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Inhumane, and utterly undemocratic (The Hindu)

Mains Paper : Polity
Prelims level: NRC
Mains level: NRC and Foreigners Tribunals

Context

•  On June 8, upon the orders of the Gauhati High Court, Mohammad Sanaullah was released on bail from a detention camp in Assam.
•  He had been detained on May 29, after a Foreigners Tribunal had declared him an illegal immigrant.
•  The Gauhati High Court’s bail order came after a week of sustained public pressure, occasioned by the revelation that Mr. Sanaullah had served for three decades in the Indian Army.

NRC, Foreigners Tribunals

•  According to the Assam Accord, individuals who entered Assam after March 24, 1971 are illegal immigrants.
•  There are two parallel processes to establish citizenship: the Foreigners Tribunals operating under the Foreigners Act, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is under preparation.
•  While nominally and formally independent, in practice, these two systems bleed into each other, with people who have been declared as foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunals, and even their families, dropped from the draft NRC.
•  For something as elemental and important as citizenship, one would expect these systems to be implemented as carefully as possible, and with procedural safeguards.
•  This is especially true when we think of the consequences of being declared a non-citizen: disenfranchisement, exclusion from public services, incarceration in detention camps, statelessness, and deportation.
•  Before treating an individual a human being to such drastic consequences, the very least a humane and civilised society can do is to ensure that the rule of law has been followed to its last degree.

In the reality

•  In a vast number of cases, the legally mandated initial inquiry before an individual is dragged before a tribunal as a suspected “foreigner” simply does not happen indeed, it did not happen for Mr. Sanaullah.
•  The Tribunals themselves are only constrained by a very limited number of procedural safeguards.
•  This has led to situations where Tribunals have issued notices to entire families, instead of just the suspected “foreigner”.
•  Additionally, reports show that Foreigners Tribunals habitually declare individuals to be “foreigners” on the basis of clerical errors in documents, such as a spelling mistake, an inconsistency in age, and so on.
•  The hardest hit by this form of “justice” are the vulnerable and the marginalised, who have limited documentation at the best of time, and who are rarely in a position to correct errors across documents.
•  On occasion, orders determining citizenship have been passed by tribunals without even assigning reasons, a basic sine qua non of the rule of law.
•  In addition, a substantial number of individuals are sent to detention camps without being heard on the basis of ex parte orders and the detention centres themselves are little better than concentration camps, where families are separated, and people not allowed to move beyond narrow confined spaces for years on end.

To improve the process of NRC

•  The process under the NRC is little better. Driven by the Supreme Court, it has been defined by sealed covers and opaque proceedings.
•  In a behind-closed-doors consultation with the NRC Coordinator, the Supreme Court developed a new method of ascertaining citizenship known as the “family tree method”.
•  This method was not debated or scrutinised publicly, and ground reports found that people from the hinterland were not only unaware of the method, but those who were aware had particular difficulties in putting together “family trees” of the kind that were required (the burden fell disproportionately upon women).
•  And recently, it was found that a process by which individuals could file “objections” against people whose names had appeared in the draft NRC and on the basis of which these people would be forced to once again prove their citizenship had resulted in thousands of indiscriminate objections being filed, on a seemingly random basis, causing significant hardship and trauma to countless individuals.
•  However, when the people coordinating these “objections” were contacted, they brushed it off by saying that it was mere “collateral damage” in the quest to weed out illegal immigrants.

The role of the judiciary

•  In a process riddled with such flaws, and where the consequences are so drastic, one would expect the judiciary, the guardian of fundamental rights and the guarantor of the rule of law, to intervene.
•  Instead, the Supreme Court, led by the present Chief Justice of India, has played the roles of cheerleader, midwife, and overseer.
•  Not only has it driven the NRC process, as outlined above but it has repeatedly attempted to speed up proceedings, pulled up the State government when it has asked to be allowed to release people detained for a long time, and instead of questioning procedural violations and infringement of rights, has instead asked why more people are not in detention centres, and why more people are not being deported.
•  Most egregiously, the Court even used a PIL about the inhumane conditions in detention centres in order to pursue this project.

Focus the spotlight

•  Mohammad Sanuallah is, for now, a free man.
•  But a society in which his case is the exception instead of the rule, where it needs a person to be an ex-Army man, and his case pursued by national media for a full week before interim bail is granted, is a society that has utterly abandoned the rule of law.
•  Yet Mr. Sanaullah’s case can do some good as well: it can prompt some urgent national introspection about a situation where, in the State of Assam, thousands of people languish in detention camps for years, victims of a process that, to use an old adage, would not be sufficient to “hang a dog on”.
•  If anything can trigger an urgent and imperative call for change, surely this will and must.

Way forward

•  However, what the Supreme Court has failed to understand is that in questions of life and death, where the cost of error is so high, it is not “speed” that matters, but the protection of rights.
•  But through its conduct, the Supreme Court has transformed itself from the protector of the rule of law into an enthusiastic abettor of its daily violation.
•  And the Gauhati High Court has been no better, passing a bizarre and unreasoned order stating that it would be a “logical corollary” that the family members of a declared foreigner would also be foreigners, on the basis of which the border police have sent the names of entire families to NRC authorities.
•  This is the very antithesis of how constitutional courts should behave.

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Is NITI Aayog old wine in a new bottle? (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: Polity
Prelims level: Niti Aayog
Mains level: Niti Aayog’s recent performance and it comparison with Planning commission

Context

•  The Narendra Modi government has its plate full.
•  It needs to increase employment and incomes; revive investments and growth; untangle the financial sector; navigate muddied-up international trade; solve the perennial problems of poor education and health, and the growing problems of environmental pollution and water scarcity.
•  Even though statistical confusion was created in the run-up to the election to deny that problems of unemployment and growth were serious, high-powered Cabinet committees have been formed to tackle them.
•  Regardless of whether or not India has the fastest growing GDP, it has a long way to go to achieve economic and social inclusion, and restore environmental sustainability.
•  India’s problems are complex because they are all interrelated. Fixing one part of the system alone can make matters worse.
•  For example, providing skills to millions of youth before there are enough employment opportunities is a bold fix that can backfire. The complexity of the task demands a good plan and a good strategy.

Under scrutiny

•  Since India has not done as well as it should have to produce faster growth with more inclusion and sustainability, one would have to surmise that it has not developed the requisite capabilities.
•  Mr. Modi has known this. Indeed, the first major reform he announced in his first term was to abolish the Planning Commission.
•  He replaced it with the loftily titled ‘National Institution for Transforming India.

How else would it persuade the States to do what it wanted them to do?

•  Chief Ministers retorted that the Planning Commission must improve its ability to understand their needs and to develop ideas that they would want to adopt because they accepted the ideas as good for them, not because they would have to if they wanted the money.
•  Mr. Modi, as a powerful Chief Minister, understood well the limitations in the Planning Commission’s capabilities and what it needed to do to reform itself, which the investigations commissioned by Dr. Singh had also revealed.
•  It is not surprising, therefore, that the bold charter of NITI Aayog that Mr. Modi announced in 2015 was consistent with the insights that Dr. Singh and Vajpayee had earlier.
•  He was implementing an idea whose time had come.

A good starting point

•  Implementation of radical change is never easy. If things don’t go well soon, nostalgia will rise for the old order even though there was dissatisfaction with it. And the change-maker will be blamed for the disruption.
•  The NITI Aayog charter is a good starting point for a new journey in transforming the governance of the Indian economy.
•  The NITI Aayog and the government would do well to conduct an open-minded review of what NITI Aayog has achieved so far to adopt the new role described in its charter that of a catalyst of change in a complex, federal, socioeconomic system.
•  And assess whether it has transformed its capabilities sufficiently to become an effective systems reformer and persuader of stakeholders, rather than merely an announcer of lofty multi-year goals and manager of projects, which many suspect it is.

Points missed by NITI Aayog

•  There is deep concern that NITI Aayog has lost its integrity as an independent institution to guide the government; that it has become a mouthpiece of the government and an implementer of the government’s projects.
•  Many insist that NITI Aayog must have the ability to independently evaluate the government’s programmes at the Centre and in the States.
•  Some recall that an Independent Evaluation Office set up in the last days of the UPA-II government was swiftly closed by the NDA government.
•  Others counter that the Planning Commission had a Programme Evaluation Organisation all along and which continues.
•  They miss the need for fundamental transformation in the approach to planning and change.

Way ahead

•  The traditional approach of after-the-fact evaluation sits in the old paradigm of numbers, budgets and controls.
•  The transformational approach to planning and implementation that 21st century India needs, which is alluded to in NITI’s charter, requires evaluations and course-corrections in the midst of action.
•  It requires new methods to speed up ‘organisational learning’ amongst stakeholders in the system who must make plans together and implement them together.
•  The NITI Aayog’s charter has provided a new bottle.
•  It points to the need for new methods of cooperative learning and cooperative implementation by stakeholders, who are not controlled by any central body of technical experts with political and/or budgetary authority over them.

Conclusion

•  Merely filling this new bottle with old ideas of budgets, controls and expert solutions from above will not transform India.
•  The debate about NITI Aayog’s efficacy must focus on whether or not it is performing the new role it must, and what progress it has made in acquiring capabilities to perform this role, rather than slipping back into the ruts of yesterday’s debates about the need for a Planning Commission.

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A clear arc from India to Nigeria (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International Relations
Prelims level: India - Nigeria
Mains level: Bilateral ties between India - Nigeria

Context

•  It was a coincidence straight out of the silver screens in Mumbai or Lagos.
•  The leaders of India and Nigeria both began their respective second terms within a day of each other following their unexpectedly decisive election victories.
•  The challenges faced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari during their first terms were uncannily similar: security against terror, monetary and fiscal conundrums, a communal and sectarian divide, chronic unemployment, rampant corruption, rural distress and a fragile neighbourhood being the recurrent themes.

Diverse trade

•  It may be tempting to both Indians and Nigerians to shrug at these similarities as banal trivia; however, under them lies plenty of substance and potential linking the two countries and aspirations of their people.
•  Nigeria being Africa’s most populous country (191 million) and economy ($376 billion) as well as the world’s sixth largest oil exporter (about 2 million barrels per day) is evidently important to us.
•  According to the latest Indian Department of Commerce statistics, Nigeria is India’s largest trading partner in Africa (19th overall) with total trade estimated at $13.5 billion in 2018-19. As official Nigerian data show, thanks to our booming oil imports, India is Nigeria’s largest trading partner.
•  For the same reason, Nigeria enjoys 4:1 surplus in bilateral trade. Nevertheless, it is still a sizeable market for India’s manufactured exports, such as (2018-19 figures) miscellaneous machinery ($500 million), vehicles ($495 million), pharmaceutical products ($447 million), textile items ($299 million), iron and steel articles ($152 million) and plastics ($109 million).

