World Population Projections 2019 Report | UPSC – IAS

World Population Projections 2019 Report published by UN | UPSC – IAS

World population – The report projects the world population to reach some 9.7
billion by 2050. However, it says that the overall growth rate will continue to fall.
The next 30 years will see the population add 2 billion people to today’s 7.7 billion.
The world population will reach 11 billion by the end of the century. Half of the
projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in just 9
countries. This is led by India and followed by Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic
of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt and the US. Many of the fastest
growing populations are in the poorest countries. Here, population growth brings
additional challenges in the form of poverty, equality, hunger and malnutrition,
low education, etc.
Major highlights | UPSC – IAS
 Fertility rates–The fertility rates are falling worldwide.
 The average number of births per woman globally, from 3.2 in 1990, fell to 2.5 by
2019.
 This is now projected to fall further to 2.2 births by 2050.
 To avoid decline in a national population, a fertility level of 2.1 births per woman
is necessary (in the absence of immigration).
 Age composition – In 2018, for the first time, persons aged 65 years or over
worldwide outnumbered children under age five.
 Projections indicate that by 2050, there will be more than twice as many persons
above 65 as children under five.
 By 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age 65 (16%), up from one in
11 in 2019 (9%).
 By 2050, the number of persons aged 65 or over will also surpass the number of
adolescents and youth aged 15-24.
 The number of persons aged 80 years or over is projected to triple, from 143
million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050.

 Life expectancy – The overall life expectancy will increase from 64.2 years in
1990 to 77.1 years in 2050.
 However, life expectancy in poorer countries is projected to continue to lag
behind.
 Today, the average lifespan of a baby born in one of the least developed
countries will be some 7 years shorter than one born in a developed country.
 The main reasons cited are high child and maternal mortality rates, conflict and
insecurity, and the continuing impact of the HIV epidemic.
 Dwindling populations – The populations of 55 countries are projected to
decrease by 1% or more between 2019 and 2050.
 The largest relative reductions in population size (loss of around 20% or more)
over this period are expected in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and the
Wallis and Futuna Islands.
 The key reasons are sustained low levels of fertility, and, in some places, high
rates of emigration.
  Migration – Migration flows have become a major reason for population change in
certain regions.
 Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines are seeing the largest migratory outflows
resulting from the demand for migrant workers.
 Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela are the countries where the largest numbers are
leaving because of insecurity or conflict.
 Sex ratio – Males are projected to continue to outnumber females until the end
of the century, but the gap will close eventually.
India’s population | UPSC – IAS
 China, with 1.43 billion people in 2019, and India, with 1.37 billion, have long
been the two most populous countries of the world.
 China and India comprise 19 and 18%, respectively, of the global total population
in 2019. They are followed by the USA.
 India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in the
next 8 years i.e. by around 2027.
 India is expected to add nearly 273 million people between 2019 and 2050.
 It will remain the most populated country through the end of the current century.
 Together, the population of India and Nigeria (projected to grow by 200 million)
could account for 23% of the global population increase to 2050.
 Over-65 population – In India, children under age five still outnumber the over-
65 population.
 But the over-65 population is projected to overtake the under-five group between
2025 and 2030.
 By 2050, persons over age 65 will make up about one-seventh of India’s
population.
 By then, the 15-24 years age group in India (13.8%), too, will outnumber the over-
65 group (13.6%).
 So, children under age five are projected to constitute less than 6% of India’s
population in 2050, as compared to 7% globally.
Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill | UPSC – IAS
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights
on Marriage) Bill, 2019, paving the way for the legislation to be introduced in the
upcoming session of Parliament.

