The Indian government will be analyzing how the European Union’s (EU’s) proposed carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will affect the Indian industry. The CBAM is set to start from October this year.
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
Proposed by
European Union (EU)
Purpose
To reduce carbon emissions from imported goods and prevent competitive disadvantage against countries with weaker environmental regulations
Objectives
Reduce carbon emissions from imported goods
Promote a level playing field between the EU and its trading partners
Protect EU companies that have invested in green technologies
How does CBAM work?
Coverage
Applies to imported goods that are carbon-intensive
Integration
Covered by the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), which currently covers industries like power generation, steel, and cement
Implementation
CBAM taxes would be imposed on the carbon content of imported goods at the border, and the tax rates would be based on the carbon price in the EU ETS
Exemptions
Possible exemptions for countries that have implemented comparable carbon pricing systems
Revenue Use
Revenue generated from CBAM taxes could be used to fund the EU’s climate objectives, such as financing climate-friendly investments and supporting developing countries’ climate efforts
Who will be affected by CBAM?
Details
Countries
Non-EU countries, including India, that export carbon-intensive goods to the EU
Items
Initially covers iron and steel, cement, aluminium, fertilisers, and electric energy production
Expansion
The scope of the CBAM may expand to other sectors in the future
Advantages of CBAM
Encourages non-EU countries to adopt more stringent environmental regulations, reducing global carbon emissions.
Prevents carbon leakage by discouraging companies from relocating to countries with weaker environmental regulations.
Generates revenue that could be used to support EU climate policies.
Challenges with CBAM
Difficulty in accurately measuring the carbon emissions of imported goods, especially for countries without comprehensive carbon accounting systems.
Potential for trade tensions with the EU’s trading partners, especially if other countries implement retaliatory measures.
Conclusion
The CBAM is a proposed policy by the EU to reduce carbon emissions from imported goods and to promote a level playing field between the EU and its trading partners.
Although the CBAM has its challenges, it has the potential to incentivize non-EU countries to adopt more stringent environmental regulations and reduce global carbon emissions.
With 142.86 crore people, India has surpassed China to become the world’s most populous nation, according to the latest United Nations data. China, with a population of 142.57 crore, is the now second most populous country.
In this context, this edition of the Burning Issue will talk about India’s growing population and associated issues which is the part of GS1 Mains syllabus.
Some Statistics about Indian Population
142.86 crore Indians now: According to the latest United Nations Population Fund data, India’s population in 2023 stands at 142.86 crore.
The top five countries: in terms of population in decreasing order are-India, China, US, Indonesia and Pakistan.
The data from UN agency UNFP shows that 25 per cent of India’s population is in the 0-14 age bracket and 18 per cent in the 10-19 age group.
Mostly Young population: Twenty-six per cent of India’s population is in the 10-24 age bracket and 68 per cent in the 15-64 age bracket. Seven per cent of the country’s population is above 65 years of age. People under the age of 25 accounts for more than 40% of India’s population.
Spatial Divergences in Population: Kerala and Punjab have an ageing population, while Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have a younger population, say experts.
Population to increase for next three decades: Several studies have shown that India’s population is expected to increase for nearly three decades before it peaks at 165 crore. It will then start to decline.
Reasons for India’s high population
Historically high population: India has always had a historically high population, especially in its fertile northern plains. There, due to climatic reasons, it is possible to grow both wheat, a winter grain, and rice, a summer grain, yielding twice as much food as many other parts of the world.
Higher birth rates and fertility rates: We have been successful in declining the death rates but the same cannot be said for birth rates. Also, the fertility rate (number of children a woman bear during her fertility rate) remained high for many decades.
Early Marriage and Universal Marriage System: Getting married at a young age prolongs the childbearing age. Also, in India, marriage is a sacred obligation and a universal practice, where almost every woman is married at reproductive age.
Poverty and Illiteracy: Impoverished families have this notion that more the members in the family, the more will be the numbers to earn income. Some feel that more children are needed to look after them in their old age.
Age-old cultural norm: Sons are the bread earners of families in India. This age-old thought puts considerable pressure on the parents to produce children till a male child or the required number of male children are born (This is called Son Meta preference).
Illegal migration: Last but not the least, we cannot ignore the fact that illegal migration is continuously taking place from Bangladesh and Nepal is leading to increased population density.
Lack of awareness: about family planning and its benefits, government schemes related to family welfare like free birth control measures leading to unwanted pregnancies and ultimately population growth.
