Current Affairs 14 July 2025

Content :

1. The Changing Landscape of Employment
2. Climate Change and Rural India: A Silent Displacement Crisis
3. India’s Open Ecosystems: Rethinking ‘Wastelands’
4. India’s Opportunity to Repay Green Revolution Debt
5. How is Mizoram Handling the Refugee Crisis?
6. India’s FGD Rollback: Implications of Exempting 78% of Thermal Power Plants

The changing landscape of employment

Core Insight:

India’s demographic dividend risks turning into a disaster as lakhs of graduates enter the job market without being job-ready, amidst rising automation and a shrinking formal job base.

Relevance : GS-3 (Indian Economy) – Issues related to employment, skill development, and job market reforms.

Alarming Statistics

Core Challenges

• Unemployability > Unemployment
• Only 50% of Indian graduates are job-ready – Economic Survey 2023–24
• Skill mismatch in digital, professional, and interpersonal domains

• AI and Automation Threat
• AI adoption is putting low-to-mid-level IT roles at risk
• Traditional service jobs in India may not survive next-gen tech transitions

• Job Quality Crisis
• Surge in contractual and gig employment without security or benefits
• Lack of long-term wage growth and poor financial security

• Skill Infrastructure Deficit
• Higher education and vocational institutes not aligned with job market needs
• Few formal linkages between academia and industry

Strategic Policy Recommendations

EPFO Data: Formalisation vs. Stability

• Rise in 18–25 age group enrolments in EPFO indicates push for formal employment.
• But unclear if these jobs are:
  • Secure
  • Well-paying
  • Long-term

Job creation ≠ job quality. The data must be paired with studies on job retention and income growth.

The Cost of Inaction

• Wasted potential: India produces millions of graduates annually, many unemployable.
• Rising frustration: Educated youth without jobs fuels social unrest, migration, and mental health issues.
• Lost opportunity: Without global skill alignment, India risks missing out on exporting talent to ageing nations.
• Vicious cycle: Lack of jobs ➝ underemployment ➝ informal work ➝ no savings ➝ no upward mobility

Conclusion

India’s employment problem is not just about creating more jobs — it’s about creating relevant, high-quality, future-proof employment.

Climate Change and Rural India: A Silent Displacement Crisis

Key Observation:

Climate change is no longer a future threat — it is actively transforming where and how millions of Indians live, work, and survive.

Relevance : GS-1 & GS-3 – Geography (climate impact) and Economy (migration, livelihoods).

Bundelkhand: Droughts, Heat, and Exodus

Impacts:

• Agricultural failure and indebtedness
• Occupational shift: from farming to mining & construction
• Family separation and rising vulnerability of women and children
• Erosion of village social fabric and school dropout rates

“Migration in Bundelkhand is not adaptation — it is a form of crisis-induced displacement.” – Dr. S.S. Jatav, BBAU

Charpauli, Bangladesh: Floods and Erosion

Impacts:

• Entire villages vanish annually into the Jamuna
• Families move first inland, then migrate completely
• Shift to agriculture in new villages or informal jobs in cities

“Migration becomes the last-resort adaptation when resilience fails.” – Jan Freihardt, ETH Zürich

Vidarbha & Marathwada: Heat Stress and Debt Cycles

Cane Cutter Migrant Life:

• 4–6 month migration, hired as “koita” couples (husband: cutter, wife: stacker)
• Advance wage: ₹50,000–₹5 lakh (debt cycle begins)
• Output requirement: ₹50,000 ÷ ₹367/tonne = 136 tonnes sugar cane to cut
• Live in makeshift plastic tents, with no water, sanitation, or electricity
• Seniors (70+) now migrate due to labour shortages

“Climate change is pushing people into debt bondage and worsening intergenerational precarity.” – Ankita Bhatkhande, Asar

Scale of the Crisis

India lacks a dedicated legal framework for climate-induced internal migration.

Adaptation or Displacement?

• Adaptation (Ideal Scenario):
• Diversified livelihoods
• Climate-resilient cropping
• Social security safety nets

• Displacement (Current Reality):
• Loss of land + livelihoods = forced migration
• Women and elderly disproportionately burdened
• Children drop out of school or face malnutrition

“Migration may appear adaptive, but for many in India, it reflects a collapse of resilience.” — Sayantan Datta

Policy Recommendations

Bottom Line

• India is living through a rural climate migration crisis — slow, silent, and scattered.
• Without urgent legal and policy recognition, millions risk falling into permanent precarity.

India’s Open Ecosystems: Rethinking ‘Wastelands’

What Are Open Ecosystems?

Open ecosystems refer to grasslands, deserts, scrublands, savannas, and open woodlands — landscapes characterized by low tree cover but high ecological and cultural value.

