NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
General Studies – 1
Topic : , urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Reference: dea.gov.in
Why the question:
The question is based on the theme of City-system and the reforms in municipal bodies crucial for effective and efficient functioning of city systems.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the concept of city-system and explain how and why reforming municipal bodies is crucial to reforming city systems.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define what city-systems are.
Body:
A city system; is a group of cities, which, in their evolution, have become interdependent because of the many relationship networks that they have and that interconnect them to a greater extent than other cities located in the environment.
Explain the importance of urban governance in the country.
Discuss the urban issues, reforms and way forward in India with suitable examples.
Explain that India has to improve its urban areas to achieve objectives of economic development. However, urban governance and management of the services is far from satisfactory. In this context, the Government has launched a reform-linked urban investment program, JNNURM and others.
Discuss how and why reforming municipal bodies is crucial to reforming city systems.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:
City systems are the base or structure on which the quality of life of its residents depends. They include quality of laws, policies, institutions, and institutional processes that underpin urban governance.
Body:
Need for reforming municipal bodies for reforming city systems:
- Governance issues: India’s metropolitan cities have weak capacities in finance and staffing.
- Ex: Bengaluru’s average percentage of own revenue to total expenditure is 9%, Chennai 30.5%, Mumbai 36.1% and Kolkata at 48.4%.
- Limited powers of mayors: No big metropolitan cities with 10 million-plus population has a directly-elected Mayor. Mayors do not have full decision-making authority over critical functions of planning, housing, water, environment, fire and emergency services in most cases.
- Ex: Metropolitan cities like Tokyo and Sydney are steered by a directly-elected
- Lack of transparency, accountability and citizen participation: No metropolitan has functional ward committees and area sabhas.
- Powerless city councils and severe fragmentation of governance: Multiple civic bodies with frequent change of toothless mayors, commissioners. Local government has the least amount of capability, quality of delivery and poor processes that are being followed. Most of the laws and policies that they are following are archaic.
- Total absence of systematic citizen participation and transparency: Only two cities have ward committees. An absence of citizen participation is worsened by poor transparency in finance and operations.
- Metropolitan regions are being created by default and not by design.
- Current urban centres are established without paying attention to the need to create a unified market, especially the labour market, which would forge strong economic linkages between the core city and the periphery.
- There are 53 urban agglomerations in India with a population of one million and above, but these agglomerations spread across various states. With different rules and regulations regarding land, transport across the states, this severely affects infrastructure development.
- In India the urban planning and spatial planning (integrated land use and transport) are not integrated, this leads to the significant deterioration in the quality of public services and ease of living.
- There is a range of institutions such as municipalities, and other parastatals such as state water and sewerage Boards, due to these overlapping functional jurisdictions, they find little coordination amongst them.
- It is reflected on “Smart City’ front, where over 90 ‘Smart Cities’ have identified 2,864 projects, but only 148 projects are completed and over 70% of the projects still remain at various stages of preparation.
Steps taken by the government:
- National urban policy framework 2018seeks to rebuild Indian cities around clusters of human capital, instead of considering them simply as an agglomeration of land use. It also focuses on land policy reforms, granting urban local bodies the freedom to raise financing and enforce local land usage norms
- Performance linked grants: The 14th Finance Commission stipulated a detailed procedure for the disbursal of the Performance Grant to ULBs based on various reforms in areas like accounting, auditing, reporting, etc.
- Municipal Bonds: NITI Aayog in its three-year Action Agenda document talks of utilizing Municipal Bond market. This would ensure low cost of borrowing which is required for municipality projects which typically have low viability, long gestation period and low to moderate cost recovery
- Directly elected Mayor: A private member’s bill was introduced in the parliament to make provisions for direct election and empowerment of the office of mayor in country.
- Smart Cities Mission (SCM): To Provide smart solutions to improve city infrastructure and services. It focuses on Mobility and Energy efficiency, Electricity, Information and Communication Technology, Water Supply etc
- Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): During 2015-17, various basic reforms were undertaken under this scheme resulting in:
- Improved collection of user charges: 104 cities in 14 states collected more than 90% of user charges.
