According to a recent World Inequality Lab report, the top 1% in India has concentrated an unprecedented amount of income and wealth, making the country one of the most unequal in the world.
Key findings of the paper
Inequality declined post-independence till the early 1980s, after which it began rising and has skyrocketed since the early 2000s.
Between 2014-15 and 2022-23, the rise of top-end inequality has been particularly pronounced in terms of wealth concentration.
By 2022-23, top 1 per cent income and wealth shares (22.6 per cent and 40.1 per cent) are at their highest historical levels and India’s top 1 per cent income share is among the very highest in the world, higher than even South Africa, Brazil and US.
Wealth is highly concentrated even within the top 1 per cent. In 2022-23, the top 1 per cent wealth share was 39.5 per cent, 29 percentage points went just to the top 0.1 per cent, 22 percentage points to just the top 0.01 per cent and 16 percentage points to just the top 0.001 per cent.
The sharp rise in top 10 per cent shares from 1991 onwards came at the loss of both bottom 50 per cent and middle 40 per cent shares. From stagnating at 11 per cent during 1961-1981, bottom 50 per cent shares first fell to 8.8 per cent in 1991 and further to 6.9 per cent by 2002. After which, they have hovered between 6-7 per cent over the next two decades with no signs of recovery.
In 1961, bottom 50 per cent and top 1 per cent shares were identical; by 2022-23, the top 1 per cent share was more than 5 times larger.
The paper finds suggestive evidence that the Indian income tax system might be regressive when viewed from the lens of net wealth.
A restructuring of the tax code to account for both income and wealth, and broad-based public investments in health, education and nutrition are needed to enable the average Indian, and not just the elites, to meaningfully benefit from the ongoing wave of globalisation.
A “super tax” of 2 per cent on the net wealth of the 167 wealthiest families in 2022-23 would yield 0.5 per cent of national income in revenues and create valuable fiscal space to facilitate such investments.
The quality of economic data in India is notably poor and has seen a decline recently. It is therefore likely that these new estimates represent a lower bound to actual inequality levels.
Multilateral treaties required for Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra management
Time to Read :🕑 11 Mins
Why in news?
According to the report — “Elevating River Basin Governance and Cooperation in the HKH Region” — on these three rivers, there is an immediate need for a climate-resilient approach to river basin management.
Key findings
The Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) are the freshwater sources of South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. Water originating from their snow, glaciers and rainfall feeds the 10 largest river systems in Asia.
The Ganges basin, often regarded as sacred and essential to more than 600 million individuals across the Indian subcontinent, is facing mounting environmental threats.
Rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and intensive agricultural practices have exacted a toll on the river’s ecological health.
The indiscriminate discharge of sewage and industrial waste has severely polluted the water, posing significant risks to both human health and the environment.
Alongside these anthropogenic activities, the impacts of climate change are exacerbating existing challenges, particularly in the form of escalating flooding and droughts.
The monsoon season — critical for replenishing water resources — now brings devastating floods while dry seasons worsen water scarcity, especially in downstream areas such as Bangladesh. These climate-related hazards disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including women, people with disabilities and marginalised communities, the report added.
Similarly, the Indus river — a lifeline for more than 268 million people across Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and China — is under unprecedented stress due to climate change. Rising temperatures, erratic monsoons and environmental degradation are pushing the basin towards a crisis point.
The scale of climate change impacts in the Indus basin is overwhelming, undermining food security, livelihoods and water security.
Variations in the timing and intensity of monsoon rains are already having profound impacts on the health and sustainability of the basin.
On top of that, environmental degradation, including increasing agricultural and industrial pollution, is degrading the riverine environment, adversely affecting freshwater fisheries and eroding the ecological health of the river.
In the Brahmaputra basin, climate change — coupled with dams and development work — is poised to escalate flooding and droughts, particularly in its lower basin.
Glacial melt rates are expected to rise, impacting water availability across the region.
While currently there are no major water diversions in the basin, upstream dam construction and climate change projections are likely to reduce dry season flows in downstream areas, affecting millions of lives.
The vulnerability of women, poor, indigenous and marginalised communities is set to escalate as changing socioeconomic drivers converge with projected climate impacts.
Recommandation
According to the report, despite the urgent need for collective action, governance within these basins remains fragmented, with limited multilateral agreements facilitating basin-wide collaboration.
Existing treaties and agreements have often failed to address the broader impacts of climate change or involve marginalised stakeholders.
As these agreements approach expiration, there is an opportunity to adopt more inclusive and resilient approaches to basin governance, leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise.
