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
General Studies – 1
Topic: Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
Sixty years later, we can take reassurance from the fact that India and its armed forces have come a long way and there will be no replay of the 1962 debacle. We must, however, bear in mind that China in this interregnum has seen phenomenal economic, technological and military growth and vies with the USA for the global “pole-position”.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the consequences and changes introduced after Sino-Indian War of 1962 and what further needs to be done.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Give the context of the outbreak of Sino-Indian War of 1962 and its outcome.
Body:
In the detail, mention the consequences of Sino-Indian war on various fronts like Political, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Military, and Ideological etc.
Next, write about the changes that were brought in to prevent such a debacle from happening and what further needs to be done.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing the bitter lessons learnt in 1962 are relevant in modern day geopolitics.
Introduction
China launched a swift and massive invasion in October 1962 on Aksai-chin area in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir and NEFA (North Eastern Frontier Agency). The first attack lasted one week and Chinese forces captured some key areas in Arunachal Pradesh. The second wave of attack came next month. While the Indian forces could block the Chinese advances on the western front in Ladakh, in the east the Chinese managed to advance nearly to the entry point of Assam plains. Finally, China declared a unilateral ceasefire and its troops withdrew to where they were before the invasion began.
Body
Lessons learnt from Sino-Indian War of 1962
- First, the war of 1962 sealed the fate of the Tibet issue as an eternal source of tension in Sino-Indian relations. This has had both strategic and tactical consequences.
- Strategically, the Dalai Lama’s presence in India, which the war made de facto irreversible, is a constant strain on Sino-Indian relations and the embodiment of the unresolved status of the Tibet issue.
- For Beijing, the Dalai Lama’s government in exile in Dharamsala has been a constant challenge to its rule in Tibet. For Delhi, it has been a symbol of Beijing’s refusal to grant real autonomy to Tibet.
- On a tactical level, Sino-Indian relations have been held hostage by events in Tibet and the relationship between the Chinese government and the Tibetans.
- 1962 has bequeathed to China and India the border dispute that started the war and has made resolving it a Herculean task. Thus to this day China continues to claim the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, while New Delhi lays claim to the Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin territory.
- A series of incidents- including Indian officials visiting the disputed areas, Beijing refusing to issue visa’s to Indian officers stationed in the disputed area, and official Chinese references to Arunachal Pradesh as “South Tibet”- have rekindled the dispute and led to a new cycle of accusations and tensions.
- The territorial dispute has led to dangerous militarization of the Sino-Indian border, especially in disputed areas. Both sides have built transportation infrastructure, airstrips, and outposts and have deployed large numbers of troops to the border, including a Tibetan paramilitary special force employed by India’s intelligence service.
- The result has been frequent stand-offs and even occasional skirmishes between Indian and Chinese soldiers, as seen during last year’s Galwan valley clashes.
- The border war has instilled deep mistrust and a strong sense of rivalry between the two sides.
- To this day, Beijing suspects that India, with the help of the U.S., strives to undermine its rule in Tibet in order to balance against China’s growing power. These suspicions have only been heightened by India’s hosting of the Dalai Lama and the recent improvement in U.S.-Indian relations.
- For its part, India still sees China as a nationalist, aggressive power which seeks to dominate Asia and one that might once again strike unexpectedly, just as it did in 1962.
- These stereotypes, often propagated by jingoistic media, have proved a major obstacle to building a strong and stable Sino-Indian relationship.
Changes introduced after war:
- The war of 1962 has also charged Sino-Indian relations with a strong sense of rivalry which has shaped the foreign policies of both countries.
- Seeking to balance the other side, each country has forged relationships that act as a counterpoint to the other; most notably, Beijing’s “all weather friendship” with Islamabad and Delhi’s partnership with Moscow.
- The rivalry has also led both sides to compete for influence in their peripheries, especially in Burma and Nepal, and to resent the spread of the other’s influence close to their borders.
- Hence, Delhi has often obsessed over Chinese penetration in South Asia and its purported “string of pearls” around India’s maritime borders, while Beijing has resented India’s growing involvement in Southeast Asia and especially in the South China Sea.
Way forward
- The big picture is that China could no more afford to take India for granted and that ‘checks and balances’ were now recognised as a legitimate instrument for preventing ‘military’ conflicts in the post- Cold War era.
