National Voters’ Day and Changing Electoral Behaviour in India

National Voters’ Day and Changing Electoral Behaviour in India

(For UPSC Civil Services Aspirants)

Introduction

Observed annually on January 25, National Voters’ Day seeks to strengthen democratic participation by promoting electoral awareness. Close on the heels of this occasion, an examination of voter participation and political behaviour over the past decade provides important insights into the functioning and maturity of Indian democracy. Data from Lokniti–CSDS surveys highlight notable patterns of continuity and gradual transformation in electoral turnout, women’s participation, voter autonomy, and political efficacy.

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Trends in Electoral Turnout: Stability Amid Scale

India’s general elections over the last decade demonstrate remarkable stability in voter turnout, underscoring the robustness of its electoral institutions.

• 2014: 66.44%

• 2019: 67.40%

• 2024: 66.10%

Despite the logistical complexity of conducting elections in the world’s largest democracy, turnout has remained consistently high. This reflects sustained public faith in the electoral process and effective administrative mechanisms of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

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Women’s Participation: A Gradual but Structural Shift

While women’s turnout historically lagged behind men’s, the last decade shows a narrowing gender gap:

• 2014: 65.54%

• 2019: 67.18%

• 2024: 65.78%

Though participation stabilised slightly in 2024, it remains higher than a decade ago, indicating a structural improvement rather than a temporary surge.

Factors Behind the Rise:

• Targeted voter awareness campaigns

• Improved access to polling stations

• Administrative innovations such as women-managed booths

• Enhanced safety and facilitation measures

These developments point to increasing political autonomy and confidence among women, even as deeper socio-cultural constraints persist.

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Vote Efficacy and Democratic Trust

Lokniti’s 2024 pre-poll survey reveals a strong sense of political efficacy:

• 56% of voters believe their vote influences governance

• Around 20% feel voting makes no difference

This indicates sustained trust in electoral institutions and growing expectations of accountability and performance-based politics, especially among younger voters.

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Women’s Political Interest Across Levels of Governance

A Lokniti-CSDS study conducted with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) highlights a continuum of women’s political engagement:

• Local politics: Nearly 50% show moderate to high interest

• State politics: 44%

• National politics: 38%

Women’s engagement is strongest where governance outcomes are visible and immediate, such as local government. This layered interest structure offers a strong base for expanding women’s participation at higher levels of political decision-making.

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Voter Autonomy and Independent Decision-Making

Contrary to popular perceptions of family or community dominance, Lokniti data reveal that independent voting remains the norm.

• Independent voters (2014): ~60%

• Independent voters (2024): 59%

Institutional Enablers:

• Secret ballot (since 1951–52)

• Electronic Voting Machines (2004)

• VVPAT systems (2013)

These mechanisms allow voters to receive advice without compromising the privacy of their final choice.

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Gender, Geography, and Voting Independence

• Men: Independent voting increased from 65% (2014) to 66% (2024)

• Women: Increased marginally from 51% to 52%

• Rural voters: Rose from 56% to 60%

• Urban voters: Slight dip from 62% to 59%

Notably, rural voters exhibit levels of autonomy comparable to urban voters, challenging long-held assumptions about political dependence in rural India.

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Conclusion

A decade-long view of electoral behaviour in India reveals continuity with gradual transformation. Voter turnout remains stable, women’s participation shows sustained improvement, confidence in the ballot persists, and independent decision-making cuts across gender, class, and geography. These trends underline the resilience of India’s electoral institutions and the growing maturity of its democratic culture.

As National Voters’ Day reminds citizens of the value of participation, the evidence suggests that Indian voters are not only engaged but are increasingly exercising their agency with awareness and autonomy.

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UPSC Examination Relevance

GS Paper II (Polity & Governance):

• Electoral reforms

• Role of Election Commission of India

• Democratic participation and representation

Essay Paper:

• “Democracy beyond elections”

• “Women’s participation in political processes”

Prelims:

• VVPAT, EVMs

• National Voters’ Day

• Lokniti-CSDS surveys

If you want, I can also:

• Convert this into a 250-word Mains answer

• Extract data-rich points for essays

• Prepare Prelims MCQs from this content

 

Supreme Court on Acid Attacks: Asset Seizure, Deterrence & Victim-Centric Justice

UPSC Prelims & Mains-Oriented Analysis

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Why in News?