The report advocates that long-term strategies must prioritise adaptive infrastructure, flexible governance structures and inclusive policies to ensure reliable water supply amid climatic uncertainties.
Recognising the transboundary nature of climate impacts, the report stressed on the paramount importance of regional cooperation.
Initiatives such as the “HKH Call to Action” provide a framework for collaborative action, fostering trust among basin states and informing evidence-based decision-making.
It also called for a bottom-up approach involving local communities, deeming it essential for effective climate adaptation, with programmes such as “Indus Calling” empowering communities with information and tools for better water management and resilience building.
The report advocated for collaborative action and inclusive policies to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change on major river basins in South Asia.
Indian protected basmati varieties renamed & Cultivated in Pak, IARI demands legal action
Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins
Why in news?
According to the IARI director, the illicit seed sales and cultivation of IARI varieties in Pakistan began with Pusa Basmati-1121 (PB-1121).
About Basmati 1121
Pusa Basmati 1121 (PB 1121) is a landmark Basmati rice variety having Basmati quality traits introgressed from traditional Basmati varieties such as Basmati 370 and Type 3.
It was released for commercial cultivation in 2003.
It possesses extra-long slender milled grains (9.00 mm), pleasant aroma, and an exceptionally high cooked kernel elongation ratio of 2.5 with a cooked kernel length of up to 22 mm, volume expansion more than four times, appealing taste, good mouth feel and easy digestibility.
Owing to its exceptional quality characteristics, it has set new standards in the Basmati rice market.
The cumulative foreign exchange earnings through export of PB 1121 since 2008 have been US$ 20.8 billion, which has brought prosperity to millions of Basmati farmers.
During 2017, the farmers cultivating PB 1121 earned on an average US$ 1400/ha as against US$ 650/ha cultivating traditional Basmati, making it a highly profitable enterprise.
Currently, PB 1121 is grown in ~ 70% of the total area under Basmati rice cultivation in India.
It is the most common Basmati rice variety in rice grain quality research for developing mapping populations, genetic analyses and molecular mapping of Basmati quality traits.
Additionally, it has been widely used in the Basmati rice breeding program across India, because of its superior quality attributes.
How House terms and poll schedules are decided
Why in news?
To ensure the terms of the existing Houses in Arunachal and Sikkim don't expire before the election process concludes, the date for counting votes in their Assembly elections has been moved up by two days.
More detail about news
The existing Assemblies of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh met for the first time on June 3, 2019, and their terms will, therefore, end on June 2, 2024.
The Constitution say about the terms of state Assemblies and Lok Sabha
Under the Constitution, the terms of both state Assemblies and Lok Sabha last for five years from the first sitting of the House.
Article 172(1) states: Every Legislative Assembly of every State, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer and the expiration of the said period of five years shall operate as a dissolution of the Assembly.
The term of the Assembly “may, while a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation, be extended by Parliament…for a period not exceeding one year at a time and not extending in any case beyond a period of six months after the Proclamation has ceased to operate”.
For Lok Sabha, Article 83(2) states: The House of the People, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer and the expiration of the said period of five years shall operate as a dissolution of the House.
What are the things that the ECI looks at while fixing the election schedule?
It is standard procedure for the ECI to consider factors such as the weather, festivals, and important examinations, as well the availability of school buildings, where polling stations are often set up, and teachers, who are mobilised for election duty, while deciding the schedule of elections.
CEC spoke of the country’s “historical and geographic” situation, and the logistics requirements of moving security forces to ensure free and fair elections.
Several serving and former election officials said the date of expiration of the term of the legislature is the “first thing” that is taken into consideration.
This date is known a full five years in advance, as it is calculated from the date of the first sitting of the existing House.
Former CEC told that as the “term of the House is sacrosanct”, the Election Commissioners and Deputy Election Commissioners have these dates “on their fingertips”.
The ECI works towards completing the election process at least one day before the end of the term of the House — which means results are declared a few days prior, and one or two days are kept for the completion of documentation and other formalities.
India to generate 600 kilotonnes of solar waste by 2030
Why in news?
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) partnered with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a climate think tank, to conduct an analysis titled Enabling a Circular Economy in India's Solar Industry – Assessing the Solar Waste Quantum.
Current Status
The current solar capacity of India stands at 66.7 GW as of March 2023 — it has increased by 23 times in the past 10 years — and is slated to jump to 292 GW of installed solar capacity by 2030. Therefore, the management of solar waste is crucial for environmental, economic, and social reasons.
About Solar Waste
Solar waste refers to the waste generated during the manufacturing of solar modules and waste from the field (project lifetime), according to the study.
Manufacturing involves two streams of waste, including the scrap that’s produced and the waste generated from PV modules failing quality tests. Meanwhile, waste from the field involves three streams of waste.
One, waste generated during transporting and handling — the damaged modules are considered as waste.
Two, waste produced due to the damage incurred by solar modules during their lifetime.
Three, when the modules reach their end-of-life and are not usable anymore.
The findings of the study
By 2030, India’s current installed solar capacity will generate about 340 kt — three times more than the present.
Around 67 per cent of this waste is expected to be produced by five states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.
This is because these five states currently have more solar capacity than other states and therefore, will produce more solar waste.
The cumulative waste from existing and new capacity (deployed between FY24 and FY30) will reach about 600 kt by 2030, according to the report. By 2050, it will increase to about 19,000 kt and 77 per cent of which will be generated from new capacities.
As the discarded modules contain minerals such as silicon, copper, tellurium, and cadmium — which have been classified as critical minerals for the country’s economic development and national security by the Indian government — the study focused on them also.
The 340 kt waste expected to be produced by 2030 would consist of 10 kt of silicon, 12-18 tonnes of silver, and 16 tonnes of cadmium and tellurium.
How to deal with solar waste?
The report gave several recommendations for managing solar waste.
It urged the policymakers to maintain a comprehensive database of the installed solar capacity, which would help in estimating solar waste in the following years.
The report also said the policymakers should incentivise recyclers, and push stakeholders to effectively manage the growing solar waste.
The report talked about two broad ways of recycling solar panels.
First is conventional recycling or bulk material recycling, which involves mechanical processes like crushing, sieving, and shearing of the waste. While the majority of recycled materials consist of glass, aluminium, and copper, more valuable materials like silver and silicon cannot be recovered through this method.
The other way of recycling is known as high-value recycling.
It involves the use of a combination of mechanical, chemical, and thermal processes to recycle the modules. Unlike conventional recycling, this method can recover silver and silicon also with the help of chemical processes.
Conclusion
India needs to focus on creating a market for solar recycling. The general understanding is that solar waste occurs only when modules reach their end-of-life, which is around 25 years. However, our report points out that there are other ways also through which solar waste is generated. So, this is not the problem of the future. It is the problem of now and the future.
CII UK India Business Forum
Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins
Why in news?
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has reactivated its UK India Business Forum (IBF) in London to serve as a platform for exchanging best practices and sharing knowledge.
About IBF
The IBF should explore joint ventures in emerging sectors as well as collaboration in cyber security and space exploration, clean energy, and conservation initiatives.
UK IBF Chair by Keshav Murugesh.
An objective of the relaunched platform would be to look at greater collaboration and deepen connections that will go beyond business.
There is a big opportunity to deepen connections between India and the U.K. and not just in terms of investment but also in R&D, academic and industrial collaboration.
Bilateral trade in goods and services reached £38.1 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2023, as per official UK data.
Fact Check Unit Under PIB
Time to Read :🕑 11 Mins
Why in news?
The Union government has notified the fact check unit under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to monitor online content pertaining to the government for accuracy.
About News
The fact-check unit has been notified under IT Rules of 2021 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The Fact Check Unit will be the nodal agency to tackle or alert about all fake news or misinformation related to the central government.
The notification came days after the Bombay High Court declined to restrain the Centre from notifying the unit.
The petitioners have moved the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court verdict and the matter is expected to come up for hearing on Thursday.
In April last year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) promulgated the 2023 Rules, which further amended the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
Under the new rules, if the fact check unit comes across or is informed about any posts that are "fake", "false" or contain "misleading" facts pertaining to the business of the government, it would flag it to the social media intermediaries.
The online intermediaries would then have to take down such content if they wanted to retain their "safe harbour" (legal immunity against third-party content).
The fact check unit under PIB was established in November 2019 with a stated objective of acting as a deterrent to creators and disseminators of fake news and misinformation.
It also provides people with an easy avenue to report suspicious and questionable information pertaining to the Government of India.
The unit is mandated to counter misinformation on government policies, initiatives and schemes either suo motu or under a reference via complaints.
The unit actively monitors, detects, and counters disinformation campaigns, ensuring that false information about the government is promptly exposed and corrected.
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The Civil Services Exam is conducted every year by the UPSC to select suitable candidates for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), IFS (Indian Foreign Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IRS (Indian Revenue Service) and other Central Services like the Audits and Accounts, Railway Technical Services etc.
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