UPSC CARE Mains Practice 10th october 2025
Topic – Industrial safety in India
Q1. “Recurring explosions in fireworks and small-scale industrial units highlight the persistent neglect of safety norms in India’s hazardous sectors. Discuss the challenges in enforcing safety regulations and suggest measures to build a stronger culture of industrial safety.” (15 marks, 250 words)
Introduction
Industrial safety is a critical component of India’s development trajectory, given the country’s large number of small and medium-scale manufacturing units dealing with hazardous substances — from chemicals and fireworks to petroleum and fertilizers. Despite having comprehensive legal frameworks such as the Explosives Act, 1884, Factories Act, 1948, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, industrial accidents continue to claim lives every year. These recurring tragedies underline a deeper systemic failure in risk governance and safety culture.
Body
- Background: Industrial Safety and its Importance
- Challenges in Ensuring Industrial Safety
- Existing Framework and Policy Measures
- Strengthening Industrial Safety: Policy and Practical Reforms
- Building a Safety Culture and Way Forward
Conclusion
Industrial safety in India is not merely a regulatory issue but a moral and developmental imperative. With recurring explosions in fireworks and chemical units, it is evident that laws alone cannot prevent disasters without an embedded culture of safety, accountability, and ethical compliance. India must adopt a “Zero Accident Vision” — combining strong enforcement, digital oversight, and human-centred training — to safeguard both lives and livelihoods in its industrial growth story.
UPSC Syllabus
Man-made disasters and India’s industries
Why was this question asked?
Q. Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. [250 Words] [15 Marks] [2020]
Introduction
Industrial safety is a critical component of India’s development trajectory, given the country’s large number of small and medium-scale manufacturing units dealing with hazardous substances — from chemicals and fireworks to petroleum and fertilizers. Despite having comprehensive legal frameworks such as the Explosives Act, 1884, Factories Act, 1948, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, industrial accidents continue to claim lives every year. These recurring tragedies underline a deeper systemic failure in risk governance and safety culture.
Body
Background: Industrial Safety and its Importance
- Industrial safety encompasses the protection of workers, property, and the environment from industrial hazards like fire, explosion, and toxic exposure.
- India’s rapid industrialisation has expanded the number of hazardous process industries, including chemical, fireworks, mining, and petroleum sectors.
- According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), India records over 1,500 industrial accidents annually, with high fatalities concentrated in informal and small-scale units.
- The 2014 GAIL pipeline explosion (Andhra Pradesh), 2020 LG Polymers gas leak (Visakhapatnam), and repeated fireworks unit blasts illustrate how poor safety governance transcends regions and sectors.
Challenges in Ensuring Industrial Safety
- Implementation Deficit: Rules under PESO, NDMA, and OSH Codes exist but are poorly implemented due to manpower shortages and limited state-level capacity.
- Informal Sector Neglect: Many small and seasonal units operate outside formal registration, escaping regular inspection or insurance coverage.
- Multiplicity of Regulators: Overlapping jurisdictions of PESO, State Labour Departments, Pollution Control Boards, and District Authorities create confusion and dilute accountability.
- Low Safety Awareness and Training: Workers often lack basic knowledge of chemical handling, fire safety, or emergency response, leading to human error.
- Reactive Governance: Safety measures are often enforced after accidents occur, reflecting a post-disaster rather than preventive approach.
Existing Framework and Policy Measures
- Explosives Act, 1884 & Rules, 2008: Regulate manufacture, storage, and transport of explosives under the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
- Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020: Consolidates 13 labour laws, introduces mandatory safety officers and compliance audits.
- National Disaster Management Plan (2019): Integrates industrial and chemical disaster management within its all-hazards framework.
- Factory Inspectorates and NDMA Guidelines (2016): Prescribe on-site and off-site emergency plans.
- India’s Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996: Establish Crisis Groups at central, state, and district levels.
- Despite this robust legal base, enforcement remains inconsistent, particularly in micro, small, and unregistered units.
Strengthening Industrial Safety: Policy and Practical Reforms
- Technology-Enabled Audits: Use IoT sensors, heat detectors, and AI-based safety dashboards to enable real-time monitoring of temperature and gas leaks.
- Unified Regulatory Authority: Establish a National Industrial Safety Authority to coordinate PESO, NDMA, and labour departments for uniform standards and accountability.
- Worker Capacity Building: Introduce mandatory training and certification programs for all workers in hazardous industries under Skill India Mission.
- Periodic Third-Party Inspections: Replace self-certification with independent safety audits conducted by accredited institutions.
- Link Safety to Incentives: Integrate safety compliance with ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) criteria and government procurement eligibility for MSMEs.
Building a Safety Culture and Way Forward
- Institutionalize Prevention over Reaction: Move from incident response to risk anticipation through data-driven monitoring.
- Community-Based Awareness: Engage local governance bodies and civil society in identifying unlicensed units and unsafe practices.
- Public Disclosure: Publish safety audit scores of industries online to create transparency and competitive compliance.
- Learning from Global Best Practices: Adopt Japan’s Kaizen safety philosophy and the EU’s Seveso Directive on hazardous industries.
Conclusion
Industrial safety in India is not merely a regulatory issue but a moral and developmental imperative. With recurring explosions in fireworks and chemical units, it is evident that laws alone cannot prevent disasters without an embedded culture of safety, accountability, and ethical compliance. India must adopt a “Zero Accident Vision” — combining strong enforcement, digital oversight, and human-centred training — to safeguard both lives and livelihoods in its industrial growth story.
