Time: 45 min Date: 15-09-2021

Web: www.nextias.com 1 Ph. 011-49858612, 8800338066

Time: 45 min Date: 15-09-2021

International Relations

Quad Grouping Syllabus: GS2/ International Groupings

In News

● The Indian PM will visit Washington for the Quad Summit and New York for UNGA.

○ China has slammed the QUAD grouping.

Recent Viewpoints of External Affairs minister about QUAD

● Broad and Substantive Agenda:

○ As against the Chinese remark of QUAD being an “Exclusive Cliques” targeting other countries, QUAD has several cooperation agendas.

● The Era of Plurilateralism:

○ In the present era Multilateralism shows inability to address key issues of the day.

■ Whereas bilateralism has its own shortcomings.

○ In such time, different plurilateral groups can pool both funds and necessary resources to forward proper rule based agendas and order.

● Other similar Plurilateral Groups:

○ The Indo Pacific is witnessing several similar plurilateral agreements. between France, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives etc being active parts.

● Force of Unification rather than Fragmentation:

○ QUAD nations have a good track record with respect to upholding international laws and want rule based order.

○ They have also set an example of collaboration and integration in the region.

○ This consultative process has adopted the middle path which is often the best path.

○ India has been the first responder to any calamity in the Indian Ocean Region with initiatives like SAGAR..

NEXT IAS

http://www.nextias.com/


About QUAD

● It is also known as Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD).

● QUAD is an informal group of India, US, Japan and Australia.

● It is a strategic dialogue with the objective to ensure a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo Pacific.

● Shared values between the nations are:

○ Political democracies

○ Market economies

○ Pluralistic societies

Backdrop of QUAD Formation

● Rising Chinese Influence and Assertion in Indo-Pacific

● Chinese unilateral claim over Nine-Dash Line and ignorance of International

Court of Arbitration Verdict

● India China Standoff

● Iron fist handling of Hongkong Protests

● Imperialistic attitude toward Taiwan.

A Brief Timeline:

● 2007: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe mooted the idea of Quadrilateral Security

Dialogue

○ Could not materialise due to the reluctance of Australia

● December 2012: Shinzo Abe again initiated a concept of Asia’s Democratic

Security Diamond, involving Australia, India, Japan and the US.

○ The aim was to safeguard the maritime commons from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific.

● November 2017: QUAD Coalition was finally given a present day form with

active participation of India, US, Australia and Japan.

○ The aim was to keep critical sea routes open and free for navigation in the

Indo-Pacific.

● September 2019: Foreign ministers of the four countries held their first meeting

under the ‘Quad’ framework in New York.

● 2020: Quad meetings are no longer unusual. But this one was special because it

included three additional Indo-Pacific powers: NewZealand, South Korea and

Vietnam.

Importance of QUAD for India

● Countering Chinese Influence:

○ Recent stand-offs on the Indo-China Border and reluctance of Russia to step in and build pressure is forcing India to look for alternatives.

NEXT IAS



● Post COVID Diplomacy:

○ The disruption across the world and non-transparent systems of China pose an opportunity for India to take lead and become the World's Manufacturing Hub.

○ India can leverage its expertise in the vaccine and pharma industry to increase its soft power.

○ Further, Japan and the US want to shift their manufacturing companies out of China in order to curb its imperialistic behaviour.

● Net Security Provider in Indian Ocean:

○ India under the SAGAR initiative wants to become a net security provider in the Indian Ocean.

○ QUAD cooperation may give India access to multiple strategic locations for creating Naval bases.

● Multipolar World:

○ India has supported a rule based multipolar world and QUAD can help it in achieving its ambition of becoming a regional superpower.

Challenges before QUAD

● Formal opposition by China: China has formally intimated its displeasure over the QUAD meetings.

○ It is being termed as Asian NATO.

● Trade and Supply Chains: As seen recently, China is trying to leverage its position in Trade and Commerce to arm-twist other nations especially China and Japan.

○ Recently, MV Anastasia, an Australian coal-carrying ship was stranded for more than a month on the Chinese Coast. Even Indian Sailors got trapped in that.

○ China threatened to stop the supply of rare earth metals to the Japanese electronic industry.

○ The Corona pandemic disrupted the Global supply chain due to lockdown in China.

● Chinese Closeness to ASEAN: With the signing of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), ASEAN and China have come further close.

● Cheque Book Diplomacy of China: The One Belt One Road Initiative, Maritime Silk Route, Unsustainable Debt and Project Fundings, etc are being deployed by China to attract small nations.

● Different Aspirations of QUAD Nations: QUAD’s coherence may suffer due to

○ India’s bid to balance QUAD and RIC (Russia, India and China),

○ The reluctance shown by Australia for QUAD in past,

○ Japan and the US are seeking their own economic interests with China.

○ Also there is a lack of coherence on the definition of Indo-Pacific.

NEXT IAS



Way Forward

● Strengthening Blue Dot Network:

○ All 4 countries must pool their resources to check the Economic might of

China, rather than just letting it function as a certification agency for

infrastructure projects.

● Coherent strategy: All the member countries must develop a unified approach to

tackle China rather than act in Individual interests.

● Formalise the talks: The formalisation may help to give QUAD a more structured

format.

● QUAD can be an effective tool to counter Chinese adventure and imperialism

ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.

Source: TOI

Internal Security

Pegasus Targeting Apple Devices

Syllabus: GS 3/Cyber Crime & Security

In News

● A new zero-day, zero-click exploit called ‘FORCEDENTRY’ has been discovered

in Apple’s iMessage service.

● It was allegedly used by Israel’s NSO Group to install Pegasus spyware in devices

including the iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple Watch.

About

● The exploit was discovered by researchers at Toronto-based Citizen Lab, who

have been investigating the extent to which Pegasus is being used to spy on

civilians, politicians, judges, activists, etc.

● The Citizen Lab has advised everyone to update the operating systems on their

Apple devices as the exploits can potentially affect their smartphones.

What are zero-day, zero-click hacks?

● These are essentially hacks that occur without any intervention of the victim,

using a loophole or a bug in particular software, the existence of which its

developer is unaware.

● The same kind of exploit was earlier used to install Pegasus in WhatsApp and

iMessage.

● Zero-day attacks were a quantum leap in the world of cyber warfare, prior to

which spyware such as Pegasus was deployed using attack vectors such as

malicious links in an e-mail or an SMS, that were smartly crafted to trick the

recipient.

NEXT IAS


https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/quad-has-broad-substantive-agenda-seeing-it-with-limited-agenda-is-partly-gamesmanship-of-critics/articleshow/86221282.cms


About Spyware Pegasus

● Pegasus is spyware that can be installed on devices running some versions of iOS, Apple's mobile operating system, as well on devices running on Android.

● It was developed by the Israeli cyber arms firm NSO Group.

● Functioning: It mainly uses Exploit Links for its working. Clicking on such links automatically installs Pegasus on the user's phone. The method of Social Engineering is used.

○ In the context of information security, social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.

○ This differs from social engineering within the social sciences, which does not concern the divulging of confidential information.

● In July, Indian news portal The Wire reported that a leaked global database of 50,000 telephone numbers believed to have been listed by multiple government clients of NSO Group includes over 300 verified Indian mobile telephone numbers, including those used by ministers, opposition leaders, journalists, the legal community, businessmen, government officials, scientists, rights activists and others.

Challenges with Pegasus

● Unlimited access to the target's mobile devices: It collects information remotely and covertly about the target's relationships, location, phone calls, plans, and activities whenever and wherever they are. It tracks targets and gets accurate positioning information using GPS.

○ It also gives the attacker control to the phone’s camera and microphone and enables the GPS function to track a target.

● Intelligence gaps: Collects unique and new types of information (e.g., contacts, files, environmental wiretap, passwords, etc.) to deliver the most accurate and complete intelligence.

● Intercepting calls: It transparently monitors voice and VoIP calls in real-time.

● Decoding encrypted content: It overcomes encryption, SSL, proprietary protocols and any hurdle introduced by the complex communications world.

● Application monitoring: Monitors a multitude of applications including Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook and Blackberry Messenger (BBM).

● Bypassing Service provider: No cooperation with local Mobile Network Operators (MNO) is needed to attack.

○ It constantly monitors the device without worrying about frequent switching of virtual identities and replacement of SIM cards

● Avoids unnecessary risks: The spyware eliminates the need for physical proximity to the target or device at any phase.

● Terrorist activities: Terrorists and other anti-social elements have started using more cyberspace which provides them with more getaways.

● Digital Attacks: Pegasus had been used in some of the “most insidious digital attacks” on human rights activists in the world.

NEXT IAS



Methods to Secure Devices from Pegasus

● Regular Updates: Always update the operating system to the latest version.

Apple and Google regularly release updates which include security patches for vulnerabilities and malware.

○ Both Apple and Google have released fixes for Pegasus.

● Remain Careful & Vigilant: Pegasus spyware (as well as all sorts of other malware) infiltrates phones by way of the phone user clicking a link in a text message, email, Twitter post, or any other means.

○ When receiving any message with a link, make sure one is familiar with the person sending the link and actually verify that the message along with the link is coming from the authorized person.

● Secure Communications: It is critical to maintaining secure communications

including calls and messages that are not vulnerable to Pegasus and other malware.

○ Secure calls and messages will ensure secure communication even when spyware infiltrates phones and one is “under mobile surveillance.”

● Online database: It is launched by Forensic Architecture, Amnesty International and the Citizen Lab to document attacks against human rights defenders.

● It showed the connections between the ‘digital violence’ of Pegasus spyware and the real-world harms lawyers, activists, and other civil society figures face.

Reasons for increasing Cyber Attacks in India

● Adverse relations with China: China is considered one of the world leaders in information technology. Therefore, it is expected to have capabilities to disable

or partially interrupt the information technology services in another country.

○ Combined with the recent border standoff and violent incidents between the armies of the two countries, the adversity in relations is expected to spill over to attacking each other’s critical information infrastructure.

● Asymmetric and covert warfare: Unlike conventional warfare with loss of lives and eyeball to eyeball situations, cyber warfare is covert warfare with the scope of plausible deniability, i.e. the governments can deny their involvement even when they are caught.

○ Similarly, even a small nation with advanced systems and skilled resources can launch an attack on a bigger power, without the fear of heavy losses.

○ Therefore, cyber warfare has increasingly become the chosen space for conflict between nations.

● Increasing dependency on technology: As we grow faster, more and more systems are being shifted to virtual space to promote access and ease of use.

NEXT IAS



○ However, the downside to this trend is the increased vulnerability of such systems to cyber-attacks.

■ For e.g. there is a concern of widespread damage and huge loss if hackers are able to intrude into the nuclear, financial or energy systems of a country.

■ Since almost all sectors of an economy are dependent upon power, the takedown of the power grid can substantially impact the economy.

■ Growing digital reliance in the post-COVID era has exposed digital disparities which must be bridged through capacity building.

● There’s a sophisticated use of cyberspace by terrorists to broaden their propaganda and incite hatred.

● Lack of robust law enforcement mechanisms: India’s approach to cyber security has so far been ad hoc and unsystematic.

○ Despite a number of agencies, policies and initiatives, their implementation has been far from satisfactory.

● Lack of International Coordination: International cooperation and consensus is missing in this field.

● Low digital literacy among the general public and digital gaps amongst nations create an unsustainable environment in the cyber domain.

India’s Preparedness to Ensure Cybersecurity

● Information Technology Act, 2000 (Amended in 2008): It is the main law for dealing with cybercrime and digital commerce in India.

○ National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) was created under Section 70A of IT Act 2000 to protect Cyberinfrastructure.

● Banning of unsafe apps: India had banned apps that posed a threat to security.

● Awaited National cybersecurity strategy: Comprehensive plan in preparing & dealing with cyber-attacks (Pre, Post and During the attack).

● Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): Launched in 2018, It is an apex coordination centre to deal with cybercrimes.

● Evolving Technology: Cyber attackers are continuously working on novel ways to sabotage the systems.

● Human Resource: Anyone in cybersecurity needs to be an equally potent hacker.

● CERT-In (Cyber Emergency Response Team, India): It is National Nodal Agency for Cyber Security and is Operational since 2004

NEXT IAS



● National Cyber Security Policy, 2013: The policy provides the vision and strategic direction to protect the national cyberspace.

● Cyber Swachhta Kendra: Cyber Swachhta Kendra helps users to analyse and keep their systems free of various viruses, bots/ malware, Trojans, etc.

○ Launched in early 2017.

● Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): Launched in 2018, It is an apex coordination centre to deal with cybercrimes.

● Cyber Surakshit Bharat: It was launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy) in 2018 with an aim to

○ spread awareness about cybercrime and

○ building capacity for safety measures for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all government departments.

● The Cyber Warrior Police Force: It was organised on the lines of the Central Armed Police Force in 2018.

International Efforts in this direction

● Budapest Convention: 1st international treaty to address cybercrime; India is not a signatory.

● Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN): US-based not-for-profit organisation for coordinating & maintenance of several databases.

● Internet Governance Forum: UN forum for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue on Internet governance issues.

What more needs to be done in this context?

● Human Resource Development: Human resource is crucial and there is an urgent need to create an informal Indian team of Cyber Warriors.

● Infrastructure Strengthening: The critical infrastructure managers should also be well trained in cyber warfare and well equipped with all the technologies for isolating viruses and attacks.

