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  • [Burning Issue] CCUS Policy Framework of NITI Aayog

    [Burning Issue] CCUS Policy Framework of NITI Aayog

    Context

    • A report titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’ has been released by NITI Aayog.
    • The report explores the importance of technology as an emission reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonization from the hard-to-abate sectors. This edition of Burning Issue will highlight the key aspects of this report.   

    What is CCUS?

    • The International Energy Agency (IEA) defines Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) as a group of technologies for capturing CO2 from large and stationary CO2 emitting sources, such as fossil fuel-based power plants and other industries.
    • CCUS also involves the transport of the captured CO2 (typically by pipeline and in certain situations through shipping, rail or trucks also) to sites, either for utilization in different applications or injection into geological formations or depleted oil & gas fields for permanent storage and trapping of the CO2.

    Significance of CCUS technologies

    CCUS can contribute to decarbonization and transition to clean energy systems in various ways:

    • Hard-to-abate sectors: CCUS offers the only known technology for the decarbonization of hard-to-electrify CO2-intensive sectors such as steel, cement, oil & gas, petrochemicals & chemicals, and fertilizers.
    • Creation Low carbon hydrogen economy: CCUS is expected to play a major role in enabling the hydrogen economy in India, through the production of blue hydrogen based on the utilization of our rich endowments of coal.
    • Removal of the CO2 stock from the atmosphere: The race towards net zero and containing global temperature within 1.5 degrees from pre-industrial levels is not possible without the removal of excess CO2 from the atmosphere through Direct Air Capture (DAC).
    • Sustenance of existing emitters: Existing thermal power plants and industrial plants (such as steel and cement production facilities) can be retrofitted with CO2 capture infrastructure.

    Need for CCUS in India

    • Growing CO2 emissions: India is the 3rd largest emitter of CO2 in the world after China and the US, with estimated emissions of 2.6 gigatonnes per annum (gtpa) in 2019. With rapid economic growth, infrastructure and industrial development, as well as a growing population, the total CO2 emissions are expected to cross 4 gtpa by the year 2030.
    • Sustainable solutions for the decarbonization of sectors -The decarbonization challenge for India is to identify scalable and economically sustainable solutions for the decarbonization of sectors that contribute to 70% of emissions. CCUS has a critical role to play, especially for India to accomplish net zero by 2070.
    • Enabling clean and green energy generation: CCUS also has a role to play in enabling clean and green baseload power and ensuring the sustenance and non-stranding of our over 210 GW of coal and lignite-based thermal power plants.
    • Limit global temperature rise- The International Energy Agency points out that reaching net zero without CCUS is virtually impossible. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also concludes that without CCUS, it would not be possible to stabilize the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere between 450 – 750 ppmv (parts per million by volume) and limit global temperature rise between 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
    • Fulfill commitments of the Paris Agreement and ‘Panchamrit Strategy’-As a signatory of the Paris Agreement 2015, India has committed to reducing emissions by 50% by the year 2050 and reaching net zero by 2070. Given the sectoral composition and sources of CO2 emissions in India, CCUS will have an important and integral role to play in ensuring India meets its stated climate goals, through the deep decarbonization of energy and CO2 emission-intensive industries such as thermal power generation, steel, cement, oil & gas refining, and petrochemicals.
    • Enabling sunrise sectors- CCUS can enable the production of clean products while utilizing our rich endowments of coal, reducing imports and thus leading to a strong Indian economy. CCUS also has an important role to play in enabling sunrise sectors such as coal gasification and the nascent hydrogen economy in India.

    Current usage of CCUS in India

    • Presently carbon capture in India is confined to certain industries/applications where carbon capture is part of the process, viz., the manufacture of urea. India’s urea production is about 24 mtpa, where captured CO2 is utilized in the ammonia-to urea conversion process.
    • CO2 is also captured as part of the gas conditioning process in the gasifiers of Reliance Industries Limited in Jamnagar (10 mtpa of petcoke gasification capacity) and JSPL in Angul (2 mtpa of coal gasification capacity), but the CO2 is largely released to the atmosphere and not utilized or stored.
    • While there are few pilot-scale carbon capture projects (viz. IOCL R&D’s amine and biological enzyme-based carbon capture plant and Tata Steel Jamshedpur’s pilot-scale carbon capture plant for capturing 5 tonnes per day CO2 from Blast Furnace gases), there are no commercial-scale dedicated CCUS projects in India.

    Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies

    CO2 capture technologies separate carbon dioxide from gas streams that are released from industrial processes such as power plants, chemical production, cement production or steel making. There are three different broad categories of technologies for capturing CO2: Post-combustion capture, Pre-combustion and Oxy-fuel combustion.

    • Cryogenic separation for CO2 capture is similar to the conventional distillation process, except that it involves the separation of components from a gaseous mixture (instead of liquid) based on the difference in their boiling points.
    • In the adsorption-based CO2 capture process, the CO2 molecules selectively adhere to the surface of the adsorbent material and form a film. This is possible because of the difference in diffusivities and heat of adsorption values for the feed gas stream components.
    • Solvent-based CO2 capture processes have been used for over half a century for processing natural (sour) gas, combustion flue gas and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis products. The fundamental principle on which solvent-based CO2 capture technologies work is the ‘selective absorption’ of CO2 over the other gaseous constituents.
    • Microalgae-Based Carbon Capture– The basic philosophy behind the process of carbon capture by microalgae is the use of CO2 as a nutrient for the cultivation of microalgae. The selected strains of microalgae can be cultivated in ponds. The CO2 will be absorbed by the microalgae and the resulting gas will leave the cultivation system.

