[WpProQuiz 1128]
[WpProQuiz_toplist 1128]
UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Search results for: “”
-
Building Strong Fundamentals for IAS 2023-24: Mastering Current Affairs and NCERTs | Dimple’s Masterclass. Open to all. Register for FREE
Register to get the recorded session.
Masterclass attendees will get a special FREE preparatory package for you. Details here.
UPSC CSE is considered the toughest exam in the world but the nature of the exam is such that it doesn’t require any specialized study in the major part of the paper (GS papers- both Prelims and Mains). It is believed that if the fundamentals are strong, it must take just one attempt to clear it.
This is evident from the trend of many first-timers, just out of college, being able to clear in the first attempt.
The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions will be such as to test a candidate’s general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services. The questions are likely to test the candidate’s basic understanding of all relevant issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio-economic goals, objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and succinct answers (in the mains)
From UPSC’s Official Notification
This highlights the necessity of building a strong foundation for the exam. Since current affairs constitute the bulk of the questions both in Prelims and Mains, and the rest of the questions from static concepts covered in standard books, especially NCERTs, you need to have a great command over these two.
You will get the opportunity for 1-1 discussion with Dimple ma’am Dimple ma’am will be taking up a (FREE) Open to all Masterclass on 3rd October 2022 at 7:30 pm
Table of content:
..strong fundamentals can’t be built only by reading and reading. Do a comparative study with current affairs and brush NCERTs accordingly up. IAS 2023 will be yours.
Dimple, Senior Faculty @ CivilsDaily
UPSC Masterclass Details: 3rd October, (Monday) at 7:30 PM.
Important topics to be discussed in the Masterclass by Dimple ma’am, Senior Faculty @ Civilsdaily.
- Covering and focussing on Essential NCERTs and standard books. How to make a comparative study, how to maintain balancing revision, etc from both.
- How to cover current affairs for Prelims and Mains? Current affairs are changing all the time so, how to cope with current affairs like toppers will also be discussed.
- Making notes: Reflecting the beauty of current affairs, how to try to provide yourself with productive, knowledgeable, and integrated information about topics as broad as Indian society, foreign affairs, and Govt schemes, Etc.
- The untold secret of ‘how & from where UPSC asks direct questions from NCERTs. Because of how thin they are but they are the ones who carry the solutions to all our problems.
- How to build command over NCERTs is going to be another crucial point of this awesome session.
- As per the changing pattern whether only CBSE NCERTs of class XI and XII are important or Tamil Nadu NCERTs also to be good to follow will be discussed elaborately.
- Is UPSC asking more and more offbeat current affairs questions? If yes, how to deal with and what is the one-stop solution source to prepare for UPSC’s current affairs?
- How NCERTs help us to comprehend whether a current affairs topic is important or not. How to build an impenetrable fundamental concept to make an ‘Intelligent Guessing’.
- Along with NCERTs how many advanced reference books are actually needful?
- Whether it is UPSC Prelims or mains, how to cover NCERTs, how to revise and memorize current affairs, etc. all very very important facts will be thoroughly discussed in this masterclass.
What you’ll get as a part of the Special Preparatory Package?
As a part of this Masterclass by Shubham sir you are entitled to these:
- FREE Mentorship session with Senior IAS Mentor on strategy and approach for UPSC 2023
- Samachar Manthan’s current week’s module and Mains Questions
- Prelims Weekly MCQ PDF
- Mains 250+ Value notes
- Current month’s Monthly Magazine
Register for the Masterclass, we’ll email you the above content on registration.
About Dimple Chouhan
Dimple Chouhan is a senior IAS faculty at CivilsDaily. She has been mentoring UPSC aspirants for 4 years now and has mentored 150+ aspirants to Prelims success.
You will get a chance to discuss 1-1 with Dimple ma’am in the Masterclass.
