Cleantech, for an inclusive green future in India

Green economy paradigm:

1. It involves adoption of climate action that aligns with the development aspirations of the population and contributes to overall economic growth.
2. It provides an optimistic pathway to align development and environmental outcomes
   • Building a solar park or an e-vehicle charging station shall expand infrastructure aiding the developing economy while also furthering climate action.
   • Similarly, reviving millets helps in improving farm incomes in rain-fed areas while also making agriculture climate resilient. 
3. Cleantech solutions for livelihoods among the rural population.
   1. Solar dryers in Andhra Pradesh converts throwaway tomatoes into sun-dried ones.
   2. The biomass-powered cold storages in Maharashtra helps farmers to sell lemons with increased shelf-life and helps to make a gain of ~3-5 times of that of the original price.
   3. Solar silk reeling machines reducing fatiguing work for the thigh-reelers and gain double their income in Odisha.

Advantages of Green economy Transition:

1. With 120 million farmers and 34 million microenterprises in India’s rural economy, the problem of unreliable electricity access and dependence on expensive and imported diesel can be addressed by cleantech solutions.
   • Helps reduce its diesel imports as they are powered by renewable energy
   • Can avoid the loss of perishable food
   • Provides an investment opportunity of $50 billion for investors and financiers and thus enhances rural livelihood opportunities.
2. Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW): 12 such cleantech solutions have the potential to impact about 16% of the rural population.

Steps to scale up the benefit-utilization of Clean Technology:

1. Existing government programmes supporting livelihoods has to be leveraged. For instance,
   1. PM MUDRA yojana which provides collateral-free loans for microenterprises can provide impetus for adoption of cleantech solutions.
   2. Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PM-FME) scheme that encourages adoption of technology by micro food enterprises, can be used to support technologies such as solar dryer, or solar grain mill among others.
   3. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) can be mobilised for adopting solar refrigerators and dryers for fishing communities.
   4. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund can leverage the adoption of biomass-powered cold storage.
2. Large-scale financing of cleantech solutions is required.
   1. Supporting bankers’ capacity on credit assessment for cleantech as it is a booming field where banks may not be able to make an informed assessment based on past experiences.
   2. Partial guarantees have to be offered by the govt. in the initial stages of the market of cleantech in order to hedge their risks.
   3. Active engagement with financiers to structure loan products to align them with the cash flow scenarios of users.
3.  Multi-actor partnerships have to enabled.
   1. The partnerships shall involve technology innovators, manufacturers, distributors and service providers, financiers, and market-linkage players to create a holistic ecosystem to address problems of,
      1.  Cleantech manufacturers faces challenges of
         • low product awareness among customers
         • High customer acquisition cost as users need to touch and feel these products before adoption
         • Low density of customers for products in a given area.
      2. Users faces challenges of
         • Limited after-sales service
         • Market linkage of the final processed products
   2. Holistic ecosystem to enable cleantech to impact rural livelihoods at scale.

India needs to focus on cleantech for livelihoods and jobs, especially in rural areas to attain an inclusive green future, given its massive ambitions for a clean and green future.

The State of India’s Birds-2023 report

The State of India’s Birds report:

1. The report is an assessment of the distribution range, trends in abundance and conservation status of 942 of India’s 1,200 bird species
2. Carried out by 13 partner organisations, including the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
3. It has been released after a gap of three years.
4. 3 indices are used as parameters for the assessment:
   1. Change in abundanceàlong-term trend (change over 30 years) 
   2. Change in abundanceà current annual trend (change over past seven years)
   3. Distribution range size in India.

