Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IPCC's report
Mains level: Climate change, dire consequences, efforts of mitigation, progress and challenges
Central Idea
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released the synthesis report of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) cycle, which serves as a survival guide for humanity. The report highlights the urgent need for a climate-resilient development model that integrates adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable development for all.
- Human activity is driving global temperature rise, currently at 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, with an estimated trajectory of 2.8°C by 2100.
- While the rate of emissions growth has slowed in the past decade, humanity is estimated to be on a 2.8° C (2.1°-3.4° C range) trajectory by 2100.
- This temperature rise is causing widespread impacts on climatic systems, with greater risks at lower temperatures than previously assessed.
- The IPCC report highlights that by 2019, humanity had already used up 80% of its carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5°C, with developed economies being the biggest contributors.
- The report also notes that existing modelling studies, which are often used to assess emission trajectories, do not explicitly account for questions of equity.
Major implications for limiting warming to 1.5°C rather than 2°C
- Carbon Budget and Temperature Targets:
- The world’s carbon budget for 1.5°C is much lower than for 2°C. Global pathways show that limiting warming to 1.5°C requires a 43% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, while for 2°C it is 21%.
- Even more concerning is that projected CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure already surpass the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C.
- Striving for a 1.5° C target implies deep and immediate reductions in emissions in all sectors and regions, which makes more salient different national circumstances and questions of climate equity and operationalisation of the UNFCCC’s core principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities.
- Climate adaptation itself has limits:
- The report highlights that adaptation itself has limits, which implies that some losses and damages of climate change are inevitable.
- For example, the report finds that some coastal and polar ecosystems have already reached hard limits in their ability to adapt to a changing climate.
Key message of the report
- Climate-resilient development: Urgently adopting climate-resilient development a developmental model that integrates both adaptation and mitigation to advance sustainable development for all.
- Green transition: The report assesses the plethora of technologies and design options, such as solar energy or electric vehicles, that can help countries reduce emissions or become more resilient today at low costs, and in a technically feasible manner.
- Equity and social justice: Prioritising and addressing equity and social justice in transition processes are shown to be key to climate-resilient development.
- Net-zero emissions: To achieve climate-resilient development, the world needs to reach net-zero emissions. This may depend on large-scale carbon dioxide removals, which are challenging to achieve.
Progress and gaps in Climate Response
- Some progress has been made in policies and laws, with the effectiveness of policy tools like carbon markets.
- The report points out that there are gaps between modelled sustainable pathways and what countries have pledged (ambition gaps) as well as substantial gaps between what countries pledge and what they actually do (implementation gaps).
Way ahead
- Policy package: Policy packages that comprehensively address climate objectives can help countries meet short-term economic goals.
- Investment: Delayed action risks locking-in to high carbon infrastructure in this decade, and creating stranded assets and financial instability in the medium term. Therefore, high upfront investments in clean infrastructure are imperative.
- Financing needs to be increased manyfold: Despite sufficient global capital, both adaptation and mitigation financing need to increase many-fold, between three to six times for annual modelled mitigation investments, from 2020 to 2030.
Conclusion
- The IPCC AR6 synthesis report provides a blueprint for sustainable development and presents a sobering account of the present and future damages to ecosystems and vulnerable populations. It is crucial for governments and individuals worldwide to act urgently to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and pursue climate-resilient development.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Judiciary, Family courts, Challenges and Reforms
Central Idea
- Mumbai’s only family court, inundated with divorce applications and family disputes, showcases a range of emotions and highlights the need for additional family courts to better address these complex and sensitive issues.
The Nature of Family Court Cases
- Mostly divorce cases: Common grounds for divorce include domestic violence, adultery, and dowry, but absurd reasons can also be found among the cases.
- Other issues and counselling: Family courts handle not only divorce cases but also maintenance, child custody, and alimony cases, with judges first suggesting counseling for couples seeking to end their marriages.
- Emotional scenes: Family courts witness heightened emotions, such as anger, blame, heartbreak, relief, and joy, as people struggle with the consequences of broken relationships.
- Inequal treatment: Instances of inequality in the judicial system are evident, with influential individuals sometimes receiving preferential treatment.
- Role of technology and empathy: During the COVID-19 pandemic, non-custodial parents sought to maintain contact with their children through video calls.
- For instance: A lactation room was recently inaugurated at the Bandra family court to provide a refuge for women with infants amidst child custody and divorce proceedings.
Why Family courts were established?
- Family courts were established to provide a forum for speedy settlement of family-related disputes, emphasizing non-adversarial conflict resolution and promoting conciliation.
What are the challenges faced by Family courts in India?
- Backlog of cases: One of the most significant challenges faced by family courts in India is the backlog of cases. Family disputes are often complex and require a significant amount of time to resolve, which results in long waiting periods for litigants.
- Lack of infrastructure: Many family courts in India lack adequate infrastructure, such as courtrooms, staff, and equipment, which makes it difficult to manage cases efficiently.
- Shortage of judges: There is a shortage of judges in family courts, leading to delays in the disposal of cases.
- Low awareness: Many people in India are not aware of the role and functions of family courts, which often leads to confusion and delays in the resolution of disputes.
- Socio-cultural factors: In many cases, socio-cultural factors such as patriarchy, gender discrimination, and dowry-related issues pose significant challenges to family courts in India.
- Limited jurisdiction: Family courts in India have limited jurisdiction and can only hear certain types of cases related to family disputes. This can result in some cases being heard by multiple courts, leading to delays and confusion.
The Need for Expansion and Reform in Family Courts: A Case of Mumbai’s family court
- With over 5,000 divorce cases pending in Mumbai’s family court, frivolous applications and counter-applications add to the pendency of cases and negatively impact children.
- The current seven judges at Mumbai’s family court are insufficient to handle the caseload, and the promise of 14 additional family courts in Mumbai, along with one each in Thane and Navi Mumbai, is a much-needed and welcome move.
Conclusion
- Mumbai’s family court reveals the complexity and emotional intensity of family disputes, and the urgent need for additional family courts to better address these sensitive issues. Expanding the number of family courts will help ensure that more families receive the support and resolution they need during these challenging times.
Mains Question
Q. Establish the purpose of Family courts. Discuss the challenges faced by family court in India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: India's Water Vision and various schemes
Mains level: India's Water Vision, Challenges and solutions for Sustainable water use
Central Idea
- India’s Water Vision addresses key water-related challenges, highlights ongoing interventions, and offers recommendations for ensuring sustainability and serving as a model for other countries to achieve clean water and sanitation for all.
India’s Water vision
- India’s Water Vision is a government initiative aimed at providing clean and safe water to all citizens of India.
- It was launched in 2019 and aims to provide water security, improve water use efficiency, and increase the use of recycled water.
- The initiative also focuses on conservation of water resources and promoting sustainable water practices.
- It is a plan announced as part of the Prime Minister’s Vision India @ 2047 initiative.
- Climate change: India’s Water Vision comes at a critical time when the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report confirms the adverse impacts of human-caused climate change on water availability and security, and the UN 2023 Water Conference takes place after a 46-year gap.
- G20 presidency: India’s G20 presidency can set an example for other countries to prioritize water action, leading to a global water action agenda with clear commitments and pledges to accelerate progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 by 2030.
Challenges and Interventions in India’s Water Sector
- Jal Jeevan Mission: The Jal Jeevan Mission has increased tap connections in rural households, but there is a need to ensure reliability and quality of water supply through investments in source sustainability and water quality surveillance for improved social, economic, and public health outcomes.
- Groundwater regulation: Strengthen groundwater governance by making substantial progress in decision-making through groundwater atlas, aquifer mapping, and extensive monitoring. Encourage states like Rajasthan and Punjab to pass bills and fully implement the central government’s model law for regulating groundwater.
- Namami Gange Programme and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation: Focus on pollution abatement and river rejuvenation by improving wastewater management through initiatives like Namami Gange Programme and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation. Realize the potential of treated wastewater for irrigation by strengthening treatment infrastructure and pricing freshwater adequately.
- Per Drop More Crop initiative: Improve water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture by promoting micro-irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler technologies through the Per Drop More Crop initiative. Scale up water-saving technologies through targeted subsidies for small and marginal farmers.
- Atal Bhujal Mission: Engage local communities in water management through programs like Atal Bhujal Mission, which aims to improve groundwater management in water-stressed blocks by involving communities in the preparation of water security plans, ensuring climate resilience.
