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The Prime Minister launched ‘Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana’ with the target of installing rooftop solar on one crore houses.

Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana: Background, and Target

• Background:  In 2014, the government launched the Rooftop Solar Programme that aimed to achieve a cumulative installed capacity of 40,000 megawatts (MW) or  40 gigawatts (GW) by 2022. However, this target couldn’t be achieved. 
• As a result, the government extended the deadline from 2022 to 2026. 
• The Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana seems to be a new attempt to help reach the target of 40 GW rooftop solar capacity.
• Renewable Energy Target of India: The government, since 2010, has been claiming to install 100 GW by 2022 — 60 GW from utility projects (mega concentrated solar parks) and 40 GW from rooftop solar projects. 
• • So far, about 56 GW has been installed in the utilities (July 2023) and 12 GW in rooftops.
  • Of the nearly 12 GW of rooftop solar installations as of July 2023, about 87% are “non-residential”.

About the Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana

• This scheme aims to equip 1 crore households with ro equip 1 crore households with rooftop solar panels.

Benefits of the under the Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana

• Common People: It will help reduce monthly electricity bills of common people and middle class households.
• Environment: Solar energy is clean and renewable. So, it will help reduce air pollution when compared to coal or oil based power.
• Self-Sufficiency: It will support India’s goal to shift towards renewable energy and be self- sufficient in the energy sector.

News Source: The Hindu

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Recently, Expedition leader Ian Strachan guided his ship through the snow and fog in the Antarctic seas to witness the majestic A23a iceberg.

• This iceberg is drifting between Elephant Island and the South Orkney islands. 
• The iceberg is on a path known as “iceberg alley”.

A23: The Largest Iceberg in the World

• In 1986, A23a first broke off Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf coast.
• It is the world’s oldest iceberg and largest. A23a is heading out of the Weddell Sea.  
• It is in tooth-shape and nearly 4,000 square kilometers (1,550 square miles). In size, it is more than twice the size of Greater London. 
• This iceberg comprises around 1 trillion tonnes of freshwater. 

About Iceberg

• Definition: An iceberg is formed when the ice breaks away from glaciers or ice shelves and floats freely in open water. 
• These icebergs move along with ocean currents and may either become stuck in shallow areas or rest on the ocean floor. 

Types of Iceberg

• There are various types of iceberg. 

Factors influencing the formation of icebergs

• Temperature: Warmer conditions contribute to increased melting, leading to more iceberg formation.
• Ocean Currents: Icebergs can drift over long distances due to the influence of ocean currents.
• Underwater Topography: The presence of underwater features affects iceberg movement and grounding.
• Wind Patterns: Strong winds can push icebergs in specific directions, influencing their trajectory.
• Sea Ice Conditions: The presence or absence of sea ice affects iceberg mobility.
• Tidal Forces: Tidal variations impact iceberg movement, especially in tidal regions.
• Climate Change: Global warming accelerates glacial melting, contributing to more icebergs.
• Snow Accumulation: Snow buildup on glaciers adds stress, leading to calving.
• Human Activities: Shipping and industrial operations can influence iceberg movement and pose safety concerns.

Impact of Iceberg Movement

• Impact on Marine Ecosystems

  • Nutrient Boost: When icebergs melt, it releases freshwater with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. This helps create more phytoplankton, which is essential for marine food chains.
  • Disruption of Ocean Currents: Icebergs can change how ocean currents flow, affecting where nutrients and plankton go. This can disrupt food webs and harm species that rely on specific currents.
  • Habitat Creation: Icebergs become homes for various marine life, including algae, krill, penguins, and seals. These icy platforms offer shelter and breeding spaces. In this way, it supports biodiversity in the open ocean.
  • Salinity Changes: Melting icebergs dilute seawater, which can affect organisms like coral reefs and certain fish species that are sensitive to changes in saltiness.

• Impact on Coastal Regions

• • Sea Level Rise: Melting icebergs contribute to rising sea levels, leading to coastal erosion, increased flooding, and the displacement of coastal communities.
  • Grounding Hazards: When large icebergs hit the seafloor near coasts, they can damage underwater structures, disrupt shipping routes, and sometimes cause tsunamis.
  • Freshwater Supply: Melting icebergs can be a valuable source of freshwater in certain regions, especially during droughts, providing water for drinking, irrigation, and hydropower.

News Source: Economic Times

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India’s External affairs minister co-chaired the 6th Joint Commission Meeting between India and Nigeria at Abuja, Nigeria.

EAM Jaishankar Co-Chaired the 6th India-Nigeria Joint Commission Meeting

• Both Countries agreed to strengthen the efforts in the sectors of power, renewables, transport, healthcare, fintech, agriculture and security, including people-to-people exchange, energy, mobility and consular cooperations.
• Stressed on expanding economic cooperation, especially trade and investment between the two countries.

