In News:

The Union Minister of Coal and Mines launched two major digital governance platforms—

1. KOYLA SHAKTI Dashboard, and
2. CLAMP Portal (Coal Land Acquisition, Management & Payment) — marking a significant push toward transparency, efficiency, and technology-driven operations in India’s coal sector.

These initiatives align with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.

1. KOYLA SHAKTI Dashboard

What is it?

A unified digital platform integrating the entire coal value chain—from mine to market—into a single real-time interface. It acts as the digital backbone of India’s coal ecosystem.

Developed by: Ministry of Coal

Purpose

• Enhance real-time coordination among stakeholders
• Ensure data-driven governance
• Optimize logistics, production, and dispatch
• Improve supply chain reliability for power, steel, and allied industries

Key Features

• Unified Visibility: Integrates data from coal companies, railways, ports, power utilities, state departments, ministries, and private miners.
• Real-Time Monitoring: Tracks coal production, dispatch, rail/road/multimodal movement, port handling, and consumption.
• Decision Support System: Provides predictive analytics, demand forecasting, trend analysis, and KPI monitoring.
• Operational Efficiency: Reduces delays, improves coordination, standardizes reporting, and minimizes manual intervention.
• Transparency & Accountability: Live dashboards ensure visibility across ministries and industry stakeholders.
• Incident Response: Provides alerts and notifications for operational disruptions.
• Scalability: Can integrate future digital systems and expand datasets.

Significance

• Eliminates silos in coal logistics
• Reduces transport bottlenecks
• Supports evidence-based policymaking
• Enhances the reliability of coal supply to power and industrial sectors
• Positions the platform as a Smart Coal Analytics Dashboard (SCAD) enabling long-term sectoral reforms

2. CLAMP Portal (Coal Land Acquisition, Management & Payment)

What is it?

A unified digital portal to streamline:

• Land acquisition
• Compensation
• Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) processes for coal-bearing areas.

Implemented by: Ministry of Coal

Key Functions

• Serves as a centralized land record repository
• Digitizes the entire workflow from land data entry to final payment
• Enables inter-agency coordination among coal PSUs, district authorities, and state agencies

Advantages

• Transparency in land ownership and compensation
• Reduced procedural delays in acquisition
• Accuracy through verified digital records
• Ease of monitoring R&R compliance
• Time-bound compensation for affected landowners
• Supports citizen-centric governance in sensitive land acquisition processes

In News:

The Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot Project, launched by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) through the Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCoE), is a rural digital empowerment initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide by integrating physical infrastructure with digital service delivery (“phygital model”). It leverages BharatNet — India’s flagship rural broadband programme — to ensure seamless access to essential citizen-centric services.

Pilot Locations & Implementation

The pilot is being implemented in three villages, each hosting a Samriddhi Kendra:

• Ari & Umri (Madhya Pradesh) – Partner: Digital Empowerment Foundation
• Narakoduru (Andhra Pradesh) – Partner: Corpus Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.
• Chaurawala (Uttar Pradesh) – Partner: I-Novate Infotech Pvt. Ltd.

These Kendras act as integrated digital service hubs, providing both physical support and digital-enabled services.

Objectives:

• To create a replicable and scalable rural digital service model.
• To deliver last-mile digital access through BharatNet-powered connectivity.
• To enhance education, agriculture, health, governance, and financial inclusion in rural areas.
• To enable digital entrepreneurship and strengthen participation in the digital economy.

Key Features & Services

1. Education & Skilling

• Smart classrooms, digital content
• AR/VR-based learning
• Skill development aligned with national skilling schemes

2. Agriculture

• IoT-based soil testing
• Drone-enabled services (monitoring, spraying)
• Smart irrigation solutions

3. Healthcare

• Teleconsultations
• Health ATMs for diagnostics
• Basic emergency care support

4. e-Governance

• Assisted access to government services
• Document facilitation
• Grievance redress mechanisms

5. E-Commerce & Entrepreneurship

• Integration with ONDC
• Digital marketplace access for local products
• Support for rural microenterprises

6. Financial Inclusion

• Digital banking services
• Payment systems & UPI-assisted transactions

7. Connectivity Backbone

• BharatNet FTTH connectivity
• Village Area Network (VAN)
• Public Wi-Fi hotspots

Significance

• Strengthens Digital India at the grassroots.
• Demonstrates a phygital last-mile service delivery model.
• Enhances socio-economic outcomes in rural areas by integrating technology with governance and service delivery.
• Designed as a sustainable and scalable model for nationwide expansion.