● Mock Drills using White Hackers: There should be a reward for white hackers who can highlight the shortcomings.

● Awareness: The managers and Common mass must be made aware.

● Involvement of the Private Sector: Often the private sector is seen as a key innovator and their help can be crucial in securing cyberspace.

● Separate wing under Army or Navy as Cyber Command on lines of US

Source: IE

NEXT IAS


https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/apple-pegasus-spyware-forced-entry-explained-7507627/


Modern History

Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh Syllabus: GS1/ Modern history, Personalities

In context

● Recently, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap

Singh (1886-1979) State University in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Who was Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh?

● He was an Indian freedom fighter, journalist, writer, revolutionary, President in the Provisional Government of India, and a social reformist in the Republic of India.

● Background:

○ Early Life: He was born into a royal family in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh in 1886

○ Education: An alumnus of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental Collegiate

School later called Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He was versed in eight different languages and practised different religions.

● Freedom Struggle Legacy:

○ He took part in Gandhi’s campaign in South Africa, in 1913.

○ He escaped to Germany and remained in exile for about 33 years as he was wanted by the British authorities.

○ He set up the first Provisional Government of India in Afghanistan in 1915, declaring himself as the President. He also declared a jihad against colonial rule.

○ He is said to have met Vladimir Lenin in 1919, two years after the Bolshevik Revolution (in Russia).

○ In 1925, he went on a mission to Tibet and met the Dalai Lama. He was primarily on an unofficial economic mission on behalf of Afghanistan, but he also wanted to expose the British brutalities in India.

NEXT IAS



○ He later fled to Japan, where he established the Executive Board of India in Japan in 1940.

○ He finally returned to India a year before Independence, and immediately began working with Mahatma Gandhi.

● Contributions in the field of Education:

○ Established Prem Maha Vidyalaya, a polytechnic college, in Vrindavan, which offered various courses, including carpentry, pottery and textiles under one roof.

○ He gave his own residence to establish the first technical school of the country.

○ He founded the world federation.

● Accreditation by the Government:

○ The Government of India had issued a postal stamp in his honour in 1979.

○ He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1932 for his participation in Gandhi’s movement in South Africa.

Source: IE

Biodiversity and Environment

Pusa Decomposer Syllabus :GS 3/Environmental Pollution & Degradation

In Context

● Farmers are ready to use the Pusa decomposer officially after the achievements of last year's field trials.

○ It was sprayed on around 2,000 acres of land in Delhi.

PUSA Decomposers

● About:

○ The decomposers are in the form of capsules made by extracting fungi

strains that help the paddy straw to decompose at a much faster rate than usual.

■ The fungi help to produce the essential enzymes for the degradation process.

● Process:

○ It involves making a liquid formulation using decomposer capsules and fermenting it over 8-10 days and then spraying the mixture on fields with crop stubble to ensure speedy bio-decomposition of the stubble.

○ The farmers can prepare 25 litres of liquid mixture with 4 capsules, jaggery and chickpea flour. The mixture is sufficient to cover 1 hectare of land.

NEXT IAS


https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/legacy-of-raja-mahendra-pratap-singh-contribution-to-building-of-amu-7508315/


● Time to Decompose:

○ It takes around 20 days for the degradation process to be completed.

○ It does not give enough time for farmers to prepare fields for the wheat crop on time.

● Significance:

● The decomposer improves the fertility and productivity of the soil as the stubble works as manure and compost for the crops and lesser fertiliser

consumption is required in the future.

○ The soil loses its richness due to stubble burning and it also destroys the useful bacteria and fungi in the soil, apart from causing harm to the environment.

● It is an efficient and effective, cheaper, doable and practical technique to stop stubble burning.

● It is an eco-friendly and environmentally useful technology and will contribute to achieving the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Stubble Burning

● It is the practice of intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after grains, such as rice and wheat, have been harvested.

● The technique was widespread until the 1990s when governments increasingly restricted its use.

● Stubble burning in northern India has long been a major cause of air pollution, but efforts to stop it fail every year.

● Every year, when winter sets in, Delhi’s air pollution peaks with the air quality index (AQI) often plunging to the ‘severe’ and ‘hazardous’ categories.

● A recent study cited a direct link between 30 per cent of the total Covid deaths in the world and air pollution.

Impact of Stubble Burning

● Stubble burning in northern India has long been a major cause of air pollution.

● It's more dangerous with Covid-19 ravaging the country as pollution makes people more vulnerable to infection and slows their recovery.

● Burning husk on the ground destroys the nutrients in the soil, making it less fertile.

● The heat generated by stubble burning penetrates into the soil, leading to the loss of moisture and useful microbes.

Alternatives to Stubble Burning

● Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) machine: One such method is using a Turbo Happy

Seeder (THS) machine, which can uproot the stubble and also sow seeds in the area cleared. The stubble can then be used as mulch for the field.

NEXT IAS



● In-situ treatment of stubble: The government is currently giving equipment to farmers to mix the stubble back into the soil so that they do not have to burn it.

● Ex-situ treatment: Under this, some companies have started collecting stubble for their use, but we need more action on this front.

● Changing cropping pattern: It is the deeper and more fundamental solution.

● Subsidise crops other than paddy, the source of most stubble burning. Policy and money should incentivise farmers in the region to plant more fruits and vegetables. India needs more vitamins and protein rather than wheat and rice." This will create more greenery and since vegetable and fruit crops don't leave stubble, it'll bring down the number of open fires.

Source: IE

Indian Agriculture

Digital Agriculture Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture

In News

● The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare has signed 5 MOUs with private companies for taking forward Digital Agriculture.

○ MOUs aimed at increasing farmers' income and protecting their produce.

What is Digital Agriculture?

● A Digital agriculture mission has been initiated for 2021 -2025 by the government for projects based on new technologies.

○ The new technologies which will be harnessed are AI, block chain, remote

sensing and GIS technology, use of drones and robots etc.

● To transform the Agriculture sector, attempts need to imbibe an ecosystem

thinking and a digital ecosystem.

● The Agriculture value chain extends from crop selection to crop management

and the market.

○ It involves public and private players in agricultural inputs and services and also logistics.

● Establishing a digital ecosystem of agriculture needs to take a long-term view of

multiple aspects like

○ Interoperability,

○ Data governance,

○ Data quality,

NEXT IAS


https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-a-year-after-first-trying-it-farmers-warm-up-to-pusa-decomposer-officials-plan-to-ramp-up-use-7509348/


○ Data standards,

○ Security and privacy, and

○ Promoting innovation.

● A significant requirement is adoption of a decentralized, federated architecture.

○ This architecture must

■ Assure autonomy to the service providers and all other actors and

■ Ensure interoperability at the same time.

Steps to implement the Digital Agriculture

● Recognizing the importance of Digitization in Agriculture the Department is

creating a federated Farmers Database.

● Different Services will be built around this Database so as to develop an organic Digital Ecosystems of Agriculture.

● Federated farmers’ databases will be linked by the land records of farmers from

across the country.

○ It will create a unique Farmer ID.

● This unified database can serve as the repository of the information of all

benefits and supports of various schemes of the Central & State Government.

○ It can be the source for accessing information for providing benefits to farmers in the future.

● So far, the database is ready with details of around 5.5 crore farmers.

How will these Pilot Projects Benefit the Farmers?

● Informed Decisions:

○ These pilot projects will enable farmers to make informed decisions on various issues like:

■ what crop to grow,

■ what variety of seed to use and

■ what best practises to adopt to maximise the yield.

● Planning of Procurement and Logistics:

○ The agriculture supply chain players can plan their procurement and

logistics on precise and timely information.

● Fetch Best Prices for Farmers:

○ Farmers can take informed decisions about whether to sell or store their

produce and when and where and what price to sell.

Conclusion and Way Forward

● The digital revolution is touching every sphere of life and hence it is high time to

bring agriculture in its ambit.

● The MoUs to rope in the private sector can help in

NEXT IAS



○ quicker modernisation of Farms,

○ easier access to various schemes and

○ subject matter knowledge.

● Such practices must be studied in depth via pilot projects and extended to whole India if found successful.

Other Schemes for Farmers

National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA):

● It was initially launched in seven selected States in the last quarter of 2010-11.

○ This Scheme has subsequently been extended to the 2nd Phase to cover

all the States and 2 UTs from 2014-15.

● Aim:

○ To achieve rapid development in India through use of Information &

Communication Technology (ICT).

○ It will provide timely access to agriculture related information for the

farmers.

● The possible components for modern management of agriculture are

○ Remote Sensing

○ Geographical Information System

○ Data Analytics

○ Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning and

○ Internet of Things.

● Under this initiative, one Stop Window-Farmers Portal (www.farmer.gov.in)

has been developed for dissemination of information like.

○ seeds variety,

○ Storage Godown,

○ Pests and plant diseases,

○ Best Agricultural Practices,

○ Watershed,

○ Mandi details etc.

● SMS/mKisan Portal (www.mkisan.gov.in) has also been developed.

○ It will send advisories on various crop related matters to the registered

farmers through SMSs.

○ In mkisan. more than 5 crores farmers are registered for receiving crop

advisories through SMS.

● Various mobile applications including KisanSuvidha have also been

developed.

NEXT IAS


http://www.farmer.gov.in/


○ They facilitate dissemination of information to farmers on the critical parameters viz.,

■ Weather, Market Prices,

■ Plant Protection,

■ Agro-advisory,

■ Extreme Weather Alerts,

■ Input Dealers ( of Seed, Pesticide, Fertilizer, Farm Machinery),

■ Soil Health Card,

■ Cold Storage & Godowns,

■ Veterinary Centre & Diagnostic labs,

■ Crop Insurance Premium Calculator

○ This app launched in 2016, has more than 13 lakh downloads.

Strengthening/Promoting Agricultural Information System (AGRISNET):

● It is the scheme for strengthening the IT infrastructure of the Department and its offices.

● Fund allocated under the scheme is also utilized for making payment to the

vendor for sending SMS through mkisan portal.

Source: PIB


Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD) Syllabus: GS2/ Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

In News

● India and the US launched the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD).

About

● The CAFMD is one of the two tracks of the India-U.S. Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership launched at the Leaders' Summit on Climate in April 2021.

● India and the U.S. are collaborating to reach green energy targets.

○ The United States is to collaborate with India to work towards installing 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030.

○ Currently India's installed power capacity is projected to be 476 GW by 2021-22 and is expected to rise to at least 817 GW by 2030.

NEXT IAS


https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1754848


● It would have three pillars:

○ Climate Action Pillar: It would have joint proposals looking at ways in

which emissions could be reduced in the next decade.

○ Roadmap Pillar: It would be setting out a roadmap to achieving the 450GW

in transportation, buildings and industry.

○ Finance Pillar: It would involve collaborating on attracting finance to

deploy 450 GW of renewable energy and demonstrate at scale clean energy

technologies.

● A key mission of the US is to build global support for ‘Net Zero’, or carbon

neutrality, and is critical to ensuring that the planet doesn’t heat up an additional

half a degree by 2100.

● The launch was preceded by a bilateral meet where both sides discussed at length

a wide range of climate issues relating to COP26, Climate Ambition, Climate

Finance, Global Climate Initiatives including International Solar Alliance (ISA),

Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C).

Significance

● It will help to demonstrate how the world can align swift climate action with

inclusive and resilient economic development.

● It will provide both countries an opportunity to renew collaborations on climate

change while addressing financing aspects and deliver climate finances primarily

as grants and concessional finance as envisaged under the Paris Agreement.

● The dialogue would serve as a “powerful avenue” for the U.S.-India collaboration.

Net Zero Discussion

● The world has to reach a net zero global standard by 2050.

● A major theme building ahead of the climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, this

November is the question of how many nations can commit to a net zero target

and by when.

● A little over 120 countries have committed, with varying degrees of firmness, to

reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

● Five countries have net zero pledges set for after 2050, including Australia and

Singapore, which haven’t set a firm target yet.

● The United States has set a target of halving pollution by 2030 from 2005 levels

towards the net zero target.

○ The President of the US has also committed to phasing out the use of fossil

fuel by 2035 for power generation.

● India has so far abstained from committing to a net zero goal but is on a climate

pathway that is compatible with keeping global temperatures to below 2C by the

end of the century.

NEXT IAS



Way Ahead

● India and the United States are natural partners with shared values and their agenda encompasses all major pillars of our strategic priorities - including defence, security, energy, technology, education and healthcare.

● India and the US are in a position to lead the world in tackling Climate Change.

Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate / AIM4C)

● AIM for Climate is a joint initiative created by the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

● It seeks to address the climate crisis by uniting participants to significantly increase and accelerate investment in, and/or other support for, climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation over the next five years (2021 – 2025).

● Diversity, gender equity, and inclusion are critical to the success of the mission.

● AIM for Climate recognizes the wide range of participants necessary to achieve its goal and seeks to draw on diverse knowledge, experiences, and cultures.

● Participation in AIM for Climate is voluntary.

Carbon Neutrality

● It is when more carbon is sucked out from the atmosphere or prevented from being emitted than what a country emits.

Sources: TH + PIB

Biodiversity & Environment

Hydrogen as a Fuel Syllabus: GS3/ Conservation and related issues

In News

● The Ministry of Railways has decided to close down the Indian Railways

Organization for Alternate Fuels’ (IROAF) with effect from September 7, 2021.