Implications of high population
Negative outcomes:
Poor achievement of SDGs: Sustained high fertility and rapid population growth present challenges to the achievement of sustainable development. The necessity of educating growing numbers of children and young people, for example, draws resources away from efforts to improve the quality of education.
Unemployment: Generating employment for a huge population in a country like India is very difficult. The number of illiterate persons increases every year. The unemployment rate is thus showing an increasing trend.
Pressure on infrastructure: The development of infrastructural facilities is unfortunately not keeping pace with the growth of the population. The result is a lack of transportation, communication, housing, education, healthcare etc. There has been an increase in the number of slums, overcrowded houses, traffic congestion etc.
Manpower utilization: The number of jobless people is on the rise in India due to economic depression and slow business development and expansion activities. It has also caused India to be the home of the largest force of Gig Workers in the world and a large informal economy. This ultimately leads to poor or stagnant living standards and slow progress in Human Capital Development and Social Mobility for a large section of society.
Faster and inefficient resource utilization: Land areas, water resources, and forests are over-exploited. There is also the scarcity of resources.
Decreased production and increased costs: Food production and distribution have not been able to catch up with the increasing population and hence the costs of production have increased. Inflation is the major consequence of overpopulation.
Inequitable income distribution: In the face of an increasing population, unequal distribution of income and inequalities within the country widen.
Increasing divergence in the representation of different states in the Parliament of India: higher population growth in north Indian states as compared to southern states has led to the freezing of the number of seats in parliament till 2026. This has caused a political tussle between less-developed northern and largely developed southern Indian states.
Positive outcomes:
Largest pool of consumers: an increase in population means an increase in consumers and expansion of the demand for raw materials as well as finished products leading to high consumption and thus higher economic activities. Thus, India has become the largest market in the world for companies around the world.
Population growth is correlated to technological advancement: According to the neo-classical growth model, the population is beneficial to an economy because population growth is correlated to technological advancement. The rising population promotes the need for some sort of technological change to meet the rising demands for certain goods and services.
Demographic dividend in India: India’s unique population structure with around 66% population in the working age group (15-59 years) has brought her to the cusp of a major transition for the next two decades. This has made it one of the youngest countries in the world which may put India on the path of high development as happened in China between 1991 and 2011.
Steps taken for population control in India
Population Policy Committee: was created in 1952 which suggested the appointment of a Family Planning Research and Programmes Committee in 1953.
Central Family Planning Board was created in 1956 which emphasized sterilization. Up till the 1960s a rigid policy was not adopted to arrest the fast growth of the population. The policy framed in 1951-52 was ad hoc in nature, flexible, and based on a trial-and-error approach.
The New Population Policy, 1977: The Government of India introduced first National Population Policy in 1976, which focussed on reducing birth rate, lowering the infant mortality rate and improving the standard of life.
The National Population Policy 2000: provided a comprehensive framework to provide the reproductive and health needs of the people of India for the next ten years.
Mission Parivar Vikas (MPV), 2016: Under the scheme, innovative strategies like the distribution of Nayi Pehel kits, Saas Bahu Sammelan, and Saarthi vans are helping in reaching out to the community and initiating dialogues on family planning and healthy birth spacing, and the importance of small families.
Raising the marriage age for girls: Recently, the Government proposed the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to raise the age of legal marriage for women from 18 to 21, which would further help in reducing fertility rates.
Some green shoots
Declining TFR: SRS report estimated the Total Fertility Rate (TFR), the number of children a mother would have at the current pattern of fertility during her lifetime, as 2.2 in the year 2018. The recently released 5th National Family Health Survey report has shown that India’s TFR has currently reached below the replacement level of fertility of 2.1 children per woman. As fertility declines, so does the population growth rate.
Population control measures that can be taken
Social Measure: Population outburst is considered to be a social problem and it is intensely rooted in civilization. It is, therefore, necessary to make efforts to eliminate the social iniquities in the country.
Minimum age of Marriage: As fertility depends on the age of marriage therefore the minimum age of marriage should be raised. In India, the minimum age for marriage is 21 years for men and 18 years for women fixed by law. This law should be strongly implemented and people should also be made aware of this through promotion.
Raising the Status of Women: There are prevalent biases against women. They are restricted to houses. They are still confined to rearing and bearing children. So women should be given opportunities to develop socially and economically. Free education should be given to them.
