UPSC Key | Personal laws, Upper Siang Project, Hybrid EVs and more

Explained

Mega dam, Protest in Arunachal

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Government policies and interventions, Infrastructure, Environment, Growth & Development, Conservation.

What’s the ongoing story- Two anti-dam activists from Arunachal Pradesh were put in preventive detention on Monday (July 8), ahead of Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s visit to the state.

Prerequisites:

— What is preventive detention?

— Read about the Upper Siang hydroelectric project.

— Read about the Siang river basin and other major rivers of Northeast India?

Key takeaways: 

— The Upper Siang project is a proposed 11,000 megawatt hydropower project on the Siang river in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

— The Siang originates near Mount Kailash in Tibet, where it goes by the name of Tsangpo. It traverses more than 1,000 km eastward, before forming a horseshoe bend around the towering Namcha Barwa peak, and enters Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang. Further downstream, in Assam, the river becomes the mighty Brahmaputra.

— In 2017, the government proposed to replace the planned 5,500 MW Siang Upper Stage-I and 3,750 MW Siang Upper Stage-II hydel projects with a single, multi-purpose project of higher capacity — the aforementioned Upper Siang project. Set to be built by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), the project would entail the construction of a 300-metre high dam, the largest in the subcontinent, when completed.

— But more than its hydropower potential, the dam is being projected as a strategic imperative to counter China’s hydel projects on the Tsangpo.

— Officials have highlighted in particular the plan for a 60,000 MW ‘super dam’ in Tibet’s Medog county, right on the border with Arunachal Pradesh. The super dam’s installed capacity is almost three times that of the largest hydropower station on the planet — the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river in China’s Hubei province. It will be used to divert water to China’s water-scarce northern regions.

— Officials have stated that the Upper Siang project will act as a reservoir to counter the effects of a potentially-reduced flow.

— In the memorandum that three anti-dam organisations — the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF), Dibang Resistance, and North East Human Rights — intended to give Khattar, concerns regarding the project’s environmental and social impact are stated.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the issues and challenges associated with the various hydropower projects?

— How is a run-of-river hydroelectricity project different from any other hydroelectricity project?

— What measures should be taken to ensure developmental projects are sustainable and environmentally friendly?

Post Read Question:

Prelims 

Consider the following rivers: (UPSC CSE 2014)

1. Barak

2. Lohit

3. Subansiri

Which of the above flows/flow through Arunachal Pradesh?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

Suppose the Government of India is thinking of constructing a dam in a mountain valley bound by forests and inhabited by ethnic communities. What rational policy should it resort to in dealing with unforeseen contingencies? (UPSC CSE 2018)

CrPC & Personal law: Divorced Muslim women’s right to alimony

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story- The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal by a Muslim man against a Telangana High Court order allowing his ex-wife to seek maintenance under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC).

Prerequisites:

— What are personal laws?

— What are Article 15(3) and 39(e) of the constitution?

— What is the Shah Bano Case?

Key takeaways: 

— Section 125 CrPC places an obligation on “any person having sufficient means” to maintain “his wife” or “his legitimate or illegitimate minor child” if they are unable to maintain themselves — typically through monetary support at regular intervals. The explanation in the section clarifies that the word “wife” also includes a divorced woman who has not re-married.

— Justice Nagarathna said that Section 125 CrPC “aligned” with the power to create special provisions for women under Article 15(3) of the Constitution, and the obligation on the State under Article 39(e) to ensure “that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength”.

— The ruling reiterated that maintenance under Section 125 CrPC exists “in addition” to the provisions for maintenance under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 (MWPRD Act), not “against” it.

— This position was first taken in the landmark 2001 ruling in Danial Latifi & Anr v. Union of India.

For Your Information:

— The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that all married and divorced women, including Muslim women illegally divorced by pronouncement of “triple talaq”, are entitled to claim maintenance from their husbands under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, “irrespective of her personal law”.

— In separate but concurring judgments, a Bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih held that the right of Muslim women to seek recourse to Section 125 will not be eclipsed by the provisions of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, enacted by the then Rajiv Gandhi government after the landmark Shah Bano judgment of 1985.

— The Supreme court has reiterated a landmark position: that Muslim women are protected like women of other religions, and that Parliament’s 1986 law that attempted to overturn the Shah Bano judgment did not remove the protection available to them under Section 125 CrPC.

Points to Ponder: 

— What was the role of the Shah Bano case in the interpretation of personal laws?

— What are the concerns related to the personal laws in India?

— What are the debates around the Uniform Civil Code?

— What are the recent initiatives taken by the government for the protection of the rights of Muslim women?

