Context: EVs are being pitched as cleaner, greener and sustainable. But are they? Underlying the shiny exteriors of an electric vehicle lies a shocking story of blood batteries, extreme poverty and child labour. What is the usage of Cobalt in production of EVs? Electric cars use batteries. Lithium and cobalt which make up these batteries… Continue reading Electric vehicles have a dark side too: Blood batteries and child labour
Tag: gs paper 3
PDS has had a spectacular run. That may not last
Context: Its golden chapter was scripted in an environment of low global commodity prices and surplus domestic foodgrain production. That party is over, even as food inflation is back. Why was the 2020-21 year very important for the agricultural sector? (1) In 2020-21, Agriculture was the only sector to grow at 3.3%, even as the… Continue reading PDS has had a spectacular run. That may not last
Public Sector Banks must move beyond recapitalization bonds
News: Recently, the public sector banks (PSBs) had a huge amount of gross non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans. It peaked at ₹8.96 trillion or around 14.6% of total loans in March 2018. However, the gross NPAs have fallen to ₹5.59 trillion, or around 7.9% of total loans as of December 2021. What are the challenges before… Continue reading Public Sector Banks must move beyond recapitalization bonds
Rethinking innovation in defence
News: Recently, a report was released by the Parliamentary Standing Committee which draws a comparison of India’s defence sector spending on research and development with the US and other countries. What are the findings of the report? According to the report, India spends too little on research and development (R&D) in the defence sector. The… Continue reading Rethinking innovation in defence
Niti Aayog’s battery swapping policy provides direction, but lacks a constructive roadmap
Context: The Niti Aayog released the first draft of the Battery Swapping Policy 2022 on April 21, 2022, to improve interoperability and push for faster adoption of electric vehicles (EV) in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segment. Why the battery swapping segment if significant? This segment has competitive prices compared to others. Further, it also constitutes… Continue reading Niti Aayog’s battery swapping policy provides direction, but lacks a constructive roadmap
On Gati Shakti Mission: Plugging the infra gaps
Context: Ever since it was announced by the prime minister in October 2021, the Gati Shakti mission has been billed as one of the most transformational projects in the country. Successfully planning and executing large scale infrastructure projects in India have always been a nightmare, leading to significant cost and time overruns. Gati Shakti is… Continue reading On Gati Shakti Mission: Plugging the infra gaps
On Electric Vehicle adoption in India: The right push
Context: Recently, the NITI Aayog released a draft battery-swapping policy pertaining to two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and e-rickshaws. The draft policy aims to address some key concerns within the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem. What is the objective of the draft policy? It will promote adoption of EV. It would lower dependencies on fossil fuels and reduce the… Continue reading On Electric Vehicle adoption in India: The right push
Changing the skill development model
Context: In a rapidly changing world, there is a need to talk about skill development and predicting where jobs will be in 2032. What are the challenges wrt job creation? It is difficult to predict what jobs will be created in the long run. Also, India’s mental models for skill related policies were not only… Continue reading Changing the skill development model
Living in hothouse India: We have entered a new age of heat extremes. Concrete and glass-heavy urban buildings are a major hazard
Context: India is searing. Large parts of the country are in the grips of unbearable heat and heatwaves. It’s not supposed to be like this in March and April. Such heat is usually expected in May and June – the year’s hottest months. But this temperature anomaly is not unexpected. In fact, various IPCC reports… Continue reading Living in hothouse India: We have entered a new age of heat extremes. Concrete and glass-heavy urban buildings are a major hazard
That coal feeling: Shortage of rail wagons is one reason for dipping power plant inventory. But problem goes further
Context: Thermal power plants in India are once again struggling with coal inventory dipping to critical levels. A similar coal crisis had surfaced in India in October last year. Given that both coal mining and logistics through railways are dominated by GoI-owned enterprises, it reflects poorly on official management of an essential economic input. What… Continue reading That coal feeling: Shortage of rail wagons is one reason for dipping power plant inventory. But problem goes further