Recommendations for Ensuring Sustainability of Water Actions
- Ensure sustainable source: Ensure access to safely managed domestic water services by focusing on source sustainability and water quality surveillance, leading to positive social, economic, and public health outcomes.
- Prompt groundwater regulation: Encourage all states to fully implement groundwater regulation laws and take prompt action to address groundwater overexploitation, especially in major groundwater-consuming states.
- Improve wastewater treatment: Strengthen wastewater treatment infrastructure to treat a larger proportion of municipal sewage and ensure that freshwater is adequately priced to promote safe reuse of treated water for irrigation.
- Efficient water use practice: Scale up water-saving technologies in agriculture by providing targeted subsidies to small and marginal farmers, facilitating the adoption of water-efficient practices and potentially saving 20% of currently used irrigation water by 2050.
- Improving community engagement: Support ongoing community engagement in water management by ensuring the development and implementation of annual water security plans, taking corrective action when necessary to ensure water security in vulnerable regions.
Facts for prelims
| Initiative |
Objective |
| Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) |
Ensure piped water supply to every household in the country by 2024 |
| Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY) |
Improve groundwater management in the country |
| Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) |
Provide irrigation facilities to all agricultural lands in the country |
| National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) |
Collect, collate, and disseminate water-related data from various sources |
| National Hydrology Project (NHP) |
Improve the country’s hydrological data management system |
| Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) |
Create awareness about water conservation and promote the judicious use of water |
Conclusion
- India’s Water Vision offers a comprehensive roadmap for addressing water-related challenges and achieving clean water and sanitation for all. By sharing its successes, discussing the sustainability of its initiatives, and offering support to other countries, India can leverage its G20 presidency to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 and serve as a model for global water action.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PLI scheme
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central idea
- The Indian government has given ₹1,645 crore in PLI incentives to electronics manufacturers to bring more of the supply chain to India.
- There is a growing need for semiconductors as they are used in almost all modern electronics.
- Many countries are moving away from China’s dominance in the sector due to supply chain vulnerabilities and geopolitical pressures.
Semiconductor manufacturing in India
- Invest India agency estimates electronics manufacturing to be worth $300 billion by 2025-26.
- While finished product facilities have been growing, fabs for chipsets and displays are rarer.
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is set to announce the first semiconductor manufacturing fab soon.
- Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) suggests India to leverage its strength in the electronics manufacturing value chain.
- Foundry companies require high investments while OSAT generate better margins.
- Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) set-ups take care of less capital-intensive parts of chipmaking and run specialized tests.
- Many chip facilities tend to be captive units of large companies.
Importance of semiconductor manufacturing
- Semiconductor fabrication units turn raw elements like silicon into integrated circuits used in practically all electronic hardware.
- Fabs are highly capital-intensive undertakings costing billions of dollars for large facilities.
- Fabs require a highly reliable and high-quality supply of water, electricity, and insulation from the elements, reflecting the high degree of precision, cost, and capital needed to make sophisticated circuits.
- Countries have spotted strategic value in cornering segments of the value chain for fabs.
- China has pulled ahead of Taiwan last year in terms of global sales from fabs.
- The US passed the CHIPS Act to provide subsidies and investments to manufacturers opening fabs and making semiconductors in the US.
- US also pushed some restrictions and sanctions on the Chinese semiconductor industry.
India’s advantages in semiconductor manufacturing
- India has an advantage in semiconductor manufacturing as a large portion of semiconductor design engineers globally are either Indian or Indian-origin.
- Chipmaking firms such as Intel and NVIDIA have large facilities in India that are already flush with Indian talent working on design problems.
- China is losing control over this advantage in the face of sanctions and an ageing population.
- Experts believes that without a sustainable pipeline of high calibre talent, China’s goals for the semiconductor sector will not be achievable.
Various challenges
- Huge Investments involved: Semiconductor Fabrication facility requires many expensive devices to function. Complex tools and equipment are required to test quality and move silicon from location to location within the ultra-clean confines of the plant.
- Economy of scale: In semiconductor fabrication, a high volume of production is required to be maintain so as to meet the increasing demand of the marketplace, at the same time, a strong financial backing as Indian market is very much uncertain about financial fluctuations.
- Requirement highly skilled labour: Semiconductor fabrication is a multiple-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer made of pure semiconducting material. This actually requires high skills.
