20 November 2024

• Environment: China dominates 80 per cent of global solar panel manufacturing and 60 per cent of wind turbines. India imports 85 per cent of solar modules from China.
• Health: Jeddah Commitments on AMR established an independent evidence panel and a Regional AMR Access and Logistics Hub.
• Culture: The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2023 was awarded jointly to pianist Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian activist Ali Abu Awwad.
• Agriculture: Biofloc Technology and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems were promoted for small farmers and urban fish production.

GS area: Economy, Environment

China's commanding position in global renewable energy manufacturing exposed India's supply chain vulnerability.

• Solar panels: China manufactures 80 per cent of global solar panels. Solar PV costs in China are 10 to 35 per cent lower than in India, the US and Europe due to scale and subsidies.
• Wind turbines: China produces 60 per cent of global wind turbines.
• India's import dependency: 85 per cent of India's solar modules are imported from China.
• 2023 global addition: China added 300 GW of renewable capacity in 2023, more than all other countries combined.
• China's paradox: It needs a 66 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 but relies on coal to manufacture the renewable equipment it sells globally.
• India's response: Production Linked Incentive scheme for solar modules, Basic Customs Duty on imported cells and modules, and Domestic Content Requirement for some government solar programmes.

Static linkage: Renewable energy, supply chains, China-India economic relations.

GS area: Agriculture, Environment

Research on alternatives to paddy stubble burning listed practical large-scale and small-scale options.

• Large-scale alternatives: Direct combustion for power generation. Pyrolysis (burning without oxygen to produce biochar and syngas). Gasification. Pellet production (compressed straw as fuel). Biofuels. Paper production.
• Small-scale alternatives: Composting (slow but builds soil fertility). Mushroom cultivation on straw substrate. Silica extraction from ash. Fodder enhancement (straw treated with urea as cattle feed). Soil incorporation using paddy straw choppers.
• Root problem: Wheat sowing starts within two to three weeks of paddy harvest. Farmers have no time for slower methods. Mechanisation (straw choppers, balers) requires subsidy and awareness.

Static linkage: Agriculture, air pollution, environmental governance.

GS area: Health, International Relations

The Fourth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia produced new governance commitments.

• Commitments adopted by: Over 30 countries.
• Governance: An Independent Panel for Evidence on Action Against AMR to be established by 2025.
• Operations: Regional Antimicrobial Access and Logistics Hub to improve antibiotic supply in low-income countries.
• One Health AMR Learning Hub: Established to share data across human, animal and environmental health sectors.
• Next summit: Nigeria, 2026.
• Context: AMR is expected to kill 10 million annually by 2050, and low-income countries have the highest burden because they cannot afford newer antibiotics or diagnostic tools.

Static linkage: Public health, international health governance, AMR.

GS area: Art and Culture, International Relations

The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2023 was awarded jointly to two recipients.

• Recipients: Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, and Palestinian peace activist Ali Abu Awwad.
• Prize established: 1986 by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
• Categories: The prize recognises contributions to peace, disarmament and development.
• Cash component: 25 lakh rupees plus a citation.
• Previous winners include: Pranab Mukherjee, Isro, Hamid Karzai, Wangari Maathai, Kofi Annan and UNICEF.

Static linkage: Cultural institutions, awards, peace and diplomacy.

GS area: Agriculture, Science and Technology

Two fish farming technologies were in focus as India pushed to increase fish production.

• Biofloc Technology (BFT): Beneficial microorganisms (bacteria, algae, protozoa) convert fish waste in the water into microbial biomass that fish can eat again. Reduces feed costs and waste water discharge.
  • Setup cost: 4 to 5 lakh rupees for a small unit.
  • Suitable for small and marginal farmers.
  • Reduces antibiotic use.
• Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS): Closed-loop tank systems with mechanical and biological filtration. Allows intensive fish farming without rivers or ponds.
  • High biosecurity.
  • Works in any location, including urban areas.
  • Higher capital cost.
• PM Matsya Sampada Yojana: India's flagship fisheries scheme promoting both BFT and RAS for sustainable production.

Static linkage: Agriculture (fisheries), blue economy, government schemes.

• Green World Environment Award 2024: Awarded to Coal India Limited for the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana, which provides financial assistance up to 10 lakh rupees for bone marrow transplants across 17 partner hospitals. The Green Organisation was founded in 1994 in London.
• Nigeria: Located on the West Coast of Africa. Borders Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin; has an Atlantic coast on the Gulf of Guinea. Capital: Abuja. Major rivers: Niger and Sokoto. Highest point: Chappal Waddi. Major lake: Lake Chad (shared). PM Modi received the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger honour during his Guyana-Nigeria visit in November 2024.
• Reducing Methane from Organic Waste Declaration: Launched at COP29 by the UNEP Climate and Clean Air Coalition. Over 30 countries committed, including 8 of the top 10 organic waste methane emitters. India did not join. Supports the Global Methane Pledge (30 per cent reduction from 2020 levels by 2030).