[Mission 2023] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 23 March 2023

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: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

1. Analyse the recent call for abolition of the death penalty by the higher judiciary in India. What are the arguments in favour of abolition, and what challenges need to be addressed in implementing this reform? (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Why the question:

The recent call for abolition of the death penalty by the higher judiciary has brought the debate over capital punishment back into the spotlight.

Key Demand of the question: 

To write about arguments in favour of abolition and the challenges that need to be addressed in implementing this reform. 

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 giving context.

Body:

First, write about the various developments regarding capital punishment over the years – Bachan Singh vs State of Punjab, context death penalty. 

Next, examine the arguments in favour of abolition of the death penalty in India, such as the high risk of wrongful convictions, the possibility of reform and rehabilitation of convicts, and the negative impact of capital punishment on society.

Next, analyse the challenges that need to be addressed in implementing this reform, such as the public’s perception of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime, the lack of trust in the criminal justice system, and the need for alternative forms of punishment for heinous crimes.

Lastly, discuss the implications of the higher judiciary’s call for abolition of the death penalty and the way forward for India to move towards abolition.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

Capital punishment also called as death penalty is the execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law. The debate on whether to abolish the death penalty or not, has been raging in India and in several other countries for decades.

Body

Background

• The Supreme Court asked the Centre to provide data that may point to a more dignified, less painful and socially acceptable method of executing prisoners other than death by hanging.
• The Bench has sought fresh data to substantiate the argument that a more humane means of execution can be found.

Rationale behind death penalty

• The punishment is not arbitrary because, it comes out of a judicial process.To call it arbitrary, one has to necessarily prove the process as flawed.
• It is being implemented in the “rarest of the rare” cases and the fact is during the last 13 years, only four peoplehave been executed.
• The hanging of Ajmal Kasab and Yakub Memon strongly affirms India’s commitment to the protection of life.
• People criticise it on arbitrariness, irreversibility and human rights and these are not valid arguments.
• Its constitutionality is upheld, even in liberal democracies like U.S. It is not reflection of uncivilised society.
• India’s neighbourhood is not peaceful, unlike Scandinavia. It is not in a group of countries, like European Union.
• India has got troubled borders. Several forces are trying to destabilise the very idea of our Nation from across the Border.
• The sacredness of life can only be seen to be protected, if those who take it away are proportionately punished.

Efficiency of death penalty

• A study by the Centre of Death Penalty – at the National Law University Delhi (NLUD) — in 2015 analyzed data of 15 years to conclude that less than 5 per cent death penalties awarded by trial courts were confirmed by the time the cases passed the tests in high courts and the Supreme Court.
• Another NLU Delhi study found that 162 death sentences were awarded across the country in 2018. Only 23 were confirmed by the high courts.
• The Supreme Court heard 12 death penalty cases in 2018 but confirmed death penalty in only one case – of Nirbhaya gangrape and murder.
• The Justice JS Verma committee, appointed after the Nirbhaya case, too had examined the efficiency of death penalty for rape. In its report, Justice Verma did not prescribe death penalty for rape for the lack of correlation in preventing the crime of rape or gangrape.

Death Penalty is not the panacea

• It unfairly targets poor and marginalised, that means, those without money & power.
• Executions occurred in around five cases for every 1 lakh murdersand it looks quite arbitrary. It depends on judges personal beliefs.
• India’s murder rate has declinedcontinuously since 1991 and at present the lowest, except for 1963.
• Punishment should not imitate crime.
• As per the recent Death Penalty India Report by the National Law University, Delhi, the structural flaws in our criminal procedure and criminal justice system are most pronounced in death penalty cases.
• Most of the civilised world abolished it. Death penalty has not deterred terrorism, murder or even theft.

• From 200-2015, Supreme Court imposed 60 death sentences and subsequently admitted that it had erred in 15 of them. So, it clearly admitted that it has arbitrarily imposed the most extreme punishment.
• The Police is not known for its probity or efficiency in our Country.

• Delays in the Criminal Justice System disproportionately affects those, who suffer the tyranny of the uncertainty of their life.

Measures needed

• Law Commission in its 262^ndreport submitted recently recommended the abolition of capital punishment for all crimes in India, except the crime of waging war against the nation or for terrorism-related offences.
• It cited several factors to justify abolishing the death penalty, including its abolition by 140 other nations, its arbitrary and flawed application and its lack of any proven deterring effect on criminals.
• Taking empirical lessons from the fate of Bachan Singh, the Supreme Court may have to now ask the more fundamental question posed and negatived in Bachan Singh — the question of the constitutional validity of death penalty.
• The Court may have to revisit Bachan Singh itself in so far as it refused to declare the death penalty as violative of the right to life envisaged under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• Across the world, 108 nations have abolished death penalty in law and 144 countries have done so in law or practice, according to the Amnesty Report of 2021.
• In the Indian context, where judgmental error is quite frequent and the quality of adjudication is not ensured, what is required is a judicial abolition of death penalty.