- Establishment of municipal cadres in 21 states.
- Improved service delivery: 256 cities started offering online citizen services.
- Others: 21 states established state finance commissions and 363 cities have completed credit rating.
Way forward
- Cities and their Foundation: There is a need to focus on building stronger foundations – not just focus on outcomes but also policies. There is an urgent need of giving the highest importance to ‘urban designing’ and not just planning. Cities need to be seen as a unit of empowerment at the systems level.
- Cities and Reforms: Reforms in the big cities have been painfully slow also due to political instability. Smaller cities under AMRUT are witnessing better transparency, accountability and participation. Finances need to not just be generated but also be managed and accounted for.
- City people and City government: Government needs to meaningfully engage with the citizens. They need to update the citizens and push the envelope on the issue of discussions being done at the systemic level.
- City and local body of governance:There is a need to strengthen local body’s capability and capacity to deliver. A discussion on autonomy and devolution of power is long pending. Mayors need to be empowered with decision, and be trusted for the same.
- Absence of participatory citizen platforms: Citizens need to be involved and sensitized. More awareness programs in public places, schools and colleges need to be conducted.
Conclusion
Urban local government institutions are constituted for the maintenance and planned development of urban areas. The objective is to ensure that suitable levels of infrastructure and services are available to the citizens. In many parts of India, the quality of life in urban areas is miserable and the citizens lead a difficult life. To overcome this problem, a series of reforms need to be initiated for reforming municipal bodies to strengthen the city systems.
General Studies – 2
Topic : Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The article brings to us the Azerbaijanis celebrating the peace deal in Baku on November 10.
Key Demand of the question:
One has to discuss in detail what the peace deal is about between the Armenia and Azerbaijan and critically examine the role of ethnicity in such a conflict.
Directive:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Recently, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict between the countries. According to the deal, the countries will maintain positions in the areas where they currently hold. This means a significance gain to Azerbaijan.
Body:
Firstly discuss the context of the question; present the highlights of the deal in detail.
Azerbaijan has reclaimed over 15-20% of its lost territory in the conflict. According to the new deal, the countries will maintain the current positions they are holding. Therefore, this will benefit Azerbaijan largely.
Talk about the Nagorno-Karabakh Region, the conflict causing issues.
Then brief about the role of ethnicity in the conflict.
Conclusion:
Conclude with your opinion on such peace deals and their significance.
Introduction:
Recently, Russia has brokered a new peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both counties have been in a military conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus.
Body
New Peace Deal:
- Both sides will now maintain positions in the areas that they currently hold, which will mean a significant gain for Azerbaijan as it has reclaimed over 15-20% of its lost territory during the recent conflict.
- All military operations are suspended and Russian peacekeepers will be deployed for a period of five years, along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor which links the Karabakh capital, Stepanakert, to Armenia.
- Refugees and internally displaced persons will return to the region and the adjacent territories and the two sides will also exchange prisoners of wars and bodies.
- A new corridor will be opened from Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan, which will be under Russian control.
Nagorno-Karabakh Region:
- The region extends across western Asia and Eastern Europe.
- It has been part of Azerbaijan territory since the Soviet era and is being internationally recognised so but most of the region is controlled by Armenian separatists who have declared it a republic called the “Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast”.
- While the Armenian government does not recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as independent, it supports the region politically and militarily.
Role of Ethnicity in the conflict:
- Decades-old Ethnic tensions have a crucial role in the dispute. While the Azeris claim that the disputed region was under their control in known history, Armenians maintain that Karabakh was a part of the Armenian kingdom.
- Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, but its population is majority Armenian. As the Soviet Union saw increasing tensions in its constituent republics in the 1980s, Nagorno-Karabakh voted to become part of Armenia – sparking a war which stopped with a ceasefire in 1994.
- Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh has remained part of Azerbaijan but is controlled by separatist ethnic Armenians backed by the Armenian government. Until recently, negotiations mediated by international powers had failed to deliver a peace agreement.
- Armenia is majority Christian while Azerbaijan is majority Muslim. Turkey has close ties to Azerbaijan, while Russia is allied with Armenia – although it also has good relations with Azerbaijan.
Conclusion
The new peace deal is a significant step in ensuring peace in the region as during the course of the conflict, over 1200 have lost their lives as per the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, while thousands have been displaced. Since the conflict started in september, multiple ceasefire agreements have been signed between the two sides, but none so far have been successful.
Topic : Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Reference: Indian Polity by Lakshmikant
Why the question:
The question talks about how and in what way rights are related to duties.
Key Demand of the question:
One has to justify with suitable examples how fundamental duties in one citizen imply fundamental rights in other citizens.
Directive:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by explaining how rights are related to duties; the fact that if one enjoys the right, it becomes the duty of the other not to prove an obstacle in the enjoyment of his/her right.
Body:
Firstly, explain the statement in question in detail, give examples to justify better.
Then move onto explain in what way fundamental duties in one citizen imply fundamental rights in other citizens. One must explain how are our fundamental rights and fundamental duties related to each other? Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution are important natural rights necessary for development of human beings. They are enforceable through court of law. On the other hand, Fundamental Duties though not enforceable, but always taken into account while interpreting any fundamental rights.
Conclusion:
Correlate the two and conclude with importance.
Introduction:
Fundamental rights and fundamental duties are an integral part of the Indian constitution. Fundamental Rights guaranteed under part III of the constitution are important natural rights necessary for development of human beings. They are enforceable through court of law. On the other hand, fundamental duties though not enforceable, but are always taken into account while interpreting any fundamental rights.
Body
Every fundamental duty in the constitution has a corresponding fundamental right that implies rights and duties are correlated. Rights and duties have a close relationship and both are inseparable. Both exist side by side. Ex: If the state gives the right to life to its citizen, it also imposes an obligation on him to not to expose his life in trouble, as well as to respect the life and convenience of others.
Indian Constitution provides for a broad set of fundamental rights which also inherently include the fundamental duties:
- Art 51A(e): To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women. This duty ensures that the fundamental right to life with dignity under Art 21 of every women is protected.
- Art 51A(g): To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures ensures the right to life with dignity under Article 21.
- Art 51A(f): To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture. This duty has a corresponding right under Art 29 which protects the cultural rights of the people of India.
- Art 51A(k): To provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years protects the fundamental right of the child to education guaranteed under Art 21A.
Reconciliation of Rights with Duties:
- Right of One is the Duty of Others: Rights can be enjoyed only in the world of duties. For every right there is corresponding duty. When the people fail to discharge their duties properly, the rights of others become meaningless.
- Rights of a Citizen also implies Duties for him: Rights are not the monopoly of a single individual. Everybody gets these equally. This means that “others also have the same rights which I have, and it is my duty to see that others also enjoy their rights.” Laski has rightly said that one man’s right is also his duty. It is my duty to respect the rights of others as well as the duty to use my rights in the interest of society.
- Rights are to be used for Social Good: Rights originate in society. Therefore, while enjoying rights, we must always try to promote social interest. It is the duty of every one of us to use our rights for promoting the welfare of the society as a whole.
- Duty towards the State: Since state protects and enforces rights, it also becomes the duty of all citizens to be loyal to the state. It is their duty to obey the laws of the state. Citizens should always be ready to defend the state.
Conclusion
“Real rights are a result of the performance of duty”- M.K Gandhi in Hind swaraj. Thus a citizen has both Rights and Duties. He enjoys rights and performs his duties. Rights and Duties are the two sides of the same coin.
Topic : Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article presents to us a detailed opinion of remote monitoring system for patients in the context of Indian health care system.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain the advantages of remote patient monitoring system in the setting of Indian health care system.
Directive:
Deliberate – Weigh up to what extent something is true. Persuade the reader of your argument by citing relevant research but also remember to point out any flaws and counter- arguments as well. Conclude by stating clearly how far you agree with the original proposition.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by explaining what remote patient monitoring system is.
Body:
Remote patient monitoring refers to the use of a specific technology to facilitate interaction between clinicians and patients at home.
