Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Government schemes and Initiatives; AMRUT;
Mains level: Challenges in Rural-Urban Area;
Why in the News?
India is currently experiencing an urban transformation due to significant demographic shifts and increasing infrastructure needs. To effectively address these challenges, it must adopt a holistic urban-rural continuum approach.
Issue of Over-Centralisation of Finances:
- Over Financial Centralisation: Recent times have seen an over-centralization of finances, which has negatively impacted financial decentralization and autonomy for local bodies.
- The 13th Finance Commission highlighted that local bodies are being “asphyxiated” due to this centralization.
- Tied vs. Untied Grants: Local bodies face financial constraints because grants are often tied to centrally sponsored schemes.
- The rise in property tax needs to match the rise in State Goods and Services Tax to avoid losing tied grants, which have increased relative to untied grants over the years.
- Programmatic Limitations: Flagship programmes like the Swachh Bharat Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) fail to address the urban-rural continuum effectively.
- Urban-Rural Continuum Challenge: Infrastructure funding for areas like sewage treatment plants often excludes contiguous urban villages and census towns, which are integral parts of the broader urban ecosystem.
Initiatives taken by the Government:
- AMRUT: It aims to improve urban infrastructure for liquid waste management, but its scope initially covered only statutory towns, now extended to all statutory towns.
- Swachh Bharat Mission 1.0: It focuses on making urban India garbage-free and managing solid and liquid waste.
- Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0: The mission aims to extend beyond open defecation-free status to sustainable waste management in urban areas and solid and liquid waste management in rural areas.
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Governance models needs to be revisited:
- 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments: District Planning Committees, including Zila Panchayats and urban local bodies, need to be empowered to address the urban-rural continuum effectively.
- Strengthening District Planning Committees: Currently, District Planning Committees are often subordinate to the district bureaucracy. Strengthening these committees can better integrate urban and rural planning and improve governance.
- Integrated Planning: The current approach to separate urban and rural local bodies needs updating. Given India’s rapid urbanisation, there is a need for integrated and joint planning to address the blurring lines between urban and rural areas effectively.
- Collaborative Infrastructure Planning: Solid waste management and other infrastructure projects could benefit from collaborative planning at the district or regional levels, rather than being implemented in a compartmentalised manner.
Way forward:
- Enhance Financial Decentralisation and Flexibility: Reform financial mechanisms to reduce centralisation, provide greater autonomy to local bodies, and ensure grants are more flexible, allowing for better alignment of local needs with urban-rural continuum challenges.
- Strengthen Integrated Planning Frameworks: Revise governance models to empower District Planning Committees for more cohesive urban-rural planning, and promote collaborative infrastructure development across district and regional levels to address the interconnectedness of urban and rural areas.
Mains PYQ:
Q What are ‘Smart Cities’? examine their relevance for urban development in India. Will it increase rural-urban differences? Give arguments for ‘Smart Villages’ in the light of PURA and RURBAN Mission. (UPSC IAS/2016)
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: District Mineral Foundation (DMF);
Mains level: Significance and Scope of DMF;
Why in the News?
The Indian government’s Mines and Minerals Act of 2015, which mandated auctions and established the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), continues to ensure local communities benefit from natural resource-led development.
- DMF after entering its 10th year has amassed almost ₹1 lakh crore, transforming mineral wealth into a development lifeline for these regions.
How did the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) work in India?
- The DMF mandates mining licensees and leaseholders to contribute a portion of their royalty payments to the DMF. The ‘National DMF Portal’ has been introduced to enhance transparency and efficiency.
- It aims to promote sustainable development and welfare for mining-affected communities.
- A District Collector leads the DMF, ensuring that funds are allocated to areas with the greatest need.
- Funds are used for decentralized, community-centric development projects in mining districts.
- As of 2024, around 3 lakh projects have been sanctioned across 645 districts in 23 states. These initiatives focus on improving socio-economic and human development indicators.
About Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY):
- Objective: Launched under the DMF, PMKKKY focuses on implementing developmental and welfare projects in mining-affected regions.
- It aims to minimise the negative impacts of mining on local communities and ensure sustainable livelihoods.
- Complementary Approach: PMKKKY works alongside existing state and central government schemes, reinforcing district development goals.
- PMKKKY projects cover healthcare, education, skill development, sanitation, water supply, and sustainable livelihoods.
- It has also empowered women through self-help groups and supported youth skill development initiatives like drone technology training.
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Significance and Scope of DMF in India:
- Community Welfare: DMFs provide direct financial resources for the welfare of communities affected by mining activities, transforming mineral wealth into tangible social benefits.
- Inclusive Development: DMFs empower local communities, with focus on social inclusivity by involving elected representatives and non-elected gram sabha members in governance structures.
- Cooperative Federalism: DMFs are a model of cooperative federalism, converging national, state, and local governance to address mining impacts and foster regional development.
- Innovation and Planning: Various DMFs innovate to maximise project impact, adopting three-year plans for goal-oriented development, establishing dedicated engineering departments, and employing Public Works Department personnel for efficient project execution.
- Sustainability: DMFs aim to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on forest dwellers’ livelihoods, sports infrastructure, and health. They contribute to long-term environmental and socio-economic sustainability.
Way Forward:
- Standardisation and Best Practices: Establish uniform guidelines to standardise successful practices across DMFs while retaining local knowledge, ensuring efficient implementation of long-term, goal-oriented projects.
- Enhanced Integration with National Schemes: Strengthen the integration of DMF activities with ongoing central and state schemes, particularly in aspirational districts, to amplify the socio-economic and environmental benefits in mining-affected regions.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Glacier Retreat;
Mains level: Climate Change; Impact of Glacier Retreat;
Why in the News?
The retreat of glaciers is one of the most visible indicators of climate change, but it also creates new ecosystems that could play a role in mitigating its effects, according to a global study titled ‘The Development of Terrestrial Ecosystems Emerging After Glacier Retreat’ published in “Nature”.
How are Glaciers Formed?
- Glaciers form when snowfall accumulates over time in a particular area where temperatures are consistently cold enough for snow to remain year-round.
- Over the years, the weight of accumulating snow compresses the lower layers, turning them into firn (a dense snowpack). Further compression transforms firn into ice.
- Once thick enough, glaciers begin to move under the force of gravity, flowing slowly like rivers of ice. The glacier’s movement is driven by the internal deformation of the ice and sliding at its base, leading to the formation of crevasses and other glacial features.
What is Glacier Retreat?
- Glacier retreat refers to the process where glaciers lose mass due to melting and insufficient snowfall to replenish their ice. This phenomenon is accelerated by climate change, leading to rising sea levels and altered water supplies.
- As global temperatures rise, glaciers shrink more rapidly, which impacts ecosystems and human communities that rely on glacial meltwater for drinking, agriculture, and hydropower.
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Key Highlights of the Recent Study
The recent study titled “The Development of Terrestrial Ecosystems Emerging After Glacier Retreat,” published in Nature, presents several significant findings:
- Ecosystem Development: The study indicates that while glacier retreat is a clear sign of climate change, it also leads to the emergence of new ecosystems that can mitigate climate change effects because of it can enhance carbon capture and storage through biogeochemical processes.
- Microbial Colonization: Following glacier retreat, microorganisms such as bacteria and algae are the first to colonize the barren landscapes, which helps in soil formation.
- Within a decade, hardy plants like lichens and grasses establish themselves, further enriching the soil and enabling more complex life forms to thrive.
- Management Importance: The study emphasizes that with appropriate strategies to manage it because, these areas can quickly develop, providing habitats for species threatened by climate change and contributing to biodiversity conservation.
- Water Regulation: In regions like the Himalayas, post-glacial ecosystems are vital for regulating water availability, impacting rivers that support millions of people.
