[Mission 2023] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 12 April 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

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General Studies – 1

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Topic: Poverty and developmental issues

1. Poverty alleviation has been a significant focus in India for many years, and while progress has been made, there is no doubt that ending poverty remains a challenging task. Analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India

Why the question:

The article argues that there is a discrepancy between official poverty lines and surveys that raise doubts about the decline in poverty rates in India.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the challenges associated with poverty and to evaluate the performance of various measures taken to alleviate poverty.

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: 

Describe the giving statistic regarding the current status of poverty in India.

Body:

First, write about the various challenges associated with eradication of poverty in India and the progress made so far as mentioned in the above report.

Next, evaluate the pros and cons of the various poverty alleviation measures in India – Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), National Social Assistance Programme, Land Reforms, MGNREGA and various PDS initiatives etc.

Suggest measures to overcome the above the limitations of the above.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

According to World Bank, Poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-being, and comprises many dimensions. It includes low incomes and the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for survival with dignity. Poverty also encompasses low levels of health and education, poor access to clean water and sanitation, inadequate physical security, lack of voice, and insufficient capacity and opportunity to better one’s life.

In India, 21.9% of the population lives below the national poverty line in 2011. In 2018, almost 8% of the world’s workers and their families lived on less than US$1.90 per person per day (international poverty line).

Body

Achievements in poverty alleviation over the years

• Decline in Extreme Poverty: Extreme poverty in India was 3% points lower in 2019 compared with 2011,as poverty headcount rate declined from 22.5% in 2011 to 10.2% in 2019, with a comparatively sharper decline in rural areas.
  • Slight moderation in consumption inequality since 2011, but by a margin smaller than what is reported in the unreleased National Sample Survey -2017.
  • The extent of poverty reduction during 2015-2019 is estimated to be notably lower than earlier projections based on growth in private final consumption expenditure reported in national account statistics.
  • The World Bank defines “extreme poverty” as living on less than USD 1.90 per person per day.
• Rural vs Urban Poverty: Poverty reduction washigher in rural areas compared with urban Indiaas rural poverty declined from 26.3% in 2011 to 11.6% in 2019, while in urban areas the decline was from 14.2% to 6.3% in the corresponding period.
  • Rural and urban poverty dropped by 7 and 7.9% points during 2011-2019.
  • Urban poverty in India rose by 2% in 2016, coinciding with the demonetisation, and rural poverty rose by 10% in 2019.
• Small Farmers: Smallholder farmers have experienced higher income growth.Real incomes for farmers with the smallest landholdings have grown by 10% in annualized terms between the two survey rounds (2013 and 2019) compared to a 2% growth for farmers with the largest landholding.
  • The growth in incomes of smallest landholders in rural areas provides more evidence of moderation in income disparity in rural areas.
  • Smallest landholders comprise a larger share of the poor population.This income includes wages, net receipt from crop production, net receipt from farming of animal farming and net receipt from non-farm business. Income from leasing out land has been exempted.

Various poverty alleviation programs in India since Independence:

• Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP): It was introduced in 1978-79 and universalized from 2nd October, 1980, aimed at providing assistance to the rural poor in the form of subsidy and bank credit for productive employment opportunities through successive plan periods.
• Jawahar Rozgar Yojana/Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana: The JRY was meant to generate meaningful employment opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed in rural areas through the creation of economic infrastructure and community and social assets.
• Rural Housing – Indira Awaas Yojana: The Indira Awaas Yojana (LAY) programme aims at providing free housing to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in rural areas and main targets would be the households of SC/STs.
• Food for Work Programme: It aims at enhancing food security through wage employment. Food grains are supplied to states free of cost, however, the supply of food grains from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns has been slow.
• National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS):This pension is given by the central government. The job of implementation of this scheme in states and union territories is given to panchayats and municipalities. The states contribution may vary depending on the state. The amount of old age pension is ₹200 per month for applicants aged 60–79. For applicants aged above 80 years, the amount has been revised to ₹500 a month according to the 2011–2012 Budget. It is a successful venture.
• Annapurna:This scheme was started by the government in 1999–2000 to provide food to senior citizens who cannot take care of themselves and are not under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS), and who have no one to take care of them in their village. This scheme would provide 10 kg of free food grains a month for the eligible senior citizens. They mostly target groups of ‘poorest of the poor’ and ‘indigent senior citizens’.
• Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY):The main objective of the scheme continues to be the generation of wage employment, creation of durable economic infrastructure in rural areas and provision of food and nutrition security for the poor.
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005:The Act provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household. One-third of the proposed jobs would be reserved for women.  The central government will also establish National Employment Guarantee Funds. Similarly, state governments will establish State Employment Guarantee Funds for implementation of the scheme. Under the programme, if an applicant is not provided employment within 15 days s/he will be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance.
• National Rural Livelihood Mission: Ajeevika (2011):It evolves out the need to diversify the needs of the rural poor and provide them jobs with regular income on monthly basis. Self Help groups are formed at the village level to help the needy.
• National Urban Livelihood Mission:The NULM focuses on organizing urban poor in Self Help Groups, creating opportunities for skill development leading to market-based employment and helping them to set up self-employment ventures by ensuring easy access to credit.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana: It will focus on fresh entrant to the labour market, especially labour market and class X and XII dropouts.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana:It aimed at direct benefit transfer of subsidy, pension, insurance etc. and attained the target of opening 1.5 crore bank accounts. The scheme particularly targets the unbanked poor.