- Yet, the crisis unfolding along the LAC appears on one level to be a continuation of the trends witnessed in foregoing years.
- Also, even if the current tensions were to be resolved in the near term, India’s security perceptions about China are forcing India to undertake some force restructuring to maintain constant vigilance along the LAC, especially in the western sector.
- Thus, India must be proactive to resist any Chinese transgressions and at the same time utilise its diplomatic skills to tone down the tensions.
Conclusion
Nearly a half a century since the brief war occurred, it continues to cast a long shadow over Sino-Indian relations. The legacy of the war enhances the inherent competition between China and India. While growing trade and cooperation mitigate this competition, a long list of factors, such as the security dilemma engendered by the militarization of disputed Sino-Indian border, keep it alive.
Topic: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
2. What is a cold wave? How is it formed? Analyse its impact on the Indian subcontinent. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Down To Earth
Why the question:
Cold waves have gripped several parts of northwest India from December 15, 2022 that are expected to continue for the next few days as well.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about causes and impact of cold waves in north India.
Directive word:
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by defining a cold wave.
Body:
In the first part, write about formation of cold waves – Cold wave conditions form due to lack of western disturbances which are extratropical storms that mostly appear during the winter months, change the wind patterns in the northern parts of India. Presence of an active western disturbance cold winds from the Himalayas continue to blow in to the northern parts of India thereby allowing the prevailing cold conditions to continue and intensify. Parts of the plains of north-west, central and west India encounter cold wave, fog and ground frost conditions etc.
Next, write about its impact on humans, health, transport and agriculture etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward to deal with cold waves.
Introduction
A cold wave (cold snap or cold spell) is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines a cold wave qualitatively as “a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to the human body when exposed.” IMD has predicted a cold wave in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh over the next few days.
Body
Criteria for declaring cold wave
- The IMD records a cold wave when the minimum temperature is equal to or less than 10 degrees Celsius at a weather station in the plains and is 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees below the normal temperature for that period.
- For hilly regions, a cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 0 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature is 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees below the normal.
Reasons for formation of Cold wave conditions in India:
- Impact of Western disturbance:Cold wave conditions form due to lack of western disturbances. Western disturbances create precipitation and bring down day temperatures, but night temperatures remain steady.
- Snowfall in the upper Himalayas: This creates a wind chill factor for the northern states of India
- Downward subsidence of cold air: The movement of cold air masses brought about by upper-level winds. They can be triggered by strong westerly winds approaching northwest India and transporting cold air towards the southeast direction. .
- Build-up of an extended area of relatively high pressure over northwest Asia can also bring cold waves.
- La Nina is known to favor cold waves in North India. It increases the severity of cold conditions, also the frequency and area covered under the grip of a cold wave become larger e.g. winters of October 2020 were colder than usual (2 degrees Celsius, the lowest since 1962) due to the impact of La Nina in the pacific.
Impact of cold wave conditions:
- Impact on agriculture in North India: It creates a wider gap between day and night temperatures, this creates erratic winter conditions impacting agricultural practices in the Rabi season.
- Impact on Cash crops: It might also affect the productivity of cash cropssuch as coffee (Coffee growth is extremely sensitive to variations in temperatures), which grows mainly in south India.
- Impact on Human life:Cold wave conditions increase the risk of contracting flu, and could also lead to symptoms like nosebleeds and runny nose. It was also said to be responsible for the 2nd wave of COVID 19 in many parts of North India. Most vulnerable are those who are in the susceptible age groups like the very young and the old or the infirm. Weaker sections of the society who cannot afford to ensure protection against the extremes of weather are also among the, easy targets of the extreme weather conditions.
Way forward
- The best way to prevent illnesses is, however, to avoid prolonged exposure to outdoor environment during cold wave conditions.
- Departments involved should be given special responsibilities, in this regard, and at district level a nodal team should be set up which should report to the district magistrate,
- To take care of out door workers working time shall be changed according to regions ie areas where temperature is forecast to be lowered work hours can be changed to late hours.
- The district level disaster management system should be put in alert , and rescue homes and provision of food and water shall be arranged where there is possibilities of heat or cold winds.