 Cabinet approves the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019
 The Bill would ensure gender equality and gender justice to Muslim women.
 The Bill would also help in protecting the rights of married Muslim women and
prevent divorce by the practice of ‘talaq-e-biddat’ by their husbands.
 The Bill propose to declare the practice of triple talaq as void and illegal.
 It also makes an offence punishable with imprisonment up to three years and
fine.
 It also provides for payment of subsistence allowance to married Muslim women
and dependent children.
 The Bill also proposes to make the offence cognizable, if information relating to
the commission of an offence is given to an officer in charge of a police station
 by the married Muslim woman upon whom talaq is pronounced or by any person
related to her by blood or marriage.
 The Bill further provides for hearing the married Muslim woman upon whom talaq
is pronounced before the accused is released on bail by the Magistrate.
What is talaq-e-biddat ?
Triple Talaq, also known as talaq–e–biddat, instant divorce and talaq–e-mughallazah
(irrevocable divorce), is a form of Islamic divorce which has been used by Muslims in
India, especially adherents of Hanafi Sunni Islamic schools of jurisprudence.
SDG Gender Index to measure global Gender Equality | UPSC – IAS
The 2019 SDG Gender Index enables us to tell a story of global progress, as well as
being a tool that gender advocates can use to frame their influencing on the gender
equality elements of the SDGs. The SDG Gender Index, a new index to measure global
gender equality, was launched recently.
 The index accounts for 14 out of 17 SDGs (sustainable development goals).
 The goals cover aspects such as poverty, health, education, literacy, political
representation and equality at the workplace.
 A score of 100 reflects the achievement of gender equality in relation to the
targets set for each indicator.
 A score of 50 signifies that a country is about halfway to meeting a goal.
The SDG Gender Index has been developed by Equal Measures 2030, a joint effort
of regional and global organisations including:-
 African Women’s Development and Communication Network
 Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women
 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
 International Women’s Health Coalition
key findings of the SDG Gender Index | UPSC – IAS
 The global average score of the 129 countries (with 95% of the world’s girls and
women) is 65.7 out of 100 (“poor” in the index).
 Nearly 1.4 billion girls and women are living in countries that get a “very
poor” grade.
 Altogether, 2.8 billion girls and women live in countries that get either a “very
poor” (59 and below) or “poor” score (60-69).
 Just 8% of the world’s population of girls and women live in countries that
received a “good” gender equality score (80-89).
 Notably, no country achieved an “excellent” overall score of 90 or above in
gender equality.
 Besides, not all countries’ scores on the index correlate with national income.
 Some countries perform better than what would be expected based on their GDP
per capita, and others underperform.
 With all these, it was highlighted that the world was far from achieving gender
equality.
India and SDG Gender Index | UPSC – IAS
 India was ranked at 95th among 129 countries.
 India’s highest goal scores are on health (79.9), hunger & nutrition (76.2), and
energy (71.8).
  Its lowest goal scores are on partnerships (18.3, in the bottom 10 countries),
industry, infrastructure and innovation (38.1), and climate (43.4).
 On indicators that define the goals, India scored 95.3 on the percentage of
female students enrolled in primary education who are overage.
 In the proportion of seats held by women in national parliament, India scored
23.6; women made up 11.8% of Parliament in 2018.
 On seats held by women in the Supreme Court (4%), India has a score of 18.2.
On gender-based violence, indicators include –
 Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age
18 (27.3%)
 Women who agreed that a husband/partner is justified in beating his
wife/partner under certain circumstances (47.0%)
 Women aged 15+ who reported that they feel safe walking alone at night in the
city or area where they live (69.1%)
E-Samiksha Portal | UPSC – IAS
E-SamikSha is a real time, on-line system for monitoring of follow-up action on the
decisions taken during the presentations made by different Ministries/Departments to
the Prime Minister
 E-Samiksha is an online monitoring and compliance mechanism developed by
Cabinet secretariat with technical help from National Informatics Centre.
 It is used for tracking the progress on projects & policy initiatives and follow
up actions of various ministries by cabinet secretary and Prime Minister on a real-
time basis.
 Central government departments have been asked to work out specific targets
to be achieved by 2022 which will be monitored by PM under e-Samiksha
platform.
Significance of E-Samiksha Portal | UPSC – IAS
 With the usage of eSamikSha, system implementers have been able to
bridge/Improve/Speed-up monitoring and compliance of a large number of
action points, proposals, targets, issues etc.
 Reduction in service delivery time and clearing the pendency through single
window interface.
 As most of the activities are online, system implementers have been able to do
away with physical movements, which in turn results in saving of enormous
amount of paper, travel cost and energy.
 E-SamikSha system has bolstered the ICT culture within the Government,
paving way for file-less functioning.
Project Dhoop by Food Safety and Standards Authority | UPSC – IAS
It is a nationwide campaign launched by FSSAI along with NCERT, New Delhi
Municipal Council and North MCD Schools to spread awareness about consumption of
Vitamin D through natural sun light and consuming fortified food among school going
children.
Vitamin D and its importance for the body
 Vitamin D is essential for the development of human bones. It facilitates
absorption of calcium and phosphorus by intestines and their retention in the
body and deposition in bones and teeth.
  When skin is exposed to sun, the cholesterol in the skin converts the cholesterol
to Vitamin D via additional conversions in the liver and kidneys.
 The deficiency of Vitamin D can cause Rickets in children and Osteomalacia in
adults, whereas acute deficiency could lead to brain, cardiovascular and kidney
damage.
 Source of Vitamin D – Fish liver oil, egg yolk, milk, liver etc.
Tribunals and Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India UPSC – IAS
A quasi-judicial body is an organization or individual on which powers resembling a
court of law have been conferred.
A quasi-judicial body has also been defined as “an organ of government, other than
a court or legislature, which affects the rights of private parties through
adjudication or rulemaking”
Thus, a quasi-judicial body is one, which exercises a discretion that is essentially
judicial in character, but is not a tribunal within the judicial branch of the
government and is not a court exercising judicial power in the constitutional sense.
Emergence of Quasi-Judicial Bodies in India
 Ordinary judiciary has become dilatory and costly.
 With scientific and economic development, laws have become more complex,
demanding more technical knowledge about specific sectors.
 The conventional judiciary is suffering from procedural rigidity, which delays the
justice.
 Further, a bulk of decisions, which affect a private individual come not from
courts, but from administrative agencies exercising adjudicatory powers.
Tribunals and its main characteristics | UPSC – IAS
There are a large number of laws, which charge the Executive with adjudicatory
functions, and the authorities so charged are, in the strict scene, administrative
tribunals. Administrative tribunals are agencies created by specific
enactments. Administrative adjudication is a term synonymously used with
administrative decision-making. The decision-making or adjudicatory function is
exercised in a variety of ways. However, the most popular mode of adjudication is
through tribunals.
The main characteristics of Administrative Tribunals are as follows:-
 Administrative Tribunal is a creation of a statute.
 An Administrative Tribunal is vested in the judicial power of the State and
thereby performs quasi-judicial functions as distinguished from pure
administrative functions. · Administrative Tribunal is bound to act judicially and
follow the principles of natural justice. · It is required to act openly, fairly and
impartially.
 An administrative Tribunal is not bound by the strict rules of procedure and
evidence prescribed by the civil procedure court.
 The tribunal consists of members and heads that may not possess any background
of law.
 Tribunals do not rely on uniform precedence and hence may lead to arbitrary and
inconsistent decisions.
Categories of Tribunals in India | UPSC – IAS
There are four categories of tribunals in India:
  Administrative bodies exercising quasi-judicial functions,
 Administrative adjudicatory bodies, which are outside the control of the
Department involved in the dispute and hence decide disputes like a judge free
from judicial bias Example: The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal is under the
Ministry of Law and not under Ministry of Finance.
 Tribunals under Article 136 in which the authority exercises inherent judicial
powers of the State. Because the functions of the body are considered important
over the control, composition and procedure, even Departmental bodies can be
classified as Tribunals.
 Tribunals constituted under Article 323A and 323B having constitutional origin
and enjoying the powers and status of a High Court.
Some Examples of quasi-judicial bodies in India:-
 National/ State Human Rights Commission
 Central/ State Information Commission
 National/ State/ District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
 Competition Commission of India
 State Electricity Regulatory Commission
 Railway Claims Tribunal
 Income Tax, Intellectual Property Appellate Tribunal
 Central Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal
 Banking , Insurance, Income tax, Electricity Ombudsman
Armed forces Special Powers act AFSPA | UPSC – IAS
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, enacted in the year 1958, grants extraordinary
powers and immunity to the armed forces to bring back order in the “disturbed
areas”. Areas are considered disturbed “by reason of differences or disputes
between members of different religious, racial, language or regional groups or
castes or communities”. AFSPA empowers the Governor of the State/Union territory
to issue an official notification declaring the state or a region within as a “disturbed
area”, after which the Centre can decide whether to send in armed forces.
 Presently AFSPA is enforced in the 5 states of North East (parts of Arunachal,
Assam, Manipur, Mizoram & Nagaland) and J&K. AFSPA was removed from Tripura
in 2015 and from Meghalaya in 2018.
According to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), in an area that is
proclaimed as “disturbed”, an officer of the armed forces has powers to:-
 After giving such due warning, Fire upon or use other kinds of force even if it
causes death, against the person who is acting against law or order in the
disturbed area for the maintenance of public order,
 To arrest without a warrant anyone who has committed cognizable offences or is
reasonably suspected of having done so and may use force if needed for the
arrest.
 Stop and search any vehicle or vessel reasonably suspected to be carrying such
person or weapons.
 Any person arrested and taken into custody under this Act shall be made present
over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station with least possible
delay, together with a report of the circumstances occasioning the arrest.
Rationale behind imposition of AFSPA | UPSC – IAS
  Effective functioning:
 Security of nation:
 Protection of member of armed forces:
Extra-ordinary powers are also necessary as the armed forces face asymmetric
warfare involving raids, ambushes, mines and explosive devices, sabotage etc.
Arguments against AFSPA | UPSC – IAS
 It has been alleged that immunity granted by the act has led the armed forces
to misuse the powers and commit offences like enforced disappearances, fake
encounters and sexual assault.
 It leads to suspension of fundamental rights and liberties guaranteed to the
citizens by the constitution. Thus, it weakens democracy.
 People’s disillusionment with democratic setup is exploited by secessionists
and terror sympathizers, which leads to more violence & more counter violence
creating a vicious cycle.
 Critics argue that this act has failed in its objective of restoring normalcy in
disturbed areas although being in existence for about 50 years.
 Human rights violations in AFSPA areas are not inquired into and followed by
adequate action. Thus, it is against the principle of natural justice.
 Justice Verma committee (on offenses against women in conflict areas) said
AFSPA legitimizes impunity for sexual violence E.g. Kunan Poshpora incident;
Thangjam Manorama case in Manipur
 Justice Santosh Hegde Committee to investigate fake encounters in Manipur
described it as a “symbol of oppression”
 Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee recommended removal of absolute immunity
under AFSPA.
Model Code of Conduct (MCC) | An Analysis | UPSC – IAS
The origins of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) lie in the Assembly elections of
Kerala in 1960, when the State administration prepared a ‘Code of Conduct’ for
political actors. For the 2019 Indian general electionthe code came into force on 10
March 2019 when the Commission announced the dates and remains in force till the
end of the electoral process.
 It is a set of guidelines laid down by the Election Commission to govern the
conduct of political parties and candidates in the run-up to an election. This is in
line with Article 324 of the Constitution, which gives the Election Commission the
power to supervise elections to the Parliament and state legislatures.
 It comes into force the moment an election is announced and remains in force
till the results are declared. This was laid down by the Supreme Court in the
Union of India vs. Harbans Singh Jalal and Others Case.
 It is intended to provide a level playing field for all political parties, to keep
the campaign fair and healthy, avoid clashes and conflicts between parties, and
ensure peace and order. So, there are guidelines on general conduct, meetings,
processions, polling booths, observers, election manifesto of political parties.
 Its main aim is to ensure that the ruling party, either at the Centre or in the
states, does not misuse its official position to gain an unfair advantage in an
election. There are guidelines on conduct of ministers and other authorities in
announcing new schemes, using public exchequer for advertisements etc.
Legal Status of Model Code
 The MCC is not enforceable by law. However, certain provisions of the Model
