13 December 2023

• COP28 concluded: The UAE Consensus was adopted in Dubai on 13 December 2023. For the first time in 28 years of climate negotiations, parties agreed to language on "transitioning away from fossil fuels."
• Article 370 verdict continued: The full constitutional rationale of the Supreme Court verdict of 11 December continued to be analysed and published.
• Antarctica: India marked 40 years since its first Antarctic base, Dakshin Gangotri, was established in December 1983.
• Global River Cities Alliance: Launched at COP28 with India as a founding member.

GS area: Environment, International Relations

The 28th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC concluded in Dubai with the adoption of the UAE Consensus on 13 December 2023:

• Fossil fuel language: For the first time in any COP agreement, parties are "invited to contribute" to "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050." This falls short of the "phase out" language sought by the European Union and small island states.
• First Global Stocktake: The UAE Consensus completes the first collective stock-taking exercise under the Paris Agreement, assessing where the world stands relative to the 1.5°C goal.
• Renewable energy targets: Triple renewable energy capacity to at least 11,000 GW by 2030. Double the rate of annual energy efficiency improvement.
• Loss and Damage Fund: Operationalised with World Bank as interim host; initial pledges of $450 million.
• India's position at COP28: India opposed coal-phase-out mandates and did not join the Global Methane Pledge. India supported transition language over phase-out language. India launched the Global River Cities Alliance.
• Climate finance gap: Developed countries owe developing nations $500 billion annually under the New Collective Quantified Goal, though this figure remained unresolved.

The phrase "beginning of the end" of the fossil fuel era was used by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell. The qualifier "invited to contribute" distinguishes it from a binding obligation.

Static linkage: Climate change, Paris Agreement, UNFCCC, India's climate policy.

GS area: Environment, International Relations, Governance

India launched the Global River Cities Alliance at COP28:

• Purpose: A network connecting cities located on rivers to share knowledge on sustainable river management, urban flood mitigation, and adaptation.
• Members at launch: Over 275 river cities from 11 countries including India, Netherlands, Denmark, Ghana, and Australia.
• India's river cities: India has over 100 major river cities. Many face threats from increased flooding, declining water quality, and groundwater depletion.
• Significance for UPSC: Links rivers to urban governance to climate adaptation in one institution.

Static linkage: Rivers, urban planning, climate adaptation.

GS area: International Relations, Science and Technology

India marked the 40th anniversary of establishing its first Antarctic research base:

• Dakshin Gangotri: Established in December 1983 under the leadership of Harsh Gupta. The base was built within 60 days despite a helicopter accident during the expedition.
• Subsequent bases: Maitri (1988, still operational), Bharati (2012, on the Larsemann Hills, still operational).
• Administrator: National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.
• Antarctic Treaty: India is a party to the Antarctic Treaty (1959) which designates Antarctica for peaceful purposes and scientific cooperation only. India acceded to the treaty in 1983 and attained Consultative Party status.
• Indian Antarctic Act, 2022: India legislated the Indian Antarctic Act to protect the environment, regulate activities by Indian nationals, and implement the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.

Static linkage: Science and technology, international treaties, India's Antarctic programme.

GS area: Governance, Social Justice

NITI Aayog released the first Delta Ranking under the Aspirational Blocks Programme:

• Programme scope: 500 blocks across 329 districts, 27 states, and 4 Union Territories. The programme targets the most underdeveloped administrative blocks (sub-district units) in India.
• Top performer: Tiriyani Block in Telangana.
• Second: Kaushambi Block in Uttar Pradesh.
• Themes scored: Health and nutrition, education, agriculture and allied sectors, infrastructure, and social development.
• Model basis: Similar in design to the Aspirational Districts Programme, which improved outcomes in 112 underperforming districts.

Static linkage: Governance, NITI Aayog, cooperative federalism.

GS area: Science and Technology, Governance

IIT Madras developed AMRIT technology for removing arsenic and other metal ions from drinking water:

• Technology: Uses nano-scale iron oxy-hydroxide as an adsorbent to remove arsenic and heavy metals.
• Scale: Applicable at domestic and community levels without requiring electricity.
• Endorsement: The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation recommended AMRIT for use under Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Arsenic problem: Arsenic contamination in groundwater is a serious problem in West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam, where it leaches from alluvial sediments. Long-term exposure causes skin lesions, cancer, and organ damage.

Static linkage: Science and technology, water policy, Jal Jeevan Mission.

GS area: Economy, Governance, Digital India

The Reserve Bank of India announced plans to establish a dedicated cloud infrastructure facility for India's financial sector:

• Purpose: Store financial data securely within India, addressing data localisation and security concerns.
• Initial operator: Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services (IFTAS), a technology arm of the Reserve Bank.
• UPI limit proposal: RBI proposed increasing the UPI transaction limit from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for payments to hospitals and educational institutions.
• Fintech Repository: RBI announced it would operationalise a Fintech Repository from April 2024 to maintain a database of all fintech entities.

Static linkage: Digital economy, RBI, financial sector governance.

• Convention on Migratory Species: A CMS report released alongside COP28 highlighted that 133 member states, including India, must address the role of migratory species in carbon sequestration and ecosystem services. Recommendation: protective migration corridors and legal frameworks for adaptation.
• Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme: Three types of certification introduced by IIFM under the Ministry of Environment: Forest Management, Tree Outside Forest Management, and Chain of Custody. Audits by the Quality Council of India.