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The decennial census exercise has been postponed till September, at least, as the government informed States that the date of freezing of administrative boundaries has been extended till June 30.
As per norms, census can be conducted only three months after freezing of boundary limits of administrative units such as districts, sub-districts, tehsils, talukas and police stations. The finalisation of boundaries of administrative units entails covering all jurisdictional changes between two consecutive censuses. The last census was held in 2011.
The general elections are expected to be held in March-April 2024 and the completion of both the phases of census will take at least 11 months, even if done at accelerated pace from October, there by ruling out the possibility of census happening anytime in 2023 and early 2024.
Census before the 2024 general elections is possible if the rules are tweaked and a shorter process is introduced.
Unlike in the past, when COVID-19 and vaccination drive were cited as reasons for not conducting census, the January 2 letter by the office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) does not specify any reason.
It also does not refer to the exercise as “Census 2021”, the year in which the population enumeration was supposed to be concluded, it instead says, “ensuing Census”.
The first phase of Census 2021 - the House listing and Housing Census along with updating the National Population Register (NPR) were scheduled to be held from April-September 2020 but were postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second phase and the main phase of the decennial census exercise — the population enumeration — were to be concluded by March 5, 2021.
According to provisional data compiled by the RGI till June 2021, the total number of districts in the country have gone up from 640 in 2011 to 736 presently.
The sub-districts are up from 5,925 to 6,754, statutory towns have increased from 4,041 to 4,657, census towns from 3,892 to 5,050 and villages have decreased from 6,40,934 in 2011 to 6,39,083 in 2021.
States
Tirupati to have largest liquid waste treatment plant (Page no. 7)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) is set to take a giant leap in water treatment by putting in place what is claimed to be the country’s largest liquid waste treatment plant to use phytorid technology.
The plant coming up next to Vinayaka Sagar will treat 5 MLD (million litres a day). Sewage from the MCT’s seven adjoining divisions used to flow into the waterbody in the past, by way of gravity. With the advent of this plant, the water will now be treated before being let into the tank.
The project is developed at a capital expenditure of ₹11 crore under Smart City funds, and involving an operational expenditure of ₹3 crore.
The phytorid technology is developed by the CSIR’s National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).
After the waste water is treated under sedimentation process to eliminate solid matter, the same is made to flow in a serpentine motion into a sub-surface chamber containing numerous barricades, while saplings are planted atop on a porous medium containing gravel and stones. It is here that the organic matter gets eliminated.
Later, the water is made to pass through activated carbon filter to bring the Biochemical Oxygen Demand to 5mg, much lower than the national standard of 10mg set by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The main advantage of this system is that it is cost-effective, involves no operational hassles, leaves a smaller footprint and emanates no foul odour.
‘Asian elephant has lost most of its optimal habitat in Nilgiri Reserve’ (Page no. 7)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Elephants winding their way up the rocky green hills in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) make for pretty photographs. But a recent article says the endangered Asian Elephant has lost most of its “optimal” habitat: flat terrain that is easily negotiable.
A paper, Fencing Can Alter Gene Flow of Asian Elephant Populations within Protected Areas, was published in the international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal Conservation, by a multi-disciplinary team of ecologists, conservationists and scientists.
This gap has been transformed by agriculture for several centuries, is 3 km at its narrowest, and 40 km at its widest. The northern part of the WG includes the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve [NBR] and its surrounding PAs [protected areas], which contain the largest remaining population of wild elephants, ca. 6000 animals.
The Palghat Gap is a break in the Ghats that is “relatively flat and consequently easily negotiable by elephants”. However, human settlements and crop cultivation have hindered the movement of the elephants, keeping them confined to the hilly areas, considered sub-optimal habitats.
In these sub-optimal habitats, their chances of survival are lower due to dangerous terrain for animals of this size. Our study shows that when barriers are erected, particularly in areas with slopes, their movement is blocked and gene flow reduced. This could ultimately lead to increasing the extinction risk of this endangered species.
If movement is restricted and gene flow reduced, there is more in-breeding, and low genetic diversity, pushing up chances of disease, and lowering fertility rates.
A 2021 paper published in the scientific journal Global Ecology & Conservation found moderate levels of genetic differentiation between the northern and southern populations, indicating limited gene flow between the two regions.
Over thousands of years, elephants roamed freely across South-East Asia, all the way to China, but “anthropogenic pressures” have restricted them to mountain chains, says the paper. Ironically, most elephant reserves in India are found in mountainous habitats.