In News:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025, a large-scale verification exercise aimed at ensuring that India’s electoral rolls remain accurate, inclusive, and up-to-date. Covering twelve States and Union Territories, this marks the most comprehensive revision of voter records in nearly two decades.

Purpose and Objectives

The SIR 2025 is designed to:

• Authenticate voter data to eliminate duplication and ineligible entries.
• Verify citizenship and age to ensure that only eligible Indian citizens remain on the rolls.
• Update demographic information such as addresses and photographs.
• Enhance transparency in the voter registration process and strengthen public trust in electoral institutions.

Through this exercise, the ECI seeks to uphold the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which mandates a clean and credible electoral register as the foundation of free and fair elections.

Implementation and Process

The revision process is being carried out by the Election Commission under the supervision of the Chief Election Commissioner and coordinated at the State and district levels through Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Magistrates (DMs), and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

Key stages of the exercise include:

• Enumeration and Data Collection: Field officials known as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visit households to distribute and collect pre-filled forms containing existing voter details.
  Voters may also submit or verify their information online via the ECI’s voter portal.
• Verification through Historical Records: Citizens are encouraged to confirm their or a family member’s presence in electoral rolls from earlier intensive revisions (2002–2005). This helps maintain continuity in the voter database and authenticate older registrations.
• Document-Based Scrutiny: In cases where a voter cannot trace prior records, documents proving identity, residence, age, and citizenship are reviewed. This ensures compliance with the Citizenship Act, 1955, particularly for voters born after 1987.
• Draft and Final Roll Publication: Following field verification, draft rolls are published for public inspection and correction. After resolving claims and objections, the final electoral rolls are released, forming the official list for upcoming elections.

Significance of the SIR 2025

• Reviving Electoral Accuracy: This is the first full-scale revision of voter rolls in nearly twenty years, addressing issues like outdated entries, migration, and data mismatches.
• Citizenship Assurance: The verification framework ensures that only legitimate Indian citizens exercise voting rights, strengthening electoral credibility.
• Technological Modernisation: Integration with digital platforms such as the ECI voter portal enhances accessibility and reduces manual errors.
• Transparency and Accountability: The participation of political party representatives as Booth Level Agents (BLAs) provides an additional layer of oversight.
• Foundation for Free and Fair Elections: A verified, inclusive, and error-free voter list is critical to maintaining the integrity of democratic processes and protecting voter rights.

In News:

• India is set to launch ‘Bharat Taxi’, the country’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, in November 2025, beginning in Delhi.
• The initiative marks a transformative step in the government’s efforts to democratise the digital economy by ensuring equitable participation and income security for gig workers, particularly cab drivers.
• The project is being implemented jointly by the Union Ministry of Cooperation and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

About Bharat Taxi

Bharat Taxi is a government-backed cooperative cab service designed to offer an alternative to private app-based aggregators such as Ola and Uber. It operates on the principle of “cooperative ownership and collective welfare”, where drivers act as both service providers and shareholders.

Implementing Structure

• Promoting Body: Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd., established in June 2025.
• Initial Capital: ?300 crore.
• Supported By: Leading cooperative institutions such as Amul, IFFCO, NAFED, KRIBHCO, NABARD, and the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
• Governance:
  • Chairperson: Jayen Mehta (MD, Amul/GCMMF)
  • Vice-Chairman: Rohit Gupta (Deputy MD, NCDC)

Objectives

• Empower Drivers: Convert cab drivers into cooperative members (“Saarthis”) and shareholders.
• Ensure Fair Earnings: Eliminate high commissions (up to 25% under private apps) through a zero-commission model.
• Provide Affordable, Transparent Rides: Introduce fare regulation with no surge pricing or hidden costs.
• Promote Cooperative Entrepreneurship: Strengthen India’s cooperative movement in the digital services economy.
• Enhance Urban Mobility: Offer a reliable, ethical, and citizen-friendly transport option integrated with government e-platforms.

