What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• What is Biotechnology?
• What are the benefits of BioE3 policy?

Why in News?

The Centre recently introduced the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment) policy, aimed at transforming industrial and manufacturing processes to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

While it appears to be a routine effort to boost the biotech sector, the policy focuses on using biotechnology to develop manufacturing methods that mimic natural biological processes. Experts describe it as a significant move toward the industrialization of biology, which could have a major impact on the economy.

What is Biotechnology?

• About
  • Biotechnology is a field of science that involves using living organisms, biological systems, or their components to develop products and technologies that improve various aspects of life.
  • It combines biology with technology to create solutions in areas like medicine, agriculture, environmental management, and industrial processes.
• Applications
  • Medical Biotechnology: Developing new drugs, vaccines, gene therapies, and diagnostic tools.
  • Agricultural Biotechnology: Creating genetically modified crops that are more resistant to pests, diseases, and environmental conditions, or have improved nutritional content.
  • Environmental Biotechnology: Using microorganisms to clean up pollutants in the environment, such as in bioremediation.
  • Industrial Biotechnology: Producing biofuels, biodegradable plastics, and other materials through biological processes instead of traditional chemical methods.
• Benefits
  • Emerging Possibilities in Biotechnology
    • Recent advancements in gene editing, protein synthesis, enzyme production using genetically modified organisms, and enhanced data processing with artificial intelligence have expanded the scope of biotechnology.
    • These breakthroughs have enabled the development of environment-friendly alternatives to traditional products and the replacement of chemical processes in industries with less polluting biological processes.
  • Sustainable Alternatives
    • Animal-Free Milk: Produced through precision fermentation, animal-free milk offers the same taste, texture, and nutritional benefits as natural milk, with a lower carbon footprint and increased supply.
    • Bioplastics: Biodegradable plastics like polylactic acid, made from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane, can replace traditional plastics, reducing environmental hazards.
  • Carbon Capture and Storage
    • Biotechnology offers innovative solutions for capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide.
    • Unlike traditional chemical-based carbon capture methods, biological processes using microorganisms can convert CO2 into useful compounds like biofuels, eliminating the need for storage.
  • Synthetic Biology and Organ Engineering
    • Synthetic biology enables the design of novel organisms and biochemicals with specific functions.
    • Organogenesis, or organ engineering, allows for the growth of organs in laboratories, potentially reducing the reliance on organ donors for transplants.
  • The Future of Biotechnology
    • While some biotechnological alternatives, like animal-free milk, are already available in certain markets, many technologies are still under development.
    • Challenges such as scalability, financial constraints, and regulatory hurdles remain, but the potential of biotechnology is vast and continues to unfold.

What are the benefits of BioE3 policy?

• Introduction to BioE3 Policy
  • The BioE3 policy is India's strategic initiative to prepare for a future where biotechnology plays a critical role in transforming the economy and industrial processes.
  • Although not expected to yield immediate economic benefits, the policy aims to build competencies, promote research, and train talent for long-term gains as these technologies mature.
• Economic Impact of Biomanufacturing
  • Biomanufacturing projected to have a significant economic impact, estimated to be worth $2-4 trillion over the next decade.
• Biomanufacturing involves using biological organisms or processes in industrial production.
  • This is just one aspect of the broader integration of biology into economic processes that the BioE3 policy seeks to advance.
• Strategic Alignment with Other Initiatives
  • The BioE3 policy is aligned with other recent government missions, such as the Artificial Intelligence Mission, Quantum Mission, and Green Hydrogen Mission.
  • These initiatives aim to position India at the forefront of emerging technologies that will soon become essential to the global economy and address critical challenges like climate change and energy security.
• Establishment of Biomanufacturing Hubs
  • The policy envisions the creation of several biomanufacturing hubs across India.
  • These hubs will serve as centers where industry partners and start-ups can produce specialized chemicals, smart proteins, enzymes, functional foods, and other bio-products. The focus will be on six key areas:
• Bio-Based Chemicals and Enzymes
• Functional Foods and Smart Proteins
• Precision Biotherapeutics
• Climate Resilient Agriculture
• Carbon Capture and Utilisation
• Futuristic Marine and Space Research
• Futuristic Marine and Space Research
  • The policy also emphasizes futuristic research, such as developing life support systems for astronauts that recycle waste and produce oxygen and food in space.
  • This involves growing special plants or microorganisms in space habitats.
  • Marine research under the policy could lead to the production of novel compounds and enzymes from marine organisms, with applications in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Q.1. What is the BioE3 policy?

