Latest news with #SystemofAirQualityandWeatherForecastingandResearch
News18
16-05-2025
- Climate
- News18
Breathe With Caution: Understanding The Deteriorating AQI And Tips To Stay Safe
Last Updated: As the AQI reaches dangerous levels in Delhi-NCR, here are some tips on how you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe. You're not the only one who woke up with an itchy throat or burning eyes. A rapid and severe decline in the air quality of the Delhi-NCR area has caused symptoms such as coughing, eye irritation, and difficulty breathing in many people. Overnight, the national capital's air quality drastically declined, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching alarming levels. According to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) data, the AQI was 249 at 10 AM, which is considered 'poor.' However, real-time AQI measurements exceeded 500 and entered the 'hazardous' zone in several Delhi-NCR areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials revealed that around 10 PM on Wednesday, dust-raising winds blew across the area, causing a significant change in the air quality. As a result of the powerful gusts that mixed up a lot of particulate matter, particularly PM10, the air pollution increased drastically. Even while the trend is improving, the current state of the air is dangerous, particularly for children, the elderly, and people who already have respiratory disorders. Short-term symptoms, including eye discomfort, sore throat, and shortness of breath, can happen to even healthy people. Important Safety Advice You Must Take Right Away Steer clear of outdoor activities Exercise, jogging, and walking can be detrimental when air quality drops to dangerous levels. This may exacerbate symptoms like wheezing, coughing, or dyspnea. While you should also keep windows and doors closed to protect outside air from entering your house, especially in the early morning and late evening, when pollution is at its worst. Drink plenty of water Air pollution can dry up the mucous membranes of your lungs, throat, and nose, leaving you more susceptible to infections and irritation. Water consumption keeps your body hydrated and aids in toxin removal. Use Saline Nasal Spray Saline nasal sprays are a mild yet efficient method of cleaning your nasal passages of allergies, pollutants, and irritants. This can soothe dry or irritable nasal tissues, lessen inflammation, and ease congestion. On days with significant pollution, it's especially beneficial for kids and anyone with sinus issues or allergic rhinitis. Use Air Purifiers During days with high pollution levels, air purifiers are crucial, particularly for vulnerable populations including the elderly, young children, and expectant mothers. These gadgets aid in removing indoor air pollutants and fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). Make sure the purifier has a HEPA filter and put it in the room where pregnant women, kids, and the elderly spend the most time. Do not disregard prolonged coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, exhaustion, or dyspnea experienced by you or your family members. These might indicate increasing asthma or respiratory discomfort. First Published:
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: India-UK FTA, IMF loan to Pak, and Caste Census
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for May 12, 2025. If you missed the May 11, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation. Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government Policies and Interventions, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: Gufran Beig and Shailesh Nayak write- 'The Centre's Make in India initiative has boosted the morale of the country's youth. From space technologies and the Moon Mission to Covid-19 vaccines and Vande Bharat trains, the country has proved its mettle. However, when it comes to improving air quality and mitigating the health impacts of pollution, we lag behind.' Key Points to Ponder: • What is air pollution and what are its sources? • What impact does air pollution have on health, the economy, and the environment in India? • What is NARFI? • What is the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme? • Read about the SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research). • What is the Air Quality Index? • What are the institutional and structural challenges impeding effective air pollution control in the country? • How can industry-academia collaboration and equitable funding strengthen India's capacity for self-reliance in environmental governance? • What are the government initiatives and programmes for combating air pollution in India? • How effective are these initiatives, and what is the way forward? Key Takeaways: • 'Air pollution remains one of India's most pressing challenges, yet we have not fully grasped its complexities. Some experts cite a lack of funds, yet pollution control boards frequently return unspent funds.' • 'Industry collaborations with Indian R&D institutions are now being actively promoted — something that was missing in the past. A key example is the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, which signals the government's commitment