Economy: India emerged as the world's second largest crude steel producer with 118 million tonnes in 2021.
Defence: The India-US Defence Industrial Cooperation roadmap was finalised ahead of PM Modi's state visit, covering jet engines, drones, and an innovation ecosystem.
Agriculture: India's climate-resilient agriculture programme was evaluated: about 151 districts have designated climate-resilient villages under ICAR.
Polity: A debate on citizens' role in representative democracy examined the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments as tools for deeper participation.
Ahead of PM Modi's state visit to the United States (scheduled 21-24 June 2023), the two countries finalised a Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap.
GE F414 jet engine: General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to jointly produce the F414 turbofan engine in India. This engine will power the LCA Tejas Mk-II. The deal involves transfer of approximately 80 per cent of the technology value, making India only the fifth country globally capable of producing jet engines domestically (after the US, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom).
MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones: India to procure 31 armed remotely piloted aircraft from General Atomics. These are multi-role drones with maritime surveillance, anti-submarine, and strike capability. Endurance: over 27 hours. Ceiling: 50,000 feet.
INDUS-X: India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem. A new bilateral platform to connect defence startups, laboratories, and investors in both countries for co-development of cutting-edge technologies.
Four foundational defence agreements already signed: GSOMIA (General Security of Military Information Agreement, 2002); LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement, 2016); COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement, 2018); BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation, 2020).
India was designated a Major Defence Partner of the United States in 2016.
Static linkage: International relations; science and technology (defence).
2. India's demographic challenge: skilling for a young nation
GS area: Social Issues, Economy
India's median age is 28 years; China's is 39 years. The demographic dividend window is open but not guaranteed.
The problem: Poor education quality and inadequate vocational training are preventing the dividend from materialising. India has over 2,500 ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), but course duration is under a year for most trades. This is insufficient for deep skill acquisition.
German model: Germany's dual vocational education system places apprentices in a company while they attend school. The combination of employer engagement and structured theory is the gold standard. India lacks a comparable system of employer-led training.
NSDC: The National Skill Development Corporation is the apex body coordinating the Skill India mission. Its mandate is industry-linked skill training for youth.
Priority interventions: Job creation in manufacturing (not services alone), strengthening MSMEs as employers, improving the quality of school education before skilling, and providing fiscal incentives to companies that train apprentices.
Static linkage: Society; Indian economy; demographic dividend.
3. Climate-resilient agriculture: what India has done
GS area: Agriculture, Environment
A review found that India's climate-resilient agriculture programme covers 151 districts with designated demonstration villages under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
What CRA entails: Drought-tolerant seed varieties, micro-irrigation, conservation tillage, on-farm weather stations, soil health cards, and crop diversification away from water-intensive monocultures.
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (2010): The policy framework. It has four thrusts: improved farming practices, efficient water management, nutrient management through soil health cards, and climate change knowledge platform.
PMKSY: Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana. Its Har Khet Ko Paani component targets irrigation expansion; the Per Drop More Crop component promotes drip and sprinkler irrigation.
Challenge: Only 40 per cent of India's agricultural land has assured irrigation. Sixty per cent depends on monsoon rainfall. Climate change affects monsoon variability. The fundamental exposure is large.
Static linkage: Agriculture; environment; government schemes.
4. Steel production: India second globally
GS area: Economy (industry)
India produced 118 million tonnes of crude steel in 2021, making it the world's second largest producer after China.
Export performance 2022-23: India exported 72 million tonnes of steel products. Imports stood at 6 million tonnes. Net exporter status was maintained.
Target: The National Steel Policy targets 300 million tonnes of capacity by 2030 and 435 million tonnes by 2047.
Decarbonisation challenge: Steel production accounts for roughly 7 per cent of global CO2 emissions. Green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron is the pathway being explored for steelmaking without coking coal.
Static linkage: Indian economy (industry); infrastructure.
5. Briefly noted
Kaziranga National Park: UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, located in Assam. It hosts the world's largest population of Indian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). Its "Big Four" are the rhino, Asian elephant, Bengal tiger, and wild water buffalo.
Commission of Railway Safety: Functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (not Railways) to ensure independent oversight of railway safety. The CRS investigates accidents and advises on safety standards.
Ozone pollution at ground level: Ground-level ozone is a secondary pollutant formed when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in sunlight. Delhi-NCR exceeds the 50 ppb safety standard year-round. It inflames airways and increases asthma and bronchitis hospitalisation.
Practice MCQs
Check yourself
Consider the following statements about the four foundational India-US defence agreements: 1. LEMOA allows India and the US to use each other's military facilities for resupply and servicing. 2. BECA provides for sharing of geospatial intelligence and encrypted satellite data. 3. COMCASA was signed in 2020 as the last of the four agreements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Check yourself
India became the fifth country capable of producing jet engines domestically following the GE F414 deal. The other four are:
Check yourself
The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture was launched in which year?
Check yourself
Kaziranga National Park is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its population of:
Check yourself
Ground-level ozone is described as a secondary pollutant because: