UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 3 : India’s blue economy and MSP-based procurement system (Week 151)

QUESTION 2

How deviations in crop quality due to weather conditions pose challenges to the Minimum Support Price (MSP)-based procurement system in India.

QUESTION 1: Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) represents a shift from sectoral to integrated ocean governance. Discuss in the context of India’s blue economy ambitions.

Relevance: The topic links GS3 syllabus areas: blue economy, coastal resource management, environmental conservation. It is also useful for interlinking with SDG 14, climate change, and maritime security dimensions.

Note: This is not a model UPSC answer. It only provides you with a thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The Marine Spatial Planning is a tool for sustainable and integrated ocean management aimed at boosting the blue economy and strengthening climate resilience.

— The tool would help for sustainable utilisation of marine resources in energy, economic activities like developing ports, harbours, setting up industries, environment, fisheries, aquaculture and tourism and to formulate policies accordingly.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— In 2015, the United Nations Member States, including India, approved 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, as a universal call to action to end poverty, safeguard the environment, and ensure that all people live in peace and prosperity by 2030. SDG 14 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources to promote sustainable development.

— With approximately 7.5 thousand km of coastline, India enjoys a unique marine location. Nine of its 29 states are coastal, and the country has 1,382 islands. There are about 199 ports, including 12 major ports that handle approximately 1,400 million tonnes of cargo annually.

— Furthermore, India’s Exclusive Economic Zone, which covers more than 2 million square kilometres, is rich in both living and non-living resources, including large recoverable resources like crude oil and natural gas. Furthermore, the coastal economy supports more than 4 million fishermen and coastal villages.

— Sustainable ocean planning has been underway in India since 2019, with support from Norway. In the first phase, it was implemented in two Union territories: Puducherry and Lakshadweep.

Conclusion:

— The government of India’s Vision of New India by 2030, announced in February 2019, identified the Blue Economy as one of the ten essential pillars of growth. The Odisha government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences to establish a Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) for the state’s integrated coastal and marine planning.

— With such extensive maritime interests, the blue economy has a critical potential role in India’s economic growth. It has the potential to be the next multiplier of GDP and well-being, as long as sustainability and socioeconomic wellbeing remain top priorities. As a result, India’s proposed blue economy strategy is viewed as a critical foundation for realising the country’s potential for economic growth and welfare.

(Source: Odisha becomes first state to launch Marine Spatial Plan. Here is what to know, incois.gov.in, http://www.pib.gov.in)

Point to Ponder

How does Marine Spatial Planning overcome the limitations of sector-specific ocean governance?

Related Previous Year Question

Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating the hazard? (2022)

QUESTION 2: How deviations in crop quality due to weather conditions pose challenges to the Minimum Support Price (MSP)-based procurement system in India.

Relevance: The question is directly connected with GS3 topics: agriculture, MSP, food security, and buffer stocks. It highlights the emerging challenge of climate change impacting agri-markets and policy effectiveness.

Note: This is not a model UPSC answer. It only provides you with a thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— India’s Minimum Support Price (MSP) framework is based on a cost estimating system that shows measurable differences when compared to current agricultural conditions. The government releases Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandatory agricultural crops based on the CACP’s recommendations.

— CACP considers important factors when recommending MSP, including cost of production, overall demand-supply situations of various crops in domestic and global markets, domestic and international prices, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture sectors, the likely impact of price policy on the rest of the economy, and a minimum margin of 50% over cost of production.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— This year, Punjab’s mandis are overflowing with wheat shipments at the height of the procurement season, trapping thousands of farmers in a predicament caused by weather-affected crops and delayed policy decisions. Problems with shrivelled grain and loss of shine in wheat crops, exacerbated by unseasonal heat and rainfall this year, have pushed a major portion of the crop outside of regular procurement guidelines.

What is the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers?

— Shrivelled grain refers to wheat kernels that are smaller, wrinkled, or not fully developed, usually due to heat stress during grain formation. Lustre loss means the grain loses its natural shine and appears dull or discoloured. These are largely physical changes, often caused by adverse weather conditions.

— While the Food Corporation of India (FCI) allows only 6% shrivelled and broken grains under standard norms, it has recommended a relaxation. However, the final decision rested with the Centre, and due to delays in this decision, procurement in mandis has slowed down significantly.

— Damaged grains are those which are unhygienic or affected by fungus or disease. Shrivelled grains or those with lustre loss are not unhygienic. In procurement terms, “damage” usually refers to grains that are unsafe for consumption, not those with minor physical defects.

— The problem is largely weather-driven, high temperatures in late February and early March followed by heavy rains from mid-March to early April, leading to lodging (crop bending/breaking) and discolouration.

Conclusion:

— For small and marginal farmers who rely only on agriculture for a living, these risks might result in escalating debts, loss of income, or even abandonment of farming altogether.

(Source: How weather and govt policy slowed Punjab’s wheat procurement this season, http://www.pib.gov.in)

Points to Ponder

Are current procurement norms flexible enough to address climate variability?

How can India redesign its procurement system to make it more climate-resilient and responsive?

Related Previous Year Questions

How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. (2023)

What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification? (2021)

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Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 150)

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UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 150)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 149)

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