Editorial Analysis CompilationSeptember

INSIGHTSIAS
IA SIMPLIFYING IAS EXAM PREPARATION
INSTA EDITORIAL
COMPILATIONS
SEPTEMBER 2023
www.insightsactivelearn.com | www.insightsonindia.com
Table of Content:
GS2:
Polity:
1. A progressive UCC must protect the child’s best interests
2. An overhaul, the criminal law Bills, and the big picture
3. The Cauvery Water Management Authority should act
4. From women’s reservation to gender equality
International Relations:
1. The implications of the expansion of BRICS
2. Finding Seoul in the Indo-Pacific
3. An unforgettable presidency
4. Corridor To A New World
GS3:
Economy:
1. Ridding India of food insecurity
2. A clear message to industry on dispute resolution
Ecology and environment:

1. A Climate Question For G20
2. Emerging countries need women-led climate action
3. Disentangling the 2030 global renewable energy target
4. Ethanol – a savior that gives savings
5. With climate change, tackling new disease scenarios
Science and technology:

1. Lift-Off And The Law
2. Taking a giant leap for a new ethics in outer space
3. The complex path to biofuel sustainability
4. Children, a key yet missed demographic in AI regulation
Agriculture:
1. A push for GM mustard disregarding science, the law
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
A progressive UCC must protect the child’s best interests
Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Uniform civil Code, Directive Principles of State Policy etc
■ Mains GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development of
various sectors, weaker sections of society and interventions for their
development etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ Government may bring in a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by holding a special
session of Parliament on September 18-22, 2023
■ There is a need to think beyond polygamy and divorce and other such
issues.
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

Context
Uniform Civil Code:
● It provides for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious
communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance,
adoption etc.
● Article 44: It lays down that the state shall endeavor to secure a UCC for the
citizens throughout the territory of India.
A UCC and guardian:
● The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 considers the welfare of the child as
the prime consideration in the determination of custody.
● Section 6 of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 declares the
father as the natural guardian and ‘after him’ the mother;
○ The mother would ordinarily have custody till the child attains five
years of age.
○ The person would lose custody if she/he ceases to be Hindu.
● In Githa Hariharan (1999), the SC held that the expression ‘after him’ does
not necessarily mean ‘after life-time’ of the father but, instead, ‘in the absence
of’.
Child custody under Islamic laws:

● Custody under Islamic law is the right of the child and not of the parents.
○ The father is at number six in terms of the right to custody after the
mother, mother’s mother howsoever high, paternal grandmother,
sister, maternal aunt and paternal aunt.
○ Under the Hanafi school, the mother does not lose custody after she
ceases to be a Muslim.
● Islamic law gave custody to the mother till a boy attains seven years and a
daughter till she is 17, under the Hanafi school.
● The Shafii and Hanbali schools gave custody to the mother till a daughter is
married.
● Under the Maliki school, the mother gets custody of even a male child till
puberty and female child till her marriage.
Case studies(about children Custody):

Bombay High Court
● The custody of a child who had already been adopted to be given to the
biological father (he is accused of rape which resulted in this child being
born).
● Later the 17-year-old biological mother realized that she was pregnant
● Based on a complaint by the minor mother’s father — under the
○ The biological father was arrested but was granted bail later.
● The mother and child were sent to a home in Mumbai.
● In 2022, the biological mother got married to another person
● In the larger interests of the child, surrendered the boy to the Child
Welfare Committee (CWC) for adoption.
● The child, under Section 38(3) of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, being an
unwanted child of a victim of sexual assault, was declared free for adoption by
the CWS.
● He was handed over to his adoptive parents.
● On the biological father’s habeas corpus petition, the High Court stayed
the adoption proceedings and child was returned to the shelter home.
● The CWC rejected the biological father’s application for custody on the
ground that:
○ A biological father cannot take advantage of his own crime and
giving custody to him would not be in the best interests of the child.
● The High Court handed over custody of the child to the biological father
without hearing the biological mother.
● The mother was opposed to giving the child to the biological father.
Implication:
● The requirement of consent of the rapist father in such adoptions would
set the wrong precedent.
● The Bombay High Court ignored that the adoption was not valid in terms of
Muslim law.
● The court in the interests of the child had refused to give custody to the
biological parents as the adoptive parents were given a five-day-old child
○ It was only because of their care that the child recovered from
jaundice.
Allahabad High Court:(Nasrin Begum (2022):

● A two-judge Bench of the Allahabad High Court gave the custody of a girl
child to her biological parents in preference to the rights of the adoptive
parents.
● The family court on the basis of the testimony of the child(six years old)
and in the best interests of the child, had decided in favor of the adoptive
parents.
● The biological parents asserted that mere custody for sometime was
given to the adoptive parents.
● Section 2(2) of the JJ Act provides that adoption completely severs the ties
between the biological parents and the child.
● The court concluded that children cannot be treated as the ‘chattel and
property’ of their biological parents
○ She should not undergo the trauma of separation from her adoptive
parents
● The court gave much importance to the right of the child to know her real
identity and the right of her biological parents to her custody.
● The court moved on the premise that there was no legal adoption
○ Therefore, the adoptive parents have no right in respect of the child.
Article 44 of the Constitution:

● The state shall endeavor to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code
throughout the territory of India’.
● The language of Article 44 reveals the unambiguous intention of the
framers of the Constitution and that they felt the UCC was in the national
interest.
● Article 44: It requires the state to enact a UCC that applies to all citizens
cutting across faiths, practices and personal laws.
Benefits of UCC:
● UCC can protect against discrimination in matters pertaining to divorce,
maintenance, adoption and succession.
● The UCC seeks to establish a common set of civil laws for all citizens,
regardless of their religion and culture, thereby promoting equality and
ensuring justice for all.
Judicial stand:
● Shah Bano case: “It is a matter of regret that Article 44 has remained a dead
letter.”
○ The Court had pointed out that a UCC would help the cause of
national integration.
○ In the constitutional order of priorities, the right to religious
freedom is to be exercised in a manner consonant with the vision
underlying the provisions of Part III (Fundamental Rights)”.
● Sarla Mudgal (1995): Court said:
○ “It appears that the rulers of the day are not in a mood to retrieve
Article 44 from the cold storage where it has been lying since 1949.
○ The governments have so far failed to make any effort towards
unified personal law for all Indians.
● Indian Young Lawyers Association case (2018):
○ In the constitutional order of priorities, the right to religious
freedom is to be exercised in a manner consonant with the vision
underlying the provisions of Part III (Fundamental Rights).”
○ Personal laws should be constitutionally compliant and in
conformity with the norms of gender equality and the right to live with
dignity.
○ The supremacy of fundamental rights over customary law ensures
that various freedoms guaranteed to all citizens under the Constitution
are safeguarded.
Arguments in favor of UCC:

● Uniformity in cases: India does have uniformity in most criminal and civil
matters like the Criminal Procedure Code, Civil Procedure Code etc
● Gender Justice: If a UCC is enacted, all personal laws will cease to exist. It will
do away with gender biases in existing laws.
● Secularism: A secular nation needs a common law for all citizens rather than
differentiated rules based on religious practices.
● Various communities in India: Example: All Hindus are not governed by a
homogenous personal law even after the enactment of the Hindu Code Bill.
● Shariat Act: There is no uniform applicability when it comes to the Muslim
personal law or the Shariat Act 1937.
● Hindu Marriage Act of 1955: It prohibits marriages amongst close relatives
but they are considered auspicious in the south of India.
● Hindu Succession Act of 1956: Wives are not coparceners(a person who
shares equally with others in the inheritance of an undivided estate) nor do
they have an equal share in inheritance.
Arguments against UCC:

● Plurality in already codified civil and criminal laws: So concept of ‘one
nation, one law’ cannot be applied to diverse personal laws of various
communities.
● Constitutional law experts: Framers did not intend total uniformity.
○ Example: Personal laws were placed in Concurrent List(power to
legislate being given to Parliament and State Assemblies).
● Customary laws: Many tribal groups in the country, regardless of their
religion, follow their own customary laws.
● Communal Politics: The demand for a uniform civil code is considered to be
framed in the context of communal politics.
● Article 25: It seeks to preserve the freedom to practice and propagate any
religion.
Supreme Court judgements about implementation of UCC:
Way Forward
■ UCC cannot confine itself to changing the rule of the father being the
natural guardian.
○ It must go beyond this and provide for, in unequivocal terms, the
‘best interests of child’ principle in all custody disputes.
○ It must deny absolute rights of biological parents vis-à-vis adoptive
parents.
■ A progressive UCC should not overemphasize biological ties.
○ It must protect the rights of adoptive parents; otherwise people
would not adopt children.
■ UCC should not insist on the matrimonial bond between parents and
should ideally make provision of guardianship even for a single parent,
surrogate parent and queer parents.
■ A UCC would eliminate discriminatory practices that deprive women of
their rights and provide them with equal opportunities and protections.
■ Personal laws should have a two-dimensional acceptance — they should
be constitutionally compliant and consistent with the norms of gender
equality and the right to live with dignity.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Q. Constitutional Morality’ is rooted in the Constitution itself and is founded on its
essential facets. Explain the doctrine of ‘Constitutional Morality’ with the help of
relevant judicial decisions. (UPSC 2021)
(200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
An overhaul, the criminal law Bills, and the big picture
Source: The Hindu
■ Prelims:, IPC, CrPC, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita,
Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, Indian Evidence Act, Directive Principles of State Policy
etc
■ Mains GS Paper II & IV: Government policies and interventions for
development of various sectors, weaker sections of society and interventions for
their development etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ The central government introduced three Bills in Parliament Called
○ Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023
○ Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023
○ Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) Bill, 2023.
■ They are to replace the existing
○ Indian Penal Code, 1860
○ Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973
○ Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

Context
Major provisions of the three new bills:
Significance:
● The new laws aim to expedite justice delivery while protecting citizens’
rights and addressing modern challenges.
● They emphasize accountability, digitization, and justice rather than mere
punishment.
● In May 2020, an Expert Committee led by Ranbir Singh was established to
propose reforms in the realm of criminal law.
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita

● Registration of a cognisable offense in any police station, irrespective of
the area where the offense is committed.
○ Its formal inclusion in the BNSS may help complainants get their
cases registered as a matter of right without running around.
● Permit the conduct of a preliminary inquiry to ascertain the existence of a
prima facie case
○ Even if the information discloses commission of a cognisable
offense punishable with more than three years but less than seven
years of imprisonment.
○ This is at variance with the SC judgment in Lalita Kumari versus
Govt. of Uttar Pradesh (2013): It was held that the police have no
option but to register an FIR if the information discloses commission of
a cognisable offense.
○ This was only to ascertain commission of a cognisable offense and
not check their truthfulness.
○ Advantages and disadvantages of this clause:
■ The parties at dispute may arrive at a compromise in the
given limit of 14 days to conduct a preliminary inquiry
■ Cases may not turn out to be true, prima facie, to proceed
further.
■ Police may misuse this period and avoid registering even true
cases.
● Offenses punishable with less than three years of imprisonment: An
arrest could be done only with the prior permission of Deputy
Superintendent of Police if the accused person is infirm or is aged over 60.
○ This may provide some relief to these two categories of persons
provided the Deputy Superintendent of Police uses the clause
judicially.
● The new Codes provide for handcuffing in at least a dozen categories of
persons
○ who are accused of serious offences inter alia such as one who commits
a terrorist act, murder, rape, acid attack or offence against the state.
○ This will help police, who may be short staffed, to secure their
custody.
Issues and Solutions:

● All provisions of the CrPC on arrest have been retained in the BNSS: It
would have been appropriate to include the ratio of the Supreme Court
judgment in Arnesh Kumar versus State of Bihar (2014):
○ To justify an arrest by making it mandatory
■ For the police officer to mention reasons of arrest supported
with justifiable material
■ For the judicial magistrate to record satisfaction and make it a
formal part of the BNSS.
● The enabling section that guides handcuffing has not changed: It says
that ‘the person arrested shall not be subjected to more restraint than is
necessary to prevent his escape’.
○ Investigating officers will still have to justify handcuffing with the
possibility of escape (or physical attack) when such criminals are
produced before court.
○ Since the constitutional provision and enabling provision of the
law remain unaltered
■ The Supreme Court’s guidelines on handcuffing will still
prevail.
● It provides for a mandatory visit of the crime scene by a forensic expert
and the collection of forensic evidence for offenses punishable with more
than seven years of imprisonment.
○ Ground reality: Because of the limited forensic infrastructure at field
level
■ A maximum five years of leverage has been given to State
governments to bring this clause into operation.
■ State governments need to commit themselves to the
provision of sufficient resources for the development of forensic
infrastructure (technology and manpower) for the impact of this
change.
● It rightly encourages the use of audio-video means in recording the
various steps of investigation; this includes searches.
○ However, the preferred use of smartphones (as recommended)
has its limitations.
○ SC in Shafhi Mohammad vs The State Of Himachal Pradesh (2018)
directed the MHA and States to develop facilities for the videography
and photography of crime scenes during investigation at the level of
the police station.
● Despite a ban on the two-finger test in a case of rape: This test having
been termed by the SC as unscientific and violative of the dignity and privacy
of a rape victim/survivor ( Lillu @ Rajesh & Anr vs State Of Haryana,
2013)
○ The ban does not have a place in the Code.
● The disclosure of identity of victim/survivor of rape, the provision of
giving authorisation (to disclose identity) to the next of kin in case the victim
is minor
○ It may also be omitted as the Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences Act, which exclusively deals with this issue and does not have
a similar provision.
○ SC in Nipun Saxena vs Union Of India (2018) expressed reservations
as the next of kin may not be an appropriate party to delegate such
authority.
● Increase in the period of police custody exceeding 15 days, as provided in
the CrPC.
○ This may help the police to interrogate an accused person again if
additional evidence is found during an investigation.
○ There must be adequate grounds to permit an extension.
○ The 15 day limit can be exceeded only after the initial 40 days or
60 days out of a total detention of 60 days or 90 days (depending on
whether an offense is punishable with imprisonment of up to 10 years,
or more).
○ The accused will still be eligible to be released on default bail after
a total detention of 60 days or 90 days, as provided in the CrPC.
○ Thus, the discretion to permit additional police custody rests with
the judiciary.
● It proposes enlarging the scope of judicial inquiry into suspicious deaths
by including dowry deaths
○ but relaxes the provision of the mandatory recording of statements
of a woman, a male under the age of 15 or above 60 (65 years in the
CrPC) at the place of their residence based on their willingness.
○ This provision may be misused by the police, especially in crimes
against women and children.
Way Forward
■ A standing order that could have been included in the Sanhita with
respect to inquest is the videography and photography of a post-mortem
○ particularly in cases where it is a custodial death or is a death
caused in an exchange of fire with the police or other authorities.
○ The Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission
have repeatedly asked States to comply with such instructions.
○ The observation of the Court to make a spot sketch of the scene of
crime drawn on scale by a draftsman in order to make it admissible in
court
■ It could also be included in the Sanhita to improve the quality
of investigation.
■ Some of the proposed changes are definitely progressive in nature, but
cannot be termed as path-breaking or radical.
■ Police stations are generally under-staffed, have poor mobility,
insufficient training infrastructure and poor housing facilities.
○ Police personnel work under stressful conditions.
○ The colonial mindset will go only if police reformation is taken up in
its entirety and not just by tweaking some provisions of the applicable
laws.
■ The Bills hold the potential to shape the future landscape of criminal
law, Therefore, the task of testing their sustainability; efficacy; adherence to
rule of law; and, justice delivery capacity, becomes paramount.

Q. Constitutional Morality’ is rooted in the Constitution itself and is founded on its
essential facets. Explain the doctrine of ‘Constitutional Morality’ with the help of
relevant judicial decisions. (UPSC 2021)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
The Cauvery Water Management Authority should act
Source: The Hindu

Prelims: Current events of national importance, Environmental pollution and
degradation, cauvery river and tributaries, CWDT (Cauvery Water Disputes
Tribunal) etc
Mains GS Paper III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation,Solar
energy and its use in different sectors particularly agriculture etc.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ Casting shadow by the southwest monsoon over the catchment areas of the
Cauvery river in Karnataka and Kerala, the elusive distress-sharing
formula is back in focus.
■ Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and Cauvery Water Management Authority
(CWMA) have made depositions before the Supreme Court.

Context
Cauvery Water Dispute:
● It involves 3 states and one Union Territory (Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
Karnataka and Puducherry).
● The genesis of the dispute is 150 years old and dates back to the two
agreements of arbitration in 1892 and 1924 between the then Madras
presidency and Mysore.
● It entailed the principle that the upper riparian state must obtain
consent of lower riparian state for any construction activity viz.
reservoir on the river Cauvery.
Background:
● Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) gave its interim order in
June 1991.
● The judicial bodies had referred to the principle of pro-rata sharing
in times of distress.
● The Tribunal had suggested that in case of two consecutive bad years
of rain, the monthly schedule of water release be relaxed
○ All the reservoirs in the entire basin operated in an integrated
manner “to minimize any harsh effect”.
● Neither of the parties to the dispute nor the Authority has expressed
anything against the concept of distress sharing.
Stand by the States:

Tamil Nadu:
○ It Takes into account the deficit in inflows to the four
Karnataka reservoirs vis-à-vis the average flows in the last 30
years
○ The rainfall pattern in three groups of the Cauvery
catchment:
■ catchment of the KRS and Kabini
■ catchment upstream of Biligundlu on the inter-State border
■ catchment downstream of Biligundlu
Karnataka:
● It has maintained that the overall distress situation cannot be calculated
till the end of January.
○ Outcome of the northeast monsoon (October-December)
should also be taken into account with that of the southwest
monsoon (June-September).
● Karnataka is an upper riparian State that is dependent on the
southwest monsoon for irrigation, drinking water.
Decision by The CWMA:

● It deliberated on many factors that included
○ shortfall in inflows and rainfall
○ monsoon forecast over the next fortnight
○ inflows and outflows of four other reservoirs in the Cauvery basin
● It directed Karnataka to ensure the realization of 5,000 cubic feet per
second (cusecs) for 15 days from August 29
● The CWMA pointed out that the shortfall for Biligundlu, as
compared to the stipulated flows in a normal year, was 62.4%.
● It endorsed the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC)‘s
direction Karnataka to continue providing 5,000 cusecs for another 15
days (September 13 to 27).
● Tamil Nadu:
○ It is waiting for the Supreme Court’s intervention to get back
“its quota” of water for the one-and-a-half months (half of August
and the whole of September)
Way Forward
■ The positions taken by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu may appear to be
difficult to reconcile but this should not deter the Authority or the Union
government — from trying to find a formula.
■ The history of the Cauvery dispute shows that it is people at the helm of
affairs who have not risen to the occasion to resolve the problem.
■ Instead of giant steps being taken to solve the issue, settling for status quo
has been the norm.
■ The CWMA has shown its mettle so far, but it should now try and make a
fresh beginning.
○ The Authority along with its assisting body, the CWRC, should make
the proceedings of all its meetings held so far available to the public on
a website.
○ Putting out all the facts in the public domain will help the CWMA
dispel misconceptions in both States about this issue given that the
Cauvery has always been an emotive subject.

Q. Describe the various causes and the effects of landslides. Mention the important
components of the National landslide Risk Management Strategy.(UPSC 2021)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
From women’s reservation to gender equality
Source: The Hindu
■ Prelims: Women reservation, Parliament, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Census,

delimitation, Urimai Thogai scheme etc
■ Mains GS Paper I & II: Social empowerment, development and management of
social sectors/services related to Education and women empowerment etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ Parliament passed the women’s reservation Bill, which provides one-third
reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies

Context
Key Features of the Bill
● Reservation for Women in Lower House: The Bill provided for inserting
Article 330A to the constitution, which borrows from the provisions of
Article 330, which provides for reservation of seats to SCs/STs in the Lok
Sabha.
● The Bill provided that reserved seats for women may be allotted by
rotation to different constituencies in states or Union Territories.
● In the seats reserved for SCs/STs, the Bill sought to provide one-third of
the seats to be reserved for women on rotational basis.
Reservation for Women in State Legislative Assemblies:
● The Bill introduces Article 332A, which mandates the reservation of seats
for women in every state Legislative Assembly.
● Additionally, one-third of the seats reserved for SCs and STs must be
allocated for women, and one-third of the total seats filled through direct
elections to the Legislative Assemblies shall also be reserved for women.
Reservation for Women in NCT of Delhi ( New clause in 239AA):
● Article 239AA to the constitution grants special status to the Union
Territory of Delhi as national capital with regards to its administrative and
legislative functioning.
● Article 239AA(2)(b) was amended by the bill accordingly to add that the
laws framed by parliament shall apply to the National Capital territory of
Delhi.
● Commencement of Reservation (New article - 334A):
○ The reservation will be effective after the census conducted after the
commencement of this Bill has been published.
○ Based on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve
seats for women.
● The reservation will be provided for a period of 15 years. However, it
shall continue till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament.
Rotation of Seats:
● Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as
determined by a law made by Parliament.
Data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union:

● The share of women in Parliament in India is around 15%.
● India ranks 141 out of 193 countries on this count.
● Pakistan, South Africa, and Kenya have a higher share of women
representatives.
Positive Impact of Women reservation:

● Reservation for women in elections to the local bodies resulted in
increasing their participation in governance.
● Research by Tanya Jakimow of the University of New South Wales and
Niraja Gopal Jayal: It shows that, contrary to popular belief, elected women
representatives have over time asserted their presence in spite of
interference from male family members.
○ A similar outcome may also be seen in higher elected bodies.
Challenges:
● Implementation of the present law is contingent on the conduct of the next
Census and the subsequent delimitation exercise.
● Census and delimitation are not purely administrative eventualities.
● There has been a freeze on delimitation since 1976 in order to provide a
level-playing field for States to contain population growth.
● States which have improved indicators around women empowerment
would now stand to lose seats to Parliament if a delimitation exercise is held.
● Legality of the contingency clause: Whether a law can be contingent upon
an uncertain future event requires determination by the constitutional courts.
● The law is tied to another future law which may not be dealt with until
after the next general elections to the Lok Sabha.
What steps need to be taken?

● The ultimate game changer lies in changing societal approaches to gender
roles.
● Representation of women to elected bodies must necessarily be seen in
the larger context of female labor force participation in India, which is
abysmal by any standards.
● Real and substantive gender justice will only be achieved when there is an
equitable and fair sharing of household chores and domestic responsibilities.
● Recent research from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation’s Time Use Survey (2019): It shows that for 97 minutes
spent daily by men on unpaid domestic services for household members,
women spend 299 minutes.
○ Women spend 134 minutes on average daily on unpaid care-giving
services for household members as compared to the 76 minutes spent
by men.
○ The patriarchal societal mindset needs to change if women are to
fully and effectively participate in the labor force and hold the highest
elected representative positions.
● Government programmes which recognise unpaid labor done by women
within households
○ Example: Magalir Urimai Thogai in Tamil Nadu, are designed to
recognise and address the vast gulf in unpaid household labor.
○ The Urimai Thogai scheme is a monthly cash transfer programme.
○ It is devised not as a largesse but as an obligation to women who
carry a disproportionate burden in the household.
Way Forward
■ Initiatives in other countries offer an interesting case study on sustaining
women in the political arena.
○ EMILY's List in the U.S. has been providing campaign guidance,
mentorship and building capacity for women as they enter politics.
○ EMILY's List has helped elect 201 members of Congress (equivalent
to the House of the People) and 20 Governors (similar to the Chief
Minister).
■ Regardless of whether political parties actively groom women leaders, it
is now the duty of the governments to build capacity and ensure that the
reservation model leads to successful outcomes.
■ The role of the National Commission for Women and the Parliamentary
Committee on Empowerment of Women need to be significantly revised to
ensure that the women reservation law does not remain a symbolic gesture.
■ The recognition of unpaid labor and equitable sharing of household
duties will ultimately dictate whether substantive reform in gender equality
is achieved.

Q. What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and
space?(UPSC 2019)
Q. Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in
India.(UPSC 2015)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
The implications of the expansion of BRICS
Source: The Hindu
■ Prelims: Current events of international importance, G20, G7, BRICS etc.

■ Mains GS Paper II & III: Significance of G20 countries, Bilateral, regional and
global grouping and agreements involving India or affecting India’s interests.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ The 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg announced that the five-member
grouping had invited six new members —
○ Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Ethiopia and
Argentina.