Conclusion

As Law Commission said that it is the not right time of abolition experiment, the issue needs to be debated  and  researched  in  more  detail.  But,  capital  punishment  should  not  become  a  pent-up  of  society’s misplaced anger and sense of judgment. It is also against the reformative purpose of the Criminal Justice System and we must remember the words of Oscar Wilde, “Every saint has a past and every sinner a future.”

Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations. 

2. Throw light on major areas of cooperation between India and Sri Lanka. Examine the major areas of divergence. What steps should be taken by India to enhance the trade partnership with Sri Lanka and help the island nation tide over its ongoing economic crisis? (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India

Why the question:

A vigorous trade partnership would help India reduce China’s influence over the island nation and give New Delhi more room to manoeuvre on other vital issues such as terrorism and the treatment of Sri Lankan Tamils

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the Indo-Lanka relations, challenges and benefits India can gain by helping Sri Lanka during its current economic crisis.

Directive word: 

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 context of India- Sri Lankan relations in the past and how it has changed over time.

Body:

In the first part, write about the historical bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka.

Next, discuss the challenges and concerns in relations with Sri Lanka – Tamil issue, Fisherman issue, increasing Chinese influence in the region and Sri Lanka’s geopolitical alignment.

Next, write about the economic and strategic benefits that India can gain by helping Sri Lanka and measures that must be taken by India in this regard.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

The relationship between India and Sri Lanka is more than 2,500 years old.  Both countries have a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interaction. In recent years, the relationship has been marked by close contacts at all levels. Trade and investment have grown and there is cooperation in   the   fields   of   development, education, culture   and   defence.   Both   countries   share   a   broad understanding on major issues of international interest.  In recent years, significant progress in implementation of developmental assistance projects for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and disadvantaged sections of the population in Sri Lanka has helped further cement the bonds of friendship between the two countries.

Body:

Areas of cooperation between India-Sri Lanka

Geo-political

• Sri Lanka is a member of regional groupings like BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and SAARC in which India plays a leading role.
• India had invited leaders of BIMSTEC member countries to attend the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers. This is in line with the government’s focus on its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
• Sri Lanka has long been in India’s geopolitical orbit, but its relationship with China has strengthened in recent years.

Trade

• Sri Lanka has long been a priority destination for direct investment from India.
• The main framework for bilateral trade has been provided by the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) that was signed in 1998 and entered into force in March 2000.
• Sri Lanka is one of India’s largest trading partners among the SAARC countries. India in turn is Sri Lanka’s largest trade partner globally.
• India’s exports to Sri Lanka amounted to $5.3 billion in 2015-17 whereas its imports from the country were at $743 million.
• Trade between the two countries grew particularly rapidly after the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement which came into force in March 2000.

Cultural and Educational Relations

• The Cultural Cooperation Agreement signed by the two Governments on 29 November, 1977, forms the basis for periodic Cultural Exchange Programmes between the two countries.
• The Indian Cultural Centre in Colombo actively promotes awareness of Indian culture by offering classes in Indian music, dance, Hindi and Yoga. Every year, cultural troupes from both countries exchange visits.
• India and Sri Lanka commemorated the 2600th year of the attainment of enlightenment by Lord Buddha (Sambuddhathva Jayanthi) through joint activities.
• The two Governments also celebrated the 150th Anniversary of Anagarika Dharmapala in 2014.

Defence and Security Cooperation

• Sri Lanka and New Delhi have long history of security cooperation. In recent years, the two sides have steadily increased their military-to-military relationship.
• India and Sri Lanka conducts joint Military ( ‘Mitra Shakti’) and Naval exercise (SLINEX).
• India also provides defence training to Sri Lankan forces.
• A trilateral maritime security cooperation agreement was signed by India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives to improve surveillance, anti-piracy operations and reducing maritime pollution in Indian Ocean Region.
• In April 2019, India and Sri Lanka also concluded agreement on countering Drug and Human trafficking.
• In the aftermath of the horrific Easter bombings, Sri Lankan Prime Minister thanked the Indian government for all the “help” given.
• The alerts issued by Indian agencies before the attacks had warned specifically about the use of radicalised suicide bombers attacking churches and the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

Diaspora

• The People of Indian Origin (PIOs) comprise Sindhis, Borahs, Gujaratis, Memons, Parsis, Malayalis and Telugu speaking persons who have settled down in Sri Lanka (most of them after partition) and are engaged in various business ventures.
• Though their numbers are much lesser as compared to Indian Origin Tamils (IOTs), they are economically prosperous and are well placed.
• Each of these communities has their organization which organizes festivals and cultural events.
• The IOTs are mostly employed in either tea or rubber plantations in Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa Provinces though during the last decade, the younger generation has been migrating to Colombo in search of employment.
• A fair number of IOTs living in Colombo are engaged in business. According to Government census figures (2011), the population of IOTs is about 1.6 million.