About India Nigeria Relations: Economic, Development, and Defense Cooperation 

India Nigeria Economic Cooperation

• The Bilateral trade volume between Nigeria and India has fallen from US$ 14.95 billion in 2021-22 to US$ 11.8 billion in 2022-23. 
  • This is mainly because of a decrease in the volume of oil purchased from Nigeria.
• Nigeria has become India’s largest trading partner in West Africa and around $20 billion is India’s investment in Nigeria.

India Nigeria Energy Cooperation

• Nigeria is one of the leading suppliers of crude oil to India about 12% of India’s oil imports is based in Nigeria.

India Nigeria Development Cooperation

• Two agreements for extension of Lines of Credit @ US$ 30 million for a gas-fired turbine electricity generation station in Cross River State of Nigeria and @ US$ 31.05 million for 3 sub-projects including 2×60 MVA transmission substation, solar-powered street lights and 50kVA mini-grids in Kaduna State of Nigeria are under implementation. 
• Since 1964, India has supported Nigeria’s capacity-building efforts under the Indian Technical and 7 Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. India annually offers Nigeria about 250 civilian and 250 defense training slots under ITEC/e-ITEC. 

India Nigeria Defense Cooperation  

• This is integral to the strategic partnership between India and Nigeria. 
• Among the areas of cooperation include counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency (CT/CI), sea piracy and exchange of visits between training institutes.
• India has been providing training, capacity building & supplying defense equipment to the Nigerian defense forces.
• The National Defense Academy at Kaduna symbolizes our army cooperation.

NRI/PIO Community in Nigeria

The Indian community in Nigeria is estimated to be about 50,000 persons, including Indian nationals and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders.

South-South Cooperation

• India and Nigeria play an important role in South-South cooperation. 
• The struggle against colonialism and apartheid in the formative years after the independence of the two countries laid a strong foundation for the engagement of the two countries. 
• In the multilateral organizations particularly the United Nations, G77 and NAM, both countries have been articulating the voice of the developing world in a coordinated and effective manner.

News Source: The Hindu

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Vice-President of India will inaugurate ‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ campaign on the eve of the 75th Republic Day of India.

About Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman Campaign 

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Law and Justice
• Aim: To reaffirm our collective commitment to the principles enshrined in the Constitution of India and celebrate the shared values that bind our nation.

• Sabko Nyay –Har Ghar Nyaya:

• • Village level:  To connect the villagers through the Village Level Entrepreneurs of the Common Service Centers and exalt them to read Sabko Nyay pledge
  • District level:  Nyaya Sahayaks  will spearhead awareness about the various citizen-centric legal services to the masses, at their door steps 
  • State/UT level: Nyaya Seva Mela would be organized serving  as platforms for individuals to seek guidance, information and support on various legal as well as other services and schemes of the government.

• Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp:

  • To encourage the masses to embrace the resolutions of Panch Pran by reading the Panch Pran Pledge.
  • Participation and engagements:  The citizens can  participate in Panch Pran Rangotsav (Poster Making competition); Panch Pran Anubhav (Reel/Video making competition) being hosted on the MyGov platform.

• Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyan:

  • Under  the Pro Bono Club scheme students  to carry the message of  Panch Pran in the villages adopted by the Law colleges, 
  • Disseminate the legal information of the rights,  responsibilities and entitlements in a very engaging, entertaining  way.
  • Touch the vulnerable sections of society through Gram Vidhi Chetna, Vanchit Varg Samman, and Nari Bhagidari initiatives.

• Nyaya Setu Launched: 

  • It  aims to extend and expand the last mile reach of legal services and  will provide a unified legal interface for legal information, legal advice and legal assistance and thus enable a more inclusive and just society.

• Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA): 

  • Release  of an achievement booklet for the DISHA scheme
  • DISHA scheme’s Tele Law Programme: It has connected 67 lakh+ citizens for pre-litigation advice through the use of Tele-Law Citizens Mobile App and via 2.5 lakh Common Service Centers (CSC).

• Nyaya Bandhu (Pro Bono Legal Services) Programme: 

  • It has created a network of 10,000+ of Pro Bono advocates across 24 Bar Councils, created Nyaya Bandhu Panels in 25 High Courts and constituted Pro Bono Clubs across 89 Law schools in the country.

• Accessibility to Justice through partnership between Bhashini and IGNOU.

• • Bhashini and IGNOU will formalize their collaboration with the Department of Justice to break the barriers of language in accessibility to justice.
  • The solutions of Bhashini have already been embedded in the Nyay Setu – Tele Facilitation of legal services. 
  • The partnership with IGNOU will open the opportunity for Para legals to acquire certifications in diverse fields of laws, enhance their educational opportunities and increase their skills and employability across different sectors of legal assistance and support.

News source: PIB

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The Odisha government has asked the Tamil Nadu government to deploy Kumki Elephant to handle  human-elephant conflict.

Human-Elephant Conflict in Odisha: Status

• In the financial year of 2023- 24, there have been around 230 encounters between humans and elephants in Odisha. 
  • Recently a wild sub-adult tusker entered Baripada town in Mayurbhanj from Similipal forest and caused havoc. 