The 2023 report:

1. There is a general decline in numbers in most bird species in the country showing either current decline or in the long term.
2. Certain bird species show an increasing trend:
   • Several bird species such as the Indian Peafowl, Rock Pigeon, Asian Koel and House Crow are not only healthy in both abundance and distribution, but showing an “increasing trend”.
3. The Indian Peafowl
   • The Indian Peafowl, India’s national bird has rapidly increased with expansion into habitats where it has never occurred previously like the high Himalayas and the rainforests of the Western Ghats and increased population density.
4. Asian Koel has shown a rapid increase in abundance of 75%, with an annual current increase of 2.7% per year.
5. The House Crow, Rock Pigeon and the Alexandrine Parakeet that has established new populations in several cities.
6. The range size of bird species:
   • 39% bird species is moderate
   • 33% is very large
   • 28% species inhabit a “restricted and very restricted’’ area.
7. Using IUCN standards, the report states on conservation priority as follows;
   • 178 bird species are high conservation priority
   • 323 as moderate priority
   • 441 as low priority. 
8. Bird species which are “specialists’’ (restricted to narrow habitats) are rapidly declining while the “generalist’’ birds (birds that can live in multiple habitat types) are thriving well as a group.
   • Grassland specialists have declined by more than 50%

9. A steep decline of birds that live in a wide variety of open habitats such as open agricultural landscapes and fallow land.
10. Abundance trends of migratory species:
    • Long-distance migrants, such as migratory birds from Eurasia or the Arctic, have declined by more than 50%, followed by short-distance migrants.
    • Shorebirds that breed in the Arctic have declined by 80%.
11. Birds that feed on vertebrates and carrion have declined the most, “suggesting that this food resource either contains harmful pollutants’’.
    • Raptors are one of the most affected species in the country due to agrochemicals.
    • White-rumped Vulture, Indian Vulture, and Red-headed Vulture have suffered the maximum long-term declines (98%, 95%, and 91%, respectively)
12. Worldwide trends of decrease in insect populations have found that birds that feed on invertebrates, including insects, are declining rapidly.
13. Birds endemic to the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot have rapidly declined in India over the past few decades.
    • The Great Grey Shrike has shown a long-term decline of more than 80%.
14. Ducks are also rapidly declining in India:
    • The Baer’s Pochard, Common Pochard, Andaman Teal have been found to be most vulnerable.
15. Riverine sandbar-nesting birds are showing a decline and the causative factors include
    • Widespread pressures on rivers from irrigation schemes
    • Transportation
    • Human disturbance
    • Domestic use
    • Pollution from agricultural and industrial chemicals
    • Variations in the water level
    • Sand mining.
16. Of the large waterbirds, the Glossy Ibis and Black-headed Ibis, The Painted Stork and Spot-billed Pelican have increased dramatically in abundance over the past three decades.
17. The Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, inhabiting widespread thorn and scrub forest, has declined by more than 70% in the past three decades.
18. While half of all bustards worldwide are threatened, the three species that breed in India have been found to be most vulnerable.
    • The Great Indian Bustard
    • The Lesser Florican
    • The Bengal Florican

India’s hidden adversary, Lead poisoning

Lead poisoning:

1. More than half of the children in India (close to 20 crore) have lead levels in their blood >5 micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL) as per 2021 study.
2. WHO:  Any level >5 µg/dL is “a trigger for a thorough review of the ways in which a person is being exposed to lead and for action to reduce or end this exposure”.
3. Children are the most vulnerable to lead poisoning as their developing bodies and brains absorb lead at a higher rate leading to irreversible damage.
4. Even low levels of lead exposure have harmful effects like
   1. Neurological impairments
   2. Learning disabilities and reduced educational attainments
   3. Stunted growth
   4. Organ damage
5. Lead poisoning accounts for a fifth of the learning gap between rich and poor countries.
6. Earlier, the major sources of lead exposure were gasoline, water-pipes, and paints. 
7. Governments across the world have taken robust actions to ensure lead-free products such as removal of lead from gasoline by the US which led to reduction of >90% in mean blood lead concentration from 1976 to 1995.

India’s lead poisoning remains unaddressed:

1. Most of the housing stock and public buildings in India are coated with paints which has high levels of lead. It deteriorates with time and release toxic dust particles into the air.
2. Old water-pipes are not lead-free.
3. Common usage of lead solder in food cans, ayurvedic medicines, and toys increases the chance of exposure to lead.
4. Several occupations such as lead mining, smelting, welding, soldering, and automobile repairing involve working with lead that can potentially affect their family members.
5. Unsound and unregulated recycling of used lead-acid batteries in vehicles due to weak implementation of regulations.

