India’s Growing Stature: A Rising Power
Question : Explain India’s approach to combatting climate change through Mission LiFE and its alignment with the Paris Agreement goals.
Indian Leadership
- India led G20 with a values-based approach, emphasizing global cooperation and a human-centric vision.
- Advocated for inclusion of African Union (AU) into G20, promoting representation and solidarity with Global South.
- Key initiatives under Indian leadership: International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), and Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS).
- Proposed Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in 2018.
Mission LiFE and Climate Crisis
- Mission LiFE focuses on individual behavior to combat climate change.
- India achieved its Paris Agreement goals before 2030 and announced ambitious targets, including 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030.
- Advocacy for sustainable lifestyles through Mission LiFE aligns with India’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Clean Energy
- PM Modi highlighted India’s clean energy efforts at G7 Summit, emphasizing collaboration with the US under the US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (USISCEP).
- Clean Energy and Climate Partnership (CECP) promotes clean energy cooperation and implementation of the Paris Agreement.
- India’s focus on renewable energy and climate-friendly sources contributes to global sustainability goals.
Resilient Supply Chains
- $10 billion production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage chip manufacturing in India addresses supply chain crisis.
- Trilateral Supply Chain Resilience Initiative with Australia and Japan aims to enhance supply chain resilience.
Digital Infrastructure
- Digital India initiative launched in 2015 aims to transform India into an empowered digital economy.
- Increased affordability and accessibility of the internet, leading to 48 billion real-time digital transactions in 2021.
- Indian digital infrastructure model, including UIDAI Aadhaar and unified payment portals, garners global interest.
Yoga and Ayurveda
- Promotion of yoga and Ayurveda for holistic health and immunity.
- India’s support for healthy living habits and traditional medicine, including export of medicines and vaccines to various countries.
International Year of Millets
- 2023 declared as the International Year of Millets (IYoM-2023) by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
- Millets contribute to food security and dietary health, with superior nutritional content compared to major cereal crops.
- India’s proposal for IYoM-2023 supported by 72 countries, emphasizing global recognition of millets’ importance.
Conclusion
- India’s trajectory marked by significant progress and global leadership.
- Entering Kartavya Kaal signifies an opportunity for unprecedented progress.
- India emerges as Vishwa Mitra, Vishwa Guru, and Vishwa Vaid, emphasizing its role as a global friend, teacher, and physician amidst global challenges.
Transport System in India
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- Formed in 2009
- Responsible for formulation and administration of rules, regulations and laws relating to road transport and transport research
- Includes construction and maintenance of national highways, administration of Motor Vehicles Act, and formulation of policies related to road transport
Road Network
- India has about 62.16 lakh km of road network, the second largest in the world
- National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is responsible for development, maintenance and management of National Highways
National Highways Development Project (NHDP)
- Launched in 1998 to upgrade major highways in India
- Managed by NHAI under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- Aimed to improve economic development of the country
PM GatiShakti Plan
- A digital platform to bring various ministries together for integrated planning and implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects
- Aims to facilitate last-mile connectivity and reduce travel time
National Highways
- Total length of NH (including expressways) in India is 1,32,499 km
- Carry about 40% of the road traffic in India
National Registry of Vehicle and License Records
- Transport Mission Mode Project for a consolidated transport database
- Includes Vahan and Sarathi applications for vehicle registration, licensing, and related activities
e-Tolling
- National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) for seamless movement of traffic through fee plazas
- Uses FASTag for electronic toll collection
Railways
- Indian Railways is a vast network of 7,308 stations spread over 68,043 km with a fleet of 13,215 locomotives
- Plays a vital role in the economic, industrial and social development of the country
Research and Development
- The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) is the R&D wing of Indian Railways
Shipping
- Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) is responsible for shipping, shipbuilding, ship repair, major ports and inland water transport
- India has a long coastline of about 7,517 km
Maritime Development
- Sagarmala Programme aims to promote port-led development in India
Major Ports
- India has 12 major ports and about 205 non-major ports
Inland Water Transport
- India has about 14,500 km long navigable inland waterway network
- National Waterways Act, 2016 promotes inland water transport
Civil Aviation
- Ministry of Civil Aviation monitors and controls the civil aviation sector in India
- Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) aims to make air travel affordable
Airports Authority of India (AAI)
- Responsible for administration and management of airports and civil aviation in India
GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN)
- A collaborative system to improve the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals for civil aviation
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
- Aims to provide accessible air travel for people with disabilities
India’s Industry Sector
Question : What are the objectives of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, and what technological platform does it employ for planning and development?