What The Hindu mentioned about Civilsdaily Mentorship
-
3rd October 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)
Topics for Today’s questions:
GS-1 Salient features of world’s physical geography.
GS-2 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
GS-3 Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.
GS-4 Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance
Question 1)
Q.1 What do you mean by temperature inversion? Highlighting the suitable conditions for temperature inversion, discuss its multidimensional impacts. (10 Marks)
Question 2)
Q.2 Social audit is a good instrument for participatory governance and transparency, but it has limitations. Identify the limitations and suggest measures for increasing the effectiveness and usefulness of social audit. (10 Marks)
Question 3)
Q.3 The Government’s decision to create the post of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), a long-pending demand to bring in tri-service synergy and integration, is touted as one of the biggest top-level military reforms since independence. Highlighting the role of the CDS, evaluate the challenges ahead. (15 Marks)
Question 4)
Q.4 If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so. Discuss. (10 Marks)
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
-
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
-
A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.
-
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
-
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
-
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
-
If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th February is uploaded on 11th February then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis
-
If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th February is uploaded on 13th February , then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.
-
We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.
*In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*.
- For the philosophy of AWE and payment:
-
-
Satellite Broadband Services in India
The race for providing satellite broadband connectivity in India is heating up as companies like Jio, Oneweb, Hughes and Tata-backed Nelco are preparing to provide these services.
Recent developments on satellite broadband
- Earlier last month, Hughes Communications India (HCI), a satellite internet service provider launched India’s first high throughput satellite (HTS) broadband service powered by ISRO satellites.
- It used Ku-band capacity from ISRO GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 satellites with Hughes JUPITER Platform ground technology to deliver high-speed broadband.
What is a Satellite Broadband Service?
- Broadband essentially means a wide bandwidth, high-capacity data transmission technique, using a broad range of frequencies.
- In the case of a satellite broadband service, broadband services are delivered directly via satellites instead of optical fibre or mobile networks.
How is it different from existing broadband services?
(1) Transmission of data over space
- The main difference is that aggregation of all the data generated and transmitted by users accessing the internet happens in the sky or space that is in the satellite.
- In contrast to this, if we take a look at cellular networks, aggregation happens on the ground, in the base stations through optical fibre, cable, etc.
(2) Access to the services
- Another key difference is that to access satellite services, we will need a dish antenna just like we do in the case of TV services, so a normal mobile handset cannot directly access satellite broadband.
- For a user to access satellite broadband a clear line of sight to the satellite is needed.
Advantages offered
- Speed: The main advantage of satellite services is that you can provide high-speed internet services in remote areas, where terrestrial networks cannot be set up.
- Eliminating terrain shortcomings: For instance in the middle of the ocean, in rugged unreachable terrain such as the Himalayas — even as remote as on top of Mt. Everest, satellite broadband will work.
- Curbing the divide: In a country with a wide range of geographies such as India, 20-25 per cent of the Indian population resides in areas where it is extremely hard for terrestrial operators to install internet facilities.
Present scope in India
- Currently, VSAT operators offer satellite broadband services at a very limited capacity in India in a few remote locations.
- The utilisation of satellite services for broadband services is restricted to minimal applications — such as disaster management, defence, scientific locations, etc.
How India (undoubtedly, the ISRO) has geared up for adapting to this?
- ISRO’s high throughput GEO (Geostationary Equatorial Orbit) satellites – GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 a few years ago, can beam high-speed internet up to 300 gigabytes per second.
- Apart, many global players look to provide satellite broadband services in India by deploying low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
- They are launching a constellation of satellites very close to the earth’s surface in order to reduce the latency of satellite broadband.
- Presently, Elon Musk’s Starlink, Sunil Bharti Mittal-backed OneWeb and the Canadian satellite major Telesat are eyeing the Indian market.
When will these services be available in India?
- If things go as planned and the players get the necessary regulatory clearance, these services could become operational in India as soon as next year.
