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: Social empowerment
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
The discusses the issue of reservations for the Maratha community in government jobs in India.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about causes for demand for reservation by dominant communities and its impact.
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 context.
Body:
First, write about the various historical, economic, and political factors that fuelled the demand for reservation by dominant communities in India.
Next, write about the impact of the above – resource allocation, social harmony, and economic efficiency etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing way forward to strike balance between addressing historical injustices and promoting a fair and competitive society.
Introduction
The demand for reservations by dominant communities in India is a complex issue that arises from various historical, social, and political factors. Dominant communities, often referred to as forward or upper castes, have sought reservations in education and employment to address perceived grievances and to ensure equitable access to opportunities.
Body
Context and background
- Legacy of Caste-Based Discrimination: India has a deeply entrenched caste system that historically led to discrimination and marginalization of certain communities, especially those considered ‘lower’ castes. The reservation policy was initially introduced to uplift these marginalized groups.
- Social Justice and Inclusion: The reservation policy was envisioned as a means to rectify historical injustices and promote social inclusion by providing affirmative action for historically disadvantaged groups.
Reasons for demand of reservation by dominant communities
- Economic Disparities: Over time, some dominant communities have argued that economic disparities exist within their ranks. Factors such as declining agricultural opportunities, lack of access to quality education, and urban-rural divides have contributed to this perception.
- Example: In states like Tamil Nadu, dominant communities like the Vanniyars have raised concerns about economic disparities within their community. They argue that despite being classified as a forward caste, a significant portion of the community still faces economic challenges, particularly in rural areas where agricultural opportunities are limited.
- Educational Competition: With increasing competition for limited seats in educational institutions and job opportunities, dominant communities may feel disadvantaged, especially in sectors where reservations are prevalent.
- Eg: In states where reservations are prevalent, like Maharashtra, dominant communities such as the Marathas have expressed concerns about increased competition for seats in educational institutions.
- Political Representation: Dominant communities may seek political representation in legislatures and local bodies, arguing that their voices are not adequately represented, particularly in regions where they form a significant portion of the population.
Implication of reservation in the context of dominant caste
- Social Cohesion and Equity: Reservations have played a crucial role in promoting social justice and inclusivity by providing historically marginalized groups with access to education, employment, and political representation.
- But dominant caste reservation may go against the very idea of reservation for the marginalized communities. It may create fault lines in the society based on caste while we are striving for cohesion and equity.
- Redistribution of Opportunities: Reservations aim to redistribute opportunities, but they can also lead to increased competition among various groups, potentially leading to tensions and conflicts.
- Challenges to Meritocracy: Critics argue that reservations may sometimes conflict with the principle of meritocracy, as candidates from reserved categories may secure positions with lower test scores compared to unreserved candidates.
- Economic Productivity and Growth: There are concerns that reservations might not always align with economic efficiency, and in certain sectors, it could impact productivity and growth.
- Eg: There is significant brain drain happening from the country due to reservation system. The breach of 50% is against Constitution.
- Need for Comprehensive Policies: It is important to supplement reservation policies with broader socioeconomic development initiatives to address underlying issues of poverty, education, and healthcare that affect all communities.
- Reservation cannot go on indefinitely and the government and judiciary must ensure that uplifting people must be done by other support measures so that the most marginalized benefit from the affirmative actions.
Conclusion
As societal and economic dynamics evolve, it is imperative to reevaluate and adapt reservation policies to ensure that they continue to serve their intended purpose of promoting social justice and inclusivity, while also considering the changing needs and aspirations of all communities in India. Balancing the interests of various groups is a complex challenge that requires thoughtful policy-making and a commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable society.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Role of civil services in a democracy.
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article discusses the “Vision India@2047” plan and its importance.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the importance of governance reforms that are needed to achieve Vision India@2047.
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:
Begin by writing aims of Vision India@2047 plan.
Body:
First write about the various issues in Governance -provision of public goods and services, Economic policy improvement and implementation, fiscal sustainability, institutional development etc. Cite examples to substantiate.
Next, mention the various reforms that are needed – implementation of policies, facilitate resource management, promote transparency, and prioritize the well-being of citizens.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
In early 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to unveil a road map to transform the country into a developed nation with a $30 trillion economy by the time it completes 100 years of Independence. The Vision India@2047 plan, as it is officially named, has been in the works for nearly two years with officials across ministries brainstorming on how to take the country from its current level of development to where it aspires to be.
Body
Issues in governance
- Lack of basic goods and services: Access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities remains a challenge in many parts of India. Despite government initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, there are still areas with inadequate access to basic amenities.
- Big bang reforms: The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India faced initial challenges, including technological issues and compliance complexities. However, it represents a significant effort to streamline and simplify the tax structure.
- Fiscal situation: India’s fiscal deficit, which is the excess of total expenditures over total revenues, has been a concern. Striking a balance between stimulating economic growth and maintaining fiscal discipline is an ongoing challenge.
- Pending judicial cases: The Indian judiciary faces issues related to backlog of cases, delays in justice delivery, and the need for judicial reforms. Efforts are underway to enhance the efficiency and capacity of the judicial system.
- Corruption and Accountability: The 2G spectrum allocation scam and the Coalgate scandal were high-profile corruption cases in India. They highlighted the need for greater transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption measures in governance.
- Political Instability and Regional Conflicts: India has faced challenges related to political instability and regional conflicts, such as the longstanding issue of insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, which has implications for national security and stability.
- Eg Manipur violence, Jammu & Kashmir issue and statehood conflict.
- Extreme weather events and management: Air pollution in major Indian cities, especially in Delhi, is a significant environmental issue. The government has implemented measures like the odd-even vehicle scheme and stricter emission norms to address this problem.
- Inequality: Despite progress, India still faces significant disparities in access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities across different states and social groups. Affirmative action policies like reservations aim to promote inclusivity.
- Digital Divide: Bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas remains a challenge. While initiatives like Digital India seek to promote digital inclusion, there are still areas with limited access to technology and the internet.
- Global issues: India’s relationships with neighboring countries, such as Pakistan and China, present geopolitical challenges. Balancing regional interests and maintaining diplomatic relations is crucial for regional stability and economic cooperation.
Governance reforms for vision India@2047
- Public Goods and Services Provision: Strengthening infrastructure and service delivery in areas like healthcare, education, water supply, and sanitation.
- Implementing targeted programs to reach underserved and remote areas.
- Economic Policy Improvement and Implementation: Continuously refining and simplifying tax policies, including GST, to reduce compliance burdens and encourage economic growth.
- Enhancing ease of doing business through streamlined regulations and improved infrastructure.
- Fiscal Sustainability: Rationalizing subsidies and prioritizing spending on critical areas like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
- Implementing measures to increase revenue collection and reduce wasteful expenditure.
- Put a stop to electoral freebies and focus on real development
- Institutional Development: Strengthening the judicial system through measures like increasing the number of judges, leveraging technology for case management, and expediting judicial appointments.
- Corruption and Accountability: Implementing robust anti-corruption measures, including transparent procurement processes and effective whistleblower protection.
- Strengthening investigative agencies and increasing their autonomy.
- Political Stability and Regional Conflicts: Encouraging dialogue and diplomatic efforts to address regional conflicts and promote stability.
- Implementing measures to address grievances and improve governance in conflict-affected areas.
- Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Management: Implementing and enforcing stricter environmental regulations and norms, particularly in high-pollution industries.
- Promoting sustainable resource management practices, including afforestation and water conservation.
- Social Equity and Inclusivity: Expanding and improving the quality of education and healthcare services, particularly in marginalized areas.
- Strengthening affirmative action policies and targeted welfare programs to promote inclusivity.
- Technology and bridging Digital Divide: Expanding access to reliable internet connectivity and digital infrastructure in rural and underserved areas.
- Promoting digital literacy and skills development to ensure broader participation in the digital economy.
- Global Governance and Cooperation: Strengthening diplomatic and strategic partnerships to promote regional stability and economic cooperation.
- Active participation in international forums and organizations to address global challenges.
Conclusion
These reforms require a coordinated effort from various stakeholders, including government, civil society, private sector, and the public. Additionally, they should be implemented with a focus on transparency, accountability, and inclusivity to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability.
Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential;
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
The article discusses the concept of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing and challenges the critics to take a closer look at its merits.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about ESG, its benefits and how to adopt it.
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:
Begin by defining ESG
Body:
First, write about the various features of ESG and the benefits associated with it.
Next, write about the readiness of India to adopt ESG – mention areas which it can and mention areas which it cannot. Also mention how India can adopt ESG and still achieve its developmental objectives.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) describes areas that characterize a sustainable, responsible or ethical investment. It is a generic term used in capital markets and used by investors to evaluate corporate behaviour and to determine the future financial performance of companies.
ESG is a subset of non-financial performance indicators which include sustainable, ethical and corporate governance issues such as managing a company’s carbon footprint and ensuring there are systems in place to ensure accountability.
Body
About ESG
- ESG refers to a class of investing that is also known as “sustainable investing.” This is an umbrella term for investments that seek positive returns and long-term impact on society, the environment, and the performance of the business.
- There are several different categories of sustainable investing.
- They include impact investing, socially responsible investing (SRI), ESG, and values-based investing.
- Another school of thought puts ESG under the umbrella term of SRI. Under SRI are ethical investing, ESG investing, and impact investing.
- Responsible investors evaluate companies using ESG criteria as a framework to screen investments or to assess risks in investment decision-making.
- Environmental factors determine a company’s stewardship of the environment and focus on waste and pollution, resource depletion, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, deforestation, and climate change.
Imperative role of ESG
- ESG offers multifaceted insights into corporate value chains, allowing investors to evaluate the sustainability of their investment opportunities.
- It is for the first time that ESG compliance reporting has become mandatory in India.
- It will help standardize disclosures and ascertain companies’ credibility, encouraging investors to hone their investment decisions.
- Sebi recently constituted an advisory committee on ESG. While it focuses on the enhancement of BRSR, it also proposes developing a parallel approach for employment generation through a stronger ‘S’ factor.
- The parameter aims to look at an enterprise’s relationship and reputation with stakeholders inside and outside a company. It also gives an insight into workers’ welfare.
Conclusion
A green economic transition and the financing needed for ESG should not be elusive buzzwords, but an opportunity that Indian corporates and financiers should act upon right away before climate action regulations start hitting them hard.
Value addition
India’s readiness to adopt ESG model
- Heavy industries like iron and steel can help reduce India’s carbon dioxide exhaust by undertaking incremental capacity expansion through smaller ‘scrap based steel process plants’ (recycling) located near urban centres.
- Once deep decarbonization steel technologies develop on a commercial scale, including green hydrogen from electrolysis of water or blue hydrogen from natural gas (where carbon by-products get captured), polluting entities could choose to make the appropriate technology investments.
- In the energy and commodities space where coal and hydrocarbons are necessities, refining companies that guzzle finance to the tune of $20-40 million for every imported tanker consignment, could do more, given the sheer scale of their operations.
- Business and corporate social responsibility support is needed to promote greener technologies and bring about a large CO2 impact.
- Projects like the afforestation of habitats and revival of lost water bodies need priority.
- Power distribution companies can do their bit to support electric vehicle (EV) usage by upgrading back-end transformer infrastructure and raising the sanctioned loads of connections , which remain as low as 5 KWh, leaving little spare load for quick EV battery charging at most alternative-current plug-in points.
- In the construction industry, rain water harvesting (RWH) systems should be a strict precondition for issuing building plan approvals to reverse groundwater depletion and prevent urban flooding.
- If water-challenged Tamil Nadu could successfully implement mandatory RWH for all buildings across urban and later rural areas in the early 2000s, surely such best practices require replication today in heavy consumption areas across the country.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Difficulty level: Easy.
Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India
Why the question:
The article discusses a leopard combing operation in Bengaluru, India, which ended tragically when the leopard was shot and subsequently died.
Key Demand of the question:
To explain the major causes for rising cases of man-animal conflict, limitations of present strategies and possible solutions for it.
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:
Start with what you understand by Man-Animal conflicts.
Body:
Start by explaining what you understand by man-animal conflicts. Discuss what the main causes of man wildlife conflict are – The cause of human wildlife conflict was human settlement, agricultural expansion, illegal grass collection, over grazing by livestock and deforestation in national park. As a result, local communities disliked wildlife inhabiting in and around their surroundings. human population growth and expansion, habitat degradation and fragmentation, land use transformation and increasing densities of livestock grazing in protected areas are considered as major causes of man-carnivore conflicts.
Write about the various government policies and programmes in this direction and their limitations.
Conclusion:
Conclude with solutions to address the issue.
Introduction
Man-animal conflict is an existential crisis not only for the animals, but for human beings as well with data showing that about one person has been killed every day for the past three years by roaming tigers or rampaging elephants. India is a unique country with respect to wildlife conservation. Despite a billion people we still have most of our large wildlife species. Compared to relatively lower human density countries in south-east Asia, India today has the largest population of the tiger, Asian elephant, leopard, sloth bear, gaur and many others.
Karnataka’s forest department said recently that a leopard that had attacked two people during a combing operation succumbed to injuries after it was shot by an official in the Bengaluru suburb of Singasandra..
Body
Major causes of man animal conflict
- Unsustainable development:
- Tiger reserves, national parks and sanctuaries exist only as islets in a vast sea of human, cattle and unsustainable land use.
- People are increasingly encroaching into the country’s traditional wild spaces and animal sanctuaries, where people compete with wildlife for food and other resources.