to strengthening research and innovation with industrial contribution. Yet, the air quality crisis persists.' • 'India has a notable history of air quality advancements. We pioneered the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme in 1984 . Delhi's rapid transition to a CNG-based public transport fleet was another landmark. A significant scientific milestone came in 2010, when India developed its first indigenous air quality forecasting system, SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), despite resistance from foreign agencies. Despite its success, however, SAFAR remained limited to just four cities.' • 'This begs a question: Despite initiatives like Make in India, unspent funds, an abundance of talent, a young workforce, and openness to industry sponsorship, why are we still struggling to achieve true 'atmanirbharta'? Are our resources disproportionately funnelled into a select few institutions? Is there a gap in expertise? A majority of international collaborations or foreign funding is centred around elite institutions. Alarmingly, even some government-funded research institutions seem to be aligning with this foreign-dependent model.' • 'The core challenge lies in the absence of an integrated air quality resource framework. A unified platform is needed to foster a science-based information system and a knowledge hub. This would empower decision-makers and the private sector to take informed action.' • 'Under the auspices of the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, the National Institute of Advanced Studies has undertaken a study exploring a new approach of airshed management, combined with finely gridded source emissions. This initiative aims to accelerate pollution control strategies, which could also contribute to the net-zero goal. This led to envisaging the concept of a resource framework, NARFI, designed to act as a catalyst for inter-organisational collaboration, interdisciplinary research and evidence-based decision-making.' Do You Know: • Air pollution is the contamination of the environment, whether indoors or outdoors, by any agent—chemical, physical, or biological—that alters the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. • According to WHO, almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants. • The yearly practice of burning crop stubble, combined with consistent vehicle emissions and pollutants from construction and factories, has significantly worsened the air quality throughout the country. • Vehicle exhaust releases nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which are significant contributors to air pollution. Thermal power plants and factories also emit a steady stream of pollutants, compounding the problem. • Furthermore, stubble burning is a major contributor to air pollution in northern India, particularly in states like Punjab and Haryana as it significantly deteriorates air quality, often pushing it to emergency levels during the post-harvest season. The smoke produced from burning agricultural residue releases high levels of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Air Pollution: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (1) In the cities of our country, which among the following atmospheric gases are normally considered in calculating the value of Air Quality Index? (UPSC CSE 2016) 1. Carbon dioxide 2. Carbon monoxide 3. Nitrogen dioxide 4. Sulfur dioxide 5. Methane Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 1, 4 and 5 only (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India's National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve revised standards? (UPSC CSE 2021) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies-II, III: India and its neighbourhood- relations. Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security. Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism. What's the ongoing story: Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes- 'The temporary ceasefire between India and Pakistan announced by US President Donald Trump is to be welcomed. It may yet prove fragile. But peace ought seldom to be sneered at; and it ought not to be held hostage to pride.' Key Points to Ponder: • Read about the Operation Sindoor and other past military operations by India against Pakistan. • What is a 'ceasefire'? • What is the strategic and diplomatic significance of the recently announced ceasefire between India and Pakistan? • What is the Line of Control? What are the security challenges faced by India on the LoC? • What does international law say about 'breach' of a ceasefire? • What measures has India taken to address the challenge of terrorism? • How India's approach towards Pakistan has evolved in the context of cross-border terrorism? • How can India effectively use its global partnerships and public diplomacy to address the challenges posed by Pakistan? • Map work: Indian states Bordering Pakistan (Refer Atlas) Key Takeaways: • 'The current round of conflict, precipitated by an act of terrorism at Pahalgam, put India and Pakistan on a dangerous logic of escalation. In modern war, seldom does any side prevail decisively, no matter how much armchair theorists fantasise about escalation