In 2026, the Supreme Court of India recommended seizure and auction of assets of convicted acid attackers to compensate victims. The Court stressed the need for extraordinary punitive measures and called for legislative intervention by the Centre.

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Key Observations of the Supreme Court

1. Asset Seizure as Punishment & Compensation

• SC suggested:

  • All assets of convicted acid attackers be identified

  • Embargo on third-party transfer

  • Transparent auction

  • Proceeds to be paid to victims

• Police to:

  • Investigate assets

  • Submit details along with chargesheet

📌 Prelims Angle: Expansion of victim compensation jurisprudence.

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2. Deterrence Over Reformative Justice

• Chief Justice Surya Kant:

  • Acid attacks require punitive measures beyond ordinary criminal law

  • “Reformative approach has no place for acid attackers”

• Emphasised:

  • Punishment must be “extremely painful” to deter future crimes

  • Especially important to protect young women and children

📌 Ethics Paper IV: Deterrence vs reformative justice debate.

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Acid Attack: Not an Ordinary Crime

Supreme Court’s Strong Comparison

• SC stated:

  • Acid attack should not be seen as less serious than dowry death

• Suggested:

  • Shifting the burden of proof onto the accused

  • Creating a special sentencing framework

  • Removing it from general sentencing policy

📌 Mains GS II: Judicial call for stricter legislative framework.

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Petition by Shaheen Malik (Acid Attack Survivor)

Human Dimension (Important for Ethics & Essay)

• Survivor of acid attack in her 20s

• Underwent 25 surgeries

• Described:

  • Extreme physical and mental trauma

  • Loss of identity and vision

• Case timeline:

  • 16 years of legal struggle

  • Accused acquitted by trial court

  • Appeal pending in High Court

Supreme Court’s Response

• Offered:

  • Best legal aid counsel

  • Direction to expedite High Court hearing

📌 Ethics: Empathy, dignity, access to justice.

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Directions Issued to States (Highly Prelims-Relevant)

The Supreme Court ordered States to submit detailed data, including:

Data on Acid Attack Cases

• Year-wise incidents

• Number of chargesheets

• Cases decided

• Pending appeals

Victim-Centric Details

• Brief particulars of each victim

• Academic qualifications

• Employment status

• Marital status

• Medical treatment received

• Expenditure under State rehabilitation schemes

Special Focus

• Victims forcibly made to ingest acid

• Details of special schemes for acid attack survivors

📌 Prelims Trap: Court seeking socio-economic profiling, not just crime data.

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Acid Attack Pending Cases: State-wise Data

State	Pending Cases
Uttar Pradesh	198
West Bengal	160
Gujarat	114
Bihar	68
Maharashtra	58

📌 Prelims: Uttar Pradesh has the highest number.

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Constitutional & Legal Framework (Quick Revision)

Relevant IPC Provisions

• Section 326A: Acid attack (minimum 10 years to life imprisonment + fine)

• Section 326B: Attempt to acid attack

Constitutional Articles

• Article 21: Right to life with dignity

• Article 14: Equality before law

• Article 15(3): Special provisions for women

Victim Compensation

• Section 357A CrPC: Victim Compensation Scheme

• Supreme Court expanding scope beyond statutory limits

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Why This Judgment Matters (UPSC Perspective)

Governance & Polity

• Pushes for victim-centric criminal justice

• Strengthens State accountability

Women & Social Justice

• Recognises acid attack as a gendered crime

• Addresses long-term rehabilitation

Judicial Activism

• Court nudging legislature for policy reform

• Expands interpretation of punishment and compensation

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Likely UPSC Prelims MCQ

Q. With reference to acid attack cases in India, consider the following statements:

1. The Supreme Court has suggested seizure and auction of assets of convicted acid attackers for victim compensation.

2. Acid attacks are presently treated under a special sentencing policy separate from general criminal law.

3. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of pending acid attack cases among States.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: 1 and 3 only

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Mains Answer Value Addition (One Line)

“The Supreme Court’s approach marks a decisive shift from offender-centric reform to victim-centric deterrence, reaffirming dignity as the core of Article 21.”

 

India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA): “Mother of All Deals”

Complete UPSC Prelims-Oriented Analysis (2026 Focus)

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Why in News?