Areas of divergence:

• In recent years, China has extended billions of dollars of loans to the Sri Lankan government for new infrastructure projects, which is not good for India’s strategic depth in Indian Ocean Region.
  • China is a close partner of Sri Lanka and its largest bilateral creditor. At the end of 2021, the island owed about $7.4 billion or 19.6% of its outstanding public debt to China. For Sri Lanka watchers, especially those based in the West or India, that’s a “Chinese debt trap”.
• Sri Lanka also handed over the strategic port of Hambantota, which is expected to play a key role in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, to China on a 99-year lease.
• The opposition parties and trade unions in Sri Lanka have already dubbed the port deal as a sellout of their country’s national assets to China.
• China has also supplied arms as well as provide huge loans to Sri Lanka for its development.
• China also invested sufficiently in the infrastructure of Sri Lanka, which included building of Colombo international container terminal by China Harbor Corporation.
• However, the relation between Sri Lanka and India are improving. In order to allay Indian concerns that the Hambantota port will not be used for military purposes, the Sri Lankan government has sought to limit China’s role to running commercial operations at the port while it retains oversight of security operations.
• The two countries have signed civil nuclear cooperation agreement which is Sri Lanka’s first nuclear partnership with any country.
• India is also investing into Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
• India is also planning to build Trincomalee Port to counterweight the Chinese developments at Hambantota Port.

Measures needed to strengthen the bilateral ties:

• As both countries have a democratic setup there is scope for broadening and deepening the ties.
• Both countries should try to work out a permanent solution to the issue of fishermen through bilateral engagements.
• Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) must be signed to improve the economic cooperation between both countries.
• India needs to focus more on its traditional and cultural ties to improve relations with Sri Lanka.
• Starting of ferry services between India and Sri Lanka can improve people to people linkages.
• Mutual recognition of each other’s concerns and interests can improve the relationship between both countries.

Way forward:

• The socio-economic development of Sri Lanka has remained linked to India.
• Though robust partnerships with other countries have been often sought in line with the non-alliance foreign policies of both countries, such efforts must be bounded by an atmosphere needed for peace, prosperity, and stability.
• Sri Lanka can also encourage Indian entrepreneurs to make Colombo another business hub for them, as logistical capacities and facilities for rest and recreation keep improving in Sri Lanka.
• Integrating the two countries but with special and differential treatment for Sri Lanka due to economic asymmetries can be fast-tracked for this purpose.
• There is immense potential for both countries to accentuate or create complementariness, using locational and human resource potential, for harnessing benefits in the modern value chains.
• Robust partnerships across the economic and social spectrum can also promote people-to-people bonhomie.

Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, and Human Resources.

3. Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health challenge in India, with the country accounting for one-fourth of the global TB burden. To end TB in India, it is essential to implement a comprehensive strategy that includes both prevention and treatment. Discuss. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Why the question:

The world got a wake-up call in 1993 about tuberculosis (TB) when the World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency. The 1993 World Development Report labelled TB treatment for adults as the best buy among all developmental interventions. The response in the 30 years since has been short on urgency and long on processes. The current goal is to end TB by 2030, but clarity on definitions of ‘end’ and the means of verification are not fully in place.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the challenges posed by TB and ways to end it.

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: 

Begin by giving statistic highlighting the incidence and impact of TB in India.

Body:

First, write about the various measures taken and progress made in fight against TB in India.

Next, write about the shortcomings of the above and other major challenges in India’s fight against TB.

Next, write about the possible solutions to the above issue to end TB in India – improving awareness, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, expanding access to diagnostics and treatment, targeting high-risk populations, and promoting research and innovation etc.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the biggest killer disease in India, outnumbering all other infectious diseases put together — this despite our battle against it from 1962, when the National TB Programme (NTP) was launched. According to the World Health Organization’s “Global Tuberculosis Report 2018“, India accounted for 27% of the 10 million people, who had developed TB in 2017, besides making up 32% of global TB deaths among HIV-negative people, and 27% of combined TB deaths. In India, the TB capital of the world, the disease kills some 1,400 persons every day.

The world got a wake-up call in 1993 about tuberculosis (TB) when the World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency. The 1993 World Development Report labelled TB treatment for adults as the best buy among all developmental interventions. The response in the 30 years since has been short on urgency and long on processes. The current goal is to end TB by 2030, but clarity on definitions of ‘end’ and the means of verification are not fully in place.

