UPSC Key | Typhoon Yagi, Standing Committee on Statistics, Competitive bidding and more

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Explained

Behind Typhoon Yagi becoming the most powerful storm in Asia this year

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, Geography 

Mains Examination: GS-I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.

What’s the ongoing story- Millions of people in Southeast Asia continue to struggle with torrential rains, floods, and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi — the strongest tropical cyclone Asia has seen this year and the second most powerful storm in the world so far this year after Hurricane Beryl.

Prerequisites: 

— What is a tropical cyclone?

— What are tropical depressions?

— Read about the Hurricane Beryl. 

Key takeaways: 

— While Typhoon Yagi has severely impacted multiple countries, including the Philippines, China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, it has hit Vietnam the hardest, where the death toll stands at around 233. The overall toll across these countries has crossed 300 as of last week. As many people are still missing, it is expected to rise further.

— Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters near the equator. When the warm, moist air from the ocean surface rises upward, a lower air pressure area is formed below. Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure rushes into this low pressure area, eventually rising, after it also becomes warm and moist.

— As warm, moist air rises, it cools down, and the water in the air forms clouds and thunderstorms. This whole system of clouds and winds gains strength and momentum using the ocean’s heat, and the water that evaporates from its surface.

— According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Storm systems with wind speeds of 119 kmph and above are classified as hurricanes, typhoons, or tropical cyclones.

— Typhoon Yagi started as a tropical storm in the western Philippine Sea on September 1. It made landfall in the Philippines the next day and started to weaken. However, due to unusually warm waters in the South China Sea, the storm intensified again. By September 4, it strengthened into a strong typhoon with Category 3 winds.

— The next day, it became a Category 5 typhoon with peak maximum sustained winds of 260 kmph — Typhoon Yagi is one of four Category 5 storms recorded in the South China Sea, after Pamela in 1954, Rammasun in 2014, and Rai in 2021.

— Scientists are yet to reach an agreement over how exactly climate change is impacting tropical cyclones…However, there is a consensus that with rising global temperatures, tropical cyclones are becoming more intense.

— Higher sea surface temperatures cause marine heat waves, an extreme weather event, which can also make storms like hurricanes and tropical cyclones more intense.

For Your Information: 

— The category of a tropical cyclone is determined by its sustained wind speed, as measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It is classified into five categories — Category 1 to Category 5. While Category 1 tropical cyclones bring winds of 119 to 153 kmph, Category 5 tropical cyclones, which are the strongest, have winds of 252 kmph or higher. Storms that reach Category 3 and higher are considered major tropical cyclones due to their potential to inflict significant damage.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the favourable conditions for the formation of tropical cyclones?

— What is the difference between cyclones and anti-cyclones?

— What is the “landfall” of a cyclone?

— How is climate change impacting tropical cyclones?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(1) In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is the reason? (UPSC CSE 2015)

(a) Sea surface temperatures are low

(b) Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone seldom occurs

(c) Coriolis force is too weak

(d) Absence of land in those regions

Mains

Tropical cyclones are largely confined to the South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico. Why? (UPSC CSE 2014)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Typhoon Yagi sweeps through Vietnam: More than 170 dead, flood waters threaten Hanoi

Why common matters, how community is key to their well-being 

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change- that do not require subject specialisation

Mains Examination: GS-I, GS-III: Geography and Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. 

What’s the ongoing story- Delhi, last month, hosted a first-of-its-kind dialogue on the conservation, restoration and governance of common resources such as forests, community lands, and water bodies like lakes or rivers, all usually referred to just as Commons. It was organised to raise awareness about the need to evolve more inclusive and community-led frameworks for the governance of the Commons.

Prerequisites: 

— What do you understand by the term “Commons”?

— What is the Forest Rights Act, 2006?

— What do you understand by the term “Tragedy of the Commons”.

Key takeaways: 

— Commons is a term used to refer to resources that are not owned by any individual or group or the government, but belong to, and are shared by, the community as a whole. Forests, local ponds, grazing lands, rivers, and sacred sites are all Commons. In the urban setting, parks and lakes are Commons.

— Commons could be intangible too. Language, folk art or dance, local customs, and traditional knowledge are all shared resources, and thus are Commons. At the international level, the polar regions, the Arctic and Antarctica, are considered global Commons. No country is allowed to take ownership of these areas, even though everyone can use them for certain kinds of activities. Outer space, the Moon, and other planetary bodies are also global Commons.

— Commons are critical for several reasons. They provide a variety of ecological and other services that are beneficial for the entire community. But they need to be maintained, preserved, and used sustainably. 

— As these resources are accessible to all, they face a greater threat of over-exploitation and damage. Since no one owns Commons, the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep often becomes a problem. Commons have also come under increased stress due to climate change.

— Different kinds of governance mechanisms have evolved to manage Commons depending on the context. There are international agreements, for instance, for the use and management of polar regions, outer space, and high seas. 

— In India, the 2006 Forest Rights Act (FRA) is considered a good template for managing common forest resources. The Act gives individual and community ownership rights to forest-dwellers to live in and carry out their livelihood in the forest areas… The FRA is considered a turning point as it recognised the legal rights of the forest dwellers over the land.

For Your Information: 

— Nearly one-fourth of India’s landmass, about 205 million acres, is estimated to be Commons, comprising community forests, pastures or water bodies. Almost 350 million rural people depend on these Commons for their livelihoods. These Commons are estimated to generate economic value worth about Rs 6.6 lakh crore annually, through the provision of goods and ecological services.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of Commons?

— How community-led governance structures help in sustainable management of common spaces.

— What are the threats faced by the Commons?

Post Read Question:

(2) At the national level, which ministry is the nodal agency to ensure effective implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006? (UPSC CSE 2021)

(a) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

(b) Ministry of Panchayati Raj

(c) Ministry of Rural Development

(d) Ministry of Tribal Affairs

A new dilemma: food vs cars

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General science and economic development

Mains Examination: GS-III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects; Economy

What’s the ongoing story- “Food versus fuel” is a familiar debate in the context of sugarcane, rice, maize, palm or soyabean oil being diverted for the production of ethanol and biodiesel. But there’s also a looming “food versus cars” dilemma, which is linked to phosphoric acid — the key ingredient in di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), India’s second most consumed fertiliser after urea — increasingly finding its way into the production of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

Prerequisites: 

— What is di-ammonium phosphate (DAP)?

— Read about the phosphoric acid. 

— What are the major DAP-producing countries?

Key takeaways: 

— DAP contains 46% phosphorous (P), a nutrient crops need at the early growth stages of root and shoot development. The ‘P’ comes from phosphoric acid, which is manufactured from rock phosphate ore after grounding and reacting with sulphuric acid.

— But phosphoric acid is also the source of ‘P’ in lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries. These supplied more than 40% of the global EV capacity demand in 2023 — up from a modest 6% in 2020 — gaining market share from normal nickel-based NMC and NCA batteries.

— While all three are lithium ion batteries, the first type uses iron phosphate as the raw material for the cathode or positive electrode; the others use more expensive nickel, manganese, cobalt and aluminium oxides.

— India consumes 10.5-11 million tonnes (mt) of DAP annually — next only to the 35.5-36 mt of urea — more than half of which is supplied through imports from China, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Russia, and other countries.

— In addition, India imports phosphoric acid (mainly from Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia) and rock phosphate (from Morocco, Togo, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE) for the domestic production of DAP, as well as other P-containing fertilisers.

— Merchant-grade phosphoric acid with 52-54% P used in fertilisers is finding new applications as cathode raw material in EV batteries after further purification.

— China is a leading DAP supplier to India (Table 1). It was also the world’s third largest shipper of DAP (5 mt) and other phosphatic fertilisers (1.7 mt) in 2023, after Morocco and Russia. As more of China’s phosphoric acid goes towards LFP batteries, there will be that much less available for manufacturing fertilisers — hence the ‘cars vs food’ dilemma.