After nearly 20 years of negotiations (since 2007), India and the European Union finalised a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2026. Leaders on both sides have described it as the “mother of all deals”, highlighting not just economic but also geopolitical significance.

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At a Glance (Prelims Must-Remember)

Aspect	Details
Parties	India & European Union (27 nations)
Negotiations began	2007
Talks resumed	2022
Finalised	2026
Nature	India’s largest-ever FTA
Global trade share	~ 1/3rd of global trade
Entry into force	Expected within calendar year 2026

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Strategic & Geopolitical Significance

• Comes amid global trade uncertainty due to:

  • U.S. tariff regime

  • Fragmentation of global supply chains

• Seen as a move to:

  • Reduce strategic dependencies

  • Strengthen rules-based trade order

• Leaders’ statements reflect geoeconomic alignment:

  • PM Modi: “Strengthen stability amid global turmoil”

  • Ursula von der Leyen: “Cooperation is the best answer to global challenges”

📌 Prelims Angle: Increasing importance of trade blocs and economic diplomacy.

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Market Access: Who Gained What?

EU Concessions to India

• 99.5% of Indian exports to EU get tariff reduction

• 97% of tariff lines covered

• 90.7% of exports → Zero duty from Day 1

• Another 2.9% → duty elimination in 3–5 years

• Remaining 6% → tariff reductions (not full elimination)

Key Indian Export Sectors Benefiting (Zero Duty)

Sector	Current EU Tariffs
Marine products	Up to 26%
Chemicals	12.8%
Plastics & rubber	6.5%
Leather footwear	17%
Textiles & apparel	12%
Base metals	10%
Gems & jewellery	4%
Furniture	10.5%
Toys & sports goods	4.7%

💡 Labour-intensive sectors worth ₹2.87 lakh crore (~$33 bn) benefit directly → employment boost

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India’s Concessions to EU

• 97.5% of EU exports to India covered

• 92.1% of tariff lines see duty cuts/elimination

Type of Reduction	Share
Immediate duty elimination	49.6%
Phased elimination (5–10 yrs)	39.5%
Phased reduction	3%

EU Sectors Gaining Duty-Free or Lower Access

• Machinery & electrical equipment

• Aircraft & spacecraft

• Optical, medical & surgical equipment

• Pharmaceuticals

• Chemicals

• Motor vehicles

• Iron & steel

• Precious stones & metals

• Select agricultural products

📌 Prelims Trap: India has not fully opened agriculture or dairy.

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Sensitive Sectors Excluded (Very Important for MCQs)

Protected by India

• Agriculture

• Dairy sector

Protected by EU (Tariffs Retained On)

• Beef

• Sugar

• Rice

• Chicken meat

• Milk powder

• Honey

• Bananas

• Soft wheat

• Garlic

• Ethanol

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Automobiles & Wine: Key Compromise

• European luxury cars (> ₹25 lakh):

  • Import duty reduced from 110% to as low as 10%

  • Subject to quota-based system

• Similar quota approach used for wine imports

📌 Prelims Tip: Reduction is not blanket, but quota-based.

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Services Trade Commitments

EU Commitments

• 144 services sub-sectors

• Includes:

  • IT / ITeS

  • Professional services

  • Education

  • Business services

India Commitments

• 102 services sub-sectors

• Covers EU priorities:

  • Professional services

  • Telecommunications

  • Maritime

  • Financial services

  • Environmental services

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Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

What Was Agreed?

• India & EU reached a limited agreement

• Key features:

  • Indian carbon footprint verifiers can get EU accreditation

  • Automatic extension to India if EU grants CBAM concessions to any third country

📌 Prelims Hot Topic: CBAM + climate-linked trade barriers.

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Ratification Process (Procedural Questions Possible)

1. Text clean-up (10–15 days)

2. Legal scrubbing

3. Translation into EU languages

4. Approval by:

   • 27 EU Member States

   • European Parliament

5. Entry into force → Expected in 2026

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Why This FTA Matters for India (Exam Summary)

• Boosts exports & manufacturing

• Strengthens Make in India

• Improves access to high-tech EU goods

• Helps India integrate into global value chains

• Enhances geopolitical positioning vis-à-vis China & U.S.