Code of Conduct (MCC) may be enforced through invoking corresponding
provisions in other statutes such as the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973, and Representation of the People Act, 1951.
 The Election Commission has argued against making the Model Code of Conduct
(MCC) legally binding; stating that elections must be completed within a
relatively short time (close to 45 days), and judicial proceedings typically take
longer.
Main Points of the Model Code of Conduct | UPSC – IAS
 The government may not lay any new ground for projects or public initiatives
once the Model Code of Conduct comes into force.
 Government bodies are not to participate in any recruitment process during
the electoral process.
 The election campaign rallies and road shows must not hinder the road traffic.
 Candidates are asked to refrain from distributing liquor to voters. It is a widely
known fact in India that during election campaigning, liquor may be distributed
to the voters.
 On polling day, all party candidates should cooperate with the poll-duty officials
at the voting booths for an orderly voting process. Candidates should not display
their election symbols near and around the poll booths on the polling day. No one
should enter the booths without a valid pass from the Election Commission.
 There will be poll observers to whom any complaints can be reported or
submitted.
 Before using loudspeakers during their poll campaigning, candidates and political
parties must obtain permission or license from the local authorities.
Contemporary Challenges in implementing Model Code of Conduct | UPSC – IAS
Emergence of new forms of electoral malpractices-
 Manipulation through the media
Weakened capacity of the ECI to respond to violations of MCC-
 Weak or Delayed Response–
 Digital Content–Debate over some issues– such as national security, disaster
management. Some political parties alleged that the ruling party has misused
such issues. But, the Election Commission has said that these issues do not fall
under the ambit of MCC.
A Way Forward | UPSC – IAS
 Need to include people in the MCC- through mobile apps such as ‘cVIGIL’ to
enable citizens to report on violation of election code of conduct. If people
reject candidates and parties that violate MCC, it will create an inherent pressure
on contestants to abide by MCC.
 Fast Track Court for Election Dispute- so that whenever, the ECI takes a
punitive action, its final order is obtained as soon as possible.
 Strengthening Election Commission of India- by greater transparency in
appointments and removal of the election commissioners, reducing dependency
on Central Government for paramilitary forces among others.
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) | 20 Year Road Map |Ozone Layer| UPSC
Montreal Protocol is a global agreement to protect the ozone layer, by weaning out
the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, and is similar to the
Paris Agreement. The Montreal Protocol is quite the success story, and is the only
environmental treaty to have been ratified by 197 UN member countries. It has been
successful in reducing global production, consumption and emission of ozone
layer-depleting substances
 Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the India
Cooling Action Plan – a 20 year road map (From 2018 to 2038).
About Cooling Action Plan | UPSC – IAS
 India is the first country in the world to develop such a document (ICAP),
which addresses cooling requirement across sectors and lists out actions which
can help reduce the cooling demand. This will help in reducing both direct and
indirect emissions.
 The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol
to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) is an
international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the
production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. As
per the Montreal Protocol, India is taking steps to curb elements that deplete
the ozone layer.
 India is one of the first countries in the world to develop a
comprehensive Cooling Action Plan – to fight ozone layer depletion adhering to
the Montreal Protocol.
Main targets of India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)
 Reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38.
 Reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38,
 Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38,
 Recognize “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under
national S&T Programme,
 Training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by 2022-23,
synergizing with Skill India Mission
ICAP provides an integrated vision:
 To address the cooling requirement across different sectors of the economy
such as residential and commercial buildings, cold-chain, refrigeration, transport
and industries.
 To lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand, enhancing
energy efficiency and better technology options.
Significance of India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) | UPSC – IAS
 Thermal comfort for all
 Sustainable cooling – Reducing both direct and indirect Greenhouse Gases
emissions related to cooling.
 Doubling Farmers Income
 Skilled workforce by creating jobs in service sector. For example- Skilling of AC
and refrigerator service technicians.
 Robust R&D on alternative cooling technologies to provide push to innovation in
cooling sector.
Why India needs ICAP ? | UPSC – IAS
  Cooling is an important developmental necessity as it is needed in different
sectors of the economy. For example: Space cooling for buildings consumes 60%
of the total energy supply for cooling in India.
 India’s per capita space cooling consumption is nearly 1/4th of global average
consumption. (Global average-272 kWh whereas India’s 69 kWh).
 However, according to recent report, the current technology used in conventional
cooling systems in air conditioners and refrigerators, coupled with an increasing
demand for such appliances and rising global temperatures, could spur a 64 %
increase in household energy use and produce over 23 million tonnes of carbon
emissions by 2040.
Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) | UPSC – IAS
The Union Budget 2018 announced Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyan
(KUSUM), a prodigious – 140,000 crore scheme to replace diesel pumps and grid-
connected electric tube wells for irrigation by solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) with a
buy-back arrangement for farmers’ surplus solar energy at a remunerative price.
KUSUM can be a game changer.
It can:-
 Check groundwater over-exploitation,
 Offer farmers day- time uninterrupted power supply,
 Reduce carbon footprint of agriculture
 Curtail farm power subsidy burden and,
 Most of all, provide a new source of risk-free income for farmers.
The government is setting up large-scale solar power plants, but this alone would
not suffice to reach the 100 GW target. However, for kick-starting KUSUM,
Government of India needs to propose a well-articulated implementation strategy.
Components of KUSUM Scheme | UPSC – IAS
As a part of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), India has
committed to increase the share of installed capacity of electric power from non-
fossil fuel sources to 40% by 2030. Further, the Cabinet had approved scaling-up of
solar power target from 20,000 MW of Grid Connected Solar power Projects to
1,00,000 MW (100GW) by 2022.
The government launched the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan
(KUSUM) Scheme, with following components-
With all three components combined, the scheme aims to add a solar capacity of
25,750 MW by 2022.
 Component-A: Setting up of 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground/ Stilt
Mounted Grid Connected Solar or other Renewable Energy based Power
Plants;
 Component-B: Installation of 17.50 Lakh Stand-alone Solar Agriculture Pumps
to fulfill irrigation needs of farmers not connected to grid;
 Component-C: Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid Connected Agriculture Pumps to
make farmers independent of grid supply and also enable them to sell surplus
solar power generated to DISCOM and get extra income
KUSUM Scheme 2019 | Recently in News (Update)
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued a notice inviting
suggestions and comments from stakeholders on the draft guidelines for
implementation of the scheme for farmers for installation of solar pumps and grid-
connected solar power plants.
KUSUM Scheme Research Highlights | UPSC – IAS
 For best socio-ecological outcomes, KUSUM’s top priority should be to ensure
that solar irrigation pump (SIPs) substitute existing diesel and electric pumps
rather than complement them, as is currently happening. For our 5.3 million
diesel irrigation pump irrigators in eastern India, 60 per cent capital cost subsidy
under KUSUM will be strong incentive to solarize especially with a streamlined
subsidy-loan delivery ecosystem.
 Pilot projects in Bihar show that replacing diesel pumps by solar irrigation
pump (SIPs) supported by buried pipe distribution system transforms a
monopolistic and exploitive groundwater market into a competitive and pro-poor
one.
 Getting electric tubewell owners in western India to switch from free or
subsidized grid power to solar power should be the key objective of
KUSUM. Achieving this will be a challenge that can only be met by making it
attractive for farmers to economise energy (and water) use in irrigation and sell
more solar power to the DISCOMs.
Unlocking National Energy Efficiency Potential (unnatee) | UPSC – IAS
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has developed a national strategy document titled
UNNATEE (Unlocking NATional Energy Efficiency Potential) towards developing
an energy efficient nation (2017-2031).
 It describes a plain framework and implementation strategy to establish a
clear linkage between energy supply-demand scenarios and energy efficiency
opportunities. The document offers a comprehensive roadmap to address India’s
environmental and climate change mitigation actionthrough energy efficiency
measures.
 This exercise is first of its kind, clearly delineating the energy efficiency targets
for the respective demand sectors upto the state levels. Developing India’s
blueprint of effective energy efficiency strategy is a leap towards stimulating
energy efficiency ecosystem and enabling reduction of the pressure on demand
Why India need UNNATEE ? | UPSC – IAS
 In India, there is still an immense potential to be realized from large scale
implementation of energy efficiency interventions in the various demand
sectors like industry, agriculture, transport, municipal, domestic and commercial
lighting and appliances and Micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSME).
Background Knowledge
 India is expected to grow at around 8% and almost every economic activity
requires energy. If energy consumption (primary energy and electricity) in India
were to continue along current lines, it could lead to a growing imbalance
between supply and demand.
 The gap between supply and demand can be fulfilled by either increasing
generation or by enhancing the efficiency of energy usage.
Some key numbers can be seen as-
 India’s energy demand in 2016-17= 790 Mtoe(million tonnes of oil equivalent)
 Energy saving potential by 2031= 87 Mtoe
 Total emission reduction= 858 MtCO2 in 2030
 Total energy efficiency investment potential= Rs. 8.40 lakh crore by 2031
UNNATEE Implementation Strategy | UPSC – IAS
Favourable Regulations | UPSC – IAS
Through an overarching energy efficiency policy, which includes targets,
incentives and penalties.
 Agriculture- Inclusion of agro projects under the National Clean Energy Fund
 Buildings- Introduction of incentives for purchasing energy efficient houses.
 Industry- Increasing the scope of the PAT programme.
 Transport- Roll out of the proposed FAME-II scheme.
Institutional Framework | UPSC – IAS
through strong enforcement mechanism at state levels, which would lend further
strength to the national and local level program.
 Agriculture– A single window system for export of products and services will
improve the competitiveness of sector R&D.
 Buildings- A reporting framework for where the states are required to update
their progress in implementation of Energy Conservation Building Code in their
state.
 Industry- Creation of an energy management cell.
Availability of Finance | UPSC – IAS
In the form of a revolving fund, risk guarantee, On-bill financing, Energy Savings
Insurance, Energy Conservation Bonds.
 Agriculture- Reduce interests in priority sector lending.
 Buildings- Targeting low LCOC rather than low initial building cost by building for
affordable maintenance.
 Industry- Creation of fund for R&D in industry with 1% of turnover.
 Transport- Introduction of ToD tariff rates for EVs. E.g. Telangana State
Electricity Regulatory Commission has fixed the tariff for charging stations at Rs.
6 per unit.
Use of technology | UPSC – IAS
 Including Internet of Things and Blockchain have the ability to bring an energy
revolution across sectors. Example in agriculture (smart control panels),
municipal (CCMS), commercial (building management systems), domestic
(electric cook stoves).
Stakeholder Engagement | UPSC – IAS
 Would result in faster adoption and smoother implementation. E.g. for
adoption of electric vehicles it is important to first have policies for promotion
and adoption of EVs, institutional framework to train new breed of engineers to
make the transition to EVs, ecosystem players to provide services like EV charging
and consumers to buy the vehicles.
 Data Collection- Setting up of a Nodal Agency that advocates data collection and
dissemination, covering the entire energy value chain of the country.
 Setting State wise targets- Mandatory reporting of sector wise energy
consumption, status of all EE programmes and the target of the same and energy
efficiency roadmap.
 Center of Excellence for industries- to increase R&D in specific sectors.
Indian black money its Sources, Effects and how to Curb it | UPSC – IAS
What is black Money and White money ?
Black money is a term used in common parlance to refer to money that is not fully
legitimate in the hands of the owner or earned from illegal sources (according to the
law specifies). And White money that is earned legally, or on which the necessary tax
is paid. The total amount of black money deposited in foreign banks by Indians is
unknown. Some reports claim a total of US$1.06 – $1.4 trillions is held illegally
in Switzerland. This could be for two possible reasons.
 First is that the money may have been generated through illegitimate activities
not permissible under the law, like crime, drug trade, terrorism, and corruption,
all of which are punishable under the legal framework of the state.
 Second and perhaps more likely reason is that the wealth may have been
generated and accumulated by failing to comply with the tax requirements.
There have been several estimates regarding the extent of black money economy also
called as parallel economy. Some of the estimates suggest it to be as high as up to
fifty to hundred percent.

