UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS:NOVEMBER 2024;GS-1,2,3,4 ENVIRONMENT; MAINS ANSWER WRITING

Q. An EHRA could helpto strengthen India’s governance of its environmental health crisis by framing pollution control as both a public health imperative and an economic opportunity. Explain
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH REGULATORY AGENCY :- NEED/INTRO/REPORT

The 2024 Conference of Parties (COP 29) ends in Baku, Azerbaijan
As a global voice for developing countries, India pushed for ambitious climate mitigation financing from developed nations.
At the same time, pollutants in our air, water and land continue to pose grave health risks. According to the Emissions Gap Report 2024 from the United Nations Environment Programme, India has seen over 6% more greenhouse gas emissions than the previous year.
These two examples show that India is at a critical juncture in its environmental and public health journey.
As a nation, India continues to experience rapid economic growth, so the interdependencies between climate, environment, health, and the economy are undeniable but capacities to address these issues holistically are limited.
It is time for India to establish an environmental health regulatory agency (EHRA), which could lead to more comprehensive and cohesive environmental governance that focuses simultaneously on pollution control and health risk mitigation.
The urgency of integration There are profound and immediate environmental health challenges to address in India.
Numerous epidemiological studies conducted across multiple States and rural and urban populations have uncovered the detrimental health effects of exposure to air, water and soil pollutants, which include a wide range of non-communicable diseases.
For example, exposure to air pollution, PM2.5in particular, is now known to be associated with respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, pregnancy outcomes, child growth and development and even mental health disorders.
This poses risks to the most vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and financially poor groups.

Building on efforts of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), India’s current environmental governance model needs to be more integrated with health.

The CPCB focuses on pollution control,
while the MoEFCC handles broader environmental policies, and
the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) undertakes integrated disease surveillance and management.
There is a disconnect between environmental monitoring, health impact assessments, and emissions control, given little to no data flow across these Ministries.

A centralised agency such as an EHRA could integrate environmental and health data, allowing policymakers to track, regulate, and mitigate these impacts effectively, with much-needed inter-disciplinarity.
There are examples provide robust frameworks that bridge environmental management with public health protection to inspire us:

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA), and
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (MOE)

The US-EPA’s approach covers a lot of ground —

it regulates air and water quality,
manages waste, and
controls toxic substances
while relying on integrated science assessments that include health together with vigorous enforcement.
Germany’s UBA focuses on

environmental policy,
managing air, water and waste regulations
championing sustainable energy and
climate initiatives.

Japan’s MOE tackles pollution, chemical safety, and ecosystem protection.

It collaborates with health and science agencies to monitor environmental health,
enforce pollution controls, and
address urban pollution and radiation issues.

The explicit integration of environment and health is part of the routine operational framework at these global agencies.
Having an agency such as an EHRA in place could help India :-

formulate a unified response to all types of pollution,
advocate cumulative accountability mechanisms and
collaborate with international bodies to negotiate for and
adopt best practices that simultaneously address health and environment.
A data-driven, evidence-based framework Effective regulation is built upon reliable and context-specific data.
An EHRA would enable India to adopt an evidence-informed and science-driven regulatory framework,
commissioning studies specific to the nation’s unique environmental health challenges, such as poor air quality, vector-borne diseases, effects of persistent organic chemicals and heavy metal exposures in the context of changing land-use patterns and the consequences of climate change on health systems.
Contrary to concerns that environmental regulation may impede economic growth, an EHRA could promote sustainable practices that drive innovation, create green jobs, and support long-term financial resilience.
For instance, the U.S. EPA has shown that its presence and work do not hinder economic growth but spur investments in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and pollution prevention while also increasing life expectancy.
An EHRA can develop policy instruments that will help the nation align environmental health objectives with economic policies, which in turn would promote sustainable development that benefits the environment, public health, and the economy at the same time.
EHRA could be critical in educating citizens on environmental health risks and empowering communities to advocate cleaner air, water, and healthier living conditions.
An EHRA would be instrumental in helping India meet SDGs commitments by aligning national policies with global standards.
It would also contribute to collective efforts to tackle climate and health challenges including addressing transboundary issues.