Or
Question : How does the National Logistics Policy, launched in 2022, aim to improve logistics efficiency, and how does it complement the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan?
PM GatiShakti National Master Plan
- Aims for integrated infrastructure development
- GIS-based technology platform for planning and development
- Three-tier institutional arrangement for coordinated implementation
National Logistics Policy
- Launched in 2022 to improve logistics efficiency
- Complements PM GatiShakti National Master Plan
Foreign Direct Investment Policy
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) formulates FDI policy
- Maintains data on inward FDI
Make in India
- Launched in 2014 to promote manufacturing
- Focuses on 27 sectors under Make in India 2.0
Production Linked Incentive Scheme
- PLI schemes for 14 key sectors to boost manufacturing
- Aims to make India globally competitive
Startup India
- Launched in 2016 to support startups
- 99,371 startups recognized by DPIIT as of May 15, 2023
- Fund of Funds with a corpus of INR 10,000 crore to meet funding needs
Heavy Industries
- Ministry promotes heavy industry sectors
- 29 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
- Important for job creation and entrepreneurship
- Classified into micro, small and medium based on investment and turnover
- Udyam Assist Platform launched to bring informal micro enterprises under the formal ambit
Indian MSME Sector
- Contributes 27% of GDP and 44% of exports
- Employs over 11.10 crore people
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
- Promotes Khadi and village industries for rural employment
Textiles
- Largest textile industry in the world
- Contributes 7% of industrial output and 15% of exports
- Employs over 45 million people
Steel
- India’s crude steel capacity is 161.30 MT, world’s second-largest
Fertilisers
- Department of Fertilisers ensures fertilizer availability
- Manages financial assistance for fertilizers
Chemicals and Petro-chemicals
- Department of Chemicals and Petro-chemicals regulates chemicals, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals
- India is the world’s third-largest pharmaceutical industry
- Total Annual Turnover of Pharmaceuticals industry is Rs 3,79,450 crore for 2022-2023
Geological Survey of India (GSI)
- Premier earth science organization providing geological information
Indian Bureau of Mines
- Established in 1948 for conservation and exploitation of mineral resources
Agriculture and Rural Development in India
Question : Describe India’s record production of food grain and horticulture in 2022-23. What factors contributed to this increase, and what were the production figures for rice and wheat during this period?
Increased Budget Allocation
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare allocated Rs 1,25,036 crore for FY 2023-24
- Increase in target for agriculture credit to Rs 20 lakh crore
- New scheme PM Matsya Sampada Yojana launched for fisheries
Record Production
- India set new records for food grain (330 million tonnes) and horticulture (352 million tonnes) production in 2022-23
- Foodgrain production increased by 4% and horticulture production by 1%
- Record production of rice (135 million tonnes) and wheat (110 million tonnes)
Initiatives for Growth
- PM-PRANAM scheme promotes sustainable use of fertilizers and alternate farming practices
- Nano-DAP liquid fertilizer launched to improve fertilizer efficiency
- G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting held in Hyderabad with a focus on food security and nutrition
- ‘Promoting Digital Transactions in 50,000 Gram Panchayats’ campaign launched
Rural Development Programs
- Jal Jeevan Mission providing tap water connections to rural households (13 crore connections achieved)
- PM Ujjwala Yojana extended for providing LPG connections to rural population (75 lakh new connections planned)
- PM Gram Sadak Yojana for rural road construction (1,77,119 roads built)
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act providing employment in rural areas (201.96 crore person-days created)
- Mission Amrit Sarovar for water body rejuvenation (over 67,000 sarovars constructed)
- Swachh Bharat Mission for rural sanitation (75% ODF Plus villages achieved)
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