06.08.25

Rapid Wind Energy Expansion: India’s installed wind capacity reached 51.3 GW by mid-2025, with 3.5 GW added in the first half of 2025, an 82% year-on-year growth. India’s gross wind power potential is vast (1163.9 GW).

• Why in News: This expansion is driven by ambitious climate goals and surging energy demands, but experts are concerned about its environmental cost, particularly for avian welfare and marine biodiversity.

Avian Mortality Concerns: A Wildlife Institute of India (WII) study in the Thar Desert found globally high bird mortality rates, estimating 4,464 bird deaths per 1,000 sq. km annually.

• Why in News: Critically endangered Great Indian Bustard and raptors are most affected due to their flight patterns and low reproduction rates. Power line collisions, not always factored in, worsen the issue. The Thar Desert’s location on the Central Asian Flyway increases vulnerability.

Lack of Onshore EIA Mandates: Onshore wind farms in India are not required to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), leading to installations in ecologically sensitive zones without proper study.

• Why in News: This lack of oversight allows projects to proceed without adequate assessment of their impact on wildlife, particularly birds.

Offshore Wind Energy Impacts: Offshore wind farms pose threats to marine biodiversity, disturbing breeding grounds and affecting marine mammals through underwater noise. Fuel spills are also a risk.

• Why in News: While offshore projects require EIAs, reports are often rapid and may overlook critical ecological factors. The Gulf of Khambhat EIA, for instance, downplayed operational impacts on marine life and contradicted avian sensitivity data.

Balancing Development and Conservation:

• Site Selection: Utilize tools like AVISTEP to identify low-impact areas, but ground-level studies are crucial.
• Zoning & Spatial Planning: Map “no-go” zones and establish power corridors to protect sensitive habitats, especially for species like the Great Indian Bustard.
• Technological Solutions: Painting turbine blades and shutdown strategies during migration periods can reduce bird strikes.
• EIA Mandates: Require EIAs for all onshore wind farms.
• Monitoring & Research: Conduct long-term studies to track impacts on wildlife.
• Integration: Combine wind with solar and battery storage for grid stability.

Why in News: India is exploring innovative models like Skill Impact Bonds (SIBs) for economic growth and inclusive development, addressing skilling and employment challenges, especially for marginalized groups. A recent report highlights Jharkhand’s high enrollment share and women’s dominance in apparel, yet persistent gender pay gaps despite improved retention.

What is SIB:

• India’s first Development Impact Bond (DIB) launched in 2021, focusing on skills training and job placement.
• Shifts focus from enrollment to outcomes like placement and retention.
• Utilizes private-sector funding to tackle social challenges.
• Aims to skill 50,000 youth (60% women) from marginalized backgrounds and ensure 30,150 retain jobs for 3+ months.

SIB Report 2025 Highlights:

• Top States: Jharkhand (27%), UP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana.
• Sectors: Women in apparel, retail, ITes, BFSI; Men in automotive, telecom.
• Women’s Skilling: Over 72% of trainees are women; 92% certification rate; 81% job placement.
• Job Outcomes: 75% trainees employed; 60% retained for 3+ months (above national average).
• Gender Pay Gap: Men earn more than women despite similar job outcomes.

Status of Skill Development in India:

• Low employability (51.25% of assessed youth).
• Low formal training (4.4% formally skilled).
• Significant industry skill gaps (75% employers struggling to find skilled workers).
• Underemployment (over 50% graduates in low-skill jobs).
• Limited women participation in STEM professions.

Challenges Hindering Skill Development:

• Inconsistent quality and infrastructure gaps in training centers.
• Industry disconnect and skill mismatch in training programs.
• Low private sector role and urban bias in skilling initiatives.

Key Takeaways from Individual Stories:

• SIB is driving a shift towards outcome-based skilling, empowering women.
• Participants are navigating challenges for aspirational livelihoods.
• SIB’s outcome-based financing incentivizes providers for job placement and retention, unlike traditional schemes where retention is poor.
• Skilling offers identity, agency, and integration into the formal economy for women.

Necropolitics vs. Biopolitics: Necropolitics, coined by Achille Mbembe, extends Foucault’s biopolitics. While biopolitics focuses on preserving life, necropolitics examines how power dictates who lives, who is abandoned, or sacrificed. This is crucial for understanding state control.

State of Exception: Building on Agamben, states use exceptional laws to protect some lives while actively excluding and allowing others to perish in neglected zones. This creates areas where death becomes normalized.

The “Living Dead”: Mbembe’s concept of the “living dead” refers to individuals who are biologically alive but denied social, political, and moral recognition. The plight of migrant workers during COVID-19, left to die from neglect, exemplifies this.

Gaza as a Case Study: The situation in Gaza illustrates necropolitics where civilian deaths, including children, are framed as “collateral damage” to justify violence and systematic neglect in the name of national security.

Everyday Manifestations: Necropolitics is evident in daily life in areas of conflict. The disposability of life is seen in the neglect and abandonment of marginalized communities, victims of violence, or those in disaster zones.

• Why: To meet escalating energy needs and ensure cost-effective power.