Interventions that are required:

1. Replication of successful models from other countries such as that of Bangladesh’s interventions to prevent lead exposure.
   1. Turmeric adulteration with lead chromate pigment was identified as a primary source of lead exposure in Bangladesh.
   2. Multifaceted interventions such as strong regulations, rapid detection of lead contamination, and consumer education to reduce lead-tainted turmeric was launched between 2017 and 2021.
   3. The efforts enabled reduction of lead in turmeric from 47% to 0% between 2019 to 2021.
   4. The lead in blood levels also dropped to a median of 30% in the affected population.
2. A robust legislative and policy framework has to be drafted that
   1. Clearly defines health and safety standards for manufacturing and recycling of lead-acid batteries, e-waste and other consumer products that contain lead.
   2. Strict enforcement of the legally binding standards on paints and water pipes.
   3. Stringent laws preventing informal recycling and use of lead containing waste.
   4. Strict prohibition of child labour in e-waste picking or metals mining
   5. Restriction of access to toxic sites
3. Strong monitoring and reporting system for lead poisoning. 
   1. Improved capacity for blood lead level testing
   2. Introduction of blood lead level monitoring in household surveys.
   3. Adoption of a country-wide effort to identify lead-contaminated sites.
4. A multi-pronged approach with regulatory reforms and strict enforcement is required.
   1. Prioritisation of cleaning up the contaminated sites, particularly those located near schools and residential areas.
   2. Establishing sustainable waste management practices and electronic waste recycling programmes
   3. effective coordination and collaboration mechanism between government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and international technical partners is imperative.
5.  Well-targeted public awareness programmes have to be rolled out.
   1. Awareness on dangers and sources of lead exposure to key stakeholders such as parents and caregivers, schools, youth associations, community leaders and healthcare workers.
   2. Emphasis on educating workers and owners of lead-related industries, especially battery and electronic waste recyclers.

The control of lead contamination can provide high return on investment such as improved health, increased productivity, higher IQs, reduced violence, and a brighter future for children of the nation.

At G20, agreeing to agree

Why in the news?

With the leaders’ meeting approaching at the G20, India has its proposal for arriving at a convergence to address the most-pressing global problems.

Probable areas of convergence:

1. India’s proposal on LiFE, adopting a lifestyle that protects the environment
2. Sharing of digital public infrastructure
3. Emerging and developing economies (EMDEs) tend to emphasise development financing for reaching SDG goals
4. Advanced economies (AEs) emphasise the creation of global public goods (GPGs) particularly for the mitigation of climate change risk.

Reasons for coming together in the G20 agreement:

1. There is large overlap between SDGs and GPGs proposed by the EMDEs and AEs as it includes,
   1. Flood resistant drainage systems in cities
   2. smart green infrastructure
   3. better air quality that improves health and development goals
   4. reduce distress migration to AEs
2. Using public funds by AEs to leverage private lending in EMDEs rather than compensating them for all the carbon AEs have put in the atmosphere.
   1. As AEs assume that they have less to spare after spending on the pandemic and the Ukraine war effort.
   2. Current estimates of requirements for EMDE mitigation financing stand at $4 trillion pa till 2030, but the $100bn pa promised has itself been not delivered.
   3. Since private finance finds EMDEs risky, public funds can play an essential role in de-risking lending to EMDEs and reducing its cost through
      1. the Multilateral Development Bank system and local development finance institutions
      2. Blended investment programmes that combine public, philanthropic, institutional and private investors with optimal allocation of risk to each
      3. Financial innovations such as hybrid and first loss funds.
   4. AE spending boost their own economies since using public funds to leverage private lending could create opportunities for their own companies.
3. The effects of climate change are becoming more visible in the forms of unprecedented heat waves, fires and floods are affecting so many countries regardless of location. Therefore, creation of public goods that benefit all countries, and to which each contributes has become a necessity.

India-Greece Relationship

Why in the News?

India and Greece recently agreed to upgrade their bilateral ties to the level of strategic partnership.

News in detail:

1. Collaboration in the field of defence industry and military links.
2. Conclude an agreement on migration mobility to
   1. Smoothen movement of skilled population of both sides.
   2. Promote cultural and academic exchanges between educational institutions
   3. Increase people-to-people contacts
3. Commitment to freedom of navigation given that concerns exist both in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific region. Greece has maritime dispute with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
4. Expansion of cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, education, new and emerging technology, and skill development.
5. Decision to have an institutional platform for dialogue at the level of National Security Advisors.