The aim of patient monitoring is to give warning of early or dangerous deterioration and to achieve this by obtaining an optimal compromise involving many design factors, clinical, engineering and economic.
List the advantages of such a system to India.
Conclusion:
Conclude with importance.
Introduction:
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a technology to enable monitoring of patients outside of conventional clinical settings, such as in the home or in a remote area, which may increase access to care and decrease healthcare delivery cost.
Recently, Bharat Electronics Ltd. and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh, have jointly developed a remote patient health monitoring system.
Body:
Advantages of remote patient monitoring system:
- Helps in improving chronic condition management: At a time when there is a global crunch of medical resources, remote patient monitoring works wonders in keeping a continuous watch on those suffering from chronic diseases, thereby enhancing care at a reduced burden on the caregivers.
- Aids in reducing emergency situations: With remote patient monitoring in action, real-time monitoring of a patient’s vitals is possible which helps them to keep the blood sugar, blood pressure, respiratory and cardiac counts on check. As a result, the patient and the caregivers get adequate alerts, preventing costly emergency situations and hospitalisations.
- Cuts down the burden on healthcare: Remote patient monitoring helps patients get care from the comfort of their homes, without having to make a visit to the hospital. As a result, it relaxes the burden on healthcare staff as well as nullifies the fear of shortage of medical equipment availability.
- Enhances patient outcomes: With remote patient monitoring, any damaging out-of-range values could be detected instantly, trends indicating a change in the care regimen could be recognised real-time. It could also help in providing suggestions on sleep and stress management and prescribing physical activities and more to help patients with specific chronic conditions and considerably improve patient outcomes.
- Offers better quality of care: Care-giving is a pivotal part of managing patients with chronic disorders. Remote patient monitoring makes care-giving more efficient by helping the caregivers and the patients go for the right choice about their food habits and lifestyle and daily behaviours which have a major effect on the course of their chronic conditions and health risks.
- Ideal for seniors living alone: These days a large number of senior citizens suffering from chronic conditions have to live on their own and away from their children who are settled elsewhere near their respective Remote patient monitoring has made it much safer for those who do not have handy support.
- It becomes easier for children to monitor the health of their aged parents living far away from them. Thus, RPM successfully bridges the long distance gap between aged parents and children when it comes to healthcare.
Limitations:
- RPM is highly dependent on the individual’s motivation to manage their Without the patient’s willingness to be an active participant in their care, RPM implementation will likely fail.
- Cost is also a barrier to its widespread use which may deter its incorporation into clinical practice.
- The shift of accountability associated with RPM brings up liability issues. There are no clear guidelines in respect to whether clinicians have to intervene every time they receive an alert regardless of the urgency.
- The continuous flow of patient data requires a dedicated team of health care providers to handle the information, which may, in fact, increase the
- Although technology is introduced with the intent to increase efficiency, it can become a barrier to some healthcare providers that are not technological. There are common obstacles that health informatics technologies encounter that applies to RPM.
- Depending on the comorbidities monitored, RPM involves a diverse selection of devices in its implementation. Standardization is required for data exchange and interoperability among multiple components.
- RPM deployment is highly dependent on an extensive wireless telecommunications infrastructure, which may not be available or feasible in rural areas.
- Since RPM involves transmission of sensitive patient data across telecommunication networks,information security is a concern.
General Studies – 3
Topic : Food processing and related industries in India- scope’ and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
Reference: rbidocs.rbi.org.in
Why the question:
The question is premised on the food processing industries of India and the challenges therein.
Key Demand of the question:
One must present the challenges of food processing industries in India and account for the efforts made by the government of India to overcome the same in the country.
Directive:
Account – Weigh up to what extent something is true. Persuade the reader of your argument by citing relevant research but also remember to point out any flaws and counter- arguments as well. Conclude by stating clearly how far you are in agreement with the original proposition.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with some key information/statistics related to food processing industries of India.
Body:
Briefly explain what the food processing sector is.
Explain the challenges like-raw material availability, transportation issues, storage issues, etc. In the next part explain the various measures/schemes launched by the government to address the challenges faced by the sector.