- Special health camps, shall be conducted in by the health department involving the AYUSH sector also, and if needed special health volunteers can be recruited for this propose
- Awareness programmes not only through ASHA workers but also through mass media and social media shall be started
- The panchayathi raj institutions must be mobilized to take a special initiative for cleaning their respected areas so that breeding and grooming places of diseases carriers can be reduced,
- All activities should be monitored at the district level, which in turn must be monitored at the state level , with periodic review meetings of functionaries
General Studies – 2
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
Health needs to be a central agenda for the G20 2023. It has been one of the priority areas for G20 deliberations since 2017, when the first meet of health ministers of G20 countries was organised by the German presidency. The G20 now has health finance in its financial stream and health systems development in the Sherpa stream.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the need to promote primary healthcare as part of G20 agenda.
Directive word:
Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to 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. 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:
Begin by giving a brief about health care in India and cite statistics to substantiate.
Body:
First, write about the various issues plaguing the health care system in India.
Next, mention the need for promote primary healthcare as part of G20 agenda and ways to do it.
Next, bring out the impediments to the above.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
Introduction
Healthcare provisions in India is grossly inadequate and access to healthcare is highly inequitable. Lack of efficient public healthcare and burden of out-of-pocket health expenditures reduces people’s capacity or disables them from investing in the human capital of their children.
In India, a large portion of the population is below the poverty line, therefore, they do not have easy access to primary health and education. There is growing inequality across social groups and income groups which translates itself into poor socio-economic mobility.
Body
G20 & Healthcare
- Health needs to be a central agenda for the G20 2023. It has been one of the priority areas for G20 deliberations since 2017, when the first meet of health ministers of G20 countries was organised by the German presidency.
- The G20 now has health finance in its financial stream and health systems development in the Sherpa stream.
- An annual G20 meeting of health ministers and a joint health and finance task force reflects the seriousness the subject has gained.
- The Berlin Declaration 2017 of the G20 health ministers provided a composite approach focusing on pandemic preparedness, health system strengthening and tackling antimicrobial resistance.
- The Covid-19 pandemic gave added urgency to pandemic preparedness and the Indonesian presidency in 2022 made it the major focus.
- The Indian presidency needs to advance these agendas.
Healthcare challenges in India
- Finance: At about 1.3% of the national income, India’s public healthcare spendingbetween 2008 and 2015, has virtually remained stagnant. This is way less than the global average of 6 per cent. It is a herculean task to implement a scheme that could potentially cost Rs 5 lakh per person and benefit 53.7 crore out of India’s 121 crore citizenry, or roughly about 44% of the country’s population. Over 70 per cent of the total healthcare expenditure is accounted for by the private sector.
- Crumbling public health infrastructure:Given the country’s crumbling public healthcare infrastructure, most patients are forced to go to private clinics and hospitals. There is a shortage of PHCs (22%) and sub-health centres (20%), while only 7% sub-health centres and 12% primary health centres meet Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms.
- High Out of Pocket Expenditure: Reports suggest that 70% of the medical spending is from the patient’s pockets leading to huge burden and pushing many into poverty. Most consumers complain of rising costs. Hundred days into the PMJAY, it remains to be seen if private hospitals provide knee replacement at Rs 80,000 (current charges Rs 3.5 lakh) bypass surgery at Rs 1.7 lakh (against Rs 4 lakh).
- Insurance:India has one of the lowest per capita healthcare expenditures in the world. Government contribution to insurance stands at roughly 32 percent, as opposed to 83.5 percent in the UK. The high out-of-pocket expenses in India stem from the fact that 76 percent of Indians do not have health insurance.
- Doctor-Density Ratio: The WHOreports the doctor-density ratio in India at 8 per 10,000 people as against one doctor for a population of 1,000. To achieve such access, merely increasing the number of primary and secondary healthcare centres is not enough.
- Shortage of Medical Personnel:Data by IndiaSpend show that there is a staggering shortage of medical and paramedical staff at all levels of care: 10,907 auxiliary nurse midwives and 3,673 doctors are needed at sub-health and primary health centres, while for community health centres the figure is 18,422 specialists.
- Rural-urban disparity:The rural healthcare infrastructure is three-tiered and includes a sub-center, primary health centre (PHC) and CHC. PHCs are short of more than 3,000 doctors, with the shortage up by 200 per cent over the last 10 years to 27,421. Private hospitals don’t have adequate presence in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and there is a trend towards super specialisation in Tier-1 cities.