• These areas naturally support sparse vegetation due to arid climates or seasonal rainfall patterns.
• Unlike forests, they are not degraded forests, but distinct biomes with unique ecological functions.

Relevance : GS-3 – Environment and Ecology; Land degradation, biodiversity, and sustainable land use.

The ‘Wasteland’ Misclassification: A Colonial Legacy

• Policy contradiction: While private real estate glorifies open green spaces (e.g., “Savana Villas”), India’s natural open landscapes are ignored or targeted for conversion.

Why Deserts and Open Lands Matter

• Global Significance:
• Deserts cover ~33% of Earth’s land area.
• Host ancient civilizations (e.g., Indus Valley, Mesopotamia).
• Enable climate resilience through adapted flora and fauna.

• India-Specific Examples:
• Thar Desert (Rajasthan): Indigenous species like the Great Indian Bustard, caracal, desert fox.
• Banni Grasslands (Gujarat): Among Asia’s largest, now degraded by afforestation and invasive species.

Pastoralist Communities: Stewards of Open Lands

• Over 13 million pastoralists in India depend on open ecosystems for seasonal grazing.
• Their mobility and grazing cycles contribute to regenerative land use, seed dispersal, and biodiversity conservation.

Afforestation on grasslands and fencing off commons disrupts both ecology and livelihoods.

Greenwashing Concerns: Tree Planting ≠ Restoration

• Risks of Monoculture Afforestation:
• Reduces native biodiversity
• Alters hydrology and groundwater
• Converts carbon-rich soil systems into carbon-poor plantation zones
• Promotes Prosopis juliflora and eucalyptus, which degrade open biomes

• Instead, Promote:
• Rotational grazing
• Natural regeneration
• Check dams & water harvesting
• Pastoralist land governance

Policy Roadmap: Recognising Open Ecosystems

Bottom Line

“Deserts are not empty — they are alive, thriving, and culturally rich. Preserving them is not anti-development, but a climate-smart, justice-based environmental policy.”

India’s Opportunity to Repay Green Revolution Debt

From Recipient to Contributor

• India, once a major beneficiary of foreign agricultural assistance during the 1960s Green Revolution, now possesses the institutional and technological capacity to become a global contributor in agricultural R&D.
• With self-sufficiency achieved in wheat production, India is in a position to support international efforts—especially in developing countries facing similar challenges.

Relevance : GS-2 & GS-3 – International Relations (South-South cooperation) and Agriculture R&D.

Leadership in Wheat Innovation

• Indian agricultural research institutions have developed and scaled multiple high-yielding wheat varieties.
• Varieties like DBW187, DBW303, HD2967, HD3086 now dominate cultivation across millions of hectares.
• Research hubs such as IIWBR (Karnal), PAU (Ludhiana), and ICAR institutes play a leading role in this transformation.

Strategic Opportunity for India

• As global funding for agricultural research declines, India has an opportunity to:
  • Strengthen partnerships with international institutions like CIMMYT and IRRI
  • Support research on climate-resilient crops and food security in the Global South
  • Expand its soft power through agri-diplomacy and development cooperation

Key Implications

• Transitioning from aid recipient to knowledge donor improves India’s global development profile.
• Agricultural assistance programs can be an extension of India’s South-South cooperation model.
• Investment in global research ensures preparedness against future food and climate crises.

Policy Recommendations

• Create a formal International Agricultural R&D Support Mission led by Indian institutions.
• Allocate strategic funding to global wheat and rice research, especially in Africa and South Asia.
• Leverage public-private partnerships to commercialize and share India-developed crop innovations globally.

How is Mizoram Handling the Refugee Crisis?

Context: Refugee Influx from Myanmar

• Since February 2021, Myanmar has witnessed a military coup, triggering a civil war and ethnic conflicts.
• Over 40,000 refugees have crossed into Mizoram, especially from the Chin State of Myanmar, with recent influxes seen in Champhai district.
• The latest wave (July 2025) brought ~4,000 more refugees due to clashes between two anti-junta armed groups:
  • Chin National Defence Force (CNDF)
  • Chinland Defence Force-Hualngohm (CDF-H)

Relevance : GS-2 – Polity and Governance; refugee management, Centre-State relations, and internal security.

Why Mizoram?

• Ethnic Affinity: The refugees (Chins) share ethnic ties with Mizos; culturally and linguistically similar.
• Geographic Proximity: Chin State borders Mizoram; proximity to the conflict zones enables easier crossing.
• Humanitarian Tradition: Mizoram has historically sheltered fleeing ethnic groups from Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Manipur (Kuki-Zos).