Topic –Wildlife (Protection) Kerala Amendment Bill, 2025
Q 2. “The Wildlife (Protection) Kerala Amendment Bill, 2025 has reignited the debate between ecological prudence and federal autonomy. Examine the constitutional, ecological, and governance implications of devolving wildlife protection powers to States.” (15 marks, 250 words)
Introduction
The passage of the Wildlife (Protection) Kerala Amendment Bill, 2025 marks a significant moment in India’s environmental federalism. The Bill seeks to empower the State government to declare certain species—like the wild boar—as vermin within its jurisdiction, a power currently vested in the Union government under Section 62 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Kerala’s move, driven by escalating human–animal conflicts, particularly in farmlands bordering forest zones, raises complex questions about federal competence, ecological ethics, and the uniformity of national safeguards.
Body
- Background: Wildlife Protection in India and the Federal Context
- The Core Issue: Balancing Conservation and Local Livelihoods
- Constitutional and Policy Challenges
- Need for Reform: From Federal Friction to Cooperative Ecology
- Broader Implications and Way Forward
Conclusion
The Wildlife (Protection) Kerala Amendment Bill, 2025 highlights both the urgency of addressing human–animal conflicts and the perils of hasty devolution. True federalism in conservation must not fragment national commitments but strengthen them through shared accountability. The path ahead lies in cooperative environmental federalism—where scientific reasoning, not political expediency, guides the balance between human security and ecological integrity.
UPSC Syllabus
India’s environmental laws and federalism
Why was this question asked?
Q. “The issue of tourism in core areas of tiger reserve forests in the country is a subject matter of debate. Critically examine various aspects of this issue, keeping in view relevant recent judicial pronouncements.” (2012)
Introduction
The passage of the Wildlife (Protection) Kerala Amendment Bill, 2025 marks a significant moment in India’s environmental federalism. The Bill seeks to empower the State government to declare certain species—like the wild boar—as vermin within its jurisdiction, a power currently vested in the Union government under Section 62 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Kerala’s move, driven by escalating human–animal conflicts, particularly in farmlands bordering forest zones, raises complex questions about federal competence, ecological ethics, and the uniformity of national safeguards.
Body
Background: Wildlife Protection in India and the Federal Context
- The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, enacted under Article 252, created a national framework for conservation with uniform schedules of species protection.
- Wildlife is listed in the Concurrent List (Entry 17B), meaning both the Centre and States can legislate, but the Central law prevails in case of conflict.
- States have long sought greater flexibility to deal with localised wildlife threats — elephants in Assam, nilgai in Bihar, and wild boar in Kerala.
- Kerala’s amendment thus emerges as a response to Centre–State friction, where repeated requests to classify wild boar as vermin were denied or delayed by the Centre.
The Core Issue: Balancing Conservation and Local Livelihoods
- Human–Animal Conflict Escalation: Expanding farms, settlements, and roads into forest buffer zones have increased animal incursions. Wild boars have damaged crops and occasionally injured farmers.
- Governance Failure: Delays in compensation, weak fencing, and absence of early-warning systems have frustrated rural communities.
- Kerala’s Argument: Devolution of decision-making will ensure faster response, community engagement, and context-sensitive management.
- Conservationists’ Concern: Such devolution risks normalising culling as a quick-fix measure, undermining India’s commitment to biodiversity conservation under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Constitutional and Policy Challenges
- Repugnancy under Article 254:
Any State law inconsistent with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 requires Presidential assent. Without it, the amendment may be unconstitutional.
- Risk of Fragmentation:
State-wise variations in species protection could erode uniform conservation baselines, leading to policy inconsistency across India.
- Opacity in Decision-Making:
Both Centre and States lack transparent, data-driven criteria for declaring a species vermin.
- The process often reflects political pressure rather than ecological assessment.
- International Obligations:
India is bound by CITES and the Convention on Migratory Species, which require stable national frameworks for species protection.
Need for Reform: From Federal Friction to Cooperative Ecology
- Collaborative Federalism:
Establish a Centre–State Wildlife Coordination Council for quick consultation and shared decision-making on species reclassification.
- Data-Driven Management:
Build a National Human–Wildlife Conflict Dashboard with satellite mapping and citizen reporting to assess real-time threats.
- Non-Lethal Solutions:
Invest in crop insurance, bio-fencing, and early-warning technologies; promote wildlife corridors and buffer zones.
- Transparent Declaration Protocols:
Establish objective, peer-reviewed criteria and sunset clauses for any vermin declaration.
- Community Coexistence Incentives:
Compensate farmers not only for losses but for tolerance—introducing “payments for coexistence” models piloted in Kenya and Bhutan.
Broader Implications and Way Forward
- The debate transcends Kerala — it reflects India’s evolving federal ecology, where local distress meets central regulation.
- A devolved model is viable only if it maintains national floors (no dilution of core protections) and allows State-level ceilings (faster, transparent, and accountable processes).
- Integrating scientific risk assessment, public participation, and legal safeguards will prevent political misuse while empowering local conservation governance.
Conclusion
The Wildlife (Protection) Kerala Amendment Bill, 2025 highlights both the urgency of addressing human–animal conflicts and the perils of hasty devolution. True federalism in conservation must not fragment national commitments but strengthen them through shared accountability. The path ahead lies in cooperative environmental federalism—where scientific reasoning, not political expediency, guides the balance between human security and ecological integrity.