- Social Inequality: The growth of health facilities has been highly imbalanced in India. Rural, hilly and remote areas of the country are under served while in urban areas and cities, health facility is well developed. The SC/ST and the poor people are far away from modern health service.
- Poor healthcare ranking:India ranks as low as 145th among 195 countries in healthcare quality and accessibility, behind even Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
- Commercial motive:lack of transparency and unethical practices in the private sector.
- Lack of level playing field between the public and private hospitals: This has been a major concern as public hospitals would continue receiving budgetary support. This would dissuade the private players from actively participating in the scheme.
- Scheme flaws: The overall situation with the National Health Mission, India’s flagship programme in primary health care, continues to be dismal. The NHM’s share in the health budget fell from 73% in 2006 to 50% in 2019 in the absence of uniform and substantial increases in health spending by States.
How India’s G20 presidency can be used to strengthen Healthcare
- Making health central to development in all sectors: Health in all policies, one health (linking animal and human health for tackling antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic diseases), planetary health, pandemic preparedness.
- Health systems strengthening: Designing PHC-with-UHC for diverse contexts. Conceptualised as a continuum of care — from self-care in households to community services, to primary level para-medical services and first contact with a doctor, to all hospital services; with PHC principles — services provided as close to homes as possible, with appropriate technologies that are cost-effective, affordable and easily deliverable, promoting self-reliance.
- This can be a win-win system design for the users, medical personnel and those involved in the management of healthcare systems.
- Appropriate technologies adopted as a norm — by strengthening health technology assessment, ethics of healthcare, equitable access to pharmaceutical products and vaccines, integrative health systems using plural knowledge systems rationally.
- Health and healthcare from the perspective of the marginalised: Gendered health care needs, Health care of indigenous peoples globally, occupational health, mental health and wellbeing, healthy ageing.
- Decolonisation and democratisation of health knowledge, with interests and perspectives of low-middle-income countries (LMICs), prevention and patient-centred healthcare.
Way forward
- The need of the hours is drafting of PHC-with-UHC (a PHC 2.0) with a broad global consensus and commitment to a more sustainable (i.e. cost-effective and affordable, inclusive and just, environment-sensitive in infrastructural and technology choices) and people-empowering health system.
- Pursuing such an agenda would involve much dialogue within countries, regions and globally.
- This process could be kick-started by working through the G20 Indian presidency year towards a call for organising a global conference on rethinking healthcare systems that moves a Declaration on Sustainable and Empowering Health Care for the 21st Century.
- The G20, with its membership of the G7 high income countries and the emerging LMICs, and its think-tank structures, is an appropriate platform to take up this long unfinished agenda.
Topic: India and its neighbourhood- relations.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
In its latest outrageous decision, the Taliban regime has announced a ban on female students studying in universities. The “cabinet” meeting decision is one in a series that wipes out the many societal gains since 2001, the last time the Taliban was in power. These decrees include banning Afghan schoolgirls from studying above grade six, job restrictions and a ban on women at gyms and public parks, with public floggings for those travelling without male relatives chaperoning them.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the course of action India must pursue to protect its interests in Afghanistan and while protecting rights of Afghans as a regional leader.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them 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 balanced judgment on the topic.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin the providing context as to the paradigm shift of political power in Afghanistan and its impact on India.
Body:
In brief, using a flow chart, trace the Indo-Afghan relationship till date.
Write about the strategic interests of India in Afghanistan – India’s trade and investment, India and Afghanistan strategic partnership, India’s development portfolio in Afghanistan, gateway to Central Asia and Linkages with Iran especially the Chabahar port etc.
Next, in detail, write about the progress of Indo-Afghan relations since Taliban takeover and India’s various responses to it.
Next, in the wake of new restrictions in Afghanistan, mention the nature of engagement India should have with Afghanistan a reginal leader.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward which summarises that India needs to engage in order to protect its own interests and uphold interests of Afghans.
Introduction
India has always been a strong proponent of an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, broad-based and inclusive process of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. However, a collapse of the Afghan government and return of the Taliban marks the beginning of a new phase in the India-Afghanistan relationship. Last year, Indian Prime Minister in G20 meeting has called for the international community to provide Afghanistan with immediate and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance.