    Utilization of the carbon captured

    • Green urea: Green urea can be produced from the captured CO 2 and cost-competitive green hydrogen, from renewable energy-based electrolysis of water. Green urea can replace/complement the traditional LNG/NG-based production and import of ammonia and urea.
    • Food and beverages applications: CO2 is utilized in F&B applications such as carbonated drinks, dry ice, and modified atmosphere packing; however, the scales are much lower compared to green urea.
    • Building materials (concrete and aggregates): There is a large market for aggregates and concrete in a developing country like India, providing a pathway for utilizing CO2 for producing building materials through concrete curing and aggregate formation. In these applications, CO2 is injected in a liquid state without any conversion, thus reducing energy requirements.
    • Chemicals (methanol and ethanol): Conversion of CO2 to methanol and ethanol from CO2 is proven at a commercial scale in different parts of the world.
    • Polymers (including bio-plastics): The conversion of CO2 to polymers presents another possible CO2 utilization route.

    Storage of the carbon captured

    • Storage in oil wells– The injection of CO2 for Enhanced Oil Recovery has been studied and applied for years, especially in North America. CO2 is miscible with crude oil which helps in recovering oil not possible by secondary methods. This also helps in permanently storing CO2 in oil reservoirs, thus making CO2 EOR a sustainable option for abating CO2.
    • Storage in coal seams- The CO2 injected is accumulated in the coal cleats in a dense gas phase. This CO2 is adsorbed and absorbed in the coal. Since CO2 has a higher affinity for coal than CBM, it pushes the coal bed methane toward production wells, thus enhancing its primary recovery. Similar to CO2 EOR, ECBMR can help in permanently storing CO2 and the recovered methane can also help offset the cost of carbon capture.
    • Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers– Captured CO2 can be permanently stored in deep saline aquifers. Unlike EOR and ECBMR, injection of CO2 in deep saline aquifers has no economic benefit. Deep saline aquifers are spread across very large areas and thus have the potential to store very large quantities of CO2.
    • CO2 Storage in Basalts– Recently studies have been carried out to learn about the CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks. Basaltic rock constitutes divalent cations of Ca, Mg, and Fe. They can react with the CO2 dissolved in water to form stable carbonate minerals and thus can offer a safe CO2 sequestration method for an extended period.

    Policy framework for India

    Key Risks Associated with CCUS

    • Technical Risks– such as Reservoir Suitability for CO2 Flooding for EOR and the extent of CO2 abatement possible through EOR depend on the comparative performance and cost-effectiveness of CO2.
    • Financial Risks– Cost of Capture The main cost driver in the CCUS value chain is the capture cost. In industrial processes such as natural gas processing and gasification, carbon capture is part of the process itself and hence there is no additional cost of carbon capture. However, in the case of thermal power plants and other industrial processes, there are significant capital and cash costs, leading to financial risks for the entire CCUS value chain.
    • Loss of Storage Site– Complications during CO2 injection may lead to the stoppage of operations at CO2 storage sites. Although reservoir management should provide adequate warning of such occurrences, there are technical risks in Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) – Policy Framework and Deployment Mechanism in India CCUS Policy Framework for India estimating/predicting the final capacity of a new storage site with certainty.

    Promoting the Adoption of CCUS Technologies in India: The Way Forward

    • The envisaged CCUS policy needs to adopt a multi-pronged approach to promote the adoption of CCUS technologies in India. The key elements of the approach need to incentivize the following: i) Technology transfer:
    • Technology transfer, Assimilation and Adoption– Carbon capture, CO2 sequestration and CO2 EOR technologies are already demonstrated at a commercial scale in different parts of the world and particularly in the US for nearly 50 years. Hence the focus for India should be on technology transfer, assimilation and adoption of such proven technologies (TRL 8 and 9), rather than reinventing the wheel.
    • Promoting R&D in novel technologies: While carbon capture technologies and technologies for CO2 EOR and sequestration are well developed and implemented at a commercial scale, technologies for the utilization of CO2 are relatively less developed.
    • Private sector participation: Private sector participation is quintessential to promote the transfer and commercialization of existing CCUS technologies and also push the envelope for the development of new and emerging technologies in both capture and utilization.
    • Carbon Capture Finance Corporation (CCFC)– It is proposed that the Government of India set up a financial institution for the promotion and development of CCUS projects in India. The financial institution, which can be called the “Carbon Capture Finance Corporation (CCFC)” shall provide tax and cash credits for carbon capture projects in India.
    • Promoting Coal Gasification Projects with CCUS-Coal gasification (with CCUS) is an important and strategic sector for ensuring the future energy and materials security of India and reducing import-dependence for critical chemicals and commodities. It is recommended to set up a special purpose organization to drive and promote coal gasification in India, including the production of blue hydrogen to enable the hydrogen economy.