Outlook for India’s investment in Nigeria

•  In contrast to the stagnancy in India’s global exports, its exports to Nigeria surged by 27% last year to reach around $2,880 million.
•  Indian investments in Nigeria are estimated at around $15 billion with a further $5 billion in the pipeline.
•  There are at least 180 Indian companies operating in Nigeria with pharmaceuticals, steel, power, retailing, fast-moving consumer goods and skilling as their mainstay.
•  Approximately 50,000 Indians reside in Nigeria, some of them for decades.
•  Most of them are professionals, such as engineers, accountants, bankers, trainers and health-care experts.

Success despite apathy

•  While all these facts go to underline the substantive nature of India-Nigeria ties, they also point to two important contextual factors.
•  All these achievements are the outcome of valiant attempts by individual stakeholders with scant official encouragement or support.
•  The enormous potential still waits to be leveraged in such sectors such as upstream hydrocarbons (despite India being the largest buyer of Nigerian crude), agriculture, health care and skilling.
•  Despite their growth, Indian exports to Nigeria are still around a quarter of China’s.

Much potential

•  Although bilateral ties have had to face strong headwinds during the past five years, more could have been accomplished. Mr. Buhari, who was trained in India as a military officer and holds this country in high esteem, attended the third India-Africa Forum Summit held in October 2015 and met Mr. Modi for bilateral talks.
•  Then Vice President Hamid Ansari’s bilateral visit in September 2016 broke the hiatus in top-level contact since Manmohan Singh’s Nigeria visit, as Prime Minister, in 2007.
•  Though some ministerial-level visits took place in the past five years, these were mostly for multilateral events in India. The last session of the Joint Commission Meeting was in 2011 and the Foreign Office Consultations were held in 2003.
•  Bilateral ties have not drawn commensurate proportion of the resources offered by India to its African partners largely due to some systemic issues.
•  Defence cooperation has been mostly episodic and training oriented.

Conclusion

•  As the two leaders begin their respective second innings, they need to give a push to India-Nigerian ties sooner rather than later.
•  Actions along few force-multiplier axes suggest themselves. With oil and other commodities becoming a seller’s market, an early summit between the two leaders is an obvious imperative.
•  It could evolve a multi-pronged strategy to leverage evident economic complementarities in sectors such as hydrocarbons, infrastructure, institution-building, defence and agriculture.
•  A purposive follow-up session of the joint economic commission soon thereafter could provide an incremental and sustainable road map empowering the relevant bilateral stakeholders.
•  If handled deftly and with political will, it could usher in an India-Nigeria economic synergy that has been untapped for some decades.

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(Download) UPSC IAS Mains Exam 2018 - General Studies (Paper-3) Paper 
Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
 

Exam Name: UPSC IAS Mains General Studies (Paper-3)

Year: 2018

1. “Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Comment on the progress made in India in this regard. (Answer in 150 words) 10 Marks

2. Comment on the important changes introduced in respect of the Long-term Capital Gains Tax (LCGT) and Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) in the Union Budget for 2018-2019. (Answer in 150 words) 10 Marks

3. What do you mean by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low income trap? (Answer in 150 words) 10 Marks

4. Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables and food items. How do they eliminate number of intermediaries? (Answer in 150 words) 10 Marks

5. Discuss the work of 'Bose-Einstein Statistics' done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics. (Answer in 150 words) 10 Marks

6. What are the impediments in disposing the huge quantities of discarded solid wastes which are continuously being generated? How do we remove safely the toxic wastes that have been accumulating in our habitable environment? (Answer in 150 words) 10 Marks

7. What is wetland? Explain the Ramsar concept of wise use' in the context of wetland conservation. Cite two examples of Ramsar sites from India. (Answer in 150 words) 10 Marks

8. Sikkim is the first ‘Organic State' in India. What are the ecological and economical benefits of Organic State? (Answer in 150 words) 10 Marks

(Download) UPSC IAS Mains Exam 2018 - General Studies (Paper-2) Paper 
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations

Exam Name: UPSC IAS Mains General Studies (Paper-2)

Year: 2018

1.  In the light of recent controversy regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), what are the challenges before the Election Commission of India to ensure the trustworthiness of elections in India? (10 Marks)
2. Whether National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) can enforce the implementation of constitutional reservation for the Scheduled Castes in the religious minority institutions? Examine. (10 Marks)
3. Under what circumstances can the Financial Emergency be proclaimed by the President of India? What consequences follow when such a declaration remains in force? (10 Marks)
4. Why do you think the committees are considered to be useful for parliamentary work? Discuss, in this context, the role of the Estimates Committee. (10 Marks)
5. “The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has a very vital role to play.” Explain how this is reflected in the method and terms of his appointment as well as the range of powers he can exercise. (10 Marks)
6. “Policy contradictions among various competing sectors and stakeholders have resulted in inadequate ‘protection and prevention of degradation to environment.” Comment with relevant illustrations.
7. Appropriate local community level healthcare intervention is a prerequisite to achieve ‘Health for All’ in India. Explain.
8. E-governance in not only about utilization of the power of new technology, but also much about critical importance of the ‘use value’ of information. Explain. (10 Marks)
9. “India’s relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.” Discuss. (10 )
10. A number of outside powers have entrenched themselves in Central Asia, which is a zone of interest to India. Discuss the implications, in this context, of India’s joining the Ashgabat Agreement, 2018. (10 Marks)
11. Whether the Supreme Court Judgement (July 2018) can settle the political tussle between the Lt. Governor and elected government of Delhi? Examine. (15 Marks)
12. How far do you agree with the view that tribunals curtail the jurisdiction of ordinary courts? In view of the above, discuss the constitutional validity and competency of the tribunals in India. (15 Marks)
13. Indian and USA are two large democracies. Examine the basic tenets on which the two political systems are based.
14. How is the Finance Commission of India constituted? What do you know about the terms of reference of the recently constituted Finance Commission? Discuss. (15 Marks)
15. Assess the importance of the Panchayat system in India as a part of local government. Apart from government grants, what sources the Panchayats can look out for financing developmental projects? (15 Marks)
16. Multiplicity of various commissions for the vulnerable sections of the society leads to problems of overlapping jurisdiction and duplication of functions. Is it better to merge all commissions into an umbrella Human Rights Commission? Argue your case. (15 Marks)
17. How far do you agree with the view that the focus on lack of availability of food as the main cause of hunger takes the attention away from ineffective human development policies in India? (15 Marks)
18. The Citizen’s Charter is an ideal instrument of organisational transparency and accountability, but it has its own limitations. Identify the limitations and suggest measures for greater effectiveness of the Citizen’s Charters. (15 Marks)
19. What are the key areas of reform if the WTO has to survive in the present context of ‘Trade War’, especially keeping in mind the interest of India? (15 Marks)
20. In what ways would the ongoing US-Iran Nuclear Pact Controversy affect the national interest of India? How should India respond to its situation? (15 Marks) 

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Printed Study Material for IAS Mains General Studies

(The Gist of Kurukshetra) ROLE OF NABARD IN ORGANIC FARMING
 [MAY-2019]

ROLE OF NABARD IN ORGANIC FARMING

Introduction

Pollution free environment is essential for sustaining the life of all living beings on the earth. While technology induction is required for feeding the surging population, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and weedicides in agriculture has caused environmental imbalance and is causing problems to all living beings on the earth. So Eco- friendly farming is the need of the hour for sustainability.

Eco-friendly farming is farming of integration of biological, cultural and natural inputs including integrated disease and pest management practices. It not only advocates for stopping or restricting the use of pesticides, but also emphasizes the need for farming which should create an ecological balance and a micro environment suitable for health and growth of soil micro-flora, plants, animals, farm workers and finally the vast population which consumes the farm produce. So it combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all.

Impact on the Economy: Many farmers are turning to organic or "low input" farming as a strategy for economic survival. During the past 20 years, farmers have shown steadily increasing interest in organic farming. Many farmers who adopted organic farming methods early in this period were motivated by reasons relating to the health and safety of their families, consumers, and livestock, and by idealistic convictions about soil and land stewardship. More recently, as costs of chemicals and credit have increased and commodity prices have stagnated, thousands of conventional farmers have begun to search for ways to decrease input costs, "Low input farming" is the new, socially-acceptable term for organic farming, and economic survival is the motivation for many young farmers.

Conventional Vs. Organic Farming: There are solid bases of studies that suggest organic is equal to or more profitable than conventional farming. Part of that competitive edge comes from the premium price - driven by consumer demand - which organic farmers can get for their products. One of the most persistent myths the studies consistently debunk is that organic systems are incapable of reaching the same yields as conventional systems. After a transitional period of 3 to 5 years, organic systems can produce up to 95 percent of conventional yields. Additionally, organic farming  is less dependent on fossil fuels, expensive inputs, and annual loans, making it less vulnerable to financial market fluctuations. Organic is a low-waste system that emphasizes quality over quantity, meaning it uses less land for the same profit. Conventional crop subsidies exacerbate the problem, incentivizing farmers to grow more than they can sell, which causes excess pollution, overuse of resources, and food waste.

Natural Capital- A new concept of Economy: The capital is defined as money, machinery, tools, or other physical assets that help increase an entity's wealth, in the case of a farmer, capital means tractors, greenhouses, or hand tools - things that can be used again and again to facilitate profit and growth. Natural capital is a new branch of economics that would like to recognize the ways we benefit from natural systems as a form of capital. Natural capital includes a mind-boggling array of ecosystem services and resources provided by the natural world, some of which we are yet to discover. Think of trees making oxygen and capturing pollutants from the air, wetlands filtering water, insects pollinating plants, and the incredible biodiversity of a place like the Amazon rainforest generating new medicines. Mother Nature does a lot for us, and the natural capital movement would like to quantify those values in order to more easily incorporate them into the traditional economic schemes that do not account for them. Organic Farming and Natural Capital: s discussed, organic farming can stand its ground under traditional economic evaluations, but when we also start to incorporate natural capital values, organic becomes the clear winner for long-term profitability. Let us consider a few examples of how organic farming utilizes and increases various natural capital functions:

Adding organic matter to the soil each year (a foundational organic practice) increases the soil’s ability to store carbon dioxide. Organic matter in the soil also increases the soil's water holding capacity, reducing pressure on water resources and making organic farms more resilient to drought. Since water costs money, drought tolerant farming systems mean cheaper food production over time.

Biodiversity on organic farms offers myriad financial benefits. A diverse crop system means a succession of blooms that can feed insect populations (and provide them with habitat) year-round. These beneficial insects help to keep down populations of harmful insects, reducing or eliminating the need for pesticides, and providing pollination services to increase harvest yields. Genetic diversity on organic vegetable and seed farms acts as a well-endowed gene bank for potential new varieties that will be resilient against future environmental changes, insect populations, and diseases a service that is essential to global food security with tasty food. NABARD and Organic Farming:

NABARD Consultancy services for Organic Farming:

Nabcons has the know-how on cultivation practices under organic farming through alternate Eco-friendly Technologies like Biofertilizers, Biopesticides, Neem formulations, Bio-fuels, etc. Production of Organic Manures:

•  Systems for On-Farm Waste managementOff-Farm and Agro-industry Wastes like Sugar factory Press mud, Coir pith, etc.
•  City solid waste
•  Vermicomposting
•  Green Manuring Technique

Conclusion

•  The role of Organic Farming can be leveraged to mitigate the ever-increasing problem of food security in India. With rapid industrialization of rural states of India, there has been a crunch for farmland. Further, with the exponential population growth of India, the need for food sufficiency has become the need of the hour.
•  Furthermore, the overuse of plant growth inhibitor, pesticides and fertilizers for faster growth of agricultural produce is detrimental to human health and the  environment as a whole. The proposition of Organic Farming in India's Rural
• Economy holds good, as an alternative to arrest this problem.

Study Material for UPSC General Studies Pre Cum Mains

(GIST OF YOJANA) Geo-Thermal and Ocean Energy Technologies

[MAY-2019]

Geo-Thermal and Ocean Energy Technologies

 Keeping in view the commitment for a healthy planet and as per India’s Nationally Determined Contributions made in the Paris Accord on Climate Change. India has made a pledge that by 2030, 40 percent of installed power generation capacity shall be based on clean energy sources. Accordingly, am ambitious target has been set of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022.

 This includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biopower and 5 GW from small hydro power. As on date, around 77 GW of renewable energy capacity has been installed in the country with major share coming from solar and wind power technologies. The possibility of venturing into new emerging renewable energy technologies, such as Floating Solar, Offshore wind, solar wind hybrid, energy storage, etc is also being explored. However, renewable energy technologies such as geo-thermal and ocean energy still remain at a nascent stage in India.

 Ocean Energy: Oceans occupy more than 70 percent of earth’s surface and are an inexhaustible source of renewable energy. Ocean energy is the energy harnessed  from ocean waves, tidal range (rise and fall) and tidal streams, temperature gradients and salinity gradients. Only few commercial ocean energy power plants have been commissioned till date. Around
536 MW of installed ocean energy capacity is in operation at the end of 2016, with major share of two large scale tidal barrage plants i.e. the 254 MW Sihwa plant in South Korea (completed in 2011) and the 240 MW La Rance tidal power station in France (completed in 1966) Apart from tidal barrage plants which use established tidal turbine technology, other ocean energy technologies are still largely in pre-commercial development stages.

World Scenario

• Leading countries in Ocean Energy technology are UK, USA, Sweden, Canada, France, South Korea. Examples of few large scale Tidal (Barrage) Plants are 254 MW at South Korea (2011), 240 MW at France (1966). 20 MW at Canada, etc. Ocean Technology, such as Tidal (Current), Wave, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) are still at pre R&D stage/ Kilo Watt level.

Indian Scenario

As per study conducted by IIT Madras, Theoretical Potential for tidal Energy in India is 12500 MW. Promising locations are Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kutch (GJ). Sunderbans (WB), Western Ghats (MH), etc. Theoretical Potential for Wave Energy in India is 41.000 MW. Technology

1. Tidal Energy: The tidal cycle occurs every 12 hours due to the gravitational pull of the moon. The difference in water level from low tide and high tide is potential energy that can be harnessed. Similar to hydropower generated from dams, tidal water is captured in a barrage across an estuary during high tide and forced through a turbine during low tide. The capital cost for tidal energy power plants is very high due to high civil construction that results in high power tariff. In order to harness power from tidal energy, the height of high tide must be at least five meters (16 feet) greater than low tide.
2. Wave Energy: Wave energy is generated by the movement of a device either floating on the surface of the ocean or moored to the ocean floor by the force generated by the ocean waves. Many different techniques for convening wave energy to electric power have been developed, Wave conversion devices floats on the surface h a v e joints hinged together that moves with the waves. The kinetic energy pumps fluid through turbines and generates electric power Moored wave energy conversion devices use pressure fluctuations produced in long tubes from the waves moving up and down. This wave motion drives a turbine.
3. Current Energy: Ocean current is ocean water moving in one direction. This ocean current is also known as the Gulf Stream Kinetic energy can be captured from the Gulf Stream and other tidal currents with submerged turbines that are very similar in appearance to miniature wind turbines. Similar to wind turbines. The movement of the marine current moves the rotor blades to generate electric power.
4. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC): Ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC, uses ocean temperature differences from the surface to depths lower than 1000 meters, to harness energy versus temperature difference of even 20°C can yield energy efficiently. Research focuses are on two types of OTEC technologies to extract thermal energy and convert it to electric power; closed cycle and open cycle.
5. Geothermal Energy: Geothermal Energy is a mature renewable energy technology that has a potential to provide clean and reliable energy for power generation and direct heating/cooling. Geothermal Energy can be utilized for both electric power production and direct heat applications including Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) for space or district heating, generating hoi water for domestic/ industrial use, running cold storages and greenhouse, horticulture , etc. However, Geothermal Energy has experienced modest growth worldwide in recent times  as compared to other REsources especially wind or solar due to its site specific nature, risk/uncertainty involved with resource exploration and high capital cost.

UPSC Pre General Studies Study Material

• Technology Power Generation: Hot water and steam from deep underground can be piped up through underground wells and used to generate electricity in a power plant. There are three types of geothermal power plants:

1. Dry Steam Plants which use geothermal steam directly. Dry steam power plants use very hot (>235°C) steam from the geothermal reservoir. The steam goes directly through a pipe to a turbine to spin a generator that produces electricity.
2. Flash Steam Plants which use high pressure hot water to produce steam. Flash steam power plants use hot water (> 182°C) from the geothermal reservoir. When the water is pumped to the generator, it is released from the pressure of the deep reservoir. The sudden drop in pressure causes some of the water to vaporize to steam, which spins a turbine to generate electricity. Hot water not flashed into steam is returned to the geothermal reservoir through injection wells.
3. Binary Cycle Plants which use moderate temperature water (107 to 182 °C) from the geothermal reservoir. In binary systems, hot geothermal fluids are passed through one side of a heat exchanger to heat a working fluid in a separate adjacent pipe. The working fluid, usually an organic compound with a low boiling point such as Iso-butane or Iso- pentane, is vaporized and passed through a turbine to generate electricity.

• Other thermal applications: Apart from geothermal power generation , this renewable source can be utilized directly for thermal applications through these technologies:-

1. Space/District Heating: in areas where hot springs or geothermal reservoirs are near the Earth's surface, hot water can be piped in directly to heat homes or office buildings. Geothermal water is pumped through a heat exchanger, which transfers the heat from the water into the building’s heating system. The used water is injected back down a well into the reservoir to be reheated and used again.
2. Geothermal Heat Pump /Ground Source Heat Pumps: A few feet under the ground, the soil or water remain a constant 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10- 15 degrees Celsius) year-round. In this method, geothermal heat pumps use a system of buried pipes linked to a heat exchanger and ductwork into buildings. In winter the relatively warm earth transfers heat into the buildings and in summer the buildings transfer heat to the ground or uses some of it to heat water. These heat pumps function as both air-conditioning and heating systems. Fluid circulates through a series of pipes under the ground or beneath the water of a pond or lake and into a building.

Conclusion

•  Industry led, applied R and D proposals to harness geothermal energy under Research Design, Development and Demonstration (RDD&D) policy are necessary for this renewable energy source to become operational. Plans should be made to develop Demonstration projects initially each tor geothermal electricity' production and direct heat use applications.
•  PSUs may undertake resource assessment with support from leading countries as geothermal expert. Projects for space cooling and industrial process heating using GSHP technology may be supported through subsidy, preferential tariff front power companies as technology is energy water efficient.

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(GIST OF YOJANA) Steps to Achieve India's Solar Potential

[MAY-2019]

Steps to Achieve India's Solar Potential

The needs of India’s burgeoning population are rising. However, the status quo of resources might not be adequate to fulfill the growing demands of a fast-paced economy. Take for example the power sector.

Here are five areas that need more attention and focus, to take the Indian solar power industry to the next level:

1. Technology: While solar is becoming an important contributor to energy needs in India, there is still a huge gap to be filled. Rooftop solar solutions, For example, can add large capacities but certainly needs a push from respective state governments Newer advancements in the field like floating solar (solar panels mounted on structures that float on water bodies) , and BIPV (wherein the conventional materials used for facades and roofs of buildings are replaced by photovoltaics systems) can play a vital role in increasing capacity. Considering the huge potential in the sector, both the government and private entities jurist emphasize and support R and D and adoption of latest technology and innovations in this area . This will not only help shape the future course but also yield benefits in the form of reduced costs in turn facilitating adoption.
2. Policy Push: Thanks to technology evolution and government policy, solar power tariffs have decreased over the past few years making solar energy more accessible to the common man. However, tariff margins discovered in reverse auctions have been pushed lower in recent years leading to a squeeze in profit margins. Considering that tariffs are now significantly lower than other sources of energy, we need to move towards healthier tariffs to help private players work with sustainable business models, and attract a higher capital inflow. This will eventually lead to augmented supply and further lowering of prices for the common people. Respective state governments should also accentuate the rate of solar power generation with regular capacity addition.
3. Discom Health: Despite the government’s initiatives to reinvigorate power distributing companies, the health of state discerns has not improved much over the years. These distribution companies form a crucial link in the cycle of energy generation and have an impact on the overall process . Hence, maintaining discoms in good shape forms an extremely important link on the road to 2022. The healthier the distribution companies, the more power they can purchase  and supply. Steps should be taken to strengthen the discoms such that they are able to support higher tariffs, honour RROs and settle power providers' dues on time.
4. Financial reforms: Reforms in banking systems will go a long way in assisting the renewable energy sector. As of now, sectoral categorisation of banks sees renewables as part of the power sector, due to which, for most banks, the loan limit is majorly consumed by thermal plants and only a small fraction of the fund remains available for the renewables sector. Reality is that the renewables sector has clocked exponential growth and contributed handsome revenues to the exchequer. Considering the above, renewables should be categorized as a separate sector. This will help widen access to funds and simplify the process of loan procurement for companies. The government can also consider according priority sector status to renewables, given its strategic importance. Deeper and diverse bond markets will help in securing affordable finance for clean energy projects in the future. The government should continue its mission of cleansing the banking system and help them regularise bad loans while also reviewing lending norms so they are less stringent. A healthy banking system will be able to provide more funds at a competitive cost to propel the renewables sector.
5. Enabling Ease of Doing Business: The government’s pursuit of reforms has created a more conducive environment for investments in India reflected in our steady rise in Ease of Doing Business rankings over the past couple of years. However, faster processing of approvals for project implementation across the value chain, especially conversion approvals of land in different states would be of great help to the renewables sector.