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Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
- UNHCR has published a report that states that half the population in Afghanistan (more than 20 million people) are in need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.
- An estimated 270,000 Afghans have been newly displaced inside the country since January 2021.
- The number of civilian casualties has risen 29 per cent during the first quarter of this year compared to 2020.
- The UN has received only 35% of the funds needed for its relief operations.
- The banks are running out of money, civil servants have not been paid and food prices have soared, leaving millions at risk of severe hunger.
- The country is struggling with drought and severe poverty following the decades of war.
- The U.S. has frozen the reserves of Afghanistan making the situation vulnerable.
- The Taliban government’s refusal to allow women to work and stopping girls from schooling have complicated the issue.
India-Afghanistan engagement before Taliban
- Trade relations: India is the second-largest destination for Afghan exports.
- Infrastructure development by India: India is the sixth largest donor to Afghanistan in diverse development projects in infrastructure, education and agriculture.
- Some of the major projects include, construction of a 218 km road from Zaranj to Delaram for facilitating movement of goods and services to the Iranian border.
- Construction of Afghan-India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam) in Herat province.
- Construction of Afghan Parliament.
- Political & Security Relations: During the Soviet-Afghan war (1979-89), India was the only South Asian nation to recognize the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
- India also provided humanitarian aid to then Afghan President Najibullah’s government. Following the withdrawal of the Soviet forces, India continued to provide Najibullah’s government with humanitarian aid.
- Strategic partnership: India was the first country Afghanistan chose to sign a strategic partnership agreement
- India signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2011 to assist in “the training, equipping and capacity- building programs for the Afghan National Security Forces”.
- India aided the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in fighting the scourge of terrorism, organized crime, trafficking of narcotics and money laundering.
- Defence relations: India donated three Mi-25 attack helicopters to Afghanistan as part of the bilateral strategic partnership to counter the Taliban.
Possible Way forward for India
- India could contribute to international agencies that are working with displaced Afghans, particularly for about one million children at the risk of starvation.
- It could also help Iran and the Central Asian states that are housing refugees with monetary assistance.
- The Government could also consider liberalising its visa regime for Afghans, which at the moment has cancelled all prior visas to Afghan nationals.
- India, presently, is releasing very few e-visas for Afghans desperate to travel here.
- As a goodwill gesture, India could once again send food aid, including wheat, grain, fortified biscuits and other packaged food, directly to Kabul.
- India could implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 to protect the minorities in Afghanistan.
- As and when the situation stabilizes medical visas, visas for students who have already secured admission can be considered.
Conclusion
In the unfolding situation, New Delhi will have to quickly reorient its Afghan strategy. India needs a long-term strategic approach towards Afghanistan that weaves political, economic, military and diplomatic dimensions into a coherent whole within the framework of a grand strategy. At the same time, Delhi must be prepared to discuss what are real and serious differences with key regional and international partners on the Taliban and the future of Afghanistan. India’s Afghan policy must be based on a clear-cut understanding of India’s strategic goals in the region, and the regional and global strategic environment
Value-addition
Taliban takeover and aftermath
- India conducted Operation Devi Shakti to evacuate more than 800 people including its citizens and Afghan partners from Afghanistan.
- Ministry of External Affairs of Government of India held meeting with Taliban in Doha, focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan, and the travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, to India.
- The UN Security Council adopted a resolution condemning deadly attacks in Afghanistan and requiring the Taliban to honour their commitment to let people freely leave Afghanistan and raised calls for combating terrorism and upholding human rights.
- The US has frozen nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank and stopped shipments of cash to the nation.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Down to Earth , Insights on India
Why the question:
India is increasingly looking towards hydrogen as an alternative source of fuel to reduce its carbon footprint and meet its growing energy needs.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the potential of Hydrogen as an eco-friendly fuel and steps India has taken in this regard.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Mention the properties of Hydrogen that makes it a favourable alternative to present day fossil fuels.
Body:
Distinguish between Brown, Blue and Green Hydrogen. Mention how the Hydrogen fuel can secure India’s energy security as well as help cut down carbon footprint.