- Potential for Discoveries: The biodiversity in these areas may lead to new agricultural and medicinal discoveries, highlighting the ecological benefits of protecting and studying these ecosystems
Way forward:
- Ecosystem Management: Implement strategies for managing emerging post-glacial ecosystems to enhance their carbon capture potential and biodiversity conservation, supporting climate change mitigation efforts.
- Research and Conservation: Prioritize research on these ecosystems, particularly in regions like the Himalayas, to safeguard water resources and explore potential agricultural and medicinal discoveries, benefiting both the environment and local economies.
Mains PYQ:
Q Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent. (UPSC IAS/2014)
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Typhoon Yagi
Why in the News?
India has launched Operation Sadbhav to provide humanitarian assistance to Southeast Asian countries affected by Typhoon Yagi, including Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.
Typhoon Yagi: Origin and Impact
- Typhoon Yagi began as a tropical storm in the western Philippine Sea on September 1, 2024.
- Yagi, which means goat or the constellation of Capricornus in Japanese.
- It made landfall in the Philippines but intensified again due to warm waters in the South China Sea, reaching Category 3 winds by September 4.
- Yagi further strengthened to a Category 5 typhoon with peak winds of 260 kmph, making it one of only four Category 5 storms recorded in the South China Sea.
- Although downgraded to a tropical depression, it continued to bring heavy rains and floods to Myanmar and other areas.
What are Typhoons?
- A Typhoon is a type of tropical cyclone that forms in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, particularly affecting East Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Oceania.
- They are characterized by strong winds, heavy rain, and can cause severe flooding, storm surges, and damage to infrastructure.
Key Features of Typhoons:
- Formation Region: Typhoons form in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, primarily between 100°E and 180°E.
- Wind Speed: To be classified as a typhoon, sustained winds must exceed 119 km/h.
- Structure: Like hurricanes, typhoons have a central eye (calm area) surrounded by a violent eyewall where the strongest winds and heaviest rains occur.
- Season: Typhoons typically occur from May to October, with a peak from August to September.
Global Terminology:
- Typhoon: Northwest Pacific Ocean.
- Hurricane: North Atlantic, Central and Eastern North Pacific Oceans.
- Cyclone: South Pacific and Indian Ocean.
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PYQ:
[2020] Consider the following statements:
1. Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only.
2. Only some cyclones develop an eye.
3. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10ºC lesser than that of the surroundings.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1 and 3 only |
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Jute Board (NJB)
Why in the News?
- Jute production is expected to decline by 20% this financial year, as per the National Jute Board.
- Jute cultivation in West Bengal and Assam was severely affected by natural calamities, including floods, damaging crops in some areas.
About National Jute Board (NJB)
- The NJB was established in 2008 under the National Jute Board Act, 2008 (w.e.f. 2010), and operates under the Ministry of Textiles.
- Its primary objective is to promote the development of the jute sector by supporting modernization, productivity enhancement, and domestic as well as international marketing of jute products.
- It implements various initiatives, such as Jute-ICARE, aimed at improving jute cultivation practices, and promotes Jute Geotextiles for infrastructure projects.
- HQ: Kolkata (West Bengal)
- NJB implements the Jute Technology Mission (JTM) aimed at improving the productivity, quality, and diversification of jute products.
- JTM 2.0 presently focuses on further enhancing the productivity, quality, and diversification of jute.
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About the Jute Industry in India
- Jute, often referred to as the ‘golden fibre’, is considered safe for packaging due to its natural, renewable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly properties.
- The Jute Industry in India is over 150 years old, with approximately 93 jute mills currently in operation, as per the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA).
- India’s first jute mill was established in 1854 at Rishira, near Kolkata.
- However, after independence, India faced challenges as the jute-growing areas remained in Bangladesh while the jute factories were located in India.
- The jute industry is a vital sector in East India, particularly in West Bengal.