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Way forward

It has been seen that lack of proper power evacuation infrastructure has resulted in investor disinterest in the past. Considering this, the government should work on building more robust transmission systems. This will not only increase investor faith in the overall process but will also ensure no MW loss leakage during power distribution.

Achieving the ambitious target of 100 GW solar power capacity by 2022 needs a collaborative effort from all the stakeholders, including the central and state governments’ financers, discerns and private players. The government has a key role to play -not only by providing the required policy support but also acting as a central coordinator guiding and synchronising efforts front various stakeholders, to catalyze the solar industry's growth.

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(The Gist of Kurukshetra) BIOFERTILIZERS AND GREEN MANURING
 [MAY-2019]

BIOFERTILIZERS AND GREEN MANURING

Introduction

• The need for sustainable and ecological agriculture is increasingly felt in the country. Simply stating, organic farming is a production system which favours maximum use of organic material (crop residues, animal excreta, legumes, on and off-farm organic wastes, growth regulators, biofertilizers, biopesticides etc.) and discourages the use of chemical agro-inputs, for maintaining soil productivity and fertility and pest management under conditions of sustainable natural resources and healthy environment. Biofertilizers and green manures are important pillars of organic farming that support higher yield and maintain soil health. Biofertilizers is a very cost-effective solution for providing nutrients to crops in a sustainable manner, unlike chemical fertilizers which are costly and need repeated application. Similarly, green manuring utilizes lean period between two main crops and improve soil fertility by providing fixed nitrogen and improving organic matter of the soil.

Biofertilizers

• Biofertilizers are products of beneficial microorganisms which increase agricultural production by way of nutrient supply especially nitrogen and phosphorus. Biofertilizers can fix atmospheric nitrogen for plant use and can mobilize unavailable phosphorous pool which can be used by plants. These biofertilizers are inexpensive, simple to use and have no problem of environmental pollution. Use of biofertilizers not only help in sustaining productivity and soil health but also in reducing subsidy burden on the government by reducing the consumption of chemical fertilizers.

Types of Biofertilizers

• Nitrogen-fixing Biofertilizers: Only a few prokaryotic microorganisms fix nitrogen directly through a biological process. The organisms thatfix atmospheric nitrogen are broadly grouped as symbiotic andnon-symbioticorfree-living organisms. The symbiotic nitrogen fixers undertake the fixation in the association of plants whereas nonsymbiotic organisms do not require any association.

Rhizobia

• Rhizobium inoculants establish a symbiotic association with pulses, leguminous oil-seed and fodder crops. Many species of family Rhlzobiaceae like Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Azorhizobium are known to fix N in different crops.

Azotobacter:

• Azotobacter is free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria and unlike Rhizobia do not require any living host to fix N, Azotobacter chroococcum is the most abundant species of genus Azotobacter. Azospirillum: It is also a non-symbiotic, most abundantly found in association with the roots of millets and grasses. Azospirillum brasiiense, A, lipoferum, A. omazonense, A. halopraeferens and A. irakense are most commonly used species of this genus for inoculation.
• Blue Green Algae (BGA): BGA belong to a class of prokaryotic photosynthetic microorganisms also known, as cyanobacteria are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen aerobically in rice fields. Most commonly found blue-green algae in Indian rice fields Anabaena, Nostoc, Cylindrospermum, Calothrix, Scytonema, Toiypothnx, etc. Phosphate,Potassium and Zinc solubilizing microorganisms: Phosphorus and Potash, both native in soil and applied as inorganic fertilizers become mostly unavailable to crops because of its low level of
  solubility and immobilization in the soil. A large number of autotrophic and heterotrophic soil microorganisms have the capacity to solubilize/mobilize minerals of P and K.Similarly, Zinc is also present in soil but in an unavailable form. These microorganisms are known to dissolve P, K and Zn by  the production of an organic acid.

The research on KMB and ZSB is at an early stage and only a few KMB formulations are available in the market all over the world.

•  Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (AM): AM which was earlier known as VAM (Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae) is an obligate symbiont and are known to improve plant growth due to the improved mobilization of phosphorus and micronutrients such as zinc and copper and also increases absorption of water.

•  Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) PGPR is a group of beneficial bacteria that improve plant growth by the production of plant hormones, such as auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins, or by providing biologically fixed nitrogen. These PGPR also suppress the bacterial, fungal and nematode pathogens by the production of siderophores,HCN,ammonia, antibiotics,volatile metabolites , etc.

•  Azolla Azolla is a free-floating water fern which in symbiotic association with Anabaena azollae contributes 40-60 kg N per hectare per crop. The important factor in using Azollo as a biofertilizer for paddy is its quick decomposition in soil and efficient availability of its nitrogen to the crop. Its application improves soil physicochemical properties apart from fertilizer use efficiency. Biofertilizers can also be classified into two different categories based on the type of formulation. Carrier-based formulations: For bacterial biofertilizers, may be peat, lignite, peatsoil, humus, talc. For mycorrhizal inoculants, the base material be fine powder/ tablets/granules/root biomass mixed with the growing substrate. For the application of carrier-based formulation, the seed has to be treated with some sticky liquid like jaggery solution.

Liquid formulations:

• Liquid formulations are available for all bacterial biofertilizers. Liquid formulations are prepared by mixing bacteria with additives, stabilizers nutrient solution that support bacterial population for a longer period. The main advantages of liquid formulations are (a) they are easy to apply be directly applied to seed (b) they are and as they can be stored for a longer period (c) they require smaller space for storage compared to carrier-based can formulations.

Benefits of applications of different biofertflizers Bioferblizers help in different ways to increase the crop yields some of which are:

1. Biofertilizers provide various nutrients to plants like N, P, K, etc. either by fixing the elemental form (N) or by solubilizing the unavailable nutrients like P, K and Zinc, VAM (AM) fungi benefit plants by mobilizing the nutrients from a larger root area. Azolla not only fixes N but also add organic matter to the soil.
2. Biofertilizers not only provide nutrients to plants but also protect plants from plant diseases as they secrete many antibiotic compounds which suppress the growth of disease-causing pathogens.
3. Besides providing nutrients and suppressing diseases, bio-fertilizers also secrete some plant growth promoting hormones like auxins and gibbereilic add which makes plant healthy.
4. Many bio-fertilizers like VAM and PGPR also help plants in avoiding water stress by secreting some polysaccharide which helps in soil aggregation and conserving moisture for longer times.
5. Once the bio-fertilizers are established in the field after 2-3 years of continuous application, the dose of bio-fertilizers may be reduced. Availability of inoculants: Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospiriilum and PSB inoculants of popular brands of various companies and corporations (fFFCO, NFL, Kribhco) are generally available on their agency shops, seed, pesticide and fertilizer retail shops in the market. All State  Agriculture Departments, research institutes like IARI, NCOF and agricultural universities also make them available during the season. Many private companies are also coming up in the production of bio-fertilizers, especially liquid inoculants.

Method of application of Biofertilizers:

• The success of any biofertilizer organism depends on how close the organism is applied to seed, seedling or other planting material. Nearer the organism and planting material, the results in all probability would be positive. Seed application with bacterial inoculant is the most common practice of inoculation. Seeds should be sown as soon as possible after treating with cultures or inoculants to take the full benefit of the same. Constraints Biofertilizers are the most important source of nutrients in organic farming but farmers are not able to practice crop inoculation due to various reasons.

Some of the difficulties faced by the government andextension agencies inpopularizing the biofertilizers especially for organic farming are:

1. The foremost constraint in the popularization of biofertilizers in the country is the timely supply of cultures in remote corners of the country where organic agriculture is practiced.
2. Lack of knowledge of the farmers about these biofertilizers and proper measures taken by the extension departments in demonstrating the benefits of inoculants to farmers.
3. Though mechanisms exist under Fertilizer Control Order (FCO 1985) to looks after the quality control of biofertilizers, the persons involved in the quality control are not versed with the proper tools and techniques of handling biofertilizers samples.

Green Manuring:

•  Green manuring-a practice of ancient origin- can be defined as a practice of ploughing or turning into the soil undecomposed green plant tissues grown in-situ or cut and brought in for incorporation for the purpose of improving physical structure as well as the fertility of the soil. In another way, green manuring is the practice of growing lush plants on the site into which you want to incorporate organic matter, then turning into the soil while it is still fresh.
•  The plant material used in this way is called green manure. Green manuring is usually done in the lean period available between the two main crops. However it can be practiced in between crop rows eg. in-situ green manuring of Sunnhemp Sesbaniain between maize rows. Kind of green manuring: Green manuring can be broadly divided into two classes based on the basis of the cultivation method.
• In-situ green manuring: Green manure crops are grown in the desired field and buried in the same field for green manuring. An ideal in- situ green manure crop should be fast growing with minimum nutrient and water requirements. Nitrogen-fixing legumes which produce heavy tender growth early in its life cycle are most suitable for green manuring.
• Green leaf manuring: In green leaf manuring, leaves and tender green twigs are grown in separate fields, bunds or wastelands and incorporated in the soil of some other field. Advantages of the Green manuring

Following are some of the advantages of the green manuring:

1. Following degradation, it adds organic matter to the soil which helps in maintaining the activity of the beneficial soil microorganisms.
2. The green manuring crops improve the physical humus and structure of the soil by increasing content of the soil. Increase in the water holding organic matter organic matter also improves capacity of soil thus reducing the run-off and soil erosion.
3. Leguminous green manuring crops like dhaincha, add nitrogen to the soil for the succeeding crop  besides increasing the availability of nutrients like phosphorus, potassium,calcium, magnesium and iron.