In this context, significant global funding is invested in environmental health effects research to establish a robust evidence base for policies.
Even though organisations such as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) provide essential support for environmental health research, their impact is somewhat limited without a central body to bring together and translate this data into practical policies.
Integrating health impact assessments (HIAs) into all significant projects, such as urban development and infrastructure planning, would allow decision-makers to understand and mitigate health risks before they escalate.

India’s economic trajectory need not be at odds with environmental health.
An incentivised energy transition and public health campaigns around environmental health could encourage enterprises to transition to cleaner technologies.

ROLE OF PRESSURE GROUP/NGO/CITIZENS

Involving the public is essential for the success of environmental health initiatives.

Citizen initiatives and the role of non-governmental organisations are pivotal, given the need for accountability to start bottom-up, from the local bodies and panchayat levels.
The role of communicators and journalists is crucial in highlighting and supporting these initiatives.
India has signed the Paris Agreement and has committed to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Environmental health issues vary significantly across India’s regions, so we must move from a one-size-fits-all approach and localise interventions.
An EHRA could work closely with State and municipal governments to ensure the development and enforcement of policies that are tailored to environmental solutions for the unique needs of each area.
By developing a granular national platform for monitoring and accountability, India could track health outcomes in detail, leading to more effective and timely responses to local needs Building accountability Establishing an EHRA in India would not be without challenges, from bureaucratic inertia to resistance from industry stakeholders wary of regulation.

WAY FORWARD

However, clear frameworks for inter-ministerial coordination, measurable objectives, and cross-sectoral cooperation could help overcome these barriers.
An EHRA should be operationally independent, guided by scientific expertise, and empowered to enforce policies that prioritise public health.
India’s recent successes in meeting renewable energy targets highlight the nation’s capacity for ambitious, systemic change.

Kolkata air quality moderate in November, industrial cities face challenges: report

The latest analysis was done by the Atlas AQ plat form of Respirer Living Sciences which has high lighted a diverse air quality scenario across West Bengal during the early winter period

Kolkata maintained ‘moderate’ quality,- with an average PM 2.5 level of 61g/m3
Siliguri recorded the cleanest air

but industrial cities Durgapur (96.2 g/m3) and Asansol (95.2 g/m3)faced pollution challenges in the first two weeks of November.- poor and up per satisfactory categories

a clear divide between cities benefiting from effective urban management and those struggling with the impacts of industrial and vehicular emissions,

WAY FORWARD:-

The report calls for enhanced measures to tackle pollution in urban and industrial centres
stricter enforcement of emission controls in industries,
improved vehicular emission standards,
expansion of green spaces in polluted regions.
focusing on targeted interventions in industrial and urban zones, industrial hot spots and urban infrastructure, the State can make significant strides toward cleaner air for all,

CONCLUSION:-

“The mixed trends in West Bengal demonstrate both progress and the need for immediate action.
these trends showcase the importance of region-specific strategies to tackle pollution.
“While Kolkata’s air quality highlights moderate improvement, the challenges in industrial hubs like Asansol underline the pressing need for stricter pollution controls and sustainable urban development,” .

India to host global meet of cooperatives in Delhi from Nov. 25

India is hosting the global conference of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘United Nations International Year of Cooperatives 2025’
First time in the 130 year-long history of the ICA, the premier body for global cooperative movement, with the initiative of IFFCO, the ICA General Assembly and Global Cooperative Conference will be hosted by India.
The event is scheduled to be held from November 25 to 30.
Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani informed that around 3,000 delegates were expected to attend the event and out of that 1,000 would be delegates from foreign countries.
Bhutan Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica will al so attend the event as esteemed guests.
Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah chaired the inaugural session of the conference as chief guest.
Pak. participated?“More than 100 countries are participating.
There are approvals and protocols required for some countries. The protocols are being followed by the Ministry of External Affairs regarding allowing representatives from such countries to participate in the event.” Of all cooperatives globally, 25% were in India and the event would give an opportunity to showcase the might of Indian cooperatives.
IFFCO Managing Director U.S. Awasthi said the event would be carbon neutral and 10,000 peepal trees had been planted across the country, he added.
theme of the event would be ‘Cooperatives Build Prosperity of All’, and
the sub-themes would be –