The BioE3 policy is India's strategic initiative to use biotechnology for transforming industrial processes, making them more sustainable and environmentally friendly, with a long-term goal of boosting the economy through biomanufacturing and related innovations.

Q.2. How will biomanufacturing impact India's economy?

Biomanufacturing is expected to have a significant economic impact, projected at $2-4 trillion over the next decade. It involves using biological processes in industrial production, contributing to the broader integration of biology into economic systems.

Source: How can biotechnology be harnessed for economic development?

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in the News?
• About Hydrogen
• Types of Hydrogen
• India’s Green Hydrogen Production goals w.r.t. other countries
• Present Capacity
• Challenges associated with Green Hydrogen
• News Summary
• About SIGHT Program

Why in the News?

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has exempted export-oriented green hydrogen projects from its solar module shortlist of domestic manufacturers.
• This aimed at enabling green hydrogen projects to lower costs to the level of grey hydrogen.

About Hydrogen

• Hydrogen is the lightest chemical element.
• It is colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, and highly combustible.
• It is the 3rd most abundant element in the human body.
  • The two most abundant elements in human body are Oxygen and Carbon.
• Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe, constituting roughly 75% of all normal matter.
• Hydrogen can be produced from a range of resources including fossil fuels, nuclear energy, biomass and renewable energy sources.

Types of Hydrogen

• Depending on production methods, hydrogen can be Grey, Blue or Green.
• Grey Hydrogen:
  • Grey hydrogen is created from natural gas, or methane, using Steam Methane Reformation (SMR) but without capturing the greenhouse gases made in the process.
  • In SMR, high-temperature steam (700°C–1,000°C) is used to produce hydrogen from a methane source, such as natural gas.
  • The CO2 produced in this process is released directly into the atmosphere.
  • Unfortunately this accounts from roughly 95% of the hydrogen produced in the world today.
• Blue Hydrogen:
  • Hydrogen is labelled blue whenever the carbon generated from steam reforming is captured and stored underground through industrial carbon capture and storage (CSS).
  • Blue hydrogen is, therefore, sometimes referred to as carbon neutral as the emissions are not dispersed in the atmosphere.
  • However, some argue that “low carbon” would be a more accurate description, as 10-20% of the generated carbon cannot be captured.
  • It has significant cost and emissions advantages.
• Green Hydrogen:
  • Green hydrogen is produced by using clean energy from surplus renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, to split water into two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom through a process called electrolysis.
  • This makes green hydrogen the cleanest option – hydrogen from renewable energy sources without CO2 as a by-product.
  • It currently makes up about 0.1% of overall hydrogen production, but this is expected to rise as the cost of renewable energy continues to fall.

India’s Green Hydrogen Production goals w.r.t. other countries

• In August 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the National Hydrogen Mission as a step towards environmental security and to make India a global hub for the production and export of green hydrogen.
• India plans to manufacture 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year by 2030.
  • This would be half of the European Union’s 2030 target of 10 million tonnes.
• On the other hand, China announced a relatively shorter-term target to produce up to 2,00,000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen by 2025.
• Spain, Germany and France have announced their commitment to install 4 GW, 5GW and 6.5 GW of green hydrogen respectively, by 2030.

Present Capacity

• There are 26 hydrogen projects in India, with a total capacity of 255,000 tonnes per year.
• However, a majority of these announced projects are still in their early stages.
• Only around 8,000 tonnes per year of capacity is expected to be operational by 2024.

Challenges associated with Green Hydrogen

• Technology:
  • Electrolysis is the process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
  • By running an electrical current through water, the membrane and electrolyte can separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen.
  • Green hydrogen needs electrolysers to be built on a scale larger than we've yet seen.
• Transportation & Storage:
  • Either very high pressures or very high temperatures are required, both with their own technical difficulties.
• Electricity:
  • Creating green hydrogen needs a huge amount of electricity, which means an exponential increase in the amount of wind and solar power to meet global targets.