- OneWeb wants to provide backhaul services to telcos by mid-next year, while Starlink wants to provide direct broadband services by December 2022, aiming at 2 lakh terminals.
- Telesat, on the other hand, is eyeing an India launch by 2024.
How much will it cost?
- The provision of direct broadband services through satellites will be pricey.
- According to a user guide for India, provided by Starlink, the first-year cost of a Starlink terminal will be ₹1,58,000 after which it will cost around ₹1,15,000 every year.
Has it been rolled out in other parts of the world?
- Starlink is operational in 14 countries, with 1 lakh terminals shipped to North America and Europe.
- Starlink and OneWeb are still launching satellites that will be a part of their LEO constellation.
What are the major hurdles?
- Latency: Additionally, satellite Internet latency can be a significant problem. This can be a matter of only a second or two, but a delay on that scale can seriously affect real-time applications like video chats.
- Spatial hurdles: Users might not be able to connect to a satellite at all if they are located under heavy foliage or surrounded by other obstructions.
- Limited bandwidth: Satellite data transfer provides very slow Internet speeds and limited satellite bandwidth because of the distances the signals have to travel and all the potential obstacles in between.
- Connection times: This can also be impacted by your surroundings, the length of your message, and the status and availability of the satellite network.
- High input cost: This along with the complex equipment like satellite dishes being used to avail these services makes the service expensive.
Perspective analysis: Why is India itself lagging in this race?
- Globally, companies are striving to build and deploy “mega-constellations” of hundreds or thousands of satellites for this.
- Despite India’s impressive achievements in the space sector, growth has been at snail’s pace.
- Satellite broadband services in India remains primarily for the B2B sector with a market size of roughly $100 million.
Reason’s for India’s slow pace
- Upgrade issues: The Indian networks are still using conventional satellites despite the proliferation of high throughput satellites world-over.
- Lack of domestic industries: There is a lack of domestic participation for building space infrastructure despite ‘Make in India’ mission.
Way forward
- An urgent re-look at deregulation and privatization is required.
- Advanced space-faring nations have privatized most of these blocks in the value chain.
- There is a need for building systems to help nurture the industry and create an extensive ecosystem to generate a ‘Space 2.0’ in India.
UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
-
Natural Gas: The energy future of India
Context- The announcement at the end of August by the ministry of petroleum that they had constituted a committee, headed by energy expert Kirit Parikh, to review the domestic natural gas pricing regime.
Background
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to raise the share of gas in India’s energy mix to 15% by 2030 from 6.2%, helping it progress towards meeting a 2070 net zero carbon-emission goal.
What is Natural Gas?
- Natural gas is a fossil fuel source consisting primarily of methane. It is the cleanest fossil fuels among the available fossil fuels.
- It is used as a feedstock in the manufacture of fertilizers, plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals as well as used as a fuel for electricity generation, heating purpose in industrial and commercial units.
- Natural gas is also used for cooking in domestic households and a transportation fuel for vehicles.
Why Natural gas is Important?- Energy Efficient:Natural gas produces more energy than any of the fossil fuels in terms of calorific value.
- Cleaner fuel: Natural gas is a superior fuel as compared with coal and other liquid fuels being an environment-friendly, safer and cheaper fuel.
- Economy of use: Natural Gas (as CNG) is much cheaper compared with petrol or Diesel.
- Emission commitments: India made a commitment to COP-21 Paris Convention in December 2015 that by 2030, it would reduce carbon emission by 33%-35% of 2005 levels.
- Diverse applications: Natural gas can be used as domestic kitchen fuel, fuel for the transport sector as well as a fuel for fertilizer industries and commercial units.
- Supply chain convenience: Natural Gas is supplied through pipelines just like we get water from the tap. There is no need to store cylinders in the kitchen and thus save space.
- Pacing up the progress line: On the global front,switching to natural gas is bringing commendable results.The latest report released by IEA shows that the electricity produced by natural gas worldwide was more than that of coal for the first time ever.