Enabling Policy and Entrepreneurial Eco systems;
Nurturing Purposeful Leadership to Create Prosperity for All;
Reafirming The Cooperative Identity;
Shaping the Future: Towards Realising Prosperity for all in 21st century.

Kerala CM slams Centre for stonewalling State’s demands for fund release for Wayanad # GS-2 #CENRRE-STATE RELATIONS, # DISASTER management

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told Kerala MPs that the Centre had repeatedly ignored the State’s plea for urgent financial assistance to rehabilitate the people of landslides-ravaged Wayanad district.
Mr. Vijayan said the State had sought an initial assistance of ₹1,202 crore and submitted the demand in the requisite format within the mandated 100 days of the disaster.
However, no aid seemed forthcoming. In contrast, the Centre had given disaster aid to other States with out they raising a demand.
the Centre was yet to declare the landslides “a disaster of severe nature”

. The lack of the declaration had precluded the State from seeking assistance from international agencies or funds from the Centre’s disaster relief pool.
The declaration would give a legal basis to banks to write off the debts incurred by people hit by the landslides.

https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-08/NPDM-101209%5B1%5D.pdf

The Union government has declared the Kerala floods a “calamity of severe nature” .

According to the National Disaster Management Policy, the State governments have to provide disaster relief from their respective State Disaster Response Funds (SDRFs), and only for a “calamity of severe nature”, will additional assistance be provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

There is, however, no provision in the law or rules for the government to designate a disaster a “national calamity”.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju informed Parliament that the guidelines of the NDRF and SDRFs did not contemplate declaring a disaster a national calamity.

how the various disaster relief funds in the country are funded and deployed.

The NDRF is funded through a National Calamity Contingent Duty levied on

pan masala,
chewing tobacco and
cigarettes, and
with budgetary provisions as and when needed.
A provision exists to encourage any person or institution to make a contribution to the NDRF. However, this source of funding has not been tapped so far, according to the government.

The 14th Finance Commission recommended changes to this structure once the cess was discontinued or subsumed within the Goods and Services Tax.

However, the government, , decided to continue with the National Calamity Contingent Duty even in the GST regime.

The SDRF corpus is contributed by

the Union government and the respective State governments in a 75:25 ratio for general category States and
90:10 for Special Category States

The allocation of the SDRF for each State is done by the Finance Commission,
the Centre contributes its specified share each financial year.
The Central share of SDRF is released in two equal instalments, in June and then in December.

Curbs imposed on annual temple jathra in Bandipur Tiger Reserve

The Karnataka Forest Department has imposed restrictions on the annual jathra of Beladakuppe Sri Mahadeshwaraswamy Temple which is in the core area of Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
This year’s event took place from November 23 to 25.
S. Prabhakaran, Director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, said,“the ban on entry of private vehicles, which came into force a few years ago, will continue”.
The situation had come to such a pass in recent years that the core critical area of the tiger reserve used to resemble the site of arural mela as temporary kiosks and stalls dealing with eatables, toys, etc., stages with colourful lights and loudspeakers used to be installed.
Though most of it has been banned over the years, what is of concern to conservation activists is that the movement of many people inside the critical area continues and this causes disturbance to the wildlife habitat.

Q.) whether the departures from the Model BIT signify India’s change of heart or are specific to the UAE in international / bilateral trade and investment?????

The bilateral investment treaty (BIT) between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which was signed earlier this year was recently made public.
This BIT, which will replace the 2014 India-UAE investment treaty,
It reveals India’s latest investment treaty practice and might elucidate India’s ongoing negotiations with the United Kingdom and the European Union.
A typical BIT should accomplish two objectives.

First, it should balance the competing goals of investment protection and the state’s sovereign right to regulate.
Second, it should contain unambiguous provisions to reduce the discretion of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) tribunals.

Departures from the Model Though India adopted a Model BIT in 2015, it has barely managed to sign a handful of BITs based on this model.
Intriguingly, the India-UAE BIT departs from the Model BIT on some significant issues.

First, it provides that a foreign investor must exhaust local remedies for at least three years before bringing an ISDS claim.
This period in the Model BIT and subsequent BITs that India signed with countries such as Belarus and Kyrgyzstan is five years.

Several countries lament that five years is too long. Given the overstretched Indian judicial system, it is unlikely that a foreign investor’s legal dispute with the state would be resolved in five years.

CHANGES MADE AND IT'S SIGNIFICANT

India has taken investor's concerns on board and softened its stand.

This gives foreign investors quicker access to ISDS, thus, somewhat back to the pole of investment protection.
A shorter waiting period to invoke ISDS does not mean that India is exposing itself to treaty claims,
The function of investment treaties is to safeguard foreign investment from sovereign regulatory abuse.

As long as India does not indulge in regulatory abuse it need not worry about ISDS claims.
Second, the definition of investment in the India-UAE BIT states that for an enterprise to qualify as an investment, and

thus be eligible for treaty protection,
it should possess key economic characteristics such as a commitment of capital, profit expectation, and risk assumption.

The criterion that the investment should be significant for the development of the host state, which is present in the Model BIT, has been done away with.
clarifying the jurisdictional question. Several ISDS tribunals have held that proving foreign investment is significant for the development of the host state, is an inherently value-laden exercise.
Thus, by removing this subjective element from the definition of investment, India and the UAE have reduced arbitral discretion.
At any rate, when a lawfully created enterprise satisfies other key economic investment characteristics, it is presumably significant for the host state’s development.
, Article 4 of the India-UAE BIT, About ‘treatment of investments’,

specifically lists when state action will amount to a treaty violation such as when there is a denial of justice or when there is a fundamental breach of due process in dealing with investment.
These grounds are mentioned in a similar provision in the Model BIT. However, in the Model BIT, these grounds are linked to customary international law (CIL)
whereas in Article 4 of the India-UAE BIT, there is no reference to CIL.
The content of CIL concerning various aspects of foreign investment is not settled.

Thus, a reference to CIL in the treaty, as numerous ISDS cases show, gives too much discretion to these tribunals.
Consequently, Article 4 brings greater clarity for states and investors and curbs arbitral discretion

the India-UAE BIT establishes a continuity of India’s investment treaty practice.

For instance, the India-UAE BIT, like the Model, does not contain the most favoured nation (MFN) provision,
MFN is a core non-discrimination standard in international economic relations.

Likewise, state action on taxation is outside the scope of the India-UAE BIT.

Thus, arguably, a foreign investor cannot challenge tax measures even if they are abusive.
This maximises the state’s regulatory power at the cost of investment protection.

Like the Model BIT, Article 14.6(i) of the India-UAE BIT bars the jurisdiction of an ISDS tribunal to review the ‘merits’ of a domestic court decision.

Arguably, ‘merits’ means that ISDS tribunals should not act as a court of appeal.
However, ‘merits’ can also have an alternative interpretation.
Since the investor will bring an ISDS claim on the same issue adjudicated by the domestic court, the state can plausibly argue that the case is on the ‘merits’ of the domestic court decision.
This might impede the tribunal’s ability to hear the case.

On some issues, the India-UAE BIT goes beyond the Model.

For instance, it specifically disallows third-party funding and
the unavailability of ISDS if an allegation of fraud or corruption is made against the investor.

