InstaLinks : help you think beyond the issue but relevant to the issue from UPSC prelims and Mains exam point of view. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions ina your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background. This helps you study a topic holistically and add new dimensions to every current event to help you think analytically
Table of Contents:
GS Paper 3:
- Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022
- Groundwater exploitation and sinking land
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
- Sports and Disaster Mitigation: NITI Aayog’s Compendium on Best Practices in Social Sector 2023
- NYC skyscrapers turning to carbon capture
- India Data Capacity Accelerator
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
- Saraswati Yantra
- Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE)
- Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar
- Saturn’s Moon
- Baobab trees
Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022
GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Economy: Energy/ Environment
Source: PIB
Context: Union Power & NRE Ministry, urged industry leaders to set green targets and report violations of Green Energy Open Access Rules.
What is Open Access?
Open Access (OA) means non-discriminatory access to electricity transmission and distribution system
What are Green Open Access Rules?
It refers to regulations and guidelines implemented by the Government of India to promote the generation, purchase, and consumption of green energy.
- The Ministry of Power notified the Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2022 in June 2022.
About the Rules:
| Description | |
| Aim | To ensure affordable, reliable, sustainable, and green energy for all and promote clean and green energy in India |
| Features | · Any consumer with a connected load of 100 kW or above can get Renewable Energy through open access from any Renewable Energy generating plant
· Open access to stakeholders—traders, Power Exchanges, National / Regional / State Load Despatch Centres, and Central/State transmission utilities. · Timeline: The open access has to be granted within 15 days or else it will be deemed to have been granted. · Consumers may demand a supply of Green Power from DISCOMs. · Commercial and Industrial consumers are allowed to purchase green power on a voluntary basis. · There shall be a uniform Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO). Also, Green Hydrogen/Green Ammonia is included for the fulfilment of its RPO. · Promoting generation, purchase and consumption of green energy including from Waste-to-Energy plants |
| Significance | It provides a transparent, simplified, uniform and streamlined procedure for granting open access to green energy. Also, it facilitates the deepening of electricity markets and enables the integration of Renewable Energy (RE) resources into the grid. |
| India’s Status | India is contributing only 3.5 per cent to the global emission despite having about 17 per cent of the world’s population. India is leading the clean energy transition globally and has the fastest growth of RE capacity addition. |
Insta Links:
Mains Links
“Despite an increase in renewable energy capacity, India still heavily depends on fossil fuels for its energy security”. What measures need to be taken to increase the pace of renewable adoption in India? Discuss. (15M)
Prelims Links:
With reference to the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA), which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2015)
- It is a Public Limited Government Company.
- It is a Non-Banking Financial Company.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C
Groundwater exploitation and sinking land
GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
Source: TH
Context: In the plains of northwest India (Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Faridabad), which are heavily dependent on groundwater withdrawal for agricultural practices, land sinking/subsidence has been a problem for years.
Groundwater situation in India:
- It is India’s most used water resource, accounting for a quarter of total global groundwater extraction.
- According to the 2021 CAG report, groundwater extraction in India (annual use – ~433 billion cubic metres) has exceeded the recharge rate, threatening 80% of potable water over the next two decades.
What is land subsidence?
Land subsidence is defined as the progressive or abrupt sinking of the earth’s surface caused by the elimination or dislocation of subsurface earth components (like aquifers) triggered by natural/human activity.
How groundwater extraction is linked to sinking land?
When the underlying aquifers – deep water channels that are stores of percolated water, aren’t recharged, they run dry. Hence, the layers of soil and rock above them start to sink and the issue is not specific to north India alone.
How severe is the problem in India?
- Data from the Sentinel-1 satellite shows that the NCR region sank 15 mm per year (on average) between 2011-2017.
- Urbanisation and unplanned growth were major factors → exacerbated groundwater withdrawal → land sinking.
Impact:
- If land sinking is expanded out over a large area, this could imply that the region will become flood-prone.
- However, if the pace of sinking varies, it could have an effect on civil facilities such as roads, buildings, and residences.
- It may cause fundamentals to deteriorate or cracks to form in buildings.
Detecting the link between groundwater and land subsidence:
- The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) – a subsidiary body of the Jal Shakti Ministry, does not analyse the consequences of ‘over-exploitation’
- This link only started to become clear from the data of the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites that could measure minute changes in gravity on different parts of the Earth’s surface.