Natural gas scenario in India
- Domestic Gas Sources: The domestic gas in the country is being supplied from the oil & gas fields located at western and southeastern areas viz. Hazira basin, Mumbai offshore & KG basin as well as North East Region (Assam & Tripura).
- Import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): In order to meet the gas demand, LNG is imported through the Open General License (OGL) in the country. At present, India is having six operational LNG regasification terminals at Dahej, Kochi, Mundra, Ennore etc.
- Gas Pipelines :
- Gas Pipeline infrastructure is an economical and safe mode of transporting natural gas by connecting gas sources to gas-consuming markets.
- An interconnected National Gas Grid has been envisaged to ensure the adequate availability and equitable distribution of natural gas in all parts of the country.
- Pricing:
- To incentivise gas producers and boost local output, since 2014 India has linked local gas prices to a formula tied to global benchmarks, including Henry Hub, Alberta gas, NBP and Russian gas.
- In 2016, the country began fixing the ceiling prices of gas produced from ultra-deep water and challenging fields and allowed marketing freedom to the operators of these fields.
Statistics of Natural gas in India- Current consumption: India’s natural gas consumption is expected to grow by eight per cent year-on-year to around 34,949 million standard cubic meters (MSCM) in the current calendar year aided by expanding infrastructure, strong GDP growth projections, and supportive government policy.
- 2021 Consumption: In the 2021 calendar year (CY), the country’s natural gas demand stood at 32,360 MSCM. The share of domestic gas and imported RLNG was about 48% & 52% respectively. The City Gas Distribution (CGD) accounts for the largest consumption of natural gas followed by fertilizers, power and other industrial sectors
- High prices: The state-set local gas prices and ceiling rates are at a record high and are expected to rise further due to a surge in global gas prices triggered by the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Kirit Parikh Committee
- Objective: Ensuring fair prices to end consumers, and to suggest a market oriented, transparent and reliable pricing regime for India’s long term vision for ensuring a gas based economy.
- Members: The committee,headed by energy expert Kirit Parikh, will include members from the fertiliser ministry, as well as gas producers and buyers.Four of the six members are from the public sector.
What are the problems facing India’s natural gas reserves?- Harsh topography: IHS CERA has estimated India has undiscovered gas resources of approximately 64 TCF The bulk of this is, however, in harsh topography and complex geology. These reserves are difficult to locate.
- Distant from the market:Even if located,they are difficult to bring to market on economically viable terms. This is because the cost of creating the development and production infrastructure is massive.
- Heavy Budget: The reality is India is a high-risk exploration play. There are inherent geologic, technical, and economic obstacles to achieving commercial success.
- Administered Pricing: Constraint of administered pricing petroleum companies have reduced their exploration budgets under pressure to shift away from fossil fuels.
What can be done?
- Pricing freedom: It should clear up the existing complexity and, other than for producers of gas from nomination blocks, permit all producers of gas to determine prices through arms length,direct and transparent negotiations with different consumer segments.
- Subsidies: There are no liquefaction facilities for the export of LNG in India. Subsidies may have to be provided but if so,they should be given directly by the government,through the exchequer. The gas producers must not be asked to bear that brunt.
Conclusion
- In the wake of the Ukraine crisis, the international energy market has undergone a profound transformation.India has made impressive progress towards clean energy. It has,however, a long way to go before it can fully wean itself off fossil fuels.
Mains Question
Q. It is evident that clean energy transitions are underway and it’s also a signal that we have the opportunity to meaningfully move the needle on emissions through more ambitious policies and investments in natural gas regime. Comment
UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
-
Food security and Climate change:The Interlink
Context- In pursuance of the earlier announcement of additional food security under PMGKAY, the Union Cabinet has approved the extension for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY-Phase VII) for a further period of 3 months from October to December 2022.
