MAIN QUESTIONS
Q1. The suspension of cotton import duty reflects the challenge of balancing farmer protection with the textile industry’s competitiveness. Discuss the causes of declining cotton production in India, the implications of duty withdrawal, and suggest long-term solutions. (250 words, 15 marks)
Topic – Agro-based industries in India
Source: The Hindu
Model Answer:
Introduction
Cotton is India’s most important fibre crop, cultivated by nearly six million farmers and forming the foundation of the textile sector, which employs millions. In August 2025, the Union government suspended the 11% import duty on cotton to address raw material shortages for mills. While this offers relief to the textile industry, it raises concerns about farmer incomes and declining domestic production.
Body
- Causes of Declining Cotton Production
- Implications for the Textile Industry
- Implications for Farmers
- Structural Issues in Policy and Markets
- Long-term Solutions
Conclusion
The suspension of import duty offers short-term relief to the textile industry but risks discouraging farmers in major producing states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana. A balanced approach combining predictable trade rules, farmer protection, productivity gains, and industry support is essential to secure both farmer welfare and India’s global textile competitiveness.
Final Answer:
Introduction
Cotton is India’s most important fibre crop, cultivated by nearly six million farmers and forming the foundation of the textile sector, which employs millions. In August 2025, the Union government suspended the 11% import duty on cotton to address raw material shortages for mills. While this offers relief to the textile industry, it raises concerns about farmer incomes and declining domestic production.
Body
Causes of Declining Cotton Production
- Cotton production has fallen to 294 lakh bales in 2024–25, the lowest in 15 years, against a requirement of 318 lakh bales.
- Major cotton belts include the Northern zone (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan), Central zone (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh), and Southern zone (Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu).
- Pest infestations such as pink bollworm and limited innovation beyond Bt cotton have reduced yields.
- Climatic stress from erratic rainfall and rising temperatures has affected productivity in rain-fed regions like Maharashtra and Telangana.
- Farmers are diversifying to alternative crops such as soybean and maize due to better returns and lower risks.
- Policy uncertainty over imports and exports creates instability and discourages long-term cotton cultivation.
Implications for the Textile Industry
- The duty suspension reduces raw material costs, making Indian textile exports more competitive globally.
- Imports are projected at 40 lakh bales in 2024–25, with major supplies from Australia, USA, Brazil, and Egypt.
- The policy provides relief to MSME mills, which often face working capital constraints and raw material volatility.
- A stable supply of cotton strengthens India’s position in global garment markets against competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Implications for Farmers
- Cheaper imports may suppress domestic cotton prices, reducing farmer incomes.
- The Cotton Corporation of India procured 100 lakh bales at MSP, but not all farmers benefited due to limited procurement centres.
- The 8% MSP hike for 2025–26 may not compensate for reduced market confidence among growers.
- Farmers’ organisations argue that the policy is industry-focused, ignoring farmer livelihoods and discouraging cotton cultivation in the long run.
Structural Issues in Policy and Markets
- The cotton sector suffers from policy inconsistency, with duties frequently imposed, suspended, and reinstated.
- India’s reliance on imports in shortage years undermines self-reliance in cotton.
- Domestic productivity remains below global averages, despite India being the world’s largest cotton-growing area.
- Lack of a long-term cotton policy framework affects both farmer planning and industry stability.
- Farmers face inadequate insurance and extension support, while mills suffer from price volatility.
Long-term Solutions
- Introduce a predictable trade policy, suspending duty only during non-peak months after procurement is over.
- Strengthen MSP operations and widen procurement centres to cover more farmers.
- Provide 5% interest subvention for textile mills to stock cotton during peak harvest season.
- Invest in R&D for pest-resistant, climate-resilient, and high-yield varieties to raise productivity.
- Promote value addition through technical textiles to diversify income sources for farmers.
- Establish a Cotton Policy Board with representation from farmers, industry, and policymakers for coordinated long-term strategy.
Conclusion
The suspension of import duty offers short-term relief to the textile industry but risks discouraging farmers in major producing states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana. A balanced approach combining predictable trade rules, farmer protection, productivity gains, and industry support is essential to secure both farmer welfare and India’s global textile competitiveness.
