[Insights Secure – 2019] Daily UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice: 19 DECEMBER 2018
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Tomorrow’s Static Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
General Studies – 1
Topic– important geophysical phenomena.
Why this question
A recent volcano has erupted in Indonesia. From a GS1 perspective, we need to know about the ring of fire, which leads to several earthquakes and volcanoes in that region.
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to explain about Ring of Fire and discuss why it leads to occurrence of several volcanoes and earthquakes in the region.
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Explain that Pacific Ring of Fire is a horse shoe shaped basin area of pacific ocean which stretches from all the way from South America and North America to Japan and New Zealand on the other side of the ocean. it consists of continous series of oceanic trenches,volcanic arcs,volcanic belts and high tectonic plate movements.
Body
- Discuss why ring of fire is the zone most prone to get volcanoes and earthquakes
- Explain that Indonesia sit along the Ring of Fire region, an area where most of the world’s volcanic eruptions occur. The Ring of Fire has seen a large amount of activity in recent days, but Indonesia has been hit hard due to its position on a large grid of tectonic plates. Indonesia is at the meeting point of three major continental plates – the Pacific, the Eurasian and the Indo-Australian plates – and the much smaller Philippine plate. As a result, several volcanoes on the Indonesian islands are prone to erupting.
Conclusion – Mention that the recent volcano is also a result of this.
General Studies – 3
Topic -Part of static series under the heading – “Environmental impact assessment”
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to first discuss the issues faced in EIA process which would necessitate the creation of a regulator. Thereafter, we need to highlight that other committees have also recommended creation of such a regulator , the role it would have and the likely impact of the actions of such a regulator.
Directive word
Evaluate – When you are asked to evaluate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidences. You have to appraise the worth of the statement in question. There is scope for forming a personal opinion here.
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Highlight that eia process suffers from several deficiencies which need to be taken care of.
Body
- Explain the need for a regulator by pointing out towards the deficiencies in eia process.
- Highlight that parliamentary standing committee in December 2014 had recommended the government to set up National Environment Managament Authority (NEMA) at the central level and State Environment Management Authority (SEMA) at state level as full time processing, clearance and monitoring agencies.
- Discuss what the role of such a regulator would be – What is required is a regulator at the national level having its offices in all the states which can carry out an independent, objective and transparent appraisal and approval of projects for environmental clearances and which can also monitor the implementation of the conditions laid down in environmental clearances
- Discuss the impact that the regulator would have – bring objectivity in the entire process of EIA will oversee the process of accreditation of consultants, evaluate the reports and appraisal of the projects.
Conclusion – give your view on the need for a regulator and discuss way forward.
Topic: Climate Change
Why this question
With the framing of rulebook at Katowice, the need of the hour is to critically analyze the provisions to see whether they have enough concrete steps laid out in them to mitigate the disastrous consequences of climate change.
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to discuss how the Katowice rulebook has shaped up and whether it has sufficient provisions related to equity, finance and technology transfer, loss and damage etc to keep the interest of poorest and developing countries in mind.
Directive word
Critically analyze – When asked to analyze, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, all you need to do is look at the good and bad of something and give a fair judgement.
Structure of the answer
Introduction – explain about COP24 and its purpose. Highlight that a rulebook has been framed as a end result.
Body
- Discuss the various outcomes of the summit and examine the issues involved
- There is little to no finance available for poor and developing nations. The details on funding and building capacity have been postponed. References to “equity” in the draft rule book were erased
- Poor and developing countries whose greenhouse gas emissions have been low or negligible will bear the brunt of warming effects. Whether or not funds will be replenished even for the implementation of the current NDCs is unclear. Funds for finance, better terms for new technologies to be transferred to developing and vulnerable countries, and economic and non-economic support for loss and damage and their equitable moorings in the text have been eliminated, minimised or footnoted etc
- Give the other point of view as well
- Under the Paris Agreement, states have complete autonomy on the nature and type of climate actions they choose to take, subject to the expectation that they represent a progression on past actions. However, the rules now require them to provide detailed information of their actions. If states have absolute economy-wide targets, they need to provide quantifiable information on their reference points for measurements, the gases covered, their planning processes, assumptions and methodological approaches, how they consider their contribution as fair and ambitious, and how it contributes to the objective of the regime. Etc
Conclusion – give your fair and balanced opinion on the significance of Katowice rulebook and discuss the way forward.
Topic– Part of static series under the heading – “Environmental impact assessment”
Key demand of the question
The question expects us to explain the process of EIA and highlight how it can help in mitigating Environmental concerns. Thereafter, we need to explain the issues inherent in the eia process and how can we ensure that the process is followed diligently.
Directive word
Examine – When you are asked to examine, you have to probe deeper into the topic, get into details, and find out the causes or implications if any .
Structure of the answer
Introduction – Explain about the EIA process. It is a study to evaluate and identify the predictable environmental consequences and the best combination of economic and environmental costs and benefits of the proposed project.
Body
- Discuss the process followed in EIA and describe how they are meant to mitigate environmental degradation. Highlight that eia consists of identification of the consequences of the proposal, Prediction of the extent of consequences, evaluation of the predicted consequences. (Significant or not), mitigation of the adverse consequences, Documentation to inform decision makers what needs to be done. These steps if followed diligently would ensure that damages caused due to projects can be mitigated.
- Highlight issues with EIA due to which the process has become less effective – screening and scoping not done well, misleading reports prepared, poor quality of EIA professionals etc, public hearing not conducted in several cases etc
- Discuss the steps that need to be taken to bolster the eia process.
Conclusion – Emphasize on the importance of eia and the need for reforming the process to make it more effective.
Topic– Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
Why this question
The centre brought an ordinance to the Indian Forests act a few months back and has been contemplating about the need to revise the act holistically and bring in a substantive legislation to make the act relevant for the present social, economic and environmental situation in India. In this context it is essential to analyze the amendments made by the ordinance passed by the centre.
DIRECTIVE WORD
critically analyze- here we have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts, and present them as a whole in a summary. based on our discussion we have to form a concluding opinion on the issue.
Key demand of the question
The question wants us to dig deep into the recent amendments made in Indian Forest Act,1927 and discuss how these amendments will help the environment and the people and also discuss the shortcomings/ pitfalls of the amendments. Based on our discussion we have to form a personal opinion on the issue.
Structure of the answer
Write a few introductory lines about the amendment made in Indian Forest Act 1927 E.g the Act seeks to consolidate the law relating to forests, the transit of forest produce and the duty that can be levied on timber and other forest produce.
- Discuss in points the amendments made in the IFA and how will they create employment and livelihoods and new markets for the poor. 1927 E.g
- The amendments include definitions of terms like forests, pollution, ecological services etc. as there was no definition of forest in any Indian law pertaining to forest or its governance. The legal definition of forests will have huge ramifications on the conservation of forests as well as the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
- After amending Section 2(7) of Indian Forest Act, 1927, bamboo is no longer a tree and felled bamboo too is not timber. So any bamboo grown in private or homestead land by millions of farmers does not require a felling permission or transit permission from any state forest department etc.
- Discuss the shortcomings of these amendments. E.g Some environmentalists have expressed fears that the amendment will degrade bamboo in forests and adversely impact the lives of millions of tribal communities who have rights over this resource under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 etc.
Conclusion – Based on your discussion form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
Topic– Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
Why this question
Recently the Abhijit Ghose committee submitted its report on increasing green cover outside recorded forest areas of India. It is an important document which needs to be discussed in detail.
Directive word
Discuss- this is an all-encompassing directive which mandates us to write in detail about the key demand of the question. we also have to discuss about the related and important aspects of the question in order to bring out a complete picture of the issue in hand.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to write in detail about the recommendations of the Abhijit Ghose committee report and bring out the strategy envisaged by the report in order to increase the tree cover outside recorded forest areas in the country.
Structure of the answer
Write a few introductory lines about the importance of trees outside protected forests. E.g Adoption of agroforestry in a large scale will ensure the expansion of trees outside forests and gradually India could be a country of the net exporter in wood and wood products from its present status as a net importing nation in wood resulting in a huge savings of our foreign reserve currency.
Discuss the recommendations of the Abhijit Ghose committee report and also discuss its strategy to increase the tree cover in the country E.g
- Actions to achieve the NDC would require action on both forest lands and non-forest lands. On forest lands in terms of rehabilitating the degraded forests and improving other forest areas, and in respect of non-forest lands by creating additional tree cover through agroforestry, farm forestry, urban and peri-urban forests, roadside avenues.
- “rationalisation and easing out of felling and transit prescriptions on wood and wood products coming from agroforestry, farm forestry and tree cropping areas.”,
- “development of business models of tree cultivation on a pilot basis to wean the practice away from project funding to create self-sustaining market models.
- “evolving business models for tree cultivation to be supported by rationalised policy and regulatory regime, including those of felling and transit, accreditation of QPM [quality planting material] nurseries, and mandatory use of certified QPM.”
- “Development of appropriate PPP models involving the private sector and forest corporations and issuance of green bonds:
- Setting aside “fixed proportion of national highways and expressways projects for greening roadsides by responsible agencies” and “innovative ways of generating financial incentives, for example, by developing and establishing a carbon registry”,
- “leasing of wasteland to the corporate sector for re-greening following proper safeguards for local communities and wildlife” etc.
Conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
Topic– Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
Why this question
Food wastage is an environmental as well as a moral issue which has a huge but unnoticed impact on the society. It is essential to discuss the issue in detail and how it affects environment and whether anything can be done to solve the problem.
Directive word
Discuss- this is an all-encompassing directive which mandates us to write in detail about the key demand of the question. we also have to discuss about the related and important aspects of the question in order to bring out a complete picture of the issue in hand.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to write in detail about all the aspects as to how food wastage is an environmental issue. It then wants us to discuss in detail about the ways in which food wastage can be reduced.
Structure of the answer
Introduction- Write a few introductory lines about food wastage problem. E.g A 2011 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) illustrates the scale of the challenge. It states that globally, one third of the food produced is wasted, amounting to a loss of $750 billion.
Body-
- Discuss the environmental impacts of food wastage. E.g Overall, on a per-capita basis, much more food is wasted in the industrialised world than in developing countries; ‘the blue water footprint (i.e. the consumption of surface and groundwater resources) of food wastage is about 250 km³, which is equivalent to the annual water discharge of the Volga river, or three times the volume of Lake Geneva; Finally, produced but uneaten food vainly occupies almost 1.4 billion hectares of land or close to 30 per cent of the world’s agricultural land area.’; Food wastage impacts on biodiversity loss at a global level. In order to maximize agricultural yields, farmers have increasingly invaded wild areas in search for more fertile lands which has led to loss of biodiversity; The food produced and then later goes to waste is estimated to be equivalent to 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gas emission, accelerating the impacts of climate change etc.
- Discuss how food wastage can be reduced. E.g Balancing food production with demand; Bettering food harvesting, storage, processing and distribution processes; Consumers to buy and prepare food with a plan; Food recycling; Foodprint campaigns etc.
Conclusion- based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
General Studies – 4
Topic– corporate governance.
Directive word
Discuss- this is an all-encompassing directive which mandates us to write in detail about the key demand of the question. we also have to discuss about the related and important aspects of the question in order to bring out a complete picture of the issue in hand.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to write in detail about the Wates principles which are aimed at improving corporate governance standards for private companies.
Structure of the answer
Introduction– write a few introductory lines about the Wates principles. E.g these are the principles forwarded by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of the UK and are a significant step in the direction to address the perceived issue of corporate governance standards in large private companies etc.
Body-
Discuss in points the Wates principles. E.g The code creates an obligation to report to society as a whole as the price they pay for the use of societal capital and the privilege of limited liability”
- Principle one: Purpose
- Principle two: Composition
- Principle three: Responsibilities
- Principle four: Opportunity and risk
- Principle five: Remuneration
- Principle six: Stakeholders
Conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
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