Spread education: The spread of education changes the views of people. Educated men take mature decisions and prefer to delay marriage and adopt small family customs. Educated women are health mindful and avoid frequent pregnancies and thus help to lower the birth rate.
Adoption: is also an effective way to curb population. Some parents do not have any children, despite expensive medical treatment. It is recommended that they should adopt orphan children. It will be helpful to orphan children and children to couples.
Economic Measures: It is necessary to raise employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas. Another economic measure for population control is the development of Agriculture and Industry. If agriculture and industry are correctly developed, a huge number of people will get employment. When their income is increased they would enhance their standard of living and accept small family norms.
Urbanization: process can reduce population increase. It is reported that people in urban areas have low birth rate than those living in rural areas. Urbanization should be encouraged.
Strict birth control measures: are needed such as China has adopted a strategy to decrease the birth rate. But it is not possible to reduce technological advancements to decrease the death rate in India. To reduce the birth rate, several government-funded agencies like the Family Planning Association of India spend excessive funds to promote family planning as a basic human right and the norm of a two-child family voluntarily.
Creating awareness about family planning: The family planning methods provided by the family planning program are vasectomy, tubectomy, IUD, conventional contraceptives (that is condoms, diaphragms, jelly/cream tubes, foam tables) and oral pills.
Conclusion
India’s 1.4 billion people must be seen as 1.4 billion opportunities. The country with the largest youth cohort can be a source of innovation, new thinking and lasting solutions.
The trajectory can leapfrog forward if women and girls, in particular, are equipped with equal educational and skill-building opportunities, access to technology and digital innovations, and most importantly information and power to fully exercise their reproductive rights and choices.
Ensuring gender equality, empowerment and advancing greater bodily autonomy for women and girls are the key determinants for a sustainable future.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti has recently released the report of the first census of waterbodies in India.
Waterbodies Census
It is the first ever process of conducting a comprehensive survey of all the waterbodies in a particular region or country.
The census aims to identify and classify different types of waterbodies like ponds, tanks, lakes, and reservoirs, among others.
The information can help in the development of strategies for their conservation and management.
Major highlight: Definition of Waterbodies
The census defines a waterbody as a unit bounded on all sides that is used for storing water for various purposes.
These units can be either natural or man-made and may or may not have masonry work.
Waterbodies are used for a variety of purposes, such as irrigation, industrial use, pisciculture, domestic and drinking water supply, recreation, religious purposes, and groundwater recharge.
The report states that any structure that accumulates water from ice-melt, streams, springs, rain or drainage of water from residential or other areas or stores water by diversion from a stream, nala or river is also considered a waterbody.
Key facts: Distribution of Waterbodies
According to the report, India has 24.24 lakh water bodies like ponds, tanks, and lakes, with West Bengal having the highest number (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim having the least number (134).
Waterbody Type
Percentage of Total Waterbodies
Number of Waterbodies
Ponds
59.5%
14,42,993
Tanks
15.7%
3,81,805
Reservoirs
12.1%
2,92,280
Water Conservation Schemes/Percolation Tanks/Check Dams
9.3%
2,26,217
Lakes
0.9%
22,361
Others
2.5%
58,884
State-Wise Distribution of Waterbodies
The report highlights that West Bengal has the highest number of ponds and reservoirs, while Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of tanks.
Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes, and Maharashtra is the leading state with water conservation schemes.
South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal has been ranked as the top district having the highest (3.55 lakh) number of waterbodies across the country.
Issues highlighted: Encroachment of Waterbodies
Total 1.6% of waterbodies reported to be encroached
4% of encroached waterbodies in rural areas, 4.6% in urban areas
8% of encroached waterbodies have less than 25% area under encroachment
8% of waterbodies have more than 75% area under encroachment
Conclusion
The census provides a comprehensive overview of the distribution of waterbodies in India, highlighting the states and districts with the highest number of waterbodies.
The data on encroachment of waterbodies can help in identifying areas where conservation efforts are needed to protect these valuable resources.
Ahave had a long-standing border dispute over 123 villages that are located in 12 districts of Arunachal and 8 districts of Assam.
On April 21, 2022, an MoU was signed between the two states to resolve the dispute.
Genesis of the dispute
The border dispute between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam has around 1,200 points of conflict along their 804 km boundary, which began in the 1970s and intensified in the 1990s.
The issue goes back to 1873 when the British government introduced the inner-line permit, vaguely separating the plains from the frontier hills.