— As the world moves more to LFP batteries, it can potentially reduce the supply of phosphate fertilisers. 

— With phosphate reserves of hardly 31 mt and an annual production of 1.5 mt, India has to meet the bulk of its nutrient requirement (including as intermediate acid and finished fertiliser) from suppliers such as Morocco’s OCP Group, Russia’s PhosAgro, and Saudi Arabia’s SABIC and Ma’aden.

— In the long run, India needs to also secure supplies of raw materials, especially phosphates, through overseas joint ventures and buy-back arrangements. Indian companies already have four plants manufacturing phosphoric acid in Senegal, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. More are probably required.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the uses for phosphoric acid? 

— What measures have been taken by the government to promote balanced fertilization?

— What are the issues and challenges associated with the use of DAP?

— What is nano DAP?

Post Read Question:

(3) With reference to chemical fertilizers in India, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. At present, the retail price of chemical fertilizers is market-driven and not administered by the Government.

2. Ammonia, which is an input of urea, is produced from natural gas.

3. Sulphur, which is a raw material for phosphoric acid fertilizer, is a by-product of oil refineries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Use of Nano DAP to be expanded: What is this made-in-India fertiliser?

 

The Editorial Page 

Restoring Balance

UPSC Syllabus: 

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination:  GS-II, GS-III: Government policies and interventions, Indian economy and agriculture

What’s the ongoing story- On Friday, the Narendra Modi government lifted curbs on onion and basmati rice exports in the form of minimum floor price, of $550 and $950 per tonne respectively, below which they cannot be shipped out of the country. The export duty on onions remains, but has been halved to 20 per cent now. 

Prerequisites: 

— What are export and import duties?

— What is the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and how is it decided?

— What is food inflation?

Key takeaways: 

—  Friday also saw the Centre hike the effective import duty, inclusive of special agriculture and social welfare cesses, on crude palm, soyabean and sunflower oil from 5.5 to 27.5 per cent. The duty on refined palm, soyabean and sunflower oils was raised from 13.75 to 35.75 per cent.

— Soyabean is trading below its official minimum support price in the wholesale mandis of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh even as harvesting and marketing of the crop will start only from next month. Global vegetable oil prices are also roughly 50 per cent down from their March 2022 peaks scaled immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

— A good monsoon — cumulative rainfall during the season (June-September) has been 7.7 per cent above the normal average so far, while both spatially and temporally well distributed — should translate into bountiful harvests of most kharif crops this time.

— The Modi government’s farm trade policy in the last two years and more has been excessively pro-consumer, with export and private stockholding restrictions being imposed alongside liberal imports. Ideally, policy should be neutral between consumers and producers, with any deviations being temporary and rules-based as opposed to arbitrary and knee-jerk. 

— The easing of food inflation pressures provides room to dispense with the remaining export curbs on non-basmati rice, sugar, onion and even wheat. There is no justification for stocking limits on pulses and wheat either. Inflation in these can be better addressed by allowing duty-free imports. The government must also build a buffer stock of all essential food items by procuring when prices are low and offloading when they go through the roof.

For Your Information: 

— The MSP for a crop is the price at which the government is supposed to procure/buy it from farmers if the market price falls below it. As such, MSPs provide a floor for market prices, and ensure that farmers receive a certain “minimum” remuneration so that their costs of cultivation (and some profit) can be recovered.

Points to Ponder: 

— How will the lifting of export restrictions impact India’s trade relations with major importing nations?

— What role does the World Trade Organization (WTO) play in regulating export restrictions?

— What are the potential domestic implications of removing export limits on essential goods such as onions?

Post Read Question:

Why is it important to strike a balance between the interests of consumers and producers in framing trade policies?

Evading Questions

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and Indian Polity

Mains Examination: GS-II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these; Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive— Ministries and Departments of the Government.

What’s the ongoing story- Last week, the Centre abruptly disbanded the 14-member Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS). The committee, which was first formed in December 2019 and later expanded in July 2023, was tasked with overseeing all statistical surveys by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). 

Prerequisites: 

— Read about the Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS). 

— What are the various Parliamentary Committees?

— What is the Steering Committee for National Sample Surveys?

Key takeaways: 

—  The dissolution has happened amid apparent concerns raised by some members over the delay in conducting Census 2021.

— The decennial census provides the foundation for the entire statistical system of the country. For instance, in the absence of the Census, there is no clarity on the extent of urbanisation in the country — unofficial estimates vary. 

— Similarly, sample surveys, whether done by the MoSPI or individual departments or private agencies, are judged for how close to mirror they are to the actual reality provided by the Census. In the absence of a new Census, the original picture gets distorted and that distortion then gets amplified through sample surveys. 

— The larger concern that this episode raises is about the credibility of India’s statistical framework especially at a time when the eyes of the world are trained towards the Indian economy.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of robust statistics data for the policymakers?

— What are the major issues related to India’s statistical framework?

—  Why the delay in the decennial Census is a matter of concer?

Post Read Question:

(4) With reference to the Parliament of India, which of the following Parliamentary Committees scrutinizes and reports to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, by-laws, etc., conferred by the Constitution or delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the scope of such delegation? (UPSC CSE 2018)

(a) Committee on Government Assurances

(b) Committee on Subordinate Legislation

(c) Rules Committee 

(d) Business Advisory Committee

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Delay in census: Govt dissolves Standing Committee on Statistics

Powering ahead with competition

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and economy

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, Economy and environment

What’s the ongoing story- Ann Josey, Shantanu Dixit, Ashwin Gambhir and Ashok Sreenivas write— “Given the ever-growing demand for reliable and affordable power, it is crucial that we continue to move forward towards fostering competition and market development, and not take a step back.”

Prerequisites: 

— What is renewable energy and its sources?

— Know about the Power markets in India. 

Key takeaways: 

— “Competitive bidding-based price discovery leveraged rapid technological advancements to achieve efficient pricing for solar power…The benefits of competitive procurement extended to smaller projects as well.”

— “Recently, the renewable energy (RE) sector introduced several innovations to meet the growing demand for reliable power supply. Since 2018, over 9 GW of RE and 15 GWh of storage have been contracted through storage-linked tenders to overcome the challenges of intermittent renewables. The benefits of competition are also evident in battery energy storage procurement where the discovered price has fallen sharply.”

— “The RE sector has lower entry barriers compared to traditional power sources encouraging participation from big as well as smaller players. This is due to several factors — shorter gestation periods, lower investment requirements, absence of fuel-related risks and the modular nature of technologies, especially solar and battery energy storage.”

— “The RE  sector demonstrates a continuous learning curve, adapting with each new tender. This evolution is evident in three key areas: Increased capacity, price reduction, and improvements in tender conditions to meet the complex requirements of procurers.”

— “A recent development threatens this positive trend. Some states are inviting bids for capacity from both coal and solar sources using a composite bid structure. These tenders require bidders to supply both energy sources, with selection based on an average tariff…In the former, the entire capacity can be shared by at most two bidders and in the latter the total quantum is to be offered by each bidder.”

— “Allocating a majority of the future capacity to a single tender is akin to putting all eggs in one basket. This approach not only excludes smaller players due to the massive investments required but also eliminates potential tariff reductions and innovations that could result from spreading procurement across years — a benefit particularly relevant for solar projects with shorter gestation periods.”

— “The requirement for bidders to commit to substantial solar and coal capacity simultaneously has adverse implications. This approach effectively excludes many developers from the bidding process. Some players may struggle to secure the necessary capital for investments at this scale. Developers without expertise in building and operating thermal power plants also find themselves at a disadvantage, though they may be competitive in the solar sector.”

— “Measures are needed to foster competition and innovation. Distribution utilities should consider implementing an annual procurement calendar to acquire capacity, providing investors with greater clarity and certainty.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the benefits of competitive bidding in the power sector?

— What are the issues and challenges associated with competitive bidding?

— What are the challenges faced by the power sector in India?

— What initiatives have been taken by the government to boost the production of renewable energy?

Post Read Question:

(5) With reference to the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA), which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2015)

1. It is a Public Limited Government Company.

2. It is a Non-Banking Financial Company.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Power markets in India: their working, advantages, and the road ahead

 

The Ideas Page

Giving farms their due

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development 

Mains Examination: GS-II, GS-III: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, Agriculture. 

What’s the ongoing story- Ashok Gulati writes— “A new minister, seven new schemes, and emphasis on rural housing and roads indicate the emphasis Modi 3.0 has placed on agriculture in its first 100 days.”

Prerequisites: 

— What is the PM-KISAN Scheme?

— What is PM-Gram Sadak Yojana?

— What is Digital Agriculture Mission?

Key takeaways: 

— “The first major decision that was taken was to distribute Rs 20,000 crore under PM-KISAN, a commitment that it made in 2019 to give Rs 6,000/year to most of the deserving agriculture households. It signalled clearly that direct cash transfers under the PM-KISAN scheme will continue under Modi 3.0.”

— “The Union government approved seven schemes for agriculture ranging from digitalisation of agriculture (land records, farmers’ identity cards, etc) to crop science for food and nutrition security in the backdrop of climate change..”

— “Let me explain with the example of the digitalisation of agriculture. Identification of farmers is the first step. Distinguishing between an owner-operator and a tenant is the next step…The problem with oral tenancy is that those farmers have very limited access to institutional credit at seven per cent or four per cent, which owner-operators get.”

— “Borrowing at interest rates of 24 to 36 per cent, tenant farmers can never make agriculture a profitable business. Tenant farmers don’t get even the benefits under PM-KISAN. This problem of proper identification of who is the actual tiller needs to be resolved as soon as possible and giving them access to institutional credit is a must at lower rates of interest.”

— “But digitalisation of agriculture has to go way beyond just identifying farmers. There is a need to know what crops they are growing, whether they are insured or not, how much fertiliser they are using, what is the status of their soils, whether they are receiving food subsidies (free rice and wheat), etc. What is needed is a triangulation of various data sets related to agriculture, which are fragmented today into a common agri-stack.” 

— “If we can triangulate various data sets and use them to tweak our fertiliser and food subsidies, it can lead to massive savings and higher efficiency in the use of public resources..”

For Your Information: 

— On the rural development front, Modi 3.0 announced an additional 20 million houses to be built in rural areas with government support. That would give another boost to the rural economy, creating jobs in rural areas for masons, carpenters, electricians, etc.

— “Under the PM-Gram Sadak Yojana, Modi 3.0 has announced its intention to invest Rs 75,000 crore. Our research reveals that investments in rural roads give high returns in terms of agri-GDP and poverty alleviation, as it opens up markets for rural people. All this brings some hope for agriculture and the rural economy.

— The Union Cabinet on Monday (September 2) approved the Rs 2,817-crore Digital Agriculture Mission for the creation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in the farm sector.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of digitalisation in Indian agriculture?

— What are the challenges faced by the agriculture sector in India?

— What are the major initiatives taken by the government for promoting digitalisation in agriculture?

— What are the challenges faced by farmers in adopting digital technologies in agriculture in India?

Post Read Question:

(6) The farmer-centric Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) AgriStack consists of:

1. Farmers’ Registry

2. Geo-referenced Village Maps

3. Crop Sown Registry

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Big plans for farms: What is in the Rs 2,800-crore Digital Agriculture Mission?

UPSC Essay and Ethics Snippets

‘Wordly Wise’ from The Editorial Page

“It is not wisdom but authority that makes a law”- Thomas Hobbes

(Thought Process: What is the meaning of “authority”? Can laws be created and enforced without authority? Is the power to form laws and execute them more linked to authority than intellectual merit? Isn’t authority without wisdom a challenge to achieving a just society? Shouldn’t the law be rooted in reason and the pursuit of justice?)

 

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