    Conclusion

    • Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) has an important and critical role to play for India to halve CO2 emissions by 2050 and accomplish net zero by 2070.
    • Energy transitions take decades and hence it is important to implement the framework and policy instruments for CCUS to become a reality in India and make a meaningful contribution to decarbonization in India.

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  • We are the most transparent institution: Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court has said that it had become a “fashion” for its former judges to comment on earlier decisions of the Collegium when they were part of it while adding that the apex court was the “most transparent institution”.

    What is Collegium System?

    • The Collegium of judges is the Indian Supreme Court’s invention.
    • It does not figure in the Constitution, which says judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed by the President and speaks of a process of consultation.
    • In effect, it is a system under which judges are appointed by an institution comprising judges.
    • After some judges were superseded in the appointment of the CJI in the 1970s, and attempts made subsequently to effect a mass transfer of High Court judges across the country.
    • Hence there was a perception that the independence of the judiciary was under threat. This resulted in a series of cases over the years.

    Evolution: The Judges Cases

    • First Judges Case (1981) ruled that the “consultation” with the CJI in the matter of appointments must be full and effective.
    • However, it rejected the idea that the CJI’s opinion, albeit carrying great weight, should have primacy.
    • Second Judges Case (1993) introduced the Collegium system, holding that “consultation” really meant “concurrence”.
    • It added that it was not the CJI’s individual opinion, but an institutional opinion formed in consultation with the two senior-most judges in the Supreme Court.
    • Third Judges Case (1998): On a Presidential Reference for its opinion, the Supreme Court, in the Third Judges Case (1998) expanded the Collegium to a five-member body, comprising the CJI and four of his senior-most colleagues.

    The procedure followed by the Collegium

    Appointment of CJI

    • The President of India appoints the CJI and the other SC judges.
    • As far as the CJI is concerned, the outgoing CJI recommends his successor.
    • In practice, it has been strictly by seniority ever since the supersession controversy of the 1970s.
    • The Union Law Minister forwards the recommendation to the PM who, in turn, advises the President.

    Other SC Judges

    • For other judges of the top court, the proposal is initiated by the CJI.
    • The CJI consults the rest of the Collegium members, as well as the senior-most judge of the court hailing from the High Court to which the recommended person belongs.
    • The consultees must record their opinions in writing and it should form part of the file.
    • The Collegium sends the recommendation to the Law Minister, who forwards it to the Prime Minister to advise the President.

    For High Courts

    • The CJs of High Courts are appointed as per the policy of having Chief Justices from outside the respective States. The Collegium takes the call on the elevation.
    • High Court judges are recommended by a Collegium comprising the CJI and two senior-most judges.
    • The proposal, however, is initiated by the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned in consultation with two senior-most colleagues.
    • The recommendation is sent to the Chief Minister, who advises the Governor to send the proposal to the Union Law Minister.

    Does the Collegium recommend transfers too?

    • Yes, the Collegium also recommends the transfer of Chief Justices and other judges.
    • Article 222 of the Constitution provides for the transfer of a judge from one High Court to another.
    • When a CJ is transferred, a replacement must also be simultaneously found for the High Court concerned. There can be an acting CJ in a High Court for not more than a month.
    • In matters of transfers, the opinion of the CJI “is determinative”, and the consent of the judge concerned is not required.
    • However, the CJI should take into account the views of the CJ of the High Court concerned and the views of one or more SC judges who are in a position to do so.
    • All transfers must be made in the public interest, that is, “for the betterment of the administration of justice”.

    Loopholes in the Collegium system

    • Lack of Transparency: Opaqueness and a lack of transparency, and the scope for nepotism are cited often.
    • Judges appointing Judge: The attempt made to replace it with a ‘National Judicial Appointments Commission’ was struck down by the court in 2015 on the ground that it posed a threat to the independence of the judiciary.
    • Criteria: Some do not believe in full disclosure of reasons for transfers, as it may make lawyers in the destination court chary of the transferred judge.

    Way ahead

    • In respect of appointments, there has been an acknowledgment that the “zone of consideration” must be expanded to avoid criticism that many appointees hail from families of retired judges.
    • The status of a proposed new memorandum of procedure, to infuse greater accountability, is also unclear.
    • Even the majority opinions admitted the need for transparency, now Collegiums’ resolutions are now posted online, but reasons are not given.

     

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  • Remittances to India set to cross record $100-billion mark in 2022

    India is expected to receive a record $100 billion in remittance in 2022, the top recipient this year, the World Bank has said.

    What are Remittances?

    • A remittance is a non-commercial transfer of money by a foreign worker, a member of a diaspora community, or a citizen with familial ties abroad, for household income in their home country or homeland.
    • The World Bank defines it as “the sum of worker’s remittances, compensation of employees, and migrants’ transfers as recorded in the IMF Balance of Payments.
    • Workers remittances are current transfers by migrant who are considered residents in the source.
    • Remittances are a vital source of household income for low- and middle-income countries.

    India’s total remittances to grow

    • Remittances to India are money transfers from non-resident Indians (NRIs) employed outside the country to family, friends or relatives residing in India.
    • In its Migration and Development Brief, the World Bank has said India’s remittance will grow 12 per cent from 7.5 per cent last year, resulting in $100 billion flow as compared to $89.4 billion in 2021.
    • It attributed the feat to the large share of Indian migrants earning relatively high salaries in the US, UK and East Asia.

