deal, on the other hand, is an undiluted example of strategic defence collaboration, and a game-changer at that.

    Chinese reception of AUKUS

    • China, expectedly, has strongly criticised AUKUS and the submarine deal as promoting instability and stoking an arms race.

    The exposed double standards

    • China has the world’s fastest-growing fleet of sub-surface combatants.
    • This includes the Type 093 Shang-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) and the Type 094 nuclear-powered Jin-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).
    • Its nuclear submarines are on the prowl in the Indo-Pacific.
    • Yet, China denies Australia and others the sovereign right to decide on their defence requirements.

    What’s in the box of AUKUS?

    Ans. Greater role for Australia

    • Australia’s proposed nuclear submarines will give quite a punch in terms of a stand-off capability.
    • The growing focus on anti-submarine warfare across a more expansive region is clearly altering calculations.
    • Australia’s nuclear submarines would help create a new balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, especially in tandem with the U.S. and the U.K.
    • It will now have a more meaningful naval deterrence of its own to protect its sovereign interests.
    • It is set to play a more robust role in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

    Way forward

    • The setback ‘down under’ may spur France to focus afresh on partners such as India.
    • India must strike a balance between continuing imports and implementing the all-important Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing.
    • France should take AUKUS as a business deal.
    • Its momentary reaction at the cancellation of the contract by Australia should soon subside.
    • As a major Indo-Pacific power, France is an important part of the regional security calculus.

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  • Kasturirangan panel for National Curriculum Framework

    The Centre has started the process to revise school textbooks by appointing former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Kasturirangan as the head of a 12-member steering committee responsible for developing a new National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

    National Curriculum Framework (NCF)

    • The new NCF is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
    • The committee will be headed by K Kasturirangan, who had also led the NEP 2020 drafting committee.
    • The national curriculum framework serves as a guideline for syllabus, textbooks, teaching and learning practices in the country.
    • India is currently following its fourth national curriculum framework that was published by the NCERT in 2005.

    What was the last NCF?

    • The last such framework was developed in 2005.
    • It is meant to be a guiding document for the development of textbooks, syllabi and teaching practices in schools across the country.

    Why revamp NCF?

    • The subsequent revision of textbooks by the National Council of Educational Research and Training will draw from the new NCF.
    • In fact, the steering committee will develop four such frameworks, one each to guide the curriculum of school education, teacher education, early childhood education, and adult education.

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