Next mention the steps to promote hydrogen use instead of fossil fuels such as the National Hydrogen Mission being launched to promote Green Hydrogen and the pilot mode of blending hydrogen with CNG for buses in Delhi, various public and private sector intiative etc.
Mention that India has a number of obstacles to overcome in terms of technology, storage, transportation, new materials research, safety standards etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward to maximise the benefits of the hydrogen fuel technology.
Introduction
Hydrogen is all set to play a significant role in decarbonising energy system. The hydrogen economy is an envisioned future where hydrogen is used as fuel for vehicles, energy storage and long-distance transport of energy. The different pathways to use hydrogen economy includes hydrogen production, storage, transport and utilization.
In this regard, A National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM) to transform transportation in India was announced during Union Budget 2021-22.
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Potential of Hydrogen Fuel:
- Hydrogen is the lightest and first element on the periodic table. Since the weight of hydrogen is less than air, it rises in the atmosphere and is therefore rarely found in its pure form, H2.
- At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a nontoxic, non-metallic, odourless, tasteless, colourless, and highly combustible diatomic gas.
- Hydrogen fuel is a zero-emission fuel burned with oxygen. It can be used in fuel cells or internal combustion engines. It is also used as a fuel for spacecraft propulsion.
- It can be produced from renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind. At present, there are a number of ways to produce hydrogen, but the most common method is natural gas reforming and electrolysis.
- Its use can reduce CO2 related emissions significantly and decarbonise the entire value chain, enabling reduced emissions and climate change threats.
- Hydrogen can also bridge the gap between supply and demand, in both a centralized or decentralized manner, thereby enhancing the overall energy system flexibility.
- Hydrogen can be used to meet both seasonal and daily supply-demand mismatch in the case of renewables.
- At present, the current global demand for hydrogen is 70 million metric tons, most of which is being produced from fossil fuels– 76% from natural gas and 23% from coal and remaining from the electrolysis of water– consumes 6% of the global natural gas and 2% of the global coal. This results in CO2 emissions of around 830Mt/year out of which only 130Mt/year is being captured and used in the fertilizer industry.
- Much of the hydrogen produced is used for oil refining (33%), ammonia (27%), methanol production (11%), steel production via DRI (3%) and others.
Steps taken by India towards hydrogen economy:
- India has a huge edge in green hydrogen productionowing to its favourable geographic conditions and presence of abundant natural elements.
- India’s goal of attaining 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 and to decarbonise by 2050 got an impetus in the Union Budget 2021-22.
- The National Hydrogen Mission has created a road-map for this, and pilot projects on blue hydrogen, green hydrogen and hydrogen compressed natural gas (CNG) have been initiated.
- The proposed introduction of green hydrogen consumption obligations for fertiliser and petroleum refining industry, indicate the country’s resolve to transition towards an economy fuelled by green hydrogen.
- The government has given impetus in scaling up the gas pipeline infrastructureacross the length and breadth of the country, and has introduced reforms for the power grid, including the introduction of smart grids. Such steps are being taken to effectively integrate renewable energy in the present energy mix.
- In October 2020, Delhi became the first Indian city to operate Hydrogen-enrichedCNG (H-CNG) buses in a six-month pilot project.
- The Government of India is planning to focus on five key areas: (a)Research and Development (b) Demand creation (c) how to use it in the industry (d) how to create an eco-system (e) how to bring it on board along with international partnerships.
Limitations
- One of the biggest challenges faced by the industry for using hydrogen commercially is the economic sustainability of extracting green or blue hydrogen.
- The technology used in production and use of hydrogen like Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)and hydrogen fuel cell technology are at nascent stage and are expensive which in turn increases the cost of production of hydrogen.
- Several challenges in scaling up the commercial-scale operations of green hydrogen persist.
- Maintenance costsfor fuel cells post-completion of a plant can be costly.
- The commercial usage of hydrogen as a fuel and in industries requires mammoth investment in R&D of such technology and infrastructurefor production, storage, transportation and demand creation for hydrogen.
- Another key challenge has been portability and transporting the gas.
- Currently costs of production of Green Hydrogen are too high to be competitive with other fuels.
