What to Read in Indian Express Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

Editorial 1 : A Revolution of Clean Energy

Introduction: International Mother Earth Day was created by the UN General Assembly in 2009, with roots in 1970s environmental movements to promote the Harmony with Nature initiative for sustainable development.

 

Population Growth and Resource Pressure

• Population Explosion
  1. From 1 billion in 1804 to 8 billion by 2025 (4x growth since 1927).
  2. India: Most populous country, projected to retain this status through 2100.
• Impact on Resources
  1. Rising demand for food, housing, energy, and travel.
  2. Fossil fuel dependency leads to global warming and air quality degradation.

 

India’s Environmental Challenges

• Air Pollution Crisis: 74 of 100 most polluted cities globally are in India (IQAir Report).
  1. Health Impact
     • Delhi/NCR residents lose 11.9 years of life expectancy due to pollution.
     • Annual gas chamber effect in winter months.
• Soil Degradation
  1. Soil Organic Carbon (SOC): Almost two-thirds of India’s soils have soil organic carbon (SOC) of less than 0.5%, while optimally it should be at least 3 to 4 times higher (1.5-2%).
  2. Causes: Overuse of chemical fertilizers, monocropping (e.g. rice-wheat rotation).
• Water Depletion and Contamination
  1. Groundwater: Groundwater in certain pockets like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan has been depleting at more than 1.5 feet every year for the last two decades or more, and getting contaminated with increasing use of fertilisers and pesticides.
• Biodiversity Loss: Monoculture farming (e.g. rice-wheat) reduces ecological diversity.

 

Key Recommendations for Sustainable Development

• Policy Reforms
  1. Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES): Reward sustainable farming (e.g. carbon credits for soil/water conservation).
  2. Subsidy Repurposing
     • Direct cash transfers to farmers instead of free power and fertilizers.
     • Deregulate energy and fertilizer prices to reduce overuse.
• Agricultural Practices
  1. Promote Legumes: Nitrogen-fixing crops (pulses, oilseeds) improve soil, reduce water use, and enhance biodiversity.
  2. Agrivoltaics: Solar energy and solar farming (third crop) to boost renewable energy and farmer incomes.
• Renewable Energy Focus
  1. Earth Day 2024 Theme: Triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
  2. Incentivize Farmers: Discoms (power distributors) should buy solar energy from farmers at a 10–15% premium over thermal power costs.

 

Challenges and Opportunities

• Balancing Growth & Sustainability: India’s GDP growth (6.3% annually since 2000) and agri-growth (3.5%) has reduced poverty but strained ecosystems.
• Unsustainable Systems: Punjab-Haryana’s open-ended procurement and subsidies harm soil and water.
• Opportunities: Agrivoltaics, PES and regenerative agriculture can align economic and environmental goals.

 

Conclusion: India faces an environmental emergency requiring drastic action. There is a need to prioritize policies that balance productivity with ecosystem health and leverage renewable energy and farmer incentives for sustainable growth.

 

Editorial 2 : Ocean is Everybody’s Business

Context: United Nations Ocean Conference

 

Introduction: Importance of Ocean

• India has a coastline of 7,517 km with around 33% population living in coastal areas.
• Blue economy is recognized as a core growth dimension in India’s Vision 2030.
• Global Ocean Role: Provides livelihoods for 1 in 3 people globally.

 

Challenges to Ocean Sustainability

• Environmental Threats
  1. Plastic Pollution: More than 8 million tons of plastic enter oceans annually.
  2. Overfishing: Over 33% of global fish stocks are overexploited.
  3. Climate Change Impacts: Ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and ecosystem destruction accelerating.
• Governance & Knowledge Gaps
  1. Legal Vacuum: 60% of oceans (high seas) lack international governance.
  2. Issues: Illegal fishing, pollution, lack of surveillance.
  3. Scientific Limitations: Ocean depths remain 95% unexplored despite covering 70% of Earth’s surface.

 

UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) Goals

• Hosts: France and Costa Rica (June 9–13, 2024, in Nice).
• Objective: Operationalize ocean protection through actionable commitments.
• Key Focus Areas
  1. Governance: Ratify the BBNJ Agreement (Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction)
  2. Financing: Mobilize public/private funds for sustainable blue economy initiatives (e.g. shipping, tourism).
  3. Knowledge & Innovation: Enhance Ocean mapping, research, and public education.

 

India’s Role & Collaborative Initiatives

• National Priorities
  1. Blue Economy: Central to India’s Vision 2030 for coastal development and resource management.
  2. Coastal Population: Ensuring livelihoods while balancing environmental protection.
• Pre-UNOC3 Engagement
  1. To prepare for the UNOC3 milestone nationally and to reflect on India’s visions, France will be organising a Festival of Ideas, aptly named Not in my ocean.
  2. Blue Talks: Collaboration with India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences and Costa Rica.

 

Conclusion and Way Forward

• Multilateral Imperative: Ocean protection requires global cooperation amid climate and governance challenges.
• UNOC3 as a Watershed Moment: UNOC3 has the Potential to replicate the success of COP21 by creating binding frameworks.
  1. Focus: Strengthen governance, funding, and knowledge-sharing for SDG alignment.
• Public Engagement: Critical to raise awareness and drive grassroots action (e.g. festivals, educational programs).