Assessment

• However, none resulted in any radical change in the ownership of assets, process of production and improvement of basic amenities to the needy.
• Scholars, while assessing these programmes, state three major areas of concern which prevent their successful implementation. Due to unequal distribution of land and other assets, the benefits from direct poverty alleviation programmes have been appropriated by the non-poor.
• Compared to the magnitude of poverty, the amount of resources allocated for these programmes is not sufficient. Moreover, these programmes depend mainly on government and bank officials for their implementation.
• Since such officials are ill motivated, inadequately trained, corruption prone and vulnerable to pressure from a variety of local elites, the resources are inefficiently used and wasted. There is also non-participation of local level institutions in programme implementation.
• Government policies have also failed to address the vast majority of vulnerable people who are living on or just above the poverty line. It also reveals that high growth alone is not sufficient to reduce poverty.
• Without the active participation of the poor, successful implementation of any programme is not possible

Measures needed

• Immediate support package will need to quickly reach both the existing and new poor.
  • While existing safety net programs can be mobilized to get cash into the pockets of some of the existing poor relatively quickly, this is not the case for the new poor.
  • In fact, the new poor are likely to look different from the existing poor, particularly in their location (mostly urban) and employment (mostly informal services, construction, and manufacturing).
  • the identification of poor and vulnerable groups is need of the hour.
  • India should consider fixing a universal basic income in the post-Covid period through a combination of cash transfers, expansion of MGNREGA, and introduction of an urban employment guarantee scheme
• Employment generation for the masses:
  • A large fiscal stimulus along with intermediate informal employment insurgency through MGNREGA and other employment generation programmes are urgent to rein the adverse impact of covid-19 on the welfare of the masses.
• Multilateral global institutions must support the developing nations:
  • Oxfam is calling on world leaders to agree on an Emergency Rescue Package of 2.5 trillion USD paid for through the immediate cancellation or postponement of 1 trillion in debt repayments, a 1 trillion increase in IMF Special Drawing Rights (international financial reserves), and an additional 500 billion in aid.
• An effective response in support of poor and vulnerable households will require significant additional fiscal resources.
  • Providing all the existing and new extreme poor with a cash transfer of $1/day (about half the value of the international extreme poverty line) for a month would amount to $20 billion —or $665 million per day over 30 days.
  • Given that impacts are likely to be felt by many non-poor households as well and that many households are likely to need support for much longer than a month, the sum needed for effective protection could be far higher.
• Decision-makers need timely and policy-relevant information on impacts and the effectiveness of policy responses.
  • This can be done using existing, publicly available data to monitor the unfolding economic and social impacts of the crisis, including prices, service delivery, and economic activity, as well as social sentiment and behaviours.
  • In addition, governments can use mobile technology to safely gather information from a representative sample of households or individuals.
  • Phone surveys can collect information on health and employment status, food security, coping strategies, access to basic services and safety nets and other outcomes closely related to the risk of falling (further) into poverty.

Conclusion and way forward

• The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index-2018released by the UN noted that 271 million people moved out of poverty between 2005-06 and 2015-16 in India. The poverty rate in the country has nearly halved, falling from 55% to 28% over the ten-year period. Still a big part of the population in India is living Below the Poverty Line.
• Rapid economic growth and the use of technology for social sector programs have helped make a significant dent in extreme poverty in the country.
• Despite rapid growth and development, an unacceptably high proportion of our population continues to suffer from severe and multidimensional deprivation. Thus, a more comprehensive and inclusive approach is required to eradicate poverty in India.

 

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General Studies – 2

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Topic: Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary.

2. There is a need for greater clarity and consensus on the role and responsibilities of Governors to ensure that they function within the framework of the Constitution and do not undermine the democratic process. Elaborate. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Why the question:

Three months after a face-off between Governor R.N. Ravi and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Tamil Nadu is witness to yet another confrontation between them.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about various issues with respect to the office of the Governor and possible solutions.

Directive word:

Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Start by mentioning about Article 153 and the constitutional position of the governor.

Body:

In the first part of the body, write about the various issues about the office of the Governor – instances of political interference and conflicts with the state government. There have been concerns about the appointment process, with some accusing the government of selecting Governors based on political affiliations etc. Cite examples.

Next, suggest possible solutions to the above issue.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

Article 154 of the Constitution envisages Governor as the executive chief of the state. All executive actions are taken in his name. B R Ambedkar called the office of the Governor as the “office of dignity”. He is not an agent of the Centre, but the governor’s post in an independent Constitutional office. His office is the linchpin of Indian Cooperative Federalism.

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution urging the Union Government and President to issue instructions to Governor R.N. Ravi to give his assent to bills passed by the Assembly (nearly 20 bills are pending) within a specific period.

Body

Need for relook into Governor’s post

• Gubernatorial powers: Misusing the powers of Governor Eg.: the disagreements spill out in the open, to the media, reinforcing a political divide. Recently, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, R.N. Ravi, seems to have opened another front, i.e., defining the idea of Indian nationalism and imparting lessons to Tamil people..
• Locking horns with Government:: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi omitted some sections from a speech he made in the state Assembly on Monday, 9 January. Ravi cut short the speech, the text of which the state government, as per convention, had given him, to exclude some key points. This led to TN Chief Minister MK Stalin moving a resolution against Ravi in the Assembly and the Governor leaving the venue amid protests.
• Governor’s appointment: Article 155says that governor should be appointed (not elected) from amongst persons of high status with eminence in public. The elected government at the state is not even consulted while making appointment of the Governors. Further successive governments have reduced this important constitutional office to a sinecure and resting place for loyal and retired / about to retired / about to retire politicians apart from docile bureaucrats.
• Appointment and dismissal of the Chief Minister: Governor appoints Chief Minister, other ministers, Advocate General, Chairmen and members of the State Public Service Commission in the state. After elections in the state, there is a convention to invite the largest party to form government in the state. This convention has been flouted many times at the whim of the governor. E.g.: The recent episode Maharashtra where Governor inducted a new government at 5:00 am without ascertaining the requisite numbers for the government.
• Reservation of Bills for Consideration of President: As per Article 200of the Constitution, the governor can reserve certain types of bills passed by the State Legislature for the President’s consideration. Centre, through the governor in case of different parties ruling, used this provision to serve partisan interests. In Tamil Nadu, Governor R.N. Ravi has not acted upon the T.N. Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, adopted by the Assembly in September 2021. the indefinite delay in taking a decision amounts to undermining the legislature, and is unjustifiable.
• Misuse of Article 356: Article 356is the most controversial article of the Constitution. It provides for State emergency or President’s rule in State if the President, on receipt of report from the Governor of a State. But since the SR Bommai case, this has been sparsely used.
• Removal of the Governor:Article 156says that the governor will hold office during the pleasure of the President for five years. The governor has no security of tenure and no fixed term of office. This prevents to uphold neutrality of the governor, fearing retribution. E.g.: The mass changing of the governors of state whenever a new government comes to power at Centre..

Recommendations made regarding the Governor Posts

Sarkaria Commission Report Recommendations

• “The Governors tenure of office of five years in a State should not be disturbed except very rarely and that too for some extremely compelling reason. It is very necessary to assure a measure of security of tenure to the Governor’s office.”
• Governor should be an eminent person and not belong to the state where he is to be posted.
• State chief minister should have a say in the appointment of governor
• Governor should be a detached figure without intense political links or should not have taken part in politics in recent past.
• Governor should not be a member of the ruling party.
• Governor should be removed before his tenure only on the grounds as if aspersions are cast on his morality, dignity, constitutional propriety, etc.

The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution recommendations:

• Governor’s appointment should be entrusted to a committee comprising the prime minister, the home minister, the speaker of the Lok Sabha and the chief minister of the concerned state.
• If they have to be removed before completion of their term, the central government should do so only after consultation with the Chief Minister.

The Punchhi commission recommendations

• The person who is slated to be a Governor should not have participated in active politics at even local level for at least a couple of years before his appointment.
• For office of Governor, the doctrine of pleasure should endand should be deleted from the constitution. Governor should not be removed at whim of central government. Instead, a resolution by state legislature should be there to remove Governor.
• There should be provisions for impeachment of the Governor by the state legislature along the same lines as that of President by President.
• The convention of making the Governors as chancellors of universities should be done away with.
• The commission recommended for “localising emergency provisions” under Articles 355 and 356, contending that localised areas— either a district or parts of a district — be brought under Governor’s rule instead of the whole state.

The Supreme Court’s interpretation

• In 2010, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court interpreted these provisions and laid down some binding principles (B.P. Singhal v. Union of India), the Supreme Court held:
• President, in effect the central government, has the power to remove a Governor at any time without giving him or her any reason, and without granting an opportunity to be heard.
• However, this power cannot be exercised in an arbitrary, capricious or unreasonable manner.  The power of removing Governors should only be exercised in rare and exceptional circumstances for valid and compelling reasons.
• The mere reason that a Governor is at variance with the policies and ideologies of the central government, or that the central government has lost confidence in him or her, is not sufficient to remove a Governor.  Thus, a change in central government cannot be a ground for removal of Governors, or to appoint more favourable persons to this post.
• Such a decision, to remove a Governor can be challenged in a court of law.