What is Climate Change?
- United Nations defines Climate change as long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas
What is food security?
- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)defines food security as , when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana?- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) is a scheme as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat to supply free food grains to migrants and poor.
- Phase-I and Phase-II of this scheme was operational from April to June, 2020 and July to November, 2020 respectively.
- The PMGKAY scheme for Phase VI from April-September, 2022 would entail an estimated additional food subsidy of Rs. Rs. 80,000 Crore.
How food security and climate change are interlinked?
- Extreme events: India is going to have extreme events such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, etc of increasing intensity and frequency.
- Rising GHGs emission: We may keep blaming developed economies and ask for climate justice, yet we will have to act fast and boldly to correct our own policies that increase GHG emissions and aggravate the situation.
- Subsidies: Power provided at next-to-nothing prices, free water and highly subsidised fertilisers especially urea are some of the policies that are damaging the natural environment.
- Food ecosystem: Food security is one of the leading concerns associated with climate change. Climate change affects food security in complex ways. It impacts crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, and can cause grave social and economic consequences in the form of reduced incomes, eroded livelihoods, trade disruption and adverse health impacts.
Why food security is a matter of concern?- Fiscal deficit: The fiscal deficit of the Centre may go higher than provisioned in the Budget for FY23. The finance ministry not supporting the extension of this free food beyond September was, economically, a rational recommendation. More so as Covid-19 is behind us and the economy is back to its normal level of activity.
- Depleting stocks: The PMGKAY was announced in April 2020 in the wake of the pandemic’s first wave. At that time, it was perhaps necessary to support all those who lost their jobs. But doubling free rations depleted the bulging stocks of grains. Now with wheat procurement having plummeted, there is a concern about whether stocks are enough to curb inflationary expectations in the country.
- Less harvest: To replenish wheat stocks in FCI godowns, the government will have to raise the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat quite substantially. For rice, the current stocks are ample, but given the monsoon vagaries, the forthcoming rice harvest is estimated to be about 7 million tonnes less.
- Rising MSP: PMGKAY will be difficult to extend beyond December without putting an undue burden on MSPs and the fiscal deficit.
- Other reasons:
- Inflation: Even though the RBI has raised the repo rate by 50 basis points, the probability of inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), remaining higher than the central bank’s tolerance band is increasing by the day.
- Depreciating Rupee: The RBI has already spent more than $80 billion to support the rupee, and there are limits to which it can go. And, if RBI tries to hold the rupee artificially high, it will adversely hit Indian exports, widening the current account deficit and putting further pressure on the rupee. The best that RBI can and should do is to avoid a sudden and abrupt fall in the rupee, but also let it find its natural level given what is happening globally, especially in the currency markets.
- Long haul: The risks of higher inflation from the falling rupee remain and are likely to continue for at least one year, if not more.
What can we do?- Increasing foreign exchange reserves: Government have to have innovative policies to promote exports and attract more foreign direct investment (FDI).
- Fixing Issue price: fix the issue prices of PDS supplies at half the MSP and limit the PDS coverage to 30 per cent of the bottom population.
- On rupee fall: The best that RBI can and should do is to avoid a sudden and abrupt fall in the rupee, but also let it find its natural level given what is happening globally, especially in the currency markets.
- Use of technology: If we have to tame food inflation, we will have to invest more in climate-smart agriculture, in precision farming, with high productivity and less damage to natural resources.
- Right ecosystem: Science and technologies can, of course, help us, but they cannot be scaled in a perverse policy ecosystem.
- Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices: India needs to step up public investment in development and dissemination of crop varieties which are more tolerant of temperature and precipitation fluctuations and are more water and nutrient efficient.
- Management of water resources: A four pronged strategy is recommended for the water sector; Increase irrigation efficiency, Promote micro irrigation in water-deficient areas, Better water resource infrastructure planning, Restoration of water bodies in rural areas, Stronger emphasis on public health.
