Daily Mains Practice Questions 14-03-2023

KEY POINTS

·        India has embraced technology and digitalisation to drive economic growth and to improve the lives of its citizens.

·        However, as the country continues to evolve, it must also ensure that its digital strategies and data governance are inclusive, transparent, secure, and conducive to sustainable development.

·        The launch of India’s Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA), a consent management tool, has generated both excitement and concern among stakeholders.

·        If the consent management tool is not properly implemented or managed, there is a risk that personal information could be misused or misappropriated.

·        In order to realise the potential benefits of DEPA and minimise the risks, it is important that the tool is implemented in a transparent, consistent, and secure manner.

·        India’s establishment of an India Data Management Office (IDMO) is a step forward in the country’s journey towards data sharing and data governance.

·        It will also work to promote the development and implementation of open-source solutions, which will help to ensure that underlying data architectures are a social public good, and to promote digital technologies to become accessible and affordable for all.

·        The challenges of digital infrastructure, privacy protection, data security, and responsible data governance must be addressed before these advancements can be fully realised in other sectors.

KEY POINTS

·        Beyond 2023, the government’s push for a structural shift of the Chinese economy is still on the way.

·        Over the last few years, tighter regulatory measures have been introduced to contain financial risks and achieve more social objectives such as a green economy, food security, etc.

·        The need for jobs explains China’s recent charm offensive to retain foreign direct investment in China as it is an important source of job creation.

·        India also needs to create as many jobs as possible (at least 13 million a year, which is more than China’s target).

·        Foreign investors are beginning to contribute more substantially to job creation in India, which given the country’s sheer size in terms of market size and labour force could pose challenges for China as it tries to hold on to foreign direct investment within the country.

·        While India and China may not be too different in size and population, growth prospects differ substantially.

·        At the National People’s Congress, Premier Li had to lower the GDP target further; in contrast, India remains resilient.

·        An acceleration of this pattern is to be expected in the next few years, especially if the reshuffling of the value chain continues, pushed by geopolitics and high costs in China.

KEY POINTS

·        Amidst an early onset of summer and a pick up in industrial demand for electricity, there are clear signs that India’s coal stocks for power generation are well below ideal levels.

·        Coal stocks in 62 out of 180 coal fired thermal plants are at critical levels, with their stocks at less than 25 per cent of ideal or ‘normative’ stocks.

·        Coal plants are ideally assumed to require 2.7 million tonnes daily at 85 per cent plant load factor. A shortage implies that most of the 200 GW of thermal installed capacity may continue to operate at a PLF of below 60 per cent.

·        This poses serious concerns, given the fact that demand outpaced supply even during December and February when consumption levels are off their peaks.

·        The bottlenecks in raising power output must be identified. The difficulty in evacuating coal from the pitheads to distant power plants must be addressed.

·        Most thermal plants are operating at less than 60 per cent PLF; some of them do not need the coal for which they have entered into long-term contracts.

·        While existing coal plants must be deployed to optimal levels, it is important to improve efficiencies in renewables generation even as economical battery storage technologies are being worked upon the world over.

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