About Kumki Elephants

• These elephants are trained captive Asian elephants.
• Kumkis are used to drive wild elements away when they enter into human settlements. 
• These elephants are useful in wildlife conservation. 

• These elephants also have wider significance for forest patrolling and rescue operations. 
  • When any wild elephant gets injured, kumkis are used to provide medical treatment to wild elephants. 
• Kumki elephants work as a mediator between wild elephants and humans.

Also Read:

• Gajraj System
• Human Animal Conflict

News Source: The  Hindu

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Recently, RBI’ report of the Working Group on State Government Guarantees has been published.

Working Group on State Government Guarantees: RBI Report

• Chart 1 shows the outstanding State-wise guarantees issued as a share of each State’s Gross Domestic Products at the end of given years.

• • The government guarantees are on an increasing trend in 12 States— Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
  • In Sikkim and Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, the share of outstanding government guarantees as a share of their GDPs was above the 10% mark at the end of 2022. 
• Chart 2 shows sources used to finance States’ Gross Fiscal Deficit (in %) transition between 2005-06 and 2022-23.
• The National Small Saving Fund (NSSF) was the biggest source of financing. 

• • However, due to policy changes, now market borrowings are the major source. 
• The share of banks and financial institutions has remained low in terms of absolute numbers. However, they are still considerable. 
• The share by Loans from Centre has been increased. 
• Chart 3 shows the loans given by the banks directly to State governments and also to State enterprises that have guarantees from the government. 
• Both have increased in the recent past years (since 2019). 

News Source: The Hindu

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Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti or Birth anniversary is celebrated on January 23 every year.

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2024

• For the year 2024, 60 Parachute Field Hospital from Uttar Pradesh, in the Institutional category, have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2024 for its excellent work in Disaster Management.

About Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

• Birth: On 23rd January 1897, in Cuttack, Orissa.
  • His birth anniversary is celebrated as “Parakram Diwas”.
• Educational Achievement: In 1919, he had cleared the Indian Civil Services (ICS) examination. However, later he resigned.

• Influence of: He was influenced by Vivekananda‘s teachings.
  • He considered him as his spiritual Guru.
    • His political mentor was Chittaranjan Das.
• Associated Newspaper: He worked as the editor for Das’s newspaper “Forward”.
  • He started his independence movement journey in 1921 by starting a newspaper, named Swarajya in the Allahabad district (now Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh.
  • Book: He authored the book ‘The Indian Struggle’ which covers the Indian independence movement from 1920 to 1942. 

• Famous Slogan: Tum Mujhe Khoon Do, Main Tumhe Azadi Dunga, Jai Hind, and Delhi Chalo.
• Awarded with: The Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1992, but this was later withdrawn over the controversy over the circumstances of his death.
  • It is the only incident in the history of Bharat Ratna that an award was withdrawn.

Political Career and Belief of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

• Joining the INC: He joined the Indian National Congress in 1921.
  • In 1923, he was elected President of the All India Youth Congress.
• Supported: In 1930, he participated in the Salt Satyagraha.
  • In the 1930s, he was closely associated with Jawaharlal Nehru and M.N. Roy.
• Opposition: 
  • Dominion Status: He opposed the Motilal Nehru Report (for demand of dominion status for India), as he was a supporter of complete independence.
  • CDM & Gandhi-Irwin Pact: He opposed the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement and signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931.
• Presidency of INC: 
  • In 1938: He won the elections at Haripura in 1938.
  • In 1939: Again in 1939 at Tripuri, he won the elections against Mahatma Gandhi’s candidate Pattabhi Sitarammayya. 
    • However, he resigned and left INC due to ideological differences with Gandhi. Then, Rajendra Prasad was appointed in his place.
• Establishment of a New Party: In May 3, 1939, in Makur Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, he founded a new party, “the Forward Bloc”, to consolidate the political left and major support base in Bengal.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Role in Armed Forces

• The Indian National Army (INA): In 1934, he reached Japanese-controlled Singapore and issued his famous call, “Delhi Chalo”, and on 21st October 1943, announced the formation of the Azad Hind Government and the Indian National Army.
• He took over the leadership of the INA in 1943 and formed the Provisional Government for Free India in Singapore. It was declared to be the army of Bose’s Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind (the Provisional Government of Free India).
  • The INA was first formed under Mohan Singh and Japanese Major Fujiwara, which comprised Indian prisoners of Wars of the British-Indian Army captured by Japan in the Malayan (present-day Malaysia) campaign and at Singapore.
    • The INA created various regiments, including the Rani Jhansi Regiment.
• Death: He is said to have died in 1945 during a plane crash in Taiwan. 
  • It marked the end of the INA’s activities, but the soldiers’ court-martial upon their return to India sparked a powerful movement in their defense.
• Ethical Values from life of Netaji: Courage, Patriotism, leadership and Perseverance, Service to Motherland Sacrifice.                                                                                                                                                        

Additional Information: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Biography: Birth, History, Achievements, Contributions

News Source: PIB

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In Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Punjab, various government and non-governmental organizations have released mosquitofish into water bodies to handle mosquito menace. 