- Most renewable energy resources that can produce low-cost electricity are situated far from potential demand centres
Way forward for India:
- At this juncture, with a calibrated approach, India can uniquely position itself to take advantage with increasing investment in R&D, capacity building, compatible legislation, and the opportunity for creation of demandamong its vast population. Such initiatives can propel India to become the most favoured nation by exporting hydrogen to its neighbours and beyond.
- Proactive industry collaboration with the government is key to creating a hydrogen economy in India.
- This will help bring best-in-class hydrogen technology, equipment, and know-how to create a hydrogen supply chain in India — in many cases, these could be “Made in India”.
- By prioritising national hydrogen demonstration projects, innovations to further reduce the cost of hydrogen will become prominent locally.
- A robust policy framework akin to the one that guided the country’s solar revolution could lead to an increase in production and demand of this green fuel.
- The Government of India should consider setting up a multi-agency mission to bring multiple ministries, private industry and academia together in a partnership to scale up the deployment of hydrogen across sectors and industries.
- Having a clear mid-term and long-term target inspires confidence in the private sector to make their investments in a new energy source.
- Tax benefits that solar and wind receive should be extended to all players in the green hydrogen ecosystem.
- In the short term, the price of hydrogen generated through steam methane reformation should be capped.
- Generating hydrogen from biomass should also be incentivised as it also has the potential to increase farmer incomes.
- India should ramp up international collaborations for more effortless transfer of technology and resources related to hydrogen.
- Low solar prices coupled with pragmatic policies can help India take a leadership position in driving the global hydrogen economy.
- India needs to secure supplies of raw materials that are needed for this technology.
- Major institutions like the DRDO, BARC and CSIR laboratories have been developing electrolyser and fuel-cell technologies, which could further boost hydrogen economy.
- There is a need for a manufacturing strategy that can leverage the existing strengths and mitigate threats by integrating with the global value chain.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
6. Happiness is inextricably tied to your Emotional Intelligence. Examine. (150 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Mission-2023 Secure (revision).
Key Demand of the question:
To develop a link between emotional intelligence and happiness.
Directive:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate 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:
Begin by giving the positive correlation between happiness and emotional intelligence.
Body:
First, write about as to how EI can lead to happiness – Emotionally intelligent people understand that happiness is worth short-term sacrifices, they don’t let what they cannot control affect what they can, they always abide by their values etc. Substantiate with examples.
Conclusion:
Complete the answer by summarising.
Introduction
Happiness is physical, mental or emotional state of well-being. It can be defined by some positive emotions ranging from pleasant feeling to intense joy. It is the happiness of one & one’s loved ones which matters & drives the actions of a person. Happiness is a choice. People are generally as happy as they make up their minds to be.
Body
Happiness is inextricably tied to your Emotional Intelligence
Happiness comes from within and can’t be imbibe from external sources. A happy mind always has attributes of empathy, love, compassion, benevolence, solidarity etc. for the fellow human beings which serve as the purpose of life. More specifically, your right actions will lead to increased levels of happiness. The act of expressing gratitude to those you love will immediately affect your level of happiness.
For e.g.: An act of telling thankyou to your mother when she cooks lunch for you.Conclusion
Negative emotions are counter-productive and impede goal achievement. They’re unpleasant and feel bad. Self-awareness recognizes these concerns and permits limiting and dismissing them. Negatives attract other harmful emotions and lead to patterns. These can quickly become negative spirals. Anger, depression, sadness, fear, doubt… need to be dealt with before they take root. While everyone experiences some counter-productive beliefs and feelings, mastering these limits the degree they can hinder happiness and impede success.
When things are going well, happiness can be amplified by nurturing and tapping the energy of success. Emotions are always in the present tense. Positive feelings can be enjoyed by remembering happy experiences, finding joy in the present, and looking towards the future with optimism and hope. Positives attract positives. Go with the flow. Happy people enjoy their feelings. They experience gladness, joy and supportive emotions from their experiences. These positives can and should be cultivated and repeated.
It is in giving that we receive. Friendships double joy and half sorrow. Connection to others, empathy and compassion generate the joy of giving. Sharing creates strong positives. Not only do relationships contribute joy to the journey, they promote the quality of life and lead to better health (and longevity). Invest in others. These connections provide real long-term value. They serve belongingness needs and create a strong sense of connection.