Disadvantages of the green manuring under organic farming:

Following are some of the disadvantages of green manuring:

1. If not properly decomposed, the green crop may hamper the germination and growth of subsequent crops by immobilization of plant nutrients. Decomposition is not proper especially under rainfed conditions in the absence of good rainfall.
2. An increase of diseases, insects and nematodes is possible if the green manure crop is not properly decomposed before sowing of next crop.

Conclusion:

•  Biofertilizers and green manuring are important sources of nutrients and organic matter respectively for sustaining the crop yields, especially under organic farming practice .
•  Though both biofertilizers and green manuring are old and established technologies many farmers are not aware of the benefits of these technologies. Extension workers should train more farmers about the proper use of biofertilizers for maximum benefits.
•  Timely availability of quality biofertilizers and green manure crop seeds can help in meeting the demands of organic producers especially in distant areas.

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(The Gist of Kurukshetra) STATUS, POTENTIAL AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN ORGANIC FARMING
 [MAY-2019]

STATUS, POTENTIAL AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN ORGANIC FARMING

•  Food scarcity in the sixties had led to the need and initiation of green revolution. However, to augment crop production usage of chemical fertilizers in incremental dose over the years led to thedeterioration of soil character, made the plants fertilizer sensitive and disturbed the pest- predator relationships, which automatically generated the necessity for application of pesticides.
•  To further add to the dilemma crop productivity has been going downhill from the fertilizers following the 'Law of Diminishing Return', Crop production system has become completely dependent on the external support system, at the same time input-output ratio is going low with time, Thus just after few decades of its incorporation, chemical farming has broken the equilibrium of millennia.

Why Organic Farming?

•  Hence, enhancement and maintenance of system productivity and resource quality is essential for sustainable agriculture. It is believed that organic farming can solve many of these problems as this system is believed to maintain soil productivity and effectively control pest by enhancing natural processes and cycles in harmony with environment.
•  Organic farming is defined as a production system which largely excludes or avoids the use of fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, etc. and relies mainly on organic sources to maintain soil health, supply plant nutrients and minimize insects, weeds and other pests. It was felt that organic farming may solve all these problems and has been considered as one of the best options for protecting/sustaining soil health, and is gaining lot of importance in present day agriculture.

Present Status of Organic Farming

•  India holds a unique position among 172 countries practicing organic agriculture: it has 6,50,000 organic producers, 699 processors, 669 exporters and 7,20,000 hectares under cultivation. But, with merely 0.4 per cent of total agricultural land under organic cultivation, the industry has a long journey ahead.
•  India produced around 1.35 million MT (2015-16) of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food products. The production is not limited to the edible sector but also produces organic cotton fiber, functional food products etc. As per the latest available cross-country statistics, in the year 2015, India ranked first in terms of the number of organic producers among over 170 countries and ninth in terms of the area under organic agriculture. India ranked 11th in organic product exports in 2015.
•  India is home to 30 per cent of the total organic producers in the world, but accounts for just 2.59 per cent (1.5 million hectares) of the total organic cultivation area of 57.8 million hectares. However, it has been observed that when it comes to the area under certified organic cultivation, India contributes only 2.59%, i.e., 1.5 million hectares of the total organic cultivation area of 57.8 million hectares. Thus, amongst the regions with the largest areas of organically managed agricultural land, India ranks 9th.
• Emerging Challenges in Organic Farmingthe same time farmer's participation In problem identification and solving is inadequate, consequently the technology and innovation uptake were also compromised.
•  Besides this, majority of agro-research does not prioritize/ focus on dissemination of research outcome at farmers' level. There are limitations like availability of practical guidelines, communication gap with small and marginal farmers and lack of comprehensive approach for integration of technological know-how, better marketing options etc. which led to lesser farmers' participation in large scale demonstration. But above all the single most criteria which was responsible for limited progress of sustainable farming practice is lack of comprehensive and economically viable packages which can offer easy adoptability for the farming community.

Conclusion

•  Organic farming is the pre-requisite for enabling wider adoptability, secured livelihoods and ensuring affordability at the consumer's end. India has a long history of organic farming. At the same  as well as development of plant resilience; but the highlight remains its cost effectiveness and time bound results.

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(GIST OF YOJANA) Financing Renewables in India

[MAY-2019]

Financing Renewables in India

Introduction

•  For India the success of the renewable energy sector will be crucial to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution ( NDC) under the Paris Agreement and its transition towards a sustainable future.
•  In its NDCs, India has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 33 to 35 percent below 2005 levels, and to achieving 40 per cent of its installed electric power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.
•  Simultaneously, India has set an ambitious domestic target of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022.
•  The National Electricity Plan 2018 reaffirms further expansion to 275 GW by
  2027.
•  Undoubtedly, this is a significant departure front business as usual and would entail a new paradigm with support mechanisms, facilitate policies and access to new technologies and investment.
•  Over the period India has become a favourable investment destination for renewable.
•  A variety of investors finance renewable energy projects in India, including institutions, banks and registered companies.
•  Institutional investors are either state-owned private or bilateral and multilateral institutions. Among banks both private sector and public sector are involved.
•  The National Solar Mission has provisioned PSM for ensuring payment to the developers in case the distribution company falters in payment. Putting in place a well structured PSM helps in lowering the off-takers risk and increasing investment attractiveness.

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The major areas for action are detailed herein under:

• First, pension or sovereign funds potent sources for patient capital for renewables, 'fop 400 Global funds assets of around US % 75 are manage trillion. Green bond issuance has surpassed US $120 billion. Even a small portion of proceeds from these funds could easily meet the investment required for renewables over a decade, assuring a constant and low risk yield that simultaneously makes our planet green. In 2014, the Securities and Exchange Board of India ( SEBI) introduced infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs). The feedback from industry suggests that due to the current limitation of 49 per cent cap on leverage, InvITs are unable to offer adequate returns in comparison to alternative investment avenues with similar assets.
• Second, reducing the cost of the foreign debt by reducing the currency hedging cost has potential to mobilize foreign capital and spur investment by reducing the cost of the capital. This would reduce the delivered  cost of renewables and make them more competitive. An analysis by the climate Policy Initiative suggests that the expected cost of providing a 10 year currency hedge through a Foreign Exchange hedging facility would be around 3.5 percentage points per year that would be broadly 50 per cent below the market rate.
• Third, robust Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) will also contribute to de-risking the investment. Successive studies have confirmed that one of the most important risks to the Indian renewable energy sector is the counterparty credit risk, associated with the risk of state-owned utilities delaying or defaulting on their contractual payments to power producers. The timeliness and reliability of payments for power purchase by state distribution companies remains a persistent: risk for investments. The National Solar Mission has provisioned PSM for ensuring payment to the developers in case the distribution company falters in payment. Putting in place a well-structured PSM helps in lowering the off-takers risk and increasing investment attractiveness.
• Fourth, absence of dedicated ecosystem that looks at the financing needs of the renewables in most of the bilateral and multilateral financing institutions. In furtherance to the policy of building financial frameworks for sustainable energy sectors, the banks may consider to earmark a certain percentage of their loan portfolio for renewables. This will be a critical factor for unlocking significantly sealed-up investment in renewables.

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(GIST OF YOJANA) E-waste Management

[MAY-2019]

E-waste Management

Introduction

•  Due to technological advancement and innovations, the electronics industry is the world's largest and fastest growing manufacturing industry.
•  Availability of electronics goods in the market has increased temptation of consumers to replace their household electronic items with newer models for various reasons.
•  The net effect is a higher rate of obsolescence, which is lead in to grow mg piles of e-waste.

Key highlights

•  Electronic waste (e-waste) comprises waste electronics; electrical goods that are not fit for their originally intended use or have reached their end of life. This may include items such as mobile phones, computers, monitors, calculators, CDs. printers, scanners, copiers, battery' cells. Radio, TVs, medical apparatus and electronic components besides white goods such as refrigerators and air-conditioners.
•  These gadgets and equipment contain hazardous constituents, although e-waste itself is not harmful. E-waste contains valuable materials such as copper, silver, gold and platinum which could be processed tor their recovery when such wastes are dismantled and processed, since it is only at this stage that they pose a hazard to health and environment.
•  Electronics and electrical equipment seem efficient and environmentally-friendly, but there are hidden dangers associated with them once these become e-waste. The harmful materials contained in electronic products, and replacing outdated units due to technological updation pose a real danger to human health if electronic products are not properly processed prior to disposal.
•  Heavy metals such as lead , barium and cadmium contained in some electronic and electrical gadgets can be very harmful to health if they enter the water system. These materials can cause damage to the human nervous and respiratory systems.

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India on e-waste

•  India is among the world's largest consumers of mobile phones. With more than 1.5 million tonnes of e-waste generated annually, most consumers are still unaware of how to dispose of their e-waste. Recycling of e-waste is almost entirely left to the informal sector, which does not have adequate means to handle either the increasing quantities or certain processes, leading to intolerable risk for human health and the environment.
•  The law on e-waste management was first passed in 2011. It was based on Extended Producer Responsibility ( EPR ), which put the onus on the producer for the management of the final stages of the life of its product, in an eco-friendly way, by creating certain norms in tandem with State Pollution Control Boards. It has been made mandatory' for leading multinational companies to set up electronics manufacturing facilities and R and D centres for hardware and software.
•  E-waste ( Management ) Rules, 2016, enacted since October 1, 2017, had further strengthened the existing rules. The present rule has strengthened the Extended Producer Responsibility ( EPR ), which is the global best practice to ensure the take-back of end-of-life products. A new arrangement entitled, 'Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) has been introduced to strengthen EPR further, PRO, a professional organisation, would be authorised or financed collectively or individually by producers, to share the  responsibility for collection and channelisation of e-waste.

Conclusion

•  Further, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) shall conduct random sampling of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market to monitor and verify the compliance of law on Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS ) and the cost for sample and testing shall be borne by the producer.
•  The random sampling shall be as per the guidelines of CPCB. If the product does not comply with RoHS provisions, the producers shall take corrective measures to bring the product into compliance, and withdraw or recall the product from the market, within a reasonable period as per the guidelines of CPCB.

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Sample Material of Current Public Administration Magazine

1. Accountability and Control

The Only Mantra

The Bhagwad Gita has important advice for policy entrepreneurs: “What lies between us and our greatest goals are not obstacles, but clearer paths to lesser goals.” Jobs are a lesser goal than wages. India’s problem is not unemployment — this has bounced in the low and narrow range of 4-7 per cent for 50 years — but employed poverty. Our traditional labour market shock absorbers — farm employment and self-employment — are dying because kids born after 1991 are unaccepting of self-exploitation and recognise the wage premiums, identity, dignity, soft skills, apprenticeship effect, and financial inclusion of formal jobs. I’d like to make the case that policy should pray to one god — formal jobs. And since goals decide strategy, our focus areas become clear.