Mosquito Menace: Accelerating Disease Spread Amid Climate Change

• Mosquitoes are spreading diseases faster than ever due to climate change. 
  • The climate is getting warmer and wetter, creating perfect conditions for mosquitoes to thrive. 
• Over 500 million people worldwide get sick from mosquito bites each year.
  • In India alone, 40 million people fall ill every year. 

What is Mosquitofish?

• Mosquitofish is a freshwater fish. It is named mosquitofish as it eats mosquito larvae.
• The Mosquito fish species originally from the U.S., have become global inhabitants. 
• It is small in comparison to many other freshwater fish.
• There are two species of mosquitofish,  Gambusia affinis and Gambusia holbrooki.

Mosquitofish in India

Mosquitofish were first brought to India by the British in 1928. Later, various government and private organizations started using this method as a malaria control measure.

• Gambusia, a species of mosquitofish, is well known in India. 
• The strategy of using mosquitofish was well-intentioned but backfired and caused severe ecological and environmental problems.

Effects of Mosquitofish on Ecosystem

• Harmful Invasive Species: Mosquitofish are considered a highly harmful invasive species. 
  • It is because of their aggressive feeding habits. 
    • Their feeding disrupts local food webs, causing native fish, amphibians, and communities to disappear.
• For example, In Australia, the use of mosquitofish caused the extinction of the red-finned blue eye and endemic fish species. 
  • A study in New Zealand shows mosquitofish pose a serious threat to local aquatic life.

• • In India, reports suggest populations of native Microhyla tadpoles have declined after mosquitofish introduction.
  • In 1982, the WHO stopped recommending Gambusia as a mosquito control agent.
• Harmful to Human Health: If these species accumulate toxins in their tissue, it can impact human health too. 

Way Forward to Control of  Mosquitofish

• Stronger measures must be introduced to ban further introductions of mosquitofish into freshwater ecosystems.
• NCVBDC should remove the recommendation to use Gambusia and Poecilia (guppy) fishes to manage mosquitoes. 
  • There is a need to find alternatives to Gambusia to control mosquitoes. 
• Fostering collaboration is also necessary among mosquito biologists, entomologists, invasion ecologists, and fish taxonomists to focus on specific river basins to Identify native predators in each basin

News Source: The Hindu

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Russia has recently blamed Ukraine for an attack that started a fire at a gas terminal at the Ust Luga port in Baltic sea, close to Russia’s border with Estonia.

About the Ust Luga Port 

• Location: UST LUGA port is located in the Baltic Sea, Finland Gulf in Russia. 
• Project type: Integrated gas processing and liquefaction facility.

About Baltic Sea

• Baltic Sea: It is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean and the world’s largest expanse of brackish water. 
• 9 Countries with a Shoreline at the Baltic Sea: Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Sweden.
• Major Gulfs and Bays: The Gulf of Bothnia is between Finland’s west coast and Sweden’s east coast; the Gulf of Finland is between Finland and Estonia; the Gulf of Riga is a bay between Latvia and Estonia, Gulf of Gdańsk, also known as Gdańsk Bay.
• Rivers Draining into the Baltic Sea: The largest rivers are the Neva, Vistula, Oder,  Daugava (Western Dvina), Nemunas (Memel), Kemijoki, Narva, etc.
• Major Islands: Åland, Hailuoto, islands of Replot and Björkö , island group of Holmöarna, Gotland, Öland, Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Zealand, Falster, Funen, Langeland, Lolland, Bornholm, Polish Wolin island, Usedom, Rügen, Fehmarn, and Kotlin. 
• Major ports and port cities of the Baltic Sea:
  • Estonia: Pärnu, Paldiski, Sillamäe, Tallinn
  • Finland: Espoo, Helsinki, Kotka, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Vaasa
  • Germany: Flensburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Rostock, Sassnitz, Wismar
  • Latvia: Liepāja, Riga, Ventspils
  • Lithuania: Klaipėda
  • Poland: Gdansk, Gdynia (both Gdańsk Bay), Świnoujście/Szczecin (Szczecin Lagoon)
  • Russia: Kaliningrad (Kaliningrad Oblast), Primorsk, St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, Vysotsk
  • Sweden: Gävle, Gothenburg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Luleå, Malmö, Norrköping, Nynäshamn, Stockholm, Sundsvall, Trelleborg, Umeå, Ystad

News Source: TOI

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Scientists at CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, have found that phytocannabinoids, a class of compounds found in the cannabis plant, possess some hitherto unexplored antibiotic properties. 

THCBD and Its Antibiotic Properties

• In the new study, published in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases revealed, the antibacterial properties of tetrahydrocannabinol (THCBD), a semisynthetic phytocannabinoid, against Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria responsible for the second most number of deaths due to AMR.

