Free Rider’s Problem and the Tragedy of Commons

Imagine, you are sitting on a train, getting a ticket worth Rs. 120. Beside you is a man sitting with the same level of comfort without paying a penny… how fair is it? Should we allow such things in the economy? If not, how can we stop it? How can we identify thousands of such passengers in the Mumbai local daily? How will you punish so many of them?  This isn’t the problem just with trains or buses but this is also the same with natural resources. We all hear about the environmental summits carried out at global levels, be it in COP or Paris Agreement or anything else, the once paying high are not the developed nations but the developing ones because they are supposed to grow by paying for the tickets of these developed countries to the environment for decades. They have been using all the resources for free and when it's our turn to use them, suddenly everything has a price tag now.  These free riders in the internal economy not only disregard the laws and discourage the ones paying for them but also increase the burden on the government. Now they need to take measures like tax increases on public goods to fill that gap and cure the losses. Again, it leads to the loss of the one who is paying for it twice. Isn’t it some sort of inequality towards the others?

These negative effects arising due to the shared resources lead to another economic dilemma, that is the ‘Tragedy of Commons’. When an individual acts for his self-interest which ultimately leads to depletion of public resources, it creates problems. Over-fishing is the most popular example used to show the tragedy of commons. In a selective area, the fish population cannot be increased at the same pace at which it is used. But for individual profits, the fishermen choose to continue fishing in the same area till it’s all vanished and the habitat is dead for the next few weeks as there won’t be any fish in the area. This not only causes discomfort to the occupation but also to the environment, the same is seen in terms of deforestation.

If we think about this problem with a selfless view, today if I have the option to travel without getting a ticket, why would I buy one? If I had the choice to earn more, why would I not? Here comes the answer! Farsightedness. I am thinking about it now. About my current benefits but I must also think about my future. If I am aware enough of its ill effects and future consequences, I might think once before traveling without a ticket. If I know that today’s extra piece of bread will keep me hungry tomorrow, I might not eat it now. 

Of course, these are just assumptions, but the individual incentives will eventually lead to the solution to such problems. No government scheme forcing you to pay extra tax is making you come out of this cycle. Thus, all we need today is a rational consumer!

-Aditi Bhavsar

जागतिक नदी दिवस: एक पाऊल नदी संवर्धनाच्या दिशेने

सप्टेंबर महिन्यातील शेवटचा रविवार हा 'जागतिक नदी दिवस' म्हणून साजरा केला जातो. महत्वाचे म्हणजे आपल्या देशात अनेक नद्यांचे वाढदिवस देखील साजरे केले जातात.  जागतिक नदी दिवस साजरा करण्याचा प्रस्ताव देणारे मार्क अँजेलो यांनी ब्रिटिश कोलंबिया मधल्या अनेक नद्या स्वच्छ केल्या. ते नेहमी म्हणायचे की "कोणतीही नदी वाचवण्याच्या पलीकडे गेलेली नाही" त्यांचं हे वाक्य आजही महत्वाचे वाटते.

नदी ही देशाच्या शाश्वत विकासाच्या दृष्टिकोनातून महत्वाची भूमिका बजावत असते. माणसाच्या अनेक महत्वाच्या दैनंदिन गरजा ह्या बहुधा नदीवर देखील अवलंबून असतात. प्रत्येक सजीव प्राण्यासाठी पाणी अत्यंत महत्वाचे आहे, त्यामुळे पाण्याला  जीवन म्हटलं जात. भारत देशात 100 हुन अधिक मुख्य नद्या तसेच त्याहून अधिक उपनद्या आहेत. जगातील कतार, युएई, मालदीव, बहरीन, कुवेत ह्या देशांमध्ये नदी वाहत नाही. परंतु भारतात अनेक नद्या आहेत व या नद्या फक्त आपल्याला पिण्यासाठीच पाणी देत नाहीत, तर पिकांनाही त्यांच्या द्वारे पाणी दिले जाते. राज्यातील भीमा, मिठी, मुळा, मुठा, पवना,गोदावरी अश्या एकूण 53 नद्या ह्या प्रदूषित झाल्याचे प्रदूषित मंडळाच्या अहवालात दिले आले आहे. मुख्यता हे प्रदूषण रोखण्यासाठी हरित लवादाने दिलेल्या निर्देशानुसार राज्य सरकारने 2018 मध्ये नदी पुनरुज्जीवन समिती स्थापन केली आहे व या समितीमार्फत राज्यातील प्रदूषित नद्यांचा कृती आराखडा तयार करून केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण मंडळाकडे सादर करण्यात आले आहे.

देशातील अनेक महत्वाच्या नाद्यांसोबत अनेक महत्वाच्या गोष्टी देखील जोडल्या गेल्या आहेत, त्यामुळे नदीचे पुरातन काळापासून मानवी जीवनाशी व संपूर्ण सजीव सृष्टीशी एक महत्वाचे नाते जोडले गेले आहे. आपण आत्तापर्यंत असे ऐकले आहे की भारतातील अनेक नद्या एकाच दिशेने वाहतात म्हणजेच पश्चिमेकडून पूर्वेकडे. आणि बहुतांश नड्यांचा प्रवाह हा पश्चिमेकडून पूर्वेकडेच असतो परंतु आपल्या देशातील नर्मदा ही नदी पश्चिमेकडून पूर्वेकडे वाहत नाही तर ती पूर्वेकडून पश्चिमेकडे वाहते.

एकंदरीत भारतातील व जगातील अनेक नाद्यांचा विविध पद्धतीचा इतिहास आहे. नदी जगली तर गाव जगेल असं म्हटलं जात त्यामुळे नदी जगवण्यासाठी आपण प्रत्येकाने प्रयत्न करणे महत्वाचे आहे. आजच्या ह्या जागतिक नदी दिवसाच्या निमित्ताने आपण प्रत्येकाने नदी संवर्धनाच्या दिशेने पाऊल उचलूया.

-Ramesh Kachare

Green Hydrogen: Game-Changer For the Future of Fuels?

“Green hydrogen is emerging as a promising addition to the world’s energy landscape.” 

-Narendra Modi

According to the Standford University, there’d still be gas and coal left by the time oil runs out in 2052. But if gas production is increased to fill the energy gap left by oil, then those reserves will only give an additional eight years, taking us to 2060. Therefore, as PM Modi says, “the time for action is here and now". The fact is humans currently possess the technology to utilize hydrogen fuel instead of fossil fuels, but the technology is on the primary stage. The technology, which is not on the primary stage is electric automotives. But considering their less efficiency, leaching occurring due to the lithium-ion battery, and their negative environmental production-friendly techniques, they are (no offence) useless. The International Conference on Green Hydrogen was established by various stakeholders in the energy and environmental sectors, government bodies, international organisations, and industry leaders. The significance of this conference was to strengthen the green hydrogen agenda, facilitate global collaboration, and drive progress toward a sustainable energy future.

At the conference, PM Narendra Modi emphasized the growing realization that climate change is not just a matter of the future, but its impact can be felt now. He said that energy transition and sustainability have become central to global policy discourse. The Prime Minister briefed that India was among the first G-20 nations to fulfill its Paris commitments on green energy. He said these commitments were fulfilled nine years ahead of the target of 2030. Throwing light on the advancements in the past 10 years, the Prime Minister said that India’s installed non-fossil fuel capacity increased nearly 300% and solar energy capacity got over a 3,000% boost. PM Modi underlined that we are not resting on these achievements and the nation remains focused on strengthening existing solutions while also looking at new and innovative areas, saying this is where the of green hydrogen comes into the picture.

There were 25 key speakers at the conference, including Dr. Sunita Satyapal, Director of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies at the U.S. Department of Energy; Prof. G. D. Yadav, a distinguished professor from the Institute of Chemical Technology; Dr. Sachchida Nand, a leader in chemical engineering from IIT Bombay; and international figures like Bernt Nordman, head of Climate Program at WWF Finland; Mr. Gan Kim Yong, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore; and Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe. 

The discussions emphasised the use of electrolysers and better use of sea water and municipal waste water for producing green hydrogen. Key areas of focus involved innovation in hydrogen storage solutions and the decarbonisation of hard-to-electrify industries such as steel, refineries, and heavy-duty transportation. The potential for green jobs was discussed, and skill enhancement in green hydrogen technology was a key note of the conference. Discussions on investment in research, development, and infrastructure of green hydrogen were followed. 