Context
BRICS:
Background of BRICS formation:

● Jim O’Neil’s conception of BRIC, a grouping of four emerging economies
(Brazil, Russia, India, and China).
● Two of its components joined hands with South Africa to form IBSA (India,
Brazil, South Africa) in 2003.
● China played a trump card, and bought South Africa into BRIC, thus turning
it into BRICS.
○ IBSA has been unable to hold its summit since 2011.
○ BRICS has held 14 summits in the past 13 years.
Advantages of BRICS:
● BRICS focused its attention on both geopolitical and economic dimensions.
● By articulating a common view on key global and regional issues, it
projected a non-western view.
○ This strengthened the world’s march towards multipolarity.
○ It helped to curb the dominating influence of the West.
● On the economic front:
○ It launched the New Development Bank which has committed $32.8
billion(thirty two point eight)in 96 projects
○ Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), a financial mechanism to
protect against global liquidity pressures
○ Comprehensive programme to expand trade and investment
cooperation among the five-member countries.
● The ability of BRICS to reorder or steer the global economy in any significant
manner is deeply suspect
● Its appetite to create economic agreements amongst its own members was
limited
● Historical capability to influence global geopolitics overestimated.
Background:
● 40 countries have shown interest in BRICS’ membership, with 22 having
submitted formal applications.
● BRICS is backed by several ministerial and expert conclaves.
● It has spawned two major institutions:
○ New Development Bank (NBD) to provide development assistance
○ Contingent Reserve Arrangement that supports countries facing
short-term balance-of-payments pressures.
○ The NBD has already financed 96 projects valued at $33 billion.
● BRICS members have been united in their dissatisfaction with the West-
dominated international institutions that had emerged after the Second
World War —
● BRICS challenges this West-led world order
○ It promotes intra-BRICS economic and political cooperation
○ Builds institutions outside western control
○ Agitates robustly for wide-ranging reforms to accommodate the
presence and interests of emerging economies.
● The Johannesburg Declaration asserts that the members’ “strategic
partnership” will be directed at achieving “a more representative, fairer
international order”.
Expansion of BRICS:
● The expansion of BRICS’s membership will shape grouping that is aligned
in terms of global perceptions and interests
● It will collectively provide considerable economic clout to the enlarged
conclave.
● BRICS will have 46% of the world population.
● Its share of the global GDP will go to 37% in PPP, far ahead of the GDP of
30.7(thirty point seven)% of the G-7.
● The five core members account for 23% of global exports and 19% of
global imports
○ with the new members, these figures will be boosted by 3.7(three
point seven)% and 3%, respectively.
● Impact will be on the energy sector: out of global oil production of about 90
million barrels per day (mbd) in 2022
○ This will go to 42%.
Impact of New membership:

● The new BRICS members will bring considerable geo-strategic value to the
grouping.
● Those from West Asia are already closely tied to BRICS members:
○ 35% of Saudi oil production goes to China and India;
○ Russia, already a major oil supplier to China and India,
● Despite sanctions by the United States, Iran has increased oil production
from a low of 400,000 barrels per day in the Trump period to 2.2(two point
two)mbd most of it going to China.
● Egypt and Ethiopia are an important presence in the strategically important
Horn of Africa and the Red Sea
● Argentina is the second largest economy in Latin America.
Achievements by BRICS:
● BRICS leaders have met over 15 years and every time have overcome their
internal divisions and competitions to issue a consensual “Declaration”.
● The declarations have expanded in content, focused on specific
deliverables and have steadily expanded their areas of interest.
● In the Johannesburg Declaration: It focuses on intra-BRICS cooperation
and outreach to other developing countries.
● Members have agreed to “encourage the use of local currencies in
internal trade and financial transactions” between BRICS and other trading
partners.
● The Declaration also reflects the shared views of its members on several
political issues
○ The centrality of the United Nations
○ The problems in West Asia, i.e., Syria, Yemen, Palestine, the Arab
peace Initiative
○ The Iran nuclear agreement
○ The war in Ukraine and global terror.
In line for admission in BRICS:

● Indonesia
● Vietnam
● Bangladesh
● Mauritius
● Nigeria
● Kenya
● A Latin American country.
Way Forward
■ The new BRICS members, particularly those from West Asia, naturally fit
into this political and economic framework.
■ Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have shrugged off the U.S. yoke and
shaped independent foreign policy paths for themselves.
■ Saudi Arabia has pursued de-escalation and dialogue, ending the Qatar
blockade, engaging with Turkey, and opening interactions with Iran
○ These regional engagements culminated in the China-brokered
accord with Iran
■ The UAE has normalized ties with Iran and is focusing on expanding its
maritime footprint across the Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Horn
of Africa.
■ Iran’s entry into BRICS is propitious: Besides its role in the energy sector.
○ It opens up opportunities for accelerated regional economic
cooperation
○ The north-south connectivity projects through the Chabahar port
with which India is associated.
■ India and other BRICS members reject the short-sighted view and insist
on asserting their strategic autonomy in a multipolar world order, with
member-nations demanding that their voices be heard and their interests
respected.

Q. Do you think that BIMSTEC is a parallel organization like the SAARC ? What are
the similarities and dissimilarities between the two ? How are Indian foreign policy
objectives realized by forming this new organization? (UPSC 2022)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Finding Seoul in the Indo-Pacific
Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Current events of national and international importance(indo-pacific,
India-Korea relations, South China Sea etc
■ Mains GS Paper II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings involving India or
affecting India’s interests, Significance of Indo-Pacific for India etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ The Camp David summit this year among the leaders of the United States,
Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) marks the new beginning of the
strategic partnership among the three traditional allies.
■ India and ROK commemorate the 50th year of their diplomatic relations
Context
Indo-Pacific:
● The Indo-Pacific is a geopolitical construct that has emerged as a substitute to
the long-prevalent “Asia-Pacific.
● Indian ocean and pacific ocean: It is an integrated theater that combines
the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and the land masses that surround
them.
● Strategic and economic: It is both a strategic as well as an economic domain
comprising important sea-lines of communication
● Maritime security: The Indo-Pacific is also associated with maritime security
and cooperation.
● US: It describe the Indo-Pacific as a region that starts at the:
○ Western shore of the Americas and ends at the shores of the Indian
subcontinent.
● India and Japan: the concept is much broader in expanse, extending to the
shores of the African continent.
● Major stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific include: India, U.S.A., Australia,
Japan, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and other
maritime nations that occupy the strategic positions in the Indian and Pacific
Ocean including small island countries.
Significance of Indo-Pacific region for India:

● Strategic significance: The Indo-Pacific is a multipolar region that accounts
for over half of global GDP and population.
● Mineral Resources: Maritime regions have also become important storage
areas for essential resources such as fish stocks, minerals, and offshore oil
and gas.
● Economic Growth: The Indo-Pacific area accounts for approximately 60% of
world GDP, making it the most important contributor to global growth.
● Commerce: Many of the world’s most important choke points for global trade
are located in this region, including the Straits of Malacca, which are crucial
for global economic growth.
The significance of the Camp David meet

● It is the function of a recognition of the changing regional security
environment by the three countries.
● It along with AUKUS (the U.S, the United Kingdom, Australia), the Quad or
CHIP 4 Alliance (the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea) lead to a
strengthened U.S.-led alliance structure
○ though dispersed to reflect the multipolar urges of the
contemporary international system — in East Asia.
● The summit has the potential to set South Korea on a new strategic
direction in the Indo-Pacific with improved relations with Tokyo
○ More synergy with the American view on China, and enhanced
engagement of the Indo-Pacific.
● It marks a strategic shift in Seoul’s traditional approach of not offending
China at any cost.
● It indicates the view that trade dependence on China does not mean
passivity towards a growing Chinese military presence in the region.
● A keen desire in ROK to join the Quad grouping: South Korea might apply
for a membership in a Quad Plus next year.
● A new foreign policy enthusiasm in Seoul today: The President of South
Korea has declared that the main goal of his foreign policy would be to make
South Korea a “global pivotal state”.
● The country’s engagement of the U.S. and Japan, support to Ukraine,
articulation of the China challenge and a desire to play a bigger role in the
Indo-Pacific underline this new vision.
Reasons why ROK is a natural partner for India in the Indo-Pacific:

● ROK’s location in the Indo-Pacific, close to China, while being a U.S. ally
provides India with a like-minded strategic partner.
● For both ROK and India, the rise of China and its unilateral attempts at
reordering the Asian security architecture are of great concern.
● For India, Seoul can be an important regional partner at a time when
India is closer to the U.S. and is concerned about Chinese intentions and
power like never before in history.
Areas where the two countries could focus on in order to strengthen

relationship:
● At the political and diplomatic levels: The two sides should consider
establishing an annual summit at the level of the Foreign Ministers, and a 2+2
format dialogue (India currently has 2+2 dialogues with the U.S., Japan,
Australia and Russia).
● The partnership could also benefit from reciprocal visits by heads of
state to each other’s country.
● The two sides could be even more ambitious and explore the possibility
of negotiating a South Korea-Japan-India-U.S. initiative on Critical and
Emerging Technology (iCET), along the lines of the recently-concluded
India-U.S. iCET.
● Defense: South Korea’s willingness and ability to cater to India’s defense
needs within the ambit of India’s ‘Make in India’ programme must be utilized.
○ The K9 Vajra: A 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, built by L&T with
technology from South Korea’s Hanwha Defense is an example in this
regard.
○ South Korean-built K2 Black Panther tanks could also be co-
produced in India for the Indian Army or third countries.
Way Forward
■ Along with Japan and the U.S, ROK has the potential to emerge as a key
piece in India’s Indo-pacific strategy.
○ It is important to view the prospects of the India-ROK strategic
partnership in the broader context of the recent geopolitical
developments in the East Asian region.
■ Korean-built civilian nuclear reactors. Even after the India-U.S. civil
nuclear deal, India-International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards
agreement and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver
○ India has not been able to import any nuclear reactors due to the
difficulties foreign suppliers have with India’s nuclear liability law.
■ Given India’s growing need for clean energy and Seoul’s remarkable track
record in supplying cheaper and faster nuclear reactors to the United Arab
Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and central European states
○ India could consider purchasing Korean-built reactors so as to
expand the share of nuclear energy in the country’s energy basket —
■ ROK, with a new strategic outlook, and along with the U.S., Japan and
Australia, is uniquely placed to help India advance its interests in the Indo-
Pacific.

Q. Evaluate the economic and strategic dimensions of India’s Look East Policy in the
context of the post Cold War international scenario.(UPSC 2016)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
An unforgettable presidency
Source: Indian Express
■ Prelims: Current events of international importance, G20, Global south,

Inflation etc.
■ Mains GS Paper II & III: Bilateral, regional and global grouping and agreements
involving India or affecting India’s interests.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ The Presidency of the G20 has given India the weight and influence that
India has rarely experienced in its contemporary history.
Context
G20:
● The G20 is an informal group:19 countries and the European Union, with
representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
● The G20 Presidency rotates annually: according to a system that ensures a
regional balance over time.
● For the selection of the presidency: 19 countries are divided into 5 groups,
each having no more than 4 countries.
○ The presidency rotates between each group.
● Every year the G20 selects a country from another group to be president.
○ India is in Group 2 which also has Russia, South Africa, and
Turkey.
● The G20 does not have a permanent secretariat or Headquarters.
Recent steps by G20 members:

● G-20 members have shown a degree of commitment to shift towards clean
energy:
○ Renewable energy sources provided 29% of their energy mix in
2021, an increase from 19% in 2010.
● The G-20 members emit most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions
and produce the bulk of its fossil fuels.
○ Most members have pledged to be “net-zero”, cutting back on
emissions and fossil fuel use.
Benefits India highlighted from G20 Presidency:

● The G20 Summit demonstrated India’s convening power.
● India’s ability to generate a consensus at a platform, whose genesis may
have been in the financial crises
● G20 as the most important forum engaged with the world’s most
consequential problems.
Outcome of G20 meet:

● G20 countries sign off on a statement that includes a lengthy section on the
Ukraine war
● It addressed key global issues:
○ climate change
○ gender equality
○ SDG goals
○ financial inclusion
○ terrorism
○ money laundering
● The Summit and 200-odd meetings held all over India brought the
diversity, color and genius of the Indian people on to the world stage.
● India will be perceived as the key destination for dialogue and debate
over the most contentious of issues, while experiencing the most
breathtaking hospitality.
● The New Delhi summit will go down where much of the rest of the world
recognised India as an if not the alternative to China.
● The announcement of the economic corridor connecting Europe with the
Middle East and India through a combination of rail and sea routes during a
session at the G20 Leaders’ summit.
○ It was clearly a response to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative
(which seems to hold the main stakeholder countries in a debilitating
debt trap).
India’s leadership role:

● India has become the voice for an alternative vision in the global south.
● The possibilities offered by the Indian Stack:
○ Open APIs and digital public goods
○ It aims to unlock the economic primitives of identity, data, and
payments at population scale for much of the world
○ India may make it available as open-source software.
● The World Bank’s G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion
document endorsed the transformative impact of DPIs in India.
○ Example: JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) Trinity has propelled the
financial inclusion rate from 25 percent in 2008 to over 80 percent of
adults in the last six years
● India’s insistence on the African Union’s inclusion in what is now the G21
was also rooted in this “alternative” vision of not losing your heart even while
being dictated by your head.
Major Highlights of the New Delhi Declaration:

● Preamble: We are One Earth, One Family, and we share One Future.
● The consensus declaration called for “comprehensive, just, and durable
peace in Ukraine”
● It urged member states to “refrain from the threat of use of force to seek
territorial acquisition” or act against the territorial integrity of any state.
● The declaration stressed that the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons
to be “inadmissible”.
● Mention of Prime Minister’s Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment): A
global plan of action that aims to save the planet from the disastrous
consequences of climate change. “
● Strong, Sustainable, Balanced, and Inclusive Growth Global Economic
Situation
● Unlocking Trade for Growth: A rules-based, non-discriminatory, fair, open,
inclusive, equitable, sustainable and transparent multilateral trading system,
with WTO at its core.
● Adoption of G20 Generic Framework for Mapping Global Value Chains
(GVC) to help members identify risks and build resilience.
● Preparing for the Future of Work: Addressing skill gaps, promoting decent
work and ensuring inclusive social protection policies for all.
● Advancing Financial Inclusion: The 2023 Update to Leaders on Progress
towards the G20 Remittance Target and endorse the Regulatory Toolkit for
Enhanced Digital Financial Inclusion of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs).
● Fighting Corruption: Commitment to zero tolerance for corruption.
○ Three G20 High-Level Principles on:
■ Strengthening Law Enforcement related International
Cooperation and Information Sharing for Combating Corruption
■ Strengthening Asset Recovery Mechanisms for Combating
Corruption
■ Promoting Integrity and Effectiveness of Public Bodies and
Authorities responsible for Preventing and Combating
Corruption.
● Strengthening Global Health and Implementing One Health Approach:
strengthening the global health architecture, with the World Health
Organization (WHO) at its core
○ Building more resilient, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive health
systems to achieve Universal Health Coverage
○ Implement One Health approach
○ enhance pandemic preparedness
○ strengthen existing infectious diseases surveillance systems.
● Finance-Health Collaboration: Strengthening the global health architecture
for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR)
○ through enhanced collaboration between Finance and Health
Ministries under the Joint Finance and Health Task Force (JFHTF).
● Delivering Quality Education: Inclusive, equitable, high-quality education
and skills training for all, including for those in vulnerable situations.
○ Recognize the importance of investment in supporting human
capital development.
● Culture as a Transformative Driver of SDGs: Full recognition and
protection of culture with its intrinsic value as a transformative driver.
○ An enabler for the achievement of the SDGs and advance the
inclusion of culture as a standalone goal in future discussions on a
possible post-2030 development agenda.
● Green Development Pact for a Sustainable Future: Recognising that the
prosperity and well-being of present and future generations depends on our
current development and other policy choices and actions
○ Resolve to pursue environmentally sustainable and inclusive
economic growth and development in an integrated, holistic and
balanced manner.
● Macroeconomic risks stemming from climate change and transition
pathways: The importance of international dialogue and cooperation,
including in the areas of finance and technology, and timely policy action
consistent with country-specific circumstances.
● Designing a Circular Economy World:The critical role played by circular
economy, extended producer responsibility and resource efficiency in
achieving sustainable development.
Way Forward
■ The Prime Minister announced India’s emergence on the global stage
during this Amrit Kaal up to 2047, making science and economy deliver for
humanity at large under the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ –
One Earth, One Family, One Future.
■ Is it possible for India to turn this aspirational framework into a reality
by re-thinking its agri-policies to prioritize the well-being of people and the
planet.