• According to a senior principal scientist at the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, bacteria have developed certain sophisticated ‘shields’ over many decades to resist the effects of antibiotic medications.
  • These include the formation of biofilms – thin sheets of bacterial colonies that are more resistant to antibiotics than when separated – and cellular mechanisms called efflux pumps that flush drugs out from cells.
• The resulting AMR increases the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.

What is India’s AMR burden?

• AMR Capital of the World: According to one estimate, India reported 2.97 lakh deaths in 2019 that could be attributed to AMR and 10.42 lakh others that could be associated with AMR.
• Reasons:  
• • Overuse of antibiotics in India (Due to Over-the-counter sales).
  • Misuse in animal husbandry
  • Poor Biowaste disposal management.

Need for Alternative Solutions

• Numerous antibiotics exist for S. aureus, the emergence of the MRSA strain necessitates alternative solutions.
• “S. aureus includes a strain known as MRSA, for methicillin-resistant S. aureus, resistant to the last line of antibiotics called methicillin.’’

How is THCBD made?

• The prefix ‘phyto’ in phytocannabinoid means it comes from a plant.
• Cannabinoids are a class of compounds found in the cannabis plant.  Cannabinoids bind to receptors in the bodies of animals to produce a variety of neurological effects.
• The researchers extracted cannabidiol from a cannabis plant and made it react with hydrogen, using palladium as a catalyst. 
• This process yielded a mixture of molecules with the same composition and order of atoms but different structures. One of them was THCBD.

What Were THCBD’s Effects?

• Researchers tested THCBD against bacterial cultures in the lab and found THCBD “demonstrated strong effectiveness” against efflux pump overexpression and MRSA strains.
• The minimum quantity found to be efficacious against a strain of Gram-positive S. aureus used commonly in AMR research was 0.25 μg/ml, which the researchers called “potent”.
• It “significantly reduced” the number of viable microbial cells of S. aureus skin infections in mice.
• They also found that the compound either complemented or was indifferent to the effects of other common antibiotics like mupirocin, penicillin G, and ciprofloxacin.

Significance of Study

• It will help the development of new therapeutics against AMR.
• It can be a good preclinical candidate, which needs further fine-tuning as far as its drug likeness is concerned

Challenges

• Collaboration and Coordination: THCBD comes from cannabis, which is notorious for its intoxicating properties.

• • As a result, it hasn’t been easy to collaborate on phytocannabinoid research with other institutes.
• Legal Constraints:  There is a need to adhere to specific regulations when studying this plant.
  • For example, Section 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 restricts the use of cannabis and doesn’t make exceptions for research.
• Lack of  Approval to Conduct Research: Many universities lack approval to research the plant, and efforts are underway to secure government authorisation.
• The solubility challenge of THCBD: THCBD “leans slightly towards lipophilicity”, achieving a “drug-like” balance is crucial for it to be appropriately soluble.

Way Forward: What next for THCBD?

• Collaborations to speed up drug development progress: Faster approval and dispersal of funds.
• Unified National Policy: Establishing a framework  for cannabis research and transportation agreement 
• Conducting a comprehensive safety profile assessment for THCB to  use as a drug.

Conclusion

Highlighting the anti-bacterial nature of cannabis, the project will go a long way towards circumventing the taboo around it and transforming it into a valuable resource. 

• The researchers’ work on cannabis will “yield significant contributions to the healthcare system,” “but will also directly benefit J&K by establishing related industries that will create a sustainable demand for jobs.”

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This article is based on the news “Let’s expand social security in India” which was published in the Live Mint. India needs to aspire to provide social security to all of its workforce, in a manner that is fiscally and administratively feasible. 

What is Social Security?

• According to the ILO, social security is the protection provided to individuals and households to ensure access to health care and to guarantee income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a breadwinner.

Status of Social Security in India

• Informal Workforce: Approximately 91% (or around 475 million) of India’s workforce works in the informal sector. It lacks access to social security. 
  • In two decades, India will be an ageing society — for such workers with limited savings, there will be no significant social protection.
  • Only 1 million out of 63 million Indian enterprises and approximately 7.5% of 550 million labor force contribute to monthly social security. 
• Lack of Social Security Benefits for Salaried Workers: According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2021-22, around 53% of the salaried workforce has no social security benefits in India.
  • Such employees cannot access a provident fund, pension, health care and disability insurance.
  • Just 1.9% of the workforce’s lowest 20% group has access to any benefits.
• Gender Disparity in Social Security Benefits:  While 47.8 per cent of salaried men have these benefits, just 44.3 of these women have access to social security benefits. 
• Status of Gig workers: They are considered outside the traditional employer-employee arrangement, form approximately 1.3% of India’s active labour force, but do not have access to any social security benefits.  
• Poor Ranking: According to the 15th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI) , India’s social security system is ranked poorly at 45 out of 47 countries in 2023.