Developed countries like UK would be pleased with India’s softening of the five-year domestic litigation requirement.
However, they would remain concerned about India’s continued stand of excluding MFN and taxation issues from the BIT’s ambit.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2062692#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20key%20features,%2DUAE%20BIT%202024%20are%3A%20%2D&text=No%20investor%20claim%20in%20case,Transfers%20and%20Compensation%20for%20losses.

ESSAY : 1.)Is social media doing more harm than good to democracy? or,

2.) Is social media a useful tool or is it becoming a threat to democratic societies?

WHAT HAPPENED RECENTLY???

In the U.K., The Guardian newspaper announced earlier this month that it will no longer be posting on X, claiming that it is “a toxic media platform” and that its owner, Elon Musk, “has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.”
The Guardian is such a huge organisation that even if it doesn’t have traffic from X, it is okay for the newspaper.
How much should a news outlet or even regular users be worried about the ownership of a social media platform in deciding where to post and where to consume news?
It is a real dilemma because Twitter (now X) was for many years a really wonderful place for posting news, finding audiences, finding out news, and building relationships.
Elon Musk has so dominated Twitter, the platform that he bought, and insisted that people follow him, that it is difficult to ignore the question of ownership. hence, We should be worried.
Elon musk is accused of buying X and using it as a personal tool The algorithm has been tweaked to ensure that everyone on X sees his posts.

benefits of social media:-

wonderful place for posting news, finding audiences, finding out news, and building relationships.
In normal circumstances, who owns a media platform shouldn’t worry us too much.
But One should think of online spaces just the way we think of offliine spaces.
avalibility of multiple plateforms give one ablity to quit a more toxic platform and focus on others. It is important to know who owns media organisations, but it is not the only factor. One also has to look at day-to-day reportage.
social media is Very important to disseminate content We have to use these platforms to reach out to people.
There are about 350 million people on X, so that is a considerable audience.
On a platform like Facebook, there are, I think, three billion people who have the ability to publish and connect with each other.
They are mostly using it for good purposes to organise, or for innocent purposes.
There is Threads, which has become quite popular quite quickly.
In the digital world, for a long time, it was really important to be able to amplify journalism through that platform.
But people who analyse these things say that the number of referrals from social media, and to some extent from search engines.
Bluesky, people are rejoicing in the fact that it feels purer.
Social media at its best is marvellous.

threats ISSUES from social media AND EXAMPLES OF MISUSES

now-a-days Our primary sources of information have become social media platforms which are controlled by multi-billion dollar companies.
And that also makes censorship easy because the government only has to have a relationship with these two or three platforms, the kind of relationships that governments typically have with monopolies, to ensure that the information that should reach citizens is censored.
it became a tricky space because we have no free platforms where information can reach citizens without many layers of fillers.
allegations on Elon Musk:- there is a huge mismatch between the editorial standards and values that the best news organisations represent and the editorial standards of Mr. Musk. has none.

He has abandoned all the trust and safety teams.
He doesn’t believe in content moderation; he sees it as censorship.
The attempts by regulators and advertisers to try and clean up X have been met with the most foul-mouthed rejection.
He also holds contempt for the free press.
He is constantly telling people that they shouldn't believe anything on the legacy media and that the only place you can find the truth nowadays is X.
So it is an act of peculiar masochism to keep appearing on his platform when he despises user.

there is not a single X employee dedicated to moderating Indian content on the platform. Everyone was fired.
So, maybe in that particular aspect, Facebook might be slightly betterthan X because people are moderating content there.

growing tactics/view that plateforms shouldn’t moderate anything.

Most people feel that there is a lot of illegal, harmful content which should be moderated in some way.

The problem is centralisation of information. What consider as true alternatives are decentralised systems.

