Q1. West Asia has become a hot-bed of conflicts in the emerging international multi-polar world order in recent times. 90% of Indian crude oil requirements are sourced from West Asia and Middle East.’ Discuss the implications West Asia crisis would have on India. (15 marks, 250 words)
Topic- West Asia and India relations:
Introduction:
The Middle-East accounts for 31.3% of the global oil production while 79.5% of the world’s proven oil reserves are found in Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). West Asia being at the junction of East and West has been and is still a hot-bed of conflicts among rival powers vouching for regional hegemony.
Body :
- Iran’s role in West Asia
- Other Causes of Conflict
- Implications for Indian security
- Impact on Indian trade and exports
- Way Forward
Conclusion :
As the USA makes a slow exit from the region to concentrate its military assets in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, regional security and economic arrangements are the need of the hour. India, as a responsible player and with an ambition for becoming a blue-water navy must play its part in resolving conflicts through new tools like military diplomacy and summit diplomacy in addition to the regular back-channel and Track-3 diplomatic efforts.
UPSC Syllabus West Asia and India relations:
Why was this question asked?
Q. How have the US sanctions against Iran affected India’s bilateral relations with Iran? (UPSC 2012)
Introduction
The Middle-East accounts for 31.3% of the global oil production while 79.5% of the world’s proven oil reserves are found in Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). West Asia being at the junction of East and West has been and is still a hot-bed of conflicts among rival powers vouching for regional hegemony.
Body Status :
Iran’s role in West Asia
- Nuclear ambitions: Iran’s nuclear ambition has been perceived by Israel as an existential threat. This along with religious differences has stoked up proxy war between the two rivals.
- Shia v/s Sunni feud: Sectarian differences have boomeranged into a military conflict as seen in the Houthi’s supported by Iran engaged in a long term conflict in Yemen that has already bore casualties of around 1,50,000 till 2024.
- Regional ambitions: Saudi Arabia, Israel and Iran are vouching for regional hegemony so as to set terms of business and influence. Drone attacks by Iran on Saudi oil rigs is a testimony to the fact.
Other Causes of Conflict
- External support: External powers like the USA have supported one or the other power based on their own national interest. Iraq was initially supported by the USA and then decimated by it 2004. This has been a source of instability in the region.
- Radical religious terrorism: Terror groups like Hamas have used religion as a tool to fulfill their political aims. This has further worsened the situation with more than 1,400 Israelis killed on October 7, 2023 in one of the deadliest attacks in the Israeli history.
Implications for Indian security:
- Energy security: Conflicts may jeopardize India’s energy security thereby hampering its $5 trillion economy ambitions.
- Maritime security: India joined the Bahrain based multilateral maritime security task force called the Combined Maritime Forces to safeguard its freedom of trade in the region.
- Diaspora: 80 lakh people of Indian origin in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries account for 18% of India’s total remittances. The safety and security of the diaspora will be compromised.
- Diplomatic: India has been walking on a diplomatic tight-rope in being vocal about these conflicts. Any conflagration may force India to support one or the other side since our relations with Israel has overcome its earlier trepidation as the Prime Minister himself visited Israel in 2017.
Impact on Indian trade and exports
- Trade: Conflict in the region has already affected the India Middle-East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) thereby denting economic integration which further stokes social conflicts by impeding economic growth.
- Export: Labour intensive-export reliant sectors like fisheries, horticulture, gems and jewelry and pharmaceuticals form a major chunk of the $44 billion annual exports to the Gulf Cooperation Countries.
- Any regional tension will affect India’s Balance of Payments with the region in the long term.
Way forward:
- Neutral powers: Neutral powers like Oman can be roped in to resolve conflicts in the region through backchannel talks.
- Diversification: India should diversify its energy import basket to hedge risks in the event of a conflict in the region. Further, indigenous development of renewable energy is a sine-qua non.
- Issue based alignment: India should pursue national interest while navigating through the regional tensions as we have 140 crore people back home to look after.
- Multi-national arrangements: Arrangements like I2U2 consisting of India, Israel, the USA and the UAE to pursue economic, energy and security objectives is the best bet in a still unsettled regional order.
Conclusion
As the USA makes a slow exit from the region to concentrate its military assets in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, regional security and economic arrangements are the need of the hour. India, as a responsible player and with an ambition for becoming a blue-water navy must play its part in resolving conflicts through new tools like military diplomacy and summit diplomacy in addition to the regular back-channel and Track-3 diplomatic efforts.