Need for Universal Social Security in India

• Rising Ageing Population: The threat of aging poses a significant challenge for India as according to the United Nations Population Fund, India’s elderly population will double and overtake the number of children by 2050. 
  • The number of people aged 60 and above will increase from 149 million (14.9 crore) in 2022 to 347 million (34.7 crore) in 2050. 
• Fragmented Nature of Schemes: The education assistance under the Private Commercial Transport Workers’ Accident Benefit Scheme is given to a maximum of two children of the driver, only if he suffers accidental death or permanent disability. 
  • There is no scholarship for his children if he is still alive and able-bodied.
• Exclusion of Gig Workers: Gig-workers’ children lack scholarships, either when the worker is alive or after his death, while construction workers’ children get scholarships from pre-school to post-graduation.
• Deficiencies Associated with Sector-Specific Schemes: The Unorganised Workers’ Social Security (UWSS) Act of 2008 aimed to provide universal social security to every unorganised worker and provide all nine benefits prescribed by the ILO. 
  • However, due to its several inherent deficiencies, only 4,30,198 registered workers availed themselves of sector-specific schemes, receiving only one or two benefits. 
  • Nine principal benefits of social security prescribed by the ILO include medical care, sickness, unemployment, old age, employment injury, family, maternity, invalidity and survivors’ benefits.

Legislations for Social Security in India

• Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)

• • It has been constituted under the  Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 to provide social security benefits to the workers in India.
  • It administers three schemes: EPF Scheme 1952, Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS) and Insurance Scheme 1976 (EDLI).

• Code on Social Security in 2020

• • It sought to provide a statutory framework to enable social security for the urban and rural poor, construction workers, gig and informal sector workers.
  • It proposed the provision of life insurance, disability insurance, accident insurance, as well as maternity and health-care benefits along with old-age protection and crèche facilities for gig workers. 

• National Pension System (NPS)

• • National Pension System is a voluntary retirement savings scheme laid out to allow the subscribers to make defined contribution towards planned savings thereby securing the future in the form of Pension.
  • It is open to employees from the public, private and even the unorganised sectors except those from the armed forces.

Social Security Schemes in India

Here are some major Social Security Schemes in India;

• National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)

• • National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is a welfare programme being administered by the Ministry of Rural Development for old age, disabled and widow belonging to below poverty line households.

• e-Shram Platform

• • It is the national database of unorganised workers including migrant workers, construction workers, gig and platform workers, etc.  

• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM)

• • It is a government scheme meant for old age protection and social security of Unorganized Workers (UW).

• Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

• • It is an old age income security scheme for a   savings account holder in the  age group of 18-40 years who is not an income tax-payee.  The scheme is mainly targeted at the poor, the under-privileged and workers in the unorganized sector. 

Challenges with Social Security in India

• Lack of Competition: The monopoly held by the EPFO and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) on work-related social security payments has negative effects on employers (high prices and corruption pressures), employees (bad treatment and disdain), and society (making informality more profitable than formality).
• Flawed Design of EPFO: With the rise of contractual employment, most employees have multiple employers. 
  • The current design of EPFO, records are linked to employers rather than to the thousands of orphaned accounts held by employees with the last estimate putting unclaimed balances at over ₹25,000 crore.
• Issue of Sustainability: The EPS diverts 8.33% of a subscriber’s salary to a defined-benefit plan. However, EPS fixes both pension benefits and contributions.
  • The employers contribute 12 percent of basic wages towards social security schemes the EPFO runs. 
  • 8.33 percent out of the 12 percent contributed by the employers goes into the EPS. The remaining 3.67 percent is credited into the Employees Provident Fund. 
  • The November 2022 court decision declared the scheme unsustainable.
  • It upheld the right to choose a greater pension by making unrestricted salary contributions to the EPS has made the plan even less sustainable.
• Limited Budget Spending: Policies are announced, but the budgetary allocation is inadequate with poor scheme utilization. 
  • Ex- the National Social Security Fund was established in FY11, with a meagre ₹1,000 crore allocation in comparison to the estimated requirement of about ₹22,841 crore.
  • A Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) audit on the scheme in FY17 identified that  ₹1,927 crore (the entire amount accumulated since inception) had not been utilised.
• Challenges with the Code on Social Security (2020): It dealt fundamentally with formal enterprises and did not cover informal ones.
  • The current Code does not cover informal workers as well as the contract workers who shift from one occupation to another in search of their livelihood. Ex- Construction workers.
  • Moreover, it depends on the size of the enterprise in terms of the number of workers. 
• Challenge with Formalisation of Workers:  The registration of all the establishments (estimated to be over 65 million (6.5 crore) out of which two-thirds are in the unorganised sector) is a challenge.
  • The e-Shram portal burdens the registration burden on informal workers, who are required to present a self-declaration and share their Aadhaar card.
  • There is no responsibility/incentive given to their employer (even temporary) to foster registration. 
  • Bringing employers into the process would have formalised employee-employer relationships.

Social Security in India: Reforms Needed to Accelerate Formalization

• Advocacy for Competition: The former finance minister, Arun Jaitley, has called for more competition by allowing employee choice (not employer choice) on paying their contributions to either the EPFO or public-sector National Pension Scheme (NPS). 
  • This choice, made at the time of joining, could be open for annual changes, facilitated by easy interoperability between them.
• Choice for Workers: Employees should choose to contribute the whole amount to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) account rather than the share that goes to the defined-benefit Employee Pension Scheme (EPS). 
  • Contrary to this, they can choose to make no employee contributions (the maximum is 12%).