Although black money in India is decades old problem, it has become real threat
post liberalization. Illegal activities such as:-
  Crime and corruption,
 Non compliance with taxation requirements,
 Complex procedural regulations,
 Cultural and social practices,
 Globalization along with weak institutional, policy, legal and implementation
structures have further augmented the black money economy.
Sources of Indian black money | UPSC – IAS
The root cause for the increasing rate of black money in the country is the lack of
strict punishments for the offenders. The criminals pay bribes to the tax authorities to
hide their corrupt activities. Thus, they are rarely punished by the judge. The
criminals who conceal their accounts from the government authorities include big
politicians, film stars, cricketers, and businessmen.
Gold imports through official channel and smuggling is a major conduit to bring back
the black money from abroad and convert into local black money as the gold
commands high demand among the rural investors particularly.
In particular following are some of the mechanisms through which black money is
circulated, utilized and the profits earned are further invested in other sectors to
generate further money.

 Real estate: Due to rising prices of real estate, the tax incidence applicable on
real estate transactions in the form of stamp duty and capital gains tax can
create incentives for tax evasion through under-reporting of transaction price.
 Bullion and jewellery market:
 Financial markets transactions: IPO manipulations, Rigging of market such as use
of shell companies.
 Public procurement:
 Non-profit organizations:
 Informal Sector and Cash Economy: Cash transactions, large unbanked and
underbanked areas contribute to the large cash economy in India.
 External trade and transfer pricing: Transfer profit/income to no tax or low tax
jurisdictions by MNCs. Developing countries may be losing over US$160billion of
tax revenues a year, primarily through transfer pricing strategies.
 Trade-based Money Laundering (TBML):
 Tax Havens
 Hawala: It is an informal and cheap method of transferring money from one place
without using banks etc. It operates on codes and contacts and no paperwork and
disclosure is required.
 Investment through Innovative Derivative Instruments: Such as Participatory
Notes.
Impact of Black money on Indian Economy | UPSC – IAS
(Black money Merits and Demerits; and its Effects)
The unlawfully acquired money kept abroad is routed back to India by the round
tripping processes. Round tripping involves getting the money out of one country,
sending it to a place like Mauritius and then, dressed up to look like foreign capital,
sending it back home to earn tax-favoured profits
Political organizations, corrupt politicians and government officials take
bribes from foreign companies then park or invest the money abroad in tax havens for
transferring to India when needed. In addition, locally earned bribes, funds and
collections are often routed abroad through hawala channels in order to evade Indian
tax authorities and consequent legal implications
 Huge loss of taxes amounting to billions.
 Black money leads to further corruption by creating a vicious cycle.
 Generating black money means that quality is compromised in public
sector projects where black money is used to manipulate tenders and offer
kickbacks.
 Investments that must have been made in the country giving the necessary boost
to economy are invested elsewhere.
 Since, RBI cannot control the black money cash flow in economy, it dilutes its
policies targeting inflation.
 High prices of real estate especially in big cities are due to deep pockets filled
with black money.
 National security is threatened because black money is used to finance criminal
activities.
 Black money generated from drugs and smuggling is being used to operate
terror networks.
Steps taken by government to curb Black Money generation and flow | UPSC – IAS
Tax Reforms
 Rationalization of income tax with greater tax base and lower taxes.
Voluntary Disclosure Schemes
 The government allows reporting black money generated through tax evasion in a
given time frame, as government has given in the Black Money Bill passed this
year.
Demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes
 As unaccounted money is often kept in notes of large denomination making it
useless.
Removing currency after certain time
 So that unaccounted wealth is either brought into economy or becomes useless.
Encouraging Cashless transactions
 Government has recently announced tax benefits for making online payments for
amount greater than twenty thousand rupees.
Legislative Framework
 Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
 Benami Transactions Prohibition Act, 1988
 Lokpal and Lokayukta Act
 Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
 The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015
Institutions to deal with black money
 Central Board of Direct Taxes
 Central Economic Intelligence Bureau
 Other Central Agencies such as NIA, CBI and Police Authorities
International Cooperation
  Financial Action Task Force
 United Nations Convention against Corruption
 United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
 Cooperation through G20, Bilateral agreements
Some Measures to Curb Black Money in India | UPSC – IAS
Excessive tax rates increase black money and tax evasion. When tax rates approach
100 per cent, tax revenues approach zero, because higher is the incentive for tax
evasion and greater the propensity to generate black money. The report finds that
punitive taxes create an economic environment where economic agents are not left
with any incentive to produce.