Editorial
Stabilising ties with Nepal in uncertain times (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, International Relations)
The electoral verdict in Nepal’s recent elections was credible. It reflected a clear emergence of voter preference for more responsive governance and an impatience with traditional political power games that ignore the aspirations of the youth and the disadvantaged.
It also reconfirmed the successful ‘taking root’ of democracy in the Himalayan country whose transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular republic happened after great struggle, sacrifices and ideological adjustments across the political spectrum.
Some of the major accomplishments, although accompanied by shortcomings and controversy, included the peaceful mainstreaming of the Maoist movement into the democratic structure, the integration of guerrillas into the Nepal Army, the transfer of power, the adoption of a Constitution and the emergence of a federal structure.
On the negative side, however, the hung Parliament that the final results created is a sure recipe for instability and frequent changes of government in the coming years.
This could easily translate into an inability to deal with the many daunting challenges confronting the country and the continuing unpredictability in the graph of India-Nepal cooperation.
There were widespread expectations that Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the Nepali Congress, which was in an alliance with Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda)’s Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and three other parties, would form the new government as the alliance commanded the largest number of seats in the new Parliament.
However, it was Prachanda who was sworn in as Prime Minister as he decided to revive his earlier alliance with former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who heads the CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist).
This unexpected development will undoubtedly be a source of satisfaction for China, which had earlier conspicuously but unsuccessfully attempted to prod the left wing in the political spectrum to reunite (to promote its own interests and to the detriment of India’s interests).
Towards making India an uplinking hub (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2/3, Polity and Governance/Economy)
There have been two major developments in the television industry in India in the last two years. In 2021, the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, were amended to include a statutory mechanism for redressal of grievances and complaints of viewers relating to content broadcast by television channels in accordance with the provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.
In 2022, the Union Cabinet approved the policy guidelines for the uplinking and downlinking of television channels from India. While an uplink refers to the link from a ground station up to a satellite, a downlink is the link from a satellite down to one or more ground stations or receivers.
The amended Cable Television Network Rules bring in a strong institutional system for redressing grievances and make broadcasters and their self-regulating bodies accountable and responsible.
The policy guidelines for uplinking and downlinking are aimed at making India the hub of uplinking as they allow Indian teleports to uplink foreign channels.
For almost three decades after television started in India in September 1959, broadcasting was solely under the control of the state. In the early 1990s, cable television arrived in India unannounced.
The government was unprepared to check transmission and broadcast through foreign satellites. Cable television networks mushroomed haphazardly, and foreign television networks invaded our culture through their programmes.
In order to regulate this burgeoning cable network industry and to make registration of cable operators mandatory, the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 was brought in.
But it was only in 2000 that the first license to set up a teleport — an earth station facility from where TV signals can be uplinked to a geostationary satellite — was granted.
The satellite invasion began in the country in the early 1990s and the cable industry acted as a harbinger of the new media revolution.
Some people in India joined hands with some Non-Resident Indians in Hong Kong to launch the country’s first private television channel, Zee TV, in October 1992.
A green promise (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The Union Cabinet has cleared a ₹17,490-crore National Green Hydrogen (NGH) mission that aims to facilitate the production of hydrogen from renewable energy.
Hydrogen is an essential industrial fuel that has a range of uses from producing ammonia, making steel and cement, to powering fuel cells that can run buses and cars.
However, the cheapest way to manufacture this is to rely on fossil fuel such as coal and natural gas and this produces carbon emissions.
The concerns over global warming and the gradual but steady embrace of alternative fuels have stoked the world’s interest in producing hydrogen from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy.
This, however, is relatively expensive. It costs between $0.9 to $1.5 to produce a kilogramme of hydrogen from coal and anywhere from $3.5 to $5.5 per kg to produce it from renewable energy sources.
Just as solar power tariffs in India have now dipped below that of coal power, the government hopes that ‘green hydrogen’, or that produced entirely from renewable energy, will also cost less than the current price to make hydrogen from fossil fuel sources.
The NGH mission aims to create an enabling environment for the Indian industry to develop the infrastructure to produce and transport green hydrogen from certain nerve centres to production hubs where they can be used in various industrial applications.
The NGH mission has committed to finance — the details are not yet available — the manufacturing of electrolysers, which use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
By 2030, the goal is to have at least 5 million metric tonnes of annual green hydrogen production, electrolyser capacity of 60-100 gigawatt and a 125-gigawatt renewable energy capacity for green hydrogen and its associated transmission network.
Explainer
India’s plan to develop green hydrogen (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a ₹19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen mission that aims to make India a ‘global hub’ for using, producing and exporting green hydrogen.