<< Read More >>

2. Indian Government and Politics

For Skilling India

Over the last 10 years, the Indian government has undertaken significant efforts in improving both the scale and quality of skilling, like setting up the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) in 2009, launching the Skill India mission in 2015, and the flagship skilling initiative, the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMVKY) in 2016. This, in turn, is expected to drive economic gains and social mobility for individuals as well as trigger a productivity dividend for enterprises.

Despite the progress made so far, today, learners face a multitude of challenges on their skilling journey. Two ecosystem barriers contribute directly to this: Informational asymmetries and limited quality assurance.

As far as the first barrier is concerned, there is a fundamental lack of awareness around why skills matter at the individual level. There is also a paucity of timely and reliable data on the supply of and demand for jobs, which makes it difficult for those seeking employment to identify what opportunities they should pursue.

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Safety Net That Works

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To elicit a fair answer to this question begs another question. What does the NREGA intend to do? Enacted as a legal right, the NREGA’s primary goal is social protection for the most vulnerable.

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4. Social Administration

Welfare Policy and Modi 2.0

Housing, sanitation, gas connections (Ujjwala), direct benefit transfers (DBT), income support (PM-Kisan) — contrary to early indications, the Narendra Modi government’s first term proved to be far more welfarist than was expected of a government that campaigned on the slogan of minimum government. With the benefit of hindsight, many pundits now argue that it is this medley of schemes that convinced voters to give the Modi government a resounding encore. Regardless of the many mysteries of the Indian voter, there is no argument that these schemes will remain the hallmark of Modi 1.0.

In their implementation, these schemes had all the ingredients of Modi’s political style — grand announcements, ambitious targets, tight centralised monitoring and outreach — resulting in an accelerated pace of activity. But they also brought to the fore deeply contested questions about the architecture of the welfare state, its functions and capability. The effectiveness of welfare policy under Modi 2.0 will rest on how it navigates this terrain and its willingness to invest in building state capacity.

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A Public Policy Must Regulate Algorithms and AI

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(Download) UPSC Mains 2018 Question Paper: Essay Compulsory

Marks : 250 (125x2)

Duration: 3 hours

Write Two Essays, choosing One from each of the Sections A and B, in about 1000-1200 words each.

Section-A (125 marks) - Choose any one Essay

1. Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India.

2. A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

3. Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere.

4. Management of Indian border disputes - a complex task.

(The Gist of Kurukshetra) NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND BIO-DIVERSITY CONSERVATION [MAY-2019]

NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND BIO-DIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Introduction

•  Driven population food demand by the under by continuous the limited rapidly agricultural increase growing human inland, the excess application of synthetic fertilizers coupled with mechanical soil disturbances led to a continuous Joss of soil fertility, deterioration in food quality, increase in water pollution and generation of resistant pests. These have forced the scientists to explore possibilities for opting 'organic farming' as a holistic production management system supportive to the environment, health and agricultural sustainability.
  Highlighting the data
•  Organic farming although yields a bit lesser (10-15%) than the conventional farming, the lower yields are compensated by lower input costs and relatively higher profit margins. Organic farming is now being practiced in over 130 countries covering 3 total area of Rs. 30.4 million hectares, 0.65% of the world's total well accepted as an important benefit of
  agricultural land. organic management. So far,
•  India, although occupies the second place
•  the available evidence clearly indicates with respect to the number of certified that organic farming plays a significant farms (44,926), comes at 13th position for role in preserving and conserving the the area under organic agriculture. In biodiversity resources. India, Rs.528171 ha area is under organic
•  There is clear evidence of elevated farming accounting for Rs. 0.3% of total bacterial and fungal abundance and agricultural land. activity under the organic system. Pandey
•  Organic farming industry in India is and Pandey (2009a) have reported 17-26% entirely export-oriented, running as a increase in microbial biomass contract farming system under a financial
•  and activity in organically managed agreement with the firms. experimental plots. Bacterial feeding

Opportunities in organic farming

• A. Conservation perspectives: Organic farming practices are ecologically sustainable in terms of (1) soil fertility stability, (2) increased diversity of microbes, plants and animals, (3) increased carbon sequestration and, (4) reduced energy dependence.

(1) Soil fertility stability

•  The degraded soil quality is an important constraint in agricultural productivity in our country. Despite continuous use of synthetic fertilizers, driven by soil quality degradation and nutrient mining, the agricultural productivity in India reduced from about 234.5 million tons in 2008-09 to about 218.2 million tons in 2009-10.

(2) Biodiversity Conservation

•  Organic farming is now seen as a potential solution towards reducing the loss of biodiversity. As organic farm practices are largely intrinsic and enhance food resource, habitat heterogeneity (management of field margins and non-crop habitats), prey-predation relationships, and reduce toxic influences (prohibited use of chemical pesticides/ inorganic fertilizers), these are expected to support species vulnerable to otherwise conventional farm practices.
•  Although a number of caveats apply for making a generalization, promotion of biodiversity conservation has been now nematodes were found to be more abundant under organic management.
•  Higher earthworm abundance has been reported in organic than in conventional fields. Organic management supports more active earthworm population, number of species and more juvenile earthworms regardless of crop type.
•  Organic management supports a significantly higher number of butterflies, spiders and beetles.
•  Higher abundance and species richness of carabids and epigeal spiders have been reported
•  in organic farms. Also, the organically managed fields support a number of species of non-coleopteran arthropods than the conventionally managed fields.
•  Studies show that organic fields support a greater number of vertebrate species (mammals and
•  birds). Studies conducted in other countries show that small mammals such as the wood mouse (Apodenus syivaticus), common shrew (Sorex aroneus) and bank vole (Clethrionomys gtareolus) in organic farms did appear greater in number than the conventional fields. Many species of bats actively select organically managed habitats. High abundance and diversity of invertebrates and plants in organic fields support a variety of avian community.
•  Management of field margins and non-crop habitats support higher abundance and richness of weeds and non-crop flora in organically managed fields. In particular, these differences have been show to be greater for broad-leaved weed speciesbelonging to Fabaceae, Brassicaceae and Polygonaceae. Hedges of organic fields display significantly higher species diversity than those supported on conventional farms.
•  Organic farming, by definition, reduces pollution of water bodies by pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. The overall effect is a significant increase in richness and abundance of aquatic species in waterways located downstream organic fields.

(3) Carbon sequestration

• Knowledge of C-storage relative to flux in agro-ecosystems is essential for predictive geosphere-biosphere modeling and for reducing the excess of atmospheric CO2 levels through C-sequestration. As per the IPCC (2007), the soil carbon sequestration is cost effective and may contribute to '-'89% of total C mitigation. Our country with almost all major climatic zones and range of land usage has vast opportunities for soil C-sequestration. Conversion agricultural land use may lead to loss of SOC poof by 60% in temperate soils and over 75% in the soils of tropics (Lai, 2010). Compared to the carbon stored in a forest, the SOC in agricultural soils can effective: benefit food production and improve agricultural sustainability. An increase of 1 ton of soil C pool of degraded cropland may increase crop yield by about 10 to 20 kg/ha of maize, 20 to
  40 kg/ha of wheat and 0.5 to 1 kg/ha of cowpeas indicating a strong link between C-sequestration and crop production.

(4) Reduced energy dependence

• The conventional farm systems require more overall energy inputs than do the organically managed systems. Fossil fuel energy input is required in farm machinery, transport, production of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides, etc.
• Synthetic fertilizers, used in conventional systems, are produced employing fossil fuel energy whereas cattle manure, legumes, etc., with very low energy needs, are used in organic practices. In a study, Pimentel et al. (2005) have quantified that fossil fuel inputs in organic production of corn were ~30% lower than the conventionally produced counterparts. This marks the additional benefit in terms of comparatively lesser release of CO2 to the atmosphere and therefore helps mitigate climate change. Reduced energy use in organic farms thus not only reduce economic load but also share to solve environmental problems such as climate change.

B. Economic sustainability

1. The conventional mode of agriculture, which works on the principle of diminishing return, may cause long-term economic risks influencing the overall balance of trade compared to its sustainable counterpart. In a sustainability perspective of organic farming, the following issues need concern:
2. Export orientation: The Indian organic produce market is export-oriented. It involves hidden costs such as transport and has risks to local food security. Policies considering local demands/markets are needed for a rational balance of trade.
3. Market risk: Concentrating on specific commodities is vulnerable to market risks. A disproportional sweep in the international market may lead Indian farmers to risk. As a WTO signatory, the government is bound to open its economy to the global market and thus, unable to protect the farmer's Interest in this respect.
4. Employment: The organic farming system, being labor-intensive can help overcome rural employment.
5. Cost-benefit analysis: Agriculture forms the base of economic policies and poverty alleviation in
   many countries including India. Model estimates show that organic farming can reduce pesticide use  by 50% to 65% without compromising crop yields and quality together with 50% less expenditure on the fertilizer and energy use. Constraints in Organic Farming A. Environmental constraints (1) Water quality:

•  Accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural crops depends on soil processes and properties, plant and soil physical factors, mobilization of metals, concentrations of heavy metals in soil and in irrigation water.
•  Wastewater irrigation has become a very common practice in many countries including India. Some
•  countries recommend wastewater irrigation for grain crops and those grown for fodder and slaughter stocks.
•  Wastewater is increasingly being used for irrigation in urban and peri-urban areas of the developing countries due to easy availability and scarcity of unpolluted water. Irrigation of crops with wastewater may cause heavy metal accumulation and degrade soil quality.
•  The overall effect is reduced crop growth and risks to human health. For the success of organic farming, efforts should be made to ensure the availability of contamination-free fresh waters. In this context, a massive drive to manage surface and ground waters for irrigation and other usage is essential.

(2) Atmospheric deposition:

•  High atmospheric deposition and accumulation of heavy metals in crops and vegetables have also been reported in India.
•  It can affect human health through dietary intake and food chain associated routes. Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals has been shown to lead multifold accumulation in eggplant, tomato, spinach, carrot, amaranthus and radish and cause damage to microbial activity in organically amended soil.
•  Thus, the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals may constrain compromising organic farming with respect to its ability to stabilize soil fertility and provide toxin-free produce.