News Summary

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has granted exemptions to export-oriented green hydrogen projects from its Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), which mandates the use of domestically produced solar modules.
• This exemption allows such projects to use cheaper imported modules, significantly reducing production costs and enhancing cost-competitiveness against grey hydrogen.
• This move aims to expand global demand for green hydrogen, where India has a focus on exports. India aims to produce 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen by 2030, with projects already announced for 7.5 MMT.
• MNRE has also allocated Rs 17,490 crore under its SIGHT program for electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen capacity, along with Rs 400 crore for R&D projects.
• Other incentives include the waiving of transmission charges and environmental clearance requirements for green hydrogen projects.

About SIGHT Program

• The SIGHT (Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition) program is an initiative by the Government of India aimed at promoting the production and adoption of green hydrogen in the country.
• Key Features Include:
  • Focus on Electrolyser Manufacturing: The program aims to boost domestic manufacturing of electrolysers, which are essential for producing green hydrogen through renewable energy sources.
  • Green Hydrogen Production: It also encourages the establishment of green hydrogen production facilities in India, with an emphasis on making the country a global leader in green hydrogen exports.
  • Financial Allocation: The Indian government has allocated Rs 17,490 crore under the SIGHT program. This financial support is intended to incentivize investments in electrolyser manufacturing, green hydrogen projects, and other related infrastructure.
  • Boosting Employment and Investment: By fostering a green hydrogen industry, the program is expected to create job opportunities and attract both domestic and international investments in clean energy technologies.
  • Incentives and Policy Support: The program includes incentives such as waiving transmission charges for green hydrogen projects and providing funds for research and development (R&D).

Q1. What is green hydrogen?

Green hydrogen is defined as hydrogen produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity.

Q2. What is India's 2030 target for renewable energy?

India aims to increase renewables capacity to 500 GW by 2030, meet 50% of energy requirements from renewables, reduce cumulative emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030, and reduce the emissions intensity of India's gross domestic product (GDP) by 45% by 2030.

Source: Exempted export-oriented green hydrogen projects from solar module shortlist to lower costs: MNRE Sec

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Zero FIRs

Why in News?

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that 'zero FIRs' recorded in local languages are accompanied by a translated copy of the same when forwarded to states with different languages.

This directive aims to preserve the legal value of FIRs. Complying, the UTs have started sending out the original zero FIRs along with their English translation.

Zero FIRs

• About FIRs
  • The term first information report (FIR) is not defined in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1973 or in any other law.
  • In police regulations or rules, information recorded under Section 154 of CrPC is known as FIR.
  • Section 154 states that every information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence, if given orally to an officer in charge of a police station, shall be reduced to writing.
  • A copy of the information (as recorded) shall be given (free of cost) to the informant.
• In essence, 3 important elements of an FIR:
  • the information must relate to the commission of a cognizable offence,
  • it should be given in writing or orally to the head of the police station and
  • it must be written down and signed by the informant, and its key points should be recorded in a daily diary.
• Zero FIRs
  • A zero FIR can be filed in any Police Station by the victim, irrespective of their residence or the place of occurrence of crime.
  • A police station that receives a complaint regarding an alleged offence committed in the jurisdiction of another police station, registers an FIR and then transfers it to the relevant police station for further investigation.
• No regular FIR number is given and after receiving the Zero FIR, the revenant police station registers a fresh FIR and starts the investigation.
  • It came up after the recommendation in the report of the Justice Verma Committee set up after the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case to suggest amendments to the Criminal Law.
  • The objective of a Zero FIR is to ensure the victim doesn’t have to run from pillar to post to get a police complaint registered.
  • The provision is meant to provide speedy redressal to the victim so that timely action can be taken after the filing of the FIR.
• FIR under new criminal laws
  • The three new criminal laws came into effect from July 1, 2024.
• The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, replaced the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.
  • Under the new laws, a person can now report incidents by electronic communication, without the need to physically visit a police station.
• This allows for easier and quicker reporting, facilitating prompt action by the police.
  • Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) police are now bound to register a ‘zero FIR’.
• Under Section 176 (3) of BNSS, collection of forensic evidence and video-recording of the crime scene in case of offences punishable with seven years or more is mandatory.
• If the forensic facility is not available in a state, it can notify the utilisation of such facility of any other state.
  • Victims will receive a free copy of the FIR, ensuring their participation in the legal process.

Q.1. What is a Zero FIR?