dominance. Imagine that, even if accidentally, if there had been an episode of high civilian casualties on either side, how difficult it would have been to claw back. Just imagine, further, an escalation in the use of missiles, with air defences panicking over what kind of warheads a missile might be carrying. In such scenarios, all bets would have been off.' • 'India was within its rights to take prudent retaliatory action. But we should also dispassionately analyse where Operation Sindoor has got us. That would be the only genuine tribute to those who risk their lives for the nation. The truth is, that so far, the operation did not get us very far. It has not degraded Pakistan's military infrastructure enough to ensure that Pakistan will not pose a threat in the future.' • 'India and Pakistan have demonstrated that both have limited room for imposing costs on each other, without risking major catastrophe. This is perhaps, in the end, what keeps the fragile peace on the Subcontinent. This is not a comment on India's military capabilities; it is just the structural logic of the nature of war between most adversaries in modern can show its superior might but it cannot dominate its adversaries enough to achieve its objectives. Even powers like Russia and America have not been able to achieve that kind of dominance against so many weaker adversaries.' • 'The nature of terrorism is that both the strong and weak can deploy it in full measure; the weak even more so. This is the dilemma we have been wrestling with. We can take some consolation from the fact that it will now be understood that any act of terror by Pakistan is an act of war. But this is a formal consolation. The dispute has always been on Pakistan taking responsibility for terror, not whether terror is an act of war. So, in the end, with Pakistan weak or strong, there is no avoiding a political process in the Subcontinent.' • 'But the dilemma is that this war does not compel negotiations. Nor is it likely to build even a modicum of trust that can allow a political negotiation. The glaring political vacuum that enables this sore will remain. This is not India's fault. But this is ground reality.' • 'The question is: Where does India stand diplomatically? In the short run, India has turned the clock back. An armed conflict with no decisive victory and no clear political end simply reinstates the India-Pakistan hyphenation. In the end, the world has little patience with who is right and who is wrong in the Subcontinent, if the war carries nuclear risk. Second, India's strategic autonomy has been considerably reduced.' • 'The unwritten text of this war is that South Asia is now once again the frontier of whatever new 'cold war' might emerge: The China-Pakistan axis is solid, and the Chinese once again missed an opportunity to imaginatively engage India. In a context where the Sino-Russian axis is strong, and Europe is chafing at India shuffling its feat on Ukraine, India is now more dependent on the US — something that has been evident in the Narendra Modi government's courting of Trump. So, the two things India has always endeavoured to avoid — making the Subcontinent a frontline state, and asserting its strategic autonomy — are now compromised.' • 'India is not in charge of its region. And it will be increasingly more dependent on the West. Conflict in the Subcontinent will be the wedge used to put India in its place. We are more vulnerable now than a decade ago.' • 'But this ceasefire will be worth it, if having satiated domestic political narratives, both sides can free themselves of the embers of 1947 that are still singeing us. The immediate onus is on Pakistan to demonstrate a commitment to the pacification of terrorism.' Do You Know: • A ceasefire is an agreement between nations involved in a conflict that seeks to regulate the termination of all military activity 'for a given length of time in a given area', as defined by the book The Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law, by Françoise Bouchet-Saulnier. • A ceasefire does not represent an end to hostilities. It represents a truce, that is, 'a temporary suspension of hostilities,' in both international as well as non-international armed conflicts. They also 'do not reflect a juridical end to the state of war,' as stated in the document. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍The toolkit for Pakistan 📍Ceasefire is the right decision. But India must stay vigilant about Pakistan's next moves 📍India-Pakistan ceasefire declaration: What exactly is a 'ceasefire' Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (2) Arrange the following agreements between India and Pakistan in chronological order: 1. Tashkent Declaration 2. Indus Water Treaty 3. Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Against Each Other's Nuclear Installations and Facilities 4. Agreement on Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons Select the correct answer using the code given below: (UPSC-CDS (II) – 2024) (a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 2, 3, 4, 1 (c) 2, 1, 3, 4 (d) 1, 4, 2, 3 (3) With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus directly. Among the following, which one is such a river that joins the Indus direct? (UPSC CSE 2021) (a) Chenab (b) Jhelum (c) Ravi (d) Sutlej Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India – Pakistan relations. To what extent the use of soft power like sports and cultural exchanges could help generate goodwill between the two countries? Discuss with suitable examples. ( UPSC CSE 2015) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies-II, III: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth. What's the ongoing story: Ashok Gulati, Sulakshana Rao and Riya Jain write- 'On May 6, India and the UK concluded a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marked as a historic milestone by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The deal grants India zero-duty access to all industrial goods and eliminates import tariffs on over 99.3 per cent of animal products, 99.8 per cent of vegetable/oil products, and 99.7 per cent processed foods.' Key Points to Ponder: • Read about the India-UK FTA. • What is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)? How many countries has India signed FTAs with? • What is the significance of the India-UK FTA? • What are the areas of cooperation between India and the UK? • What is the status of India's textiles sector? • How does India's textile sector compare with that of China and Bangladesh in terms of production, export competitiveness, and infrastructure? • What are the structural challenges of India's textiles and apparel (T&A) sector? • What are the initiatives taken by the government for the textiles sector's growth? • What is the PM MITRA scheme? Key Takeaways: • 'As of 2024, the India-UK total trade in goods was $23.3 billion, $8.06 billion of which was exports to India. The export basket largely comprises pearls, nuclear reactors, spirits, and vehicles, while the imports from India are machinery, mineral fuels, pharmaceuticals, apparel and footwear. The FTA has set an ambitious target of taking the trade partnership to $120 billion by 2030.' • 'But to make this happen, India needs to stitch several loose ends in its textiles and apparel (T&A) value chain, especially in designing high-value apparel products for the UK market.' • 'Currently, the UK imports T&A valued at $26.9 billion, of which apparel imports are $19.6 billion (72.8 per cent). The country's apparel imports are primarily from China (25 per cent share, $4.9 billion), followed by Bangladesh (20 per cent, $3.9 billion). India has a meagre 6 per cent ($1.19 billion) share…After the FTA, India will get preferential treatment with zero tariff entry — this can be a game changer for it vis-à-vis its competitors. To take advantage of this, we need to set a few things in order in the T&A value chain.' • 'India's T&A sector has three structural challenges. The first is its fragmented manufacturing base, with MSMEs operating in silos across states.' • 'Second, is the disjointed value chain. Cotton is grown in Gujarat and Maharashtra, yarn is spun in Tamil Nadu, fabric is processed in other parts of the country and garments are stitched at several places across the country. This geographical dispersion raises the costs of logistics and causes delays — the time from order to delivery is 63 days compared to 50 days in Bangladesh (BGMEA, 2022). Third, India's policies around manmade fibres (MMF) lag global preferences hampered by an inverted GST structure and restrictive quality norms.' • 'To address these issues, India must move swiftly on three fronts —policy, practices, and products — to realign its T&A sector with global market demands. On the policy front, the first priority is the swift operationalisation of PM MITRA consolidation, and elimination of compliance-heavy processes for exporters is a low-hanging fruit.' • 'Rationalising the inverted GST duty structure in MMF textiles is another immediate requirement. Currently, fibre inputs are taxed higher than the finished products, making Indian MMF garments globally uncompetitive.' • 'In terms of practices, India must work to match up to global fashion aesthetics. Compliance is another area that requires attention.' • 'The India-UK FTA also offers a timely blueprint for the ongoing trade negotiations with the US and the EU. But deals alone won't suffice. We must re-imagine India's textile future through integrated hubs, modern manufacturing, compliant supply chains, and demand-driven exports. The opportunity is massive, but so is the urgency. As the saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine and for India's textile sector, this is that critical stitch.' Do You Know: • Currently, the UK imports goods worth $815.5 billion, primarily from countries like China (12 per cent, amounting to $99 billion), the US (11 per cent, amounting to $92 billion), and Germany (9 per cent, amounting to $76.2 billion). • India is the 12th largest trading partner of the UK, but with a meagre 1.8 per cent ($15.3 billion) share in goods imported to the country. The UK exports goods worth $512.9 billion, mainly to the US ($71.3 billion), China ($46.4 billion) and Germany ($38.8 billion). • India remains the UK's second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), after only the United States. The United Kingdom is the sixth largest investor in India Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Takeaways from India-UK Free Trade deal: First off the block, bipartisan, deepens bilateral economy story UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme: (4) With reference to the India-UK bilateral trade, consider the following statements: 1. In 2024-25, India's total imports from the UK in terms of value were higher than India's total exports. 