Why is it difficult to detect the link?
- Unlike land movement from landslides or earthquakes, it is gradual and barely visible annually.
- So, it is harder to correlate with structural damage.
What needs to be done?
- There needs to be greater recognition that groundwater exploitation has consequences other than water scarcity.
- The government and policymakers should have a detailed understanding of the geophysical properties of the areas undergoing subsidence.
- Incentivising rainwater harvesting, ensuring strict implementation of laws against illegal mining of groundwater, evaluating building conditions in hazard zones and provisioning of such subsidence in building designs.
| Some initiatives | |
| International | National |
| The United Nations-Water Summit on Groundwater 2022: Organised to raise awareness on groundwater conservation.
“Groundwater: Making the invisible visible” campaign run by UN-Water throughout 2022. |
Atal Bhujal Yojana is a groundwater management scheme launched in 2019.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan (2019): Launched in 256 water-stressed districts to improve groundwater conditions in these areas.
Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme |
Insta Links:
UN Groundwater Summit 2022 to help raise awareness on aquifer protection, sustainable use
Mains Links:
Discuss the Status of Groundwater Depletion in the country and account for the associated problems and suggest measures on the lines of groundwater extraction norms that have been notified recently. (250 words)
Sports and Disaster Mitigation: NITI Aayog’s Compendium on Best Practices in Social Sector 2023
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Source: Niti Aayog
Every day, in this section we are bringing best practices from each category. Today’s best practices will cover ‘Sports and Disaster mitigation’
Initiatives:
| Initiative | Objectives | Impact |
| Khelo India Scheme (Bishnupur, Manipur) | Promote excellence in sports and wellness, focus on indigenous games, and make Bishnupur a powerhouse of sports | Over 2000 national players, 60 sports infrastructures, and 90% of schools registered under Fit India |
| Khelo India Scheme (Churu, Rajasthan) | Develop sports facilities, create centres of excellence, encourage youth participation | Multiple medals at national level competitions, the decline in drug involvement, the cradle for armed forces recruitment |
| Disaster Risk Reduction (Chitrakoot, UP) | Integrate Disaster Risk Reduction in development, build local capacities, leverage technology for disaster management | Enhanced resilience of local communities to climate-induced stress |
| Flood and Landslide Disaster Management ( Wayanad, Kerala) | Establish SOPs, coordination between departments and agencies, and minimize casualties and distress | Proper disaster management, preventive evacuations, relief camp amenities, crop loss compensations |
NYC skyscrapers turning to carbon capture
Source: TH
New York City is implementing a new law that requires building owners to make significant emissions cuts or face fines. To comply, property managers are installing carbon capture systems that capture carbon dioxide from building emissions, cool it into a liquid, and mix it into concrete where it becomes a mineral.
The captured carbon dioxide is then sold to concrete manufacturers or carbonated beverages or soap manufacturers.
Usage: The example can be used in Governance/Environment question to highlight how cities can help minimize carbon emissions.
India Data Capacity Accelerator
Source: TH
The Rockefeller Foundation and Mastercard-backed data.org, with an over $2 million grant from U.K.-based charity Wellcome, have launched a data skilling program called the India Data Capacity Accelerator.
Aim: The program aims to train one million Indians in using data to address climate and health-related challenges.
Collaborations: The accelerator will collaborate with three universities—Ashoka University, the Indraprastha Institute for Information Technology, and BITS Pilani—and work with the South Asia arm of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).
Usage: The example can be used in questions related to skill development/ use of data to predict and measure air pollution and inform mitigating strategies.
Saraswati Yantra
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: PIB
Context: India’s Cannes pavilion for this year’s film festival will be themed on the Saraswati Yantra, an abstract representation of Goddess Saraswati from the ancient text of ‘Maha Upanishad’.
About:
| Topic | Description |
| Saraswati Yantra | It is a sacred geometric diagram or symbol associated with the Hindu goddess Saraswati. It is a visual representation of the goddess and is believed to possess spiritual and divine powers. |
| Maha Upanishad | Maha Upanishad is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism.
It presents a syncretism of Vaishnava and Vedanta ideas and is notable for teaching “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “the world is one family”. |
| Vaishnava Upanishad | The Vaishnava Upanishad describes Vishnu as the highest being, superior to Brahma. Both versions of the text, however, use reverential words for all Hindu gods and assert them to be the same Atman-Brahman. |
| Goddess Saraswati | Goddess Saraswati is believed to be the keeper of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. |
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
Source: ET
Context: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) voted unanimously to adopt India’s proposal for developing digital public infrastructure (DPI) as the right way for deploying digital technology,
More about the News:
- Developing DPI will include platforms such as Aadhaar, United Payments Interface (UPI), DigiLocker, and DPI in agriculture, education and finance.
- Also, at the G7 meeting of health ministers, India proposed convergence of all digital initiatives through a “global initiative on digital health” to be housed at the WHO
Benefits of DPI:
- Aadhaar enables the direct transfer of social safety net payments, reducing leakages and corruption
- Digital payments expanded smaller merchants’ customer base and improved access to financial services.
- Digitalization formalized the economy, with nearly 9 million new GST taxpayers CoWIN platform scaled India’s vaccine delivery services.
Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE)
Source: PIB
Context: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has established the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) to centralize the process of striking off companies from the MCA Register.
What is striking off?
Striking off companies from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) Register means removing defunct, non-operational, or dissolved companies from the official database.
About C-PACE
C-PACE (founded: March 2023; HQ: at the office of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) in Gurgaon) aims to ensure a clean registry, provides hassle-free filing and timely, process-bound striking off of company names from the Register.
- C-PACE operates through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) and is part of MCA’s efforts to improve the Ease of Doing Business and facilitate company exits.
Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar
Source: PIB
Context: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched the mega campaign ‘Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar’ to promote waste management principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (RRR).
Aim: It aims to instil pro-environmental behavioural changes in daily life in line with the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)
Implementation: The campaign aims to establish RRR Centers where citizens can contribute items like clothes, shoes, books, toys, and plastic for reuse or recycling. The campaign will run for three weeks and will culminate on World Environment Day with a pledge for a clean and sustainable environment.
About Mission LiFE:
| Topic | Details |
| Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) (launched in Oct 2022) is a global movement initiated by India to promote an environmentally conscious lifestyle. | |
| Need | Addressing environmental degradation and climate change at the individual and community level |
| Aim | It aims to replace mindless consumption with mindful utilization and encourages individuals and communities to undertake climate-friendly actions in their daily lives. |
| Approach | Focus on individual behaviours, co-create globally, leverage local cultures |
| Objectives | Promote environmentally conscious lifestyle, nudge individuals to undertake climate-friendly actions, create a global network of Pro-Planet People (P3) |
| India’s track record | The success of the Swachh Bharat Mission and other national schemes |
| Other related initiatives | Glasgow Climate Meet (Cop26), Panchamrit strategy, International Solar Alliance, National Action Plan on Climate Change, National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), National Biofuel Policy |
Saturn’s Moon
Source: The Guardian
Prelims Links:
Q Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? (2014)
| Spacecraft | Purpose | |
| 1. | Cassini-Huygens | Orbiting Venus and transmitting data to the Earth |
| 2. | Messenger | Mapping and investigating the Mercury |
| 3. | Voyager 1 and 2 | Exploring the outer solar system |
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: B
Baobab trees
Source: HT
Context: The Madhya Pradesh government has decided that the forest department cannot grant permission for the translocation of Baobab trees in Dhar, after the protest from Bhil tribes.
- Under the Biodiversity Act, meaning that any commercial use of the trees will require permission from the state biodiversity board.
| Category | Baobab Trees |
| Baobab trees are deciduous trees found in mainland Africa, Madagascar, and Australia. They have barrel-like trunks (5 to 20m in height), can live up to 2,000 years, and are known for their extraordinary longevity.
|
|
| Tree of Life | Baobabs are succulent trees that store water in their trunk, allowing them to produce nutrient-dense fruit in dry seasons; it has pendulous flowers pollinated by bats and bush babies |
| Uses | Provide food, livestock fodder, medicinal compounds, and raw materials. |
| Threat | Since 2005, 9 of the 13 oldest African baobab specimens and 5 of the 6 largest trees have died or suffered a collapse, possibly due to climate change. |
| Bhil Tribe Opposition | The Bhil tribe of Central India opposes the forest department’s decision to uproot baobab trees for commercial use. |
| IUCN Status | Endangered |
| GI Tag | Madhya Pradesh government has applied for a GI tag for Baobabs. |
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