India-Greece Bilateral Relations:

Both countries share a common commitment to democracy, peace and development in the world and to a social system filled with principles of justice and equality.

Historical Linkages:

1. Trading between the Mauryan Kings and Greece has been proved by coinage and writings.
2. In 326 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the North-Western part of the Indian subcontinent.
3. Megasthenes, the Greek Ambassador was mentioned in the accounts of Chanakya, in Chandragupta’s Court records in Arthashastra.
4. Gandhara art is believed to be a fusion of Indian and Greek influences.

Political relations:

1. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1950.
2. When India’s conducted its nuclear tests in 1998, most Western countries-imposed sanctions against India but the Greek Defence Minister visited India and signed a MOU on Defence Cooperation.
3. Greece has time and again respected India’s sovereignty and declined to interfere in its internal matters such as Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)/National Register of Citizenship (NRC), Abrogation of Article 370, Reorganization of new Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
4. Greece has extended full support to India’s quest for a Permanent Seat in an expanded UNSC.
5. Greece has supported India at the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group, MTCR, WASSENAAR arrangements and Australia Group.

Defence Cooperation:

1. Goodwill visits to Greece by ships of Indian Navy.
2. Passex excercise was undertaken by the Navy ships of both the countries in 2017.
3. The Air Force exercise of Greece ‘Iniochos 2021’, 6 countries participated: France, UAE, Spain, Israel, United States and Canada and India was the only country to be invited as an observer.

Economic, Commerce and trade:

1. Greece invited Indian companies to participate in Greece’s growth in the post-economic crisis period.
2. India-Greece Business Forum: It reflected the strong interest of the business communities of both countries to forge commercial partnerships.

Science & Technology:

1. Agreement on Science & Technology was signed between the two countries in 2007 and ratified by both later. It included cooperation in the areas of:
   1. Joint research and technological development projects
   2. Exchange of scientists, researchers and technical experts
   3. Exchange of scientific and technological information
   4. Joint use of research and development facilities and scientific equipment
   5. Organization/participation in meetings / conferences and other forms of cooperation mutually agreed upon.
2. Executive Programme (2010-2013) was signed between two nations for cooperation in the areas of Information and Communication Technology, Nanotechnology, Life Science and Biomedical Science, Seismology and Geodynamics.

Indian Community:

1. As per 2011 census data, 11,333 which includes a few thousand Indians without proper documents are living in the Greece.
2. They mainly hail from Punjab and largely Sikhs.
3. Most Indians are farm, factory or construction workers or petty shop-keepers.

Covid-19 related:

1. Greece imported emergency medicine of five tons of hydroxychloroquine in its fight against Covid-19 in 2020.
2. When the Covid cases spiked in India, the Greek Government donated 90 Oxygen Cylinders with total capacity of 440 litres and some medical protection devices (Mask, Gloves etc.) to India, through EU.

The new discourse of the Global South

Why in the News?

The BRICS nations have emphasized on the construct of “Global South” as PM Modi emphasized that the former can act as a platform “for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South”.

The new discourse of Global South:

Dividing lines between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ nations are blurring.

1. The WTO doesn’t have any definitions for “developed” and “developing” countries and members can announce for themselves whether they are ‘developed’ or ‘developing’ countries, which can be challenged by other members.
2. The United Nations doesn’t any clear definition yet, it has categorised entire Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand as the “developed world”, and the remaining 150 plus countries as “developing”.
3. Bill and Melinda Gates have claimed that the terms ‘developing countries’ and ‘developed countries’ have outlived their usefulness” and there will be almost no poor countries left in the world by 2035.
4. Developing Countries have attained a better position
   • Many poor countries in Africa have become self-sufficient in several areas over decades.
   • Turkey described as the “sick man of Europe” has impressive HDI performance better than its neighbouring countries.
5. Some Developed countries are in declining phases
   • Germany’s economy is declining prompting some analysts to call Europe’s best performing nation the new “sick man of Europe”.
   • Germany is currently marked by high inflation rates, growing unemployment and low demand for industrial production exports.
6. Misnomer classification
   • Latvia with a total GDP of $30 billion is called a “developed” country because its 2 million-strong population makes its per capita GDP to $34,000.
   • India with > 125 times bigger GDP of $3.75 trillion is still considered a “developing” country because its huge population of 1.4 billion bringing down the per capita GDP to just about $2,700.
   • Investment company Morgan Stanley has predicted that Indian economy is set to reach the $8 trillion mark by 2031 and register a GDP per capita of over $5,200.

