23 February 2023

• Environment: India experienced a heat dome in February, with temperatures 5 to 11 degrees Celsius above normal. Anticyclonic formation over south Gujarat identified as the trigger.
• Energy: rooftop solar target extended to March 2026. Only 7.9 GW installed against a 40 GW target as of June 2022.
• Oceans: India urged early conclusion of the BBNJ Treaty. Eighty per cent of global wastewater currently enters the oceans.
• Finance: 15th Finance Commission allocated Rs 2,500 crore (2021-26) for river and coastal erosion mitigation.

GS area: Geography, Environment

A heat dome settled over parts of northern and western India in February 2023:

• What a heat dome is: an anticyclone (high pressure system) that traps hot air beneath it, preventing it from dissipating. Warm air is compressed as it descends, increasing temperature further. The "dome" shape refers to the ridged upper-atmospheric pattern.
• February 2023 specifics: an anticyclonic formation over south Gujarat was identified as the primary cause. The concurrent weakening of sea breeze along the Konkan coast amplified the effect.
• Temperature anomaly: 5 to 11 degrees Celsius above normal across northern and western India in February 2023.
• End of La Nina: the ending La Nina phase and warming Indian Ocean contributed to the anomaly. La Nina had been suppressing temperatures; its ending removed that moderating effect.
• Agricultural risk: early heat in February damages rabi crops at their grain-filling stage. Wheat is particularly vulnerable.
• Heat domes globally: a severe heat dome in the Pacific Northwest (US and Canada) in June 2021 killed hundreds and set all-time temperature records for the region.

Static linkage: Physical Geography (atmospheric pressure, heat waves, climate change).

GS area: Economy (energy), Environment

India extended its rooftop solar capacity target deadline to March 2026:

• Original target: 40 GW of rooftop solar capacity by 2022.
• Achievement: only 7.9 GW installed as of June 2022. The target was missed by a wide margin.
• Reasons for shortfall: high upfront installation costs, limited consumer awareness, lack of standardised net-metering policies across states, and inadequate financing for small and medium households.
• "Sooraj Se Rozgaari" proposal: a scheme under discussion that would enable bulk purchasing through IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency) at reduced costs, with free installation for low-income households and 60 to 80 per cent cost coverage for others.
• IREDA: a public sector financial institution under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Provides loans for renewable energy projects.
• Relevance to Budget 2023-24: the "Green Growth" priority includes rooftop solar alongside MISHTI and green hydrogen.

Static linkage: Economy (renewable energy, solar policy), Environment.

GS area: International Relations, Environment

India actively participated in BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) treaty negotiations at the UN:

• High seas as legal void: the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982) governs territorial waters, EEZs and the continental shelf but does not comprehensively regulate marine biodiversity on the high seas.
• High seas = 60 per cent: the high seas cover more than 60 per cent of the world's oceans and approximately 43 per cent of Earth's total surface. They are a global commons.
• Ocean economy: the ocean economy contributes approximately $3 trillion or 5 per cent of global GDP.
• Wastewater: approximately 80 per cent of global wastewater is discharged into oceans. This is the leading source of marine nutrient pollution, causing dead zones.
• India's position: support for early conclusion of a binding BBNJ agreement. India has interests in Indian Ocean management, as 95 per cent of India's trade by volume is seaborne.
• 30x30 goal: India has pledged to conserve 30 per cent of land and oceans by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (COP15, December 2022).

Static linkage: Environment (marine biodiversity, UNCLOS, international law, India's ocean policy).

GS area: Environment, Governance

India's coasts face serious erosion problems:

• 15th Finance Commission allocation: Rs 2,500 crore for the period 2021-26 for river and coastal erosion mitigation and rehabilitation.
• Fund split: Rs 1,500 crore under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund and Rs 1,000 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
• Cost sharing: states bear 25 per cent of project costs. For North-East states, the state contribution is only 10 per cent.
• DDMA role: District Disaster Management Authorities are the nodal implementation agencies for these projects at the local level.
• Scale of the problem: India has approximately 7,500 km of coastline. Coastal erosion threatens settlements, agricultural land, tourism assets, and cultural heritage sites. Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha face particularly severe erosion.

Static linkage: Disaster Management (coastal erosion, Finance Commission, NDRF).

GS area: Governance, Ethics

The question of civil servant neutrality on social media platforms was examined:

• Current rules: All India Service Rules (Conduct Rules, 1968) prohibit civil servants from making statements that embarrass the government, expressing political opinions publicly, or participating in activities inconsistent with their official position.
• Social media challenge: personal Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts blur the boundary between personal expression and official conduct.
• Staffing gap: India has 22 per cent fewer IAS officers than sanctioned strength. Existing officers are under workload pressure that exacerbates professional conduct issues.
• Recommended norms: separate personal and professional accounts clearly; avoid sharing sensitive government information; refrain from political commentary.
• Constitutional context: Article 311 governs dismissal and reduction in rank of civil servants. Conduct violations can trigger disciplinary proceedings.

Static linkage: Governance, Ethics (civil service, accountability, neutrality).

GS area: Polity (fundamental rights), Society

The Supreme Court ruled on DNA paternity testing and a child's right to privacy:

• Ruling: genetic information (including DNA test results) is protected under the right to privacy (Article 21). Paternity DNA tests should be ordered by courts only as a last resort.
• Reasoning: a DNA test result can permanently alter a child's family and social relationships. Ordering such a test routinely in matrimonial disputes violates the child's dignity and privacy.
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC): recognises the child's right to privacy, identity and family relations. India ratified the UNCRC in 1992.
• K.S. Puttaswamy (2017): the nine-judge bench that declared privacy a fundamental right under Article 21. The Puttaswamy ruling is the constitutional anchor for this decision.

Static linkage: Polity (fundamental rights, right to privacy, Article 21).

• Corrupt practices under RPA 1951: false qualification disclosures do not constitute corrupt practice if non-substantial. But soliciting votes on religious or caste grounds remains a corrupt practice under Section 123 of the RPA. The distinction matters for election petition cases.
• FGD facility: Flue Gas Desulphurisation removes sulphur dioxide from coal-fired power plant emissions. Required by the Ministry of Environment under pollution control norms. Reduces acid rain risk.
• Phosphogypsum: a by-product of the fertiliser industry (from superphosphate production). Being trialled as a construction material in highway building, which would reduce industrial waste disposal costs.