GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Vice President’s Remarks
A. Called upon large institutions and government organisations to adopt sustainable energy practices in their operations by using renewable energy –
Suggested greater adoption of rooftop solar plants in industries and big establishments like universities and government buildings and godowns
Appealed to all states and local bodies to consider adopting the model building by-laws for new buildings
Advocated the need to make solar rooftop plants, solar water heaters and rainwater harvesting mandatory for large buildings and government organisations, along with ensuring sufficient light and ventilation.
Highlighting the significance of rooftop solar plants in continuing the momentum of India’s ‘energy transition’, he observed that rooftop plants use empty areas on buildings, generate power close to the point of consumption and reduce transmission losses.
Called for State, Central and UT governments to work together as Team India to popularise the tapping of solar energy and bring about greater awareness among people on the benefits of installing solar panels on their rooftops – massive campaigns to publicize the subsidy programmes for solar rooftop systems and the resultant electricity savings.
Stressed the importance of ventilation and air circulation in buildings: Sunlight is a natural disinfectant. Our ancestors understood this – it reflected in their planning and construction of houses.
B. Urged youth to develop a deeper understanding of India’s timeless traditions and rich cultural heritage and apply various dimensions of India’s cultural genius to activities in contemporary life –
Referring to Sri Aurobindo’s stress on India’s rich spiritual tradition and cultural heritage, he said that we need to recapture this creative spirit to soar higher and scale new heights as a nation
We should forge our collective will to eradicate social evils and create a truly egalitarian society.
Said that the great revolutionary yogi, poet and philosopher continues to be an eternal inspiration for humanity through his vision for world unity, peace and spiritual upliftment.
C. If we have to achieve the inclusive ideals of our constitution, then the role of women in the judiciary also has to be increased –
Women in Judiciary:
Referring to the Allahabad High Court’s historic decision to enroll India’s first woman lawyer, Ms. Cornelia Sorabji in 1921, the President termed that decision a forward-looking decision in the direction of women empowerment.
Last month, a new history was created of the women’s participation in the judiciary with the appointment of nine judges, including three women judges, in the Supreme Court.
The presence of four women judges out of the total 33 judges appointed in the Supreme Court is the highest ever in the history of the judiciary.
At present the total strength of women judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts together is less than 12 per cent. Establishment of a truly just society would be possible only when the participation of women increases in all areas including the judiciary.
Judiciary of India
Everyone has expectations from the judiciary, yet, generally people hesitate in taking the help of the courts. This situation needs to be changed in order to further increase the confidence of the people in the judiciary.
It is the responsibility of all of us that – everyone gets justice in time, justice system should be less expensive, decisions should be in the language understood by the common man, and especially women and weaker sections should get justice in the judicial process. This would be possible only when all stakeholders associated with the judicial system bring necessary changes in their thinking and work culture and become sensitive.
It is the need of the hour to continuously strive on many aspects, from expediting the disposal of pending cases to increasing the efficiency of the Subordinate Judiciary in order to boost the confidence of general public in the judiciary.
Our judicial process would be strengthened with the arrangement of adequate facilities for the Subordinate Judiciary, increasing the number of working judges and providing enough resources as per the provisions of the budget.
World class legal education is one of the priorities of our society and country. It is relatively easy for any institution to establish all the systems in a well thought out manner at the very beginning. Once the system is created, the process of improving it becomes complicated.
D. Called upon states to promote the setting up of manufacturing plants for solar PV cells and modules to accelerate their production in India
Stressed upon the importance of ‘Atma Nirbharta’ in solar energy through active participation of the states
The lack of a trained force is a bottleneck in our exponential growth in the sector. He suggested investing in training and upskilling the workforce in adopting the latest technologies and cited the instance of the scheme of ‘Surya Mitras’.
Suggested exploring alternative avenues to install ground-mounted PV systems. Rooftop-mounted solar plants are a sustainable option and need to be encouraged.
Called upon universities to proactively take up research and projects which have a component of renewable energy. Advised educational institutions to encourage students to take up final year projects and internships in the field of renewable energy and in material sciences. This will not only improve their employment prospects but will also help in promoting innovations and improvements in our domestic solar industry.
E. An enabling ecosystem for R&D is must for India to become a developed nation
Urged educational institutions to have an increased interface with the industry to promote result-oriented research that addresses contemporary challenges such as climate change, pollution, health and poverty.
It is the cutting-edge research in science, technology and other fields that puts developed countries ahead of the rest. He asked the students to conduct socially relevant research and come up with out-of-box ideas to make the nation strong and bring prosperity and happiness in people’s lives.
Leadership teams of 45% start-ups have a woman entrepreneur; he hoped that this healthy trend will inspire more women to become entrepreneurs. Emphasizing the need to provide equal opportunities for women, he called for ending artificial barriers created in the name of caste, religion and gender. You must prepare a generation to see that all kinds of social discriminations are put to an end.
Mentioning several government measures to support start-ups such as broadening the definition, simplifying regulations and providing tax exemptions, he exhorted the industry to also come forward and support young entrepreneurs by handholding, providing funds and incubating their ventures. Improved Industry-Academia Partnership has to be stepped up to give a further fillip in this direction.
