UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 31)

QUESTION 2

How the landscape of transport sector has transformed to provide integrated and seamless movement for the movement of people and goods?

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

QUESTION 1: Discuss how the “factors of technology” in agriculture resulted in better utilisation of water resources and replacement of animal and human power with mechanical and electrical power.

Introduction:

— In agriculture, there are four “factors of production”: Land, water, labour and energy. Farmers use these factors or inputs to produce crops.

— Just as the four “factors of production”, there are four “factors of technology” in agriculture. The four “factors of technology” are genetics, crop nutrition, crop protection and agronomic interventions.

— Technology factors enable more efficient use of production factors. They produce more from the same acre of land or number of labourers, as well as better use of water resources and the replacement of animal and human power with mechanical and electrical power.

Body:

Factors of technology

Genetics

— Genetics is about seeds and plant breeding. These varieties incorporated dwarfing genes that reduced the height of the plants. The new semi-dwarf varieties had strong stems that held the grain-bearing panicles upright even when heavily fertilised, enabling them to absorb more nutrients and convert these to grain.

— Traditional varieties, having tall and slender plants, didn’t respond much to fertiliser or water application.

— The new semi-dwarf varieties had strong stems that held the grain-bearing panicles upright even when heavily fertilised, enabling them to absorb more nutrients and convert these to grain.

Crop Nutrition

— The revolution in crop nutrition happened with chemical fertilisers having much higher NPK content: Urea (46% N), di-ammonium phosphate (18% N and 46% P) and muriate of potash (60% K).

— Synthetic fertilisers, in combination with the breeding of varieties responsive to high nutrient doses, led to a soaring of crop yields.

Crop Protection

— Higher yields brought with them crop protection technologies, which shield plants from weeds, pathogens (fungi, bacteria, and viruses), and insect pests from the time of sowing until harvest and marketing.

— Crop protection chemicals are aimed at ensuring that the yield gains from genetics/breeding and nutrition/fertilisers are realised, to the maximum possible extent, in farmers’ fields.

Agronomic Interventions

— Mechanisation and other agronomic interventions constitute the final component of technology. In addition to making bullocks unnecessary, tractors have made it feasible to use tools like rotavators and reversible mould board ploughs, which can break up hardpan layers in the soil and perform deep tillage, mixing, and pulverisation.

— Agronomic interventions also include water-saving technologies such as drip irrigation and laser land levelers (which aid in the uniform placement of seed and fertiliser) as well as intercropping, or growing more than one crop on the same plot of land at the same time.

Conclusion:

— The factors of technology have “shifted up the aggregate production function” in agriculture.

— Productivity increases have resulted in more output from the same or even lower level of inputs, as opposed to more output from more inputs (or “moving along the production function”). Put differently, greater yield of crop per acre, per labourer, and per drop of water.

(Source: Producing more from less: How Indian agriculture has grown with limited ‘factors of production’ by Harish Damodaran)

Points to Ponder

Drip irrigation

Intercropping

Genetics

Related Previous Year Questions

What is Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India? (2022)

How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India’s water crisis? (2021)

What are the challenges and opportunities of the food processing sector in the country? How can the income of the farmers be substantially increased by encouraging food processing? (2020)

QUESTION 2: How the landscape of transport sector has transformed to provide integrated and seamless movement for the movement of people and goods?

Introduction:

— The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is the apex body for formulating and administrating the rules, regulations and laws relating to road transport and transport research.

— The capacity of national highways for handling traffic (passengers and goods) needs to be in tandem with industrial growth. India has about 62.16 lakh km of road network, which is second largest in the world.

Body:

— The ratio of the world population living in cities is growing faster than the capacity of roads, trains, and other modes of transportation.

— India’s transport sector is the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG), accounting for 14% of our energy-related CO2 emissions. Since 1990, these emissions have more than tripled, and with India’s urban population expected to double by 2050, they are likely to rise even further.

— Globally, the transition to EV is very significant and traditional large manufacturers have moved or are in the process of moving to electric.

— The Railways has committed to becoming a net-zero emitter by 2030, and the implementation of dedicated freight corridors will reduce emissions by nearly 450 million tonnes in the first 30 years.

— Metro rails are rapidly expanding across the country, as is the concept of high-speed regional mobility — the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System and the Kerala Semi-High Speed Rail are both transformational projects that will provide quick and seamless inter-city connectivity while removing millions of vehicles from the road.

— The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) envisages providing connectivity to un-served and underserved airports of the country through revival of existing air strips and airports.

Note: You can research more about the above schemes for a detailed study.

Conclusion:

— The Union Cabinet approved the PM-eBus Sewa scheme for the operation of 10,000 electric buses in 100 cities, with priority given to those without an organised bus service.

— The scheme will strengthen our urban transport infrastructure.

— Support for bus priority infrastructure will not only hasten the spread of cutting-edge, energy-efficient electric buses, but will also foster innovation in the e-mobility sector and the development of a resilient supply chain for electric vehicles.

(Source: Decarbonising transport: Redefining mobility policies in India by Siddharth Sinha and Madhav Sharma, Transportation in the Digital Age: The Logistics Industry’s Changing Face, In green mobility push, Cabinet nod for 10,000 electric buses in 100 cities)

Points to Ponder

PM GatiShakti

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in transportation

GPS visibility and anti-theft

Related Previous Year Question

The Gati-Shakti Yojana needs meticulous co-ordination between the government and the private sector to achieve the goal of connectivity. Discuss. (2022)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 30)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 29)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 29)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 30)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 30)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 29)

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