Discuss then the measures taken by the government PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, Mega food parks, Cold chain, Infrastructure for agro-processing industries etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by highlighting the importance of the sector for the country.
Introduction:
Food processing has an important role to play in linking Indian farmers to consumers in the domestic and international markets. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is making all efforts to encourage investments across the value chain. Major industries constituting the Food processing industry are grains, sugar, edible oils, beverages and dairy products. Food & Grocery retail market in India further constitutes almost 65% of the total retail market in India.
Body:
Prospects of Food processing industries in India:
- The Food & Grocery market in India is the sixth largest in the world.
- The Processed food market is expected to grow to $ 543 bn by 2020 from $ 322 bn in 2016, at a CAGR of 14.6%.
- The industry engages approximately 1.85 mn people in around 39,748 registered units with fixed capital of $ 32.75 bn and aggregate output of around $ 158.69 bn.
- The government has sanctioned 40 Mega Food Parks (MFPs) to be set up in the country under the Mega Food Park Scheme. Currently, 17 Mega Food Parks have become functional.
Issues food processing industry is facing:
- Supply chain issues:
- high cost of raw material (driven by low productivity and poor agronomic practices)
- Presence of intermediaries and APMC acts make it more complicated.
- high cost of packaging, finance, transport and distribution
- lack of organized retail
- Logistics cost:
- Logistics cost is high for transportation, warehousing, material handling etc.
- In India, Logistics accounts for about 13% of GDP, which translates to over USD130 billion.
- This cost is significantly higher as compared most developed countries.
- Economic issues:
- In India, the food processing industry is highly fragmented and is dominated by the unorganized sector
- Inadequate infrastructure:
- The inadequate support infrastructure which is the biggest bottleneck in expanding the food processing sector, in terms of both investment and exports includes:
- long and fragmented supply chain
- inadequate cold storage and warehousing facilities
- Inadequate road, rail and port infrastructure.
- lack of modern logistics infrastructure such as logistics parks, integrated cold chain solutions, last mile connectivity,
- Political issues:
- Absence of Comprehensive national level policy on food processing sector: The food processing sector is governed by statutes rather than a single comprehensive policy on food processing. India urgently needs a national food processing policy which incorporates tax breaks for the sector.
Government Initiatives:
- The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is implementing PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana). The objective of PMKSY is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease agri-waste.
- Mega Food Parks.
- Integrated Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure.
- Creation/Expansion of Food Processing/Preservation Capacities.
- Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters.
- Scheme for Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages.
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy: FDI up to 100%, under the automatic route is allowed in food processing industries.
- Agri Export Zones: To give thrust to export of agro products, new concept of Agri Export Zones was brought in 2001. APEDA has been nominated as the Nodal Agency to coordinate the efforts
- cluster approach of identifying the potential products;
- the geographical region in which these products are grown;
- Adopting an end-to-end approach of integrating the entire process right from the stage of production till it reaches the market (farm to market).
Measures needed to plug supply side and infrastructure bottleneck:
- Foster development of backward linkages by evolving conducive regulatory framework for contract and corporate farming
- The North Eastern Region, the Hilly States (J&K, HP and Western UP), the Islands (A&N, Lakshadweep) areas in the country should be given special consideration as they are naturally conducive for Food Processing Industries.
- Encourage commodity clusters and intensive livestock rearing.
- Promote private sector participation with well-defined roles of the participants, risk sharing mechanisms, fiscal incentives and partnership models for creation of infrastructure for logistics, storage and processing
- Encourage technology up gradation of existing facilities and investment in development of ancillary industries like research and development, packaging, food processing equipment manufacturing, food safety certifying agencies by extending fiscal incentives to investors.
- Enable better access to credit by augmenting current cap of Rest 10 crore investments in plant and machinery to qualify as Priority Sector Credit to accommodate the high cost technology adoption and scale enhancement
- Streamlining the regulatory structure:
- Remove impediments of multiple departments and laws in seeking approvals by bringing them under a single window.
- Ensure uniform implementation of the APMC act to encourage private sector investment in infrastructure development.
- Change in mind set -Orienting stakeholders towards ‘demand and profit driven production’
- Participants across the agri value-chain need to shift their focus from trying to market ‘what is produced’ to producing ‘processable varieties and marketable products’ meeting global quality standards and traceability requirements, duly adopting need based viable technologies and quality controls.
- Human resource development-to meet increasing demand for skilled manpower:
- Stimulate industry, academia and government to put in combined efforts for development of specialized institutes and courses for providing training on managerial, safety and enforcements, technology and production, warehousing and distribution aspects.
- Encourage State Agricultural Universities to commence courses in food packaging, processing, bio-technology, information technology in agriculture and such allied fields
Conclusion:
India’s food ecosystem offers huge opportunities for investments with stimulating growth in the food retail sector, favourable economic policies and attractive fiscal incentives. The need of the hour is to adopt an integrated approach to address the above mentioned tailbacks with a clear-cut focus on improving the quality and value of the output, reducing the cost of raw material for the processors, while improving the farmers’ income levels. To promote this sector, attempts are required to be made to promote farmer–producer interaction, provide appropriate tax incentives and holidays for setting up food processing industries, taking care of expenses on market promotion and ancillary activities
Topic : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
In February 2020, the Finance Minister had announced a ₹4,400 crore package for 2020-21 to tackle air pollution in 102 of India’s most polluted cities. The funds would be used to reduce particulate matter by 20%-30% from 2017 levels by 2024 under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
Key Demand of the question:
Explain that funds are critical however, proper enforcement, adequate staff and stemming the sources of pollution on the ground are vital to the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) meeting its target.
Directive:
Comment– here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Brief about the current NCAP.
Body:
Start by discussing the concerns associated with the implementation of NCAP.
- There is no clarity on what the budgetary outlays for subsequent years are likely to be.
- Though it was the largest-ever yearly allocation by a government to specifically tackle air pollution, only half the money was finally allotted to 15 States (and 42 cities in them) in November 2020.
- The rest will be given in January 2021 based on how cities achieve certain ‘performance parameters’ that are still being worked out by the Centre.
- It is unclear if this amount is adequate to handle the task of improving air quality as the scale of the problem itself is unknown.
- Historically, cites have used manual machines to measure specified pollutants and their use has been inadequate.
Substantiate why it is important to focus on proper enforcement, adequate staff and stemming the sources of pollution on the ground for effective implementation of NCAP.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:
The National Clean Air Programme or NCAP is a government programme launched by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in 2019. The programme is a pollution control initiative with a major goal of reducing the concentration of coarse and fine particulate matter in the atmosphere by at least 20% by the year 2024.
Body:
Issues:
- Air quality monitors: Several of the States with the most polluted cities that have been allotted NCAP funds are expected to spend a substantial fraction in the act of measurement.
- Only Delhi has managed to firmly install an extensive network of continuous ambient air quality monitors managed by several government or allied bodies.
- It has also managed to conduct source apportionment studies and now has the minimum data to determine the degree of pollution that is contributed by its internal sources (construction, road dust, vehicle movement) and that is brought on from external sources such as stubble burning.
- Lack of data: An analysis by research agencies Carbon Copy and Respirer Living Sciences recently found that only 59 out of 122 cities had PM 2.5 data available.
- Old machines: Historically, cites have used manual machines to measure specific pollutants and their use has been inadequate. Now manual machines are being replaced by automatic ones and India is still largely reliant on imported machines though efforts are underway to make and install low-cost ones.
- Pollution cleaning up: Funds for pollution clean-up activities and mechanical street sweepers are less. Therefore, budgetary allocations alone don’t reflect the true cost of stemming air pollution.
- Improper imposition: In the case of the National Capital Region, at least ₹600 crore was spent by the Ministry of Agriculture over two years to provide subsidised equipment to farmers in Punjab and Haryana and dissuade them from burning paddy straw. Yet this year, there have been more farm fires than the previous year and their contribution to Delhi’s winter air woes remain unchanged.