Hydrogen is a key industrial fuel that has a variety of applications including the production of ammonia (a key fertilizer), steel, refineries and electricity. However, all of the hydrogen manufactured now is the so-called ‘black or brown’ hydrogen produced from coal.
Grey hydrogen is produced from natural gas while ‘Blue’ hydrogen is from fossil fuel sources where the ensuring carbon emitted is captured via carbon-capture processes.
Green hydrogen is when hydrogen is produced via electrolysis, the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar or wind. This is the most environmentally sustainable way of producing hydrogen.
Green hydrogen currently accounts for less than 1% of global hydrogen production due to it being expensive to produce. A kilogram of black hydrogen costs $0.9-1.5 to produce while grey hydrogen costs $1.7-2.3 and blue hydrogen can cost anywhere from $1.3-3.6.
However, green hydrogen costs $3.5-5.5 per kg, according to a 2020 analysis by the Council for Energy, Environment and Water.
The intent of the mission is to incentivise the commercial production of green hydrogen and make India a net exporter of the fuel.
The mission has laid out a target to develop green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum. This is alongside adding renewable energy capacity of about 125 GW (gigawatt) in the country.
This will entail the decarbonisation of the industrial, mobility and energy sectors; reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock; developing indigenous manufacturing capabilities; creating employment opportunities; and developing new technologies such as efficient fuel cells.
By 2030, the Centre hopes its investments will bring in investments worth ₹8 trillion and create over six lakh jobs. Moreover, about 50 MMT per annum of CO2 emissions are expected to be averted by 2030.
As per its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, India has committed to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, from 2005 levels.
News
At Strategic Dialogue, India and France share views on security and defence cooperation (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, International Relations)
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval held the 36th round of the Indo-French Strategic Dialogue with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Bonne.
Mr. Bonne’s visit was the first major diplomatic visit of the new year, and according to a statement from the Embassy of France in India, both participants agreed to intensify efforts “towards strategic autonomy.
The two sides held discussions on a variety of issues, including the current global security situation in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, regional security in the context of Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, cyber security, defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, besides other issues of mutual concern.
During his day-long visit, Mr. Bonne also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The MEA said that PM Modi and Mr. Bonne discussed areas like “energy and culture.The agenda covered all aspects of the Indo-French strategic partnership: defence and security cooperation.
India is close to taking a decision on a fighter jet to fly off the Navy’s aircraft carriers, for which Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation’s Rafael-M are in the race.
A decision is expected shortly for procuring 26 jets, in which Rafale has an edge, according to official sources. In addition, Safran of France is competing with other global engine manufacturers to co-develop a fighter jet engine with the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
Mr. Bonne who is Diplomatic Advisor and G-7/G-20 Sherpa to French President Emmanuel Macron, also met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
The discussions showed how close our views are on all major international issues and how the France-India strategic partnership is key to tackling the pressing challenges of 2023.
The Embassy of France said that the visiting guest conveyed France’s “full support” for India’s G-20 Presidency. The French statement emphasised that the strategic partnership with India is based on “exceptional mutual trust, shared democratic values and a joint vision for a multipolar, rules-based world order”. Prime Minister Modi, welcomed France’s support to India’s G-20 Presidency.
UGC unveils draft norms to allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, Education)
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced draft norms for facilitating foreign universities and educational institutions to set up campuses in India which allow them autonomy in determining fees, as well as a 90-day approval process. The final norms will be notified by the end of the month after feedback from all stakeholders.
A foreign university with a rank among the top 500 global rankings or a foreign educational institution of repute in home jurisdiction can apply to the UGC to set up a campus in India.
The new National Education Policy [NEP], 2020 has envisioned that top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.
For this, a legislative framework facilitating such entry will be put in place, and such universities will be given special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions of India.
The application will be considered by a standing committee appointed by the UGC which will submit its recommendations within 45 days after examining the institution’s credibility, programmes offered, their potential to strengthen educational opportunities in India, proposed academic infrastructure.
Subsequently, within 45 days, the UGC may grant in-principle approval to the foreign institution to set up campuses in India within two years. The initial approval will be for 10 years, which can be extended.
Such a campus can evolve its own admission process and criteria to admit domestic and foreign students. It will also have autonomy to decide its fee structure, and will face no caps that are imposed on Indian institutions. The fee should be “reasonable and transparent”.
It will also have autonomy to recruit faculty and staff from India and abroad. The courses to be offered cannot be in online and open and distance learning mode.
The qualifications awarded to the students in the Indian campus should have equivalence with those awarded by the institutions in their country of origin.