Swati Sharma: GS3 answer copy

i) Innovation and startups - India is 3rd largest ecosystem with startups. STEM can provide enhancement of position.

ii) IT sector - Technological developments can aid India to increase the service sector exports.

iii) STEM can provide to enlarge the space sector from present 2% of global space sector to more than 9% of globally

iv) STEM can aid developments in semiconductor research, hydrogen economy to have ripple effects on manufacturing sector.

eg - National Quantum Mission to aid knowledge economy.

However, in order to realise the potential

Knowledge economy through STEM can help bridge the gap to fulfil SDG by 2030

India has set a target to achieve 50% of electricity using non fossil fuel resources in INDC (Paris agreement). Nuclear energy can aid the target by 2030.

In light of nuclear adoption, India's three staged nuclear program began with Homi J Bhabha -

Stage I - Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors - used to split atoms to start fission process and water as coolant. Stage II - Use of plutonium to create uranium-233 of high flux for fission process Stage III - utilisation of thorium further to enhance the capacity of reactor sustainably India has achieved stage II of the three staged program. Government of India is aiding the sector through measures such as - i) Increased research & funding ii) Uranium deposits enhancement iii) Push to STEM education iv) Scientists support through funding eg - women scientists in STEM.

However, there are CHALLENGES in nuclear technology →

i) The effects of uranium radiation can have lifelong effects on human generation.

ii) The mining of uranium puts challenges such as - → groundwater contamination eg - Jharkhand and Bihar West Bengal → displacement of people

iii) High level of technology and expertise

iv) Use of freshwater resources in light of water scarcity.

Nuclear energy contributes to less than 2% of renewable energy. There is a need of equitable balance between environment and ecology while using nuclear resource.

Disaster Risk reduction (DRR) refers to understanding and evolving methods aimed at mitigation and adaptation towards disasters.

Sendai framework was adopted under DRR strategy (2015-30) as a method to for risk reduction

The DRR is a multi sectoral and multi tiered process, hence also beset with CHALLENGES →

i) Climate change - Climate change has been the foremost challenge with multi sectoral impacts

eg - different strategies required for developed and developing

ii) Climate finance - The adaptation and mitigation require financial contributions.

• The $100 bn has not been received yet
• India would need around $10 tr to become climate neutral by 2070

iii) Inefficient focus on adaptation vis-a-vis mitigation.

iv) Lack of political will - funding and investment by resource mobilisation

v) Urbanisation and related pressures -

There is a dire need to adopt a multi stakeholder approach to BUILD A ROBUST FRAMEWORK -

i) Involvement of local participation

• NITI Aayog underlines local led achievement of SDG.

ii) Funding to be directed equally towards adaptation and mitigation.

iii) Sustainable methods using needs based approach eg - afforestation

• sponge cities

iv) Multilateral and regional efforts eg - QUAD and IPEF focused on climate change

v) Learning best practices and implementation