Conclusion

Despite several commissions appointed by Government themselves and the Supreme Court guidelines, the post of governor is misused again and again.

It is, however, time for a thorough review of the Governor’s powers and the process of appointment and removal.

• New rules and conventions may need to be put in place so that Governor’s constitutional mandate is strengthened.
• All part conference to review the role of the Governors, the powers exercised by him and the manner in which he should be appointed and removed.
• The Constitution should be amended and security of tenure must be provided to the Governors. The judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in B. P. Singhal case is the law of the land and the Government should respect it.
• The Governors should be treated with dignity, and should not be fired only for political considerations.
• The Constitution of the land prohibits the arbitrary exercise of power and the Government is not an exception to the equality law.

 

Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 and identify the challenges that must be addressed to enhance its performance? (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Why the question:

Swaraj Abhiyan’, a political party, on April 11 moved the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing on its plea for a direction to the Centre to ensure that States have adequate funds to implement the rural employment guarantee scheme, MGNREGA.

Key Demand of the question:

To critically write about the performance of MGNREGA and ways to improve its performance.

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: 

Give brief introduction of aims and objectives of MGNREGA.

Body:

First, in brief, write about the salient features of NGNREGA.

Next, write about the successes and limitations of MGNREGA since its inception. Cite examples and statistics to substantiate.

Next, write about the measures that are needed to overcome the above-mentioned limitations.

Conclusion:

Conclude with way forward.

Introduction

The MGNREGA was launched in 2006 in order to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed employment to rural households. It is the largest scheme run by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).

An internal study commissioned by the Ministry of Rural Development has argued for decentralisation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), allowing for more “flexibility” at the ground level.

Swaraj Abhiyan’, a political party, on April 11 moved the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing on its plea for a direction to the Centre to ensure that States have adequate funds to implement the rural employment guarantee scheme, MGNREGA.

Body

How has MGNREGA fared so far?

• MGNREGA works have demonstrably strong multiplier effects are yet another reason to improve its implementation.
• It is a labour programme meant to strengthen participatory democracy through community works. It is a legislative mechanism to strengthen the constitutional principle of the right to life.
• It has helped in increasing rural household income.
• It has not only helped in increasing groundwater table in the last one decade, but also agriculture productivity, mainly cereals and vegetables and fodders.
• The water conservation measures, including farm ponds and dug wells, have made a difference to the lives of the poor.
• While the scheme was earlier focused on creation of community assets, in the last three years, individual assets have also been emphasised.
• It has provided goat, poultry and cattle shed as per the need of poor households.
• One national study found that MGNREGS has created valuable public goods which have augmented rural incomes.
• Another national study found that, even after deficiencies in implementation, MGNREGS may have improved nutrition outcomes.
• Even consumption has been shown to improve if MGNREGS is implemented well. A 2018 study of a better-implemented version of MGNREGS in Andhra Pradesh, where there was significantly less leakage or payment delays, estimated that MGNREGS increased income households’ earnings by 13% and decreased poverty by 17%
• MGNREGS can smoothen food consumption of rural poor by providing them with an alternate source of income during the agricultural lean season.
• According to a study conducted by New Delhi-based Institute of Economic Growth.
  • there has been an 11 per cent increase in rural household income,
  • 5 per cent increase in cereal productivity and
  • 32 per cent increase in vegetable productivity,

Challenges to MGNREGA

• Low Wage Rate: These have resulted in a lack of interestamong workers making way for contractors and middlemen to take control. Currently, MGNREGA wage rates of 17 states are less than the corresponding state minimum wages. The above study also noted that the MGNREGS wages were far below the market rate in many States, defeating the purpose of acting as a safety net.
• Case study:At present, the minimum wage of a farm labourer in Gujarat is ₹324.20, but the MGNREGS wage is ₹229. The private contractors pay far more. In Nagaland, the wage is ₹212 per day, which does not take into account the difficult terrain conditions. Similarly, in Jammu and Kashmir, the rate is ₹214 per day. This, the study noted, “is lower than what is offered by private contractors which can go up to to ₹600-₹700 per day”.
• Insufficient Budget Allocation: The funds have dried up in many States due to lack of sanctions from the Central government which hampers the work in peak season.
• Payment Delays: Despite Supreme Court orders, various other initiatives and various government orders, no provisions have yet been worked out for calculation of full wage delays and payment of compensation for the same. The internal study also flagged the frequent delay in fund disbursal, and to deal with it suggested “revolving fund that can be utilised whenever there is a delay in the Central funds”.
• Case study: In Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, for example, the surveyors found that because of the delay in the material component the beneficiaries ended up buying the construction material themselves to complete the projects. In Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, the delay in wages was by three or four months and the material component was delayed by six months.
• Corruption and Irregularities:Funds that reach the beneficiaries are very little compared to the actual funds allocated for the welfare schemes.
• Discrimination:Frequent cases of discrimination against the women and people from the backwards groups are reported from several regions of the country and a vast number goes unreported.
• Non-payment of Unemployment Allowance: There is a huge pendency in the number of unemployment allowances being shown in the Management Information System (MIS).
• Lack of Awareness: People, especially women, are not fully aware of this scheme and its provisions leading to uninformed choices or inability to get the benefits of the scheme.
• Poor Infrastructure Building: Improper surveillance and lack of timely resourcesresult in the poor quality assets.
• Non Purposive Spending: MGNREGA has increased the earning capacity of the rural people but the spending pattern of the workers assumes significance because there ishardly any saving out of the wages
• Workers penalised for administrative lapses: The ministry withholds wage payments for workers of states that do not meet administrative requirements within the stipulated time period.
• Too much centralisation weakening local governance: A real-time MIS-based implementation and a centralised payment system has further left the  representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions with literally no role in implementation, monitoring and grievance redress of MGNREGA schemes.

Way forward

• It is evident that the jobs under MGNREGS can only be revived through:
  • Adequate allocation of Budget funds
  • Timely payment for workers
  • Complete decentralisation of the implementation
  • Improving entitlements (wages, compensations and worksite facilities)
  • Allocation for a year should include pending liabilities of previous years.
• It should also respect the idea of the decentralised planning processes through Gram Sabhas across the country and allow adequate fund allotment as per labour budgets provided by each Gram Panchayats.
• The government should come up with only one delay-payment report that accounts for the entire time taken and delays during the closure of muster roll and wages credited to workers’ accounts.
• Also, the MGNREGA payment procedures should be simplified to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Better coordination must be ensured among various government departments involved.
• Better mechanism must be provided to allot and measure work.
• Gender gap in wages under this scheme must be addressed. In this scheme, women earn 22.24% less than their male counterparts.
• MGNREGA has been implemented for more than a decade now. It is necessary to understand its performance through output indicators like the number of workers, person days of work generated, quantum of assets completed etc.
• The data collected can be used to compare inter-state and inter-district differences in performance.
• In addition, MGNREGA must encompass provision for safe working conditions for the beneficiaries, like temperature checks, masks, hand washing facilities, proper hydration etc.

Conclusion

MGNREGA is playing a critical role in providing economic security for the rural population post the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, the government must take steps to ensure that it is made use of to its fullest extent to address the current economic problems and bringing the economy back on track.

Value addition

Importance of MGNREGA

• MGNREGA is vital for addressing India’s current problems.
• It boosts rural demand and ensure economic development of the rural population
• It seeks to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
• This Act aims to improve the purchasing powerof the rural population by providing them primarily the semi-skilled or unskilled work, especially to those living below the poverty line.
• This can help solve rural poverty, farmer suicides, unemployment crisis in rural areas etc.
• Furthermore, it is a scheme that has the potential to undertake progressive measureslike infrastructure development in rural India, improving agricultural productivity through labour-intensive, supportive projects related to water conservation, drought relief measures, flood control etc.
• This Act is also highly significant because it allows for grass-root level developmentas it is implemented mainly by the Gram Panchayats. It does not allow the involvement of contractors so that the workers under this scheme are not exploited.
• It also stands out in its worker-centric legislation with a high emphasis on transparency and accountability.
• If the government supports this Act, then it can become the solution to the present-day problems like water scarcity, climate change etc.
• It is demand-driven wage employment schemethat provides additional 50 days of unskilled wage employment during drought/natural calamities.
• Section 3(4) of the Act allows states/Centre to provide additional days beyond the guaranteed period from their own funds.

 

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General Studies – 3

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Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

4. Provide an overview of different types of biofuels and their classification. Highlight the current status of biofuel production in India and the government’s efforts to promote its use. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

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:

Introduction: 

Give a brief on Biofuels and its classification into various generations.

Body:

Highlight the energy security issues in India and globally and the importance of biofuels through facts/figures

Next, Mention about the need of clean energy in the context of Climate change. Further, bring in the dimension of energy security being a decisive factor in geopolitics, self-sufficiency in energy, role in robust rural economy which in turn will help in overall economic development.

Write about India’s policy on Biofuels and further steps it should take to reap its benefits.

Conclusion:

Mention the way forward for any nation in the backdrop of limited fossil fuel is to diversify and hence India should have an effective strategy for biofuels.

Introduction

Biofuel is a type of renewable energy source derived from microbial, plant, or animal materials. Examples of biofuels include ethanol (often made from corn in the United States and sugarcane in Brazil), biodiesel (sourced from vegetable oils and liquid animal fats), green diesel (derived from algae and other plant sources), and biogas (methane derived from animal manure and other digested organic material).

Biofuels can be solid, liquid, or gaseous. They are most useful in the latter two forms as this makes it easier to transport, deliver, and burn cleanly.

Body:

Biofuels may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature.

• Solid: Wood, dried plant material, and manure
• Liquid: Bioethanol and Biodiesel
• Gaseous: Biogas

Classification of Biofuels:

• First-generation biofuels
  • These are made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using conventional technology.
  • These are generally produced from grains high in sugar or starch fermented into bioethanol; or seeds that which are pressed into vegetable oil used in biodiesel.
  • Common first-generation biofuels include vegetable oils, biodiesel, bioalcohols, biogas, solid biofuels, syngas.
• Second-generationbiofuels
  • These are produced from non-food crops, such as cellulosic biofuels and waste biomass (stalks of wheat and corn, and wood).
  • Common second-generation biofuels include vegetable oils, biodiesel, bioalcohols, biogas, solid biofuels, and syngas.
  • Research continues on second-generation biofuels including biohydrogen, biomethanol, DMF, Bio-DME, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, biohydrogen diesel, mixed alcohols and wood diesel.
• Third-generation biofuels
  • These are produced from extracting oil of algae– sometimes referred to as “oilgae”.
  • Its production is supposed to be low cost and high-yielding – giving up to nearly 30 times the energy per unit area as can be realized from current, conventional ‘first-generation’ biofuel feedstocks
  • Micro-organisms like algae can be grown using land and water unsuitable for food production, therefore reducing the strain on already depleted water sources.
  • One disadvantage is that fertilizers used in the production of such crops lead to environment pollution.
• Fourth-generationbiofuels
  • These are produced from crops that are genetically engineeredto take in high amounts of carbon are grown and harvested as biomass.
  • The crops are then converted into fuel using second generation techniques. The fuel is pre-combusted and the carbon is captured.
  • Then the carbon is geo-sequestered, meaning that the carbon is stored in depleted oil or gas fields or in unmineable coal seams.
  • Some of these fuels are considered as carbon negativeas their production pulls out carbon from environment.

Government of India initiatives to promote the use of Biofuels:

Since 2014, the Government of India has taken a number of initiatives to increase blending of biofuels.

• The major interventions include administrative price mechanism for ethanol, simplifying the procurement procedures of OMCs, amending the provisions of Industries (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951 and enabling lignocellulosic route for ethanol procurement.
• The Government approved the National Policy on Biofuels-2018 in June 2018. The policy has the objective of reaching 20% ethanol-blending and 5% biodiesel-blending by the year 2030.
  • Among other things, the policy expands the scope of feedstock for ethanol production and has provided for incentives for production of advanced biofuels.
• The Government has also increased the price of C-heavy molasses-based ethanol
• Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, 2019:The objective of the scheme is to create an ecosystem for setting up commercial projects and to boost Research and Development in 2G Ethanol sector
• GOBAR(Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) DHAN scheme, 2018: It focuses on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to useful compost,biogas and bio-CNG, thus keeping villages clean and increasing the income of rural households. It was launched under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).
• National Biofuels policy 2018
• Categorisation of biofuels to enable extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category. The two main categories are:
  • Basic Biofuels- First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel
  • Advanced Biofuels – Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels, third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc.
• Expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Starch containing materials like Corn, Cassava, Damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production.
• Allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol to ensure appropriate price to farmers during surplus. However, it needs the approval of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee.
• Thrust on Advanced Biofuels: Viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries of Rs.5000 crore in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives and higher purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels.
• Encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops.
• Synergising efforts by capturing the roles and responsibilities of all the concerned Ministries/Departments with respect to biofuels in the policy document itself.

Potential Benefits of Biofuels:

• Reduce Import Dependency: The large-scale production of biofuels would reduce import dependency on crude oil and save forex.
• Cleaner Environment: By reducing crop burning & conversion of agricultural residues/wastes to biofuels there will be reduction in GHGs emissions and other particulate matters.
• Municipal Solid Waste Management: It is estimated that, annually around 62 MMT of Municipal Solid Waste gets generated in India. The policy promotes conversion of waste/plastic, MSW to drop in fuels (hydrocarbon fuels from solid waste).
• Infrastructural Investment in Rural Areas: addition of 2G bio refineries across the Country will spur infrastructural investment in the rural areas.
• Employment Generation: the establishment of bio-refineries would create jobs in Plant Operations, Village Level Entrepreneurs and Supply Chain Management.
• Additional Income to Farmers: Farmers can capitalize on agricultural residues /waste which otherwise are burnt by them. They can sell their surplus output to ethanol making units when price dump, thus, ensuring appropriate price.