B. Resource need

•  Livestock resources play important role in strengthening agricultural practices for large masses in India. With the advent of technology, the livestock population in our country has declined sharply.
•  Between 1997 and 2003, cattle population in India declined by 10.23% and those of mules, camel and donkey the declines were 20.36, 30.70% and 26.30 respectively.
•  Improved pasture and rangelands are essential for supporting livestock and restoring C-pool, nutrient cycling and soil quality. The natural pasture cover in India is rapidly declining and the problem is more acute in dry regions.

C. Certification

•  Problems associated with certification, for instance, a time lag of three-years (conversion stage), often constrain small landholders from adopting organic farming. The certification is essential to authenticate organic produce and to validate the price margin in the market.
•  The Director General of Foreign Trade (India) permits the export of organic produce if these are produced and processed under a valid certification.
•  Lack of knowledge and access to certification discourage the small farm holders in India. To overcome these issues, training and institutional demonstration with fiscal incentives is being provided to encourage small farm holders.

D. Social acceptance

•  The increasing demand for organic produce is viewed as a new opportunity to aspire the economic boom with lucrative export markets. However, the majority of  small farm holders depend on government incentives and are striving for a profit margin in the indigenous market. Therefore, small farm holders in our country are apprehensive towards adopting organic farming.
•  Major issues that need to be resolved to encourage acceptance in small farm holdings include access to certification, lack of local market, cost-benefit anomalies, lack of appropriate knowledge to RMPs and non-availability of organic supplements.

Conclusion

•  Indian agriculture has evolved as an ecologically sustainable approach based on natural inputs to obtain desired crop yield. The modern innovation and technology-based agriculture although increased the yield by many folds have caused a large-scale environmental degradation including the loss of biodiversity. With a large geographical area and diversity of eco-region, our country has a considerable potential to capitalize on organic farming.
•  However, small farm holders in India are constrained by issues such as resource availability, certification, lack of local market and other factors. Therefore, an integrated effort is needed by the
•  government and non-government organizations to remove constraints encouraging small farm holders to adopt organic farming as a solution to meet food demand while conserving the soil, water, energy and biological resources.

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(The Gist of Kurukshetra) ORGANIC FARMING FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT [MAY-2019]

ORGANIC FARMING FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Introduction

•  The overall a significant agriculture development role sector in is ensuring of a primary rural areas. food sector security, It of plays the raw materials, livelihoods and providing a spur to the growth of the industrial and service sector. Therefore, the agriculture sector is the backbone of Indian economy. A large proportion of labour force still depends on agriculture. Based on Usual Principal Status Approach (UPSA), 46.1 percent of the persons were estimated to be employed under agriculture in India during 2015-16 (Gol,
  2016).
•  The health of the individual is at greater risk than ever before because of the chemicals that we ingest into our bodies through the inorganic food we eat. Organic agriculture has positively impacted on the quality of natural resources and biodiversity. Therefore, organic agriculture provides high nutrient foods to human beings and animals for their well-being. Raising awareness, increasing market requirement, nurturing the attitude of the producer to become organic, increasing research and government supports have resulted into amazing development in organic agriculture since last two decades in the world and India. The global ranking of India in organic agriculture stood at eighth position with 1.78 million hectares of area under it in 2017.
•  The share of organic agricultural land of India was 2.55 percent in the total world of organic agriculture. India has the highest number of organic producers in the world accounting to 30.58 percent. The area under organic farming in India, was over 17 lakh hectares and its total production was 16, 75,560.70 metric tonnes in the year 2017-18. In 2016 Sikkim became the first organic state of India.

The concept of Organic Farming:

•  The system of organic farming is based on an intimate understanding of nature's laws and rules. In today's terminology, it is a method of a farming system which primarily alms at cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, as to keep the soil alive and in good health by the use of organic wastes and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes (biofertilizers).
•  They release nutrients for increased sustainable production of crops. "Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people.
•  It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.

Principles of Organic Agriculture:

•  The principles of organic farming were formulated and developed in September 2005 by IFOAM. These four principles are the roots from which organic agriculture developed.
•  The Principle of Health: Organic farming should sustain and enhance the health of soil, water, air, environment, animal, human and plant as one and indivisible.
•  The Principle of Ecology: Organic agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them on nature's laws.
•  The Principle of Fairness: Organic practices should build on relationships that ensure fairness
•  with regard to the common environment and life opportunities.
•  The Principle of Care: Organic farming should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current and future generations and the overall environment.

Characteristics of Organic Farming:

•  Protecting the long term fertility of soils by maintaining organic matter levels, encouraging soil biological activity, and careful mechanical intervention.
•  Providing crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble nutrient sources which are made available to the plant by the action of soil microorganisms.
•  Self-sufficiency in Nitrogen through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation, as well as effective recycling of organic materials including crop residues and livestock manures.
•  Weed, disease and pest control by relying primarily on crop rotations, natural predators, diversity, organic manuring, resistant varieties, and limited (preferably minimal) thermal, biological and chemical intervention.
•  The extensive management of livestock, paying full regard to their evolutionary adaptations, behavioral needs, and animal welfare issues with respect to nutrition, housing, health, breeding and rearing.
•  Careful attention to the impact of the farming system on the wider environment and the conservation of wildlife and natural habitats.
• Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Farming: Sustainable agriculture integrates the main goal to sustain biodiversity; enhance the quality of natural resources, economic profitability, and social equity. Organic farming provides several benefits for people and the planet. Many changes observed in the environment are long term, occurring slowly overtime. Organicagriculture considers the medium and long term effect of agricultural interventions on the agro-ecosystem. Improving Soil Fertility: Soil building practices such as crop rotations, cover crops, and organic fertilizers are central to organic practices. These practices replenish soil organic matter, feed soil life, reduce erosion, improve soil structure, and enhance nutrient cycling and water retention. The length of time that the soil is exposed to erosive forces is decreased, soil biodiversity is increased, and nutrient losses are reduced, helping to maintain and enhance soil productivity.
• Improving Water Quality: Organic farming practices, such as the application of compost manures and the use of fodder legumes and green manures within extended grain cropping rotations, can optimize soil nutrient release and plant nutrient uptake, and subsequently improve water quality. Enhanced soil structure, water infiltration, and nutrient retention also reduces the risk of groundwater pollution. In many agriculture  areas, pollution of groundwater, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are major difficulties. In some areas where pollution is a real problem, conversion to organic agriculture is highly encouraged as a restorative measure.
• Energy and Climate Change: Through the use of leguminous cover crops, compost, and other organic approved materials for fertility management, organic farms often decrease the greenhouse gas emission; components. By prohibiting the use of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides, organic production avoids the CO2 emissions associated with the production of these inputs , Additionally, many of the practices associated with certified organic production, such as diverse crop rotations, use of cover crops, and application of compost manures enhance the accumulation of carbon in soil. Organic agriculture reduces non-renewable energy use by decreasing agrochemical needs (these require high quantities of fossil fuel to be produced). Protection of Biodiversity: Organic systems enhance biodiversity at several levels. A variety of seeds and breeds are chosen for greater resistance to diseases, climate, and pests. Producers employ diverse combinations and rotations of plants and animals to increase yields and income. The maintenance and planting of natural areas within and around organic fields and the absence of chemical inputs create suitable habitats for wildlife and important pollinators and beneficial insects. Organic farmers are both custodians and users of biodiversity at all levels.

Components of Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture Development:

1. Crop Rotation: It is a systematic arrangement for the growing of various crops in a more or less regular sequence on the same land covering a period of two years and more. A mixed cropping, pasture and livestock system is desirable or even essential for the success of sustainable agriculture.
2. Crop Residue: There is a great potential for utilization of crop residues/straw of some of the major crops. About fifty percent of the crop residues are utilized as animal feed, the rest could be very well utilized for recycling of nutrients.
3. Manure: The organic manure is derived from biological sources like the plant, animal and human residues. Organic manure acts in many ways in augmenting crop growth, crop protection, and soil productivity. The direct effect of organic manure relates to the uptake of humic substances or its decomposition products affecting favorably the growth and yield of plants. A) Bulky Organic Manure: Farm Yard Manure (FYM), Compost Manure, Green Manure. B) Concentrated Organic Manure: Concentrated organic manures are made from raw material so animal or plant origin. These manures commonly used are oil cakes, blood meal, fishmeal, meat meal, and horn and hoof meal.

Waste:

 Industrial Waste: Among the industrial by products, spent wash from distillery, molasses and ress mud from industry have good manure value. This industrial waste manure can be used After pro er decomposition.
 Municipal and Sewage Waste: Sewage sludge, particularly from industrialized cities, is contaminated with heavy metals and these pose hazards to plants, animals and human beings.

1. Biofertilizers: Biofertilizer is microorganism's culture ca’able of fixing atmospheric nitrogen when suitable crops are inoculated with them. The main inputs are microorganisms, which are capable of mobilizing nutritive elements from non-usable form to usable form through a biological process.
2. Bio-Pesticide: Bio-pesticides are natural plant products that belong to the secondary metabolites, which include thousands of alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolics, and minor secondary chemicals. These substances have usually no known function in photosynthesis, growth or other basic aspects of plant physiology.  However, their biological activity against insects, nematodes, fungi, and other organisms is well documented.
3. Vermicompost: Vermiculture has a component in biological farming, which is found to be effective in enhancing soil fertility and producing large numbers of agricultural crops. It is organic manure produced by the activity of earthworms that generally live in soil, eat biomass and excrete it in digested form. The average nutrient content of vermicompost is much higher than that of FYM.

Conclusion:

•  The organic agriculture positively affects and sustains the quality of natural resources (soil, water, and air) and biodiversity. The application of organic farming yields better economic and environmental benefits to farmers for raising their standard of life.
•  It is inevitable to frame and implement various policies, programmes, and strategies to promote organic agriculture in order to realize its full potential. Public awareness has transformed the initial supply driven organic movements to demand driven.
•  The premium prices and government support for organic farming has led to the implementation of organic practices. The farmers have converted their chemical farming method to organic farming method for economic, health and environment reasons.
•  The organic farming practices are sustainable in nature and have enhanced environmental quality and ecosystem. Organic farming is based on the principle of maximum production with high quality, without affecting the soil fertility and the environment.
•  India has the potential to become a major organic agricultural country given the international demand for our farm products, different agro-climatic regions for the cultivation of a number of crops the size of the domestic market and above all the long tradition of environment-friendly farming and living. Developed and developing countries have rapidly adopted organic farming practices.
•  At the global level, every country has taken initial steps to support organic farming through implementing various programmes and policies for spreading organic practices among farmers.
•  A strong national organic policy is the need of the hour to address the important current issues and obstacles and for promoting organic farming culture in the country.
•  Considering the current organic status of India, it has a wide scope for increasing organic practices for the achievement of sustainable development of agriculture.