Key Features

In News:

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has released its flagship Adaptation Gap Report (AGR) 2025, titled “Running on Empty”.

The report warns that the global climate adaptation finance gap for developing countries has widened sharply, threatening progress toward climate resilience and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About the Adaptation Gap Report (AGR)

• Publisher: UNEP–Copenhagen Climate Centre, with global institutional contributions.
• Purpose: Tracks progress in climate adaptation planning, implementation, and finance, assessing global preparedness against climate impacts.
• Relevance: Supports policy negotiations under the UNFCCC and upcoming COP30 (Belém, Brazil).

Key Findings

1. Escalating Finance Needs

• Developing nations will require USD 310–365 billion annually by 2035, potentially rising to USD 440–520 billion when adjusted for inflation.
• The growing need reflects increasing risks from both rapid- and slow-onset climate events—heatwaves, floods, sea-level rise, and glacial melt.

2. Widening Adaptation Finance Gap

• Current adaptation finance (2023): Only USD 26 billion, covering just one-twelfth of total requirements.
• Finance gap: USD 284–339 billion annually.
• Falling trends: Funding fell from USD 28 billion (2022), meaning the Glasgow Climate Pact target of doubling adaptation finance by 2025 will likely be missed.

3. Debt-Heavy and Unequal Finance

• About 58% of adaptation finance is in the form of loans, many non-concessional—deepening debt vulnerabilities among developing nations.
• This creates a growing risk of “adaptation debt traps”, undermining the principle of climate justice.

4. Progress and Planning Gaps

• 172 countries have at least one National Adaptation Plan (NAP); however, 36 of them are outdated.
• 1,600+ adaptation actions have been reported globally, primarily in agriculture, water, biodiversity, and infrastructure, but few measure tangible resilience outcomes.
• Small Island Developing States (SIDS) show the highest integration of adaptation into national policies.

5. Limited Private Sector Role

• The private sector contributes only USD 5 billion annually, despite potential investment capacity up to USD 50 billion with supportive de-risking mechanisms.
• Low engagement is attributed to high risk perceptions and limited blended-finance instruments.

6. Multilateral Fund Support

• Disbursements through the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (GEF), and Adaptation Fund reached USD 920 million in 2024—an 86% rise over the previous five-year average, though UNEP warns this may be temporary.

Global Frameworks and Roadmaps

Baku–Belém Roadmap (COP29–COP30)

• Envisions USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2035 in total climate finance.
• Stresses the need for grant-based and concessional instruments rather than debt-heavy finance.
• Aims to align finance, transparency, and adaptation under a “global collective effort” (mutirão global) led by Brazil’s COP30 presidency.

New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)

• Proposed USD 300 billion by 2035, but UNEP cautions that it is insufficient and not inflation-adjusted, hence failing to meet real adaptation needs.

India and the Adaptation Gap Report 2025

1. National and Regional Context

• India’s climate strategy now prioritises adaptation-centric policies over mitigation, focusing on resilient agriculture, water systems, and disaster management.
• Frequent heatwaves, floods, and glacial retreats heighten India’s vulnerability, underscoring the need for adaptive investments.

2. Policy and Institutional Response

• India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and State Action Plans align with UNEP’s adaptation priorities.
• Initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and LiFE Mission showcase India’s global leadership in climate diplomacy.

3. Financial and Structural Constraints

• India continues to face adaptation investment gaps, relying heavily on concessional and multilateral finance.
• Domestic efforts like the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) are under fiscal strain due to limited international flow.

4. Developmental Balancing

• India maintains that development precedes decarbonisation, in line with the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC).
• The Economic Survey 2024–25 reiterates that achieving developed-nation status by 2047 is essential before aggressive deep decarbonisation.
• India remains committed to Net Zero by 2070, consistent with its Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS).