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The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways plans to expand its shore-to-ship power infrastructure.

Shore Power

• About: In shipping parlance, shore power refers to the power supply given to a boat, ship, or any maritime vessel when it’s docked at the port.
• Benefit: Shore power technology not only helps to minimise the climate impact of port operations, it also brings public health benefits by reducing the use of bunker fuels. 
  • It will not only save fuel, but also significantly reduce vessel emissions within the port area. 
• Grid Requirements: Shore power has been used extensively for vessels with moderate power requirements—typically less than 50 to 100 KW. For larger vessels with higher power requirements — 100 KW up to 10 to 15 MW.

Initiatives Taken by Government to increase Shore Power

• Power Guidelines for Indian Ports: The Directorate-General of Shipping (DGS), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, issued ‘Standard Operating Procedures: Shore Electric Power Supply to Ships in Indian Ports’ in May 2018. 
  • The guidelines were “applicable for ships with power demand up to 150 KW” (small and medium-sized ships). 
    • The plan is to make it mandatory in a phased manner across all ports and for all vessels calling at those ports.
• New Guidelines: A set of interim guidelines for the safe operation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) in ports covering the ship-shore interface requirements was issued by DGS in April 2024. 
• Harit Sagar Initiative: Under the Ministry’s ‘Harit Sagar – Green Port Guidelines,’ the first phase, which covers switching port crafts (pilot boat, tugs, and so on) to electrical power or green power, was initiated in 2023. 

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The latest research study released by Worldwide Market Reports on “Regenerative Braking Energy Absorption Device Market 2024”  holds that this market will witness immense growth during the forecast period 2024-2031.  

• This report offers an in-depth analysis of the market size, share, growth, opportunity, competitive landscape, analysis, segments & sub-segments, and forecast. 

About Regenerative Braking

Regenerative braking is an important mechanism in electric vehicles that increases their energy use efficiency.

• A Brake System: Regenerative braking is one type of dynamic braking. This system is designed to convert the kinetic energy of the wheels to a form that can be stored and used for other purposes. 
  • These systems are also called kinetic energy recovery systems. 
• Methods Used: There are multiple methods of energy conversion in regenerative braking systems including spring, flywheel, electromagnetic and hydraulic.
• Working: During regenerative braking, the motor operates as a generator, turning mechanical energy back to electrical energy. 
  • In the electric vehicle, an electric current will be produced as the vehicle brakes, which is stored separately in a battery. In some other vehicles, especially trains, the current is fed back into the traction motor.
  • When the electric vehicle moves, the battery powers an electric motor that propels the vehicle, converting electrical to mechanical energy. This motor is called the traction motor.
• Significance: It creates a process in which at least part of the energy delivered to the vehicle’s wheels can be recovered in a situation when the vehicle does not need it.

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Downsides of Regenerative Braking

While it is a simple energy recovery mechanism, regenerative braking has some downsides. 

• Need for Conventional System: It alone often does not suffice to bring an electric vehicle to a halt. It has to be used together with a conventional system that dissipates some of the kinetic energy as heat.
  • Due to the maximum recharging rate of the circuit and the capacity of the battery, the braking force from an electromagnetic type RBS is always limited. Hence, a traditional friction brake system is required to convert the excess energy from the vehicle. 
  • The friction brake can also prevent the loss of braking ability in the case of RBS failure.
• On Backsliding: Such a system is also required to prevent vehicles from backsliding downhill, which many regenerative brakes would not prevent.
• Impact on Energy and Fuel Consumption: RBS can only be installed on driving wheels since a drive train is required for energy recovery. The waste heat is not significantly reduced unless the vehicle is an all wheel drive model.
  • Although RBS can improve fuel economy under start-and-stop driving conditions, it may have a negative effect on fuel consumption during highway cruising.
  • The amount of energy a regenerative brake can recover drops as the vehicle’s velocity drops as well. A regenerative brake can be beneficial for an electric vehicle’s energy-use efficiency in stop-start traffic.
• Reliability on Control Units: The design of RBS involves varieties of sensors and logic control units to adjust the operation of RBS.
  • The reliability concern of these electrical parts should not be neglected.

Other Ways to Recover Energy

Following two ways are suggested to recover energy:

• Battery or Supercapacitor: The design of a regenerative brake depends on the energy form to which the mechanical energy from the wheels is to be converted. An electric vehicle funnels it into a generator and obtains a current, which is stored in a battery or a supercapacitor.
• Flywheels: The mechanical energy can be used to increase the angular momentum of a rotating flywheel. Flywheels are especially useful because they can receive energy much faster than other such systems. 
  • For every unit increase in speed, they also store exponentially more energy. The flywheel can be linked to a reciprocating engine to manage or augment its output, like in Formula One racing, or to a gyroscope to help submarines and satellites navigate.

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Recently Goa & Karnataka are  at loggerheads again over Kalasa-Banduri project as central body inspects Mahadayi river basin. 

Kalasa-Banduri Project

• About: The project entails constructing dams and a canal system to divert water from Goa’s Mahadayi River to the Malaprabha River basin in Karnataka, which is a tributary of the Krishna River.
• Objective: To supply drinking water to the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and Gadag in Karnataka.
• Status: Although the project was initially proposed in the early 1980s, it has not progressed beyond the planning stage due to a dispute among Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.

Mahadayi River Water Dispute

• Origins of the Dispute: The Mahadayi River dispute began in the 1980s and intensified over time. 
  • Karnataka’s plans to build dams, canals, and barrages to divert Mahadayi water to the Malaprabha basin sparked the conflict, as the state claimed this would meet the water needs of Bagalkot, Gadag, Dharwad, and Belagavi districts.
• Establishment of Tribunal: To address the dispute, Goa sought the constitution of a water disputes tribunal in 2002 and moved the apex court in 2006. After persistent efforts, the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal was established on November 16, 2010.
• Goa’s Argument: Goa says diverting the Mahadayi River could harm its ecosystem, leading to saltwater damage to mangroves and upsetting the local ecological balance.
• Dispute: The dispute over Mahadayi water revolves around allocation. Karnataka argues for diverting surplus water to the Malaprabha basin for drinking, irrigation, agriculture, and power. Goa opposes, citing water scarcity and potential harm to agriculture if supply is reduced.
• Stand of Supreme court: The Supreme Court halted Karnataka’s construction of dams and canals on the Mahadayi River due to Goa’s concerns that Karnataka might store excess water in its reservoirs for irrigation in other regions of the state.

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Mahadayi River

• Origins: Originating in the Western Ghats, the Mahadayi River starts from the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Khanapur taluk of Belgaum district, Karnataka.
• Type of River: Known as Mandovi in Goa, the Mahadayi River is a rain-fed river shared by Karnataka and Goa to meet their water requirements.
• Tributaries: Kalasa Nala, Banduri Nala, Surla Nala, Haltar Nala, Poti Nala, Mahadayi Nala, Pansheer Nala, Bail Nala, and Andher Nala.
• Towns:Belgaum and Panaji, inhabited by communities such as Kumri Marati, Goudas, and Konkanis.
• WaterfallsDudhsagar Falls and VajraPoha Falls.
• Type of Farming: Khazan farming is popular in the Mahadayi basin, where elevated farmland is protected by bundhs. 
  • This method supports waterlogged farming, particularly for paddy cultivation, and is managed by the community as an integrated agro-aqua ecosystem. The embankments or bundhs are crucial for controlling water salinity.
• Protected Areas: Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary & International Bird Area, Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park

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The Centre is considering making changes in the criteria for the status of Classical Language based on a report by the Linguistics Expert Committee of the Union Culture Ministry submitted in 2023.