A Zero FIR is an FIR that can be filed at any police station, regardless of jurisdiction. It ensures the victim can register a complaint without delays, and the FIR is later transferred to the appropriate police station for investigation.

Q.2. Why must Zero FIRs be translated?

The MHA has mandated translations of Zero FIRs when forwarded to states with different languages to preserve their legal accuracy and value, ensuring clear communication during cross-state investigations under the new criminal laws.

Source: Zero FIRs filed in local languages must have translated copy: MHA to UTs | Indian Express | Hindustan Times

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Highlights of the WB’s Forecast on the Indian Economy
• Opportunities and Challenges for the Indian Economy

Why in News?

The World Bank (WB) revised its forecast for India's GDP growth to 7% for FY25 from 6.6% previously, citing increases in household real estate investments and investments in infrastructure.

Highlights of the WB’s Forecast on the Indian Economy:

• GDP growth: India was the fastest-growing major economy at 8.2% last fiscal and is expected to grow at 7% this fiscal year and 6.7% in FY26.
• Industrial growth: It is expected to slow to 7.3% in FY26 compared to 7.6% in FY25. Industrial growth has recovered to 9.5% in FY24 after Covid-19 related disruptions.
• Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF): GFCF is expected to slow to 7.8% in FY25 compared to 9.0% in FY24. The GFCF growth rate stood at 6.6% in FY23.
• Service sector growth: Amid a globally weakening IT investment climate, the service sector growth is also expected to slip to 7.4% in FY25 and to 7.1 per cent in FY26, compared to 7.6 per cent in FY24.
• Agricultural growth: It is expected to register a sharp jump to 4.1% in FY25, compared to 1.4% in FY24.
• Export-Import: The World Bank predicted 7.2% growth in the exports of goods and services during FY25 compared to FY24. The growth of imports is expected to be 4.1% in FY25 compared to 10.9% in FY24.

Opportunities and Challenges for the Indian Economy:

• Export sector:
  • India can expand its export portfolio by increasing its exports of electronics, green technology items, textiles, garments, and footwear in addition to its strengths in IT, business services, and pharmaceuticals.
  • However, India has been losing ground to rivals in the labour-intensive apparel and footwear sectors.
  • India’s share in global apparel exports fell from 4% in 2018 to 3% in 2022 due to increased production costs and decreasing productivity.
  • Meanwhile, countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Poland, Germany, and France have managed to increase their global export share in major job-creating sectors by up to 2% between 2015 to 2022.
• Trade barriers:
  • The global trade landscape has witnessed increased protectionism in recent years. The post-pandemic reconfiguration of global value chains has created opportunities for India.
  • India has boosted its competitiveness through the National Logistics Policy (NLP) and digital initiatives that are reducing trade costs.
  • However, tariff and non-tariff barriers have increased and could limit the potential for trade-focused investments.
• Current account deficit (CAD):
  • The CAD stood at 0.7% in FY24 compared to 2% in FY23.
  • Foreign exchange reserves reached an all-time high of $670.1 billion (in August 2023), equivalent to 11 months' worth of spending, thanks to a falling CAD and robust inflows from foreign portfolio investments.
  • However, the WB predicted a steady widening of the CAD from 1.1% in FY25 to 1.2% in FY26 and 1.6% in FY27.
• Jobs in India:
  • While India is the fastest-growing major economy, urban youth unemployment remains high at 17%.
  • Jobs in India generated directly and indirectly connected to international trade have declined over the last decade.
  • The country has missed out on the export opportunity presented by China’s withdrawal from labour-intensive manufacturing sectors.
  • To create more trade-related jobs, India can integrate more deeply into global value chains, which will also create opportunities for innovation and productivity growth.

Q.1. What is the National Logistics Policy (NLP)?

India's NLP is a transformative initiative launched by the government (in 2022) to increase efficiency across the logistics and supply chain sector. It aims to decrease the overall logistics cost from an estimated 13-14% of the GDP to a competitive 8%, aligning India with global standards.

Q.2. Why is the growth of labour-intensive sectors important for India?

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there is “no alternative” for India to have growth led by labour-intensive manufacturing at least for the next 10 years to absorb seven-eight million youths who will join the labour force annually.

Source: World Bank pegs India’s growth at 7% in FY25 | IE | IE