International partnership is critical for promoting green hydrogen’s impact on decarbonization. Scaling up production, minimizing costs, and building infrastructure can happen faster through global cooperation. India is willing to become the global hub for the production, utilization, and export of green hydrogen. The National Green Hydrogen Mission is giving an impetus to innovation, infrastructure, industry, and investment. Experts discussed the need for public policy support, urging scientists and innovators to propose changes that would further boost the sector. This includes the creation of regulatory frameworks that support green hydrogen adoption in public transport, shipping, and other sectors. The role of green hydrogen in achieving climate goals was underscored, with discussions on how hydrogen can contribute to reducing global carbon footprints and help nations fulfill their commitments under international climate agreements.

-Soham Sonar

Union Budget 2024: Navigating India's Path to Development Through Fiscal Discipline and Strategic Investments

The annual budget, which has been referred to as the financial plan of a country in many instances, is actually about social welfare, economic policy, and political desires. The budget is more arithmetical concerning revenues and expenditure; also, it is a story that shows the government’s priorities. As a result, this has become an economic powerhouse on a global scale, with Union Budget 2024 planning for “Viksit Bharat” touching on these areas: agricultural reforms, manufacturing impetus, job creation initiatives, youth skills development programs, support for MSMEs as well as urban infrastructure development.

Its fiscal discipline makes the budget stand out most prominently. Though the current fiscal deficit stands at 4.9%, there are plans to bring it down further to 4.5% next year. In order to ensure balanced fiscal policy and target resources effectively into the preferred sectors while still maintaining fiscal stability. There have been no details regarding how the budgetary approach has been planned, but it can be categorized into four main sets: Garib’, meaning poor people; 'Mahilayen', meaning women; ‘Yuva’, meaning young people; and ‘Annadata’, meaning farmers.

A massive allocation of Rs 1.48 lakh crore towards development is being contemplated. A number of key initiatives include pro-growth fiscal policy, stability in the process of securing India's energy supply as well as its sustainability, which includes a roadmap for energy transition, augmenting electricity storage capacities, the development of nuclear and thermal power technologies, and the introduction of carbon market regulations for heavy industries. Spending on social sector programs such as MGNRGEA, Samagra Shiksha, Ayushman Bharat, old age pension, widow pension, Swasthya Suraksha—all have gone down over the past few years. This is why India’s inequality is notably worse: India is always caught up in abysmal health; poor teaching and learning; living in bad housing without plumbing; malnutrition; high child mortality rates. The middle class, however, remains at the same point of hope and desire for another year. One-third of our population lives less than 100 rupees every day. They are paying for this through regular purchases, thereby subsidizing government through “Aam aadmi,” who pays GST and heavy taxation while only favored ones under the scheme get subsidized. Although it has been widely lauded by many for its simplicity, including a uniform long-term capital gains tax rate of 12.5% on almost all asset classes except unlisted debentures after indexation removal, it has been criticized in some quarters that now seems like an inheritance tax on property transactions.

The portion of the budget that goes to agriculture has remained unchanged at about 3.1 percent of the total budget. From September, the general prices rise by no more than 6%, but food prices in India by June 2024 increase up to 9.4%. According to the World Hunger Index (WHI), which ranks among 125 countries, India still occupies the 111th position. Thus, there is an overall increase in prices of many goods due to rising food inflation. The percentages for flagship programs like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi have shrunk as a fraction of the total budget through FY25. At the same time, other measures to boost agricultural productivity and efficiency in supply chains are being contemplated. Allocation as targeted under Rs 1.52 lakh crore towards agriculture will be given, while doing away with this program will result in the demarcation of these resources for unproductive use only. To increase yields and fortify resilience to climate vagaries To attain the above objectives entails promotion of new crop varieties, natural farming, and digitization tools for farming, among others. These have played significant roles in safeguarding stable prices and economic welfare.