    Key points from the report by World Bank

    • Highly-skilled Indian migrants living in wealthy nations such as the US, UK, and Singapore were sending more money home.
    • Remittances to low and middle-income countries have grown by 5% in 2022 to around $626 billion – around half the rate of growth seen in 2021.
    • The amount of money sent back home by migrants around the world has grown by 5% in 2022.
    • Other top recipient countries for remittances include Mexico, China, Egypt and the Philippines.
    • Domestic and International shocks have affected countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka for whom remittances earned by migrants are expected to drop this year
    • Barring India and Nepal, other south Asian countries saw a decline of more than 10% in their remittances from 2021, due to the end of government incentives introduced during the pandemic

    Why is remittance to India so high this year?

    • Upskilling: There has been a gradual shift in destinations for Indian migrants aided by a structural shift in qualifications.
    • Work from home: Indian migrants in high-income countries benefited from work-from-home and large fiscal stimulus packages.
    • Easing of pandemic: As the pandemic eased, the wage hikes and “record-high employment conditions” helped migrants send money home despite high global inflation.
    • Inflation control in India: The price support policies kept inflation at bay in India.
    • Crude oil dynamics: Demand for labour increased with higher oil prices, which in turn increased remittances for Indian labourers.

    Significance of remittances

    • Stable source of funds: Remittance flows tend to remain relatively stable through the business cycle, thereby having the potential to support households in the face of economic adversity.
    • Economic lifeline: In countries affected by political conflict, they are often an economic lifeline to the poor.
    • Labour contribution: While migrant remittances contribute to the development of their home country, and also to the host country by filling the gap between labour demand and supply and making a positive net fiscal contribution.
    • Globalization: In this way, remittances represent globalization with a human face, contributing to the spread of global interdependence at all levels – social, economic and political.

    Issues with Remittances

    • Fear of currency depreciation: It causes the rupee to weaken against the dollar, which in return impacts the businesses exposed to foreign exchange, and the economy overall.
    • Accuracy of data: A key challenge for policymakers, researchers and investors interested in remittance flows concerns the accuracy and consistency of available data.
    • Accounting inconsistencies: The varied nature of remittance transactions makes the compilation process complex, resulting in a systemic problem of under-reporting of flows and data asymmetries between host and recipient countries.
    • No formal registration in India: The main source of data on remittances is the World Bank, which combines national balance of payments data compiled by the IMF with country information.
    • Ignoring informal flows: A large share of remittances is believed to flow through informal channels, which are often more convenient and cheaper than formal ones.
    • Hawala transactions: In addition, Hawala (an international network of money brokers) and Hundi (a form of credit instrument) systems operate in parallel to formal remittance channels.

    Way forward

    • Promoting labour mobility: India should aim to increase remittances to say 10% of GDP. The Philippines’ model of promoting labour mobility should be replicated in India.
    • Reducing the costs involved: Both the cost of recruitment of such workers and the cost of sending remittances back to India should come down.

     

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  • ‘French Baguette’ gets UNESCO heritage status

    Baguette

    Baguette the staple French bread has been inscribed into the UN’s list of intangible cultural heritage (ICH).

    What is a Baguette?

    • The baguette is a long and thin loaf made of flour, water, salt and yeast, and is consumed as a staple in France.
    • Some believe that it was invented by August Zang, a baker and an entrepreneur from Vienna in 1839, who introduced the world to the taste of crusty bread with softer insides, using a steam oven.
    • It gained its official name in 1920.
    • The history of the bread is uncertain, some also believe that Napoleon Bonaparte ordered thin sticks of bread for consumption by his soldiers as they could be carried from one place to another more conveniently.

    Why did France nominate it for the UN list?

    • About 10 billion baguettes are consumed every year in France by a population of 67 million.
    • It drew attention to the steady decline in the number of bakeries in the country as around 20,000 of them have closed down since 1970.
    • In March 2021, France nominated the baguette as its candidate for consideration within the UNESCO ICH list.
    • In 1970, there were 55,000 artisanal bakeries (one for every 790 residents) compared with 35,000 today (one for every 2,000), often in favour of baguettes produced industrially.

    Back2Basics: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)

    • ICH means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated with them that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as a part of their cultural heritage.
    • Furthermore, its importance is not in the cultural manifestation itself, but in the wealth of knowledge, know-how and skills that are transmitted from one generation to the next.
    • The adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the ICH by the General Conference of UNESCO in 2003 was a crucial step towards preserving intangible heritage.
    • UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was established in the year 2008.

    Criteria for the selection

    • There are three criteria for an intangible cultural heritage to be inscribed in the United Nations list.
    • The entity must-
    1. be recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their cultural heritage,
    2. be transmitted from generation to generation and be constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history and
    3. provide them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity

    India’s ICH on the UNESCO list

    • Sangeet Natak Akademi is the nodal organisation which looks after this function, and files nominations of intangible cultural entities from India, for evaluation by the international body.
    • ICG from India include Kolkata’s Durga Puja (2021), Kumbh Mela (2017), Navroz (2016), Yoga (2016), traditional brass and copper craft of utensil-making among coppersmiths of Punjab (2014), Sankirtana, a ritual musical performance of Manipur (2013), and the Buddhist chanting of Ladakh (2012).
    • Before 2011, the list included Chhau dance, Kalbelia folk songs and dance of Rajasthan, and Mudiyettu, a dance drama from Kerala (2010), Ramman, a religious festival and theatre performance of Garhwal in the Himalayas (2009), and Kutiyattam or Sanskrit theatre, and Vedic chanting (2008).
    • Ramlila, a traditional performance of Ramayana, was also included in 2008.
    • This year, India nominated Garba, a traditional dance form that originated in the state of Gujarat, for inscription on UNESCO’s ICH list.

