Mains Practice Questions for the Day
- Q. Geographical Indication tags can transform India’s traditional products into engines of rural development and export-led growth. Discuss.
- Q. Global environmental indices are useful tools for assessing sustainability, but they must be interpreted with methodological caution. Discuss with reference to India’s performance in the Environmental Performance Index 2026.
Q. Geographical Indication tags can transform India’s traditional products into engines of rural development and export-led growth. Discuss.
( GS Paper III – Rural Economy / Exports / Intellectual Property Rights)
Introduction:
Geographical Indication (GI) tags are a form of intellectual property protection given to products whose quality, reputation or characteristics are linked to a specific geographical origin. In India, GI protection is governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. GI tags are increasingly being used to convert India’s traditional products into instruments of heritage protection, rural livelihoods and export-led growth.
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Role of GI Tags in Rural Development
1. Protection of traditional knowledge:
GI tags prevent imitation, misuse and unauthorised commercialisation of products such as Banarasi sarees, Channapatna toys, Pochampalli Ikat and Darjeeling Tea.
2. Better income for producers:
By certifying authenticity and origin, GI tags improve market value. They help artisans, farmers, weavers and producer groups access premium markets and improve bargaining power.
3. Local employment and livelihood security:
GI recognition supports rural clusters, handloom centres, handicraft workers and farmer producer organisations. For example, Muzaffarnagar Jaggery gained export access after GI recognition, benefiting local producer groups.
Role in Export-Led Growth
GI tags build consumer confidence in global markets. Agencies such as APEDA promote GI agricultural products through quality improvement, capacity building and market promotion. GI products such as Salem Sago, Joha Rice and Tezpur Litchi have entered new export markets.
Free Trade Agreements also strengthen GI value by providing formal protection and reducing trade barriers. Negotiations such as the India–EU FTA and commitments by New Zealand show the growing trade importance of Indian GI products.
Challenges and Way Forward
Challenges include low producer awareness, fake products, weak branding, limited authorised users and poor-quality standardisation. India must expand authorised user registration, strengthen enforcement, improve packaging, promote GI Trails, link GI products with e-commerce and secure GI protection in FTAs.
Conclusion:
GI tags can become a bridge between tradition and markets. If supported by branding, exports and producer empowerment, they can transform India’s traditional wealth into sustainable rural livelihoods and global brands.
Q. Global environmental indices are useful tools for assessing sustainability, but they must be interpreted with methodological caution. Discuss with reference to India’s performance in the Environmental Performance Index 2026.
(GS Paper III – Environment / Climate Change / Sustainable Development)
Introduction:
Global environmental indices help countries assess their progress on sustainability, climate action and ecological governance. The Environmental Performance Index 2026 ranked India 176th out of 177 countries, with an overall score of 22.46, while Estonia topped the index. This has revived the debate on India’s environmental performance and the reliability of global ranking frameworks.
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Usefulness of Environmental Indices
1. Policy benchmarking:
The EPI provides a data-driven scorecard across 47 metrics, 12 issue categories and three policy objectives — Environmental Health, Ecosystem Vitality and Climate Change. It helps identify weaknesses in air quality, water quality, biodiversity, sustainable forestry and greenhouse gas reduction.
2. Sustainability tracking:
Such indices help measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement commitments. They also encourage governments to improve environmental reporting and accountability.
3. Climate risk awareness:
Other indices add different dimensions. The Climate Risk Index 2026 ranked India 9th most affected by climate-related disasters over 1995–2024, with 430 extreme weather events, $170 billion losses and 80,000 fatalities.
Need for Methodological Caution
1. Methodology concerns:
India had rejected the 2022 EPI ranking, arguing that some indicators were based on unfounded assumptions, extrapolations and unscientific methods.
2. Wealth bias:
EPI 2026 scores showed strong correlation with national wealth. This may disadvantage developing countries with large populations and developmental needs.
3. Different indices, different outcomes:
India ranks poorly in EPI but stands 23rd in CCPI 2026, showing that environmental performance, mitigation and vulnerability are different dimensions.
Way Forward
India must improve air and water quality, protect biodiversity, reduce tree cover loss, strengthen environmental data systems, accelerate clean energy transition and build climate-resilient infrastructure. It should also engage with global index-makers for fair and transparent methodology.
Conclusion:
Environmental indices should not be treated as final judgments, but as diagnostic tools. India must use them for policy correction, while ensuring that global assessments respect climate equity, development needs and data reliability.
