01 July 2024

MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS

Q1. Analyse the contribution that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) make to social welfare. Describe the different issues brought up regarding how they operate.

GS II – NGOs and Non-Governmental Organizations

Introduction:

• NGOs are private organisations that work to alleviate suffering, advance the interests of the underprivileged, safeguard the environment, offer fundamental social services, or engage in community development, according to the World Bank. NGOs are crucial to the development and application of participatory democracy in India. In their capacity as social welfare organisations, they work to better the lives of the underprivileged, the marginalised, and the traditionally impoverished by offering services. However, a number of issues regarding the operations of NGOs have come up recently.

Non-Governmental Organisations’ (NGOs’) function in guaranteeing social wellbeing:

• Reduced poverty and rural development: NGOs are essential in planning public inconveniences and acting as a voice for issues and demands in society. They are crucial in giving the voiceless and underprivileged a voice. For instance, when the Garibi Hatao motto was adopted during the sixth five-year plan, NGOs significantly contributed to the reduction of poverty.
• Women’s Empowerment: Indian NGOs have made significant progress in promoting women’s empowerment. Fighting against sati, dowries, cruelty, and other social threats to women’s education, reducing the rate of female foeticide, providing jobs for women, etc. are a few examples. Numerous foundations, like Sewa, Agrani Foundation, Eklavya, and others, are dedicated to these causes.
• Increasing public awareness of environmental issues: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the field of the environment can be extremely helpful in filling in the gaps by conducting research to support policy development, developing institutional capacity, and promoting independent discourse to support individuals in leading more sustainable lives. NGOs in India that address environmental issues include Greenpeace, Chintan, and Help Delhi Breathe.
• Increasing community involvement: The nonprofit organisation offers an alternative viewpoint that entails the capacity to engage in meaningful conversation with underprivileged populations. India has a varied culture, which several NGOs are trying to preserve and promote. For instance, Samata is an NGO that works on issues of development and advocacy for Andhra Pradesh’s indigenous groups.
• Enhance government performance: One of NGOs’ roles is to make sure the government responds to citizens’ concerns and solves their problems, which holds the government responsible for its actions. The Right to Information, MNREGA, and Juvenile Justice are just a few of the developmental legislation and programmes that the Indian government has been influenced to create by NGOs.
• Serving the community: The non-profit organisation acts as a conduit for people to reach out and offer assistance when faced with social or financial challenges. For instance, the terrible floods in Chennai and the horrifying aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal were significantly lessened by the assistance of NGOs. NGOs have consistently played a noteworthy role, including during the Covid-19 Pandemic. They have been at the vanguard of large vaccination programmes, mask and sanitizer distribution, and webinars.

Concerns expressed concerning how NGOs operate:

• Concerns with appointment transparency: Scholars contend that as civil society organisations are self-appointed as opposed to elected, they may not accurately reflect the will of the people.
• Funding and corruption issues: This is especially troublesome for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that rely on the government and donors to support their operations. About 9,000 NGOs were deregistered by the government in 2015 as a result of their violations of the Foreign Donations (Regulation) Act. It was discovered that a large number of these NGOs had misappropriated the funding they were given, including moving money intended for social programmes into private bank accounts.
• Accountability issues: Civil society organisations that receive international funding are pushing foreign agendas rather than local ones and are answerable to external rather than domestic populations.
• Does not really represent the people: There are worries that civil society organisations are merely elite players acting on behalf of the people they purport to represent. Citing the foreign schooling, high wages, and frequent international travel of civic activists, critics argue that these individuals are disconnected from the issues facing common people.
• Administrative worries: Inadequate strategic planning, networking, communication, and governance create questions about how well NGOs are operating. Implementing developmental project activities in a certain region or area is also hampered by political parties’ meddling in day-to-day affairs.
• A model where the government’s and civil society’s efforts are complementary is the optimum one for implementing social welfare. Establishing a self-regulatory framework that outlines a positive civil society-government interaction and establishes high standards for democratic accountability and operation should be the main goal.

Q2. India’s energy requirements and environment goals may be met via nuclear power. It does, however, entail certain risks and worries. Analyse critically.

GS III – Science and Technology

Introduction:

• Boiling water with nuclear power is an efficient way to produce steam, which powers turbines to generate electricity. India’s economy, which is among the fastest-growing in the world, is expected to witness a significant rise in electricity demand in the future. Nuclear power has enormous potential to guarantee long-term energy security in a sustainable way, as well as to give the nation a clean, environmentally friendly energy supply. In addition, it can assist in reaching the 2070 goal of net zero emissions in terms of climate change. However, using nuclear power carries some inherent hazards and problems.

Advantages of nuclear energy use as a source of power:

• Clean energy source: In the sustainable development scenario, nuclear power may significantly speed up the expansion of the low-carbon electricity supply. Since it doesn’t produce any pollution, it can also help meet the air quality goals. When compared to other power sources, nuclear energy is also thought to be more environmentally friendly.
• Growing energy demands: India’s energy demands have been rising due to a number of reasons, including a growing population, more urbanisation, GDP growth, an increase in manufacturing, etc. Furthermore, between 2017 and 2040, India’s energy consumption is expected to increase by 156%. As a result, nuclear energy can assist in supplying the world’s expanding energy needs.
• Decreased reliance on coal: India’s greatest carbon-polluting industry is the energy and heat sector due to the massive volumes of CO2 produced by coal-fired power plants. In the long run, nuclear energy can lessen the nation’s reliance on coal and other conventional energy sources by supplying clean baseload power.
• Nuclear power facilities require a lot less fuel than thermal power plants, making them more efficient than other sources. The energy contained in a single six-gram uranium pellet is equivalent to one tonne of coal, 149 pounds of oil, or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. When compared to its fuel intake, nuclear energy produces a lot more energy.
• Employment creation: By 2031, India wants to expand its nuclear power capacity from the current 6780 MW to 22480 MW. Both the establishment of new nuclear facilities and the development of new jobs will result from this. It is estimated that the proposed Jaitapur project in Maharashtra will generate 50,000 jobs.

Concerns and hazards related to nuclear power:

• Danger of a nuclear accident: nuclear power facilities are susceptible to an accident brought on by a reactor meltdown. For instance, the Fukushima nuclear tragedy was brought on by the earthquake and tsunami, but the Chornobyl nuclear accident was caused by defective reactor design.
• Radioactive waste: This waste, which is mostly made up of unconverted uranium and intermediate products like plutonium and curium, remains radioactive for very long times, which poses a significant storage challenge.
• Prolonged delay between planning and implementation: The establishment of nuclear power plants involves locating a location, securing a permit for it, buying or renting the property, and acquiring a construction permit, among other steps. Plant startup is delayed as a result of this.
• Concerns about uranium procurement: Although the production of nuclear energy does not release any hazardous gases, there are still drawbacks to the method uranium is obtained by this sector. Strong explosions used in the substance’s mining process release radioactive particles into the atmosphere, damaging the land, water, and air.
• Health concerns: Ionising radiation, an unseen toxin that is dangerous in any amount, is produced when nuclear power is used to generate energy. Radiation exposure can result in cancer and genetic damage, posing a risk to the public’s health as well as that of workers.
• Unlike wind and solar electricity, which are not always accessible, India’s nuclear power might offer a dependable answer to the country’s power needs. This may also result in India reaching its climate targets and reducing its contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. Considering the advantages of nuclear energy, it is imperative to tackle the underlying difficulties in a comprehensive way.