     

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  • DigiYatra Initiative for facial recognition technology at Airports

    digiyatra

    The centre has introduced paperless entry at select airports to make air travel hassle-free under the DigiYatra initiative.

    What is DigiYatra?

    • DigiYatra envisages that travellers pass through various checkpoints at the airport through paperless and contactless processing.
    • This means, passengers won’t need to carry their ID card and boarding pass.
    • This would rather use facial features to establish their identity, which would be linked to the boarding pass.
    • With this technology, the entry of passengers would be automatically processed based on the facial recognition system at all checkpoints – including entry into the airport, security check areas, aircraft boarding, etc.

    Implementation strategy

    • In the first phase, the initiative will be launched at seven airports, starting with three — Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi.
    • It will then be followed by four airports namely Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, and Vijayawada by March 2023.
    • Subsequently, the technology will be implemented across the country.

    How is it being implemented?

    • The project is being implemented by the DigiYatra Foundation — a joint-venture company whose shareholders are the Airports Authority of India (26% stake) and Bengaluru Airport, Delhi Airport, Hyderabad Airport, Mumbai Airport and Cochin International Airport.
    • These five shareholders equally hold the remaining 74% of the shares.

    How can people avail the DigiYatra facility?

    • For availing the service, a passenger has to register their details on the DigiYatra app using Aadhaar-based validation and a self-image capture.
    • In the next step, the boarding pass has to be scanned, and the credentials are shared with airport authorities.
    • At the airport e-gate, the passenger has to first scan the bar coded boarding pass and the facial recognition system installed at the e-gate will validate the passenger’s identity and travel document.
    • Once this process is done, the passenger can enter the airport through the e-gate.
    • The passenger will have to follow the normal procedure to clear security and board the aircraft.

     

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  • Webinar by AIR 109, Areeba, IPS- The best way to build ‘content’ & add value to UPSC 2023 Mains Answers, Essay? Making UPSC notes & Integrating Current Affairs-GS in your answers | Get FREE GS notes on registration

    Webinar by AIR 109, Areeba, IPS- The best way to build ‘content’ & add value to UPSC 2023 Mains Answers, Essay? Making UPSC notes & Integrating Current Affairs-GS in your answers | Get FREE GS notes on registration

    Get FREE Economic Geography and Internal Security PDF notes on registration | Areeba ma’am, IPS and Parth sir will be LIVE Webinar on 3rd Dec at 6 pm | Register now for direct link |

    (click here for key takeaways)

    (Click) Register for recorded session

    How to solve the UPSC Content and Value Addition problem for UPSC 2023?

    Everyone who is preparing for the UPSC-CSE follows the same or similar UPSC notes and resources, be it current affairs or GS. But, what is the difference which makes one succeed?

    Hey all, being a Senior UPSC Faculty I get to interact with a lot of students like you. In the past couple of months, I had 1-on-1 conversations with hundreds of aspirants (even rankers), and almost 90% of aspirants mentioned lack of content as their biggest handicap.

    You’ve to be extremely selective and don’t need to read everything under the sun for UPSC CSE.

    For instance, I am faced with questions like What are the best sources for XYZ? How to collect content for UPSC answers? What could be avoided from the syllabus? How to collect and organize value-added content like case studies, anecdotes, meetings, etc for UPSC preparation?

    Areeba, AIR 109 will be LIVE with you all for a special Webinar Masterclass to solve these issues for you.

    I will be there with Areeba for this special session for UPSC CSE 2023-24 aspirants. We will be focussing on UPSC Mains and Prelims as well.

    Get FREE Economic Geography and Internal Security PDF notes on registration | Areeba ma’am will be LIVE on 3rd Dec at 6 pm | Register now

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    In the previous seminar, Areeba gave a 6 months strategy for UPSC 2023 Prelims aspirants.

    Table of content:

    Details of the Webinar

    Date: 3rd December (Saturday)

    Time: 6 pm

    Mode: Online (zoom link will be shared with you all)

    Speakers: Areeba Nomaan and Parth Verma

    Get FREE Economic Geography and Internal Security PDF notes on registration | Areeba ma’am will be LIVE on 3rd Dec at 6 pm | Register now

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    Key takeaways from the webinar