About

● The IROAF was exclusively formed to promote green energy by introducing alternative energy, fuel-efficient and emission-control technologies across the railway network.

● In keeping with its mission towards Green Railways, the IROAF had invited bids earlier for Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based trains.

● All work-related to hydrogen fuel cells, including their tenders, will now be transferred to the Northern Railways.

● Indian Railways are set to run trains on hydrogen fuel-based technology under ‘Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway’ by 2030.

NEXT IAS


https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-us-to-collaborate-on-reaching-green-energy-targets/article36433782.ece

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1754590


Hydrogen as Fuel

● Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, flammable gaseous substance.

● It is a promising energy carrier, which has the potential to address several energy sector-related challenges.

● It has the potential to substitute conventional fuels and reduce CO2 related emissions significantly at the point of use.

● Further, if green hydrogen is used as fuel, then there is the capability to decarbonize the entire value chain, enabling reduced emissions and climate change threats.

Type of Hydrogen

● Grey Hydrogen

○ It constitutes India's bulk production and is extracted from hydrocarbons (fossil fuels, natural gas).

○ It gives CO2 as by product

● Blue Hydrogen

○ It is also sourced from fossil fuels.

○ However, emissions/ by-products (CO, CO2) are captured and stored.

○ Thus, it is better than grey hydrogen

● Green Hydrogen

○ It is generated from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

○ The electricity splits water into hydrogen and Oxygen.

○ It gives water and water vapour as by-products.

○ Thus, it is the best and cleanest type

Significance for India

● It will benefit India’s transportation sector (which contributes 1/3 of India's greenhouse-gas emissions), iron and steel and chemical sectors.

● Hydrogen energy can provide impetus to India's aim to decarbonise by 2050 and attain 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022.

● The energy in 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of hydrogen gas contains about the same as the energy in 1 gallon (6.2 pounds, 2.8 kilograms) of gasoline.

Hydrogen energy initiatives in India

● India is already keen on developing a hydrogen economy owing to its favourable geographical conditions and presence of abundant natural elements.

● India has proposed a National Hydrogen Mission (NHM) that will draw up a roadmap for using hydrogen as an energy source.

● India is a part of the 'Hydrogen Valley Platform' that looks to create an integrated hydrogen ecosystem covering production, storage, distribution and end-use.

● More recently, in 2016, MNRE published a report laying out a comprehensive plan for increasing R&D activity.

NEXT IAS



Challenges

● One of the colossal challenges faced by the industry for using hydrogen commercially is the economic sustainability of extracting green or blue

hydrogen.

● The technology used in production and use of hydrogen like carbon capture and

storage (CCS) and hydrogen fuel cell technology are at nascent stage and are expensive which in turn increases the cost of production of hydrogen.

● The commercial usage of hydrogen as a fuel and in industries requires mammoth

investment in R&D of such technology and infrastructure for production, storage, transportation and demand creation for hydrogen.

Source: TH

Biodiversity & Environment

Thawing Permafrost and its Consequences Syllabus: GS1/ Physical geography, GS3/ Environment

In Context

● Recently, the IPCC report has warned that increasing global warming will result in reductions in Arctic permafrost.

● And, the thawing of the ground is expected to release greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide.

What is Permafrost?

● Permafrost is ground that remains completely frozen at 0 degrees Celsius or below for at least two years. Permafrost regions are not always covered in snow.

● It is defined solely based on temperature and duration. The permanently frozen ground, consisting of soil, sand, and rock held together by ice, is believed to have formed during glacial periods dating several millennia.

Source: phys.org

NEXT IAS


https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/railways-winds-up-green-fuel-wing/article36382361.ece


Regions of Permafrost

● Found below 22 per cent of the land surface on Earth, mostly in polar zones and regions with high mountains.

● They are spread across 55 per cent of the landmass in Russia and Canada, 85 per

cent in the US state of Alaska, and possibly complete Antarctica.

● In northern Siberia, it forms a layer that is 1,500 m thick; 740 m in northern Alaska.

What is Permafrost Thawing?

● As Earth’s climate warms, the permafrost is thawing. That means the ice inside the permafrost melts, leaving behind water and soil.

Consequences of Permafrost Thawing

Thawing permafrost can have dramatic impacts on our planet and the things living on it. For example:

● Impact Infrastructure: When permafrost is frozen, it’s harder than concrete. However, thawing permafrost can destroy houses, roads and other infrastructure.

● Altered landscapes: Thawing permafrost alters natural ecosystems in many ways as well. It can create thermokarsts, areas of sagging ground, which may alter the flow of rivers and streams, degrade water quality.