In 1954, the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) was formed, and 3,648 sq. km of the “plain” area of Balipara and Sadiya foothills was transferred to the Darrang and Lakhimpur districts of Assam based on the 1951 report.
Arunachal has been celebrating its statehood with an eye on China since 1987, and its people living in the transferred patches have been resentful, claiming that the transfer was done arbitrarily.
However, their counterparts in Assam say the 1951 demarcation is constitutional and legal.
Past efforts to resolve the border issue
Several efforts were made in the past to resolve the border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
In 1979, a high-powered tripartite committee was constituted to delineate the boundary, and around 489 km of the 800 km were demarcated by 1983-84.
Further demarcation could not take place because Arunachal Pradesh did not accept the recommendations.
The apex court appointed a local boundary commission in 2006 to resolve the dispute. However, nothing came of it.
Process leading up to the signing of the MoU
Assam CM and Arunachal CM commenced CM-level talks over the border issue on January 24, 2022.
In their second meeting on April 20, 2022, they made key decisions.
The border issues between both the states would be confined to a list of 123 villages which Arunachal Pradesh had claimed before the Local Commission in 2007.
A boundary line delineated by the high-powered tripartite committee in 1980 would be taken as the notified boundary, and all realignment would be done in relation to it.
Both states would set up 12 regional committees covering the 12 districts of Arunachal Pradesh and the 8 counterpart districts of Assam for joint verification of the 123 villages.
Extent to which the issue has been resolved
The MoU has resolved the dispute over 34 villages.
The village boundaries of 49 of the remaining villages are unresolved.
The MoU states that in these, the Regional Committees will finalize the boundaries within a period of six months “through continuous dialogue.”
Central idea: The East-West Metro corridor, the second line of Kolkata’s Metro network that is currently under construction, will connect Kolkata and Howrah, and one of its highlights is India’s first underwater transport tunnel spanning the Hooghly river.
Hooghly River: Some facts
Description
Name
Bhagirathi Hooghly River (Anglicized alternatively spelled Hoogli or Hugli)
Source
Close to Giria, north of Baharampur and Palashi, in Murshidabad
Length
260 km
Flows through
West Bengal
Endpoint
Bay of Bengal
Importance
Lifeline for Kolkata, transportation route for goods and people, historical trade route, cultural and ecological resource
Challenges
Changing course, frequent floods, pollution from industrial effluents and sewage
Additional Information
A man-made canal called the Farakka Feeder Canal connects the Ganges to the Bhagirathi to bring the abundant waters of the Himalayan river to the narrow river that rises in West Bengal.
The main course of the Ganges then flows into Bangladesh as the Padma.
The Bhagirathi Hooghly River is also called the Ganga or the Kati-Ganga in the Puranas.
About the East-West Corridor
The East-West Corridor is expected to significantly ease congestion in the city.
The line connects Kolkata’s IT hub of Salt Lake Sector V to the western suburb of Howrah.
The eastern part of the East-West line is operational while the western portion of the corridor is underground.
There are 12 stations on the entire route, including the country’s deepest, Howrah, at a depth of 33 meters.
Key feature: Underwater Tunnel
The tunnels under the Hooghly River are 520 meters long and more than 30 meters below the river surface at its deepest point.
The trains will have an operational speed of 80 km/h and will cover the half-kilometre stretch under the Hooghly in about 45 seconds.
The underwater tunnels have an internal diameter of 5.55 meters and an external diameter of 6.1 meters.
Millions of baby Olive Ridley Turtles crawled towards the Bay of Bengal after emerging from eggshells along Odisha’s Rushikulyabeach in the Ganjam district.
Olive Ridley Turtles
Description
Scientific name
Lepidochelys olivacea
Habitat
Warm and tropical waters
Found in
Pacific and Indian Oceans
Nesting sites
Rushikulya rookery in Odisha
Largest mass nesting site
Coast of Odisha in India
Conservation status
Vulnerable in IUCN Red List
Listed in
Schedule 1 in Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Special feature: Mass nesting
Notable behavior
Arribadas
Nesting habits
Synchronized mass nesting and return to the same beach where they hatched
Nest structure
Conical nests about one and a half feet deep, dug with hind flippers
Incubation period
45 to 60 days, influenced by temperature of the sand and atmosphere
Central idea: The scientists working in the Garbh-Ini program have identified 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or genetic markers that are associated with preterm or premature birth.
What is Garbh-Ini?
It is an interdisciplinary research program in India that focuses on the advanced research of birth outcomes.