    1. How and from where to prepare content and collect/organize value addition concepts for UPSC Mains answers? Like case studies, data, facts, anecdotes, etc.
    2. How to link Current Affairs and GS Static parts in UPSC Preparation and particularly for UPSC answers? Integrating content in your answers for a toppers’ level answer.
    3. How to prepare notes and content for GS Mains papers separately and how to interlink them?
    4. Notes making is quite often confused with writing everything down on paper or digital devices. So, ‘How to make effective notes from current affairs and GS static part’?
    5. Best, authentic, minimum source of current Affairs for UPSC-CSE prelims & Mains Preparation. Do’s & Dont’s, How to remake ‘Recognition of information’ into ‘recall, analyze & express’.
    6. How toppers prioritize momentum mover content and content over structure. ‘How to fix your static answer writing structure, improved with the current affairs?
    7. Whether your answers ought to reflect the editorial standards of The Hindu! What should be the foolproof strategy of note-making from current affairs? What points ought to be included in your notes?
    8. How to create a basic conceptual framework of the current affairs answer before committing anything to paper. Implications of overstretching your imagination.
    9. What is the difference between ‘Opinion-based current affairs’ & ‘Current issues with Fact-based’ questions will also be discussed thoroughly in this webinar.
    1. How to enhance writing patterns, where to take mock regularly, and how many mock tests are optimal?

    CivilsDaily’s Webinar package

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  • QUAD and the Telecom network security

    QUAD

    Context

    • The advent of 5G provides the Quad or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue of the United States (US), Japan, Australia and India, a unique opportunity to demonstrate how democracies can engage in effective technology collaboration.

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    Background: The Huawei and QUAD response

    • Huawei’s connection with Chinese Communist Party: Recognising the risks that companies like Huawei, which is connected to the Chinese Communist Party, pose to telecommunications networks, each member country of the Quad has taken steps to ensure secure and resilient access to 5G.
    • Australia’s measure: Australia, for one, banned Huawei from its 5G rollout in 2018 and did the same with ZTE, citing national security concerns.
    • US concerns: For its part, the US has been raising concerns about Huawei since 2012, and doubled-down on its efforts in 2019 by adding Huawei to the Entity List.
    • Japan creating Open RAN: Japan, meanwhile, a long-time leader in the telecommunications space has accelerated its efforts to create ‘Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN)’, which promote vendor diversification and competition for better solutions.
    • India 5G and conflict with China on border: India took what it called a “step towards the new era” by deploying its first 5G services in select cities in October 2022; it is aiming to extend the network across the country over the next few years. India is unlikely to include Huawei in its networks, given the clash with Chinese forces in Galwan Valley in June 2020 and concerns about vendor trustworthiness.

    QUAD

    QUAD alignment on securing 5G telecom networks

    • Agreement in first meeting: During the first in-person leaders’ meeting in September 2021, Quad countries agreed to “build trust, integrity, and resilience” into technology ecosystems by having suppliers, vendors, and distributors ensure strong safety and security-by-design processes, and committed to a “fair and open marketplace”.
    • Memorandum of cooperation on 5g suppliers: Later, at the fourth meeting in May 2022, partners signed a New Memorandum of Cooperation on 5G Supplier Diversification and Open RAN, and reaffirmed their desire to “collaborate on the deployment of open and secure telecommunications technologies in the region.”

    Why QUAD must cooperate on Network Security?

    • Fast emerging telecom technologies: For one, virtualised (software-based) networks will be the norm in the next 10 years, by which time 6G networks will begin to rollout. Early attention to security issues for emerging telecommunications technologies will help ensure that there is sufficient focus on security in the runup to 5G rollouts.
    • Interoperable software’s need to check: The Quad’s advocacy of Open RAN networks or network architectures that consist of interoperable software run on vendor-neutral hardware is another reason why there is a need to focus on software supply chain and software-based infrastructure security.
    • To ensure the comprehensive network strategy: Critics of Open RAN solutions often point to security concerns to argue against deploying these technologies. A comprehensive 5G security strategy is necessary to ensure trust in these networks.5G networks are critical infrastructure and it is imperative for states to ensure their security.
    • For instance: In 2018, Australian officials were the first to warn the public of the risks posed by untrustworthy vendors on 5G networks. Officials from the other Quad countries have followed suit and, along with key partners such as the European Union and United Kingdom, there is a clear consensus on the fundamental importance of secure and resilient communications networks.

    How QUAD will be a key player in Talent Development?

    • Bridging the gap of talent pool: Nations across the globe are suffering from a talent shortage in the technology domain. With heightened demand for high-skilled workers, like-minded nations must cultivate and share their expertise with one another to bridge critical gaps.
    • Quad Fellowship: this, the Quad created the Quad Fellowship, which will support 100 students per year to pursue STEM-related graduate degrees in the United States. This could be an effective way to grow the talent pipeline in a way that fills current and emerging needs.
    • Restructuring programs that can fulfil the current and future demand: Many nations have started to consider changes to immigration policies for high-skilled talent. Australia, for example, has raised its permanent immigration cap by 35,000 for the current fiscal year, and Japan is planning to expand its programs soon.
    • Creative ways of QUAD countries to recruit talent: Shortage of talent pool that all Quad countries are experiencing as they seek creative ways to grow their technology talent pool. Indian companies, for example, are beginning to recruit in rural areas to address significant tech worker shortages that may stymie a growing start-up ecosystem.

    QUAD

    What QUAD need to do?