• Enhancing Effectiveness through Aadhar Linkages: Traceability, portability, and accessibility will be created by linking EPFO donations to an Aadhaar number. This modification will also enable marketing EPFO products to gig workers and independent contractors.
• Addressing Challenges of Contractual Employment: Making EPFO contributions to an Aadhaar number will create traceability, portability and access and enable EPFO products to be offered to self-employed and gig workers.
• Reforming the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS): The EPS needs to be taken out of the EPFO and combined with a publicly funded, universal old-age security pension programme, such as the Atal Pension Yojana. 
  • As a work-linked programme, the EPFO needs to continue being a defined-contribution plan in order to protect against age-related risks, insufficient investment income, and unmanageable cross-subsidization.
• Designing Inclusive Social Security System: Given the wide disparities among different types of workers (both under formal and informal categories), a social insurance system may be designed for three categories of worker-beneficiaries: 

• • Non-contributory for the poorest who fall below the poverty line; two
  • Partial contribution by the non-poor workers and also non-poor self-employed (employers)
  • For the formal workers, contributions by the employer and the employee under the EPFO.
• Strengthening Existing Schemes:  The existing schemes, for example, the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESI), and the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) needs to be strengthened with budgetary support and expansion of coverage.
• Migrant Data Collection:  Data  task force on ‘International Portability of social security funds’ recommended that data on the susceptibilities and needs of migrants should be collected and analysed for the efficiency of social protection systems. 
  • This would facilitate the computation of the potential financial implications of transferable benefits and the estimation of the labour migrants’ effective social protection coverage.
• Social Security Fund: The fund, proposed in the Social Security Code, 2020 would be a step toward universal social security for workers.

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Context: 

This article is based on the news “Warming up to climate change: What is the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold, and what happens when we breach it?” which was published in the Indian Express. According to NASA, the average global temperature on Earth has increased by at least 1.1 degrees Celsius since 1880. 

2023 As Warmest Year on Record

• ‘2023 Warmest Year: According to Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), 2023 was the warmest year since records began in 1850, beating the previous record of 2016. 
  • 2023 could have been the hottest year in the 174-year observational record and probably the hottest in 125,000 years.

Factors for Rising Earth’s Temperature: 

• Natural Factors: Earth has cycled through many cool and warm periods in its 4.5 billion-year history. They have been caused by several natural factors like: 
  • Solar Energy: It varies over time and affects the climate. 
  • Ocean Circulation: The movement of heat around the world by currents. For instance, around 12,000 years ago, major changes in Atlantic circulation turned the Northern Hemisphere into a frigid state. 
  • Volcanic Activity: Eruptions lead to the release of gases and dust high into the atmosphere, which reflects back the sunrays and results in short-term cooling of Earth. 
    • The opposite can happen too. For example, a dramatic period of global warming 56 million years ago was triggered due to a volcanic eruption that released large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), global temperatures soared by up to five degree Celsius.
  • Continental Drift: The theory proposes that Pleistocene glaciations were initiated when the North Pole reached its present position in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, and Antarctica became coincident with the South Polar Region.
• Anthropogenic Factors: According to a March 2023 Synthesis Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human activities, principally through greenhouse gas emissions, have unequivocally caused global warming. 
  • The main drivers of these emissions are energy use, land use, and the consumption and production of goods.
  • Fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes contributed 78% of all emissions since 1970. 
  • Sectors of the economy responsible for most of this include electricity and heat production, agriculture, forestry, and land use,industry (21%), transportation etc. 
  • Increasing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions: According to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), in 2019, global net anthropogenic GHG emissions were at 59 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e), 54 per cent higher than in 1990.

The 1.5 Degree Celsius Limit to Earth Temperature

• Paris Agreement 2015: In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed by 195 countries, which pledged to limit the Earth’s temperature to well below 2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century.
• Aim of Paris Agreement 2015: To limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100 to prevent the planet from slipping into further climate crises. 
  • Pre- Pre-Industrial Level: The Paris Agreement didn’t specify these levels but scientists generally consider the years from 1850 to 1900 as a baseline. 

• Why 1.5 Degrees Celsius?

• • Even global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial average would lead to high risks for some regions and vulnerable ecosystems, therefore, it was decided to set the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit as a “defence line”.

• What Happens When We Breach the Threshold?

  • According to the IPCC, the breach would lead to increased frequency, intensity and heavy precipitation droughts in many regions. 
  • Moreover, higher global temperatures would warm oceans, resulting in stronger hurricanes, wildfires, rapid sea ice melt, and rising sea levels.

• How Close Are We to Breaking the Threshold? 

  • According to the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) State of Global Climate Report, 2023, there was a 66% chance that at least one of the years between 2023 and 2027 would cross the 1.5-degree celsius threshold.