Shortcomings in India’s biofuel programs

• Efforts taken to achieve Biofuel production could lead to food security and strain water resources.
• According to critics, the policy is overly ambitious. Given the constraints in technology and current abysmally low status of blending (2%), the targets of the 2018 policy are too ambitious to be fulfilled
• The policy is totally silent on octane (which is blended with petrol) which has direct consequences of air quality and pollution.
• The policy advocates the use of untested technologies like the production of 2G ethanol. Relying technology which is commercially untested is not a viable option.
• According to critics, the ways in which companies are selected to develop and boost Biofuel in India is not transparent.
• Other biofuels, such as jatropha, have often proven to be commercially unviable.
• Achieving 20% blend rate would require India to divert an extra one-tenth of its net sown area towards sugarcane.
• Any such land requirement is likely to put a stress on other crops and has the potential to increase food prices.
• Abuse of policy especially when prices of crude oil soar as farmers would find it economically more rewarding to convert farm produce into ethanol for doping with petrol.
• Need of improvement in technological and financial feasibility with respect to production of biofuels. Thus, industry academic collaboration should be enhanced in an integrated manner.
• Inadequate supply-chain infrastructure to deliver biofuels to the final consumer. Hence, improved investment should be done in building robust infrastructure.
• The government should also take steps to remove policy barriers that have discouraged private investment in building supply chains for tapping India’s huge biofuel potential.

Way Forward

• The government has set some ambitious goals for the energy sector which include electrification of all census villages by 2019, 24×7 electricity and 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, reduction in energy emissions intensity by 33%-35% by 2030 and producing above 40% electricity from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
• These goals clearly exhibit the Centre’s push towards strengthening the energy infrastructure of the country while promoting the agenda of sustainability.
• Additionally, in the official gazette of the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, MNRE has also discussed the government’s five-point strategy to curb the country’s dependency on foreign imports in the oil and gas sector.
• The strategy involves increasing domestic production, adopting biofuels and renewables, energy efficiency norms, improvement in refinery processes and demand substitution.

 

Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

5. The advancement of nanotechnology is significantly contributing towards the improvement and transformation of numerous technology and industry sectors, thereby bringing about beneficial impacts to society. Discuss. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

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 applications of nano technology for the betterment of the society.

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 defining nanotechnology.

Body:

First, write about the applications of nanotechnology – The applications of nanotechnology, commonly incorporate industrial, medicinal, and energy uses. These include more durable construction materials, therapeutic drug delivery, and higher density hydrogen fuel cells that are environmentally friendly.

Next, write about how these will help in our developmental objectives and our society,

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarising.

Introduction

Nanotechnology is the science of materials at the molecular or subatomic level. It involves manipulation of particles smaller than 100 nanometres (one nanometre is one-billionth of a metre) and the technology involves developing materials or devices within that size — invisible to the human eye and often many hundred times thinner than the width of human hair. The physics and chemistry of materials are radically different when reduced to the nanoscale; they have different strengths, conductivity and reactivity, and exploiting this could revolutionise medicine.

Body

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials can be applied in all kinds of industrial sectors. They are usually found in these areas:

• Electronics
  • Carbon nanotubes are close to replacing silicon as a material for making smaller, faster and more efficient microchips and devices, as well as lighter, more conductive and stronger quantum nanowires. Graphene’s properties make it an ideal candidate for the development of flexible touchscreens.
• Energy
  • A new semiconductor developed by Kyoto University makes it possible to manufacture solar panels that double the amount of sunlight converted into electricity. Nanotechnology also lowers costs, produces stronger and lighter wind turbines, improves fuel efficiency and, thanks to the thermal insulation of some nanocomponents, can save energy.
• Medicine & Healthcare
  • Nanotechnology is already broadening itself in the areas of medical tools, knowledge, and therapies currently available to clinicians.
  • The properties of some nanomaterials make them ideal for improving early diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases or cancer. They are able to attack cancer cells selectively without harming other healthy cells. Some nanoparticles have also been used to enhance pharmaceutical products such as sunscreen.
  • Nanomedicine, the application of nanotechnology in medicine, draws on the natural scale of biological phenomena to produce precise solutions for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
  • For example, better imaging and diagnostic tools enabled by nanotechnology are paving the way for earlier diagnosis, more individualized treatment options, and better therapeutic success rates.
• Environment
  • Air purification with ions, wastewater purification with nanobubbles or nanofiltration systems for heavy metals are some of its environmentally-friendly applications. Nanocatalysts are also available to make chemical reactions more efficient and less polluting.
• Food
  • In this field, nanobiosensors could be used to detect the presence of pathogens in food or nanocomposites to improve food production by increasing mechanical and thermal resistance and decreasing oxygen transfer in packaged products
• Textile
  • Nanotechnology makes it possible to develop smart fabrics that don’t stain or wrinkle, as well as stronger, lighter and more durable materials to make motorcycle helmets or sports equipment.
• Future Transportation Benefits
  • Nanotechnology offers the promise of developing multifunctional materials that will contribute to building and maintaining lighter, safer, smarter, and more efficient vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft, and ships.
  • In addition, nanotechnology offers various means to improve the transportation infrastructure
• Everyday Materials and Processes
  • Nanoscale additives to or surface treatments of fabrics can provide lightweight ballistic energy deflection in personal body armor, or can help them resist wrinkling, staining, and bacterial growth.
  • Clear nanoscale films on eyeglasses, computer and camera displays, windows, and other surfaces can make them water- and residue-repellent, anti-reflective, self-cleaning, resistant to ultraviolet or infrared light, anti-fog, antimicrobial, scratch-resistant, or electrically conductive.