- Long-term relief measures in the event of natural disasters: A recent report by NITI Aayog suggests that the government should transfer a minimum specified sum of cash to affected farmers and landless workers as an instant relief. For richer farmers who may want insurance above this relief, the report recommends a separate commercially viable crop insurance programme.
Conclusion
- So far India has done well to tame the food inflation as compared to other developed and developing economies. Present policy of RBI burning the FOREX and government increasing the deficit is unsustainable in long run. Food security needs to be insured by climate resilient policies for long term sustenance.
Mains Question
Q.Climate change is a growing concern that threatens sustainable development in addition to food security and inflation. Discuss
UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
-
1st October 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions
[WpProQuiz 1127]
[WpProQuiz_toplist 1127]
UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
-
Super Mentorship for Working Professionals
UPSC Preparation doesn’t have to be a gamble. Prepare it with your full-time job.
Register for the Program
[contact-form-7 id=”4d919e5″ title=”Ads”]To get up to 15% OFF on Course Fee
Preparing with a full-time job was the best decision…and CivilsDaily made it easy for me.
Mantri Mourya, AIR 28, UPSC 2021
Responsibilities and financial independence must not stop you from following your passion and making your dream come true.
Let our Super Mentors help you balance your responsibilities (job) and dream (UPSC preparation)
Based on the time you have, the nature of your job, your learning style, previous UPSC experience, family, and other such parameters we will design your personalized strategy, one that is best for YOU.
Three Layered Intensive Mentorship
Layer 1: You will be assigned a dedicated in-house mentor who will keep track of our progress from the start till your final interview.
Layer 2: CivilsDaily 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.
You need 12-14 hrs to clear UPSC is a myth. It is all about consistency and discipline in your preparation.
Your mentor is going to work not only on the content and information part, but also on imparting the UPSC skills necessary to ace this exam like: answer writing, not making, articulation of thought, processing information, and making it useful for UPSC prep, etc.
Dilpreet Singh, IPS is also a Super Mentor at CivilsDaily and he got into IPS all the while he was working in a full time job.
Know your Super Mentors…
…many more
Civilsdaily IAS Coaching Institute is one of the top UPSC coaching in India as it gives a well-planned route map to crack the Civil Service Exam.
The Hindu has solemnly acknowledged Civilsdaily’s high-rated mentorship program
Rankers from Smash Mentorship programs Did you Know?
Almost 60% of our mentorship students are working aspirants.
Over 200 Selections in UPSC CSE 2022 from Civilsdaily.
-
Nord Stream Pipeline Leakage: A climate Catastrophe
Context- Four leakages were reported at different points in the Nord Stream pipelines, linking Russia and Europe, since September 26. Two of the leaks were in Swedish waters while the other two were reported from Danish waters. The European Union said they suspected “sabotage” behind the leaks.
What is Nord Stream Pipeline?
- Nord Stream 1:
- Nord Stream 1 is the biggest pipeline transporting natural gas between Russia and Europe via Germany.It is a system of offshore natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
- Nord Stream 1 is a 1,224 km underwater gas pipeline that runs from Vyborg in northwest Russia to Lubmin in northeastern Germany via the Baltic Sea.
- Nord Stream 2:
- Russian threats to choke this gas supply to Europe present an economic threat to Germany.
- To expand options and double the supply from Russia, Germany decided to build Nord Stream 2.
- The construction of the $11 billion-worth Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021 but never began commercial operations.
Why the Nord Stream pipeline is so important?- For Germany: Energy prices in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, are among the lowest in the continent because of the cheap gas supplies via Nord Stream 1. This also makes German manufactured goods more competitive in the international market.
- For European Union: In 2021, Russia supplied nearly 40 per cent of the EU’s natural gas needs through this pipeline. The flows through Nord Stream play a vital role in filling up the national storage tanks of EU. It is crucial to provide the required heating in the upcoming winter.