• Protects sensitive sectors while opening competitive ones

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Prelims Practice MCQ (Try This)

Q. With reference to the India–EU Free Trade Agreement, consider the following statements:

1. The EU will eliminate tariffs on more than 99% of Indian exports by value.

2. India has fully opened its dairy sector under the agreement.

3. Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) concessions to any third country will automatically apply to India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: 1 and 3 only

Entomophagy and the Politics of Food: Why Insects Discomfort the Urban Imagination

 

Entomophagy and the Politics of Food: Why Insects Discomfort the Urban Imagination

The idea of eating insects often provokes discomfort even before questions of taste or nutrition arise. At a recent edible-insects stall at the Science Gallery in Bengaluru, visitors oscillated between curiosity and disgust, revealing how deeply cultural norms shape what is considered “food”. Many assumed that entomophagy — the practice of eating insects — was foreign, unaware that it has long been part of India’s own food cultures, particularly in the Northeast and tribal regions.

Insects in India’s Food Traditions

Across Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and parts of central India, insects such as crickets, silkworms, termites and grasshoppers are consumed seasonally and sold in local markets. These practices are embedded in ecological knowledge, livelihood systems and cultural memory. Yet urbanisation and the dominance of “modern” food narratives have rendered such traditions invisible or labelled them as primitive.

This reflects a broader sociological pattern: food is not merely nutrition; it is a marker of identity, class and aspiration. Urban middle-class diets increasingly valorise global cuisines while marginalising indigenous ones, creating a hierarchy of edibility.

Sustainability and Nutrition

From an environmental perspective, edible insects offer compelling advantages:

• High protein and micronutrient content

• Around 80% edible body mass (compared to ~55% for poultry)

• Low land, water and feed requirements

• Lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional livestock

In a world facing climate change, resource scarcity and protein insecurity, insects are often projected as a sustainable alternative within future food systems.

Cultural Barriers and Urban Disconnect

Despite these benefits, acceptance remains limited. In urban contexts, insect consumption is framed as “tribal” or “rural”, distancing it from aspirational modern life. This reveals how development discourse shapes taste: progress is associated with certain foods, while others are stigmatised regardless of their ecological logic.

The discomfort is not biological but social — produced by norms of cleanliness, class and cultural capital. The same society that celebrates sushi or blue cheese may recoil at crickets, highlighting the constructed nature of “disgust”.

Ethics, Knowledge and Recognition

The growing interest in edible insects also raises ethical questions:

• Whose knowledge is being commercialised?

• Are indigenous communities being acknowledged and benefited?

• Will industrial scaling respect biodiversity and local food sovereignty?

As researchers such as those at ATREE’s Insect Biosystematics and Conservation Laboratory suggest, developing sustainable rearing systems can reduce ecological pressure and ensure food safety, but cultural sensitivity and equitable credit are equally important.

Way Forward: Normalisation through Exposure

Public platforms such as food festivals and science exhibitions create low-pressure spaces for experimentation. Offering insects in processed forms (cookies, flavoured snacks) reduces psychological barriers and allows taste to challenge prejudice. Over time, familiarity can reshape norms, just as tomatoes or potatoes once moved from being “foreign” to staples in Indian kitchens.

Conclusion

Entomophagy in India is not a futuristic import but a marginalised heritage. Its rejection in urban spaces reflects deeper anxieties about class, modernity and cultural hierarchy. Reimagining insects as food therefore requires not only technological innovation but also social re-education — recognising indigenous knowledge, questioning food prejudices, and aligning sustainability with cultural inclusion. In this sense, the debate on edible insects becomes a window into how societies define progress, purity and the politics of everyday consumption.

Equality Begins in the Classroom: Supreme Court on the Transformative Power of the Right to Education

Equality Begins in the Classroom: Supreme Court on the Transformative Power of the Right to Education

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India reaffirmed that social equality must begin in schools, where children from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds should study together as equals. Justice P.S. Narasimha, delivering the verdict, observed that the Right to Education Act, 2009, has the “extraordinary capacity to transform the social structure of our society” by enabling the child of a multimillionaire and that of an autorickshaw driver to sit on the same bench.

This observation goes beyond legal interpretation; it touches the core of India’s constitutional vision of social justice and fraternity.

Constitutional and Legal Basis

The judgment draws strength from:

• Article 21A: Right to free and compulsory education (ages 6–14)

• Articles 14–15: Equality before law and non-discrimination

• Preamble: Equality of status and opportunity

• RTE Act, 2009: Especially the mandate on neighbourhood schools and inclusion of children from weaker and disadvantaged sections

The Court emphasised that education is not merely a welfare service but a constitutional instrument of social transformation.