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(GIST OF YOJANA) Tapping sustainable energy alternatives

[MAY-2019]

Tapping sustainable energy alternatives

Introduction

•  Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations." which otherwise means economic development that is conducted without depiction of natural resources.
•  India- which became a sovereign nation had to develop its agricultural resources and national infrastructure to meet sustenance of approximately 330 million  people and take the country on a The rest of the world contributed 41 per development trajectory..

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 Until the 1970s, sustainable development

• Way a head had never attracted the imagination of the

•  India has now embarked on a mission to global community. At the 1972 UN bring down the share of fossil fuels in its Conference in Stockholm, the world body energy basket, by raised concerns for preserving and enhancing the environment and its biodiversity to ensure human rights for a healthy and productive world.

•  The developing countries, including India, argued that their priority was development, whereas the developed countries made a case to bring environmental protection and conservation in the forefront of global agenda. Highlights of the WHO’s data

•  According to World Health Organisation, projected growth of achieving 40 percent climate change affects the social and of its total power generation from environmental determinants of health, non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, clean air, safe drinking water, food

•  To meet NDC target. The target would security and shelter. Between 2030 and place India among the world leaders in 2050, climate change is expected to cause renewable energy use approximately 2, 50,000 additional deaths

•  Crude import is a key factor in India's every year from malnutrition, diseases like current account deficit (CAD), which malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. Its currently is 40 billion dollars or 1.9 percent cost to health is estimated to be between of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The 2 -4 billion US dollars a year by 2030. increasing CAD is a cause of concern for

•  India is a signatory to the landmark Paris the country and if it crosses the threshold Agreement on Climate Change, which has of 3 percent of GDP, it would badly affect brought all nations to a common cause to the economic stability.

Undertake efforts to combat climate

•  Besides, India’s import is hugely affected change through Nationally Determined by the geopolitical situation. like the threat Contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen of sanctions by the United States on these efforts in the years ahead. imports from Iran.
•  economic growth of around 8 per cent, sewage into biofuels. A sewage treatment according to recent projections by the plant (STP) launched in Delhi would
  Global Carbon Project. India was among convert 10 lakh hires of sewage FHIO the four major emitters in 2017 (7 per three tones of biofuel per day. cent) along with China (27 per cent), the  US (15 percent) and the EU (10 per cent).

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(GIST OF YOJANA) Energy Efficiency is the Key for Sustainable Development

[MAY-2019]

Energy Efficiency is the Key for Sustainable Development

Introduction

•  In India the electrification of households has taken place on a massive scale and demand for energy has increased. One of the key reasons for this has been the growing population.
•  Another is the enormous increase in energy intensive economic activities. As the conventional sources of energy are reducing and the renewable sources are under developing phase, improving energy efficiency at all levels of the energy spectrum is the cost-effective and quick solution to address this problem.
•  Some of the concerns regarding the limitations imposed on sustainable development by environmental emissions and their negative impacts can in part be overcome through increased energy efficiency.
•  The government, through Nationally Determined Contributions has aimed to reduce emission intensity of GDP to 33-35 per cent below what it was in 2005 by 2030.
•  However, to achieve this target there is a need for a concerted move to ensure increased efficiency especially in 3 sectors:
•  Industrial sector,
•  Real estate,
•  Consumer appliance.

Industrial Sector

Industrial sector continues to be the highest energy consuming domain where energy conservation would play a vital role. There is also huge potential for energy conservation and technology enhancement for efficiency in key intensive industries. With an aim of energy efficiency improvement, Bureau of Energy Efficiency ( BEE ) is implementing Perform, Achieve and Trade ( PAT) scheme under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

Real Estate Sector

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency ( BEE ) envisages a phased approach for developing an energy conservation code for the residential sector. The idea is to create a simple and implementable code focusing building envelope which can be integrated with the existing building codes and bye-laws.

The design of the building envelope will have a direct impact on:

•  Heat conduction through the roof , opaque wall and glazed windows
•  Solar radiation gains through glazed windows
•  Natural ventilation
•  Day-lighting.

The real estate sector consumes over 30 percent of the total electricity consumption in India annually and is second only to the industrial sector as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases; of which around 75 per cent is used in residential spaces.

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The building envelope thus will impact both the thermal comfort as well as electricity used for space conditioning. In this context, BEE has two programs

(1) Eco Samhita, (Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings), and
(2) Labelling for Energy Efficient Homes.

Eco Samhita, (Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings): The Eco-Niwas Samhita (Part I: Building Envelope) aims to set minimum building envelope performance standards to limit heat gains (tor cooling dominated climates) and to limit heat loss (for heating dominated climate) as well as for ensuring adequate natural ventilation and day lighting. The code is applicable to all residential use building projects built on plot area >= 500 m2. The code has been developed with special consideration for its adoption by the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) into building bylaws. This strategy enables most of the new urban housing stock to be brought into the net for capturing the opportunities and the benefits of energy efficiency in residential buildings.

Labeling Programme for Energy Efficient Homes

•  To enable consumers to compare building performances from a sustainable energy point of view
•  a comprehensive labeling scheme is import.
•  The objective of proposed labeling programme is mentioned below:
•  To provide information to consumers for EE Homes
•  Energy sustainability for India
•  To achieve Indian NDC Targets
•  Market Transformation for energy efficiency in the housing sector.

Way forward

•  It shall act as an embryo to stimulate the larger energy-efficient materials and technologies market. To seek the energy efficiency label, customers shall demand energy efficient building materials which in turn, would give enough impetus to suppliers to produce the same.
•  After implementation of the labeling mechanism, the housing value chain would encourage an additional set of professionals to expedite the complete process of residential label granting. This way, the labelling regime shall also be a stimulant for the Indian job market.
•  It will also motivate material manufacturers to invest in energy efficient material manufacturing in India.
•  Labelling mechanism shall cause a reduction in energy bills. This will empower individuals with
•  a greater disposable income that can be consumed at other avenues, saved for future contingencies or invested for cash generating asset creation for overall economic growth.
•  It helps the nation in working towards fulfillment of Global Sustainable Development Goals 7 of the United Nations: Affordable and Clean Energy.

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Dismal signs (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3 : Economy
Prelims level : ICRA
Mains level : Trend of anaemic economic activity

Context

•  The initial set of corporate results for the fourth quarter of 2018-19 seems to affirm the trend of anaemic economic activity.
•  Revenue growth fell to a six quarter low of 10.7 per cent in Q4FY19, down from 20.1 per cent in the previous quarter, shows rating agency ICRA’s analysis of 304 companies.
•  In the case of consumer linked sectors, the slowdown is more severe.
•  These numbers, indicative of a wider economic slowdown, are likely to weigh down GDP estimates for Q4FY19, to be released later this week by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Pointing economic indicators
•  Leading economic indicators suggest a broad-based slowdown in household demand.  Rural wage growth, in both agricultural and non-agricultural occupations, continues to be subdued. Sales of two-wheelers and FMCG companies have been sluggish.
•  And while bank lending is up, it is unlikely to have compensated for the collapse in the lending by NBFCs, which is likely to have impacted household demand for consumer durables.
•  On the flip side, though, the softening of commodity prices did provide a marginal fillip to earnings.
•  But, despite this, the interest coverage ratio, which essentially measures a firm’s ability to repay its interest obligations, declined as interest costs grew at a much faster pace than profits.
•  With corporate earnings, investment as well as exports showing no signs of a revival, the new government clearly has its task cut out.

Reviving the growth

•  The challenge of reviving growth in the immediate term is more complicated than is being appreciated.
•  For one, the government has limited fiscal space. In the fourth quarter itself, government spending is likely to have been severely curtailed as it would have struggled to meet the fiscal deficit target owing to a shortfall in tax revenues.
•  This suggests that the new government will now have to scale down its revenue growth projects in the new budget, leaving it with little space for a stimulus.
•  And while the government can deviate from the path of fiscal consolidation, the move is likely to spook the bond market. This suggests that monetary policy may have to do the heavy lifting.

Conclusion

•  As inflation is likely to remain muted for the foreseeable future, the monetary policy committee, which meets in the first week of June, may oblige by cutting rates.
•  But the challenge is to ensure its transmission as lending rates tend to adjust quicker to monetary tightening than loosening.

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Eastward course (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3 : Economy
Prelims level : SAARC
Mains level : Rationale behind Marginalising SAARC

Context

•  It is tempting to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to the leaders of a Bay of Bengal forum for the inauguration of his second term, as a “snub to Pakistan”.
  What are the rationale behind Marginalising SAARC?
•  But the talk of a snub misses the story of the larger regional dynamic that has emerged over the last few years.
   When he travelled to the Kathmandu summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Kathmandu at the end of 2014, PM Modi may have figured out that the future of SAARC was bleak.
•  At the summit, Nawaz Sharif pulled out of regional connectivity agreements that were ready for signature.
•  Officials from Islamabad were very much part of the prolonged and painful negotiations to finalise the agreements.
•  Quite clearly, the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi had pulled the plug at the very last minute.
•  The fiasco at Kathmandu evidently led the PM to shift the focus to India’s sub-regional cooperation within South Asia with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal.
•  Instead of holding the rest of the region hostage, India chose to expand regionalism with the BBIN forum.
•  The PM also looked beyond SAARC to revive the moribund BIMSTEC regional forum that brings together five South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and two South East Asian countries (Myanmar and Thailand).

Pakistan still holds importance

•  That it is not invited to the PM’s oath-taking ceremony on Thursday does not mean Pakistan will disappear from India’s foreign policy agenda.
•  During the last few years, Modi has demonstrated his political will for either peace or war with Pakistan.
•  If he travelled to Lahore on short notice at the end of 2015, he was ready to attack a terror camp at Balakot in February 2018. Modi will have an opportunity to engage Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at a Central Asian summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan next month.
•  Any productive meeting with the Pakistani leadership needs significant preparation and hopefully, there are back channel conversations underway.

Conclusion

•  While Pakistan to the west is a big challenge that needs to be carefully managed, the east is full of opportunities marked by the economic resurgence of Bangladesh and Myanmar that form a bridge to the dynamic region of East Asia.
•  Modi has talked the talk on BIMSTEC in the first term.
•  He must now walk the walk, by committing substantive resources for the strengthening of BIMSTEC and removing the multiple obstacles within India for the rapid economic integration of the Bay of Bengal littoral.

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