Q. The long sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalized
nations has disappeared on account of its new found role in the emerging global
order.’ Elaborate(UPSC 2019)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Corridor To A New World
Prelims: Current events of international importance, India-Middle East-Europe

Economic Corridor (IMEC), Arabian gulf, mapping of west asia and Europe etc
Mains GS Paper II: Bilateral, regional and global grouping and agreements
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ In New Delhi, Prime Minister of India, President of the United States,
Chancellor of Germany, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, President of UAE,
Prime Minister of Italy, and the President of the EU unanimously agreed to
establish the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

Context
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC):
● The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEE-EC) is an
infrastructure development project that aims to create connectivity through
rail and shipping networks, energy cables, and data links.
● The IMEC will be a route in the historic sense of the word (with the
geopolitical and economic significance that entails)
● It will provide transport connectivity to accelerate the development and
integration of Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe as a new locus of global
power.
● It envisions a reliable, cost-effective railway and ship-to-rail transit
network
○ To supplement maritime and road routes, enabling goods and
services to move between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel
and the EU. IMEC is India’s moment.
● It will be the cornerstone of economic progress across the region by
supercharging regional trade, and connecting Asia with Europe.
Present maritime route:
● The maritime corridor between Asia and Europe currently remains
rooted in the saturated Suez Canal and Mediterranean shipping routes
● It is longer and involves additional logistics costs.
● It takes 11 days to sail from JNPT in Maharashtra to Suez port, and six
days to Dammam.
Benefits of IMEC:
● An additional 24-hour transit by railway could land consignments at Haifa,
saving three to four days of transit.
● It links major ports of western India including JNPT, Kochi, Kandla and
Mundra with major shipping ports of the Gulf, including Jebel Ali, Fujairah,
Ras Al-Khair, Dammam, Duqm, and Salalah.
● From these ports, cargo will be transported by the Saudi rail network on
their north-south line to the port of Haifa in Israel through Jordan.
● Haifa, being a deep seaport, can handle bulk container trains and post
Panamax ships which after transhipment, carry cargo to European ports like
Piraeus, Kavala (Greece), Trieste, La Spezia (Italy), Marseille-Fos (France),
Barcelona, and Valencia (Spain).
● Road container trailers or container cargo trains will thereafter transport
goods across Europe.
Corridors of IMEC
● IMEC has two corridors:
○ Eastern corridor linking India to the Arabian Gulf
○ Northern corridor linking the Arabian Gulf to Europe.
● Both ends have robust port, rail, and road infrastructure.
● Eastern end of IMEC: India has a massive, well-integrated railroad
network, mega ports, and highways on the eastern end of IMEC.
● Mega infra projects for augmenting capacities — dedicated rail freight
corridors, highways, expressways and ports — are at various stages of
development.
● On the western end of IMEC, beyond Haifa, the sea route across the
Mediterranean is also a well-charted path to Greece, Italy, France, and Spain
○ It is well served by hinterland connectivity to Europe by rail and
roads.
What should be the Focus areas?

● It must be on the land bridging requirements from the Gulf ports to the
West Asian ports on the Mediterranean
● The connectivity to the major gateway port of Haifa in Israel.
● Constructing missing rail links, terminals, and inland container depots
(ICDs) at all major Gulf and Mediterranean ports.
● Connectivity to Gulf ports will be operationalised by the under-
construction rail network of the Gulf Cooperation Council to connect Kuwait
with Muscat on a north-south coastal rail system.
○ This will connect the gulf ports
○ Exit across Saudi Arabia will only be possible on the Saudi Arabian
Rail (SAR) network connected to Saudi ports and operational to the
borders of Jordan by a railway system.
○ SAR, runs heavy and long-haul freight trains from Saudi ports in the
Gulf
○ It will bring down logistics costs, making this land bridging extremely
efficient.
○ The SAR network ends on the Jordan border
○ The missing link from the last SAR railhead at Al Haditha to Haifa is
the most crucial challenge of IMEC.
● From the Saudi border terminal of Al Haditha to Amman, rail connectivity
is already being planned.
● Connecting Amman to Beit She’an in Israel will also require a rail link to be
developed by Jordan.
● Israel has planned to connect Haifa to Beit She’an via Jenin near the
Jordanian border.
● Haifa port shall have to augment capacity to be able to handle additional
cargo that would divert to this route instead of the longer Suez Canal route.
● It is most critical for Jordan and Israel to build the required infrastructure
in a time-bound manner to make IMEC work.
What would make this corridor tick?

● Uniformity of railway networks on standard gauge
○ unlike other regions where consignments get delayed due to
transhipment necessitated by change of gauge on two systems.
● The connectivity of the missing links on IMEC from Haifa to Al Haditha
will be of standard gauge, enabling seamless connectivity.
● No mega transport corridor can be viable by depending only on the end-to-
end traffic.
● IMEC must consider connecting hinterlands by developing the feeder rail
routes which could merge on the main corridor.
○ This has a multiplier effect on all stakeholders.
IMEC and Environment:

● IMEC, unlike any other corridor, envisages the laying of cables for
electricity and a pipeline for transporting clean hydrogen.
● The greening of this project will contribute to the global effort to lower
greenhouse gas emissions.
Way Forward
■ IMEC has incredible potential to integrate India, West Asia, and Europe
on a collective path to growth at an unprecedented scale.
■ India as a regional leader can bring up an entire regional economy through
the combination of its technical leadership and outward-looking approach.
■ India can support the rail projects of GCC, Jordan, and Israel through its
PSUs like IRCON, RITES, DFCC, RailTel, and CONCOR.
■ The IMEC has a head start — multilateral unanimity, clear dividends for
the economies involved, and the brass tacks of a firm commitment at its
inception stage.
■ A working group of experts from the railway sector, ports and shipping,
and communications needs to develop a plan of action to address physical
and non-physical barriers, design, financing, legal and other regulatory
requirements.
■ A comprehensive IMEC agreement with a clear time frame will help
translate the commitments of the MOU into a roadmap for action.
■ As a strategic catalyst for a new way of thinking about collective growth,
globalization, and connectivity
■ This new corridor will trigger regional and global cooperation initiatives
for socio-economic development across continents, benefitting millions.

EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Ridding India of food insecurity
Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Current events of national and national and international
importance(NFSA, PDS, NITI Ayog etc)
■ Mains GS Paper III: Issues related to poverty and hunger, institutions and
bodies constituted for the protection of vulnerable sections of society etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ India is the fastest growing large economy of the world, but it is facing
accelerating food-price inflation.
■ The rise in the price of food first accelerated sharply in 2019
○ In July this year, annual inflation exceeded 11%, the highest in a
decade.

Context
National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013:
● Objective:
○ To provide for food and nutritional security in the human life cycle
approach
○ Ensuring access to adequate quantities of quality food at affordable
prices to people to live a life with dignity.
● Coverage: 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban
population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public
Distribution System (TPDS).
● Eligibility:
○ Priority Households to be covered under TPDS, according to
guidelines by the State government.
○ Households covered under existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
Provisions:
● 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for
rice/wheat/coarse grains.
● The existing AAY household will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains
per household per month.
● Meal and maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000 to pregnant women
and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child
birth.
● Meals for children upto 14 years of age.
● Food security allowance to beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled
foodgrains or meals.
● Setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms at the district and state level.
Evidences for inflation:

● The ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ of the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates the proportion of the population
across countries unable to afford a healthy diet
● The figure for India in 2021: An estimated 74% of the population cannot
afford a healthy diet.
● A shrinking ability of households to finance their food requirement is
evident also in studies undertaken in India itself.
Why is this finding plausible?

● Trend in the price of food in Mumbai city over 2018-2023:The cost of
preparing a thaali at home has risen by 65%, in this period
○ The average wage of a manual worker rose by 38% and that of a
salaried worker by 28%.
● Reported rise in the prevalence of anemia, mostly induced by nutrient
deficiency(National Family Health Survey 2019-21).
○ Over 50% of adult women were estimated to be anemic.
○ FAO’s finding(that over half of India cannot afford a healthy diet) is
plausible.
Challenges:
● Macroeconomic policy, relied upon to control inflation, has proved to be
useless in the context.
● The Reserve Bank of India has failed in this task, with the inflation rate
mostly higher than the target for four years by now.
○ Its approach of contracting output when the inflation rate rises —
misleadingly termed “inflation targeting”
○ It does nothing to manage food inflation stemming from the supply
side.
Mistakes done during Green revolution:

● The rampant use of chemical fertilizer, fuelled by subsidy, which degraded
the soil.
● The reliance on procurement prices rather than productivity increase to
ensure farm incomes, which fuelled inflation.
● The policy was almost exclusively focused on cereals rather than pulses,
the main source of protein for most Indians.
What steps need to be taken to undo mistakes?

● Focus on the specific goal of lowering the cost of producing food.
● The first Green Revolution had a specific agenda — of making India self-
sufficient in food. A second agricultural revolution is needed now.
● To contain the rising price of food would require action on many fronts; a
mission mode is necessary.
● Procurement prices, cash transfers, the Public Distribution System, and
priority lending required of public sector banks are not sufficient.
○ Yield increasing interventions on the farm are needed to at least
contain the cost of production, if not to actually lower it.
● Agricultural yield is lower in India than in East Asia, pointing to the
potential for an increase.
○ Attention is needed to extend irrigation to 100% of the net sown
area
○ End the restrictions on leasing of land
○ A quickening of agricultural research and the re-institution of
extension.
Steps taken by Government for food security:

● Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana(which promotes organic farming)
● Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana(which focuses on more crops per
drop for improved water use)
● Soil Health Management(fosters Integrated Nutrient Management under the
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture)
● Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKY
● Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana (PM POSHAN Scheme)
● Take-home rations
● Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
● Digitisation and measures such as rice fortification, better health, and
sanitation.
Way Forward
■ It is necessary to intervene on the supply side to ensure that food is
produced at a steady price by raising the yield on land.
■ India’s network of public agricultural research institutes needs to be
energized to resume the sterling role they had played in the 1960s.
■ The gram sevak was a familiar figure in the village, playing a crucial role
in the dissemination of best practices. It must be revived.
○ These initiatives should be dovetailed into a programme for the
manifold increase of protein production, which India is severely
deficient in.
■ With the central government taking the States along in a spirit of
cooperative federalism: It may be asked if the States are playing their part
to enhance agricultural productivity rather than relying on food allocations to
their Public Distribution System from the central pool.
■ A noticeable feature of the first Green Revolution was that by relying on
private enterprise: In order to ensure that all Indians have permanent
access to a healthy diet, no approach consistent with ecological security must
be off the table.

Q. How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping
patterns in the recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and
consumption.(UPSC 2018) (200 WORDS,
10 MARKS)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
A clear message to industry on dispute resolution
Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Governance(Adhar, UIDAI, KYC, ODR, Mediation Act, 2023, Alternative
Dispute Resolution (ADR), Enforcing Contracts, Srikrishna Committee etc
■ Mains GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development of
various sectors and issues arising out of them etc
■ ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ Parliament passed The Mediation Bill, 2023, and upon receiving the assent
of the President of India, is referred to as the Mediation Act, 2023.