• The new set of criteria will be officially notified by a gazette notification after it is approved by the Union Cabinet.
• The Linguistics Expert Committee: It comprises representatives of the Union Ministries of Home, Culture and four to five linguistic experts at any given time. 
  • It is chaired by the president of the Sahitya Akademi.

Classical Languages

• A classical language is one that has its own literature and a significant and ancient corpus of written script.
• Present status: India recognises six classical languages ie.  Tamil, Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). It was in 2014 that the government last granted the special tag.
  • Tamil was the first language in India to be accorded classical language status in 2004.
  • All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• Criteria for designating the Classical Language Status: The Ministry of Culture offers rules that must be followed in order to be classified as a classical language in India.
  • Ancient origin: The language should have high antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1,500-2,000 years.
  • Literary heritage: The language should contain a body of ancient literature or texts that is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
  • Originality: The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
  • Discontinuity from modern avatars: The said language and literature should be distinct from its modern format with a marked discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
• Benefits of the Special Status: Once a language is notified as a classical language, certain benefits are provided by the Education Ministry to promote it, 
  • The HRD ministry conducts 2 major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in the said languages. 
  • A centre of excellence for studies in the classical language is set up
  • University Grants Commission is requested to create a certain number of Professional Chairs in Central universities for the languages that get the classical tag.
  • The University Grant Commission (UGC) also awards research projects for promoting these languages. 

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Recently, a study led by University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers published in the journal Brain, demonstrated for the first time functional sexual dimorphism in nociceptors.

• Activation of nociceptors likely produces the same perception of pain in men and women. What is different is how the nociceptors are activated.

About Nociceptor Cells

Nociceptors are the nerve cells responsible for perceiving pain.

• Existence: Nociceptor cells have bare nerve endings and they are found across skin, bones, joints, and muscles. 
• Detection: The receptors detect extreme pressure, temperature, and chemical signals released by the body when it is injured, turn them into electrical signals, and relay them to the brain via the spinal cord. The brain finally reads the message and perceives pain.
• Activation Process: While the nociceptors are normally activated by high-intensity stimuli, under some circumstances the threshold for their activation may be decreased allowing low intensity and normally physiological stimuli to activate them and produce pain.

Crucial Insights on the Findings of the New Study

• Activation Threshold: In the new study, the researchers studied how prolactin and orexin-B affect on nociceptor activation thresholds in the nerve cell samples they had. 
  • In the mice cohort, a technique to separate and identify proteins revealed prolactin had increased the firing-up of nociceptors in females and orexin-B had done the same thing in the males. 
  • Immunohistochemistry analysis of monkeys and humans also revealed similar effects.
• Differentially Sensitized: Nociceptors from male and female animals or humans can be differentially ‘sensitised’, i.e. have a lowering of their activation threshold.
• On Therapies: Unravelling the different mechanisms that drive nociceptor sensitisation and activation will bring us a step closer to understanding qualitative sex differences in pain perception, which in turn is essential to design precise and sex-specific pain therapies.
• Presentation of A Unique Concept: The study presents a unique concept that nociceptors are either male or female.

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Implications of the Study

The researchers expect their findings have two implications for medical research.

• Sex-Specific Therapy: It will encourage medical practitioners to factor in the sex of a patient when making decisions about pain therapies.
• Consider the Number of Trial Members: In clinical trials of therapies with new pain treatment mechanisms, researchers will have to be more careful about the number of men and women in the trial so that they might be alerted to effects that may only occur in one sex.
• Revisit Failed Clinical Trials: It might be time to revisit some ‘failed’ clinical trials to check if there might have been a sex-specific effect to a drug.

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Recently, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 11 new biosphere reserves, recognising their importance for conserving biodiversity and cultural heritage.

• There are about 275 million people living in biosphere reserves worldwide. The Network covers all major representative natural and semi-natural ecosystems.

About the New Designated Biosphere Reserves

The new reserves bring the World Network of Biosphere Reserves up to 759 sites in 136 countries and cover a total of 7,442,000 square kilometers (about 2,870,000 square miles), almost the size of Australia.