Timeline of Refugee Movements & Policy Evolution

1. Historic Background

• 1968–2004: Free Movement Regime (FMR) allowed cross-border travel up to 16 km; it was reduced from 40 km in 2004.
• 2016: FMR regulated; further restrictions imposed.
• 2024: MHA announced FMR suspension citing security concerns.

2. Post-2021 Influx

• Massive inflow post-coup; Chin National Army lost ground to pro-democracy forces → civilians fled.
• As of July 6, 2025:
  • 3,890 Myanmar nationals recorded in Zokhawthar
  • Spread across Zokhawthar, Khawmawi, Saisihnuam

Central vs State Dynamics

• Civil society and organisations like Young Mizo Association (YMA), Churches, and student bodies have provided significant ground-level support.
• Refugee management is mostly local, decentralized, and supported by donations and voluntary contributions.

Legal and Administrative Framework

• India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol.
• No national refugee law — refugees are treated under the Foreigners Act, 1946.
• Lack of clear refugee identification and rights creates legal ambiguity.
• Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) retains control over international migration; states have limited jurisdiction.

Ground-Level Realities in Mizoram

• Displacement hubs: Champhai, Zokhawthar, and border towns have seen the highest numbers.
• Living conditions:
  • Improvised shelters, local integration, school access (in some cases), but high dependency on aid.
• Security risks:
  • Intelligence reports warn about armed groups’ presence.
  • Border militarisation may affect India-Myanmar ties.

Broader Strategic Implications

• Domestic
• Strains Centre-State relations on federal responsibilities in managing cross-border migration.
• Highlights need for refugee protection law balancing national security and humanitarian obligations.

• Regional
• Border policy inconsistency impacts ties with Myanmar, especially with changes in junta control.
• Rising refugee influx from Bangladesh (Rohingyas), Myanmar (Chins), and Manipur (Kuki-Zos) reflects worsening stability in the Eastern neighborhood.

Key Policy Recommendations

1. Codify a National Refugee Law:
   1. Define refugee status
   1. Lay down rights and responsibilities
   1. Establish standard operating procedures

• Institutional Coordination:
  • Create joint task forces between MHA and northeastern states for managing cross-border flows.

• Reinstate a Humanitarian FMR-lite:
  • Controlled, tech-monitored travel for cross-border ethnic kin during crises.

• Leverage International Aid:
  • Coordinate with UNHCR/ASEAN for refugee assistance, without compromising sovereignty

• Invest in Border State Capacities:
  • Infrastructure, healthcare, digital ID systems for refugees, and local employment schemes.

Key Numbers (as of July 2025)

India’s FGD Rollback: Implications of Exempting 78% of Thermal Power Plants

Context

• The Union Environment Ministry has exempted 78% of India’s 600 thermal power plant (TPP) units from installing Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems.
• FGD systems are critical for reducing sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions, a precursor to acid rain and particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution.
• Only about 11% of thermal plants — those in high-density/population areas — are still mandated to install FGD systems.

Relevance : GS-3 – Environment and Energy; air pollution, public health, and emission standards.

What are FGDs and Why Do They Matter?

India’s Thermal Power Pollution Profile

Key Policy Update (July 2025)

Result: Only ~11% (Category A) will remain under FGD norms.

Basis for Exemption: What Experts Said

The government relied on recommendations of a scientific panel led by Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Sood:

• Claimed Indian coal has low sulphur content
• Found no major SO₂ difference in areas with or without FGDs
• Argued that sulphates suppress warming, so removing SO₂ may increase net radiative forcing

Counterarguments by Public Health & Environmental Experts

Global Standards vs India’s Position

Implications of the Decision

• Environmental:
• Higher SO₂ emissions → elevated secondary particulate matter (sulphates)
• Weakens India’s commitment to air quality improvement under NCAP
• Potential rise in acid rain impacting crops, soil, monuments

• Public Health:
• Risk of increased respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses
• Higher disease burden in rural areas near exempted plants

• Economic:
• Disincentivises green tech investment in the power sector
• Short-term relief for discoms & thermal producers, but long-term cost-shifting to health sector

• Global Commitments:
• May impact India’s COP pledges on emissions intensity
• Could weaken diplomatic stance on climate finance and clean tech if domestic credibility erodes

Way Forward: Balancing Power and Pollution

1. Reprioritise Targeted FGDs: Mandate for plants near dense populations, agricultural belts, and ecological hotspots.
2. Subsidised Technology Deployment: Viability gap funding for older plants; tie to ESG-linked financing.
3. Integrated Emissions Tracking: Mandatory online SO₂, NOx, PM reporting on public dashboard.
4. Health Cost Valuation: Incorporate externalities into tariff-setting by CERC.
5. Accelerate Renewables: Reduce dependence on coal by scaling solar-wind-battery hybrids.