    • Ensure close coordination: While these commitments are significant, maintaining momentum requires close coordination of resources and policies. No one country can build resilient, open, and secure telecommunications networks on its own, particularly as countries deploy 5G and think ahead to 6G.
    • Adhering to the goals and principles: To ensure that operationalisation moves forward in line with the Quad’s stated principles and goals, the member countries must work together in four key areas: standard-setting; security; talent development; and vendor diversity.
    • Develop a recruitment framework for telecommunications: Quad countries have an opportunity to set a precedent for other democracies by rethinking what it means to be “qualified” for a position. Companies can look beyond degrees during the hiring process and focus on relevant skills by jointly developing assessment criteria for worker readiness and performance.
    • Incentivise 5G deployment in underserved areas: To ensure that talent is not left out of the candidates’ pool for tech jobs, Quad members can agree to prioritise secure 5G deployment in rural regions. Lack of access to reliable information and communications can be a significant barrier to entering the workforce, and expanding 5G deployment is a critical aspect of broadening the talent pool.
    • Enhance public-private partnerships: As Quad countries build their infrastructure and talent pools at home, they must also think about other countries that only consider cost when choosing Huawei and other untrusted telecom providers. As such, the Quad could leverage public-private partnerships to bolster the presence of trusted companies in new locations. By using coordinated, strategic financial incentives, they will also have an opportunity to train and educate third country governments on the threats posed by untrusted 5G vendors. Consequently, they will contribute to broader network security and resiliency as 5G is more widely deployed.
    • Provide R&D incentives: The governments of the Quad countries should offer incentives to promote ongoing work in hardware, software, and security improvements, specific technologies such as high-band technology and end-to-end network slicing, and research areas including telehealth, energy research, and agriculture. A broad base of enabling technologies and applications would encourage new entrants into the market.

    Conclusion

    • Quad countries are well-positioned to accomplish plenty together. Of the many areas where they can progress, securing 5G is particularly promising due to the clearly stated objectives that Quad countries share. The Quad countries have the potential to provide a secure, flexible and open 5G network model to the Indo-Pacific and nations seeking democratic alternatives for their telecommunications infrastructure.

    Mains question

    Q. It is said that QUAD countries are well-positioned to secure the telecommunication network in the world. Discuss.

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  • Current status of India’s economic growth

    growth

    Context

    • India’s economic growth slowed to 6.5 percent during the July-September quarter because of a fading low-base effect. For the full year, the economy is expected to grow at 7 percent, with risks tilted to the downside. This implies that the second half of the year (October–March) will see growth slow down to 4.6 percent, again largely due to the base effect and slowing global growth.

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    Background: The COVID Pandemic, geopolitical tensions and the Prospects

    • This was the second consecutive quarter with no functional disruption of economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Since October, Google, too, has stopped reporting mobility indicators, which had become one of the most tracked data points for analysts and policymakers since the pandemic struck.
    • This suggests that COVID-19 is unlikely to come in the way of growth for most parts of the world, with China, which is following a zero-COVID policy, being the key exception.

    Performance of Indian economy amidst the current global slowdown

    • Spill over effect in India: In an interconnected world, Geopolitical tensions, high and broad-based inflation in many parts of the world and sharp increases in policy rates in developed countries amid a looming recession will continue to confront the global economy. These effects will spill over to India as well, despite its structural strengths.
    • Slow growth of contact- intensive service sector: Growing at 14.7 per cent, contact-intensive services such as trade, hotels and transport continued to be key drivers of the growth momentum in the second quarter. This segment had borne the brunt of the pandemic because of recurrent lockdowns, and is showing a strong rebound because of pent-up demand, a trend that is likely to continue this year.
    • Strong private consumption: Private consumption was quite strong in the second quarter, growing by 9.7 per cent, and now 11.2 per cent above the pre-pandemic level.
    • Rising domestic demand, good for the economy: The resilience of domestic demand will shape the contours of GDP growth in coming quarters as the global growth momentum is anticipated to lose steam. Advanced economies, whose growth is expected to slow sharply next year, account for almost 45 per cent of India’s merchandise exports.
    • Strong and firm Agriculture sector: Despite climate-related disturbances, agriculture surprisingly held its ground in the second quarter.
    • Healthy tax revenue: So far, healthy tax revenue collections have allowed the government to finance its bloated subsidy bill and investments without much pressure on the fiscal deficit. Led by government capex, investments grew 10.4 per cent in the second quarter.
    • Good corporate balance sheets: strong corporate balance sheets not only cushion them against global headwinds but also provide an opportunity to kick-start the investment cycle once uncertainty subsides.

    growth

    The current status of India’s manufacturing growth

    • Slowed growth: Manufacturing GDP growth slowed rather sharply due to the base effect and margin pressure on manufacturing companies. This is somewhat contradictory to the relatively strong signals from the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) which, at 55.9, was in the expansion zone during the July-September quarter, while also being slower than the IIP growth of 1.4 per cent in the same quarter.
    • Support from the government: Currently, manufacturing is finding some support from government spending on infrastructure, particularly in sectors such as steel and cement. The production-linked incentive scheme has incentivised private investment and fast-forwarded manufacturing investments in electronics and pharmaceuticals.
    • Overall demand is low except few high value segments: The festive season-related production and the continued strong demand in the automobile sector (especially in high-value segments), was not enough to prevent an overall slide in manufacturing.