Persevering and succeeding in a long-term endeavor in which you’ve committed heart and soul establishes a positive feeling of being a champion. Legitimate pride comes from a task well done. Victory and championships are the accolades of perseverance and excellence. Effort and diligence create positive outcomes.
Way forward
Thus, Happiness is not an accidental outcome. It needs to be a targeted, valued objective. Through emotional intelligence and positive psychology, meaningful, measurable goals can be set and achieved. To improve overall happiness, one must attend to mental, physical and emotional needs (nutrition, diet, rest, exercise) on a deliberate, regular basis. One must be active, energetic and engaged; perform; and One must also be mindful and meditate; have the self-awareness to take command of self-management and feelings; understand cause and effect and apply it.
Topic: accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance;
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Mission-2023 Secure (revision).
Key Demand of the question:
To write about ways to build and maintain a culture of accountability in government organisations
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining accountability.
Body:
With relevant examples elaborate on how an culture of accountability can be instilled – citizen charters, RTI, Reward & Recognition, Autonomy & Trust, Feedback & Coaching, communication etc.
Conclusion:
Complete the answer writing about the link between accountability and efficiency.
Introduction
The idea of good governance is as old as Indian civilization. ‘Raj Dharma’ was the supreme code of conduct or the rule of law that governed all the actions of the ruler. This description of good governance is found in ancient Indian scriptures such as the Mahabharata, Shukracharyas’s Nitisar, Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, Valmiki’s Ramayana and especially in Kautilya’s Arthashastra. Two main aspects of good governance are transparency and accountability.
Body
Accountability exists in a relationship between two parties where one has expectations of the other, and the other is obliged to provide information about how they have met these expectations or face the consequences of failing to do so. There are two components of accountability: Answerability & Enforcement.
Ways to ensure transparency and accountability
- The Right to Information Act, 2005: This establishes the legal right for a citizen to access the information that they want. Right to Information law not only require governments to provide information upon request, but also impose a duty on public bodies to actively disclose, disseminate and publish, as widely as possible, the information of general public interest even before it has been requested (as per section 4(1)(b) of the Act).
- Thus, RTI is a tool through which citizens can examine, audit, review and assess the government works and decisions to ensure that these are consistent with the principles of public interest, integrity and justice.
- Under the Right to Information Act, public servants can also be questioned on their conduct Polity & Governance – II 134 and, thus, it makes them accountable.
- Right to information therefore promotes openness, transparency and accountability in administration by making the government more open to public scrutiny.
- Citizen’s Charter Act: Under the Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressed of their Grievances Act, 2011 every public authority is required to publish a Citizens Charter specifies the category of goods supplied and services rendered by it, the time frame within which such goods shall be supplied or services be rendered; to establish information and facilitation centre for efficient and effective delivery of services and redressal of grievances.
- Social Audit: Social audits refer to a legally mandated process where potential and existing beneficiaries evaluate the implementation of a programme by comparing official records with ground realities. These audits were first made statutory in the 2005 Rural Employment Act. The objectives of social audits include providing accurate identification of requirements; prioritization of developmental activities as per requirements; proper utilization of funds; the conformity of the developmental activity with the stated goals and; quality of service.
- The involvement of people in developmental activities through social audit ensures that money is spent where it is actually needed along with reduction of wastages and corruption.
- It promotes integrity and a sense of community among people and leads to improved standard of governance.
- Ombudsman: Also called the Lokpal and the Lokayukta, it is an anti-corruption authority constituted at the national and state levels respectively. It investigates allegations of corruption and mal-administration against public servants and is tasked with speedy redressal of public grievances. The public can directly approach the Lokayukta with complaints of corruption, nepotism or any other form of maladministration against any government official.
- A Lokayukta inquiries into allegations of corruption, misuse of authority and wrong doings of public functionaries, including the Chief Minister, Ministers and MLAs.
- e-Governance: The National e-Governance Plan aims at electronic delivery of all public services to citizens through common service delivery outlets. It ensures greater efficiency, transparency & reliability of such services at affordable costs to realize the basic needs of the common man.
Conclusion
Governments today operate in a very complex environment with stakeholders consisting of different interest groups, competing demands on limited resources and complex legal requirements, therefore a more resilient accountability and transparency mechanism is required that encourages responsible governance.
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