Daily Editorial Analysis 13 January 2026

Why Article 6 is a Powerful Tool for India

Context

• The operationalisation of carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement marks a defining moment in global climate governance.
• The decisions at COP29 made the mechanisms under Article 6 fully functional, enabling countries to cooperate through market-based climate actions that mobilize finance, technology, and capacity at scale.

The Global Shift: Operationalising Article 6

• At COP29, Parties finalized the two core mechanisms of Article 6:
  • Article 6.2, which allows bilateral and plurilateral trading of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), and
  • Article 6.4, which established the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, replacing the Clean Development Mechanism.
• Momentum behind these mechanisms is increasing rapidly. Eighty-nine cooperation arrangements across 58 Parties illustrate a shift toward collaborative pathways for emissions reduction and climate innovation.
• The adoption of the Article 6.4 mechanism introduced a more transparent, accountable, and globally harmonized framework, strengthening environmental integrity and enhancing confidence among market participants.

India’s Entry into Article 6: Strategic Significance

• India formally entered the global carbon market landscape in August 2025 by signing the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) with Japan, effectively operationalizing Article 6.2.
• This development signalled a new phase in India’s international climate diplomacy and broadened the channels through which it can pursue low-carbon
• India’s participation offers access to advanced technology transfer, climate-aligned investment, research collaboration, and stronger bilateral partnerships.
• Beyond financial gains from credit trading, the deeper value lies in leveraging Article 6 to accelerate industrial modernization and secure competitive advantages in a world increasingly shaped by carbon-constrained trade regimes.
• For an economy balancing rapid growth with sustainability goals, these mechanisms can act as catalysts for structural transformation.

Aligning Article 6 with Domestic Priorities

• Article 6 establishes a framework for cooperation while ensuring rigorous accounting to avoid double counting of emissions reductions.
• India’s initial activities under the JCM demonstrate how such cooperation can align with national development priorities.
• To operationalise Article 6.2 and 6.4, India has identified 13 eligible technologies spanning critical sectors such as renewable energy with storage, offshore wind, solar thermal power, green hydrogen, compressed bio-gas, sustainable aviation fuel, high-efficiency industrial systems, and emerging fuel-cell mobility solutions.
• These technologies are central to reducing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors and to supporting the country’s broader industrial competitiveness.
• As India continues to rely on coal for power generation, diversification through offshore wind, marine energy, and large-scale storage enhances resilience and future-proofs the energy system.
• In carbon-intensive industries such as steelmaking and cement, green hydrogen and carbon capture provide viable pathways for deep decarbonisation.
• Each of these interventions contributes to long-term economic growth while aligning with national climate objectives and global expectations.

From Intent to Implementation: Challenges Ahead

• Strengthening Domestic Governance

  • India has appointed a Designated National Authority for Article 6, but further clarity is needed on authorisation procedures, corresponding adjustments, and the legal and regulatory framework governing carbon crediting and trading.

• Accelerating Project Clearances

  • Current market experience shows that project validation and approval procedures remain lengthy and fragmented, especially for land-based sectors.
  • A single-window clearance system supported by a Cabinet-level steering committee would significantly reduce transaction costs and enhance investor certainty.

• Building a Removals Market

  • Global demand for carbon removals is rising as governments and corporations pursue net-zero
  • Article 6 offers India a platform to scale removal-based credits through activities like biochar and enhanced rock weathering, positioning the country as a competitive supplier of high-quality removals in the medium term.

• Strengthening South–South Collaboration

  • India is well-placed to support developing countries in establishing shared MRV systems, digital infrastructure, and financing models, thereby expanding participation in global carbon markets and enhancing equity.

Conclusion

• India’s engagement under Article 6 represents a strategic move toward accessing advanced technologies, attracting climate-aligned capital, and deepening international partnerships.
• With robust domestic frameworks and accelerated implementation, Article 6 can serve as a lever for industrial upgrading and long-term decarbonisation.
• The true potential of Article 6 lies not merely in transactions of credits, but in reshaping global climate cooperation to enable shared prosperity and resilient development in a rapidly changing world.

Why Article 6 is a Powerful Tool for India FAQs

 Q1. What major development at COP29 affected Article 6 of the Paris Agreement?
Ans. COP29 made Article 6 fully operational, allowing countries to trade emissions reductions through formal carbon market mechanisms.

Q2. Why is India’s participation in Article 6 considered strategically important?
Ans. India’s participation is important because it can access advanced technologies, climate finance, and strengthened international partnerships while accelerating its low-carbon transition.

Q3. What mechanism did India activate by signing the JCM with Japan in 2025?
Ans. India activated Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement by signing the Joint Crediting Mechanism with Japan in 2025.

Q4. Which sectors has India prioritized for early Article 6 projects?
Ans. India has prioritized sectors such as renewable energy with storage, offshore wind, green hydrogen, fuel-cell mobility, and sustainable aviation fuel.

Q5. What key challenge must India address to fully leverage Article 6?
Ans. India must strengthen its domestic regulatory framework and streamline project clearances to efficiently implement Article 6 activities.

A Bill That Reimagines Higher Education Regulation

Context

“Education imparted is useless, unless one learns how to live with the society.” – Poet Tiruvalluvar in his 140th Thirukkural.