2. India retains the position of the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the UK. 3. India accounts for approximately 2 per cent of the UK's total trade. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None (5) Which among the following is a joint military exercise between India and the United Kingdom (a) Ajeya Warrior (b) Mitra Shakti (c) Indra (4) Varua Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. Main Examination: General Studies-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. What's the ongoing story: Abhinav Prakash and Priyank Chauhan write- 'When the colonial administration completed the 1931 Census, it left behind more than just a ledger of heads. The Raj used enumeration to crystallise hierarchies and transmute prejudice into 'empirical' fact. It was conducted at a time when the capacity of the census to deal with a complex social system like caste was questionable, especially in princely states, which accounted for more than one-third of India.' Key Points to Ponder: • What is a census? What are the constitutional provisions associated with the census? • What is the history of the census in India? • What is a caste census? What is the history of caste census in India? • What is a socio-economic caste census (SECC)? • Read about the Mandal Commission and its recommendations. • What was the Indra Sawhney (1992) verdict? • Why was there a demand for conducting a caste census? • What is the significance of a caste census? How will a caste census ensure social justice? • What are the potential benefits of caste census? • What are the issues associated with the caste census? Key Takeaways: • 'Except for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), we have diligently avoided counting caste for nearly a century. This silence was based on the hope that what is not named will eventually wither. Yet caste persisted, shaping the daily lives of the Indians, even of those who deny having caste consciousness. In the process, our democracy acquired a remarkable distinction: We deal with caste daily in our polity, yet possess no accurate data.' • 'Consider the architecture of our reservation system. From Indra Sawhney (1992) to the Maratha verdict (2021), the Supreme Court has repeatedly asked governments to produce quantifiable data before extending or fine-tuning quotas. The Mandal Commission, too, based its estimates on 1931 Census numbers and sample surveys. Since then, we have added layers of creamy‑layer exclusions, sub‑quotas, and economic criteria — all without a verifiable data set.' • 'The consequence is two‑fold. First, policy loses legitimacy; anecdotes fill the vacuum where evidence should reside. Second, welfare delivery rewards the better-organised castes while bypassing the most deprived. A credible, disaggregated caste census would allow us to base policy on ground realities, restoring both efficacy and public trust.' • 'The decision to hold a fresh caste census is criticised as a continuation of the divisive colonial categories. The opposite is true. The Indian state must reclaim enumeration from its colonial past and redeploy it for a moral purpose: to dismantle hierarchy, not to entrench it. Counting today is an act of accountability, a public audit of how far we have travelled from the inequities we inherited — and how far we still must go.' • 'The distinction between the colonial and the constitutional logic of counting is also worth underlining. The British enumerated caste to freeze mobility and harden hierarchy. A republican India must enumerate to animate mobility and unlock opportunity. The colonial census essentialised identity; a nationalist census interrogates exclusion. One widened difference; the other seeks to rectify it.' • 'Critics warn that counting caste risks deepening fissures. But much of the criticism of the caste census is actually of a particular political approach to caste, not that of the caste census itself. To frame the caste census as divisive misunderstands both the purpose of democracy and the nature of caste. Division is not caused by recognition; it is caused by systemic invisibility. Invisibility is a privilege enjoyed by those who do not need the state. For the rest, recognition is the first step towards remedy. The various social and political movements of weaker castes, especially those small in number in post-independent India, are aimed at becoming 'visible to the state'.' • 'In India, caste is still one of the most resilient markers of not just distinction but also deprivation. A caste census conducted in this spirit is not a threat to national cohesion but a prerequisite for genuine inclusion.' Do You Know: • The data collected in Censuses since 1951 include the numbers of individuals belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), and of various religious denominations. But the members of caste groups other than SCs and STs have not been counted. • The most recent caste data available is from the Census of 1931. The 1941 Census, carried out during the War, collected data on caste, but they were never released. • Ahead of the first Census of independent India, the government chose to avoid the question of caste. Thereafter, demands for a caste census were repeatedly raised, especially by parties who had a base among Other Backward Classes (OBCs), primarily farming communities and artisans. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Question of caste in free India: 1951 Census to now 📍Explained: Demands for a caste census, and what happens now after its approval 📍Caste Census: Legal basis, preparation timeline, and challenges ahead UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme: (6) Consider the following statements: ( UPSC CSE 2009) 1. Between Census 1951 and Census 2001, the density of the population of India has increased more than three times. 2. Between Census 1951 and Census 2001, the annual growth rate (exponential) of the population of India has doubled. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. What's the ongoing story: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday (May 9) decided to allow for 'an immediate disbursement' of $1 billion (around Rs 8,500 crore) to Pakistan. This disbursal was done as part of IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to Pakistan. Key Points to Ponder: • Read about the International Monetary Fund (IMF). (Thought Process: Understand the history and mandate for the formation of the IMF, its functions, etc.) • What is the IMF bailout? • What are the conditions applicable to an IMF bailout? • What is the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) lending program? • What is Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF)? • What are India's concerns about frequent bailouts to Pakistan? • How are the members' voting powers decided in the IMF? • What are the Special Drawing Rights? • What are the reports published by the IMF? Key Takeaways: • The IMF Executive Board also approved Pakistan's request 'for an arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), with access of about US$1.4 billion'. • In the light of Pakistan's military escalation against India, New Delhi conveyed its 'strong dissent' to IMF's decision. For its part, India abstained from voting in the meeting — there is no option with member countries to vote against such a decision — and highlighted Pakistan's poor track record using IMF's funds, pointing to the possibility of 'misuse of debt financing funds for state-sponsored cross-border terrorism'. • According to the IMF, the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) 'provides financial assistance to countries facing serious medium-term balance of payments problems because of structural weaknesses that require time to address'. • Put simply, the IMF provides assistance under the EFF to countries that do not have enough money to pay their bills to the rest of the world for the goods and services they import. • Moreover, the reason for this inability to pay has to do with 'structural weaknesses' in its economy, that is, fundamental problems in an economy that hold back growth and development. These include economies with inadequate physical infrastructure or a lack of an educated workforce, where the government borrows in excess of its ability to pay back. Or where the financial and banking system is not well developed and as such fails to provide the capital required for businesses to grow. • It is important to note that the assistance under the EFF is in the form of a loan that has to be paid back, and not in the form of a grant or aid. The term 'extended' means that these countries need more time than usual to pay back the money because they need to bring about 'structural' changes. • Even as Pakistan has strived to become a military power, since the 1980s, Pakistan's economy has been becoming weaker by each passing decade. The country has been on the brink of bankruptcy for a while now. • It is important to note that the IMF's decision has been taken after a formal 'review' of the policy and administrative reforms undertaken by the Pakistan government. Do You Know: • Set up in 1945 , the International Monetary Fund (IMF) works to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for all of its 191 member countries. It does so by supporting economic policies that promote financial stability and monetary cooperation, which are essential to increase productivity, job creation, and economic well-being. • According to the official website of IMF, 'Unlike development banks, the IMF does not lend for specific projects. Instead, the IMF provides financial support to countries hit by crises to create breathing room as they implement policies that restore economic stability and growth. It also provides precautionary financing to help prevent crises.' Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Knowledge Nugget: Why IMF, its Bailouts, and Extended Fund Facility (EFF) should be in focus for your UPSC Exam Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (7) 'Rapid Financing Instrument' and 'Rapid Credit Facility' are related to the provisions of lending by which one of the following? (UPSC CSE 2022) (a) Asian Development Bank (b) International Monetary Fund (c) United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (d) World Bank Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: The World Bank and the IMF, collectively known as the Bretton Woods Institutions, are the two inter-governmental pillars supporting the structure of the world's economic and financial order. Superficially, the World Bank and the IMF exhibit many common characteristics, yet their role, functions and mandate are distinctly different. Elucidate. (2013) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country,– different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints. What's the ongoing story: Farmers, like all businessmen, are rational and risk-averse. Everything else being the same, they will choose to grow crops that offer reasonable price as well as yield assurance. No surprise, then, that rice and wheat are their most preferred crops – more so when they have access to basic irrigation that can supplement natural rainfall. Key Points to Ponder: • Read the climatic conditions required for the cultivation of wheat and rice. • What is MSP? Is it legally binding on the government? • What are the pros and cons of MSP? • How do MSP policies influence cropping patterns in India? • Read about the Green Revolution and its impact. • What is genome-edited (GE) rice? • What is genome editing? • Read about the world's first genome-edited (GE) rice varieties. What specific practical benefits will derive from cultivating these two new varieties? Key Takeaways: • The most obvious explanation for the expansion in rice and wheat area is the government's near-guaranteed purchases of the two crops at minimum support prices (MSP). • This kind of government backstop does not exist for other crops, discouraging their cultivation, save in years when market prices are good. Thus, Punjab's cotton area has plunged from 3.4 lh in 2015-16 to one lh in 2024-25. It rose from 17.7 lh in 2015-16 to 23.6 lh in 2020-21 for Telangana, only to fall to 18.1 lh in 2024-25. • But it isn't just MSP assurance that makes farmers more inclined to plant rice and wheat. • No less significant is yield risk, which is relatively less in the two crops because of their being grown largely under irrigated conditions and also receiving priority with regard to public breeding and research support. • Take wheat. The traditional tall varieties with slender stems yielded only 1-1.5 tonnes of grain per hectare. The new Green Revolution varieties were semi-dwarf with strong stems and didn't 'lodge' – bend over and even falling flat – when their panicles or ear-heads were heavy with well-filled grains. Being non-lodging made them more responsive to fertiliser and water application. • In rice, too, yields have risen over time. The traditional tall varieties produced 1-3 tonnes of paddy (rice with husk) per hectare over 160-180 days duration from seed sowing to grain harvesting. • Earlier this month, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) unveiled a genetically-edited (GE) mutant line of Samba Mahsuri. It has been developed by 'editing' a gene coding for an enzyme that suppresses cytokinin levels in rice. Cytokinins are plant hormones that help increase the number of grains per panicle. ICAR scientists have basically used CRISPR-Cas GE technology to cut and modify the DNA sequence of the said 'Gn1a' gene, in order to reduce its expression and promote cytokinin accumulation, leading to higher grain numbers. • In short, continuous breeding improvements in wheat and rice – focusing on raising yields, resistance to diseases and pests, resilience to abiotic stresses from drought and salinity to extreme temperatures, and lowering of maturity periods – have increased the attractiveness of growing the two crops. This is on top of the assured MSP procurement and access to irrigation, whether through canals or groundwater, they enjoy. Other crops haven't received the same extent of agricultural research and development support. Do You Know: • Minimum support price (MSP) is the price at which the government is supposed to procure/buy that crop from farmers if the market price falls below it. MSPs provide a floor for market prices and ensure that farmers receive a certain 'minimum' remuneration so that their costs of cultivation (and some profit) can be recovered. • The MSPs are announced by the Union government on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. • Crops covered under MSP are: — 7 types of cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley), — 5 types of pulses (chana, arhar/tur, urad, moong and masur), — 7 oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, safflower, nigerseed), — 4 commercial crops (cotton, sugarcane, copra, raw jute) Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What are MSPs, and how are they decided? 📍Knowledge Nugget: What to know about gene editing for UPSC as world's first GE rice varieties make headlines Previous year UPSC Prelims/Mains Question Covering similar theme: (8) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020) 1. In the case of all cereals, pulses and oil-seeds, the procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) is unlimited in any State/UT of India. 2. In the case of cereals and pulses, the MSP is fixed in any State/UT at a level to which the market price will never rise. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for April 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at 🚨 Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