Context
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR):
● ADR refers to a bouquet of mechanisms that enables disputing parties to
resolve their differences amicably, without the intervention of courts.
● The Indian legal framework encourages courts to refer the disputing
parties to ADR procedures, including mediation, if there were elements of
settlement which the parties may accept.
Features of the Mediation Act, 2023:

● Pre-litigation mediation: Parties must attempt to settle civil or commercial
disputes by mediation before approaching any court or certain tribunals.
○ Even if they fail to reach a settlement through pre-litigation
mediation, the court or tribunal may at any stage refer the parties to
mediation if they request for the same.
● Disputes not fit for mediation: The Bill contains a list of disputes which are
not fit for mediation.
○ These include disputes relating to claims against minors or persons
of unsound mind, involving criminal prosecution, and affecting the
rights of third parties.
○ The central government may amend this list.
● Applicability
● The Bill will apply to mediations conducted in India:
○ involving only domestic parties
○ involving at least one foreign party and relating to a commercial
dispute (i.e., international mediation)
○ if the mediation agreement states that mediation will be as per this
Bill.
○ If the central or state government is a party, the Bill will apply to
commercial disputes, and other disputes as notified.
● Mediation process: Mediation proceedings will be confidential, and must be
completed within 180 days (may be extended by 180 days by the parties).
○ A party may withdraw from mediation after two sessions.
○ Court annexed mediation must be conducted as per the rules framed
by the Supreme Court or High Courts.
● Mediators: Mediators may be appointed by the parties by agreement, a
mediation service provider (an institution administering mediation).
○ They must disclose any conflict of interest that may raise doubts on
their independence.
○ Parties may then choose to replace the mediator.
Benefits:
● It is expected to reduce the filing of frivolous claims before Indian courts.
● Owing to the confidentiality of a mediation, it may also mitigate the risk of
deterioration of the parties’ relationship due to a publicly fought dispute.
● Concerns about the feasibility of a mediation conducted under the sword
of an obligation as opposed to a sincere desire to arrive at an amicable
resolution.
○ This may empower a recalcitrant defendant to delay a genuine
claim.
○ The Act will provide some safeguards against these concerns.
● It will require the mediation to ordinarily be conducted by an empanelled
mediator, who must always be neutral and have uncompromising expertise.
● Mediators must complete the mediation within 180 days from the parties’
first appearance.
● The Act will not remove the refuge of Indian courts entirely.
● A party may, in exceptional circumstances, seek urgent interim reliefs
from a court before the commencement or during the continuation of a
mediation.
● These provisions prioritize expertise and efficiency, while ensuring that
the obligation of pre-litigation mediation is not weaponised.
● The aim to create a balanced framework encourages the parties to focus
more on their commercial dealings and less on their disputes.
Issues:
● The Act will effectively position mediation similar to commercial
arbitration in India.
○ Both pieces of legislation impose stringent timelines for the conduct
of proceedings
○ mandate confidentiality
○ obligate Indian courts to refer the parties to mediation or arbitration
○ provide a default mechanism for the appointment of a mediator or
arbitrator
○ prescribes the procedure for the termination of their mandate.
○ Both ensures the enforceability of a mediated settlement agreement
and an arbitral award, respectively.
● The establishment of a Mediation Council of India equally mirrors the
proposal in 2019 to establish an Arbitration Council of India (that is yet to be
implemented).
● Mediation and commercial arbitration are made allies, albeit at different
stages of the same journey.
● In commercial matters, courts will no longer be the default venue for
dispute resolution.
● Parties are expected to resolve their dispute amicably through mediation,
and, alternatively, through commercial arbitration.
○ The doors of courts are open if required, this access must be
perceived as a matter of last resort.
Way Forward
■ The Act will take this encouragement a step forward: Irrespective of a
prior mediation agreement, it will obligate each party to take steps to settle
their dispute through pre-litigation mediation before approaching an Indian
court.
○ To facilitate this process, the Act will also require courts and relevant
institutions to maintain a panel of mediators.
■ The Act will foster camaraderie between the mediation and arbitration
of commercial disputes, and reduce the burden on Indian courts.
■ The Act places emphasis on institutional mediation in India.
■ It envisages “mediation service providers” to provide not only the services
of a mediator but also all the facilities, secretarial assistance, and
infrastructure for the efficient conduct of mediation.
■ India is home to experienced arbitration institutions, some of which
provide mediation services that are on a par with global best practices.

Q. The emergence of Fourth Industrial Revolution (Digital Revolution) has initiated
e-Governance as an integral part of the government”. Discuss.(UPSC 2020)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
A Climate Question For G20
■ Prelims: Current events of international importance, G20, Global south,

Inflation etc.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on the moon, and this quarter’s
(Q1FY24) GDP growth rate of 7.8(seven point eight) percent, will bolster
India’s image in the upcoming G20 final meetings, scheduled on September
9-10.

Context
G20:
● The G20 is an informal group:19 countries and the European Union, with
representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
● The G20 Presidency rotates annually: according to a system that ensures a
regional balance over time.
● For the selection of the presidency: 19 countries are divided into 5 groups,
each having no more than 4 countries.
○ The presidency rotates between each group.
● Every year the G20 selects a country from another group to be president.
○ India is in Group 2 which also has Russia, South Africa, and
Turkey.
● The G20 does not have a permanent secretariat or Headquarters.
Recent steps by G20 members:

● G-20 members have shown a degree of commitment to shift towards clean
energy:
○ Renewable energy sources provided 29% of their energy mix in
2021, an increase from 19% in 2010.
● The G-20 members emit most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions
and produce the bulk of its fossil fuels.
○ Most members have pledged to be “net-zero”, cutting back on
emissions and fossil fuel use.
Deccan High-Level Principles:

● It was outlined in the ‘Outcome Document and Chair’s Summary’ of the
Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of G20 nations that was held at
Hyderabad.
● The Deccan High-Level Principles are:
○ Facilitate humanitarian assistance to countries and populations in
vulnerable situations
○ Enhance availability and access to nutritious food and strengthen
food safety nets
○ Strengthen policies and collaborative actions for climate-resilient
and sustainable agriculture and food systems
○ Strengthen resilience and inclusivity in agriculture and food value
chains
○ Promote the one health approach
○ Accelerate innovation and the use of digital technology
○ Scale-up responsible public and private investments in agriculture.
Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of G20:

● The AWG of G20 highlighted priority areas to encourage diversification in
agriculture, promoting sustainable agriculture
● Channeling financial resources towards environmentally conscious and
climate-resilient farming.
● Adopting climate-smart farming practices and precision technologies for
agricultural production to withstand climate fluctuations.
● AWG’s proceedings highlight the need to promote food and nutritional
security via higher investment in agri-R&D, especially biofortification.
● Encouraging research in biofortification and disseminating information
on fortified crop varieties to farmers is key to achieving nutritional security.
● The AWG highlights the “significance of strengthening a rules-based,
open, predictable, transparent, non-discriminatory, inclusive, equitable and
sustainable multilateral trading system”.
● It emphasizes working together to improve our food systems by
strengthening local, regional, and international agri-food value chains.
○ This can lead to affordable and accessible food, agricultural inputs,
and products.
○ A sustainable multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core,
can increase market predictability and boost business confidence.
Steps by ICAR:
● ICAR scientists demonstrated that even basic staple crops such as wheat,
rice, maize, and millet can be bio-fortified with enhanced iron, zinc, and even
anti-oxidants.
● ICAR has created 87 varieties of climate-resistant and nutritious crops.
● These crops include
○ rice (8)
○ wheat (28)
○ maize (14)
○ pearl millet (9)
○ finger millet (3)
○ small millet (1)
○ lentil (2)
○ groundnut (2)
○ linseed (1)
○ mustard (6)
○ soybean (5)
○ cauliflower (1)
○ potato (2)
○ sweet potato (2)
○ greater yam (2)
○ pomegranate (1) varieties
● They were developed as a result of collaboration between national and
international organizations.
What can India do?

● India can demonstrate the application of precision technologies in space
○ With Chandrayaan-3 by spending a fraction of the cost that the US
would incur for the same feat
● It could share these technologies with other countries of the Global South.
● Enhance the efficiency and resilience of agri-value chains and promote
digitisation as a catalyst for agricultural transformation.
● Establishment of standardized agricultural data platforms as digital
public goods and harnessing novel digital technologies to revolutionize the
agri-food sector.
● Sensor-equipped drips, drones and LEOs (Low Earth Orbits) can be used
in agriculture to get “more from less”, saving the planet’s scarce resources.
● The dissemination of research to the Global South is equally important for
India.
● India has released zinc-rich rice and wheat, which can be shared with
countries of the Global South.
● Biofortification is much more cost-effective compared to supplementing
rice with nutrients, say iron, in our public distribution system.
○ But India spends only 0.48(zero point four eight)percent of agri-
GDP on agri-R&D.
○ This needs to be doubled, if the country has to play the role of a
leader.
Way Forward
■ The Prime Minister is likely to announce India’s emergence on the
global stage during this Amrit Kaal up to 2047, making science and
economy deliver for humanity at large under the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam’ – One Earth, One Family, One Future.
■ India would surely like to bring millets to the fore, even on the dining
tables of G20 members.
○ But much more product innovation and dissemination is needed to
make it a part of global cuisine
■ Is it possible for India to turn this aspirational framework into a reality
by re-thinking its agri-policies to prioritize the well-being of people and the
planet.
■ Current policies of open-ended and assured procurement with Minimum
Support Price (MSP) for paddy and wheat is coupled with massive subsidies
on fertilizers, power, and irrigation
○ It has caused damage to our natural resources, especially soil,
water, air, and biodiversity.
○ India needs to re-purpose agri-policies to a more environmentally
sustainable and nutritious food system.

EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Emerging countries need women-led climate action
Source: The Hindu
■ Prelims: Current events of international importance, G20, Global south, UNFPA,

SDG, ILO etc.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ An International Labour Organization study (2019) said: In 2030,
2.2(two point two)percent of total working hours worldwide will be lost to
high temperatures, a productivity loss equivalent to 80 million full-time
jobs”.
■ The United Nations (2009) highlighted that across genders, women are
considered to be highly vulnerable and disproportionately affected by climate
change than men to the impact of climate change.
■ Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2021:
Gender equality and environmental goals are mutually reinforcing and create
a virtuous circle that will help accelerate the achievement of the SDGs
Context
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs):
● The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global
Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015.
● A universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that
by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
● It is a set of 17 SDGs which recognize that action in one area will affect
outcomes in others and that development must balance social, economic, and
environmental sustainability.
● Countries have committed to prioritizing progress for those who are
furthest behind.
● The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination
against women.
● The SDGs framework sets targets for 231 unique indicators across 17
SDG goals related to economic development, social welfare and
environmental sustainability, to be met by 2030.
● The United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development: It consists of 17 Goals and 169 targets as a plan of action for
‘people’, ‘the planet’, and ‘prosperity’.
● The resolution specifies mechanisms for the monitoring, review, and
reporting of progress as a measure of accountability towards the people.
● Member-states submit a Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the UN’s
High Level Political Forum (HLPF)
● VLRs is a means for driving and reporting local implementation of SDGs at
the sub-national and city levels.
Effects of climate change:

● They vary according to
○ location
○ socioeconomic status
○ gender
Role of women and Impact of climate change on women:

● Women across the world face severe risks to their health, safety, and quality
of life.
● Women in developing and less developed countries (especially in low-
income areas) are more vulnerable to climate change
○ because of their dependence on natural resources and labour-
intensive work for their livelihood.
● Women are more likely to live in poverty than men, which is just one of
several social, economic, and cultural variables that makes them more
susceptible to the effects of climate change.
● Women from low-income households are more at risk because they are
more responsible for food, water, and other homely unpaid work.
● Due to the climate crisis, more time and effort are needed to obtain basic
necessities.
● Rural women often shoulder the burden of ensuring access to clean water,
adequate cooking fuel, and nutritious food for their families.
● Women may be at increased risk for health and safety because they must
travel long distances every day to collect water and fuel.
● Women in low-income countries (predominantly South Asia and sub-
Saharan Africa) engage in climate-vulnerable occupations such as farming
and other labour-intensive work.
● According to the ILO: 60% of working women in southern Asia and sub-
Saharan Africa are still in agriculture, where they are often underpaid and
overworked.
● Women own only about 10% of the land used for farming.
● A McAllister (2023) study has highlighted that there could be 1.2(one point
two)billion climate refugees by 2050.
● According to a UN study, most (80%) of those displaced by climate-related
disasters are women and girls.
● Women, especially those from vulnerable communities, face particular
difficulties during and after natural disasters.
● When women are uprooted, they are more susceptible to prejudice and
exploitation.
○ For instance, after the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) found women were more exposed
to trafficking and exploitation.
● Gender-specific issues women face:
○ Separation from social networks(higher risk of gender-based
violence
○ Decreased access to employment, education, and essential health
services, such as sexual and reproductive health care and psychosocial
support.
● Women make up a large portion of the agricultural workforce in
emerging countries: Climate change impacts agricultural productivity
negatively and significantly.
○ Heat stress affects workers a lot in this sector, especially in South
Asia and Africa.
● Women engaged in agriculture do not have access to quality inputs and
possess low education and technical knowledge.
○ Women farmers and labourers are vulnerable and seriously
impacted.
● Various studies reflect how flooding has increased water scarcity and also
violence against and the exploitation of women.
Best Practices for the effective involvement of women in climate change plans:
● Charlot Magayi is assisting Kenyan women in switching from filthy cook
burners to clean ones.
○ In addition to enhancing community health outcomes, this lowers
greenhouse gas emissions.
● An African programme run by women called Solar Sister assists localities
in creating small-scale solar systems so they can become energy independent.
○ These grids also lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
● In laboratories and research departments all over Africa, female
scientists are bridging gender gaps by contributing first-hand knowledge of
local conditions and agriculture.
● Gender and Climate Change Development Programme(Programme in
South Asia): which aims to increase women’s influence in policy making by
providing them with a stronger voice.
● In India, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) teaches women
farmers how to respond to shifting climate patterns to support themselves
better financially.
Way Forward
■ Investments in women’s education, training, and access to resources are
essential if we are to be resilient to the impact of climate change.
■ Reduce the negative impacts of climate change on people’s living
standards by
○ Teaching them how to practice sustainable agriculture, water
management, and energy generation.
○ For example, in India, the Self-Employed Women’s Association
(SEWA) teaches women farmers how to respond to shifting climate
patterns to support themselves better financially.
■ It is essential to support groups that educate the public, train people to
adapt to climate change and invest in women’s education and training in
environmentally-friendly farming methods.
■ Women’s participation in climate policy decision-making at all levels is
crucial for effective climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies as
well as getting decent employment.
○ As women face greater risks in climate change, gender parity in
decision-making bodies is essential.
○ Gender and Climate Change Development
Programme(Programme in South Asia): which aims to increase
women’s influence in policy making by providing them with a stronger
voice.
○ Globally, similar efforts are required for efficient climate change
adaptation and mitigation.
■ Developing and emerging countries urgently need women-led climate
action.
Q. What is an Integrated Farming System ? How is it helpful to small and marginal
farmers in India?(UPSC 2022)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Disentangling the 2030 global renewable energy target
Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Current events of international importance, renewable energy, solar
cook-stove, G20, GCF etc
■ Mains GS Paper III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation,
environmental impact assessment etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ The presidency of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be held
in Dubai
■ It has called for agreement on a global target of tripling renewable energy
capacity from current levels by 2030