• Impact of SO₂: SO₂ contributes to acid rain, damages ecosystems (leaching soil nutrients, harming aquatic life), and poses severe respiratory and cardiovascular health risks by forming fine sulphate particles (PM2.5). It can travel hundreds of kilometers.

• India predominantly uses “sub bituminous” coal, which has low sulphur but also lower energy density and calorific value.
• This necessitates burning more coal per unit of electricity, leading to higher CO₂ emissions and ash generation.
• Indian coal also has high quartz content, reducing efficiency.

• Primary Source: Coal-fired thermal power plants.
• Other Sources: Petroleum refining, metal smelting, cement and chemical industries.
• Regulation: India’s Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, sets SO₂ limits, but recent government actions suggest a potential weakening of enforcement or standards. The US regulates SO₂ as a criteria pollutant.

• Pre-combustion: Fuel switching (low-sulphur coal), coal washing, Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC), Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC).
• Post-combustion: Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) – dry or wet scrubbing (producing gypsum as by-product), regenerative processes.

• FGD installations are costly but essential in high-emission zones.
• Balancing energy needs with environmental safeguards is crucial.
• Increasing renewable energy share and phasing out inefficient plants are recommended.
• Consistent emission norms are needed for industry investment.
• Environmental decisions must consider long-term health costs of pollution.

• Why: Increased willingness to adopt due to reasons beyond infertility, while the number of children legally cleared for adoption hasn’t kept pace.

• Why: This is attributed to inefficiencies and hurdles in the adoption process, risking illegal adoptions as warned by a Parliamentary Committee.

• Why: Complexities arise from cases with parents on paper who don’t visit, economic issues causing temporary separation, and delays in processing guardianship.

• Why: This mismatch, coupled with long wait times, can lead parents to change their preferences solely to expedite the process.

• Why: Inconsistencies between the simpler but less regulated Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA) and the more regulated but slower JJ Act contribute to delays and potential trafficking concerns.

• Why: Lack of legal recognition for same-sex relationships prevents them from accessing the formal, regulated adoption system.

AI-Powered Anganwadi Pilot: India’s first AI-powered Anganwadi launched in Waddhamna village, Nagpur, Maharashtra, as a pilot project to bridge the rural-urban digital divide in early childhood education.

• Why in News: This initiative signifies a major advancement in public service delivery, offering rural children access to modern, engaging learning experiences.

Early Child Care Enhancement:

• Integrates with the Poshan Tracker for real-time nutrition and health monitoring.
• AI analyzes meal photos for dietary insights and predictive alerts on malnutrition.
• Facilitates targeted supplementary nutrition delivery.
• Children engage with VR headsets, AI-enabled smart boards, and interactive content.
• Adaptive learning systems cater to individual learning paces, supporting slower learners.
• Generative AI tools are being introduced for content creation and communication.

Smarter and Inclusive Governance:

• Moves from a “one-size-fits-all” to tailored, real-time service delivery.
• BharatGen aims to enhance public services across language, speech, and computer vision for India’s diverse population.
• AI tools managed crowd flow and powered multilingual chatbots at Mahakumbh 2025, setting a benchmark for mass event management.

Efficient and Targeted Welfare:

• AI models analyze patterns in poverty, health, and education to identify gaps and predict needs.
• Helps policymakers deliver targeted benefits more effectively.

Accessibility and Inclusivity:

• Tools like Digital India BHASHINI and Sarvam-1 break language barriers.
• Enhances inclusivity for differently-abled individuals.

Law Enforcement and Justice:

• Enables predictive policing, real-time surveillance, and cyber threat detection.
• AI-driven Facial Recognition Systems (FRS) aid in solving crimes and finding missing persons.
• Accelerates case research and aids in drafting judgments, reducing backlogs.
• SUPACE assists judges with legal research.

Optimizing Agriculture:

• Data-driven insights from AI tools optimize irrigation and provide localized farming recommendations.
• Led to increased crop production, reduced resource usage, and minimized wastage.

Climate Change and Environmental Monitoring:

• Supports flood prediction, air quality tracking, and climate modeling.
• Mission Mausam uses AI and satellite data for disaster preparedness and flood forecasting.

Education and Personalized Learning:

• AI-powered EdTech enables adaptive learning.
• Initiatives in Tripura use AI to address school dropout rates by boosting student motivation.

Urban Governance and Smart Cities:

• Improves traffic flow, waste management, and public service delivery.

Financial Governance and Taxation:

• Helps detect fraud, prevent subsidy leakages, and automate auditing.
• RBI’s MuleHunter.ai detects mule accounts in financial scams.

Better Healthcare:

• AI Centers of Excellence are developing solutions for disease prediction.

Conclusion: AI integration enhances efficiency, inclusivity, and accessibility in public service delivery, positioning India as a leader in AI-powered governance.

Devastating Impact: Hiroshima bombing on August 6, 1945, killed at least 70,000 instantly, with another 70,000 dying from injuries and radiation by year-end. Nagasaki followed three days later.

Norm of Non-Use: 80 years have passed without nuclear weapons being detonated again, establishing a norm against their use, though this is now under strain.