Post Read Question:

Customs and traditions suppress reason leading to obscurantism. Do you agree? (UPSC CSE 2020)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Divorced Muslim women can claim maintenance under Section 125 of Criminal Procedure Code: SC

The Editorial Page

The food price constraint

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economy

Mains Examination: GS-III: Economy

What’s the ongoing story-  Dharmakirti Joshi , Pankhuri Tandon and Sharvari Rajadhyaksha write: Monetary policy in India has been navigating diverging economic trends. While GDP growth continues to surprise on the upside, core inflation seems set on a downward trajectory. However, food inflation — typically considered idiosyncratic — has stayed stubbornly elevated, restricting the fall in the consumer price index (CPI) and restraining the Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India.

Prerequisites:

— What is the consumer price index (CPI)?

— What is headline inflation?

— What is core inflation?

Key takeaways: 

— Food commands nearly 40 per cent weight in the CPI basket… Headline inflation has been above 6 per cent in 24 months (the upper limit of RBI’s tolerance band of 2-6 per cent) while food has been above 6 per cent in 28 months. Even as overall CPI slid to 5.4 per cent in 2023-24, food rose to 7.5 per cent. It climbed further to 8.7 per cent in the first two months of the current financial year.

— CPI has softened recently due to the slide in non-food inflation, including core inflation (inflation excluding food and fuel). At 3 per cent in May, core inflation was at a record low. This fall would suggest muted demand pressures on inflation, creating scope for rate cuts.

— Recent research (Are food prices the ‘true’ core of India’s inflation?, RBI Bulletin January 2024) shows that large and persistent food shocks spill over into non-food inflation. Additionally, high food inflation hits the poor more since it has a higher weight in their consumption basket. Our assessment shows that the bottom 20 per cent of the population in rural and urban areas currently face nearly 50 basis points higher inflation than the top 20 per cent.

—  In 2022-23, heatwaves and unseasonal rains contributed to a surge in inflation, even as the monsoon turned out normal. In 2023-24, El Niño was aggravated by global warming, leading to the driest August India had seen in recorded history.

— Heatwaves have affected crop production by depleting groundwater levels, shrivelling wheat grains and pest infestations. They also affected dairy and poultry output. On the other side, unseasonal rains hit crops during harvesting and transportation stages.

— Controlling climate change’s impact on food will require help from fiscal policy. Agricultural infrastructure needs to be upgraded — from production to transportation and storage.

— For production, policy can help promote climate-resistant crop varieties… Agricultural research needs to be incentivised. Currently, investments in R&D are just around 0.5 per cent of agriculture GDP, according to a 2023 paper by ICRIER.

— Irrigation infrastructure needs to be stepped up amid heatwave-linked risks to water availability. Despite government efforts, only 57 per cent of agriculture is covered by irrigation so far. Cold storage and food processing should be further encouraged.

For Your Information:

Challenges for the farm sector

— One, the climate is changing irreversibly for the worse. We are already witnessing the beginning of erratic climatic events impacting crop production and livelihoods.

— Two, the World Trade Organisation will not change and we will have to live with its iniquitousness. For many years, the US has deliberately crippled the dispute-settlement mechanism…

— Three, the large number of small land holdings (85 per cent of total arable land) fundamentally limits the scope for primary producers to eke out a life of dignity from their profession.

— Four, the global priority to ensure low food prices for consumers is easiest achieved by artificially driving down farm-gate prices. This makes farming environmentally unsustainable and economically unremunerative.

— Five, depleting aquifers due to the insatiable demand for water for agriculture is reaching a threshold point where it won’t be economically viable to extract water for irrigation in food basket regions.

Points to Ponder: 

— How food inflation has spillover impact on non-food inflation?

— How does food inflation impact the lower section of the population?

— How does climate change impact the inflation rate?

— What initiatives need to be taken to mitigate the impact of climate change?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. The weightage of food in Consumer Price Index (CPI) is higher than that in Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

2. The WPI does not capture changes in the prices of services, which CPI does.

3. Reserve Bank of India has now adopted WPI as its key measure of inflation and to decide on changing the key policy rates.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

What are the main constraints in transport and marketing of agricultural produce in India? (UPSC CSE 2020)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Challenge for farm sector: How to share growth gains

Why Indian agriculture may need a new export-import policy

It’s heating up

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Environment

Mains Examination: GS-III: Environment

What’s the ongoing story- The average global temperature between July 2023 and June 2024 was the highest on record, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service’s latest bulletin.

Prerequisites:

— What is the Paris Climate Agreement?

— What is La-Nina?

Key takeaways: 

— The agency, among the World Meteorological Organisation’s key sources of climate data, has revealed that in the past 12 months, the planet was 1.64 degrees Celsius hotter than in the fossil fuel era.

— The findings do not immediately mean that the world has defaulted on the Paris Climate Pact’s 1.5 degrees threshold — that target is measured in terms of decadal averages and not yearly temperature.

—  The “temporary” breaches of the 1.5-degrees target over the past two years are warnings to brace for a warmer world and bolster adaptation mechanisms.

— Reducing GHG emissions and limiting the amount of warming has so far been the prime focus of climate policymaking. However, mitigation targets have historically been inadequate and the global community has never agreed on who shoulders the greater burden of decarbonisation.

— Last year, the IPCC’s Synthesis Report warned that measures to build resilience are “largely small-scale, reactive and incremental with most focusing on near-term risks”. The report underlined the need to weather-proof agriculture, secure people’s livelihoods, protect the vulnerable from rising seas and rivers and strengthen healthcare systems.

— In 2021, the New Delhi-based Council for Energy, Environment and Water’s study revealed that more than 80 per cent of India’s population is vulnerable to climate disasters, and most regions have low adaptive capacities.

For Your Information:

— In its 2023 State of Global Climate report, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said there was a 66% chance that at least one of the years between 2023 and 2027 would cross the threshold. It means that one of these years would surpass the 1.5 degree Celsius warming limit across the entire calendar year for the first time.

— According to the latest data by Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), about 50% of days were more than 1.5 degree Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial levels — and two days in November were, for the first time, more than 2 degree Celsius warmer.

Points to Ponder: 

— Why 1.5 C target is so critical for climate change?

— What are the reasons for missing the target of Greenhouse gas emissions?

— What is the impact of extreme climate events on India?

— What are the initiatives taken by India to limit GHG emissions?

Post Read Question:

With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2016)

1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017.

2. The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2°C or even 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $ 1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Warming up to climate change: What is the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold, and what happens when we breach it?

The Ideas Page

Russia razor’s edge

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

What’s the ongoing story- Nandan Unnikrishnan Writes– “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful visit to Russia has once again demonstrated India’s ability to walk the geopolitical equivalent of a razor’s edge and give everyone something to cheer about while providing stability to ties with a consequential partner.”

Prerequisites:

— What is the history of India-Russia bilateral relations?

— Read about the Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA)?

Key takeaways: 

— “In today’s geopolitical scenario, the visit cannot be confined to the bilateral context. It will be seen as New Delhi’s emphatic endorsement of strong ties with Moscow despite the fighting in Ukraine, concerns about the Kremlin’s growing ties with Beijing and Western pressures to de-couple from Russia. India and Russia also share the goal of ushering in a multi-polar world.”

— “India and Russia agreed that the Ukraine conflict had to be resolved peacefully “through dialogue and diplomacy… in accordance with international law and on the basis of the UN Charter in its entirety and totality”. Getting Russia to agree to this formulation in the joint statement doesn’t mean that India will immediately throw itself into mediation mode. Still, this wording could be the basis on which Moscow and West-backed Kyiv could be nudged to the negotiation table.”

— “Paradoxically, despite the war and related sanctions, India and Russia trade has grown exponentially from the barely $10 billion before February 2022 to $65.7 billion in the last financial year. The two sides traded goods worth $17.5 billion in the first quarter of this year, suggesting that last year’s figures are likely to be exceeded.”

— “This rapid growth is attributable to the massive spurt in the purchase of Russian oil, which was being sold at discounted rates following the imposition of sanctions. The manifold growth in trade also brought new problems — payments and trade imbalance. The need to avoid sanctions on payments to Russia has led to the revival of rupee-rouble, which now accounts for nearly 60 per cent of payments. But the balance of trade is massively in Russia’s favour, amounting currently to over $50 billion. If adequate measures are not taken soon, this is likely to increase as energy purchases by India are likely to grow in the future.”

— “The joint statement issued at the end of the visit hints at possible new payment mechanisms and identifies a whole range of new areas — agriculture, automobiles — which could be growth areas for Indian exports. The two sides have also agreed to intensify efforts on maritime and land connectivity projects — International North-South Transport corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok and Arctic Ocean Northern maritime corridors — among others.”

— “The Modi-Putin dialogue indicates that efforts are being made to make bilateral ties more resilient, considering the current geopolitical realities and the limitations of both countries.”

For Your Information:

From the Editorial page ‘Message to Moscow”

— Two and a half years later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Russia since the conflict began shows that New Delhi is getting more adept on the diplomatic tightrope: While the visit saw warmth between PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin and a slew of announcements on trade, technology and the defence partnership, India also chided Moscow as it made a stronger pitch for peace.