Q 2. The UN General Assembly has launched two institutional mechanisms on AI governance — the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. Discuss their significance for global cooperation and the challenges ahead. (250 words, 15 marks)
Topic – Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance
Source: The Down to Earth
Model Answer:
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines capable of performing tasks such as learning, reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving. It is being applied across sectors like healthcare, education, defence, and governance, but also raises risks of bias, surveillance, and job displacement. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the principal deliberative and representative organ of the UN, plays a vital role in creating inclusive global norms. Recognising the urgency, in August 2025 the UNGA launched two institutional mechanisms — the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance — under the Global Digital Compact.
Body
- Global Dialogue on AI Governance
- Independent International Scientific Panel on AI
- Significance for the Global South and India
- Key Challenges Ahead
- Way Forward
Conclusion
The UNGA’s launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the Independent Scientific Panel on AI represents a milestone in building a multilateral framework for AI governance. Their effectiveness will depend on inclusivity, transparency, and the ability to bridge geopolitical divides. For India and the Global South, proactive engagement is vital to ensure AI becomes a force for equitable development and global good.
Final Answer
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines capable of performing tasks such as learning, reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving. It is being applied across sectors like healthcare, education, defence, and governance, but also raises risks of bias, surveillance, and job displacement. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the principal deliberative and representative organ of the UN, plays a vital role in creating inclusive global norms. Recognising the urgency, in August 2025 the UNGA launched two institutional mechanisms — the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance — under the Global Digital Compact.
Body
Global Dialogue on AI Governance
- The UNGA initiative provides a formal multilateral platform for member states and stakeholders to deliberate on AI governance.
- It creates space to debate ethical challenges, misinformation risks, labour disruptions, and AI-based security threats.
- By functioning under UNGA, it ensures equal participation of all 193 member states, preventing dominance by a few powers.
- It prevents fragmented regional rules and promotes a universal rules-based framework, aligning with the UNGA’s mandate to promote peace and cooperation.
Independent International Scientific Panel on AI
- The Panel will act as a bridge between scientific research and global policymaking, ensuring evidence-based decisions.
- It will provide independent assessments of emerging AI technologies — from generative AI to autonomous systems — and their social, economic, and ethical impacts.
- As a UNGA-backed body, its annual reports will feed directly into the Global Dialogue, ensuring accountability and legitimacy.
- By combining science with UNGA’s deliberative power, it enhances trust that AI governance is not left to corporations alone.
Significance for the Global South and India
- Under UNGA, the mechanisms guarantee representation of developing countries in shaping AI norms.
- For India, alignment of the National AI Mission with UNGA-led norms enhances credibility and global partnerships.
- UNGA ensures that AI governance debates include voices from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, countering monopolisation by advanced economies and global corporations.
- It provides a platform for India and Global South nations to advocate for ethical, inclusive, and affordable AI access.
Key Challenges Ahead
- Geopolitical rivalries like the US–China competition may politicise UNGA discussions and hinder consensus.
- Corporate dominance in AI innovation can overshadow multilateral processes unless UNGA ensures transparency.
- Divergent national priorities on privacy, ethics, and data governance complicate consensus-building.
- Even with UNGA resolutions, implementation gaps may persist when translating global norms into enforceable domestic laws.
- Ensuring that UNGA remains more than a symbolic forum and evolves into a decision-shaping body is itself a challenge.
Way Forward
- UNGA must support capacity-building programmes for developing nations to ensure equitable AI adoption.
- A UNGA-led global charter on AI ethics, rooted in human rights and fairness, can guide national frameworks.
- The initiatives must ensure multi-stakeholder involvement — governments, private sector, academia, and civil society — under UNGA’s umbrella.
- A system of adaptive review mechanisms, presented annually to UNGA, can address rapid advances in AI.
- National strategies (e.g., India’s AI policies) should be synchronised with UNGA-led frameworks to achieve harmonisation and avoid duplication.
Conclusion
The UNGA’s launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the Independent Scientific Panel on AI represents a milestone in building a multilateral framework for AI governance. Their effectiveness will depend on inclusivity, transparency, and the ability to bridge geopolitical divides. For India and the Global South, proactive engagement is vital to ensure AI becomes a force for equitable development and global good.