Body

India’s efforts to eliminate TB:

• In the 1950s and ’60s, India was the global leader in research in epidemiology, transmission and domiciliary treatment of TB. The National TB Control Programme of 1962 was a district-based one with public-private participation.
• Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program(RNTCP)
  • It was renamed to National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP))
  • It is the state-run tuberculosis control initiative of the Government of India.
  • RNTCP incorporates the principles of directly observed treatment-short course (DOTS).
• In 1992, the WHO devised the Directly Observed Treatment-Short Course (DOTS) strategyand advised all countries to adopt the strategy to combat the menace of tuberculosis. The DOTS strategy is based on 5 pillars:
  • political commitment and continued funding for TB control programs
  • diagnosis by sputum smear examinations
  • uninterrupted supply of high-quality anti-TB drugs
  • drug intake under direct observation
  • accurate reporting and recording of all registered cases
• The Indian government has been implementing Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant TB (PMDT) services, for the management of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and TB-HIV collaborative activities for TB-HIV
• “Nikshay,” (2012) an online tuberculosis reporting system for medical practitioners and clinical establishments was set up. The aim is to increase the reporting of tuberculosis, especially from the private sector.
• In 2018, Indian government launched Joint Effort for Elimination of Tuberculosis (JEET), to increase the reporting of TB cases by the private sector.
• National Strategic Plan (NSP) for TB Elimination (2017-2025) was launched in 2017. The government also called for the elimination of TB by 2025, five years prior to the international target (2030).
  • The NSP plans to provide incentives to private providers for following the standard protocols for diagnosis and treatment as well as for notifying the government of cases.
  • Further, patients referred to the government will receive a cash transfer to compensate them for the direct and indirect costs of undergoing treatment and as an incentive to complete treatment.

Challenges to achieve TB free India by 2025:

• Poor socio-economic conditions:
  • Poverty remains a stark reality in India with associated problems of hunger, undernourishment and poor and unhygienic living conditions.
  • According to GTB Report, 2018, a majority of TB patients (6lakhs) in India are attributable to undernourishment.
• Underreporting and misdiagnosis:
  • According to GTB Report 2018, India is one of the major contributors to under-reporting and under-diagnosis of TB cases in the world, accounting for 26% of the 3.6 million global gap in the reporting of tuberculosis cases.
  • Biomarkers and other diagnostics that identify individuals at highest risk of progression to disease are inadequate.
• Treatment:
  • Inequitable access to quality diagnosis and treatment remains a major issue in combating tuberculosis. Further, the private sector which contributes a major part of TB care is fragmented, made up of diverse types of healthcare providers, and largely unregulated.
  • Standard TB treatment is not followed uniformly across the private sector, resulting in the rise of drug resistance.
• Follow-up treatment:
  • Though the reporting of TB cases has increased lately, the reporting of treatment outcomes has not been robust.
  • The absence of consistent follow-up of treatment regimens and outcomes may result in relapse of cases and MDR-TB and XDR-TB. India has already been facing the problem of increasing MDR-TB cases
• Drugs:
  • The drugs used to treat TB, especially multidrug-resistant-TB, are decades old. It is only recently that Bedaquiline and Delamanid (drugs to treat MDR-TB) has been made available. However, access to such drugs remains low.
• Funds:
  • The RNCTP remains inadequately funded. There has been a growing gap between the allocation of funds and the minimum investment required to reach the goals of the national strategic plan to address tuberculosis.
• Issues with RNCTP:
  • No prescribed methods of monitoring: First, for a programme that is heavily funded by the government, there is no prescribed method of monitoring the trajectory of TB control.
  • Programme is based on assumptions: The assumption that treating pulmonary TB patients alone would control TB was epidemiologically fallacious in India.
  • Failed to elicit people’s participation: RNTCP has failed to elicit people’s partnership in TB control. In India’s AIDS Control Programme, public education was given high priority. Red ribbon clubs in schools and colleges are its legacy.
• R&D:
  • R&D for new methods and technologies to detect the different modes of TB, new vaccines, and new drugs and shorter drug regimens have been slow, as compared to other such diseases like HIV/AIDS.
• Social Stigma:
  • According to a study which assessed social stigma associated with TB in Bangladesh, Colombia, India, India had the highest social stigma index.
  • Patients often hesitate to seek treatment or deny their condition altogether for fear of social discrimination and stigmatization.

Measures needed:

• It is important to address the social conditions and factorswhich contribute to and increase vulnerability to tuberculosis. Concerted efforts should be made to address the issues of undernourishment, diabetes, alcohol and tobacco use.
• Increased political will, financial resources and increasing researchto develop new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent TB will help achieve the goal.
• Private sector engagementin combating TB needs to be strengthened. The private sector should also be incentivised to report TB cases. Example: The Kochi Model– Increasing TB cases reporting from private sector
• There is an urgent need for cost-effective point-of-care devicesthat can be deployed for TB diagnosis in different settings across India.
• Universal access to drug, susceptibility testing at diagnosis to ensure that all patients are given appropriate treatment, including access to second-line treatment for drug-resistant TB.
• To ensure public participation — a missing element in the RNTCP —in public-private participation mode.
• Mass awareness campaignslike ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega’ can play an important role in breaking social taboos regarding TB.
• India’s leadership of the G20 and the focus on health could be catalytic, in the same manner, that the Japanese G7 presidency in 2001 was for the creation of the Global Fund.
• Providing historical symmetry, Japan leads the G7 in 2023, providing leaders of both nations and groupings to act synergistically towards ending TB.