- For Russia: Russia is using the supplies via the crucial pipeline as a bargain to navigate its economy through sanctions from the western countries.
What is the current status of Nord Stream Pipeline?
- Nord stream pipeline is the largest single supply route for Russian gas to Europe. The Russian state owned gas company Gazprom has a majority ownership in the pipeline.
- While it was running at just 20% of its capacity since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, the company, in early September fully cut gas flows from the pipeline on the pretext of maintenance.
- According to Bloomberg, while 40% of Europe’s pipeline gas came from Russia before Russia Ukraine the war, the number now stands at just 9%.
- Even though both pipelines were not running commercially, they had millions of cubic metres of gas stored in them.
The recent leakage in the pipeline
- Commercial Methane: Measuring satellite firm GHGSat says, that a conservative estimate based on available data suggested that the leaks together were releasing ‘more than500 metric tonnes of methane per hour’ when first breached, with the flow decreasing over time.
- Biggest methane leakage ever: According to UNEP The leakage from the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline system under the Baltic Sea have led to perhaps the single biggest release of methane ever recorded.
- Amount of leakage: The rate of leakage at one of the four points of rupture in the pipeline was 22,920 kg per hour. That is equal to burning about 286,000 kg of coal every hour, according to scientists.
What will be the Impact of methane leakage?- Possibility of more leakage: With the timeframe for repairs being uncertain, the pipelines were unlikely to provide any gas to Europe in the forthcoming winter months, even if the political will to resume supply was found.
- Commercial damage: European gas prices spiked after reports of the leaks emerged; European Benchmark prices rose 12% on Tuesday, while Dutch and British Prices continued to rise.
- Ozone formation: Methane is the primary contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, a hazardous air pollutant and greenhouse gas, exposure to which causes 1 million premature deaths every year.
- Green House gas: Methane is also a powerful greenhouse gas. Over a 20-year period, it is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide.
- Global warming: Methane has accounted for roughly 30 per cent of global warming since pre-industrial times and is proliferating faster than at any other time since record keeping began in the 1980s.
- Emission have already increased during the lockdown: According to data from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, even as carbon dioxide emissions decelerated during the pandemic-related lockdowns of 2020, atmospheric methane shot up.
Why is it important to reduce methane emission?
- Short lifespan: Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years. But it takes only about a decade for methane to break down. So, reducing methane emissions now would have an impact in the near term and is critical for helping keep the world on a path to 1.5°C.
- Human caused methane emissions: Human-caused methane emissions could be reduced by as much as 45 per cent within the decade. This would avert nearly 0.3°C of global warming by 2045, helping to limit global temperature rise to 1.5˚C and putting the planet on track to achieve the Paris Agreement targets.
- Prevent premature deaths: Every year, the subsequent reduction in ground-level ozone would also prevent 260,000 premature deaths, 775,000 asthma-related hospital visits, 73 billion hours of lost labour from extreme heat and 25 million tonnes of crop losses.
- Reducing the Agriculture emission: Agriculture and allied activities remains the biggest contributor of methane emission. The UN’s Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture initiative is supporting the transformation of agricultural and food systems, focusing on how to maintain productivity amid a changing climate. Representatives are also working to mainstream agriculture into the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Conclusion
- Nord stream pipeline leakages will further exacerbate the ozone formation, Green House Gas emissions global warming and thereby climate change. In the spirit of Paris climate change agreement nations must act together to rein in the menace of GHG emissions.
Mains Questions
Q.Methane emission into atmosphere is done more by human activities than natural causes. In the spirit of Paris climate change agreement nations must act together to rein in the menace of GHG emissions. Explain
UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
-
[Sansad TV] Perspective: Food Loss & Waste
UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Context
- The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) is being observed for the third time on 29 September 2022 with the theme ‘Stop Food Loss and Waste! For People and Planet.’