Conclusion

Nanotechnology offers the ability to build large numbers of products that are incredibly powerful. The development processes are heavily intertwined with biotechnology and information technology, making its scope very wide. Nanotechnology based products are capable of overcoming the limitations of traditional methods. But, the major challenges are yet to prevail over its toxicity, environmental hazards, production cost and accessibility to the un-reachable at far-off areas.

• What does this quote means to you? (150 words) “Evil prevails when good men fail to act.” – Benjamin Franklin

Introduction

Inaction is a bigger sin than trying to act in certain situation.

“The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.”

If we were to find a toddler drowning in a bathtub, we would feel morally obliged to act and to save her life, particularly because doing so would not require us to assume any significant risk to ourselves.  Inaction in this case would be morally wrong and unjustifiable.  This illustrates the fact that inaction is not morally neutral; it requires justification.

Body

Inaction in any sector, any field or space can be very detrimental. All nations of UNSC not taking action against Russia for waging unjust war on Ukraine is a case in point. The human-kind as a whole is suffering and yet no one wants to get involved. Fighting climate change, terrorism requires active participation from all nations, yet inaction is evident as we see flash floods, droughts, heat waves etc.

Same is the case with animal testing for research purpose, it is an ethical dilemma to test drugs and cosmetics on lab rats. But certain lifesaving drugs needs to be tested on animals before human trials. However, we are violating ethics by infringing rights of animals by imposing cruelty on them.

On the other hand, if one accepts the immense benefits of the work to the health of animals and humans alike, then the only way to oppose it is by arguing the case that all living beings have the same basic rights. Certainly, if a mouse has the same rights to life and freedom as a human being, we would not experiment on the mouse for the same reasons we do not experiment on healthy humans.

Conclusion

Morality and ethics have grey areas and at times it is impossible to overcome the dilemma as either choices would lead to moral turpitude. Yet, values such as compassion, empathy, honesty and integrity help in aiding us to take the right decisions. To act or not to act is a challenge and the above values can guide one better.

 

 

Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators.

7. What does this quote means to you? (150 words)

“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” – Winston Churchill.

Difficulty level: Easy

Why the question:

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

Directive word: 

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by explaining the quote in your word.

Body:

The sun sets, but we all know it will rise again in the morning. The moon rises when the sun sets and sets when the sun reappears. In other words, something that exists can be hidden for a certain period of time, but it will always reappear and the truth is the same. You can manipulate, distort the truth, hide it, but at some point, the truth will be known. Substantiate with examples.

Conclusion:

Conclude by emphasising on the importance of leading a truthful life.

Introduction

“Truth will out” also captures the essence of the above quote

This quote says that the truth is a stubborn thing. It says that people won’t always appreciate the truth. It says that some will attack it with malice in their hearts and minds. It says that some will deride it because of their lack of understanding.

But still, the truth remains. There it is. Unwanted, unappreciated, unwelcome. But it just won’t go away.

 

Body

Honesty, or telling the truth the first time and every time, is important because without a reputation for honesty, who could possibly belive you when you are in need of help? Honesty, and a reputation for the lack of it, is the moral of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” story.

While honesty is but one aspect of character, a lack of honesty will impune the entirety of your character. Who can believe any statement or rumor of virtue when it is told by a known liar? Eventually, the truth will be known, but the reputation of the liar will delay the revealing of the good while it will hasten the revelation of the lies. Remember that trust is the first victim of a lie. Only afterwards does the reputation fall.

“Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son: give me your blessing: truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man’s son may, but at the length truth will out.“ (Merchant of Venice)

It basically means that no matter what one does to cover something up, the truth will eventually come out. Even the act of covering up the truth reveals that there is a truth being covered up. That truth is within you.

Conclusion

Truth alone triumphs is in the emblem of India and no matter how trivial or the big the matter is, truth in all circumstances prevails over falsehood/lies.

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