Conclusion

India has the highest TB burden in the world. Given our inter-connected world and the airborne spread of TB, we need collective global action. Ending TB in India will have massive global impact in addition to saving the lives of tens of millions of India’s people over the next 25 years. Even if ending TB by 2025 is not complete, pulling the TB curve down by 2025 and sustaining the decline ever after is a possibility.

Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

4. What are the economic costs of air pollution in India? Discuss the policy measures and incentives that can be implemented to reduce the economic burden of air pollution. (250 words) 

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the economic costs of air pollution in India and suggest policy measures and incentives to mitigate them.

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: 

Begin the answer by giving an overview of air pollution in India and its economic costs.

Body:

In brief, write about the economic costs of air pollution like healthcare costs, productivity loss, etc.

Next, write about the policy measures and incentives like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Air Pollution Act, etc., and their effectiveness in reducing the economic burden of air pollution.

Next, Mention the role of technology and innovation in reducing the economic costs of air pollution. Provide examples of successful implementation of policy measures and incentives in other countries and how they can be replicated in India

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward

Introduction

Air pollution is the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are 22 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world are in India according to the World Air Quality Report, 2020. The India State Level Disease Burden Initiative published in Lancet Planetary Health in December 2020, indicated 1.7 million deaths in India were attributable to air pollution in 2019.

Body

Economic costs of air pollution in India

• Air pollution has a massive impact on human health in India.
• It is the second biggest risk factor for disease, and the economic cost of air pollution is estimated to exceed USD 150 billion dollars annually, studies have reported.
• Dalberg’s new analysis indicated that in 2019, air pollution cost Indian business a staggering $95 billion due to reduced productivity, work absences and premature deaths.
• The rising impact of air pollution leads to increased government health expenditure in two ways-
• Reimbursement of costs incurred by people with insurance cover under Ayushman Bharat.
• Expenditure occurred in government/public hospitals for treatment of diseases due to air pollution.

Government efforts in dealing with air pollution:

• The Centre has launched the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles (FAME) I India schemein 2015 to reduce pollution caused by diesel and petrol-operated vehicles and to promote electric and hybrid vehicles in India.
• The FAME phase IIscheme has been extended for two years to drive greater adoption of the scheme.
• The Vehicle Scrappage Policy, launched August 13, 2021, is a government-funded programme to replace old vehicles with modern and new vehicles on Indian roads. The policy is expected to reduce pollution, create job opportunities and boost demand for new vehicles.
• The prime minister in August 2021, announced the enhancement of target to 20 per cent for ethanol blending in petrol by 2025in order to further lower carbon emissions and improve air quality.
• In August 2021, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021were notified, which are aimed at phasing out single-use plastic by 2022. The Extended Producer Responsibilityfor plastic and e-waste management has been introduced.
• The Indian Railwayshas set a target of net zero carbon emission by 2030primarily through sourcing its energy requirement through renewable energy and 100 per cent electrification for reduction of carbon emission by December 2023.
• The implementation of the Green India Mission (GIM)has been undertaken to increase green cover in India to the extent of five million hectares (mha) and improve the quality of existing green cover on another five mha.
• The government acknowledged air pollution as a pan–India problem with the drafting of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was intended to build and strengthen the institutional capacity to monitor air quality across India, carry out indigenous studies to understand the health impacts of air pollution and create a national emission inventory.

Evaluation of policy measures

• Beyond health costs, air pollution can also hurt the economy in other ways.
• According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), India had the highest share of welfare costs (or a loss of income from labour), of about $220 billion (about ₹1.4 trillion), in South and South-East Asia of a combined total of $380 billion from mortality due to air pollution.
• In addition to human lives lost, there’s an estimated global cost of $225 billion in lost labour, and trillions in medical costs, Greenpeace report says.
• Government is keen to ascend the World Bank’s “ease of doing business” chart, but images of people walking around Delhi in safety masks do little to attract investment.
• In a 2018 study, Jamie Hansen-Lewis of Brown University finds that air pollution hurts productivityin India’s labour-intensive industries.
• She estimates that bringing the country’s air to global standards would lead to a small increase in profits of 0.3% across manufacturing companies with more pronounced effects in labour-intensive firms. Similarly, pollution is also hurting agriculture by stifling crop productivity.
• A 2014 study estimated that air pollutants were responsible for 19% of the loss in yields in wheat production in India in 2010.

Way forward

• Short term measures should be accompanied by measures that increase the forest coverof the land and provide farmers with an alternative to burning the remains of their crops.
• An innovative approach could be to use climate change funds to turn farm residues into a resource, using technological options such as converting them into biofuelsand biofertilizers.
• Proactive engagements are necessary to persuade and reassure farmers.
• It is important to find other uses for stubble such as biomass, which may encourage farmers to look for alternative sources of income.
• India should at least now give high importance to the WHO warning about air pollution being the new tobacco. Sharply escalated, deterrent parking fees can be implemented.
• From an urban development perspective, large cities should reorient their investments to prioritise public transport, favouring electric mobility.
• Incentivesfor adoption of alternate mobility technologies should be promoted.
• The World Bankhas said it is keen to enhance its lending portfolio to tackle air pollution, opening a new avenue for this.
• Governments should make the use of personal vehicles in cities less attractivethrough strict road pricing mechanisms like Congestion tax, Green-house Gas tax
• Need to speed up the journey towards LPG and solar-powered stoves.
• Addressing vehicular emissionsis within India’s grasp but requires a multi-pronged approach. It needs to combine the already-proposed tighter emission norms (in form of BS VI), with a push for shared mobility and public transport and adoption of alternate mobility technologies.
• NCAP should take precedence from emerging practices in the country—pollution cess in Delhi on truck entry, big diesel cars, and diesel fuel sales and the coal cess—to generate dedicated funds to finance clean air action plan.
• Tackle road dustby mechanised sweeping and water-sprinkling but what would be more beneficial is if the sides of the roads could be paved or covered with grass that holds the soil together and stops the production of the dust in the first place.
• Attention to non-technological aspects such as urban planning, to reduce driving, and to increase cycling, walking, and use of public transport are needed.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

5. What is bio-remediation? What are the different types of bio-remediation techniques? Examine their advantages and limitations in cleaning up polluted environments. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Investopedia

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the different types of bio-remediation techniques and their advantages and limitations in cleaning up polluted environments.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by defining bio-remediation and explain it briefly.

Body:

In brief, write about the different types of bio-remediation techniques like phytoremediation, mycoremediation, and microbial remediation, and how they work.

Next, write about the advantages of bio-remediation, such as being cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and non-invasive, among others.

Next, write about the limitations of bio-remediation, such as long timeframes, lack of predictability, and inability to remove certain pollutants, among others. 

Conclusion:

Conclude by mentioning about the potential of bio-remediation.

Introduction

Bioremediation is a process where biological organisms are used to remove or neutralize an environmental pollutant by metabolic process.  The “biological” organisms include microscopic organisms, such as fungi, algae and bacteria, and the “remediation”—treating the situation. The main principle is degrading and converting pollutants to less toxic forms. Bioremediation is highly involved in degradation, eradication, immobilization, or detoxification diverse chemical wastes and physical hazardous materials from the surrounding through the all-inclusive and action of microorganisms.

Bio-remediation and bio-mining are clearly specified as the first choice under Rule 15 (zj) of The Rules for the Safe Treatment of Legacy Waste in all open dumpsites and existing operational dumpsites in India.

Body

Different types of bio-remediation techniques

Advantages

• The contaminations of soil through heavy metals become a major problem among all other environmental problems.
• These metals can also be removed by the use of various biological agents like yeast, fungi, bacteria, and algae etc. which act as bio sorbent for sequestering the metals.
• In solid waste, about 12% constitute of rubber. A rubber can neither degrade easily nor recycled due to its physical composition. This can be removed due to bioremediation.
• Bioremediation of Agricultural Waste
• Each year, human, livestock, and crops produce approximately 38 billion metric tons of organic waste worldwide. Disposal and environmental friendly management of these wastes has become a global priority.these can be managed through vermicomposting.
• A vermicompostingis nothing but a joint action between the earth warms and microorganism. Here microorganism helps in degradation of organic matter and earth warm drives the process and conditioning to the substrate and altering the biological activity.
• It leads to near-zero emission of harmful gases (such as methane, hydrogen sulphide, and ammonia) and leachate
• Organic fraction of the original waste is degraded biologically by the bioculture. Specific microbes are also used for leachate treatment.
  • Once the waste is stabilised, it is ready for bio-mining, and can be separated into different fractions which can then be used for different purposes — for compost, road subgrade, making RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) pellets, recycling plastics, or inert for landfills etc.
• The major advantage of the bioremediation methods is that it allows for contamination to be treated, neutralized or removed and then produces a waste product itself that is more easily disposed of.
• In some cases, there is no need for disposal at all. In the case of the plants used in phytoremediation and rhizofiltration,the plant is able to do something called bioaccumulation. This means is holds onto the contaminant. As the plant is still growing, there is no need to remove and destroy it.