- It supports about 40 lakh agricultural families, employing 1.4 lakh people in the tertiary sector and 2.6 lakh in manufacturing.
- India is the largest producer of jute, followed by Bangladesh and China. However, Bangladesh leads in global jute trade, accounting for 75% of exports, while India accounts for 7%.
Jute Cultivation in India
- Jute cultivation is mainly concentrated in 3 Indian states: West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar which together produce 99% of the country’s jute.
- Conditions Required:
- Temperature: 25-35°C
- Rainfall: 150-250 cm
- Soil Type: Well-drained alluvial soil
- This is due to the rich alluvial soil in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta.
- Jute is versatile and used to produce gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets, and various artefacts.
- Jute seeds are planted between April and May and harvested between July and August.
- The leaves can be sold in vegetable markets for nearly two months of the four-month jute crop cycle.
- The tall, hardy grass shoots up to 2.5 metres and each part of it has several uses.
- The outer layer of the stem produces the fibre that goes into making jute products.
- The government fixes the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute procurement from farmers.
PYQ:
[2020] “The crop is subtropical. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimetres of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop.” Which one of the following is that crop?
(a) Cotton
(b) Jute
(c) Sugarcane
(d) Tea |
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Central Pollution Control Board, NGT
Why in the News?
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to submit a fresh report on the generation and treatment of electronic waste by states and Union territories (UTs).
About Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
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Details |
| Constitution |
Established in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. |
| Additional Powers |
- Empowered under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
- Also works under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
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| Nodal Ministry |
Functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. |
| Main Objective |
- To promote the prevention, control, and abatement of water and air pollution across India.
- Collects and disseminates technical and statistical data on water and air pollution.
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| Key Programs |
- National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP)
- National Water Quality Monitoring Program (NWQMP)
- Oversees the National Air Quality Index (NAQI) to provide real-time data on air quality.
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| Initiatives |
- Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
- Clean Air Campaign
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PYQ:
[2018] How is the National Green Tribunal (NGT) different from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)?
1. The NGT has been established by an Act whereas the CPCB has been created by an executive order of the Government.
2. The NGT provides environmental justice and helps reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts whereas the CPCB promotes cleanliness of streams and wells and aims to improve the quality of air in the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct-?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Edible Oil Trade in India
Why in the News?
- India has increased the basic import tax on crude and refined edible oils by 20% to protect domestic farmers suffering from low oilseed prices.
- The move could push up edible oil prices, reduce demand, and potentially lower imports of palm oil, soyoil, and sunflower oil.
Edible Oil Scenario in India
- India imports more than 70% of its vegetable oil demand, mainly sourcing:
- Palm oil from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, and
- Soyoil and sunflower oil from Argentina, Brazil, Russia, and Ukraine.
- Palm oil constitutes over 50% of India’s edible oil imports.
NITI Aayog Report on Edible Oil Self-sufficiency: Key Highlights
NITI Aayog, along with the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders, released a report titled “Pathways and Strategies for Accelerating Growth in Edible Oils Towards the Goal of Atmanirbharta.”
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Details |
| Consumption Details |
India consumes 19.7 kg/year per capita edible oil, with 16.5 million tonnes of imports in 2022-23; only 40-45% of demand met through domestic production. |
| Projections |
- Domestic production could reach 16 MT by 2030
- 26.7 MT by 2047 under Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario
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| Strategic Interventions |
- Crop Retention and Diversification
- Horizontal Expansion (increase cultivation area)
- Vertical Expansion (improve yield through technology)
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| Self-sufficiency Targets |
- Edible oil production of 36.2 MT by 2030
- 70.2 MT by 2047
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| Key Recommendations |
Focus on seed quality, modern processing infrastructure, and public-private partnerships for growth |
| PYQ:
[2018] Consider the following statements
1. The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years.
2. The Government does not impose any customs duty on all imported edible oils a special case.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
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