Another cause of black money, the report finds is the high transaction costs
associated with compliance with the law. Opaque and complicated regulations are
other major disincentive that hinders compliance and pushes people towards
underground economy and creation of black money. Compliance burden includes
excessive need for compliance time, as well as excessive resources to comply.
 Appropriate legislative framework related to: Public Procurement, Prevention
of Bribery of foreign officials, citizens grievance redressal, whistleblower
protection, UID Adhar.
 Setting up and strengthening institutions dealing with illicit money:
Directorate of Criminal Investigation Cell for Exchange of Information, Income
Tax Overseas Units- ITOUs at Mauritius and Singapore have been very useful,
Strengthening the Foreign TAX, Tax Research and Investigation Division of the
CBDT.
 Developing systems for implementation: Integrated Taxpayer Data Management
System (ITDMS) and 360- degree profiling, Setting up of Cyber Forensic Labs and
Work Stations, implementation of Goods and Services Tax and Direct Tax Code.
 Imparting skills to personnel for effective action:
 Electoral Reforms: Elections are one of the biggest channel to utilize the black
money. Appropriate reforms to reduce money power in elections. Thus, a holistic
and all round attack from within and outside the country is the need of the hour.
What is National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) ?
 It is a pollution control initiative to cut the concentration of particles (PM10 &
PM2.5) by 20-30% by 2024.
 It will have 2017 as the base year for comparison and 2019 as the first year.
 It is to be implemented in 102 non-attainment cities. These cities are chosen
on the basis of Ambient Air Quality India (2011-2015) and WHO report 2014/2018.
 National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was recently launched by – Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Its objectives include-
 abatement of air pollution;
 Augment public awareness and capacity building measures.
Significance of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) | UPSC IAS
 First such effort – Framing a national framework for air quality management with
a time-bound reduction target.
 Multisectoral Collaboration and Participatory approach
  All-inclusive approach – It has tried to incorporate measures for urban as well as
rural areas. Further, NCAP identifies the trans-boundary nature of air pollution
and thus specifically assigns transboundary strategies in managing the air
pollution in the country.
 Linking Health and Pollution: NCAP has now taken on board the National Health
Environmental Profile of 20 cities that the MoEF&CC initiated along with the
Indian Council of Medical Research with special focus on air pollution and health.
It has asked the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to maintain health
database and integrate that with decision making.
Implementation of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) | UPSC IAS
 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
 The NCAP will be institutionalized by respective ministries and will be
organized through inter-sectoral groups, which include, Ministry of Road
Transport and Highway, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, NITI Aayog, CPCB, experts
from the industry, academia, and civil society.
 The program will partner with multilateral and bilateral international
organizations,
 The Apex Committee in the MoEFCC will periodically review the progress.
Components of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) | UPSC IAS
(National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has 3 components)
Mitigation Actions: NCAP details seven mitigation actions.
 Web-based, three-tier mechanism –
 Extensive Plantation Drive: Plantation initiatives
 Technology Support:
 Regional and Transboundary Plan:
 Sectoral Interventions:
 City Specific Air Quality Management Plan for 102 Non-Attainment Cities
 A separate emergency action plan
 State Government’s participation is not limited for evolving an effective
implementation strategy but also in exploring detailed funding mechanism.
Knowledge and Database Augmentation | UPSC IAS
 Air Quality Monitoring Network
  Extending Source apportionment studies to all Non-Attainment cities: This will
help in prioritising the sources of pollution and formulation and implementation
of most appropriate action plans. A unified guideline for source apportionment
study will be formulated and updated by the Centre.
 Air Pollution Health and Economic Impact Studies: Under NCAP studies on
health and economic impact of air pollution to be supported. Framework for
monthly analysis of data w.r.t health to be created.
 International Cooperation including Sharing of International Best Practices on
Air Pollution.
 Review of Ambient Air Quality Standards and Emission Standards: The existing
standards need to be strengthened periodically and new standards need to be
formulated for the sources where standards are not available.
 National Emission Inventory: This will be formalized under the NCAP. Its
significance is in tracking progress towards emission reduction targets and as
inputs to air quality model.
Institutional Strengthening | UPSC IAS
 Institutional Framework: It involves a National Apex Committee at the MoEF&CC
and State-level Apex Committee under the chief secretaries in various states.
 Public Awareness and Education: through national portals, media engagement,
civil society involvement, etc.
 Training and Capacity Building: NCAP identifies lack of capacity on air quality
issues due to limited manpower and infrastructure in the CPCB and SPCBs, lack of
formal training for various associated stakeholders etc. as one of the major
hurdle in an effective implementation of air pollution management plans.
 Setting up Air Information Centre: which will be responsible for creating a
dashboard, data analysis, interpretation, dissemination. This may be set up with
the assistance of the IITs, IIMs.
 Operationalize the NPL-India Certification Scheme (NPL-ICS) for certification of
monitoring instrument. It will help to cater to the country’s needs with respect to
the online monitoring of air pollution. The proposed certification scheme will
have three major components i.e. NPL-India Certification body (NICB),
certification committee, and testing and calibration facility.
 Air-Quality Forecasting System (AQFS): as a state-of-the-art modelling system,
it will forecast the following day’s air quality. The satellite data available
through ISRO to be integrated for monitoring and forecasting under the NCAP.
 Network of Technical Institutions- Knowledge Partners: Dedicated air pollution
units will be supported in the universities, organizations, and institutions and a
network of highly qualified and experienced academicians, academic
administrators, and technical institutions will be created.
 Technology Assessment Cell (TAC):
What is Blue Economy ? | UPSC – IAS
As per the World Bank, Blue Economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for
economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of
ocean ecosystem. It covers several sectors linked directly or indirectly to the
oceans such as –
 Fishing, minerals, shipping and port infrastructure,
  Marine biotechnology,
 Marine renewable energy,
 Marine tourism,
 Ocean governance and education.