• Location: The new designations are in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Gambia, Italy, Mongolia, Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Spain. 
• Uniqueness: For the first time, the list includes two transboundary reserves, spanning Belgium and the Netherlands, and Italy and Slovenia.
• Significance: At a time when the international community is being called upon to increase the number of protected areas, these new biosphere reserves play an essential role in sustainably preserving biodiversity, improving the living conditions of local populations and indigenous peoples and fostering scientific research.
  • It is emphasized that these designations come at a time when humanity is “grappling with a biodiversity crisis and climate disruption”.

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About Biosphere Reserves

Biosphere Reserves is an international designation by UNESCO for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over a large area of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination of both. 

• Objective: To conserve biodiversity and to preserve the economic and social development and maintenance of associated cultural values.
• Nomination: Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the States where they are located. 
• Designation: They are designated by UNESCO following an intergovernmental designation process under the Man and Biodiversity (MAB) Programme.
• Criteria For Designating a Biosphere Reserve:
  • A Site with a Safeguarded Core Area: A site must contain a protected and minimally disturbed core area of value of nature conservation.
  • Ecological Viability: The core area must be a bio-geographical unit and should be large enough to sustain a viable population representing all trophic levels.
  • Community Involvement: The involvement of local communities and use of their knowledge in biodiversity preservation.
  • Preserving Cultural Practices and Environmental Harmony: Recognizing the potential for preserving traditional tribal or rural modes of living, the area seeks to foster a harmonious coexistence with the environment.
• Three Levels of Biosphere Reserves:
  • Core Zone: Strictly protected zone, providing habitat for flora and fauna, and protecting water, soil, air, and biota as a whole ecosystem. 
  • Buffer Zone: Surrounding the core zone, where people live and work in harmony with nature and functions as a laboratory for scientists to study nature, and for training and education. 
  • Transition Zone: The outermost zone, the place where communities practice socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable human activities.
• Importance: They are special environments for both people and nature and are living examples of how human beings and nature can co-exist while respecting each others’ needs.
  • Important Scientific Roles: UNESCO highlighted that they play an important scientific role, serving as a site for research and monitoring, providing valuable data and insights that can inform environmental management and policy decisions.
  • For Development and Protection: They help in achieving global development targets such as those set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, inter alia, on protecting and restoring significant portions of the Earth’s ecosystems by 2030.
  • Safeguard Biodiversity and Climate Change: They also promote unique local sustainable development ideas, safeguard biodiversity, and combat climate change.

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The Ministry of Culture has initiated Project PARI  (Public Art of India) for the 46th session of the world heritage committee. 

About Project PARI

• Nodal ministry:  Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• Executors: Managed by Lalit Kala Akademi and National Gallery of Modern Art.
• Objective: 
  • To Showcase public art inspired by India’s traditional art heritage (lok kala/lok sanskriti) with  modern themes and techniques.
• This project highlights significant participation of women artists, showcasing Bharat’s NARI SHAKTI.

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Artistic Contributions in project PARI

• Artists and Art Forms

• • Participation: Over 150 visual artists from across India.
  • Art Styles: Includes Phad (Rajasthan), Thangka (Sikkim/Ladakh), Miniature (Himachal Pradesh), Gond (Madhya Pradesh), Tanjore (Tamil Nadu), Kalamkari (Andhra Pradesh), Alpona (West Bengal), Cheriyal (Telangana), Pichhwai (Rajasthan), Lanjia Saura (Odisha), Pattachitra (West Bengal), Bani Thani (Rajasthan), Warli (Maharashtra), Pithora (Gujarat), Aipan (Uttarakhand), Kerala Murals (Kerala), and Alpana (Tripura).