● Release of Greenhouse gases & Climate change: When permafrost is frozen, plant material in the soil—called organic carbon—can’t decompose, or rot away. As permafrost thaws, microbes begin decomposing this material. This process releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere.

● Risk of disease: When permafrost thaws, so do ancient bacteria and viruses in the ice and soil.

○ These newly-unfrozen microbes could make humans and animals very

sick. Scientists have discovered microbes more than 400,000 years old in thawed permafrost, which can be a reason for a new pandemic.

Source: NASA

NEXT IAS



How can Permafrost thawing be stopped?

● By reducing our carbon footprint, investing in energy-efficient products, and supporting climate-friendly technology we can help preserve the world’s permafrost.

● Supporting climate-friendly businesses, legislation, and policies, we can help preserve the world’s permafrost and avert a vicious cycle of an ever-warming planet.

About IPCC

● It is the international body for assessing the science related to climate change.

● It was created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization

(WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

● The IPCC currently has 195 members.

● The IPCC provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate

change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

● For the assessment reports, IPCC scientists volunteer their time to assess the thousands of scientific papers published each year.

● The IPCC does not conduct its own research.

Source: IE

NEXT IAS


https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/permafrost-pandemic-arctic-global-warming-7506557/


Facts In News


International Day for South-South Cooperation

Syllabus: GS 2/United Nations, its Bodies & Agencies

Context

● Every year, International Day for South-South Cooperation is celebrated globally

on September 12.

About International Day for South-South Cooperation

● It is an initiative for the economic, social and political developments of the

countries in the Southern region.

○ Basically, South-South cooperation refers to the technical cooperation

among developing countries in the Global South.

● It is a manifestation of solidarity among peoples and countries of the South that

contributes to their national well-being, their national and collective self-reliance

and the attainment of internationally agreed development goals, including the

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

● This day also commemorates the adoption of the "Buenos Aires Plan of Action

(BAPA) in 1978 for promoting and implementing technical cooperation among

developing countries by 138 member states.

● Relevance

○ The South-South collaboration helps developing nations to share

knowledge, skills, expertise and resources to meet their development goals

through concerted efforts.

● Objectives

○ To enhance self-reliance among developing countries and to work out

creative solutions to their development problems.

○ Recognising and responding to the problems and requirements of the least

developed countries and enabling them to achieve a greater degree of

participation in international economic activities

Source: Times now

NEXT IAS


https://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/in-focus/article/international-day-for-south-south-cooperation-a-comprehensive-initiative-for-development-of-global-south/810760


Indian Economy

Linkages of India and Singapore Fast Payment Systems Syllabus: GS 3/Indian Economy & Related Issues

In News

● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced a project to link their respective fast payment systems — Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow.

About

● The UPI-PayNow linkage will enable users of each of the two fast payment systems to make instant, low-cost fund transfers on a reciprocal basis without a need to get on boarded onto the other payment system.

● The linkage builds upon the earlier efforts of NPCI International Private Ltd (NIPL) and Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) to foster cross-border interoperability of payments using cards and QR codes, between India and Singapore and will further anchor trade, travel and remittance flow between the two countries.

● It closely aligns with the G20’s financial inclusion priorities of driving faster, cheaper and more transparent cross-border payments.

● It is also in line with RBI’s vision of reviewing corridors and charges for inbound

cross-border remittances outlined in the Payment Systems Vision Document 2019-21.

● The linkage is targeted to be operationalised by July 2022.

● Significance:

○ It is a significant milestone in the development of infrastructure for cross-

border payments between India and Singapore.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

● UPI is India’s mobile-based, 'fast payment' system that facilitates customers to

make round the clock payments instantly using a Virtual Payment Address

(VPA) created by the customer.

○ This eliminates the risk of sharing bank account details by the remitter.

● UPI supports both Person to Person (P2P) and Person to Merchant (P2M)

payments as also it enables a user to send or receive money.

● It is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile

application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features,

seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood.

● It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request which can be scheduled and

paid as per requirement and convenience.

NEXT IAS



PayNow

● It is the fast payment system of Singapore that enables peer-to-peer funds transfer service, available to retail customers through participating banks and Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NFIs) in Singapore.

● It enables users to send and receive instant funds from one bank or e-wallet account to another in Singapore by using just their mobile number, Singapore NRIC/FIN, or VPA.

Source: TH

NEXT IAS


https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/india-singapore-to-link-their-fast-payment-systems-upi-paynow/article36446835.ece

Documents

Time: 45 min Date: 15-09-2021