• Have We Already Breached the 1.5 degree Celsius Limit?

• • According to C3S, about 50% of days in 2023 were more than 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial levels and two days in November were, for the first time, more than 2 degrees Celsius warmer. 
  • However, this does not mean that the planet has breached the 1.5-degree and 2-degree Celsius thresholds as those limits refer to long-term warming over a period of 20-30 years, on average.

Challenges Associated With Rising Earth’s Temperature

• Melting Sea Ice: The monthly average Antarctic sea ice extent in July 2022 reached 15.3 million sq km and it was 7 per cent below the 1991-2020 average.
  • Changes in sea ice can disrupt global climate patterns and ecosystems, influence weather systems and potentially lead to more extreme weather events.
  • For instance, it threatens Arctic ecosystems, affecting polar bears, seals, and other species dependent on ice for their habitat and food sources. 
• Disappearance of Glaciers: In the 3rd Pole, the region encompassing the Himalaya-Hindu Kush mountain range and the Tibetan Plateau in Central Asia, over 509 small glaciers disappeared in the past 50 years and even the biggest ones are shrinking rapidly. 
  • Melting Glaciers contribute to rising sea levels, threatening coastal communities and low-lying areas. 
  • This can lead to increased flooding and displacement of populations. As glaciers diminish, water supply for communities downstream may be compromised, affecting agriculture and drinking water. 
• Accelerated Sea Level Rise: Every year, the sea rises 0.13 inches and sea level rise is accelerating and projected to rise by a foot by 2050. 
  • According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the oceans may rise between 10 and 30 inches by 2100 with temperatures warming 1.5 °C.
  • Higher sea levels contribute to coastal erosion, jeopardizing infrastructure, homes, and ecosystems. 
  • Vulnerable coastal regions face increased risk of flooding and storm surges. They are further causing shifts of marine biodiversity towards higher latitudes and also causing coral bleaching. 
  • For instance, four different species, the Atlantic rock crab (crustacean), Atlantic cod (fish), sharp snout seabream (fish) and the common eelpout (fish) could be displaced from as much as a quarter of their current ranges by 2100 as they shifted toward higher latitudes. 
• Rising Extreme Weather Events (EWE):  Extreme Weather Events caused serious damage to all inhabited continents, exacerbating food insecurity population displacement, and impacts on vulnerable people.
  • For example, the early onset of intense heatwaves over India and Pakistan from March to May 2022 (made 30 times more likely) and floods in Pakistan in August (Increased rainfall intensity by 50 per cent).
• Widespread Wildfires: Warmer temperatures create drier conditions, increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires. This poses a threat to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities. 
  • For example, nearly three billion animals were killed or displaced by Australia’s devastating wildfires in 2019 and 2020, 
• Longer, More Intense Heat Waves: Prolonged and intense heat waves can lead to heat-related illnesses and deaths, especially in vulnerable populations. Extreme heat can negatively affect crop yields and agricultural productivity, leading to food insecurity. Heat stress on livestock is also a concern.

Strategies For Mitigation of Climate Change

• Ensure Net-Zero Targets:  More than 140 countries, including the biggest polluters (China, the United States, India and the European Union) have set a net-zero target, covering about 88% of global emissions. 
  • Getting to net zero requires all governments to significantly strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and take bold, immediate steps towards reducing emissions now. 
• International Initiatives: More than 90 countries have set net-zero emissions targets, and there is a need for a mechanism to support and ensure these climate change pledges will be met.
  • For example, OECD International Programme for Action on Climate (IPAC) supports country progress towards net-zero GHG emissions and a more resilient economy by 2050.
• Climate Mitigation and Adaptation: Reducing the emission of GHG into the atmosphere to make the impacts of climate change less severe. 
  • According to the Emissions Gap Report 2022 released by UNEP, emissions must fall by 45 percent for 1.5°C, 2030. Emissions must continue to decline rapidly after 2030 to avoid exhausting the remaining atmospheric carbon budget. 
• Sustainable Agriculture: To mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture and ensuring food security, developing and promoting the cultivation of climate-resilient crop varieties, sustainable farming practices etc. are essential. 
  • For instance, according to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), crops grown in the Himalayan region will be severely affected by the end of the century. Thus, farmers in Uttarakhand are rethinking traditional agricultural practices and experimenting with new crops and species and branching into animal husbandry, poultry and fish farming.
• Emerging Technology to Tackle Climate Change: Technology plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change by providing innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate damage to the planet.
• • For example, using solar geoengineering which includes a set of methods aimed at cooling the Earth in order to counteract the warming effects of increases in GHGs.
• Controlling Industrial Emissions: Led by Germany and Chile, Leaders gathered on the second day of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to formally launch the Climate Club initiative aimed at cooperation between countries in decarbonising the industrial sector. 
  • However, India is not a member of the Climate Club.

Also Read: 

• Antarctica Ice Shelves: 40% Volume Loss In 25 Years
• Global Ocean Heat Content in 2023

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