• Sculptures and Themes

  • Themes: Sculptures pay tribute to nature, inspired by the Natyashastra, Gandhi, Indian toys, hospitality, ancient knowledge, Primeval Sound (Naad), Harmony of Life, and the divine tree Kalpataru.
  • World Heritage Inspiration: Some artworks and sculptures draw inspiration from World Heritage Sites like Bimbetka and the seven natural World Heritage Sites in India.

Historical Significance of Artistic Heritage 

• Rich Artistic Legacy: India has a long history of artistic expression, showcasing cultural and spiritual diversity.
• Forms of Art: From ancient rock-cut temples and frescoes to grand sculptures and vibrant street art.
• Integration with Life: Art in India has been closely linked to daily life, religious practices, and social customs, including dance, music, theater, and visual arts.

Significance of Public Art

• Cultural Reflection

  • Representation: Public art represents India’s diverse cultural heritage.
  • Accessibility: Transforms urban spaces into open galleries, making art accessible to everyone.

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• Inclusivity and Social Cohesion

  • Democratization: Public art installations bring art outside museums and galleries, integrating it into daily life.
  • Shared Identity: Fosters a shared cultural identity and enhances social unity.
  • Engagement: Invites citizens to interact with art, stimulating dialogue, reflection, and inspiration.

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Under the revamp of the National Security Council Secretariat on 1 July 2024 , a new Additional National Security Advisor (ANSA) has been appointed.

• This is the first time the additional NSA position has been filled, a role that had previously been consistently vacant.
• There is also a restructuring of the reporting relationships within the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and between the National Security Advisor (NSA) and Union ministries.

National Security Advisor (NSA)

• About: The National Security Advisor is the senior official on the National Security Council of India, and the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of India on national security policy and international affairs. 
• Rank: The current NSA has been assigned the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister.
• Order of Precedence:The NSA is at the seventh position in the Indian Order of Precedence.
• National Security Council: The NSA is a member of the National Security Council (NSC) of India.

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• Secretary to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS):  The NSA acts as secretary of National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), which is one of the Three-tier Structure of National Security Council (NSC).
  • National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS): NSCS is the apex agency looking into the political, economic, energy and strategic security concerns of India.
  • It has four verticals:
    • Strategic Planning;
    • Internal Affairs;
    • Intelligence and Technology;
    • Military

Role of the NSA

• Advisory Role: The National Security Advisor (NSA) is tasked with regularly advising the Prime Minister of India on all matters relating to internal and external threats and opportunities to India, and oversees strategic and sensitive issues on behalf of the Prime Minister. 
• Prime Minister’s Special Interlocutor: The NSA of India also serves as the Prime Minister’s Special Interlocutor with China as well as the envoy to Pakistan and Israel on security affairs.
• Intel and Coordination: The NSA receives all intelligence reports and co-ordinates them to present before the Prime Minister. 

Revamped role of NSA

• Delegation of role to ANSA: The newly appointed Additional National Security Advisor (ANSA) will now be responsible for looking into the  internal security management and threat analysis.
  • This adjustment allows the NSA to focus directly on assisting the Prime Minister’s Office with other pressing security challenges.

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• Presides a bigger organisation: The NSA now presides over a much bigger organisation, with an ANSA and three deputy NSAs. 
• Appears more advisory and less operational: The NSA would deal with advisory outfits such as the National Security Advisory Board and the Strategic Policy Group. 
  • His new role appears more advisory and less operational. 
• Reporting Structure: 
  • The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the three service chiefs report to the NSA.
  • Union defence, home, foreign, and other secretaries also report to the NSA.
  • Despite reporting to the NSA, these officials also report to their respective ministers for daily operations.
• Potential Turf Issues: 
  • The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister typically handles civil bureaucracy.
  • Turf issues could arise if the NSA becomes more active in convening meetings with:
    • The Cabinet Secretary.
    • Secretaries to the Government of India.
• Communication Chain and Bureaucratic Layers
  • The ANSA is expected to act as a gatekeeper in the communication chain between:
    • Six mid-level unit heads (three deputy NSAs and three service officers).
    • The NSA.
  • This adds an extra bureaucratic layer between the Prime Minister and those monitoring national security daily.
• Questions Raised by Changes to the Security Architecture: Numerous questions have emerged within both civil and military bureaucracies regarding the changes
  • Speculation about the future of the current NSA
  • Will the newly appointed ANSA succeed the current NSA? Etc.