Education as a Social Leveller

Historically, Indian society has been marked by rigid stratification based on caste, class and occupation. The judgment highlights that:

• Common schooling creates shared civic identity

• Early social integration weakens inherited privilege

• Classroom diversity nurtures constitutional morality and fraternity

• Equal access prevents the reproduction of social inequality across generations

Thus, schooling becomes the first site where the constitutional promise of “equality of status” is practically realised.

Case Background and Systemic Failure

The case arose when a parent from a weaker section was denied admission in a neighbourhood school despite vacant seats under the RTE quota. This reflects deeper systemic issues:

• Discriminatory practices by private schools

• Weak enforcement by local authorities

• Lack of grievance redressal mechanisms

• Social exclusion disguised as procedural delay

The Court’s strong language — calling RTE implementation a “national mission” — signals judicial impatience with administrative apathy.

Governance and Policy Implications

The judgment places responsibility on multiple actors:

1. State and Local Authorities

   • Proactive monitoring of RTE compliance

   • Transparent admission processes

   • Timely grievance redressal

2. Judiciary

   • Accessible and child-sensitive remedies

   • Speedy relief in denial of educational rights

3. Schools

   • Non-discriminatory institutional culture

   • Inclusive classroom practices

Ethical Dimension (GS-IV)

The verdict reinforces key ethical values:

• Justice – Fair access to opportunity

• Dignity – Respect for every child regardless of background

• Fraternity – Social cohesion through shared learning spaces

• Empathy – Understanding lived realities of the marginalised

Conclusion

By asserting that the child of a Supreme Court judge and that of a street vendor must learn together, the Court has restated the Republic’s moral foundation. Education is not only a means of economic mobility but a constitutional bridge between social classes. Effective implementation of the Right to Education, therefore, is not just administrative compliance — it is nation-building in its deepest sense.

India’s Silent Urban Transition: The Rise of Small Towns in an Era of Capitalist Stress

 

India’s Silent Urban Transition: The Rise of Small Towns in an Era of Capitalist Stress

India’s urban imagination remains dominated by megacities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Yet, a deeper structural transformation is unfolding away from these metropolitan centres. Of nearly 9,000 census and statutory towns, fewer than 500 qualify as large cities. The overwhelming majority are small towns with populations below one lakh. Their rapid proliferation is not accidental; it is a product of India’s evolving capitalist development and the emerging crisis of metropolitan accumulation.

From Metropolisation to Peripheral Urbanisation

Between the 1970s and 1990s, India’s growth model relied on metropolisation. Large cities became sites of industrial clustering, infrastructure investment, labour absorption and consumption. They functioned as “spatial fixes” for capitalism, absorbing surplus labour and capital.

However, this model has reached limits:

• Land prices have become speculative and disconnected from productive use

• Infrastructure is overstretched

• Cost of living has outpaced wages

• Informal settlements and congestion have intensified

This condition of over-accumulation has pushed capital and labour outward, giving rise to a new geography of growth: small towns.

The New Role of Small Towns

Across regions — from Sattenapalle and Barabanki to Hassan, Bongaigaon and Una — small towns are emerging as:

• Logistics and warehousing hubs

• Agro-processing centres

• Construction and real estate nodes

• Service and consumption markets

They absorb migrants displaced from metros and rural youth facing agrarian stagnation. Thus, small towns are not peripheral to urbanisation; they are its new frontier, shaped by cheaper land, flexible labour, weaker regulation and limited political visibility.

Myth of Inclusive Urbanisation

Contrary to optimistic narratives, small towns do not automatically ensure equitable development. Instead, they are witnessing the urbanisation of rural poverty:

• Dominance of informal labour without contracts or social security

• Women concentrated in home-based piecework

• Youth trapped in gig and platform economies

• Rise of intermediary elites controlling land, credit and labour

Rather than dismantling inequality, new hierarchies are crystallising.

Policy and Governance Deficit

India’s urban policy architecture remains metro-centric:

• AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission, Metro Rail Policy prioritise large cities

• Small towns receive fragmented water, sewerage and transport investments

• Tanker economies, groundwater depletion and ecological stress intensify

• Municipalities lack technical capacity, finances and planning autonomy

• Participatory planning is procedural, not substantive

This disconnect reveals a mismatch between India’s actual urban future and its planning imagination.