It is a collaborative initiative under the Department of Biotechnology.
It is led by DBT-Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) in the NCR Biotech cluster, Faridabad, in collaboration with DBT-NIBMG, Kalyani, DBT-Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Gurugram Civil Hospital, and other organizations.
The program aims to use advanced technology to improve maternal and child health outcomes and address the high incidence of preterm births in India.
What are Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)?
Genetic markers are specific sequences of DNA that can be used to identify an individual or a particular trait.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common type of genetic variation that occurs in the DNA sequence.
SNPs occur when a single nucleotide (A, C, T, or G) in the DNA sequence is altered.
These changes can occur in any region of the genome and can be used as genetic markers to identify specific traits or disease susceptibility.
Significance of the Study
The study is significant as it identifies 19 SNPs or genetic markers that are associated with preterm or premature birth.
Out of these 19 SNPs, five were found to be associated with an increased risk of early preterm birth (birth before 33 weeks) and can be used to predict premature births.
This is the first study in South Asia to identify genetic markers associated with preterm births, and it has significant implications for improving maternal and child health outcomes in India.
Setting new goals is easy. Beginning with a fresh dose of motivation is also easy. What’s not easy? Staying consistent with your daily routines and daily targets. That’s the part where we wish we had some practical, life-saving hacks.
Hasn’t it happened to all of us?
We binge-watch IAS toppers on Youtube on how they kept up for 25 hours, 9 days a week, or create multiple copies of their timetable only to find ourselves lost again. Worse still, we look up to our peers on their best days of preparation and compare our worst, most unproductive days, and genuinely feel a sense of loss.
This has happened to all of us. To 100% of the IAS Toppers as well. Trust us, we have mentored 10,000+ students on their IAS journey since 2016 and know their most honest, sincere struggle moments.
We sit back with our IAS toppers, request them to reflect back on their moments of uncertainties and probe them for practical hacks and tips for future aspirants.
Here are the top 3 helpful pointers to help you when the going gets tough:
1. Utilize the power of accountability (works 95% of the time)
Oftentimes, our mind makes the dumbest of excuses to get ourselves out of a task that we should, but don’t want to. And that is why you should OUTSOURCE accountability to other people.
It could be someone you think highly of, and they won’t let you divert from your goals. You need to be accountable to not yourself, but to that person for the completion of a specific task.
Confessing your inaction to someone else brings much more psychological pain, and hence you’ll be compelled to complete that task.
At CivilsDaily you get mentored by IAS/IPS rankers
CivilsDaily’s personal mentors are the perfect guide for such cases. They have been mentoring these 10,000+ aspirants and rankers and are very well aware of the power of consistency.
2. Keep your focus on one thing at a time (works 80% of the time)
Focus brings clarity to your goal
Staying consistent becomes all the way more cumbersome if you have too much on your plate. Your mind is already struggling with trying to muster up the courage to complete something, and then you burden it with additional tasks. This ends up delaying both tasks rather.
We know that this is easier said than done. It works for very self-driven students but with some external help, and mentor-driven accountability, about 80% of aspirants are able to pick it up.
Our mentors’ expertise will help you strive through this tough, but rewarding journey.
3. Avoid paralysis by analysis (works 55% of the time)
It’s the human tendency to expect results even before any solid efforts have been made. Your primary focus should be to do your job, and the results will follow! Follow the right strategy and be patient, because of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Though there will be days when you might doubt yourself or even the achievability of the task, it’s your duty to not buy those negative thoughts.
However, if in spite of prolonged efforts, results fail to show up, then you can always get on a quick call with one of our mentors and scrutinize your approach. This will help you channel your efforts in the right direction.
Not sure how to implement these three. Get FREE Samanvaya Mentorship.
How does Samanvaya Mentorship work? Introducing 3 layers of mentorship: Get IAS or UPSC ranker as your mentor
1. 1st step starts with this Samanvayacall: Once you fill in the form, we get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your prep level, working/ study constraints, and current strategies and create a step-by-step plan for the next week, next month and so on.
2. You are directed and given access to relevant resources and an invite-only Telegram group where you can ask your daily doubts, discuss your test-prep questions and have real-time, live sessions on news and op-eds, and find your optional groups.
Daily target monitoring.Introducing three layers of Mentorship with IAS/UPSC Ranker as your mentor.
3. The third and the most personalized tier is the 1 on 1 mentor allotment who stays with you through the course of your UPSC preparation – always-on chat and on scheduled calls to help you assess, evaluate, and chart the next milestone of your IAS 2023-23 journey.