Assessing the Role of India’s NSA

• Necessity: The question of whether India requires an NSA remains unresolved.
• Lack of Clarity in Criteria and Qualifications for NSA: There are no clearly defined criteria or qualifications for the post of NSA. The absence of specified duties and chain of command further complicates the issue. 
  • This ambiguity raises questions about the ideal background for an NSA- whether diplomatic, bureaucratic, military, police, or intelligence.

Suggestions 

• Separate Planners from Leaders:  There is a  suggestion to separate strategic planners from operational leaders.
• Recommendation of the Kargil Review Committee chaired by K Subrahmanyam:  
  • The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) should report directly to the Prime Minister.
  • Given the security challenges and regional dynamics, it is essential for the CDS to directly report to the Prime Minister while maintaining a consultative relationship with the NSA.

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Conclusion

Recent controversies, including allegations against R&AW highlighted by state agencies in Canada and the United States and debates over the Agniveer initiative have refocused attention on the NSA’s role and responsibilities.

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Recently, In a landmark judgment – MK Ranjitsinh and Others vs Union of India,  the Supreme Court of India recognised a right to be free from the adverse impacts of climate change in sourcing it from the right to life and the right to equality. 

MK Ranjitsinh and Others vs Union of India

• Background: The case primarily dealt with the construction of electricity transmission lines through the habitat of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard. 
• Government Argument: They argued that a prior order protecting this habitat hindered the development of renewable energy infrastructure, essential for combating climate change.
• Supreme Court’s Decision: The Court modified the previous order to facilitate the development of renewable energy infrastructure, prioritizing national clean energy goals over local conservation efforts in this instance.
• Significance: This interpretation opens the door for future climate litigation and demands from citizens for governmental accountability in climate protection.

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Issues With The Judgment

• Overstating & Understating: Some Critics believe that the court overstate the large-scale clean energy agenda as the main pathway to avoiding climate harms.
  •  It understated climate adaptation and local environmental resilience
• Legislative vs. Judicial Approaches: Proliferation of court-based action through enhanced litigation around climate claims, will likely lead, slowly and over time, to an incomplete patchwork of (judiciary-led) protections
  • A comprehensive climate legislation could provide a more systematic and overarching framework for addressing climate change.

Need for Climate Legislation in India

• Vulnerability: India is highly vulnerable to climate impacts, and climate resilience must be an essential element of the new law.
  • In meeting both objectives, considerations of social equity must be central. 
• Beyond Emissions Targets:  Even Though we have low per capita emissions — less than half the global average,  India’s emissions are still growing.
• Law that helps navigate developmental choices in India: It must create the basis for thoughtful decision-making toward achieving a low-carbon, , resilient society 
  • For example: It must look into
    • City planning that minimizes the risk of floods and vulnerability to heatwaves
    • Transport needs should be met through technology shifts such as electric vehicle adoption and greater attention to public transport and lifestyle shifts
• Framework Climate Laws: There is no ‘umbrella legislation’ in India that relates to climate change. 
  • Umbrella laws that define government-wide goals and substantiate them with a set of processes and accountability measures are a known and increasingly popular way of bringing climate action to the heart of government.

