Mains Practice Questions for the Day
- Q. E-waste is not merely a waste-management problem but also a question of public health, resource security and industrial policy. Discuss. How can urban mining help India build a circular economy?
- Q. The Decentralised Grain Storage Plan can simultaneously strengthen food security, improve farmers’ incomes and revitalise rural cooperatives. Discuss. What measures are required for its effective implementation?
Q. E-waste is not merely a waste-management problem but also a question of public health, resource security and industrial policy. Discuss. How can urban mining help India build a circular economy?
Introduction:
E-waste refers to discarded electrical and electronic equipment containing both toxic substances and valuable materials. India generated nearly 13.98 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2024-25, reflecting rising digitalisation, consumption and shorter product life cycles. Its management, therefore, has environmental as well as strategic importance.
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Multiple Dimensions of the Challenge
- Environmental: Informal dismantling, open burning and acid leaching release lead, mercury and cadmium into air, soil and water.
- Public health: Workers and nearby communities face neurological, respiratory and reproductive disorders. Children are particularly vulnerable.
- Resource security: Improper disposal results in the loss of copper, gold, lithium, cobalt and rare-earth elements, increasing import dependence.
- Economic: Valuable secondary materials are lost, while governments bear future healthcare and environmental-remediation costs.
- Data security: Discarded computers and storage devices may expose personal, corporate or official information.
- Social: Informal workers provide effective collection but generally lack legal protection, training and safety equipment.
Role of Urban Mining
Urban mining recovers valuable materials from discarded products instead of extracting virgin ores. It can:
- provide domestic supplies of critical minerals;
- reduce mining-related ecological damage and emissions;
- support electronics, batteries and renewable-energy industries;
- encourage recycling technology and green employment; and
- strengthen India’s supply-chain resilience.
India has introduced the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, an Extended Producer Responsibility framework, Battery Waste Management Rules and the Right to Repair initiative. However, weak collection, paper compliance and inadequate advanced-recycling capacity limit their impact.
Way Forward
- Digitally verify EPR certificates and actual recycling.
- Integrate informal collectors with authorised facilities.
- Establish accessible take-back and deposit-refund systems.
- Promote repairability, refurbishment and longer product life.
- Invest in advanced mineral-recovery technologies.
- Adopt life-cycle costing in public and corporate procurement.
- Mandate certified data destruction and environmental audits.
Conclusion:
India must shift from a linear “buy-use-discard” model to a circular “repair-reuse-recover” economy. Scientific urban mining can convert e-waste from an environmental liability into a strategic resource while protecting health, livelihoods and national interests.
Q. The Decentralised Grain Storage Plan can simultaneously strengthen food security, improve farmers’ incomes and revitalise rural cooperatives. Discuss. What measures are required for its effective implementation?
Introduction:
India’s foodgrain production was estimated at 376.56 million tonnes in 2025-26, while the National Food Security Act supports nearly 80 crore people. Adequate storage is therefore essential to prevent post-harvest losses and maintain food security. The Decentralised Grain Storage Plan, launched in 2023, seeks to create integrated storage and agricultural facilities through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
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Significance of the Plan
- Reduced post-harvest losses: Scientific warehouses and silos protect foodgrains from moisture, pests and spoilage.
- Prevention of distress sales: Farmers can store produce and sell it when market prices improve.
- Lower costs: Storage near farms reduces transportation between procurement centres, warehouses and Fair Price Shops.
- Improved price realisation: Cleaning, grading, drying and processing enhance produce quality and marketability.
- Stronger food security: Decentralised facilities improve procurement, buffer-stock management and Public Distribution System efficiency.
- Revitalisation of PACS: Rental income, processing charges and credit against stored produce diversify cooperative revenues.
- Rural development: Custom Hiring Centres, processing units and procurement facilities generate employment and strengthen local value chains.
The plan converges the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme, SMAM and PMFME. NABARD refinancing and interest subvention can reduce the effective loan rate for eligible PACS to 1%. By July 2026, over 1.80 LMT of capacity had been created in 313 PACS.
Implementation Challenges
Limited managerial capacity of PACS, unsuitable land, weak maintenance, low warehouse utilisation and coordination delays may affect viability. Regional differences in cooperative strength and possible elite capture can restrict access for small and tenant farmers.
Way Forward
- Conduct district-level storage-gap assessments.
- Train PACS in scientific warehousing and financial management.
- Enforce WDRA standards and independent quality audits.
- Link warehouses with e-NAM, procurement systems and warehouse receipts.
- Ensure equitable access for small, tenant and women farmers.
- Publish project-wise utilisation and financial data.
Conclusion:
The plan can transform PACS into integrated rural service hubs. Its success should be measured not merely by storage capacity created, but by reduced wastage, improved farmer incomes and sustainable cooperative management.