Disadvantages

• Not applicable to heavy metal contamination or chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene.
• Non-permeable soil requires additional processing.
• The contaminant can be stripped from soil via soil washing or physical extraction before being placed in bioreactor.
• Depending on specific site, some contaminants may not be absolutely transformed to harmless products.
• If transformation stops at an intermediate compound, the intermediate may be more toxic and/or mobile than parent compound some are recalcitrant contaminants cannot be biodegradable.
• When incorrectly applied, injection wells may become blocked by profuse microbial growth due to addition of nutrients, electron donor and electron acceptor.
• Heavy metals and organic compounds concentration inhibit activity of indigenous microorganisms.
• In-situ bioremediation usually required microorganism’s acclimatization, which may not develop for spills and recalcitrant compounds.

Conclusion

Thus, it is not only a process of removing the pollutant from the environment but also it an eco-friendly and more effective process. The purpose of bioremediation is to make environment free from pollution with help of environmentally friendly microbes.

Topic: Disaster and disaster management.

6. Assess the vulnerability of India to earthquakes. What measures can the government take to increase earthquake preparedness in India, and how effective are these measures in mitigating the impact of earthquakes on human lives and infrastructure? (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India

Why the question:

On Tuesday, Delhi shook. It was a rude yet timely reminder for the country to come to grips with our gaping lack of earthquake preparedness—if one was needed after parts of Turkey and Syria were devastated by seismic shocks a few weeks ago.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the vulnerability of India to earthquakes, measures needed to improve preparedness and the effectiveness of the measures.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context.

Body:

First, write about the vulnerability of India to earthquakes. Draw a map showing different seismic zones. 

Next, write about several measures the government needs to take mitigate their impact – building codes and standards, retrofitting old buildings, early warning systems, education and awareness, and emergency response planning.

Next, write about the effectiveness of the above measures. 

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

An earthquake is the shaking of the surface (occurs without warning) of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s lithosphere that creates seismic waves. It is tectonic in origin and results from the release of accumulated stress of the moving lithospheric or crustal plates.

On Tuesday, Delhi shook. It was a rude yet timely reminder for the country to come to grips with our gaping lack of earthquake preparedness—if one was needed after parts of Turkey and Syria were devastated by seismic shocks a few weeks ago.

According to the Union Minister of State (independent charge) for S&T and Earth Sciences, around 60% of the landmass of India (covering all states) is prone to earthquakes of different shaking intensities.

Body

The Earthquake Risk in India:

• India has been divided into four zones– II, III, IV and V – according to the seismic zoning map of India prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Zone V is seismically the most active region, while Zone II is the least.
• Around 11% of the country falls in Zone V, 18% in Zone IV, 30% in Zone III and the remaining in Zone II.

Reasons for the Earthquake proneness in India:

• The Indian plate is driving into Eurasiaat a rate of approximately 47 mm/year.
• Himalayan belt:Collision between Indo-Australian plate with Eurasian plate causes lots of strain in underlying rocks’ energy, which is released in the form of earthquakes.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Seafloor displacement and underwater volcanoes disturb the equilibrium of earth’s surface.
• Deccan Plateau:The emergence of a fault line and energy build-up along the fault line of the river Bhima (Krishna) near Latur and Osmanabad (Maharashtra).
• Increasing population and unscientific land usefor construction make India a high-risk land for earthquakes.

Risks of high magnitude Earthquakes

• Primary damage: Damage occurs to human settlement, buildings, structures and infrastructure, especially bridges, elevated roads, railways, water towers, pipelines, electrical generating facilities.
• Aftershocks of an earthquake can cause much greater damage to already weakened structures.
• Secondary effects include fires, dam failure and landslides which may block water ways and also cause flooding, landslides, Tsunami, chemical spills, breakdown of communication facilities, human loss.
• There is also a huge loss to the public health system, transport and water supply in the affected areas.
• Tertiary impactof earthquake includes Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD), long term psychological issues, loss of livelihood, disruption of social capital due to relocation related issues, etc.

India’s current policy on earthquake preparedness

• Operates primarily at the scale of structural details
• National Building Codes: Includes specifying dimensions of the structural members – columns, beams, etc.
• National Retrofitting Programme 2014: Under the programme, the RBI directed banks to deny loans for buildings that do not meet the earthquake-resistant design.

