23-01-2024

Desalination Reverse Osmosis

• Production of drinking water from saltwater. • Seawater or brackish water is pumped

• Became economically feasible in recent decades. into a high-pressure chamber.

• Two main types - • Semi-permeable membrane placed in the

chamber.
 Thermal desalination
• High pressure is applied on saltwater
 Membrane desalination
• Filtered water is collected as
freshwater.

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Types of RO membranes Disadvantages

 cellulose acetate. • Expensive to build and operate.

 polyamide. • Uses a lot of energy - contribute to climate

change.
• Microscopic pores - allow only water
molecules to pass through.  Energy costs account for one-third to
one-half of the total cost of producing
Advantages
desalinated water.
• Reliable source of drinking water – areas of
• Environmental impacts
limited freshwater resources.
 Brine water is dangerous to marine
• Producing clean water for industrial and
ecosystem.
agricultural use.
 change the salinity and oxygen levels of
• RO process is increasingly affordable.
the water which can kill marine life.
• Improving public health by providing access
• Uses or produces a number of chemicals.
to safe drinking water.

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Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
Practice Question – Mains ∙ Current events of national and international
GS – III importance.
Q. The idea of one Nation, one Election has Part B—Main Examination
potential benefits and challenges PAPER-IV
associated with it – Analyze. General Studies-II: Governance, Constitution,
(150 words, 10 marks) Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and
the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the
federal structure.

Simultaneous elections (or) One Nation, One

Election (ONOE)

Introduction

• Elections to Lok Sabha, State Legislative

Assemblies, LSG at the same time &
frequency.

• Central aim - Minimize the frequency of

elections & reducing the cost.

• common until 1967,

✔ Disrupted due to factors - dismissal of

governments, defections etc

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Body part of the Answer

Advantages of ONOE

• Reduction - Massive expenditure for conduct ✔ pressure of elections - parties concedes to

of Elections. popular demands without any consideration

to public interest.
✔ Same electoral rolls - utilized for all
elections. • Prolonged deployment of security personnel –

• Ensures Effective Governance in the country. ✔ Lock-in of Central Armed Police Forces
(CAPFs) & state police forces.
✔ Recurrent Elections - at least every three
months, focus shifting takes place. ✔ Effective utilization of Human resource of
the country.
✔ frequent imposition of the Model Code of
Conduct (MCC)

• Reduced Political Polarization

✔ Increased political polarization & identity-

based politics - Hate crimes

✔ Encourage political parties - focus on

broader national & state-level issues.

• Enhanced Voter Participation.

✔ Higher voter participation – casting vote

once in 5 years.

✔ Helpful for migrant workers - participates

in the electoral democracy.

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Challenges of ONOE.
• Logistical challenge
• Constitutional challenges
✔ Election commission
✔ Requires amendment - Article 83, 85, 172,
⮚ ONOE in 2024 - Additional 11.49 lakh
174 & Article 356 of constitution.
control units, 15.97 lakh ballot units &
✔ Need - Constitutional amendment with 50%
12.37 lakh VVPATs needed.
ratification of states.
✔ Deploying central forces around the country
• Synchronization with state assemblies – - logistical challenge.
difficult to achieve.
• Negative impact - voting pattern of the
✔ PRS data - 17 States , term will be
country.
reduced by a year and a half.
✔ National level issues - overshadow the
✔ Term - Assemblies of Karnataka, Meghalaya,
regional aspirations & concerns of the
Nagaland - reduced by three and a half
people.
years or more.

Conclusion

• ONOE - requires both legal and social

• Risk of ONE Party System consensus.

✔ Lead to a dominant one party system. ✔ Approached with caution and transparency.

✔ Impact the small parties & state parties • Balance between gains of efficiency &
essential democratic principles is necessary.
✔ Curtails political diversity which is
necessary for a healthy democracy. • Well-thought-out approach & involvement of all
stakeholders is essential to successfully
implement this idea.

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• Asia - three species of rhino Greater One-Horned Rhino:

 Greater one-horned rhino • Largest of the rhino species.
 Javan rhino • The greater one-horned rhino - Northern
 Sumatran Rhino India and southern Nepal - in riverine
• Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found (floodplain) grasslands and adjacent
in India. woodlands.
• In India - Assam, West Bengal and Uttar
Pradesh.
• Herbivorous - feed on Plants, Pastureland and
Aquatic plants
• Gestation period - approximately 15 – 16
months
• Mothers give birth to one calf every 2 – 3
years.

