24 Nov 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. COP 28: India’s equity demand

Syllabus: Conservation, Environmental pollution and degradation, Environmental impact assessment.

Mains: Climate Change and Sustainable Development and International Climate Agreements

Prelims: Global carbon budget and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).

Context

The article delves into the relationship between global warming and cumulative carbon emissions, emphasising India’s imperative to secure a fair share of the depleting global carbon budget at COP 28.

Introduction

• The impending COP 28 presents a critical juncture for India to assert its stance on climate change, demanding a fair share of the global carbon budget and substantive commitments from developed nations.
• The existing linear relationship between global warming and cumulative carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions underscores the urgency for equitable distribution of responsibilities.

Global Carbon Budget and IPCC AR6

• The global carbon budget refers to the maximum cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions, essential for limiting global warming. However, almost four-fifths of the budget is depleted, posing a significant challenge.
• The IPCC AR6 indicates the urgency to meet the Paris Agreement targets, requiring developed countries to achieve net-zero emissions earlier than currently pledged.

Responsibilities and Historical Emissions

• The Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) principle, enshrined in the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, recognizes the varying responsibilities of states in addressing climate change.
• Developed countries have disproportionately contributed to historical cumulative emissions, placing a heavier burden on their shoulders.

India’s Per Capita Emissions and Carbon Budget

• Despite having nearly 24% of the world’s population, South Asia, including India, contributes only around 4% to historical cumulative emissions.
• India’s per capita CO2 emissions from fossil fuel and industry are significantly lower than North America and the global average, underscoring its relatively modest contribution to historical emissions.
• India is urged to recognize a ‘fair share of the carbon budget’ as a strategic national resource depleting rapidly.
• Failing to assert this share may lead to India being disadvantaged by developed countries’ strategies, akin to new colonial techniques.

Global Energy Scenario and COP 26

• The global transition to renewable energy remains a challenge, with a substantial reliance on non-renewable sources, particularly oil, coal, and gas.
• Developed countries’ attempts to mandate rapid changes, exemplified by the COP 26 focus on phasing down coal, face feasibility issues, as demonstrated by the reopening of coal plants post-Russia-Ukraine war.

India’s Developmental Initiatives and Poverty Eradication

• India’s initiatives, such as the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the Global Biofuel Alliance, showcase a commitment to sustainable solutions.
• The successful poverty alleviation efforts and extension of food security welfare measures underscore the developmental challenges faced by India after the COVID-19 pandemic.

India’s Stance at COP 28

• India must assert its right to a fair share of the global carbon budget and demand equivalent reparations, highlighting the urgent need for fairness within the global climate order.
• Developmental priorities should not be sacrificed, and developed nations should fulfil their promises of climate-specific new and additional finance, recognizing the $51 trillion carbon debt.

Nut Graf: As global emissions deplete the carbon budget, India faces a pivotal moment at COP 28, where it must assert its fair share to combat climate change, demanding equity and development.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

1. MGNREGS audit crosses 50% local bodies in just six States

• Among the 34 States and Union Territories in India, only six have completed social audits of works done under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in more than 50% of gram panchayats.
• Kerala is the only state to cover 100% of gram panchayats.
• Social audits are an anti-corruption measure under MGNREGA, mandated by Section 17 of the act.
• Social audit units in each state work independently of implementing authorities, and auditing standards by the Comptroller and Auditor General were issued on December 19, 2016.
• The audit involves quality checks of infrastructure created under MGNREGA and checking for financial misappropriation in wages and procedural deviations.
• Other states crossing the 50% mark are Bihar (64.4%), Gujarat (58.8%), Jammu and Kashmir (64.1%), Odisha (60.42%), and Uttar Pradesh (54.97%).
• Only three states have covered 40% or more villages: Telangana (40.5%), Himachal Pradesh (45.32%), and Andhra Pradesh (49.7%).
• Among poll-bound states, social audit completion rates are low: Madhya Pradesh (1.73%), Mizoram (17.5%), Chhattisgarh (25.06%), and Rajasthan (34.74%).
• States complain of delayed funds for social audit units, leading to delays in audits and recurrent complaints of delayed salaries for village-level auditors.
• Kerala conducts periodic Social Audit Public Hearings at the panchayat level for close public scrutiny.