Q2. ‘According to the World Air Quality Report released by IQ Air in 2024, 83 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities are in India.’ In light of the above statements, comment on the effectiveness of the National Clean Air Programme. How can it be made more effective? (15 marks, 250 words)
Topic- National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):
Introduction
According to the World Air Quality Report released by IQ Air in 2024, 83 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities are in India. Air pollution has crossed beyond 10 times the WHO prescribed limit in most Indian cities as per the report. National Clean Air Programme envisions to cut the concentrations of environmental particulate matter by 20%-30% by 2024, from 2017 levels. This was later revised to 40% by 2026.
Body
- About National Clean Air Programme
- Effectiveness of the National Clean Air Programme
- Drawbacks of the National Clean Air Programme:
- Steps to make the programme more effective:
Conclusion
NCAP, to be successful, has to shun the silo mentality and move towards a holistic approach. Cities must get together to devise a GST Council like mechanism to arrive at broad standards so as to make cities truly live able and turn them into engines of growth as they contribute to more than 2/3rds of nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
UPSC Syllabus National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):
Why was this question asked?
Q. What are the key features of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) initiated by the Government of India? (UPSC 2020)
Introduction:
According to the World Air Quality Report released by IQ Air in 2024, 83 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities are in India. Air pollution has crossed beyond 10 times the WHO prescribed limit in most Indian cities as per the report. National Clean Air Programme envisions to cut the concentrations of environmental particulate matter by 20%-30% by 2024, from 2017 levels. This was later revised to 40% by 2026.
Body
About National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
- Indian government launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019
- Its aim was to cut the concentration of atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM) by 20-30% by 2024, from 2017 levels.
- This was later revised to 40% by 2026.
- NCAP carves out provisions not just for outdoor air pollution, but also for indoor air pollution. This holds special relevance as Indoor Air Pollution is associated with Non-Communicable Diseases like stroke, ischemic heart disease and lung cancer.
Effectiveness of the National Clean Air Programme:
- Flexibility: The number of non-attainment cities has been increased to 131 from the initially set target of 102 thereby demonstrating inherent flexibility.
- Incremental: According to the Central Pollution Control Board, as of September 2022, 95 of the 131 non-attainment cities had seen an ‘overall improvement’ in pollution metrics.
- Informed decision making: National Emission Inventory has been established to track the pollutants released into the atmosphere thereby contributing to data driven policies.
- Technology Intensive: Technology Assessment Cell has been established to look after the indigenous development of pollution abatement technologies and transfer of technology wherever it is necessary.
- City level action plans: Most cities have submitted their annual Clean Air Action Plans (CAAPs) with cities on an average using 60% of the funds allocated to them by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
Drawbacks of the National Clean Air Programme:
- Underutilization: 27% of the cities have used less than 30% of the funds allocated to them.
- Redtapism: Approvals for procuring mechanical sweepers and electric buses and their respective technical specifications are plagued by bureaucratic delays.
- Underperformance: Only 16 cities out of the 49 assessed cities could go beyond the 20% reduction target with respect to the pollutant PM 2.5.
- Administrative lacunae: Only 37% of the non-attainment cities had completed Source Apportionment and Emissions Inventory studies. This points at administrative lacunae and poor staffing at the city level.
- Integrated approach: Lack of an integrated approach since stubble burning from outside the city limits may test the cities’ atmospheric resilience.
Steps to make the programme more effective:
- Incentivization: A clause should be carved out through which extra funds can be released to those cities utilizing their funds efficiently and effectively.
- Geotagging: Projects under the programme must be geotagged for effective monitoring and better functionality.
- Decision Support System: No city barring Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad has a robust decision support system. Other cities must adopt such systems to take swift decisions.
- Secondary pollutants: Due emphasis must be given to secondary pollutants like ozone, not just primary pollutants like carbon monoxide.
- Agility: PRANA (Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment cities) needs frequent updation and the data uploaded on it must be vetted by independent experts.
- Index: A separate index to measure the performance of cities in the need of the hour as it will also induce inter-city competition.
Conclusion
NCAP, to be successful, has to shun the silo mentality and move towards a holistic approach. Cities must get together to devise a GST Council like mechanism to arrive at broad standards so as to make cities truly live able and turn them into engines of growth as they contribute to more than 2/3rds of nation’s Gross Domestic Product.