India's air pollution strategy needs atmanirbharta
The Centre's Make in India initiative has boosted the morale of the country's youth. From space technologies and the Moon Mission to Covid-19 vaccines and Vande Bharat trains, the country has proved its mettle. However, when it comes to improving air quality and mitigating the health impacts of pollution, we lag behind. Every year, reports rank multiple Indian cities among the world's most polluted . These rankings are often produced by foreign entities under foreign-funded projects. Air pollution remains one of India's most pressing challenges, yet we have not fully grasped its complexities. Some experts cite a lack of funds, yet pollution control boards frequently return unspent funds . Industry collaborations with Indian R&D institutions are now being actively promoted — something that was missing in the past. A key example is the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, which signals the government's commitment to strengthening research and innovation with industrial contribution. Yet, the air quality crisis persists. We often come across headlines about ambitious air quality projects where a small country attracts international funding, ties up with well-known and well-funded Indian institutions and initiates studies on India's air pollution. This raises two related questions: Why are developed countries, with no direct stake in India's air quality, so keen on studying it? Two, why are Indian institutes not leading such research? These concerns become even more pressing in the era of climate justice, and unequal climate sanctions. Recent reports of the shutdown of climate research at key US agencies under the Trump administration have raised worldwide alarm — they expose a critical vulnerability due to the over-dependence on data generated by global agencies for climate and weather forecasting. Many of our own weather, climate and air quality prediction systems rely on these data sets. The disruption is a wake-up call. Why not launch polar-orbiting satellites and gather global data to fulfil our model requirements? India has a notable history of air quality advancements. We pioneered the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme in 1984 . Delhi's rapid transition to a CNG-based public transport fleet was another landmark. A significant scientific milestone came in 2010, when India developed its first indigenous air quality forecasting system, SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), despite resistance from foreign agencies. Despite its success, however, SAFAR remained limited to just four cities. Some Indian states are now taking commendable steps such as the rapid EV transition. India also has world-class agencies like the Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO) and India Meteorological Department (IMD). A stronger collaboration between ESSO-IMD and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) could set a global benchmark in air quality management and forecasting. This begs a question: Despite initiatives like Make in India, unspent funds, an abundance of talent, a young workforce, and openness to industry sponsorship, why are we still struggling to achieve true 'atmanirbharta'? Are our resources disproportionately funnelled into a select few institutions? Is there a gap in expertise? A majority of international collaborations or foreign funding is centred around elite institutions. Alarmingly, even some government-funded research institutions seem to be aligning with this foreign-dependent model. The core challenge lies in the absence of an integrated air quality resource framework. A unified platform is needed to foster a science-based information system and a knowledge hub. This would empower decision-makers and the private sector to take informed action. Under the auspices of the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, the National Institute of Advanced Studies has undertaken a study exploring a new approach of airshed management, combined with finely gridded source emissions. This initiative aims to accelerate pollution control strategies, which could also contribute to the net-zero goal. This led to envisaging the concept of a resource framework, NARFI, designed to act as a catalyst for inter-organisational collaboration, interdisciplinary research and evidence-based decision-making. Now is the time to rethink air quality strategies by scientifically integrating broader airshed factors rather than adopting city-centric approaches. We need to prioritise health-centric measures and food security. That would mean real atmanirbharta. Beig is Chair Professor, NIAS and Founder Director, SAFAR. Nayak is Director, NIAS and Former Secretary Ministry of Earth Sciences