Reimagining the Urban Future

A new paradigm is required:

1. Political Recognition
   Small towns must be acknowledged as the main arena of 21st-century urbanisation.

2. Context-Sensitive Planning
   Integrated town-level plans linking housing, livelihoods, mobility and ecology.

3. Empowered Local Governments
   Fiscal devolution, professional staffing and democratic participation.

4. Regulation of Capital and Platforms
   Labour rights, environmental safeguards, data governance and local value capture.

Conclusion

India’s urban transition is no longer metropolitan alone; it is increasingly small-town driven. These spaces represent both opportunity and risk. Without institutional reform, they may become sites of informalisation, ecological degradation and social exclusion. With conscious planning and democratic governance, however, they can emerge as engines of balanced regional development. The challenge before policymakers is to shift from a megacity-centric imagination to a polycentric, inclusive and sustainable urban vision.

Artificial Intelligence and Its Hidden Carbon Footprint: An Emerging Policy Challenge

 

Artificial Intelligence and Its Hidden Carbon Footprint: An Emerging Policy Challenge

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being projected as a transformative force in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education and governance. However, while its socio-economic benefits are widely discussed, its environmental footprint remains a relatively under-examined dimension. Recent studies by the OECD, UNEP and other international organisations highlight that AI development and deployment impose significant energy, water and carbon costs, raising concerns for climate action and sustainable development.

Environmental Impacts Across the AI Life Cycle

AI systems require massive computational infrastructure, including data centres, cooling systems and high-performance chips. According to an OECD working paper, the global ICT sector contributes between 1.8% to 3.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and AI is becoming a fast-growing component of this footprint.

UNEP (2024) estimates that by 2027, data centres housing AI servers may consume 4.2–6.6 billion cubic metres of water annually, aggravating freshwater stress. Further, training a single large language model can emit 300,000 kg of CO₂, comparable to the lifetime emissions of several automobiles. Studies also show that a single ChatGPT query consumes nearly 10 times the energy of a conventional Google search.

These figures indicate that AI, while digital, has very real physical and ecological costs — energy extraction, land use, rare-earth mining, and electronic waste.

Global Regulatory Responses

Recognising these concerns, international institutions have begun addressing the sustainability dimension of AI:

• UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (2021) stresses environmental responsibility.

• European Union has integrated high-compute emissions reporting under its Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

• United States has proposed the Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act, 2024.

These efforts reflect an emerging consensus that AI governance must include climate accountability.

The Indian Context: Need for Proactive Policy

In India, policy discussions on AI largely focus on its role in climate mitigation (precision agriculture, disaster forecasting, smart grids), but not on its own carbon footprint. Given India’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, SDG-13 (Climate Action) and its net-zero target for 2070, ignoring the environmental cost of AI could undermine long-term sustainability goals.

Extending Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to AI

India’s EIA Notification, 2006 mandates environmental clearance for physical infrastructure projects. A similar framework could be adapted for large-scale AI and data-centre projects by:

• Assessing energy intensity, water usage, carbon emissions, land and mineral use

• Introducing AI-specific sustainability benchmarks

• Mandating life-cycle assessments for high-compute models

ESG and Disclosure Standards

Environmental costs of AI can also be integrated into ESG reporting under SEBI and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Inspired by the EU’s CSRD, Indian companies could be required to disclose:

• Emissions from data centres

• Renewable energy share in compute operations

• Water footprint of cooling systems

• E-waste generation from AI hardware

Such transparency would enable responsible investment and policy correction.

Way Forward: Green AI Approach

To align AI with sustainable development, India should promote:

1. Energy-efficient model design and pre-trained model reuse

2. Renewable-powered data centres

3. Carbon-aware computing and scheduling

4. Standardised environmental metrics for AI

5. Public-private-academic collaboration on green AI research

Conclusion

AI must be viewed not only as a tool for development but also as a consumer of planetary resources. As the world enters an era of compute-intensive growth, the principle of “development without ecological degradation” must guide digital policy. Integrating environmental accountability into AI governance will ensure that technological progress strengthens, rather than weakens, India’s journey towards climate resilience and sustainable growth.