26 Dec 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. A dive into sanitation solutions: processing, managing and treating used water

Syllabus: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation

Mains: Sanitation solutions – processing, managing and treating used water

Context​: Sanitation systems play a crucial role in protecting public health and the environment by managing used water. From on-site solutions like twin pits and septic tanks to centralised sewer networks, these systems are diverse and aim to treat and dispose of or reuse used water efficiently.

Types of Sanitation Systems

• Used water disposal methods vary based on location. In rural areas and spacious urban residences, on-site sanitation systems (OSS) such as twin pits, septic tanks, bio-digester toilets, bio-tanks, and urine diversion dry toilets are common. In densely populated urban areas, underground sewer networks transport used water to treatment facilities.

On-site Sanitation Systems (OSS)

• Twin Pits
  • Two pits alternately used, porous walls for liquid absorption.
  • Faecal sludge collected in pits, left unused for two years for safe reuse.
  • Suitable for various locations, except rocky soils with slow water percolation.
• Septic Tanks
  • Watertight tanks, solids settle at the bottom, scum floats at the top.
  • Clear liquid disposed of in the surrounding soil or a trench.
  • Regular removal of accumulated faecal sludge and scum is required.
• Centralized Sewer Networks
  • Underground pipes collect and convey used water to treatment facilities.
  • Sewers transport sewage to sewage treatment plants (STPs).
  • Machine holes are used for maintenance and blockage removal.
• Treatment Facilities
  • Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs)
  • Mechanical or gravity-based systems.
  • Mechanised systems use equipment like screw presses; gravity-based systems use sand drying beds.
  • Treated solids can be reused in agriculture; treated water reused in landscaping.
• Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)
  • Use physical, biological, and chemical processes to remove pollutants.
  • Primary separation of solids, purification, and disinfection stages.
  • Advanced systems may include membrane filtration for additional treatment.

Significance of Sanitation Systems

• Used water accumulates impurities from domestic and non-domestic uses.
• Impurities include organic matter, nutrients, pathogens, and heavy metals.
• Sanitation systems prevent pollution and public health issues associated with reintroducing impure water into natural environments.

Challenges

• Poorly designed and built systems.
• Unsafe operation and maintenance practices.

Way forward

• Improve design and construction standards.
• Promote safe operation and maintenance practices.
• Ensure universal access to safely managed sanitation services.

Nut Graf: While sanitation systems have significantly improved public health, achieving universal access to safe sanitation remains a challenge.

E. Editorials

Category: ECONOMY

1. Debt debate

Syllabus: GS-3, Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.

Mains: IMF’s Articles of Agreement and Public Debt of India. 

Context: The Indian government has clarified that the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) warning about the debt-to-GDP ratio reaching 100% was presented as a worst-case scenario and not considered a “fait accompli.”

What is IMF’s Articles of Agreement?

• The Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund outline the IMF’s purposes, which include the promotion of international monetary cooperation through a permanent institution that provides the machinery for consultation and collaboration on international monetary problems.
• Under Article IV of the Articles of Agreement, IMF officials conduct annual bilateral discussions with member countries and publish country reports. These reports encompass the IMF’s perspectives on diverse macroeconomic issues, reflecting discussions with the country’s officials regarding economic development and policies.

IMF’s India Report 2023: In this year’s report, IMF has warranted two areas for closer examination.

• India’s currency regime: The IMF has observed that from December 2022 to October 2023, the exchange rate between the rupee and the dollar remained within a very narrow range, with a marginal depreciation of the Indian rupee. This suggests substantial foreign exchange interventions by the Reserve Bank of India, leading to the reclassification of India’s exchange rate regime from “floating” to a “stabilised arrangement” during this period. However, the overall de jure classification has continued to be “floating.”
• Government debt level: The IMF has observed that in the event of adverse shocks, the general government debt level in India is projected to surpass 100% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the medium term (by 2027­-28).

India’s Response:

• India’s currency regime: The Reserve Bank of India has clarified that the IMF staff’s assessment was of a short-term nature and that the data has been selectively used. The RBI maintains that the rupee is market-determined, and foreign exchange interventions were employed solely to curb excessive exchange rate volatility.
• Government debt level: The finance ministry has clarified that the IMF report is based on presumptions and does not accurately reflect the actual positions. 
  • The IMF country report also presents significantly higher extreme ‘worst-case scenarios,’ with debt levels of 160%, 140%, and 200% of GDP projected for the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and China, respectively. 
  • This year’s IMF report indicates that India’s sovereign stress risks are moderate compared to the higher risk level identified in 2022. 
  • Additionally, the IMF report notes that, under favourable circumstances, the debt-to-GDP ratio could decrease to 70% by 2027-28.

India’s Public Debt:

• The combined debt of the central and state governments stood at 81% of GDP in 2022-23, down from 88% in 2020-21.