- The funds don’t account for the trained manpower and the support system necessary to effectively maintain the systems and these costs are likely to be ssignificant.
Measures needed
- Effective implementation of the programme is key to achieving the targets set under it. There has to be good collaboration between all the stakeholders for this and more importantly, there should be strong political will as well.
- Capacity building of local governments: Local governments lack the required technical expertise hence NCAP may sensitise cities about the scale and strictness of action with detailed pathways for clean energy and mobility transition, waste and dust management etc.
- Legal backing: The scheme must be notified under the Environment Protection Act or any other Act to create a firm mandate with a strong legal back up for cities and states for time bound implementation and ensuring inter-ministerial coordination for multi-sectoral interventions and convergence.
- Broad-based financing: NCAP will require long-term financing commitment and support which can be availed through innovative steps like ‘polluter pay’ based taxation mechanism etc.
- State governments and city authorities should be encouraged and enabled to take those extra steps to meet local targets. City-wise air quality targets will clearly show where much deeper cuts will be needed for hotspot and stronger regional action.
- Sources of pollution: While major sources of pollution including vehicles, road dust, biomass burning, construction, power plants and industries remain continuous throughout all seasons, the episodic pollution from stubble burning, Increase in biomass burning, MSWburning, firecracker is intense during winter and hence require a broad based policy for a comprehensive
Conclusion
NCAP is a welcome step as it was imperative to have measurable, focused and precise targets with clear timelines and demonstrable accountability towards public health, to succeed in this national-level initiative. Hence resolving the issues of staffing and stemming the sources of pollution becomes extremely important for its success.
General Studies – 4
Topic : Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics – in private and public relationships. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of Family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
7. Explain Absolute Ethics and Relative Ethics with relevant examples. (250 words)
Reference: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Lexicon Publications
Why the question:
The question is straightforward from the static portions of GS paper IV.
Key Demand of the question:
Explain Absolute Ethics and Relative Ethics with relevant examples.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
In the introduction define what Absolute Ethics and Relative Ethics are.
Body:
Absolute ethics are referred to as being deontological; interested in the act itself not the consequences. On the other hand relative ethics claims that the ‘right or wrong’ of a situation is dependent upon the people, time, place, culture and a range of other factors.
Compare and contrast the two schools of ethics.
Present examples to justify the two theories.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a fair and balanced opinion about the two.
Introduction:
Absolute ethics is an ideal code of conduct formulating the behaviour of the completely adapted human person in the completely evolved society. Relative ethics is the nearest approximation to the ideal code of conduct according to the more or less perfectly evolved society in which human person happens to find himself.
Body:
Absolute ethics holds that there is one universal moral code which is final and applies equally to all men of all ages, and that changing situations or changing views make no difference whatsoever to this absolute moral code. Absolute ethics are referred to as being deontological; interested in the act itself not the consequences.
Advantages of Absolute ethics:
- Clear rules about behaviour.
- We can develop wider ethical rule systems.
- We can judge other nations/cultures and intervene to save innocent life.
Disadvantages of Absolute ethics:
- Unable to take into account the circumstances.
- Real danger of tolerance.
Relative or relativistic ethics holds that the moral standard varies with different circumstances. There are so many cultural and religious differences and in some circumstances, it may be ethically correct to do certain things but in other situations it might be completely immoral. Relative ethics believes that moral rules are subjectively true.
For example, we cannot say “murder is wrong” is the same as “water boils at 100 degrees”. We cannot prove that “murder is wrong” but we can prove that “water boils at 100 degrees”.
Advantages of Relative ethics:
- Flexible and avoids the insensitivity/rigidness of absolutism
- It explains the differences in cultures and respects them and prevents a dominant culture from bullying others out.
Disadvantages of Relative ethics:
- Socrates points out, not all views can be true someone must be wrong.
- We can’t criticize other cultures that carry out practice we consider wrong.
- “Act relative to your culture, situational and personal circumstances” is an absolute.
Conclusion
Both absolute and relative ethics along with Individual judgement based on morals help us arrive at the most rational decision.