Earthquake preparedness measures needed

• Earthquake monitoring centres (seismological centres) for regular monitoring and fast dissemination of information among the people in the vulnerable areas should be established. Currently, Centre for Seismology (CS) is the nodal agency of Government of India responsible for monitoring seismic activity in and around the country.
• A vulnerability map of the country along with dissemination of vulnerability risk information among the people can be done to minimize the adverse impacts.
• Planning: The Bureau of Indian Standards has published building codes and guidelines for safe construction of buildings against earthquakes. Before the buildings are constructed the building plans have to be checked by the Municipality, according to the laid down by-laws.
• Important buildingssuch as hospitals, schools and fire stations need to be upgraded by retrofitting techniques.
• Community preparedness and public educationon causes and characteristics of an earthquake and preparedness measures is important. It can be created through sensitization and training programme for community, by preparation of disaster management plans by schools, malls, hospitals etc. and carrying out mock drills, by preparing documentation on lessons from previous earthquaes and widely disseminating it.
• Engineered structures: The soil type should be analysed before construction. Building structures on soft soil should be avoided. Similar problem persists in the buildings constructed on the river banks which have alluvial soil.
• Encouraging use of Indigenous methods – Indigenous earthquake-resistant houses like the bhongas in the Kutch Region of Gujarat, dhajji diwari buildings in Jammu & Kashmir, brick-nogged wood frame constructions in Himachal Pradesh and ekra constructions made of bamboo in Assam are helpful in this regard.

Way forward

• Earthquake preparedness needs to act –
  • In the realm of policy and not just legal enforcement.
  • At the scale of building details as well as that of cities.
• A comprehensive policyto create a system of retrofitting existing structures and enforcing seismic codes with more efficiency. Such a policy should include measures –
  • To create a system of tax-based or development rights-based incentives for retrofitting one’s building up to seismic codes.
  • To ensure better enforcement of seismic codes through a similar model.
• Generate earthquake vulnerability mapswith the percentage of vulnerable structures in the area, the availability of evacuation routes, the location of nearest relief services, etc.

Conclusion

It is not possible to prevent the occurrence of an earthquake; hence, the next best option is to lay emphasis on disaster preparedness and mitigation rather than curative measures. A policy on earthquake preparedness will require a visionary, radical and transformative approach. It would be unwise to wait for another earthquake to learn how to be better prepared for one. Hence, a robust early warning system, decentralised response mechanism is the best way forward.

Value addition

Best practices (Japan and San Francisco):

• Japan has invested heavily in technological measures (skyscrapers with counterweights, small houses on flexible foundations, public infrastructure with automated triggers) by cultivating an industry around earthquake mitigation and fostering expertise.
• San Franciscois the world’s most famous earthquake-prone city which implemented policy changes similar to Japan.
• The Gujarat government:Immediately adopted (after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake) new town planning schemes that widened roads and created routes for evacuation and relief work.
• Programmes like the ongoing Urban 20 meetings: An excellent opportunity for international knowledge exchange on earthquake preparedness.

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.

7. As long as an employee’s moonlighting does not violate any policies or ethical standards, and does not interfere with their primary job duties, it can be considered an acceptable practice. Do you agree with this view? (150 Words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Abstract Thursdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.

Key Demand of the question:

To form an opinion on ethicality of moonlighting.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Begin by defining the concept of moonlighting.

Body:

First, give reasons as to why there is need of moonlighting and cite reasons as to why it may be considered ethical.

Next, given reasons as to why moonlighting maybe considered unethical.

Conclusion:

Conclude by giving a balanced opinion the issue.

Introduction

The practice of working for one organisation while also taking up extra responsibilities and jobs, typically without the employer’s knowledge, is referred to as moonlighting. It is called so the side employment is typically performed at night or on the weekends. The phrase became well-known when Americans began looking for second jobs in addition to their regular 9-to-5 jobs to supplement their income.

After Wipro, another Indian MNC Infosys has warned of repercussions of moonlighting to their employees.

Body

Need for moonlighting and its ethical basis

• While moonlighting is often considered wrong, “Ethical moonlighting” is a win-win concept in which individuals are able to monetize their skills in more than one placeor role and in the most ethical manner within the data governing principles of such a practice.
• This helps in creating a positive position for all three parties involved: the individual, the primary employer, and the secondary employer that takes the additional services.
• As the pandemic hit in 2020, many gainfully employed professionals lost their jobs at every level—the layoffs were not restricted to fresher’s and middle management,but impacted CxO level roles too.
• Companies downscaled their working staff and even rolled out pay cuts as severe as 60%-75%.
• This left many highly-skilled, experienced and talented professionals with a meagre primary source of income and bills to pay that were aligned with their original salaries.
• The only way to bridge the gap and meet their expenses was totake up a second job.

Ethical issues that may arise

• A person may work more than one job in India without breaking the law.
  • However, a person with asimilar set of jobs could give rise to concerns about a violation of confidentiality because many employers include such restrictions in their employment agreements in addition to prohibitions against holding down multiple jobs.
  • Eg: Same person working for google and Microsoft and risk of sharing trade secret.
• Moonlighting could be considered cheating if an employee’s contract calls for non-compete and single employment, which is the situation with the majority of conventional employment contracts.
  • However, it is not cheating if the employment contracts do not have such a clause or provide relaxations.

Conclusion

No longer a stop-gap measure, many companies and employees have embraced the benefits of moonlighting, as long as it is done ethically. There must be a water-tight contract hiring which can alleviate problems related to confidentiality. This can lead to gig economy for organised sectors too.

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