Global Practices

It is important to understand distinction between two types: 

• The United Kingdom: A Regulatory Law
  • It focuses narrowly on regulating carbon emissions
    • For example: By setting regular five yearly national carbon budgets and then putting in place mechanisms to meet them.
  • This sort of approach has become a template for countries to follow
  • But It is ill-suited to India: This approach is limited because addressing climate change is about more than limiting emissions.
• Kenya: Enabling Law
  • Approach Emphasises Adaptation As Much As Mitigation: An enabling law can be written to stimulate development-focused decisions in a range of sectors across the economy – urban, agriculture, water, energy and so on – by systematically asking whether each decision moves the country closer to or further from low-carbon growth and climate resilience. Importantly, this 
  • It is likely to be a more procedurally-oriented law: One that systematically creates the institutions, processes and standards for mainstreaming climate change across diverse ministries and different parts of society. 
    • For example: Such a law would build in procedures to support knowledge-sharing, ensuring transparency and avenues for public participation and expert consultation, prompting meaningful setting (and revision) of targets and timelines and reporting against these.

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India’s Approach Must Be Tailored To Our Context

• Striking the Balance: India’s law must ensure development, but in a low-carbon direction while building resilience to ever more pervasive climate impacts.
  • Objective should be to squeeze out as much development as possible from each ton of carbon and avoid locking-in to high carbon futures.

• Framework Legislation:
  • Need For Framework Legislation: A framework climate law should lay out an institutional structure capable of crafting viable answers to climate questions.
  • The merits of an overarching, framework legislation. 
• India Needs To Transition To A Low-Carbon Energy Future: In India, this is not nearly enough to enforce a right against the adverse effects of climate change. 
  • Climate legislation should also create a supportive regulatory environment for more sustainable cities, buildings, and transport networks.
• Find A Way of Mainstreaming And Internalising Climate Change Considerations Into How India Develops:
• • Heat Action Plan: It should enable adaptation measures such as heat action plans sensitive to local context. 
  • Climate-Resilient Crops: It should provide mechanisms for shifting to more climate-resilient crops. 
  • Mangroves: It should protect key ecosystems such as mangroves that act as a buffer against extreme weather events
  • Social Equity: It should actively consider questions of social equity in how it achieves these tasks.

Way Forward

• Engagement with the federal structure
  • Law must pay attention to India’s federal structure. 
  • Many areas crucial to reducing emissions and improving resilience  – electricity, agriculture, water, health and soil are wholly or partially the preserve of State and local governments. 
  • When a climate impact is felt, it is felt first, and most viscerally, at local levels.

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• Enabling Participation In Decision Making:  Business, civil society and communities, particularly those on the frontlines of climate impacts, have essential knowledge to bring to energy transition and resilience.
  • Finding ways of enabling participation in decision making would enable all these sections of society to bring their knowledge to the table in addressing climate change.
• Have a low carbon development body
• • Immediate priority: It is to create a knowledge body in government capable of rigorously parsing policy options and the futures they might generate. 
  • An independent ‘low-carbon development commission’, staffed with experts and technical staff, which could offer both national and State governments practical ways of achieving low-carbon growth and resilience.
  • This body could also serve as a platform for deliberative decision-making. 
• Vulnerable Community who get disproportionately affected:  Vulnerable communities and those that may lose from technological change need to be systematically consulted. 
• • Hearing their concerns and incorporating some of their ideas could lead to longer-lasting policy outcomes. 
  • For Example:  South Africa’s Presidential Climate Commission, which is tasked with charting a course toward just transition based on inputs and representations from stakeholders.
• Climate Cabinet: Law could create a high-level strategic body and label as a ‘climate cabinet’, a core group of Ministers plus representation from Chief Ministers of States, tasked with driving strategy through government
• • Effective climate governance: It also requires the ability to set directions, make strategic choices, and encourage the consideration of low carbon choices and climate change impacts within line ministries.
  • Across the world, climate policy is often defeated by siloed decision-making
•  Coordination mechanisms:  A whole-of-government approach will also require dedicated coordination mechanisms for implementation. 
• • Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change should continue to play a central role, but it needs to be complemented by higher-level coordination. 
  • Devolution of Power: Here, the pre-existing Executive Committee on Climate Change (made up of senior bureaucrats from multiple Ministries), provides a useful template but only if it is reinvigorated with clearly specified legal powers and duties.

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