- These conflicts have increased as elephants increasingly find their usual corridors blocked by highways, railway tracks and factories
- Urbanisation and growth agendas alter landscape dynamics, which has a cascading effect on the ecological dynamics of wildlife. This results in ecological dislocation of sorts, wherein endangered wild animals like tigers either cause distress or land themselves in trouble
- Failure of government measures:
- ‘Human-Wildlife conflict mitigation’ said most of the measures are dysfunctional, haphazardly implemented and therefore not effective
- Elephants are used to travelling long distances, most of which fall outside the protected areas.
- Wildlife experts claim that territorial animals do not have enough space within reserves and their prey do not have enough fodder to thrive on. This is forcing the wild animals to move out and venture close to human habitation in search of food.
- Primary reason for the increasing human-animal conflicts is the presence of a large number of animals and birds outside the notified protected areas. Wildlife experts estimate that 29 per cent of the tigers in India are outside the protected areas.
- Road kill of wild animals is the new enemy to India’s wildlife
- There is no proper land use planning and management, cumulative impact assessments or wildlife management
- There is no buffer zone between wildlife and human settlements
- Monkeys along with grey langurs have adapted to urban habitats over the years.
- Continued destruction and divergence of forest lands.
Government Initiatives to reduce the man-animal conflicts are:
- Awareness programmesto sensitize the people about the Do’s and Don’ts to minimize conflicts
- Training programmes for forest staffand police to address the problems of human wildlife conflicts
- Approach by wildlife protection act, 1972is that the model of conservation enshrined in is premised on creating human-free zones for the protection of rare species based on the erroneous notion that local people are the prime drivers of wildlife decline. This approach has been successful in protecting certain species, not all species.
- Providing technical and financial supportfor development of necessary infrastructure and support facilities for immobilization of problematic animals.
- Providing LPG to villagers: LPG should be provided to those villagers who frequently go to the forest areas specially wildlife habitats to fetch fuel wood for their chullahs so that they may stop penetrating into forest and stop inviting Man- Animal Conflicts.
- State governments:
- Assistance to state government for construction of boundary walls and solar fences around the sensitive areas to prevent the wild animal attacks
- Supplementing the state government resources for payment of ex gratia to the people for injuries and loss of life in case of wild animal attacks
- Encouraging state government for creation of a network of protected areas and wildlife corridors for conservation of wildlife.
- Eco development activities in villagesaround protected areas to elicit cooperation of local community in management of the protected areas.
- Supporting involvement of the research and academic institutions and leading voluntary organisations having expertise in managing human wildlife conflict situations.
- To control poaching: Poaching of wild animals should be stopped so that the no of wild animals can stabilize at its carrying capacity which would reach equilibrium in the ecosystem and this equilibrium between the numbers of prey animals and predators in the forest ecosystem would be maintained.
- Technology:
- Information technology like radio collars, GPS, satellite uplink facilities are used by research institutions to monitor the movement of wild animals
- Centrally sponsored schemes of project tiger, project elephant and integrated development of wildlife habitats
- Solar Fencing around agriculture fields:Agriculture fields situated near wildlife habitat/forest areas can be protected by stone fencing or solar fencing. Solar fencing has been tried with quite good effect in Wardha District of Maharashtra.
Way Forward:
- Forest corridorslinking protected areas must be maintained where they exist.
- Existing habitats have to be surveyed and improved to provide food for the elephants
- Local communitiesneed to be educated to have reduced stress levels in elephants during conflict mitigation, no fire, no firecracker and no mob crowds.
- There is a need for a monitoring mechanismwhich will record and disperse information on such conflicts
- Experts suggest the other way to reduce the man-animal conflict is to increase the population of wild ungulates, namely hares and the wild boars, both of which are prolific breeders, as a prey for wild carnivores. Separate big enclosures can be made in the jungles to breed them. The excess stock can be released in the jungles at regular intervals for the wild carnivores to prey upon.
- The draft National Forest Policywill be an overarching policy for forest management. Also there is a proposal for National Community Forest Management (CFM) Mission which will be launched soon.
- In order to be truly effective, prevention of human-wildlife conflict has to involve the full scope of society: international organizations, governments, NGOs, communities, consumers and individuals. Solutions are possible, but often they also need to have financial backing for their support and development
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
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-2024 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.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: investopedia.com
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-202 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.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin 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.
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.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.
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.
Join our Official Telegram Channel HERE
Please subscribe to Our podcast channel HERE
Subscribe to our YouTube ChannelHERE
Follow our Twitter Account HERE
Follow our Instagram ID HERE
Follow us on LinkedIn : HERE