Alternatives will not be as convenient to use and only way that exising platforms will have the opportunity to improve.
Misinformation is platform-agnostic. Quantitatively, it is very difficult to say whether there is more on one platform, because it also depends on usage. For instance, in India, there is more misinformation on WhatsApp simply because the usage of WhatsApp is high in India.
the number of moderators per million of population, India would be one of the lowest in the world. In India, there are many languages and nuance.
What is different is the amount of hate speech that is being put out on different platforms. All platforms have a policy vis-a-vis hate speech, but the question is whether these policies are being implemented or not.
When riots had happened in Sri Lanka, Facebook did not have a single moderator in Sri Lanka. There were a few sitting in an office in Hyderabad.
When the Rohingya exodus happened, there was no moderator in a local language.
Dog whistling is different in every language. None of these platforms are able to do that because they don’t want to invest the money.
The best platforms are developing systems and it is bound to involve a lot of AI to try and identify people who are trying to cause real harm.
During the recent Southport riots in England, Mr. Musk himself was re-posting really dangerous stuff
countries can’t have social media being used to organise murder.
So, whether it is human fact-checkers and moderators or AI systems and content management moderation systems, most people think that companies have got to have some systems to catch the worst behaviour.
Otherwise, this technology can be used to cause immense harm.
We confuse a communication system with a communication system controlled by monopolies.
Any communication system which works well is great for citizens and for democracy; it will be used by people to put their voice out.
The number of people who died in the Iraq war was much higher than the number of people who have died in Palestine.

But Iraq happened when there was no social media.
But when that same communication system is subsumed by the system committing the atrocity, it is a problem.:

So, it would be terrible to blacken all social media, abandon it or clamp down on it.

WAY FORWARD WITH RESPECT TO EVOLVING CHALLENGES :-

Better alternatives is decentralised communication system like Mastodon, with better user friendly functioning
We have to have media and information literacy classes in schools where children learn how to look at different sources of information and process them.
checks should platforms be putting in place to reduce such toxicity
news outlets need to start by choosing a platform which is run on ethical lines and recreate the kind of reasonably civilised discourse which was good for journalism.
it is possible to stamp out the dangerous way of using social media.

snakes in news:-

the King Cobra being recently re-categorised into four distinct species,

QUESTION 1 The common scientific name of the King Cobra is 'Ophiophagus hannah'. What does the Greek genus name allude to? - SNAKES EATING FROM OPHIS (SNAKES), PHAGOS (EATER)
QUESTION 2 Apart from the Northern and Western Ghats species, which are the other two species of the King Cobra? - SUNDA & LUZON
QUESTION 3 Which snake holds the record for being the longest in the world?
- RETICULATED PYTHON
QUESTION 4 Why is the Black Mamba, one of the fastest and deadliest snakes in the world, so named? - IT IS NAMED AFTER THE BLUE BLACK COLOR OF THE INSIDE OF ITS MOUTH, WHICH IT DISPLAYS WHEN THRATENED .
QUESTION 5 Which is the only snake that can retract its fangs? - THE VIPER AND ITS HINGES FANGS
QUESTION 6 What is the common name for 'Crotalus cerastes' which comes from the way it moves?-SIDEWINDER
QUESTION 7 Snakes smell through their tongues and pass it on to which structure on the roof of the mouth to interpret? - JACOBSON 'S ORGAN
QUESTION 8 What is special about the Brahminy blind snake?- IT THE ONLY SNAKES SPECIES MADE UP SOLELY OF FEMALES

World should embrace Buddhist doctrines to resolve conflicts:

Q. The world should embrace Buddhist doctrines to find solutions to the ongoing conflicts and challenges to the international order. Explain or ELABORATE

The India's Defence Minister made the remarks at the conclave of the 10-nation ASEAN grouping and some of its dialogue partners, held in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos.

India has always advocated and adopted dialogue-based solutions to resolving complex international issues and its approach to a wide range of international challenges from border disputes to trade agreements.
With the world increasingly getting polarised into blocks and camps, leading to increasing strain on the established world order, it is time that the Buddhist doctrines of peaceful co existence are embraced more closely by all,” he said, adding than an open dialogue promotes sustain able relationships.
ANI India, Australia firm up air-to-air refuelling deal NEW DELHI India and Australia have firmed up an arrangement to enable the air forces of the two countries to carry out air-to-air refuelling.

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