We will also connect you to a UPSC ranker or IAS, who will mentor you in this journey.
Layer 1: You will be assigned a dedicated in-house mentor who will keep track of our progress from start till your final interview.
Layer 2: Sajal Singh sir and the team will be constantly with you through various programs like Samachar Manthan, Prelims, Essay, etc.
Layer 3: A UPSC IAS ranker (one who has cleared this exam) will be supervising your progress as your super mentor.
Who are you?
Working Junta? If you are preparing for IAS 2023-24 and working simultaneously, we can help you design a timetable that fits right in your hectic schedule.
First-time prep? If you are in the last year of college or thinking of dropping a year and preparing for IAS 2023-24 full-time, we can help you pick the right books and craft a practical & personal strategy.
The Union Cabinet approved the full budget for the LIGO-India mega-science project, which includes the construction, commissioning and joint scientific operation of a state-of-the-art, advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in India in collaboration with the NSF-funded LIGO Laboratory, USA, operated by Caltech and MIT.
About LIGO-India
LIGO-India will be the fifth node of this international network of gravitational wave observatories, and possibly the last.
The instrument is so sensitive that it can easily get influenced by events like earthquakes, landslides, or even the movement of trucks, and produce a false reading.
That is why multiple observatories are needed to revalidate the signals.
India’s involvement in LIGO is crucial to demonstrating its intent and capability to pull-off complex science projects independently
Advancement in gravitational-wave astronomy and astrophysics: LIGO-India will significantly enhance global capabilities in the field of gravitational-wave astronomy and astrophysics. The project will enable an entirely new window to our universe and open up opportunities to study the cosmos in ways that were previously impossible.
Boosting research careers: LIGO-India will provide opportunities for Indian youth to pursue research careers in cutting-edge areas of science and technology, thereby supporting the growth of the Indian science industry and economy.
Development of cutting-edge technologies: LIGO-India will lead to the development of cutting-edge technologies such as lasers, optics, vacuum, quantum metrology and control-system technologies, which have great national relevance. The project will bring together researchers in fundamental and applied sciences from national research laboratories, IITs and IISERs to universities in partnership with the industry, and attract talent from the large pool of Indian researchers spread worldwide.
Galvanizing India’s industry: The project will galvanize India’s industry to enhance capability and capacity to engineer and manufacture complex components with precision to meet stringent scientific requirements, thereby enhancing the reputation of Indian industry.
Contributing to India’s mega-science ventures: LIGO-India is part of India’s mega-science ventures, which aim to lead or partner in very high-science goals through large-scale collaborative efforts requiring highly skilled human resources, significant fiscal capital and infrastructural investment, and close academia-industry partnerships. LIGO-India is expected to extend the legacy of successful world-class facilities such as the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune and Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) in Ladakh.
Facts for prelims: Other Important science projects
Mega-science Project
Description
Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
Particle accelerator located in Switzerland, aims to study subatomic particles
Indian-based Neutrino Observatory (INO)
A proposed underground neutrino laboratory to be located in Tamil Nadu, India
Facility for Antiproton & Ion Research (FAIR)
A particle accelerator located in Germany, used for research in nuclear and particle physics
Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)
A proposed astronomical observatory, with a mirror diameter of 30 meters, to be located in Hawaii
Square Kilometre Array (SKA)
A radio telescope that will be the largest and most sensitive in the world, to be located in Australia and South Africa
A facility designed to detect gravitational waves, with observatories located in the USA and India
Way ahead: Mega-Science Projects and India’s S&T Policy
Mega-science projects like LIGO-India inculcate invaluable elements of work ethic in the scientific community.
The key is the ability to create a focused but adequately large well-knit collaborative ecosystem that remains open to growing by bringing in wider participation.
There is need for a culture within S&T communities to anticipate breakthroughs and appreciate new findings that may often deviate from the current comfort zone for policymakers to be receptive and for executing agencies to create robust mechanisms to assess, evaluate, and respond expeditiously to allow sufficient time to set up the enterprise.
Conclusion
The LIGO-India mega-science project is a significant milestone in India’s contribution to the growth of modern astronomy. The project will prompt Indian S&T in academia, national laboratories, and industries to leapfrog in a range of cutting-edge technologies. It reinforces the view that a healthy sprinkling of mega-science efforts in the overall S&T policy empowers and enriches the nation.
