General Studies – I
Society
1) In India, civil society organisations need to collaborate with other progressive stakeholders for the betterment of the society (200 Words)
Refer - The Hindu
General Studies – II
Government Policies
2) There is a need for a holistic approach for the better development rural youth entrepreneurs. Analyse (200 Words)
Refer - Business Line
General Studies – III
Environment
3) The Indian Railways has a great potential to earn carbon credits. Do you agree with this statement? Comment (200 Words)
Refer - Business Line
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 2 years
KEY POINTS
· The ability of civil society to shape policy and public discourse has shrunk drastically.
· Because civil society is seen to be the new frontier for war and foreign interference, there has been a systematic clampdown on CSOs lobbying for greater constitutional and civic freedoms.
· Therefore, activists, journalists, academics and students have been targeted by a plethora of the state’s governing instruments and non-state actors (who have resorted to violence and abuse, online and offline).
· This portends a grave threat to the system’s integrity because civil society is an indispensable safety valve for tensions in a polity.
· Moreover, these Sangh institutions have access to and influence over select departments in State governments (primarily education, culture, personnel as well as Dalit and Adivasi welfare).
· However, while most civil society actors are aware of the existential threat they face, they have not displayed nimbleness in reorienting their normative and operational methodologies.
· Even lobbying legislators to raise issues is ineffective the Union government either does not let Parliament function or ignores uncomfortable issues.
· In that spirit, private philanthropies and companies need to realise that they are the only lifeline for progressive CSOs today.
· Transcending instrumental exigencies, conscientious Indians must find the courage to work together and silently devise new methods of collaboration.
KEY POINTS
· There is immense scope for rural entrepreneurship in areas such as business, industry, agriculture and this can help drive development.
· Under NRLM, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is a placement linked skill development programme which allows skilling in a PPP mode and assured placements.
· Another scheme is the Startup India initiative, which aims to promote entrepreneurship among the youth of India (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, 2022).
· Thanks to the NRLM, which was launched in 2011, India now has the largest network of women’s SHGs globally.
· PLFS estimates show that the share of self-employed workers in rural manufacturing rose from 47.02 per cent in 2018-19 to 52.6 per cent in 2020-21.
· However, workers are mainly (43.78 per cent) own-account workers who generally operate in small-sized, family-based own-account units with low investment and technical know-how.
· PLFS 2020-21 also reveals that only 12 per cent of self employed sell their entire produce/product. Around 13 per cent self-employed use the entire produce from the activity for their own consumption.
· Therefore, to address these challenges, there is a need for a holistic approach that combines policy support, infrastructure development, and capacity building for the rural youth entrepreneurs.
KEY POINTS
· Under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), India now stands committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 per cent by 2030, from the 2005 level and achieving net zero by 2070.
· India’s per capita emissions currently stand at a mere 1.8 tons of CO2e (versus the US at 14.7 and China at 7.6).
· However, India is the world’s third-largest emitter at 2.9 Giga Tons CO2 equivalent (around 4.9 per cent of global emissions).
· Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol allows countries that have emission units to spare emissions permitted to them but not “used” to sell this excess capacity to countries that are beyond their targets thus enabling emissions trading.
· Around 70 per cent of freight movement and 90 per cent of passenger movement can be attributed to the road sector alone, which is the most carbon-intensive mode of all available options.
· The carbon credit ecosystem follows a set of guidelines and protocols for registering and issuing carbon credits, which are established by the standard issuer.
· Nevertheless, gradual efforts are being made in the projects where the sheer volume and the large scale of the project make it worthwhile for participation in carbon markets.