- This day assumes huge importance due to the rising food insecurity across the globe.
- Food loss and waste (FLW) is an important topic due to its high socioeconomic costs and its relationship to waste management and climate change challenges.
Worldwide Food Loss and Waste (FLW)
- According to the United Nations Environment Programme, an estimated 14 percent of the world’s food is lost between harvest and retail.
- Moreover, an estimated 17 per cent is wasted in retail and at the consumption level.
- This food loss and waste accounts for 8-10 per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions.
- As the data suggests that approx 4 to 5 lakhs people die without food every year and this includes the dependent population of the country as well.
What is Food Loss and Waste?
- Food loss and waste is food that is not eaten.
- The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption.
Why should we discuss this?
- Pre-consumption Losses: Nearly 40% of the food produced in India is wasted every year due to fragmented food systems and inefficient supply chains.
- Post-harvest damages: India does incur huge losses due to post-harvest damages. Economic cost of post-harvest loss is nearly 926.51 bn INR as per a 2014 study.
- Rotting in godowns: In the wake of the lockdown imposed last year, surplus stocks of grain — pegged at 65 lakh tonnes in the first four months of 2020 — continued to rot in godowns across India.
- Huge share of GDP: It is about 0.6% of India’s GDP and two and a half times the Budget estimate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
FLW in India: Causes
There are some reasons which cause huge food waste of food in the country:
- Food habits: First is that India is a nation where maximum foods are spicy and the reason for them to get rot very early.
- Cultural issues: The culture of our nation, let’s not take it otherwise but we can can’t deny that the wedding functions causes large amount of food waste.
- Household losses: The data on food wastage at the retail and household levels is at the nascent stage.
- Replacement of manures: Chemical fertilizers has replaced the organic one which is a big replacement of leftover wastes.
- Logistics: Uneven transportation and warehousing is another factor for FLW.
Why is it important to reduce food loss and waste?
- Prevalence of hunger: If more food is wasted, then the remaining food is available at higher prices. This excludes many people from accessing quality food owing to poor socio-economic conditions.
- Sustainability of food system: Food loss and waste undermine the sustainability of our food systems. When food is lost or wasted, all the resources that were used to produce this food – including water, land, energy, labour and capital – go to waste.
- Emissions by FLW: In addition, the disposal of food loss and waste in landfills, leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change.
- Food insecurity: Food loss and waste can also negatively impact food security and food availability, and contribute to increasing the cost of food.
Steps taken by India
- SDG commitment: Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 talks about halving food loss and waste by 2030. It also talks about halving the food loss in production and supply chains.
- Institutional research: India has been systematically estimating food loss since 1968 and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has also conducted several studies and quantified the loss at certain levels.
- NITI Aayog moves: Ashok Dalwai Committee has suggested various interventions that go beyond the supply chain in the report to double farmer’s income by 2025.
- SAMPADA Scheme: Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters was launched in 2016. One of the core components of the scheme involves developing an integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure.
- National Food Security Act, 2013: It places an obligation on the government to deliver quality food at affordable prices to the poor. This places an indirect obligation on the government to reduce food wastage.
Way forward
- Inducing behavior change: Public needs to be sensitized as the food resources belong to the community irrespective of their individual financial capacity. Nobody has the right to waste limited food (or any other resources).
- Food Banking: There are examples of many NGO-run food banks where leftover food is collected and shared to the needy.
- Boosting local supply chains: This should be optimized to reduce post-harvest and transportation losses.
- Prevention: Last but not the least. Prevention of food losses is far better than mitigation.
Conclusion
- Our food systems cannot be resilient if they are not sustainable, hence the need to focus on the adoption of integrated approaches designed to reduce food loss and waste.
- Actions are required globally and locally to maximize the use of the food we produce.
- The introduction of technologies, innovative solutions, new ways of working, and good practices to manage food quality and reduce food loss and waste are key to implementing this transformative change.
UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