— Of course, Delhi’s balancing act is growing more demanding in a polarised world….the way forward for India is to continue to engage with all partners — bilaterally and in minilaterals like the Quad, I2U2 and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation — based on its economic and strategic interests. If a partnership with the US, Japan and Australia is necessary to keep China in check in the Indo-Pacific, the relationship with Russia is needed for energy security and defence. Doing business with a growing India is in the interest of all sides.

Points to Ponder: 

— Is the India-Russia relationship in “terminal decline”?

— What are the areas of cooperation between India and Russia?

— What are the major challenges and issues in India-Russia relations?

— How Ukraine-Russia war has presented diplomatic challenge for India?

Post Read Question:

Recently, India signed a deal known as ‘Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field’ with which of the following countries? (UPSC CSE 2019)

(a) Japan

(b) Russia

(c) The United Kingdom

(d) The United States of America

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

India-Russia joint statement: Terror attacks condemned $100 bn trade target

Economy

UP’s fee waiver on hybrids may push green mobility

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-III: Growth and development, Indigenization of Technology

What’s the ongoing story- The Uttar Pradesh government waived off registration fees for strong hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (EVs) on July 5, joining Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh in offering incentives for cleaner alternatives to petrol and diesel vehicles.

Prerequisites:

— What is the difference between full EVs, plug-in hybrids, and strong hybrids?

Key takeaways: 

— In FY23, strong hybrids made up 0.5 per cent of total sales, which surged to 2.2 per cent in FY24. By comparison, the share of battery EVs grew at a slower pace, from 1.3 percent to 2.3 per cent of the market…

—  Hybrid vehicles combine an internal combustion engine (ICE) with an electric motor, working together to power the car. Strong hybrids can switch between running solely on the electric motor, the ICE, or both simultaneously, optimising fuel efficiency.

— Unlike full EVs or plug-in hybrids, strong hybrids don’t require external charging. Their batteries are recharged through regenerative braking and by the ICE itself.

— The UP government’s 100 per cent waiver on registration fees for strong hybrids could save buyers up to Rs 3.5 lakh.

For Your Information:

— By 2030, even if India’s share of non-fossil fuels is 40%, hybrids will still release 8% less emissions than EVs, which, however, will be half of the 16% of today, the HSBC note said.

— In several countries that have pushed EVs, much of the electricity is generated from renewables — Norway, for example, has 99% hydroelectric power. In India, the grid is still fed largely by coal-fired thermal plants.

— Therefore, unless the generation mix changes significantly, India would be using fossil fuel generation to power EVs. Theoretically, this would mean reduced tailpipe emissions in the cities, but continuing pollution from the running of the thermal plant.

Points to Ponder: 

— How will hybrid vehicles help in decarbonisation?

— What are the government initiatives towards the adoption of EVs?

— How are hybrid vehicles better alternatives?

Post Read Question:

The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles? (UPSC CSE 2023)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Why hybrid vehicles could be a cleaner solution for India than EVs, at least for the next 7-10 year

$100-billion FDI pledge by EFTA: Goyal to visit Switzerland soon

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economy

Mains Examination: GS-II: Indian economy

What’s the ongoing story- Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal will visit Switzerland to take forward a $ 100 billion investment commitment for India made by the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) under a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).

Prerequisites:

— What is the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)?

— What is a free trade agreement (FTA)?

— What is the difference between FDI and FPI?

— Map Work-European Free Trade Association Countries

Key takeaways: 

— In the FTA that India signed in March with EFTA – which apart from Switzerland includes Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein – India secured the investment pledge from EFTA over next 15 years in return for tariff concessions to the members of the grouping.

— The fineprint of the FTA document shows that of the $ 100 billion investment, $ 50 billion will flow in the first 10 years and $ 50 billion in another five years.

— These investments will come as foreign direct investment (FDI) and not portfolio investments that should generate 1 million direct jobs, Goyal said at the National Executive Committee meeting of FICCI.

— So far the members of the grouping have collectively invested $ 10.7 billion in India of which $ 9.96 billion has come from Switzerland alone. Bilateral trade between India and EFTA stood at $ 23.9 billion last financial year.

Points to Ponder: 

— India has signed FTAs with which nations?

— What are the issues in India’s foreign trade policy?

— Which Indian sectors could EFTA investment benefit?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following countries:

1. Sri Lanka

2. UK

3. Iceland

4. Japan

With how many of the above countries, India has signed a free trade agreement?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

India signs trade agreement with EFTA: What is the significance of the deal?

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

The UPSC articles of Indian Express is now on Telegram. Join our Telegram channel- Indian Express UPSC Hub and stay updated with the latest Updates.

The UPSC section of the Indian Express is also on Instagram and X. Join our pages on Instagram and X to stay updated with all our initiatives.