Cultural issues, more than economic ones, distinguish Global South from Global North.

• In economic front, many developing nations like that of India and China are outperforming the classified ‘developed countries’ in terms of technology to economy to space.

MCQ:

Consider the following statements:

Statement 1: The World Trade Organisation spelts out criteria/definition for classification of developed and developing countries.

Statement 2: If a country is announced as a developed or developing country, other members can challenge the decision.

Which among the following options are correct?

1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Ans: d)

Explanation:

The World Trade Organisation doesn’t specify any criteria/definition for classification of developed and developing countries. Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect.

If a country is announced as a developed or developing country, other members can challenge the decision. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The House Crow

1. The house crow (Corvus splendens), also known as the Indian, greynecked, Ceylon or Colombo crow, is a common bird of the crow family that is of Asian origin.
2. Its size ranges in size  of 40 cm (16 in) in length.
3. It has a widespread distribution in southern Asia, being native to Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Laccadive Islands, southern Myanmar, south Thailand, and coastal southern Iran
4. Due to a human population explosion in the areas, it inhabits, this species has also proportionately multiplied as it is an omnivorous scavenger.
5. It is an invasive species with invasive potential for the species is great all over the tropics.
6.  In 2016, house crow was added to the List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern
7. They appear to be associated with humans, and no populations are known to exist independently of humans.
8. Large trees with big crowns are preferred for nesting.
9. It is suspected that paramyxoviruses, such as PMV 1 that causes of Newcastle disease in India were often preceded by mortality in crows.

India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC), 2022:

1. It was launched to reward the cities, projects and innovative ideas promoting smart development in cities as an outcome of Smart Cities Mission, which was launched in 2015 to transform 100 cities into sustainable and livable urban centres.
2. The awards are announced by The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
3. The Contest, launched in April last year received 845 nominations from 80 smart cities across the country
4. Indore (Madhya Pradesh) has emerged as the best Smart City in India for the 4^th consecutive term for its initiatives in urban mobility, solid waste management, water supply, sanitation, citizen engagement, social welfare and urban governance.
5. Indore was followed by Surat (Gujarat) and Agra (Uttar Pradesh).
6. Madhya Pradesh topped as the state for exemplary performance in the Smart Cities Mission with four of its cities - Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur - winning awards in various categories.
7. Tamil Nadu was ranked 2^nd, followed by Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh jointly sharing the 3^rd rank.
8. award for the best Union Territory was topped by Chandigarh for its exceptional performance in urban planning, green mobility, e-governance, smart education and health care.
9. The winners were selected by an independent jury panel comprising experts from various fields related to urban development under 6 categories:
   1. Social Aspects
   2. Governance
   3. Culture and Economy
   4. Urban Environment
   5. Transportation and Mobility
   6. Water and Sanitation. 

Chabahar port

1. India and Iran have agreed that disputes at Chabahar will not go for commercial arbitration in foreign courts but take investment arbitration or any other mode of dispute settlement.
2. The arbitration will be pursued under rules framed by the UN Commission on International Trade Law
3. This shall enable long-term agreement and boost investor confidence in Chabahar.
4. Thus, it has dropped the the clause for arbitration in foreign courts concerning the Chabahar port.
5. Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. 
6. It serves as Iran's only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti.
7.  In May 2016, India and Iran signed a bilateral agreement to develop Chabahar port as it partly intended to provide an alternative for trade between India and Afghanistan
8. Sanctions against Iran led to reduction in India's involvement and investment in the US$1.6 billion Chabahar–Zahedan railway.
9.  it has been termed the "Golden Gate" to these landlocked countries of Central Asian such as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and others,