- Scarcity of raw materials: From a value-chain perspective, it needs silicon, Germanium & Gallium arsenide and Silicon carbide which are not available in India and needs to be imported.
- Uncertain Indian market: A semiconductor fabrication facility in India cannot independently rely on Indian customers for their entire sales structure. They have to maintain overseas customer base to balance inflections from Indian market due to market trends, government policies etc.
- Disposal of hazardous waste: Many toxic materials are used in the fabrication process such as arsenic, antimony, and phosphorus. Hazardous impact on the environment by the industry may act as an impediment to India’s commitment to mitigate climate change.
Policy initiatives in India
- Make in India:This aims to transform India into a global hub for Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM).
- PLI scheme:In December 2021 the Centre sanctioned ₹76,000 crore under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage the manufacturing of various semiconductor goods within India.
- DLI scheme:It offers financial incentives, design infrastructure support across various stages of development and deployment of semiconductor design for Integrated Circuits (ICs), Chipsets, System on Chips (SoCs), Systems & IP Cores and semiconductor linked design.
- Digital RISC-V (DIR-V) program: It intends to enable the production of microprocessors in India in the upcoming days achieving industry-grade silicon and design wins by December 2023.
- India Semiconductor Mission (ISM):The vision is to build a vibrant semiconductor and display design and innovation ecosystem to enable India’s emergence as a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design
Way forward
To ensure greater resilience in a volatile world, India needs to undertake the following measures to sustain the domestic and global semiconductor demand:
- Policy framework: As foundry setup is highly Capital intensive, it must be supported with a solid long term plan and financial backing. This backing is required from the entrepreneur & the government both.
- Fiscal sustenance: In text of Indian Government as tax holiday, subsidy, zero duty, financial investment etc. will play an important role in promoting the Fab along with the semiconductor industry in India; this will put further pressure on already large Fiscal Deficit.
- Support Infrastructure: World class, sustainable infrastructure, as required by a modern Fab be provided, with swift transportation, large quantity of pure water, uninterrupted electricity, communication, pollutant free environment etc.
Conclusion
- India’s electronic manufacturing incentive programs are geared towards breaking new ground in ambitious plans connected to popular brands such as Apple.
- The Indian government is working to create an ecosystem that will facilitate sustainable growth and fiscal feasibility in the semiconductor industry.
- The electronics value chain must be an international undertaking among like-minded nations with common values to be effective.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CAMPA, IPCC
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Synthesis Report, where the IPCC notes the significance of preserving natural ecosystems to mitigate climate change.
- The report has raised concerns about the ongoing policy of afforestation in India that allows forests to be cut down and replaced elsewhere.
Afforestation in India
- Afforestation has become an increasingly contested policy in India.
- The government has pledged to add “an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5-3 GtCO2e through additional forest and tree cover by 2030”.
Why is CAMPA invoked in the IPCC report?
- India’s Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has been accused of facilitating the destruction of natural ecosystems in exchange for forests to be set up elsewhere.
What is CAMPA?
- CAMPA is a body established by the Indian government in 2002 on the orders of the Supreme Court.
- The purpose of CAMPA is to promote afforestation and regeneration activities as a way of compensating for forest land that has been diverted to non-forest uses, such as for dams, mines, and other development projects.
- The Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 requires project proponents to identify land elsewhere for afforestation and pay for the afforestation exercise.
- The money paid by project proponents is deposited in a fund overseen by CAMPA.
Controversies surrounding CAMPA
- Unutilised fund: The money paid to CAMPA sits in a fund, but most of the fund remained unspent until 2013, leading to criticism of facilitating the destruction of natural ecosystems. In 2006-2012, the fund grew from Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 23,600 crore.
- Threatening endangered landscape: CAMPA also came under fire for funding projects that endangered landscape connectivity and biodiversity corridors.
- Unsustainability of artificial plantation: CAMPA has been accused for planting non-native species or artificial plantations that don’t compensate for the ecosystem loss.
Why is forestation under CAMPA unsustainable?
- Natural ecosystems sequester more carbon: This report highlights the importance of preserving natural ecosystems and reducing the conversion of natural ecosystems to mitigate climate change.
- Renewable energy installation is more sustainable: The IPCC report also found that solar power has more mitigating potential than reducing the conversion of natural ecosystems, and wind power was the third highest.