Context
Renewable energy:
● They are natural and self-replenishing, and usually have a low- or zero-
carbon footprint.
● Examples of renewable energy sources:
○ Wind power
○ Solar power
○ Bioenergy (organic matter burned as a fuel)
○ Hydroelectric including tidal energy.
Renewable energy current status:

● Global installed capacity of renewable energy sources (RES)(2021)for
electricity generation: It was 3026 GigaWatts (GW), or 39% of the total
capacity from all sources.
○ In total electricity generation the contribution by RES was only 28%.
● More than half the RE generation was from hydropower, while solar
(13%) and wind (23%).
○ It accounted for about 36% of RE generation, that is 10% of generation
from all sources.
Target of Tripling RE capacity by 2030:

● It implies a target of about 9000 GW, which is more than the total installed
capacity from all sources in 2021
○ Adding about 6000 GW of RE capacity between 2022 and 2030.
● Most of this capacity is expected to come from solar and wind
● Capacity utilization factor of 25% for solar and wind combined: It
implies the generation of about 13,000 TWh of electricity from RES alone.
● If growth in global electricity demand is at the pre-COVID-19 decade
average of 2.6%: The target of tripling RE capacity implies 38% of total
global electricity production from RES.
Regionally differentiated energy needs:

● Electricity demand across countries is highly differentiated
● The rates of growth vary for countries at different stages of development.
● Electricity consumption between 2010 and 2019 in China and India grew
annually at 6.6(six point six)% and 6.3(six point three)%, respectively
○ A 0.3(zero point three)% decline in the European Union (EU) and a
minimal 0.12(zero point one two)% growth in the United States.
● Any substantial RE addition in the EU and the U.S. must come from an
accelerated phaseout of their fossil fuel use by 2030.
● US and EU: Only 21% of the electricity in the U.S. and 37% in the EU comes
from RES (including hydro and biomass).
How different countries will fulfill Energy demands?

● US: If the U.S. does not phase out its existing fossil fuel capacity
○ It will need only about 26 GW of new RE capacity to meet additional
demand,
○ Its share of the tripling target of an additional 6000 GW by 2030,
would be only a measly 0.4(zero point four)%.
● India would need about 717 GW of RE capacity to meet additional demand
○ Its share of the tripling target would be 12%.
● If all the fossil fuel-based electricity production of the U.S. and the EU is
phased out: They would need to add about 1565 GW and 538 GW of
additional RE capacity, respectively
● with a full phase-out of fossil fuel-based capacity: U.S. and the EU would
account for more than a third of the new capacity
○ It will allow developing countries a less onerous transition in the
energy sector.
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report:

● It calls for “total renewable power capacity to more than triple by 2030,
compared to 2022 levels, to over 11 TW globally”.
● IRENA’s scenario, underlying the proposed COP28 target, is very close to
the first, highly inequitable scenario.
● IRENA report: Most of the non-RE capacity to be added by 2030 is in
developing regions.
● By 2030, 80% of power generation capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa is to
be from RE sources, as compared to only 70% for the EU.
● The EU and Sub-Saharan Africa are projected to add about the same
amount of RE capacity by 2050
○ The non-RE capacity in the EU continues to be more than four times
that of Sub-Saharan Africa.
● India: India needs to exceed even the very ambitious 500 GW mark by
2030.
Issues with the report:

● Equity: Lack of equity apart
● Such absolute projections of installed capacity suffer from the
fundamental problem of divorcing capacity addition from growth in energy
demand.
● IRENA itself recognises that relative targets are inherently less risky as
they are less dependent on demand growth matching expectations.
● The entire burden is on developing countries.
● The enormous increase in RE capacity is not possible without matching
non-RE capacity for stability of supply
○ The availability of viable storage options that are as yet nowhere
near the scale envisaged by such ambitious targets.
● Finding the resources to build national grids adequate for their
development needs at such levels of scaling up of RE capacity
○ It will pose additional challenges, given the inability to reach even
the minimal annual target of $100 billion of climate finance covering
all sectors.
Way Forward
■ When the Prime Minister announced at COP26 that India would increase
its ambition to 500GW from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030
○ U.S. President made no such promise or declared any renewable
energy target.
○ Apart from a general announcement (not committed under the
Paris Agreement) to decarbonise the energy sector by 2035.
○ The EU too has only a relative target, though an ambitious sounding
goal of 40% of final energy consumption from renewable sources by
2030, but certainly not absolute.
■ For both the U.S. and the EU: The targets are essentially market signals,
which the governments will promote, but are not guaranteed by government
intervention as in the developing countries.
■ Developing countries at COP28, especially India, should consider the
tripling global RE capacity target only if the North commits to absolute
targets domestically,
○ that are equitable and commensurate with their responsibility
○ An update of their Nationally Determined Contributions under the
Paris Agreement.

Q. Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at the World Leaders
Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November,
2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance
(ISA)?(UPSC 2021)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Ethanol – a savior that gives savings

■ Prelims: current events of national and interventions importance(ethanol,
ethanol blending, International Energy Agency, G20, crude blending programme
etc
■ Mains GS Paper III: Conservation of Environment, Biodiversity and
Environment(Environmental Pollution and pollutants and degradation)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
■ International oil prices are surging, nearing $100 per barrel.
■ India’s import dependence on crude oil and products stood at 87.3(eighty
seven point three)percent in FY2023, and 25.8(twenty five point
eight)percent of the country’s import bill was spent on it

Context
Ethanol:
● It is one of the principal biofuels, which is naturally produced by the
fermentation of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical processes such as
ethylene hydration.
● Since it is a plant-based fuel, ethanol is considered renewable.
● Ethanol can be produced from sugarcane, maize, wheat, etc which are
having high starch content.
● In India, ethanol is mainly produced from sugarcane molasses by
fermentation process.
Ethanol Blending:
● An ethanol blend is a blended motor fuel containing ethyl alcohol that is at
least 99% pure, derived from agricultural products, and blended
exclusively with petrol.
Blending Target:
● India has advanced the target for 20% ethanol blending in petrol (also
called E20) to 2025 from 2030.
● India achieved 9.45% ethanol blending as on March, 2022.
● Currently, 8.5% of ethanol is blended with petrol in India.
Objectives of Ethanol Blending:

● Impact on Emission: Ethanol-blended petrol decreases emission of carbon
monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
● Energy Security:
1. Increased use of ethanol will reduce the dependence on oil imports. Current
net import cost stands at USD 551 billion(2020-21).
2. The E20 program can save the country USD 4 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) per
annum.
● It can incentivise farmers:
1. Ethanol is procured by oil companies from farmers that benefits the
sugarcane farmers.
2. The plans to encourage use of water-saving crops particularly in water
deficient areas such as maize, to produce ethanol, and production of ethanol
from non-food feedstock.
Background:
● India has the third-largest crude and product demand in the world.
● International Energy Agency(IEA) estimates: Up to 20 percent of our total
primary energy supply was met by biomass, and a large portion of it was used
by households.
Steps taken to arrest the dependence on imported crude:

● India launched an ethanol blending programme in 2003.
● In 2022, India’s blending programme achieved the significant milestone of
10 percent ethanol blending in petrol.
Ethanol and energy demand:

● Ethanol producers supplied nearly 430 crore liters of ethanol in 2022.
● The demand for 20 per cent blending is set to increase India’s ethanol
demand to nearly 1,100 crore liters by 2025.
○ It will require investments, and the ability to provide (and divert)
the necessary feedstock for the domestic production of ethanol.
● Nearly 60 percent of our petrol demand comes from two-wheelers, which
cater to the mobility needs of citizens
○ 40 percent demand is from four-wheelers and this share is likely to
increase
● Study on urban India by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water:
Nearly 55 percent of respondents indicated their desire (and need) to own a
four-wheeler.
● NITI Aayog report indicated a growth in petrol demand by over 45 percent
by 2030, compared to 2021.
India’s supply of ethanol for the blending programme:

● First-generation production – using underlying sugars in food crops, mostly
sugarcane (84 percent) and grain (16 percent).
● Second-generation (2G) technologies for ethanol production are immense.
Initiatives:
The National Policy on Biofuels–2018
● It provides an indicative target of 20% ethanol blending under the Ethanol
Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme by 2030
● It categorizes biofuels as "Basic Biofuels", First Generation (1G) bio-
ethanol & biodiesel and "Advanced Biofuels" - Second Generation (2G)
ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels, Third Generation
(3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc. to enable extension of appropriate financial and
fiscal incentives under each category.
● It allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending
with petrol with the approval of the National Biofuel Coordination
Committee.
● It indicates a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries of
Rs.5000 crore in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives, higher
purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels.
E100 pilot project:

● Inaugurated in Pune.
● TVS Apache two-wheelers are designed to run on E80 or pure ethanol
(E100).
Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, 2019:

● The scheme aims to create an ecosystem for setting up commercial projects
and boost Research and Development in the 2G Ethanol sector.
GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) DHAN Scheme, 2018:

● The scheme aims to positively impact village cleanliness and generate
wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste.
● It also aims at creating new rural livelihood opportunities and enhancing
income for farmers and other rural people.
Way Forward
■ Global Biofuel Alliance under India’s G20 presidency must now convert
this fuel into a form that can supply clean bio-energy to multiple end uses,
improve energy security and get value for public spending.
■ The predominance of first-generation production and food-energy-water
nexus considerations must be put into practice at the earliest.
■ Ethanol opens up a new income stream for the farming community by
way of assured procurement
■ India needs a robust assessment of these tradeoffs, and a clear research
and development plan for 2G technologies, before it can scale up ethanol
production.
■ Even in diversifying our fuel base, the primary focus of policy must be to
slow down the overall consumption of petrol in the economy and address the
private demand for the fuel.
■ Targeted promotion of EVs in public transit and pricing the use of private
vehicles in urban settings could ease the transition to higher levels of biofuels.

Q. Discuss several ways in which microorganisms can help in meeting the current
fuel shortage.(UPSC 2022)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
With climate change, tackling new disease scenarios
Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Current events of national importance, Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC), Nipah virus, The Integrated Disease Surveillance
Programme (IDSP) etc
■ Mains GS Paper I & II: Development and management of social
sectors/services related to Health and education etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ The latest report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) delivers a stark warning: climate change heightens the
global risk of infectious diseases.
Context
Health:(WHO)
● A certain totality of health to the realms of mental and social well-being and
happiness beyond physical fitness, and an absence of disease and disability.
● We cannot achieve health in its wider definition without addressing health
determinants.
Changed pattern of relationship between climate and diseases:
● The periodicity of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks no longer follows
expected patterns.
● Dengue manifests in two to three peaks throughout the year.
● Variability in temperature, precipitation, and humidity disrupt disease
transmission cycles.
○ These alter the distribution of the vectors and animal reservoirs
that host the parasite.
● Heat interferes with the genomic structure of pathogens, changing their
infectivity and virulence.
How can Climate change lead to more infections?

