GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context:

The future of India’s renewables strategy hangs on a delicate food-fuel trade-off; and a choice between intensifying hunger and reducing fossil fuel use.

India's Ethanol Blending Target Challenges

• Ethanol Blending Progress: EBP increased from 1.6% to 11.8%. COP28 pledges global renewable energy, adding pressure for India's 20% target.
• 2025 Target Hurdles: Challenges in reaching 20% ethanol blending by 2025; low sugar stocks, impending sugarcane shortfall complicate goals.
• Transition to Grains-Based Ethanol: Shift to grains-based ethanol indicated. NAFED and NCCF procure maize, risking economic challenges and impacting food prices.

Crude Oil and Food Price Dynamics

• Feedstock Impact on Prices: Sugarcane and corn ethanol production influences global food, crude prices. Sugarcane has minimal trade-off; corn diverts grain.
• Food-Fuel Conflict: Corn-based ethanol poses food-fuel conflict, historically linked to high crude prices, affecting global food markets (2006-14).
• Crude and Food Price Linkage: Crude prices correlate with elevated food prices. Post-pandemic oil recovery contributes to 2021 food price rise, emphasizing careful transition.

Balancing Renewable Energy Goals and Food Security

• Differential Pricing Impact: Differential pricing incentivizes cane juice for ethanol. 2017-18 led to abandoning the sustainable molasses route. December 2023 corrective step bans cane juice use.
• Grains-Based Ethanol Transition: Transition raises food inflation concerns. India needs 16.5M tonnes annually for 2025 EBP. Delicate food-fuel trade-off demands strategic choices.
• Strategic Choices: Government can reconsider EBP target or stagger to manage contradictions. Urgent investment in renewables, infrastructure, and urban design is crucial. Balancing hunger and reducing fossil fuel use requires careful consideration.

Context:

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha suspended 141 Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) for disrupting its proceedings in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

The Root of Parliamentary Dysfunction

• Absence of Procedural Mechanisms: Parliamentary dysfunction stems from the lack of procedural mechanisms for addressing contentious issues, leading to unprecedented suspensions in the winter session.
• Security Breach Standoff: Opposition demands Home Minister's statement on security breach; government cites sensitivity and defers to Speaker's directions. High-level committee investigates; some suggestions implemented.
• Historical Context of Disruptions: Decades of procedural stagnation in parliamentary systems lead to a familiar story: Opposition seeks debate, government hesitates, resulting in disruptions and disciplinary actions.

Evolution of Parliamentary Disruptions

• Origins in the 1960s: Disruptions by individual MPs in the 1960s marked the start of regular disruptions. MPs like Ram Sewak Yadav and Mani Ram Bagri faced suspensions for highlighting issues.
• Transition into Political Tool: Parliamentary disruptions evolve into a political tool. Presiding officers recognize deliberate acts to stall proceedings, shifting from spontaneous disruptions to strategic political actions.
• Simplistic Institutional Response: Parliamentary disruptions viewed as a disciplinary issue, addressed by penalizing MPs. The simplistic response fails to adapt to the evolving nature of disruptions in parliamentary discourse.

Rethinking Parliamentary Procedures

• Flawed View of Parliament: Constitutional framers designed Parliament for government business, giving it agenda-setting power. This flawed perspective limits the collaborative nature of legislatures and obstructs effective Opposition participation.
• Collaborative Role of Legislatures: Legislatures should be collaborative spaces where the government and Opposition work together for the country's betterment. Opposition's role is to oppose, suggest alternatives, and respect the will of the people.

• Addressing Disruptions Effectively: Current penalization approach proves unworkable. A shift in procedures is essential, allowing the Opposition to set the agenda for debate and fostering a collaborative and effective parliamentary system.

Context:

Regulation of Internet world must address privacy concerns and simplify procedures

The Telecommunications Bill of 2023

• Regulatory Consolidation: The Telecommunications Bill, 2023, advances the government's aim to consolidate laws for wireless networks and Internet service providers, simplifying bureaucratic procedures for telecom operators.
• Streamlined Licensing: Licensing processes digitized, addressing non-compliance with license terms, and facilitating access to district and State-level authorities for permissions and dispute resolution, promoting ease of doing business.
• Satellite Internet Industry: The Bill provides clarity for the satellite Internet industry, exempting it from spectrum bidding, aligning India with global practices and potentially enhancing connectivity in remote areas.

Concerns Over Privacy and Surveillance

• Expansive Definition of Telecom: The broad definition of telecom services raises privacy concerns as state authority extends over various services, necessitating a careful examination of the implications for surveillance and individual privacy.
• Addressing Spam Concerns: While attempting to tackle spam concerns, proposed solutions pose potential compromises to privacy, requiring careful consideration and balancing of interests in the regulatory framework.
• Surveillance Reform and Internet Shutdowns: Critical issues of surveillance reform and Internet shutdowns demand attention, considering the significant powers granted by the Bill. Open-minded government response and public consultation are crucial.

Ensuring Transparency and Public Trust

• Industry and Public Consultation: Welcomed by industry bodies, the Bill needs transparent rule-making. Past consultations lacked scrutiny, making open dialogue and public participation imperative for building trust.
• Reassuring Clean Motives: To reassure the public, the government must conduct rule-making with absolute transparency, especially for provisions requiring subordinate legislation by the Department of Telecommunications.
• Evolving Regulatory Landscape: Given the evolving telecommunications landscape, laws must comprehensively address the digital era's challenges. Transparent rule-making and public trust are paramount for effective regulation in this dynamic environment.