Significance of Blue economy | UPSC – IAS

Economic Benefits:
 Oceans provide 30 percent of oil and gas resources.
 90% of goods trade takes place through Oceans Sea of Line Communication.
 Ocean contributes $2.5 trillion to world economy with around 60 million people
are employed in fisheries and aquaculture.
 Seabed Mining of polymetallic nodules and polymetallic sulphides to extract
nickel, cobalt, manganese and rare earth metals.
Environmental Benefits:
 Mangroves and other vegetated ocean habitats sequester 25 percent of the extra
CO2 from fossil fuels, i.e., Blue Carbon.
 Protection of coastal communities from disasters like floods and storms.
 A Sustainable Blue Economy can help to achieve commitments under UN’s
Sustainable Development Goals 2030, Paris climate agreement 2015 and the UN
Ocean Conference 2017.
Challenges to Blue Economy | UPSC – IAS
 Unsustainable development near marine areas:
 FAO estimates that approximately 57 percent of fish stocks are fully exploited
and another 30 percent are over-exploited, depleted, or recovering.
 Marine pollution: It is in the form of excess nutrients from untreated sewerage,
and marine debris such as plastics. Deep sea mining can cause long term
irreversible ecological damage to marine ecosystem.
 Impacts of climate change:
 Geopolitical issues: Geopolitical tussle between in various regions like South
China Sea, Indian Ocean Region etc. and undermining International Laws like
UNCLOS limits the countries from achieving the full potential of Blue Economy.
  Unfair trade practices
 Other non-conventional threats: Defense and security related threats like piracy
and terrorism combined with natural disasters (Small Island Developing States are
particularly vulnerable).
Blue economy and India | UPSC – IAS
India is trying to achieve the potential of Blue Economy by promoting the spirit of
‘SAGAR-Security and Growth for All in the Region’ in Indian Ocean Region. Some
initiatives by India are: (important for UPSC)

Sagarmala Project: Sagarmala initiative focus on three pillars of development

 Supporting and enabling Port-led Development through appropriate policy and
institutional interventions.
 Port Infrastructure Enhancement, including modernization and setting up of
new ports.
 Efficient Evacuation to and from hinterland by developing new lines/linkages
for transport (including roads, rail, inland waterways and coastal routes).
 Coastal Economic Zones: 14 CEZs are being developed under Sagarmala initiative
covering all the Maritime States.
 CEZs are spatial economic regions comprising of a group of coastal districts
or districts with a strong linkage to the ports in that region.
 CEZ will help to tap synergies of planned economic corridors.
 Resource exploration: India in recent times has shifted its focus towards Indian
Ocean resource exploration. E.g. India has explored 75000 sq km of Indian Ocean
Seabed and is developing technologies (like remotely operated vehicles) for
mining the resources
 International relations and security: India is cooperating with Indian Ocean
littoral countries and projecting itself as ‘net security provider’ to ensure a safe,
secure and stable Indian Ocean Region (IOR). India is also cooperating with extra
regional powers like US, Japan in IOR. E.g. Asia-Africa growth corridor, QUAD etc.
Sustainable Blue Economy Conference
 It’s the first global conference on the sustainable blue economy.
 It was convened by Kenya and co-hosted Canada and Japan.
What is Operation Greens Mission ?
Operation Greens was announced in the Budget speech of 2018-19 with an outlay of
Rs 500 crores to stabilize the supply of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) crops and
to ensure availability of TOP cropsthroughout the country round the year without
price volatility.
Operation green related to which vegetables ?
Operation greens related to Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) vegetables.
 The Centre has identified 17 top producing clusters across 8 states (Maharashtra,
Bihar, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and
West Bengal) for the first phases of this initiative
 The government also intends to utilize the 28 centres of excellence under Indo-
Israel Cooperation for the demonstration of new technologies in production and
the supply of quality planting material and capacity building to farmers under the
scheme.
  Government has laid down special strategy and grants-in-aid under the
scheme to ensure enhanced production of TOP crops and to augment value
chain.
Major objectives of “Operation Greens” | UPSC – IAS
 Enhancing value realisation of TOP farmers by targeted interventions to
strengthen TOP production clusters
 Price stabilisation for producers and consumers by proper production planning in
the TOP clusters and introduction of dual use varieties.
 Reduction in post-harvest losses
 Setting up of a market intelligence network to collect and collate real time data
on demand and supply and price of TOP crops.
Need for Operation Greens | UPSC – IAS
 Price Stabilisation of essential vegetables like tomatoes, onions and potatoes
which is critical for both farmers and consumers.
 Remunerative prices for farmers for their produce which may lead to
achievement of vision to double the income of farmers by the end of 2022.
 Achieving fair price for consumers as Tomatoes, onions and potatoes are
consumed throughout the year across the entire country.
 Reducing losses due to a lack of storage and transport facilities.
Strategy for Operation Greens | UPSC – IAS
 Short term Price Stabilisation Measures: National Agricultural Cooperative
Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) will be the Nodal Agency to implement
price stabilisation measures. MoFPI will provide 50% of the subsidy on the
following two components:-
 Transportation of Tomato Onion Potato(TOP) Crops from production to
storage;
 Hiring of appropriate storage facilities for TOP Crops;
 Long Term Integrated value chain development projects such as Capacity
Building of FPOs & their consortium, Quality production, Post-harvest processing
facilities, Agri-Logistics, Marketing / Consumption Points, and Creation and
Management of e-platform for demand and supply management of TOP Crops.
Grants-in-Aid Operation Greens | UPSC – IAS
 The pattern of assistance will comprise of grants-in-aid at the rate of 50% of
the eligible project cost in all areas, subject to maximum Rs. 50 crores per
project (For FPOs the grant-in-aid will be at rate of 70%).
 Eligible Organisation would include State Agriculture and other Marketing
Federations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO).
Environment and earth

Convention on Biological Diversity | Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration UPSC

COP – 14 and Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration | UPSC – IAS
Recently, Conference of the Parties (COP-14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) was held, adopting Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration.