● Habitat loss forces disease-carrying animals to encroach upon human
territory
○ It increases the risk of human-animal interaction and the transfer
of pathogens from wildlife to humans.
● Viruses which do not harm animals can be fatal for humans.
○ Nipah virus(outbreaks in Kerala for many years now, is a good
example.
● Analysis of 2022 published in Nature Climate Change warns that humans
now face a broader spectrum of infectious agents than ever before.
○ Over half of all-known infectious diseases threatening humans
worsen with changing climate patterns.
● Diseases often find new transmission routes, including environmental
sources, medical tourism, and contaminated food and water from once-
reliable sources.
● Ecosystems shape local climates, climate change is transforming
ecosystems.
○ This dynamic introduces invasive species and extends the range of
existing life forms.
○ The trigger upheavals in ecosystems confound ecologists and
epidemiologists to predict outbreaks.
● The climatic shifts are manifesting in severe health crises, including a
dengue epidemic in Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Kolkata
Impact on India:
● The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) was rolled out in
a few States in 2007.
○ It reported 553 outbreaks in 2008, it last reported 1,714 in 2017.
○ It was phased out in favor of a web-enabled, near-real-time
electronic information system called Integrated Health Information
Platform (IHIP).
○ It added 20 additional disease conditions over IDSP 13
○ It could present disaggregated data to its users.
○ The programme, which has enabled real-time tracking of emerging
disease outbreaks, has not delivered on expectations.
One Health approach:

● It integrates monitoring human, animal, plant, and environmental health,
recognises this interconnectedness.
● It is pivotal in preventing outbreaks, especially those that originate from
animals.
● It encompasses zoonotic diseases, neglected tropical diseases, vector-
borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental contamination.
Way Forward
■ Mitigating the spread of climate change-induced diseases requires
safeguarding ecosystems, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and
implementing active pathogen surveillance.
■ India must launch One Health and infectious disease control
programmes by building greater synergies between the Centre and States
and their varied specialized agencies.
■ Animal husbandry, forest and wildlife, municipal corporations, and
public health departments need to converge and set up robust surveillance
systems.
○ They will need to build trust and confidence, share data, and devise
logical lines of responsibility and work with a coordinating agency.
○ With new World Bank and other large funding in place, this will
need greater coordination and management.
■ Climate change is not limited to infectious diseases: It exacerbates
injuries and deaths from extreme weather events, respiratory and
cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues.
■ The re-emergence of Nipah in Kerala is a wake-up call, that mere
biomedical response to diseases is inadequate.

Q. Besides being a moral imperative of the Welfare State, primary health structure is
a necessary precondition for sustainable development.” Analyze.(UPSC 2021)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Lift-Off And The Law

■ Prelims: Current events of national and international importance(Space
programmes, Chandrayaan 3, Outer Space Treaty, 1967, NASA, Indian Space
Policy 2023, non-proliferation etc
■ Mains GS Paper II: Science and technology, development and application,
Development in the field of space and issues related to it etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ The Chandrayaan-3 lander made a successful soft landing on the surface of
the Moon making India the first country to reach close to the lunar south
pole.
■ India has also become the fourth nation in history to land on the lunar
surface, after the United States, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and China.

Context
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
● Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar mission and second attempt at

achieving a soft landing on the moon's surface.
● The mission took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) in
Sriharikota on July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm.
● It consists of an indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM)
and a Rover
● objective: developing and demonstrating new technologies required for
Interplanetary missions.
Mission Objectives of Chandrayaan-3:
● To demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface
● To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon
● To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
Recent Achievements by India:
● India is a signatory to the US Artemis Accords: A non-binding arrangement
with NASA
○ It explores the implementation of provisions of the Outer Space
Treaty, 1967 and other international instruments.
○ It establishes a political understanding regarding mutually
beneficial practices for future use of outer space.
● The deepening of US-India engagements, particularly iCET —
establishment of the US-India Civil Space and Commercial Space Working
Groups
Global common:
● It is used to define those parts of the planet that fall outside the
sovereignty of any state.
● It is a concept built upon the legacy of Grotius’s idea of mare liberum (free
sea)
● The term is used to describe supra-national and global resource
domains in which common-pool resources are found.
● The UN identifies four “global commons”, namely
○ High seas
○ Atmosphere
○ Antarctica
○ Outer space.
How is global common seen?

● When rooted in geopolitical or military relevance, it is generally viewed
as an enabling concept.
● Security establishments across the world recognise domains beyond the
national jurisdictions, including
○ high seas
○ air space outside territorial bodies of a state
○ outer space
● Others recognise outer space as a vital operational domain for keeping
their nation safe while upholding international law.
● Global common” is viewed as a constraining concept based on the
economic and commercial implications of shared resources
● It can be overused by some at the expense of others, regardless of national
jurisdiction. “
● Commons” is seen as constraining because it is associated with notions of
shared ownership, public governance or limitations on use.
Common heritage of mankind” (CHM):

● “Commons” is associated with the “common heritage of mankind” (CHM)
concept as expressed in Article 11(3) Moon Agreement, 1979.
● CHM created a territorial status in which the Moon and celestial bodies are
themselves not subject to national appropriation
○ The fruits and resources of which are also deemed to be the property
of mankind at large.
● CHM is not limited to outer space.
Agreements and disagreements:

● The Moon Agreement: This principle was codified as Article 136 of the
United Convention on Law of the Seas, 1982.
● To some, the high seas beyond territorial waters is a “global common”
allowing freedom of navigation and access to all (an enabling concept)
○ Others refer to the deep sea bed as a “global common” (in a
constraining sense).
● Sputnik launch in 1957: The US and the USSR ensured the adoption of UN
General Assembly Resolutions 1721 A&B (XVI).
Way Forward
■ Outer space is a democratized domain: Over 80 countries access outer
space
○ They derive benefits from space-based satellite services for every
aspect of their national life
■ India is at a threshold it has never reached before: This would be the time
to play a significant part in determining the content and contours of a future
international framework for the management of space resources.
■ India must necessarily involve a close examination of the Moon
Agreement 1979 (MA) which came into force in 1984.
○ 18 states have ratified the MA (reduced to 17 after Saudi Arabia’s
withdrawal comes into effect).
○ Australia and Mexico have ratified MA and are signatories to the
Artemis Accords.
○ France and India are signatories to MA (not yet ratified) and also to
the Artemis Accords.
■ It will require a comprehensive understanding of the range of directly
and indirectly applicable international law and other frameworks.
○ It will require the participation of all government institutions.
■ India has had and continues to have robust international cooperation
space programmes, including multilateral and bilateral engagements with
advanced space powers, and with those looking forward to advancing theirs.
■ India must now contribute towards drawing up an international space
resource management framework that balances competing objectives in
pursuit of the use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
■ India’s modest entry into the First Space Age followed by its many gains
should be used to help the country tap the vast potential in the Second Space
Age.

Q. Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How
the application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic
development?(UPSC 2016)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Taking a giant leap for a new ethics in outer space
Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Current events of national and international importance(Space
programmes, International Geophysical Year (IGY), south pole, Chandrayaan-3,
outer space Treaty Indian Space Policy 2023 etc
■ Mains GS Paper II: Science and technology, development and application,
Development in the field of space and issues related to it etc
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ 1910-12, Robert Scott, British naval officer, was preparing a daring
expedition to the South Pole.
○ Same time, a Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, was planning a
bold ice-drift to the North Pole.
■ ISRO made it to the elite space club much before the Chandrayaan-3
mission’s ‘Vikram’ lander touched down on the lunar south pole on August
23.

Context
Treaties for Outer Space:
● The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: Established in 1959
by the UN to review and enable international cooperation in the peaceful uses
of outer space.
● In 1963, countries agreed to prohibit testing nuclear weapons in outer
space.
● In 1967, the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the
Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial
Bodies, was agreed upon.
○ It prohibits only weapons of mass destruction in outer space, not
ordinary weapons.
● In 2022, the UN members agreed upon a series of guidelines, frameworks
and recommendations on issues such as
○ Mitigation of space debris,
○ Nuclear power source safety,
○ The long-term sustainability of outer space activities and
○ Transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space
activities.
Claim on Antarctica by different countries:

● In 1939, Norway laid claim to a vast area of Antarctica which it called
Dronning Maud Land, or Queen Maud Land, after its reigning Queen, wife of
King Haakon.
○ This area covers about a sixth of the entire continent.
○ Norwegian claims Peter I Island(450km) off the western side of the
Antarctic peninsula.
● Britain was the second South Pole ‘arrivee’ and claimant
● Other countries: Australia, Argentina, Chile, France and New Zealand.
Regulation and Antarctica’s well-being

● International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1958 many players became active
in Antarctica
● The United States(1959) convened an Antarctic Conference of the 12
countries active in Antarctica during the IGY, to negotiate a treaty.
● Argentina proposed that atomic explosions be banned in Antarctica.
○ U.S. reply: only those tests that were carried out without prior notice
and consultation should be banned.
○ The USSR and Chile supported the Argentine proposal.
● Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand,
Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the
United States — 12 countries — had established over 55 Antarctic research
stations for the IGY
● They had to make the Treaty accord full acceptance to two basics:
○ Freedom of scientific research in Antarctica
○ Peaceful use of the continent.
● An indirect consensus emerged for demilitarization: The treaty
prohibited nuclear testing, military operations, economic exploitation, and
further territorial claims in Antarctica.
● Present status: 54 parties to the Treaty, with 29 having consultative status
○ India with its own station on Queen Maud’s Land have
‘demonstrated their interest in Antarctica by carrying out substantial
scientific activity there’.
Moon Agreement:
● It was adopted by the General Assembly in 1979 in resolution 34/68
● It provides that space-probing humanity’s dealings with the moon should
be used exclusively for peaceful purposes
● Its environment should not be disrupted
● The United Nations should be informed of the location and purpose of any
station established on it.
● Moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of mankind and
that ‘an international regime should be established to govern the exploitation
of such resources’ when such exploitation is about to become feasible.
● The Moon Agreement is a self-regulating covenant of restraint.
Way Forward
■ Chandrayaan-3 achievement: It must now be followed by a mature policy
on the future of India’s earth-borne plans on the moon.
■ India must, by precept and practice, set the pace for the earth’s agenda on
the moon and of the moon’s future as a partner with the earth.
■ As a partner, not as property. As a collaborator in science, not a colony in
subjugation.
■ The Moon Agreement must be taken to its next logical stage.
■ The Prime Minister’s statement: "The success of Chandrayaan 3 is not just
India’s alone but it belongs to all of humanity” — was wise and responsible.
■ Inaugurate a new ethics for human activity in outer space, including, very
pointedly, the earth’s responsibilities towards outer space debris.
■ This new ethic must make the non-militarisation of outer space a non-
negotiable covenant.
■ The Outer Space Treaty and Moon Agreement now need aligning not just
with the latest advances in space missions but with a moral compass to the
stars.

Q. Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How
the application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic
development?(UPSC 2016)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
The complex path to biofuel sustainability
Source: The Hindu

Prelims: Current events of national importance, Environmental pollution and
degradation, biofuels, EV’s, internal combustion engine (ICE), Ethanol, GHG etc
Mains GS Paper III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation,Solar
energy and its use in different sectors particularly agriculture etc.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ For a transition to EVs, existing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles
and the supporting infrastructure need to be replaced entirely, which is
capital intensive.
■ Biofuels can be used in existing ICE engines and infrastructure with little to
no modifications

Context
Biofuels:
● Any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from an organic matter (living
or once living material) in a short period of time (days, weeks, or even
months) is considered a biofuel.
● Biofuels may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature.
○ Solid: Wood, dried plant material, and manure
○ Liquid: Bioethanol and Biodiesel
○ Gaseous: Biogas
● These can be used to replace or can be used in addition to diesel,
petrol or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other
applications.
● They can be used to generate heat and electricity.
● Some of the main reasons for shifting to biofuels are the rising prices
of oil, emission of greenhouse gasses from fossil fuels and the interest in
obtaining fuel from agricultural crops for the benefit of farmers.
Different Categories of Biofuels:

Biofuels in India:
● In India, biofuel is synonymous with first-generation (1G) ethanol,
which is primarily sourced from food crops.
● The policy target in India of achieving 20% ethanol blending with
petrol (E20) by 2025-26 is expected to be met almost entirely by 1G
ethanol made from sugar cane and foodgrains.
● Second-generation (2G) ethanol made from crop wastes and residues
○ It is unlikely to contribute much to achieving this target due to
several challenges related to the feedstock supply chain and
scaling up.
Growing a crop for energy may not be a sustainable strategy for India:
● India’s crop yields have already stagnated, and global warming is
expected to reduce yields
○ The same area under cultivation (arable land) will produce
less with time but will need to suffice for a growing population.
○ Strategy to meet blending targets cannot depend on surplus
crop production.
● University of Michigan Study: It projected that the rates of
groundwater depletion could triple during 2040-81 compared with the
current rate.
○ This is attributable to temperature rise and the resultant
increase in crop water requirements.
○ With such limited resources, food production should be
prioritized over fuel.
● The agriculture sector is one of the hardest-to-abate in terms of
direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
○ Increasing GHG emissions from this sector for motor fuel
production in order to decrease GHG emissions from the
transport sector
○ It is an unnecessary balancing loop that would achieve little net
benefit.
Steps that need to be taken:

● The ethanol blending policy has been a good strategy to deal with the
surplus sugar production.
○ For Surplus sugar production: reduce surplus sugarcane
cultivation.
● Increasing farmer income is often waved as a white flag but
sugarcane being a remunerative crop has more to do with government
intervention
○ Any unassuming crop could be made as remunerative as sugar
cane if so desired.
● ‘Sustainable’ biofuels need to be produced from crop residues and
other wastes, with low water and GHG footprint.
● The Global Biofuels Alliance that was formed at the G-20 Summit in
New Delhi is expected to strengthen the development of sustainable
biofuels, in addition to promoting ethanol uptake.
Way Forward
■ The Energy Transitions Commission report on ‘Bioresources within a
Net-Zero Emissions Economy: It recommended that biomass should be
prioritized for use in sectors where there are limited low-carbon alternatives.
■ Long-haul aviation and road freight segments, wherein complete
electrification might take longer to achieve
○ They could make the cut, whereas petrol vehicles (for which ethanol
blending is currently being targeted) would probably not.
■ According to the International Energy Agency: To achieve net-zero
emissions by 2050 globally, sustainable biofuel production needs to triple by
2030 to fuel modes that have few other mitigation options.
■ Although 1G ethanol is unlikely to fit the bill, 2G ethanol could be counted
as a sustainable fuel, especially if the production is decentralized, i.e., crop
residues do not have to be transported large distances to a central
manufacturing plant.
○ But this might affect achieving economies of scale for the 2G plant.
■ Balancing economies of scale with the energy needs (and costs) of
biomass collection and transport across large distances is a major challenge.
○ The Global Biofuels Alliance could help drive innovation and
technology development in establishing an efficient biomass supply
chain and smaller-scale decentralized biofuel production units.
■ Achieving true sustainability is complex, especially with respect to
biofuels.
○ Any strategy should be carefully examined in the context of the
larger ecosystem to avoid unintended negative consequences.