• Reflecting the above idea of Tiruvalluvar, the National Education Policy 2020 seeks to impart holistic and socially relevant education.
• To realise the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, India requires citizens capable of leadership.
• The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2025, aims to reimagine higher education institutions to develop such citizens.
• This article highlights how the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 seeks to reform India’s higher education regulation by aligning it with Tiruvalluvar’s vision of socially relevant education, the National Education Policy 2020, and the national goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, through streamlined regulation, transparency, and outcome-oriented governance.

Need for Change in Higher Education Regulation

• India’s higher education system has expanded rapidly in scale, but its regulatory framework has not kept pace.
• Multiple statutory bodies with overlapping mandates have resulted in excessive approvals, inspections, and compliance requirements.
• This over-regulation diverts institutions from their core functions of teaching, research, and innovation, forcing them to focus more on processes than outcomes and limiting flexibility, collaboration, and curriculum updates.
• NEP 2020 and the Rationale for Reform
  • The National Education Policy 2020 acknowledged these challenges and proposed a “light but tight” regulatory framework.
    • A framework that ensures transparency and quality while reducing procedural burdens and granting greater autonomy to well-performing institutions.
  • The emphasis is on accountability through outcomes rather than paperwork-driven oversight.

Key Reforms Proposed in the Bill

• Structural Reforms

  • The Bill advances this vision by replacing fragmented oversight with coordinated standards, streamlined regulation, and credible quality assurance.
  • Anchored in Entry 66 of the Union List, it establishes an apex umbrella body—the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan—with three distinct councils for regulation, accreditation, and standard-setting.
  • This clear separation of roles is intended to enhance credibility and avoid conflicts of interest.

• Unifying the Regulatory Architecture

  • To modernise governance, the Bill proposes repealing the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987, and the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993.
  • This would bring relevant higher education institutions under a single, unified framework for coordinated standard-setting and oversight.

• Transparency Through Technology

  • The Bill also envisages a technology-enabled single-window system based on public self-disclosure.
  • Institutions would publish key information on governance, finances, infrastructure, faculty, programmes, and outcomes, ensuring continuous transparency and forming the basis for accreditation and public accountability.

Key Impact

• Youth Empowerment and Learning Outcomes

  • The Bill can enable youth empowerment at scale by streamlining regulation, expanding access to quality institutions, and helping raise the Gross Enrolment Ratio through faster capacity-building and programme expansion.
  • It redirects institutional focus toward meaningful teaching, interdisciplinary learning, and lifelong reskilling and upskilling.

• Students as Active Stakeholders

  • By institutionalising student feedback on academic quality and the learning experience, along with robust grievance redress mechanisms, the Bill empowers students to become active stakeholders.
  • This enables them to demand quality, reward good governance, and contribute to institutional improvement through structured feedback.

• Global Standards with Indian Priorities

  • The Bill can accelerate the adoption of global best practices while remaining rooted in Indian priorities.
  • A coherent standards framework supports learner and faculty mobility, collaborative research, and international credibility based on outcomes, ethics, research culture, and student experience—helping attract global talent while retaining Indian students and faculty.

• Transparent and Smart Governance

  • The Bill modernises governance through a faceless, technology-enabled single-window system that reduces discretion and delays, promotes integrity, and improves predictability.
  • Meaningful, audited public disclosure builds trust, while differentiated autonomy for well-performing institutions enables excellence and diversity without compromising quality.

• Outcome-Oriented Regulation

  • Overall, the Bill advances smarter regulation—focused on outcomes, learner welfare, and national priorities—by combining common standards with responsive oversight and autonomy as a tool for institutional excellence.

Atmanirbharta through Accountable and Innovative Higher Education

• Atmanirbharta in higher education lies in empowering institutions to pursue ambitious goals, innovate responsibly, and remain accountable to society.
• By aligning standards, regulation, and accreditation into a coherent and transparent framework, the Bill can help nurture the socially responsible and capable citizens envisioned by Tiruvalluvar.

A Bill That Reimagines Higher Education Regulation FAQs

Q1. Why was regulatory reform in higher education considered necessary?

Ans. India’s higher education expanded rapidly, but fragmented and overlapping regulators created excessive compliance, diverting institutions from teaching, research, innovation, and timely curriculum reforms.

Q2. How does the Bill reflect the vision of NEP 2020?

Ans. The Bill operationalises NEP 2020’s “light but tight” approach by reducing procedural burdens, ensuring transparency, strengthening standards, and granting greater autonomy to well-performing institutions.

Q3. What structural changes does the Bill propose?

Ans. It establishes an apex Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan with separate councils for regulation, accreditation, and standards, ensuring clarity of roles and reducing conflicts of interest.

Q4. How does the Bill promote transparency and accountability?

Ans. Through a technology-enabled single-window system based on public self-disclosure, audited information, and reduced discretion, fostering trust, predictability, and informed public accountability.

Q5. How can the Bill contribute to Atmanirbharta in higher education?

Ans. By empowering institutions to innovate responsibly, meet global benchmarks, remain accountable to society, and nurture capable, socially conscious citizens aligned with national development goals.

Source: TH

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