Topic-1: Clean air
agenda for the cities.
Air quality has a strong bearing on
India’s ability to sustain high economic growth, but national policy has
treated the issue with scant importance. This is evident even from the meagre data on pollution for a handful of cities
generated by the ambient air quality
measurement programme. A new report from Greenpeace, based on NASA’s satellite
data, indicates that people living in some parts of India are at greater risk
for health problems linked to deteriorating
air quality than those living in China. The measurements for Aerosol Optical
Depth, which have been used to assess the level of fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) that gets lodged deep in the lungs, point to a worsening of air quality in India in the 10-year
period from 2005, particularly for States along the Punjab to West Bengal
corridor, compared to China’s eastern industrial belt. This finding matches the
Air Quality Index data for cities monitored by the Central Pollution Control Board.
Quite simply, pursuing business as usual is not tenable, and the Centre has to
act to enforce control mechanisms that will make the air safe to breathe. This
has to begin with a more comprehensive system of real-time data collection,
expanding the coverage from the present 23 cities (not all of which provide
full or regular information) to all agglomerations
with a significant population and economic activity, and within a given time
frame. Putting the data in the public domain in an open format will enable
multiple channels of dissemination, including
apps created by the community for mobile devices, and build pressure on both
policymakers and polluters.
High levels of particulate matter in
cities arise from construction and demolition
activity, burning of coal in thermal plants, as also biomass, and from the
widespread use of diesel vehicles, among other sources. The Ministry of
Environment and Forests has six-year-old data that attribute about 23 per cent
of particulates to construction activity in six cities studied, and another 20
per cent to diesel vehicles. The onus of
curbing pollution from these sources is on the States, and evidently they are
not taking their responsibility seriously. Greater transparency in data dissemination and public awareness hold the key to
change. Technological solutions to contain construction dust are equally
critical, as is the low-cost solution of covering all urban surfaces with
either greenery or paving. Widespread burning of biomass for cooking can be
avoided if the government encourages innovation in solar cookers. Cheap,
clean-burning stoves can have a dramatic effect as well. The transformation of
cities through good public transport and incentives
for the use of cycles and electric vehicles — which India is committed to
achieve under the Paris Agreement on climate change — will reduce not merely
particulate matter but also nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon
monoxide. There is little doubt that the worsening air quality in Indian cities
is already affecting the lives of the very young and the elderly, and reducing
labour productivity. India needs a time-bound action plan.
VOCABULARY:
1.scant : barely sufficient or adequate.
2.meagre : (of
something provided or available) lacking in quantity or quality.
3.ambient :
relating to the immediate surroundings of something.
4.deteriorating :
become progressively worse.
5.worsening : make
or become worse.
6.agglomerations : a mass or
collection of things; an assemblage.
7.dissemination :
the act of spreading something, especially information, widely; circulation.
8.demolition : the
action or process of demolishing or being demolished.
9.onus : something
that is one's duty or responsibility.
10.dissemination : the act of spreading something, especially information, widely;
circulation.
11.incentives : a thing that
motivates or encourages someone to do something.
topic-2: Keeping it
parliamentary.
Parliament’s
Budget session opened on Tuesday against a turbulent backdrop of unrest
on university campuses, the Jat agitation in Haryana, an agrarian crisis,
terrorist strikes and attacks on freedoms. In a bid,
therefore, to blunt an anticipated attack
by the Opposition, the Modi government has adopted a strategy to confront its
critics directly by making the JNU “sedition” controversy the centrepiece of
this session. MPs from the Bharatiya Janata Party, rather than those from the
Opposition, have already given notice for a discussion on the subject ahead of
the presentation of the Union Budget. By presenting itself as the flag-bearer
of nationalism, the BJP believes it will be able to seize
the advantage from the Opposition while detracting
attention from economic and governance issues. Already, the BJP and the Sangh
Parivar are building public opinion for the “nationalist” cause through various
programmes, including vigilante activity
by RSS sympathisers. In presenting the majority community as being under siege,
the BJP and the Parivar have shifted the discourse to anxiety about the country being threatened by
“anti-national” elements.
President Pranab Mukherjee’s
customary address to Parliament has, in fact, set the tone. It ended with a
reference to Subhas Chandra Bose, one of the many heroes of the freedom
struggle whom the BJP has appropriated as
an icon, and quoted him as saying,
“Nationalism is inspired by the highest ideals of the human race.” The
President also impressed on MPs that the “democratic temper calls for debate
and discussion, and not disruption or obstruction”. For his part, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi expressed the hope that Parliament would be utilised for
“constructive debates”. The opening days of the Budget session traditionally
leave little space for the Opposition. The sittings in the session’s first
half, in any case, will be dominated by the President’s Address and the debate
on it, the introduction of and discussion on the Union and Railway budgets and
private members’ business. The government has also prioritised
the passage of the Enemy Property (Amendment & Validation) Bill to replace
an ordinance, and the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill that provides for
delimitation of constituencies in West Bengal following the exchange of
territories with Bangladesh. By proposing a discussion on Rohith Vemula and the
JNU crisis, the BJP has further eroded
space for the Opposition to seize the initiative. With elections to five
Assemblies expected to be notified soon, the debate will obviously be framed in
a surcharged context and political parties will be especially keen to play to
the gallery. Indeed, given that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is not
bound by lack of numbers in the Rajya Sabha in getting money bills passed, the
government may be tempted to resist the parliamentary etiquette of letting the Opposition shape the
session. This would be a mistake. The government has not yet completed its
second year in office, but Parliament is already stuck in deadlock. Unyielding postures during this session on either
side could stall all forward movement.
VOCABULARY:
1.turbulent : characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not stable or calm.
2.bid :
offer (a certain price) for something, especially at an auction.
3.blunt :
(of a person or remark) uncompromisingly forthright.
4.seize :
take hold of suddenly and forcibly.
5.detracting : diminish the worth or value of (a quality or achievement).
6.vigilante : a member of a self-appointed group
of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal
authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.
7.anxiety :
a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain
outcome.
8.appropriated : take (something) for one's own use, typically without the owner's
permission.
9.quoted : repeat or copy out (words from a
text or speech written or spoken by another person).
10.prioritised : designate or treat (something) as being very or most important.
11.eroded :
(of wind, water, or other natural agents) gradually wear away (soil, rock, or
land).
12.etiquette : the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a
particular profession or group.
13.Unyielding : (of a person or their behaviour) unlikely to be swayed; resolute.
