Ashtamudi Lake Pollution, Delayed appointments in NHRC, Mission Mausam

(General Studies III – Economy section – Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment. General Studies III – Sci & Tech section – Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology.)

• Technological foundations play a crucial role in driving economic growth and development.
• With advancements in digital infrastructure, innovation in renewable energy, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence (AI), India is positioning itself as a hub for technological progress.

Global Context –

• China is aggressively pursuing advancements in technology to focus on transitioning from labour-intensive to technology-intensive production. It is prioritising sectors like electric vehicles, new materials, commercial spaceflight, quantum technology, and life sciences.
• The USA is investing heavily in infrastructure, semiconductor production (CHIPS Act), and renewable energy (Inflation Reduction Act) and it is also forming global technology coalitions with allies, including India, through initiatives like the Quad and iCET.
• Europe, led by French President Macron, aims to reclaim technological sovereignty and close gaps with the US and China through investments in AI, quantum computing, space, biotechnology, and new energy technologies.

India’s Technological Strategy –

India’s technological strategy has been evolving over the years, with a focus on leveraging technology for socio-economic development. This is evident from the following points:

• Digital Service Delivery: The government has been focusing on digital service delivery to improve governance and public service delivery with initiatives like the ‘Digital India’ program and UMANG App.
• Investments in Renewable Energy: The country has set an ambitious target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. In 2024, India witnessed an 83% increase in investments in renewable energy projects.
• Semiconductor Production: Efforts are being made to attract foreign chipmakers. ISMC Digital (consortium of investors), is planning to build a $3 billion manufacturing facility in India.
• Quantum Computing: India has launched the National Quantum Mission (NQM) with a budget outlay of Rs.10,371.92 crore aiming to develop and deploy quantum technologies across sectors like healthcare, defence, and finance.
• Enhancing India’s Space Power: India has been making significant strides in space technology with the country ranking 5th globally with over 400 space companies.
• Private Sector Participation in Technology: The government has announced the Indian Space Policy 2023, which enables end-to-end participation of Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) in all domains of Space activities

Challenges in Improving Technological Foundations of Indian Economy –

• Education shortcomings: The overall Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education remains low at around 27.3% (World Bank, 2022).
• Skill Development bottlenecks: Low higher education GER creates a skills gap, as a World Bank report highlights, 80% of jobs in the coming decade will require digital skills.
• Research and Development (R&D) Ecosystem: R&D expenditure hovers around 2% of GDP, significantly lower than developed nations like Israel (over 4%).

• Infrastructure Bottlenecks: Only around 57% of Indians have internet access (as of 2023), concentrated mainly in urban areas.
• Policy and Regulatory Framework: The complex Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime in India can be a hurdle for SMEs.

Funding and Investment Landscape: Startups often struggle to secure funding with limited access

• Union cabinet has approved a 2000 Cr initiative to make India ‘Weather Ready, Climate Smart’.
• It aims to upgrade instruments used by key organisations like the India Meteorological Department, the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
• First phase, lasting until 2026:
• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) plans to procure and install up to 60 weather radars, 15 wind profilers, and 15 radiosondes.
• To measure wind speed, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and temperature at various elevations.
• National Monsoon Mission (2012) focused on developing monsoon forecasting models, Mission Mausam goes beyond by offering new avenues for weather control and intervention.
• ‘Cloud-simulation chamber’ at IITM will model rain clouds and test interventions like cloud seeding and tweaking to control rainfall.
• Additionally, there are plans to address lightning strikes, a leading cause of weather-related deaths in India, by potentially altering cloud electrical characteristics to reduce lethal lightning strikes.

Dig Deeper: Read about various Ministry of Earth Science initiatives like the Deep Sea Mission.

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been without a full-time chairperson after the previous chair retired.
• Currently, only one member serves in the Commission, fulfilling the role of Acting Chairperson and meeting the requirement for a woman member.
• Earlier this year, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) deferred NHRC’s accreditation for the second year, citing a lack of transparency in appointments and inadequate gender and minority representation.
• Human rights organizations urged the government to appoint a new NHRC chief and ensure the Commission’s independence and proper resourcing.
• Appointment Procedure:
• The chairman and members of NHRC are appointed by the President on the recommendations of a six-member committee.
• It consists of the Prime Minister as its head, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament and the Union Home Minister.

Dig Deeper: Read about the composition, removal and functions of NHRC.

• Union Home Minister announced that Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, will be renamed Sri Vijaya Puram to remove colonial imprints.
• Sri Vijaya Puram symbolizes the victory of India’s freedom struggle and the significant role the islands played.
• The island was a naval base of the Chola Empire, now central to India’s strategic and developmental goals.
• It is located on the east coast of South Andaman Island. 
• The Home Ministry can change the name of any city by merely approving a resolution passed by the state assembly to that effect or otherwise.
• Article 3 of the Constitution provides provisions to change the name of a State or Union Territory, however, there is no constitutional provision for altering the name of cities.

Dig Deeper: Locate various channels separating different islands of Andaman Nicobar Islands.

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the water quality at four locations in Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala, does not meet the standards set by the Primary Water Quality Criteria for Bathing under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.
• Pollutants:
• High levels of faecal coliform, faecal streptococci, low dissolved oxygen, and high biological oxygen demand.
• Microplastics: University of Kerala found microplastics in Ashtamudi Lake, with significant contamination in fish (19.6%) and shellfish (40.9%).
• Ashtamudi Lake, a brackish water body with eight creeks, was designated as a Ramsar site of international importance in 2002, covering 61.4 sq km.
• It is located in the Kollam district of Kerala which also includes another Ramsar site, Sasthamcotta Lake.
• Despite its international status, Ashtamudi Lake faces significant threats from reclamation, pollution, and sand mining.
• Kollam city uses the lake as a dumping ground for solid waste.
• Sand mining has devastated fish spawning grounds, severely reducing the fish population.

Dig Deeper: Read about Montreux Records.