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• Conservation status -

 IUCN Red List - Vulnerable.

 Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) - Appendix I

• India -

 Kaziranga NP, Pobitara WLS, Orang

NP, Manas NP in Assam, Jaldapara NP
and Garumara NP in West Bengal and
Dudhwa TR in Uttar Pradesh.

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Which national park in India is known for
having the largest population of Greater
One-Horned Rhinoceros and is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site?
a) Kaziranga National Park
b) Sundarbans National Park
c) Periyar National Park
d) Jim Corbett National Park

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Wetlands.

• Areas of marsh or peatland - water as a

major limiting factor.

• Can be static or flowing, fresh water, brackish

or saline waters.

 Includes an area of marine water - depth

of low tide does not exceed 6 meters.

• India - More than 7 lakhs wetlands.

 Covers 4.86% of geographic area in the

country.

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Importance of Wetlands.
• Excellent carbon sink.
• Major source of water.
 Peatlands store twice the amount of carbon
 Plays a double role of preventing droughts
and floods. as sequestered by the world’s forests.

 Acts as a sponge and ensures moisture • Important role in the coastal economy.

in the soil.  2/3rd of the fish are obtained from the

 Absorbs excess rainfalls and prevent coastal wetlands.
floods in the city
 3/4th of the rice production of Asia takes
 Areas sheltered by mangroves place in the wetlands.
experienced less damage during the
tsunami of 2004.

• Rich in floral and faunal diversity.

 Important site for conserving ecosystem and

biodiversity.
• Wetland conservation and management rules –
 Recreational activities like tourism,
2017.
boating, bird watching.
 Aim - Conserve aquatic ecosystems through
Steps taken to conserve the wetlands.
various conservation plans.
• National Wetlands Conservation Programme
 States - power to identify the wetlands.
(NWCP).
• Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and
 Implemented since 1985-86.
Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) scheme.
 115 wetlands - identified by MoEFCC.
 MGNREGA & CAMPA funds will be used.
 Identification of wetlands under NWCP is
similar to Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

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 2 objectives.

 Providing gainful employment to the

people.

 Increasing the mangrove plantations in

 Aim of initiative.
the country along the coastlines &
saltpans.  Generate employment opportunities

 Supporting local livelihoods around

• Amrit dharohar scheme.
the site.
 Joint initiative of ministry of tourism (MoT)
and Ministry of Environment, Forest &
Climate Change (MoEFCC).

 To promote the unique conservation

values of Ramsar sites in the country.

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Schemes:
• Production linked incentive (PLI) scheme on
‘national programme on high efficiency solar PV
modules’.
• Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan
or PM KUSUM scheme.

• Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar

Transfiguration of India or SRISTI scheme

• Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha

Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)

 Implemented by Ministry of New & Renewable

Energy.

 During 2023-24 to 2025-26.

 Aim - electrification of 1 lakh un-electrified

households (HHs) in PVTG areas located in 18
States through Off-grid solar power.

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PRACTICE QUESTIONS
DISCUSSION

Practice Question – Prelims

“If rainforests and tropical forests are the lungs of the
Earth, then surely wetlands function as its kidneys.” - which
one of the following functions of wetlands best reflects the
above statement?

a) The water cycle in wetlands involves surface runoff,

subsoil percolation and evaporation.

b) Algae form the nutrient base upon which fish,

crustaceans, molluscs, birds, reptiles and mammals
thrive.

c) Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining

sedimentation balance and Soil stabilization.

d) Aquatic plants absorb heavy metals and excess

nutrients.

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Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Which national park in India is known for
having the largest population of Greater
One-Horned Rhinoceros and is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site?
a) Kaziranga National Park
b) Sundarbans National Park
c) Periyar National Park
d) Jim Corbett National Park

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Consider the following statements:
1. The most commonly used technology in
Desalination plants is the process of
reverse osmosis.
2. In reverse osmosis, external pressure is
applied to push solvents from an area of
high solute concentration to an area of
low-solute concentration through a
membrane.
3. In India, desalination plants have been
installed in all the coastal states.
How many of the statements given above
is/are correct:
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None

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