Q. Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable
energy by 2030 ? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil
fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective ? Explain.(UPSC 2022)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Children, a key yet missed demographic in AI regulation
Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Science and technology, Artificial intelligence(AI), Generative AI, Big
Data, GANs, ChatGPT1 tool, DALL.E2 etc
■ Mains GS Paper III and IV: Significance of technology for India, AI,
indigenisation of technology and development of new technology.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ India is to host the first-ever global summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
■ As the Chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI),
India will also be hosting the GPAI global summit.
■ AI is projected to add $500 billion to India’s economy by 2025, accounting
for 10% of the country’s target GDP.
Context
Artificial intelligence(AI):
● It is a branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent
behavior in computers.
● It describes the action of machines accomplishing tasks that have
historically required human intelligence.
● It includes technologies like machine learning, pattern recognition, big data,
neural networks, self algorithms etc.
● E.g: Facebook’s facial recognition software which identifies faces in the
photos we post, the voice recognition software that translates commands we
give to Alexa, etc are some of the examples of AI already around us.
Generative AI:
● It is a cutting-edge technological advancement that utilizes machine
learning and artificial intelligence to create new forms of media, such as text,
audio, video, and animation.
● With the advent of advanced machine learning capabilities: It is possible
to generate new and creative short and long-form content, synthetic media,
and even deep fakes with simple text, also known as prompts.
AI innovations:
● GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks)
● LLMs (Large Language Models)
● GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformers)
● Image Generation to experiment
● Create commercial offerings like DALL-E for image generation
● ChatGPT for text generation.
○ It can write blogs, computer code, and marketing copies and even
generate results for search queries.
The governance challenge:

● Regulation will have to align incentives to reduce issues of addiction,
mental health, and overall safety.
● In absence of data hungry AI-based digital services can readily deploy
opaque algorithms and dark patterns to exploit impressionable young people.
● Tech-based distortions of ideal physical appearance(s) which can trigger
body image issues.
● Other malicious threats emerging from AI include
○ misinformation
○ radicalisation
○ cyberbullying
○ sexual grooming
○ doxxing.
● AI is known to transpose real world biases and inequities into the digital
world.
○ Such issues of bias and discrimination can impact children and
adolescents who belong to marginalized communities.
● The data protection framework’s current approach to children is
misaligned with India’s digital realities.
○ It transfers an inordinate burden on parents to protect their
children’s interests
○ It does not facilitate safe platform operations and/or platform
design.
○ A significant percentage of parents rely on the assistance of their
children to navigate otherwise inaccessible user interfaces and user
experience (UI/UX) interfaces online.
○ It bans tracking of children’s data by default
○ It can potentially cut them away from the benefits of personalisation
that we experience online
What steps need to be taken?

● The next generation of digital nagriks must grapple with the indirect
effects of their families’ online activities.
○ Enthusiastic ‘sharents’ regularly post photos and videos about their
children online to document their journeys through parenthood.
● While moving into adolescence we must equip young people with tools to
manage the unintended consequences.
○ For example: AI-powered deep fake capabilities can be misused to
target young people
○ The bad actors create morphed sexually explicit depictions and
distribute them online.
● AI regulation must improve upon India’s approach to children under
India’s newly minted data protection law.
● International best practices can assist Indian regulation to identify
standards and principles that facilitate safer AI deployments.
● UNICEF’s guidance for policymakers on AI and children identifies nine
requirements for child-centered AI which draws on the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (India is a signatory).
○ The guidance aims to create an enabling environment which
promotes
■ children’s well-being
■ inclusion
■ fairness
■ non-discrimination
■ safety
■ transparency
■ explainability
■ accountability.
● The ability to adapt to the varying developmental stages of children from
different age groups.
● California’s Age Appropriate Design Code Act serves as an interesting
template.
○ It pushes for transparency to ensure that digital services configure
default privacy settings
○ It assess whether algorithms, data collection, or targeted
advertising systems harm children
○ Use clear, age-appropriate language for user-facing information.
● Indian authorities should encourage research which collects evidence on
the benefits and risks of AI for India’s children and adolescents.
○ This should serve as a baseline to work towards an Indian Age
Appropriate Design Code for AI.
● Better institutions will help shift regulation away from top-down safety
protocols which place undue burdens on parents.
● Mechanisms of regular dialogue with children will help incorporate their
inputs on the benefits and the threats they face when interacting with AI-
based digital services.
Concerns around AI use:

● Generative AI can create harm and adversely impact society through
misuse, perpetuating biases, exclusion, and discrimination.
● Bias and exclusion: Generative AI systems can perpetuate and amplify
existing biases.
○ If the models are trained on biased, non-inclusive data, they will
generate biased outputs.
○ For example: initially, generative imagery would show only images of
white men for the prompt “CEO.”
● Generative AI systems can create content for malicious purposes, such as
deep fakes, disinformation, and propaganda.
● Inappropriate content: It can generate offensive or inappropriate content.
● Nefarious actors may use AI-generated media to manipulate people and
influence public opinion.
● It may also produce low-quality and less accurate information,
specifically in the context of complex engineering and medical diagnosis.
● It can be challenging to determine who is responsible for the content
generated by a generative AI system.
● The acquisition and consent model around the training data and
intellectual property issues make it difficult to hold anyone accountable for
any harm resulting from its use.
Ethical Issues with AI:

Way Forward
■ India can assume leadership in how regulators address children and
adolescents who are a critical demographic in this context.
■ The nature of digital services means that many cutting-edge AI
deployments are not designed specifically for children but are nevertheless
accessed by them.
■ An institution similar to Australia’s Online Safety Youth Advisory
Council which comprises people between the ages of 13-24
○ Such institutions will assist regulation to become more responsive
to the threats young people face when interacting with AI systems
○ Preserving the benefits that they derive from digital services.
■ Regulation should avoid prescriptions and instead embrace standards,
strong institutions, and best practices which imbue openness, trust, and
accountability.
■ As we move towards a new law to regulate harms on the Internet, and
look to establish our thought leadership on global AI regulation, the interests
of our young citizens must be front and center.

Q. What are the different elements of cyber security ? Keeping in view the
challenges in cyber security, examine the extent to which India has successfully
developed a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy.(UPSC 2022)
EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
A push for GM mustard disregarding science, the law
Source: The Hindu
■ Prelims: Current events of national importance, GM crops, DMH-11, Bt cotton,

GEAC etc
■ Mains GS Paper III: Science and technology- development and applications in
everyday life, Biotechnology and issues related to it.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
■ The battle of environmentalists in the Supreme Court against Delhi
University’s genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant (HT) mustard
stands between GM food and Indian farmers and consumers.
■ Government has decided to release India’s first genetically-modified (GM)
food crop — Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11) for environmental
release.
Context
GM Crops:
● GM foods are derived from plants whose genes are artificially modified.
● By inserting genetic material from another organism, in order to give it a
new property, such as:
○ Increased yield
○ Tolerance to a herbicide
○ Resistance to disease or drought
○ Improve its nutritional value.
● GM rice(golden rice): Golden rice involves the insertion of genes from a
plant -- both daffodils and maize have been used -- and a soil bacterium to
create a grain that is enriched with Vitamin A.
● Bt cotton: India has approved commercial cultivation of only one GM crop,
Bt cotton.
● Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC): All GM crops in India
require approval from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)
for use in commercial production.
Benefits of GM-crops:
Risks associated with GM crops:
Government’s stand in court:

● It has argued that GM mustard should not be considered HT at all.
○ The objective for developing it was to improve yields.
○ A crop that can withstand herbicides is an HT crop.
● As per science of biotechnology and ecology, there is no doubt that GM
mustard is an HT crop.
GM Crops vs other crops:

● GM crops are different from conventional varieties and hybrids, such as
those developed by farmers, agricultural research institutions and companies.
● Biotechnologists insert select genes at a random location in the DNA of a
plant to develop a GM crop.
● The insertion makes a GM crop express traits that it ordinarily would not.
● GM mustard has been altered to withstand the broad-spectrum herbicide
glufosinate.
● The farmers growing GM mustard can spray the herbicide to kill all plants
except the mustard.
GM crops in India:
● India has seen a robust debate on GM crops in the last two decades.
● Bt cotton, the first and only GM crop approved in the country.
● Long-term research suggests that Bt cotton has provided only fleeting
benefits to farmers, while enormously increasing their costs of cultivation and
risk.
● Some seed companies have profited from the expensive GM seeds.
Steps taken:
● Two Standing Committees of the Parliament independently and
comprehensively examined GM crops and food.
● The Supreme Court also appointed a Technical Expert Committee (TEC)
in the public interest litigations filed separately by the NGO Gene Campaign
and the environmentalist, Aruna Rodrigues.
Committees for GM food by Parliament:

● Standing Committee on Agriculture in 2012
● Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests in
2017
● Both committees included Members of Parliament from the ruling and
Opposition parties.
Report by committees:
● The two committees unanimously highlighted major weaknesses in the
regulatory system.
● They called for utmost caution before releasing GM food.
● The Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests
made a specific reference to GM mustard.
○ It asked the government to conduct a thorough, independent, and
transparent assessment of long-term biosafety, environmental risk
and socio-economic impacts.
● Five of the six TEC members pointed to grave deficiencies in the safety
assessment of GM crops in their report that was released in 2013.
○ They found HT crops “completely unsuitable in the Indian context.
○ They warned of serious harm to the environment, rural livelihoods
and sustainable agriculture if they were released..
Way Forward
■ The government needs to approach the issue of HT crops transparently
and robustly with an emphasis on precaution.
■ The government is pushing ahead with GM mustard with reckless
disregard for both science and the law.
○ For instance, it has not placed the full biosafety dossier of GM
mustard in the public domain, despite the provisions of the RTI and a
declaration to this by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee.
■ Government is not adequately responding to criticisms from
agricultural scientists that already available non-GM mustard hybrids have
better yields than GM mustard.
■ If the Supreme Court allows GM mustard to go through, it will likely pave
the way for the release of other HT crops such as cotton, rice, and maize.
○ The future of farming and India’s food culture and heritage hangs in
the balance.

Q. What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging
technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification ?(UPSC 2021)

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INSIGHTSIAS

IA SIMPLIFYING IAS EXAM PREPARATION

Ecology and environment:

Science and technology:

Source: The Hindu

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

Child custody under Islamic laws:

Case studies(about children Custody):

Allahabad High Court:(Nasrin Begum (2022):

Article 44 of the Constitution:

Arguments in favor of UCC:

Arguments against UCC:

Supreme Court judgements about implementation of UCC:

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Source: The Hindu

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita

Issues and Solutions:

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Source: The Hindu

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

Stand by the States:

Decision by The CWMA:

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Women reservation, Parliament, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Census,

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

Data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union:

Positive Impact of Women reservation:

What steps need to be taken?

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Source: The Hindu

■ Prelims: Current events of international importance, G20, G7, BRICS etc.

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

Background of BRICS formation:

Impact of New membership:

In line for admission in BRICS:

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Source: The Hindu

Significance of Indo-Pacific region for India:

The significance of the Camp David meet

Reasons why ROK is a natural partner for India in the Indo-Pacific:

Areas where the two countries could focus on in order to strengthen

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Source: Indian Express

■ Prelims: Current events of international importance, G20, Global south,

Recent steps by G20 members:

Benefits India highlighted from G20 Presidency:

Outcome of G20 meet:

India’s leadership role:

Major Highlights of the New Delhi Declaration:

QUESTION FOR PRACTICE

Source: Indian Express

Prelims: Current events of international importance, India-Middle East-Europe

INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE

What should be the Focus areas?

What would make this corridor tick?