Content :
- Falling short
- Exposomics for better environmental health
- Aiming for an era of ‘biohappiness’ in India
Falling short
Policy Update: SPMEPCI – A Step Ahead
- On June 2, India announced 15% concessional import duty on Completely Built Units (CBUs) of EVs under SPMEPCI.
- Conditions:
- Minimum investment of ₹4,150 crore over 3 years.
- 25% domestic value addition (DVA) in 3 years, to be increased to 50% in 5 years.
- Cap of 8,000 CBUs annually per manufacturer for 5 years.
- Goal: Attract global EV giants like Tesla while nudging local manufacturing.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance) ,GS 3(Technology)
Practice Question : Despite progressive EV policies like SPMEPCI, India risks becoming a mere assembly hub without substantial technology transfer. Critically analyze this concern and suggest a roadmap to ensure long-term strategic autonomy in the EV sector.(250 Words)
Major Gap: Lack of Technology Transfer
- Despite policy support, India lacks access to core EV technologies, especially batteries.
- The scheme does not mandate joint ventures, risking:
- Assembly-only operations
- No real tech absorption or R&D development
- India risks becoming a market, not a manufacturing hub.
India’s Late Start
- EV journey began in 2015, much later than global peers.
- FAME Scheme:
- FAME I (2015): ₹895 crore
- FAME II (2019): ₹10,000 crore outlay
- Contrast with China:
- Began in 2009 with $230 billion cumulative incentives.
- Mandatory joint ventures until 2022 ensured technology transfer.
Global Comparison
- China (2024 data):
- 11.3 million out of 17 million global EV sales.
- Massive success due to:
- Vertical integration (mining to battery production)
- Subsidies, tech mandates, charging infra scale-up
- U.S.:
- Began in 2010 with $25 billion in loans.
- Later boosted via Inflation Reduction Act.
- Still lags China in adoption (~1.5 million sales in 2024)
Battery Tech: The Missing Core
- India’s 25% DVA likely limited to:
- Repurposing ICE components
- Adding software layers
- Battery manufacturing tech is critical:
- India must mandate joint ventures (like it did for ICE)
- Gradual market opening can follow, after tech absorption
Recommendations
- Mandate technology-sharing frameworks within FDI deals.
- Offer incentives for core component R&D, not just assembly.
- Build domestic battery value chain: mining, processing, recycling.
- Encourage public-private partnerships for advanced tech and innovation.
Significance
- Without tech transfer, India risks dependency on foreign players.
- A technology-led approach is essential for:
- Strategic autonomy
- Sustainable job creation
- Long-term competitiveness in the global EV market.
Exposomics for better environmental health
Current Challenges in Environmental Health
- Microplastics and other hazards in air, water, and living spaces are hard to detect with existing sensing technologies.
- India bears nearly 25% of the global environmental disease burden, highlighting an urgent need for new approaches.
- Present strategies are fragmented and reactive, lacking comprehensive risk assessment.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance ) ,GS 3(Environment and Ecology)
Practice Question : What is exposomics and how can it help transform India’s environmental health surveillance and risk management frameworks? Discuss its significance in addressing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases.(250 Words)
Magnitude of Environmental Disease Burden
- WHO & GBD 2021: OEH (Occupational & Environmental Health) risk factors caused:
- 18.9% of global deaths (12.8 million).
- 14.4% of global DALYs.
- PM2.5 alone: 4.7 million deaths.
- Household air pollution: 3.1 million deaths.
- In India alone:
- ~3 million deaths are due to OEH risks.
- Over 100 million DALYs lost.
- Over 50% of NCD burden is linked to OEH risks.
Current Limitations in Burden Estimation
- GBD covers only ~11 environmental risk categories due to data scarcity.
- Lacks inclusion of:
- Chemical mixtures, microplastics, environmental noise.
- Synergistic interactions between environmental, behavioural, genetic, and socio-economic factors.
- Climate change adds compounding risks: heatwaves, floods, air pollution, vector-borne diseases, and mental health.
What is Exposomics?
- Exposome: Totality of environmental exposures across a person’s life and their influence on health.
- Goes beyond traditional single-exposure models to assess cumulative and interactive risks.
- Complements genomics with Exposure-Wide Association Studies (EWAS), akin to GWAS.
Technologies Driving Exposomics
- Wearables & real-time sensors for personal exposure.
- Untargeted chemical analysis in biomonitoring.
- Organs-on-a-chip: Replicate human organ functions to understand toxicology.
- AI & Big Data: Integrate diverse datasets for predictive health modelling.
Why Exposomics Matters for India
- Can address inequities in environmental health and inform precision public health strategies.
- India can leapfrog using digital health platforms already being used in other domains.
- Exposomics enables:
- Holistic, scalable, and data-driven preventive health frameworks.
- Better understanding of disease causation and risk prioritization.
- Cost-effective interventions and early warning systems.
Way Forward
- Invest in exposomic capacity: labs, wearable tech, AI-based platforms.
- Develop interoperable data repositories to share harmonised exposure-health data.
- Integrate environmental risk monitoring into mainstream public health programmes.
- Align with global exposome efforts to drive scientific collaboration and policy reforms.
Aiming for an era of ‘biohappiness’ in India
Rich Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge
- India is a global biodiversity hotspot (8% of world’s biodiversity on 2% of land).
- Tribal communities (e.g., Nyishi, Apatani) possess deep knowledge of wild foods’ nutritional/medicinal value.
- Traditional diets in rural India include millets, legumes, tubers, greens, and wild fruits — largely unknown to urban India.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance) ,GS 3(Agriculture , Environment and Ecology)
Practice Question : India’s cultural and agrobiodiversity are crucial for nutrition security, rural livelihoods, and climate resilience. How can the idea of “biohappiness” reshape the development paradigm in the 21st century?(250 Words)
Alarming Biodiversity Loss
- Agrobiodiversity is declining rapidly, especially in Northeast India.
- Traditional culinary practices and food knowledge are disappearing alongside biological species.
- Mirrors global trends in biodiversity and cultural erosion.
Ecological and Economic Value
- Ecosystem services (forests, biodiversity) estimated at ₹130 trillion annually.
- Biodiversity underpins rural livelihoods and national development.
- Yet, policy and economic systems often overlook its value.
Global Food System Crisis
- Overdependence on rice, wheat, and maize (50% of calories) has:
- Reduced dietary diversity.
- Increased vulnerability to climate change.
- Contributed to rising NCDs (diabetes, obesity).
Opportunity in Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS)
- NUS (e.g., small millets, buckwheat, tubers) = “Opportunity Crops.”
- Benefits: nutrient-rich, climate-resilient, locally adapted.
- These crops support agroecology and cultural traditions but remain undervalued.
Case Study: Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu
- Traditional millet farming replaced by commercial crops (cassava, pepper).
- MSSRF’s interventions:
- Revived millet diversity through participatory research.
- Empowered women farmers.
- Improved soil, income, value addition, and documentation of knowledge.
Government Initiatives and Millets Revival
- Shree Anna Yojana and International Year of Millets → boost millet promotion.
- Focus areas:
- Production, processing, branding, awareness, exports.
- Example: Odisha Millet Mission—community-led seed-to-plate revival in Koraput.
- Need to diversify beyond ragi, jowar, bajra into minor millets.
- Inclusion of millets in Public Distribution System (PDS) is the next step.
Vision of Biohappiness & Evergreen Revolution
- M.S. Swaminathan’s “Evergreen Revolution” = ecological balance + nutrition security.
- “Biohappiness”: well-being derived from biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.
- Forgotten foods connect biodiversity, culture, and climate resilience.
Emerging Interdisciplinary Biodiversity Science
- Combines agriculture, nutrition, health, climate, disaster risk, and economy.
- Potential to create green jobs and address challenges for India’s 1.4 billion people.
- India can be a global leader in sustainable biodiversity use and human well-being.
Conclusion
- Restoring forgottencrops and foodpractices is vital for:
- Nutrition security.
- Cultural identity.
- Climate resilience.
- Livelihood generation.
- Transitioning to an era of biohappiness aligns with ecological and developmental goals.