Reasons for Bombing: Primarily to swift end WWII and avoid a costly invasion of Japan. Secondarily, to demonstrate U.S. military might to the Soviet Union amid rising Cold War tensions.

Global Nuclear Order: Post-Hiroshima, the UN was formed, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) aimed to curb the spread of nuclear weapons, recognizing five official nuclear powers.

Treaties Limiting Nuclear Weapons:

• NPT (1968): Prevents proliferation, promotes disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear energy. Criticized for creating “nuclear apartheid.”
• CTBT (1996): Bans all nuclear explosions but doesn’t stop possession or development. Lacks ratification by key states.
• TPNW (2017): Completely bans nuclear weapons but is not signed by nuclear states.

Hibakusha’s Role: Survivors’ testimony created a powerful moral case against nuclear use, highlighting human consequences. Their recognition was delayed due to post-war suppression of information.

Deterrence vs. Morality: The norm of non-use is attributed to both nuclear deterrence logic and the ethical arguments made by survivors who educate on radiation sickness.

Current Strain: Recent nuclear threats and modernization of arsenals are challenging the established norm of non-use.

India’s Stance: Advocates for universal nuclear disarmament but opposes discriminatory treaties like NPT and CTBT, preferring a step-by-step, equitable approach.

ICJ Opinion (1996): Stated that the use or threat of nuclear weapons would “generally be contrary” to international humanitarian law, adding moral pressure against their use.

• Why: This initiative aims to accelerate indigenous defense innovation by bridging the gap between academic research and military applications.

• Why: These areas include additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, wireless communication, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), enabling modernization and technology infusion.

• Why: This allows collaboration with advanced centers like AMTDC and Pravartak Technologies Foundation to convert research breakthroughs into deployable defense technologies.

• Why: This expands its reach and leverages broader national expertise for defense technology development.

• Why: This contributes to building a tech-empowered military workforce.

• Why: This demonstrates a strategic approach to fostering indigenous defense innovation across premier academic institutions nationwide.

NBWL Grants In-Principle Approval for Sharavathi Hydroelectric Project: The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has given its initial approval for the 2,000 MW Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project in Karnataka.

Ecological Concerns Remain: The approval comes despite significant ecological worries regarding the project’s impact on the Sharavathi Valley Lion-tailed Macaque Sanctuary in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot.

Project Details: The project, proposed by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd., involves constructing underground turbines and pipes connecting Talakalale and Gerusoppa dams. It requires 42.51 hectares of forestland and 60.53 hectares of non-forestland from the sanctuary, plus additional land from its eco-sensitive zone.

Lion-tailed Macaque Impact: The sanctuary is home to approximately 700 Lion-tailed Macaques, an endangered primate highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation. Concerns exist about the project’s impact on their population and the destruction of pristine forests.

Conditions Attached: The NBWL approved the project with 24 riders or conditions, including measures like limiting construction hours and waste management protocols, which activists deem insufficient to offset ecological damage.

Tree Felling: The project necessitates felling nearly 15,000 trees, though the NBWL suggested saving over 12,000 by extending a proposed underground road.

Criticism from Conservationists: Wildlife conservationists have criticized the project, noting contradictions like relocating forest-dwellers for inviolate spaces while approving ecologically damaging projects in the same sanctuary. They also highlighted a lack of full ecological impact assessment details.

Next Steps: The project will now seek approval under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, before returning for final NBWL approval. Activists believe the subsequent approval will be a formality.

• Why: To bridge academic research and military needs, translating lab innovations into field-ready defence technologies. It aligns with the Army’s Five Pillars of Transformation, focusing on technology absorption and modernization.

• Why: To build a tech-savvy defence workforce by upskilling military personnel in these emerging domains and support national technology missions like INDIAai and Chip-to-Startup for self-reliance.

• Why: It’s a key tech initiative for secure communication, a secure, 5G-based mobile system designed for instant, encrypted communication, even in remote areas, to boost battlefield communication.

• Why: To prepare for evolving warfare, including fifth-generation conflicts and grey zone conflicts, by integrating modern capabilities and ensuring future readiness.

• Why: To power India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 (‘Viksit Bharat 2047’).

Significant Progress: Data for approximately 4.7 lakh out of the identified 6.5 lakh villages has been uploaded on the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) portal.

Digital Cultural Mapping: MGMD, launched in 2023 under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM), aims to digitally document and map the cultural identity of Indian villages.

Collaborative Initiative: It is implemented by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

National Cultural Workplace: The MGMD portal serves as a central platform for accessing this cultural data.

Village Categorization: Villages are classified under 7 themes, including Arts and Crafts, Ecologically Oriented, and Scholastic/Epic traditions.

Tamil Nadu Highlights: Tamil Nadu has seen data uploaded for 14,251 out of its 19,219 villages, showcasing its unique traditions like Siddha medicine and local art forms.

Community Participation: A crowdsourcing feature on the portal encourages local communities to contribute and validate cultural information.

Focus on Heritage Promotion: The government is promoting heritage villages through cultural tourism, digital platforms, and educational outreach, though no specific benefits are extended to villagers directly.