30 March 2024

• Economy: India's social security system covers only 23.4 per cent of the population, less than the global average of 47 per cent, with the old-age pension frozen at Rs 200 per month since 2006.
• Energy: The IRENA World Energy Transitions Outlook 2024 found that 473 GW of renewable capacity was added globally in 2023 (73 per cent solar), but the pace must more than double to 1,100 GW annually to meet the tripling target.
• Environment: Food waste generates 8-10 per cent of global GHG emissions while 783 million people face hunger, according to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024.
• Space: The Kalam-250, the second-stage solid propulsion system for Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket, was successfully tested.

GS area: Economy (social policy), Government schemes

India's social security system is extensive in terms of programme count but limited in coverage and adequacy:

Key numbers:

• Population covered: over 76 per cent of India's population lacks any formal social protection. India spends 8.6 per cent of GDP on social protection, against a global average of 13 per cent.
• Salaried workforce without social security: 53 per cent.
• Old-age pension: the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme pays Rs 200 per month per beneficiary, unchanged since 2006. Inflation has reduced its real value to near zero.
• Errors: Rs 99 crore was transferred to deceased beneficiaries' accounts in Haryana alone, indicating data quality failures.

Major schemes (scheme card):

• PM-SYM (PM Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan): pension scheme for unorganised workers; co-contribution model. Monthly pension of Rs 3,000 at age 60.
• Ayushman Bharat-PM-JAY: Rs 5 lakh hospitalisation cover per family per year.
• Atal Pension Yojana: pension of Rs 1,000-5,000 per month from age 60 for private sector workers.
• MGNREGA: Rs 60,000 crore allocation; guarantees 100 days of employment per rural household per year.

Systemic problems: Social Security Code 2020 passed but rules not yet notified (as of March 2024). EPFO and ESIC monopolies limit innovation. e-Shram portal registered 29 crore workers but welfare delivery from registration is limited.

Static linkage: Economy (social policy, government schemes).

GS area: Economy (energy), Environment

The International Renewable Energy Agency published the World Energy Transitions Outlook 2024:

• Capacity added in 2023: 473 GW of renewable energy. Of this, 73 per cent (345 GW) was solar.
• Required pace for tripling: the global target set at COP28 in Dubai (2023) was to triple renewable energy capacity to 11,000 GW by 2030. Achieving this requires adding 1,100 GW annually, more than double the 2023 pace.
• India's contribution: India added approximately 18 GW of renewable capacity in FY2023-24. The government targets 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.

IRENA background: the International Renewable Energy Agency is an intergovernmental organisation established in 2009 with headquarters in Abu Dhabi. India is a member.

Static linkage: Economy (renewable energy), environment (climate change).

GS area: Environment, Economy (agriculture)

The UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024:

• Household food waste: households globally discard approximately 1 billion meals per day.
• GHG contribution: food waste generates 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Hunger paradox: 783 million people face hunger while food is wasted at this scale.
• SDG 12.3 target: reduce per capita global food waste at retail and consumer level by 50 per cent by 2030.

India context:

• Food loss vs food waste: loss occurs in production and supply chain; waste occurs at retail and consumer level. India's challenge is primarily post-harvest loss (approximately 15-18 per cent of produce) rather than consumer-level waste.
• Relevant schemes: PM Krishi Sichai Yojana (irrigation reduces production losses), Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (price support reduces distress sales that contribute to waste), and FPO support to aggregate and store.

Static linkage: Environment (food systems, climate), economy.

GS area: Science and Technology (space)

Skyroot Aerospace, India's first private rocket company, successfully tested the Kalam-250, the second-stage solid propulsion system for its Vikram-1 orbital launch vehicle.

• Materials: high-strength carbon composites for the casing, with EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) thermal protection lining.
• Nozzle: carbon ablative flex nozzle with electro-mechanical thrust vector control.
• Vikram-1: a small satellite launch vehicle capable of delivering payloads to low Earth orbit and sun-synchronous orbit.
• Skyroot Aerospace: Hyderabad-based private aerospace company; the first Indian private company to launch a rocket into space (Vikram-S suborbital, November 2022).

Static linkage: Science and technology (private space, ISRO ecosystem).

• Moyar Valley vultures: Mudumalai Tiger Reserve's Moyar Valley hosts the largest wild nesting colony of critically endangered Gyps vultures in India. Only 2 per cent of India's nine vulture species are classified as "Least Concern." Four species are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
• India Gaming Report 2024: India has 568 million gaming users (1 in every 5 global gamers). Market projected at USD 6 billion by 2028. The number of game development companies grew from 25 in 2015 to over 1,400 in 2023.
• Western Ghats soil erosion (IIT-Bombay): Tamil Nadu saw a 121 per cent increase in soil erosion; Gujarat 119 per cent. Maharashtra recorded the highest absolute loss at 79 tonnes per hectare per year. Intensive rain and declining forest cover are the drivers.