Highlight of COP-14
  Adoption of Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration on Investing in Biodiversity for People
and Planet.
 Governments commit to mainstream biodiversity through, integrating
biodiversity values in legislative and policy frameworks, and development
and finance plans.
Other Significant Highlight
 New Deal for Nature: It is an agreement on a comprehensive and participatory
process to develop post-2020 global biodiversity framework to further achieve the
2050 Vision for Biodiversity.
 Launch of International Alliance of Nature and Culture to advance work on
biological and cultural diversity in collaboration with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and indigenous
peoples and local communities.
 It called for UN General Assembly to designate 2021 to 2030 as the UN Decade
of Ecosystem Restoration.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) | UPSC – IAS
 Aim: To promote the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its
components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of
genetic resources.
 It’s a near universal convention with a participation of 196 member countries.
Protocols adopted under the Convention.
 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: It seeks to protect biological diversity from the
potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern
biotechnology.
 Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing: It aims at sharing the benefits
arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way,
including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer
of relevant technologies.
The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity includes a vision for
2050, five strategic goals and twenty Aichi Biodiversity Targets, mostly to
be achieved by 2020.
The 2050 Vision stresses the role of biodiversity for human
wellbeing: “biodiversity to be valued, conserved, restored and wisely used,
maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy Planet and delivering
benefits essential for all people”.
Earth Biogenome project & its Significance | UPSC – IAS and PIB
About Earth BioGenome Project | UPSC – IAS
International biologists have launched an ambitious Earth BioGenome Project at an
estimated cost of $4.7bn.

Aim of the Project – It aims to sequence, catalog and characterize the genomes of
all of Earth’s eukaryotic biodiversity over a period of ten years.
Significance of Earth Biogenome project | UPSC and PIB
 Saving Biodiversity: Given Climate Change and related worries such as loss of
forest cover, about 50% of current biodiversity could be lost by the end of the
 21st century in what is being referred to as the Sixth Great Extinction. This
Project will help record the genomes of organisms at risk.
 Discovery of Unknown Species: It is believed that there are somewhere between
2 million and 3 million eukaryotic species on the planet. Only about half have
been identified so far.
 New Resources: It should also lead to the discovery of new drugs, new biofuels,
and boost agricultural technologies, with obvious commercial benefits.
 Generate Revenues: It could help to boost scientific capacity and generate
revenues for poor countries with rich biodiversity.
 Better Understanding: It will revolutionize the understanding of biology and
evolution and thus create new approaches for the conservation of rare and
endangered species.
Challenges in Earth Biogenome project | UPSC and PIB
 High Quality data: The most difficult part in EBP will be to acquire and process
high-quality samples from species that are hard to reach.
 Lack of Technologies: New technologies such as specimen-collecting drones may
need to be developed.
 IPR issue: There are complicated protocols involved in transferring physical
samples and genetic data across borders, and there are bound to be disputes
about the sharing of the benefits obtained.
 Legal Frameworks: While the Nagoya Protocols of 2014 provide a framework for
such transfers, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity will have to
work out new protocols and, ideally, create a new, transparent and equitable
legal framework.
About Earth BioGenome Project | UPSC and PIB
 It involves projects by various countries:
 US-led project to sequence the genetic code of tens of thousands of
vertebrates
 Chinese project to sequence 10,000 plant genomes
 The Global Ant Genomes Alliance, which aims to sequence around 200 ant
genomes.
 UK participants, led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, will also sequence the
genetic codes of all 66,000 species inhabiting Britain in a national effort called
the Darwin Tree of Life.
 Currently, fewer than 3,500, or about 0.2 per cent of all known eukaryotic
species on Earth have had their genome sequenced.
 Physical samples would be stored frozen in liquid nitrogen in four or more
facilities located in different parts of the world, and repositories of digitised
information would be created.
 The completed project will generate at least 1 exabyte (that is, 1 billion
gigabytes) of data, which is to be
shared online for free.
 The initiative would produce a database of biological information that provides
a platform for scientific research and supports environmental and conservation
initiatives.
  The participating institutions would raise their own funding as far as possible.
However, the project has the backing of the World Economic Forum
 The potential benefits of EGP are compared to those from Human Genome
Project, which has transformed research into human health and disease.
Key – terms Explain | UPSC and PIB
Eukaryotes
 These are organisms whose cells have a nucleus enclosed by membranes.
 These are animals, plants, fungi and protozoa, which encompass all of life except
simple microbes (bacteria and archaea).
Prokaryotes
 These are the organisms with single cell nucleus e.g. bacteria and archaea.
Human Genome Project (HGP) | UPSC and PIB
 It was the international, collaborative research program whose goal was the
complete mapping and understanding of all the genes of human beings. All our
genes together are known as our “genome”.
 It helped to develop modern sequencing techniques, which have vastly
improved the efficiency while reducing the costs of genomic research.
 It read the genetic code of just one species, Homo sapiens, between 1990 and
2003.
Global Warming and its Major effects on Environment and Human Health | UPSC
The “natural” greenhouse effect has been part of the basis of life on Earth since the
early atmosphere formed. Without it, our planet would be a frozen mass, perhaps
30°C (54°F) colder than it is today. Over the last three decades, human-produced
changes to the greenhouse effect have been brought to the attention of the media
and the general public by the scientific community. Climate change has brought about
possibly permanent alterations to Earth’s geological, biological and ecological systems
Data gathered from surface weather stations, ships, buoys, balloons, satellites, ice
cores, and other paleoclimatological sources indicate that the climate of Earth is
becoming warmer. This warming trend became known to the public as global
warming, although many climate scientists prefer the more general term climate
change because it encompasses the many effects of warming, such as changes in
precipitation patterns.
Effects of global warming on Environment, human health and ecosystem:-
 Hotter days: 2017 was the hottest year on record, the previous record was
broken in 2015, and 2019 is expected to set a new record for the third year in a
row.
 Rising sea levels: Warmer temperatures also result in the expansion of the
water’s mass, which causes sea levels to rise, threatening low-lying islands and
coastal cities.
 More frequent and intense extreme weather events: Extreme weather events
like bush-fires, cyclones, droughts and floods are becoming more frequent and
more intense as a result of global warming.
 Species: One in six species is at risk of extinction because of climate change.
 Food and farming: Changes to rainfall patterns, increasingly severe drought,
more frequent heat waves, flooding and extreme weather make it more difficult
 for farmers to graze livestock and grow produce, reducing food availability and
making it more expensive to buy.
 Water: Reduced rainfall and increasingly severe droughts may lead to water
shortages.
 Coastal Erosion: Rising sea levels and more frequent
 Health: Increasingly severe and frequent heat waves may lead to death and
illness, especially among the elderly.
 Damage to homes: Increasingly severe extreme weather events like bush-fires,
storms, floods, cyclones and coastal erosion, will see increased damage to homes,
as well as more costly insurance premiums.
 Coral bleaching: Rising temperatures and acidity within our oceans is
contributing to extreme coral bleaching events, like the 2016 event that
destroyed more than one-third of the Great Barrier Reef.
Increasing Greenhouse Gas Concentrations | UPSC – IAS
The cause of global climate change appears to be human enhanced greenhouse
effect. Since the industrial era began in the mid-1700s, human activities have
increased the concentrations of greenhouse gases – such as:-
 Carbon dioxide,
 Methane,
 Tropospheric ozone, and
 Chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere.
As greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere increase, more terrestrial
radiation is retained in the lower atmosphere, thereby increasing global
temperatures. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is thought to be responsible for at least 60
percent of the human-enhanced greenhouse effect. CO2 concentrations have been
rising steadily since the Industrial Revolution began in the mid-1700s. Carbon
dioxide is a principal by-product of combustion of anything containing carbon, such as
coal and petroleum
Many other greenhouse gases have been added to the atmosphere by human
activity.
 Methane – produced by grazing livestock and rice paddies and as a by-product of
the combustion of wood,
 Natural gas, coal, and oil – has more than doubled since 1750 and is about 25
times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2.
 Nitrous Oxide – which comes from chemical fertilizers and automobile
emissions—has increased by about 18 percent since 1750.
 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) – are synthetic chemicals that were widely used as
refrigerants and as propellants in spray cans until quite recently.
Many of these gases, and others, are being released into the atmosphere at
accelerating rates. The increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, especially carbon
dioxide, correlates well with the observed increase in global temperature: as CO2 has
increased, so have average global temperatures.
Acid Rain and its Sources | UPSC – IAS
One of the most troublesome environmental problems since the latter part of the
twentieth century is acid rain— more generally called acid precipitation or acid
deposition. This term refers to the deposition of either wet or dry acidic materials
from the atmosphere on Earth’s surface. Although most conspicuously associated
with rainfall, the pollutants may fall to Earth with snow, sleet, hail, or fog or in the
dry form of gases or particulate matter.
Sources of Acid Precipitation:-
 Sulfuric and nitric acids are the principal culprits recognized thus far. Evidence
indicates that the principal human induced sources are sulfur dioxide
(SO2) emissions from smokestacks (particularly electric utility companies in the
United States, the smelting of metal ores in Canada), and nitrogen oxides
(NOx) from motor vehicle exhaust.
 These and other emissions of sulfur and nitrogen compounds are expelled into
the air, where they may drift hundreds or even thousands of kilometers by winds.
During this time they may mix with atmospheric moisture to form the sulfuric and
nitric acids that are precipitated sooner or later.
Depletion of the Ozone Layer | UPSC – IAS
Ozone is naturally produced in the stratosphere. It is a form of oxygen
molecule consisting of three atoms of oxygen (O3) rather than the more common two
atoms (O2). Ozone is created in the upper atmosphere by the action of ultraviolet
solar radiation on diatomic oxygen (O2) molecules.
Natural Formation of Ozone
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun is divided into three bands (from longest to
shortest wavelengths): UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. In the stratosphere, under the
influence of UV-C, O2 molecules split into oxygen atoms; some of the free oxygen
atoms combine with O2 molecules to form O2.
The natural breakdown of ozone in the stratosphere occurs when, under the
influence of UV-B and UV-C,ozone breaks down into O2 and a free oxygen atom.
Through this ongoing natural process of ozone formation and breakdown, nearly all
of UV-C and much of UV-B radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer.The absorption
of UV radiation in this photochemical process also serves to warm the stratosphere.
About 90 percent of all atmospheric ozone is found in the stratosphere where
it forms a fragile “shield” by absorbing most of the potentially dangerous ultraviolet
radiation from the Sun. Ultraviolet radiation can be biologically harmful in many
ways.
 Prolonged exposure to UV radiation is linked to skin cancer –
 It is also linked to increased risk for cataracts;
 It can suppress the human immune system,
 Diminish the yield of many crops,
 Disrupt the aquatic food chain by killing microorganisms
Ozone is also produced near Earth’s surface in the troposphere through human
activities, forming one of the components of photochemical smog. However, it was
a thinning of the stratospheric ozone layer first observed in the 1970s that
triggered extensive research and monitoring.
The Greenhouse Effect | UPSC – IAS
The greenhouse effect is at work in the atmosphere. A number of gases in the
atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases, readily transmit incoming shortwave
radiation from the Sun but do not easily transmit outgoing longwave terrestrial
radiation. The most important greenhouse gas is water vapor, followed by carbon
dioxide. Many other trace gases such as methane also play a role, as do some kinds of
clouds.
In the simplest terms, incoming shortwave solar radiation transmits through the
atmosphere to Earth’s surface, where this energy is absorbed, increasing the
temperature of the surface.
The greenhouse effect is one of the most important warming processes in the
troposphere. The greenhouse effect keeps Earth’s surface and lower troposphere
much warmer than would be the case if there were no atmosphere – without the
greenhouse effect, the average temperature of Earth would be about −15°C (5°F)
rather than the present average of 15°C (59°F).
 Although the ongoing, natural greenhouse effect in the atmosphere makes life
as we know it possible, over the last century or so a significant increase in
greenhouse gas concentration – especially carbon dioxide – has been measured.
 This increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is closely associated with human
activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels such as petroleum and
coal (carbon dioxide is one of the by-products of combustion).
 The increase in greenhouse gas concentration has been accompanied by a
slight, yet nonetheless significant, increase in average global temperature,
raising the likelihood that humans are altering the global energy balance of the
atmosphere. This important issue, commonly referred to as global warming.
Major greenhouse gases are:
Methane
Sulfur hexafluoride
Ozone
Water vapor
Fluorocarbon
Fluoroform
Nitrogen trifluoride
Deforestation – Tropical Rainforest | UPSC – IAS
Throughout much of history, most rainforests of the world were only moderately
populated and as a consequence they were affected by human activities in limited
ways.
 Since the twentieth century, however, rainforests have been exploited and
devastated at an accelerating pace; and over the past 40 years or so, tropical
deforestation has become one of Earth’s most serious environmental
problems.
 The exact rate of deforestation around the world – in both the tropics and
temperate forest regions – is not precisely known, but the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that between 2000 and
2010, about 13 million hectares (32 million acres) of forest were being lost
each year.
 Between 1990 and 2005 about 42 million hectares (104 million acres) of
rainforest was cleared in Brazil alone—the greatest total of any country during
that time period and an area approximately equal to that of California. Indonesia
ranked second with more than 25 million hectares (62 million acres) cleared
during those years.
  Deforestation of the Amazon region as a percentage of the total area of
rainforest has been moderate (perhaps 20 percent of the total has been
cleared). As the forest goes, so goes its habitability for both indigenous
peoples and native animal life.
Sea level Rise | UPSC – IAS
 Ice caps and glaciers decreased in both hemispheres, contributing to sea level
rise; the flow speed of some Greenland and Antarctic outlet glaciers has
increased.
 Since 1980, temperatures at the top of the permafrost layer have
increased by as much as 3°C (5.4°F), and since 1900 the extent of seasonally
frozen ground has been reduced by about 7 percent.
El Niño and Global warming | UPSC – IAS
 The warming of coastal waters during the 1982–83 El Niño was observed to
cause coral bleaching in Panama; the 1997–98 El Niño was even stronger and
caused bleaching in reefs around the world.
 El Niño’s strongest impacts are felt around the equatorial Pacific, they can
affect weather around the world by influencing high and low pressure
systems, winds and precipitation. And as the warmer ocean waters release
excess energy (heat) into the atmosphere, global temperatures rise.
Land degradation and its Causes | UPSC – IAS
Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is
affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land. It is
viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or
undesirable.
Overcutting of vegetation occurs when people cut forests, woodlands and
shrublands—to obtain timber, fuelwood and other products—at a pace exceeding the
rate of natural regrowth. This is frequent in semi-arid environments, where fuelwood
shortages are often severe.
Land degradation caused by mining as it cause landslides Land degradation is a
global problem largely related to agricultural use.
Causes of Land degradation | UPSC – IAS
 Land clearance, such as clear cutting and deforestation
 Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
 Inappropriate irrigation and overdrafting
 Vehicle off-roading
 Quarrying of stone, sand, ore and minerals
 Dumping of non-biodegradable trash, such as plastics
 Soil degradation, e.g.
 Soil contamination,Soil erosion,Soil acidification,Loss of soil carbon etc.