    The current status of Agriculture sector

    • Strong and firm Agriculture sector: Despite climate-related disturbances, agriculture surprisingly held its ground in the second quarter. Although rains were 6 per cent above normal this year, they were quite lopsided and led to a drop in rice acreage in some of the rice-growing regions on account of rainfall deficiency and some damage to crops from excess unseasonal rains in October.
    • Inconsistency in rainfall may affect kharif: In fact, October rains were 47 per cent above the long-period average. Rain shortfall in some regions, excess in others, and unseasonal excess rains point towards some hit to kharif production.
    • Rabi crops look in good swing: That said, the prospects for the winter crop (rabi crop), which is largely irrigated, look good owing to favourable soil moisture conditions and healthy reservoir levels. While rabi sowing was initially delayed on account of unseasonal October rains, it is now progressing well, with sown area until November 18 about 7 per cent higher than during the same period last year.
    • Overall agriculture growth prospects: This trend, if sustained, should offset the hit to kharif production to some extent. Overall, we expect agriculture to grow at 3 per cent this year, lower than the decadal average of 3.8 per cent.
    • Food inflation: Abnormal weather has also triggered food inflation, particularly in cereals, which will cool off only when the prospects for rabi crop become clear. While fall in inflation in October was largely due to a high base effect, core inflation continues to be sticky and food inflation risks persists.

    growth

    Conclusion

    • India’s growth cycle has become well-synchronized with those of advanced economies. So, a sharp slowdown in these countries will spill over to India and the maximum impact of domestic interest rate hikes on growth will play out next fiscal given that monetary policy impacts growth with a lag. The key policy challenge for India will be to manage a soft landing amid the possibility of a hard landing in advanced countries.

    Mains question

    Q. COVID pandemic disrupted the global economy, moreover the geopolitical tensions are adding to the existing slow growth. In this context, discuss the current status of Indian economy.

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  • G20: Setting the World Agenda Through Task Forces

    G20

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    Context

    • India’s G20 presidency began on December 1. It will be driven by the underlying vision of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, best encapsulated by the motto “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. As the main “ideas bank” of the G20, the activities and deliberations of the Think20 (T20) engagement group of the G20 are spread over seven task forces.

    Task force on “Macroeconomics, trade, and livelihoods”

    • Create Coherence in monetary and fiscal policy: It has the mandate to make recommendations on coordination within the G20 to create coherence in monetary and fiscal policy, trade, investment, and supply chain resilience.
    • Recover together, recover stronger: The aim is to give further impetus to the initiatives taken by the Indonesian presidency to “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” in the post-pandemic period.
    • Consensus on international trade: With supply chain resilience emerging as a common concern against the backdrop of ineffective WTO mechanisms, the G20 has assumed the mantle as the most significant platform to forge consensus among the top 20 economies on international trade policy.

    G20

    Task force on “Digital Futures”

    • Digital infrastructure: It will endeavour to build an inclusive digital public infrastructure to ensure affordability and safe access by all.
    • Interoperability of Digital services: It will discuss the universal interoperability of digital services. It will also address issues of digital financial inclusion and skills, both integral to economic growth.

    Task force on “LiFE, Resilience, and Values for Wellbeing”

    • Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE): The LiFE initiative aims to put the individual at the centre of the discourse and to sensitise every human being, regardless of nationality and geography. If individuals become more conscious of their lifestyle choices and act more responsibly, it can make a huge difference.
    • Contribution of all: The focus on LiFE is a timely initiative given the fact that the deleterious effects of climate change on the economy and livelihood are felt the most by the vulnerable countries around the world.

    G20

    Task force on “Green transitions”

    • Refuelling growth: Growth will be the aim of the task force on green transitions as it recommends pathways for a smooth transition to clean energy without compromising on efforts for global economic revival in a post-pandemic world.

    Task force on the “Global financial order”

    • Restructuring the financial institution: It will examine the potential for realigning the global financial architecture. The challenge today is to restructure institutions in accordance with contemporary economic needs, including for infrastructure.
    • Finance and resource mobilization: Greater access to development finance and resource mobilisation through innovative methods is of key importance.

    Task force on “Accelerating SDGs”

    • Sustainable collaboration: It will explore new pathways to deliver on the 2030 agenda through strengthened and sustainable collaboration.
    • Focus on circular economy to reduce waste: Given the earth’s finite resources, a shift towards a circular economy and deliberate and mindful consumption is likely to reduce waste and help build a virtuous cycle for development.

    Task Force on “Reformed Multilateralism”

    • Road map for Multilateralism 2.0: It will seek to create a roadmap for “Multilateralism 2.0”. A targeted reform agenda for key multilateral institutions, whether the United Nations or its affiliated frameworks such as the WHO, WTO and the ILO, must be undertaken.
    • Representative world order: With sincere efforts, the global community can look forward to the birth of a more representative and egalitarian multipolar world order from the chrysalis of the G20.

    G20

    Conclusion

    • The year ahead is an opportunity for India to share its values to world. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the guiding canon for India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and Vaccine Maitri, places higher human values above narrow nationalism. It is an approach that is expected to permeate all aspects of India’s G20 Presidency.

    Mains Question

    Q. What are the different task forces created under India’s G20 presidency? Briefly explain the role of different task forces.

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  • 2nd Dec 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    2nd Dec 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

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