Conclusion
- Preserving natural ecosystems should be recognized as an essential means to mitigate climate change, and environment impact assessments should include climate costs.
- Policies such as afforestation, ecosystem restoration, and renewable energy must be carefully evaluated to reduce the impact of the climate crisis.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Various provisions for disqualifications of MP/MLAs
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea: A politician has been sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in a 2019 defamation case filed against him for his remarks about the surname of a community. This conviction could lead to his disqualification.
Disqualification of a Lawmaker
Disqualification of a lawmaker is prescribed in three situations-
- Constitutional provisions: First is through Articles 102(1) and 191(1) for disqualification of a member of Parliament and a member of the Legislative Assembly respectively. The grounds here include holding an office of profit, being of unsound mind or insolvent or not having valid citizenship.
- Defection: It is in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for the disqualification of the members on grounds of defection.
- Representation of The People Act (RPA), 1951: It provides for disqualification for conviction in criminal cases.
Disqualification under RPA, 1951
- It provides for disqualification for conviction in criminal cases.
- Section 8 of the RPA deals with disqualification for conviction of offences.
- The provision is aimed at “preventing the criminalisation of politics” and keeping ‘tainted’ lawmakers from contesting elections.
Section 8(3) states: “A person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release.”
Appeal and stay of disqualification
- The disqualification can be reversed if a higher court grants a stay on the conviction or decides the appeal in favour of the convicted lawmaker.
- In a 2018 decision in ‘Lok Prahari v Union of India’, the Supreme Court clarified that the disqualification “will not operate from the date of the stay of conviction by the appellate court.”
- This means that Gandhi’s first appeal would be before the Surat Sessions Court and then before the Gujarat High Court.
Changes in the Law
- Under the RPA, Section 8(4) stated that the disqualification takes effect only “after three months have elapsed” from the date of conviction.
- Within that period, lawmakers could file an appeal against the sentence before the High Court.
- However, in the landmark 2013 ruling in ‘Lily Thomas v Union of India’, the Supreme Court struck down Section 8(4) of the RPA as unconstitutional.
Lily Thomas Verdict
- The Lily Thomas verdict was a landmark judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of India in 2013.
- The verdict struck down a provision in the Representation of the People Act (RPA), which allowed convicted lawmakers to continue in office if they filed an appeal within three months of their conviction.
- The provision, which was part of Section 8(4) of the RPA, had been criticized for allowing convicted politicians to continue to hold public office while their appeals were pending in higher courts, and for contributing to the criminalization of politics in India.The verdict was seen as a major step towards cleaning up Indian politics and ensuring that convicted criminals do not get to occupy public offices.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Guillotine Motion
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea: Amidst the ongoing stalemate in Parliament, some MPs said the government may guillotine the demands for grants and pass the Finance Bill without any discussion in the Lok Sabha.
What is a Guillotine?
- A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading.
- It consists of a large, weighted blade that is raised to the top of a tall, erect frame and released to fall on the neck of a condemned person secured at the bottom of the frame, executing them in a single, clean pass.
- The origin of the exact device as well as the term can be found in France.
- The design of the guillotine was intended to make capital punishment more reliable and less painful in accordance with new Enlightenment ideas of human rights.
Guillotine Motion in Parliament
- In legislative parlance, to “guillotine” means to bunch together and fast-track the passage of financial business.
- It is a fairly common procedural exercise in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session.
- After the Budget is presented, Parliament goes into recess for about three weeks, during which time the House Standing Committees examine Demands for Grants for various Ministries, and prepare reports.
- After Parliament reassembles, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) draws up a schedule for discussions on the Demands for Grants.
- Given the limitation of time, the House cannot take up the expenditure demands of all Ministries; therefore, the BAC identifies some important Ministries for discussion.
- It usually lists Demands for Grants of the Ministries of Home, Defence, External Affairs, Agriculture, Rural Development and Human Resource Development.
Why use such a motion?
- Members utilise the opportunity to discuss the policies and working of Ministries.
- Once the House is done with these debates, the Speaker applies the “guillotine”, and all outstanding demands for grants are put to vote at once.
- This usually happens on the last day earmarked for the discussion on the Budget.
- The intention is to ensure the timely passage of the Finance Bill, marking the completion of the legislative exercise with regard to the Budget.
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