Nut Graf: The government must curtail debt and expenditure to uphold its commitment to reducing the debt to 4.5% of GDP by 2025-26 from an estimated 5.9% in 2023-24.

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. Global Goal on Adaptation and the Road from Dubai

Syllabus: GS-3, Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

Mains: 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of UNFCC and Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).

Context: The 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted the framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).

Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA)

• The Global Goal on Adaptation represents a collective commitment outlined in Article 7.1 of the Paris Agreement.
• First proposed by the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) in 2013, it aims to enhance the world’s adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
• It involves establishing specific, measurable targets and guidelines for global adaptation actions, along with enhancing adaptation finance and support for developing countries.

Challenges in Achieving Global Goals on Adaptation

• Expected results by 2027: 
  • All parties to the  Global Goals on Adaptation are required to establish multi-hazard early warning systems, climate information services for risk reduction, and systematic observation to enhance climate-related data, information, and services by 2027. However, how these measures will contribute to the advancement of adaptation efforts is not clear.
• Challenges in achieving global goals:
  • In general, there is a notable challenge in translating globally agreed-upon goals to the national level. 
  • Key influencing factors include national conditions, administrative capacity, economic development, and the provision of adequate support for each country.
• Lack of universal metric for climate adaptation:
  • Unlike greenhouse gas mitigation, measuring progress in climate adaptation under national pledges lacks a clear metric, and the GGA framework remains silent on who will develop the necessary indicators to assess the achievement of its targets.
• Widening adaptation finance gap:
  • The gap between the estimated costs and available finance for meeting adaptation targets is widening, leaving developing countries struggling to manage the impacts of climate change. 
  • COP26’s call to double adaptation finance by 2025 highlights this growing financial disparity. 
• Climate financing bias towards mitigation:
  • There is a strong bias in climate financing favouring mitigation over adaptation, as benefits from adaptation strategies are local, while mitigation projects generate global benefits.

Way Forward:

• Equity and Justice:
  • The core consideration in operationalizing GGA should be to prevent the exacerbation of existing inequalities. 
  • Finance mechanisms should be designed to avoid increasing debt levels for developing countries that are already burdened by debt.
• Locally led adaptation:
  • Tailor adaptation strategies to individual nations based on their unique contexts, and ensure that GGA strategies include local populations, especially those most susceptible to the effects of climate change.
• Integration with other global sustainability goals:
  • Complement and integrate adaptation efforts into national and international development initiatives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
• Bottom-up metrics and solutions:
  • The one-size-fits-all approach for adaptation should be rejected and countries should be supported in building national adaptation programs that draw on and learn from the diverse experiences of local initiatives.

Nut Graf: Implementing GGA requires a greater sense of urgency in treating adaptation on par with mitigation, particularly in the face of extreme climate events.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. Women’s participation in the MGNREGS has been constantly declining.
2. Amongst all states, Kerala had the highest participation of women in this scheme.

Which of the statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: Women’s participation in NREGS continues to rise, 59% this fiscal. Amongst the Indian states, Kerala tops concerning the participation of women in the registered workforce of MGNREGA.

Q2. India made its first-ever payment for oil in rupees to which of the 
following countries?

1. Saudi Arabia
2. UAE
3. Qatar
4. Iran

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer, made its first-ever payment in rupees for crude oil purchased from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), signalling what could be a strategic push to promote the local currency globally.

Q3. Consider the following statements:

1. Mission Karmayogi envisages to develop domain knowledge besides administrative capacity in the bureaucracy.
2. The concept is to begin right at the recruitment level and then invest in building more capacity through the rest of their career.

Which of the statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: Mission Karmayogi envisages developing domain knowledge besides administrative capacity in the bureaucracy. The concept is to begin right at the recruitment level and then invest in building more capacity through the rest of their career.

Q4. Consider the following statements about Madan Mohan Malaviya:

1. He was elected as the President of the INC only once.
2. He was given the title of ‘Mahamana’ by Mahatma Gandhi.
3. He founded the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916.
4. He started an English daily – Leader in 1909.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Only 1 
2. Only 2 
3. Only 3
4. None

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: Madan Mohan Malaviya gave his first political speech in 1886 at a Calcutta meeting of the Indian National Congress. Malaviya went on to become one of the most influential political figures of his era and was four times elected as the head of Congress. He received the title “Mahamana” from Gandhi. Malaviya co-founded the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), which was established under the 1915 BHU Act, in Varanasi in 1916 as part of his efforts to advance modern education among Indians. He founded the English daily “Leader” in 1909 with the aid of Motilal Nehru, serving as its editor (1909 – 1911) and president (1911 – 1919).

Q5. "Souls are not only the property of animal and plant life, but also of rocks, 
running water and many other natural objects not looked on as living by other 
religious sects." The above statement reflects one of the core beliefs of which 
one of the following religious sects of ancient India?

1. Buddhism
2. Jainism
3. Shaivism
4. Vaishnavism

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: This is one of the beliefs of Jainism.