Going electric: India must be a reliable trade partner to compete in the EV space, Pg 6

Duty Exemption & Strategic Policy Shift

• Union Budget 2025-26 proposed duty exemption on 35 capital goods for EV battery production.
• Finance Bill 2025 formalised the measure – aimed at boosting domestic battery manufacturing.

Technological Advancement

• BYD’s “Super E-platform”: 500 km range with 5-minute charging – challenges conventional vehicles.
• Focus on low-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for better efficiency and lower cost.

India’s Market Landscape

• EVs make up just 2% of car sales in India (vs 45% in China).
• Two-wheelers dominate: 1.14 million sold in 2024 (~60% of EV sales in India).

Geopolitical & Economic Impact

• China holds 70%+ share of global EV battery production.
• India’s move aims to reduce dependence on China, diversify supply chains and boost trade ties with developed nations.

Strategic Goals

• Integrate upstream (mining) and downstream (manufacturing) EV supply chains.
• Use policy leverage for tech transfer, R&D collaboration, and cleaner mobility ecosystem.

Analysis & Way Forward

• Duty exemption is a welcome step, but India must build indigenous EV value chains and foster global alliances for tech and trade.
• Focus should be on R&D investments, reciprocal trade agreements, and ecosystem infrastructure like charging and recycling.

The role of communities in conserving water, Pg 8

Key Highlights

Context & Government Initiative

• On World Water Day (March 22), PM Modi launched Catch the Rain 2025 under Jal Shakti Abhiyan, promoting collective community action in water conservation.

Policy Gaps Identified

• Top-down water governance has sidelined local communities.
• Policies often ignore community knowledge of local ecosystems.

Inclusive Water Management

• Must integrate Subaltern groups, marginalised communities, and even non-human nature rights into policy.
• Water Users Associations (WUAs) exist but lack decision-making power.

Climate & Ecological Dimensions

• Fragmented governance limits the ecosystem approach; forests, land, and water are regulated separately.
• Climate change is widening water gaps – e.g., Nature journal notes increased stress due to rising temperatures.

Global Learnings

• Western India’s Oran forests offer a successful community-led water conservation model.
• Suggests a rights-based and interdependence-centric approach to governance.

Analysis & Way Forward

• A shift is needed from rhetorical engagement to actual empowerment of communities.
• Water policies must integrate ecological diversity, decentralisation, and climate adaptation frameworks to be future-ready.

Mains Mock Question:

"Discuss how India’s recent EV battery policy initiatives can contribute to sustainable transport and economic decoupling from China. Suggest strategies to improve domestic EV manufacturing." "How can local communities be better integrated into India’s water governance system? Discuss with examples and suggest ways to make water policies ecologically inclusive."