Indian job creation remains a top priority as the all-India unemployment rate stands at 9.2% in June 2024. The government aims to simplify incentive schemes and strengthen labor-intensive sectors through strategic investments that will enhance employment generation in these areas. A skilled workforce is instrumental in India's leap to a developed economy, and it has provided 2 lakh crore rupees for generating employment to boost employment and skilling through three new schemes, namely, incentives for first-time job seekers, job creation in manufacturing, and employer support. This large investment of Rs. 3 lakh crore being made by the government in women and girls testifies to its concerns toward social welfare. These have been campaigns for increasing female labor force participation, empowering women with relevant skills and opportunities, and thus helping drive economic growth. Infrastructure is a prime driver of growth, and major investments are marked for creating more transportation networks, mainly rural connectivity, enhancement of water resources management, and disaster mitigation.

It's pretty evident that India really stands at the crossroads.It is the leveraging of this demographic dividend that shall surely set India firmly on the global scene. Union Budget 2024 would present a roadmap for India's march to a developed nation. The fiscal and enterprise commitment goes very well with the vision of Amrit Kaal.

-Harshata Gotephode

Leave no one behind, Count Everyone

Did you know? the infamous ongoing Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, the reports state that the 2014 census that occurred in Myanmar was a hogwash. It deliberately didn’t count the Rohingya community because they are a minority. Or In 1965, some southern states of the US purposefully under-counted the minority in their census. The African Americans faced difficulties in casting their vote despite the fifteenth Amendment which guarantees the right to vote on account of race, caste, color, religion, and previous condition of servitude. They were deliberately under-counted to prove their in-existence among the white people. The similarity between the above two examples was that these countries manipulated the population data, and the difference is that one of them is a developed country and another is a least developed country. Therefore, under-counting purposefully can happen in any country, which reminds me of the current year’s theme of World Population Day which is “Leave no one behind, count everyone.” 

Still, why is it so important to have an accurate census without any under-count? The answer to this question is very simple. If the population data is inaccurate, it would lead to an unequal distribution of resources. The government funding and services are allocated based on the population data it receives through the census. An under-count would lead these resources away from those marginalized communities. 

Additionally, accurate population data is important to plan public services such as schools, hospitals, and transportation. If the census is not taken, there’s a chance of insufficient allocation of these public services, plus an outdated census will indeed make it strenuous to measure progress on issues for example, poverty reduction, how many people got educated, common death reasons, etc. Moreover, a census is an extremely important need for minority groups and under-counted populations in order to have a fair number of representatives in the government so that policies can be implemented in their favor and according to their needs. Furthermore, when it comes to socioeconomic data like employment status, occupation, income level, housing conditions; demographic data like age, sex, marital status, education level, ethnic group; geographic data like migration patterns, population density, and place of residence, the census becomes an essential part for the development of the country. Therefore, it is our right as well as our duty to participate in the census and encourage people belonging to minorities to participate in the census. Taking a census helps identify emerging issues and track the effectiveness of policies, facilitates businesses to target marketing campaigns, and helps the government formulate better plans for the future. Can you imagine a country where resources are distributed equally, everyone has a say in the government, and the government has precise, future-oriented plans? A complete and accurate census is the first step towards achieving that goal.

-Soham Sonar 

आता प्रश्न मोगलीच्या कुटुंबाचा आहे...

लहानपणापासूनच मोगली हा जीवा-भावाचा विषय. त्याचे सिनेमे, पुस्तकं याचं जणू पारायणच केलेलं, पण जेव्हा आज रशिया - युक्रेन, इस्राएल - पॅलेस्टाईन यात पृथ्वी नष्ट होताना दिसते, दिल्ली चं तापमान ५०शी गाठतं तेंव्हा मनी एकच प्रश्न सतावतो आता जर मोगली आला तर तो राहणार तर राहील कुठे? अमेझॉन च्या खोऱ्यात ते पण आगीत खाक झालेलं, की आमचा सह्याद्रीत की अजून कुठे .? पण जेव्हा हा कुतुहल असणारा कल्पक प्राणी पर्यावरणाला मोकळा श्वास घेऊ देत नाहीये, निसर्गाकडे हॉलिडे स्पॉट म्हणून बघतोय, हेच कशाला 

             जिथे कधी होते गोकुळ 

             तिथे आज झाली दशा 

            म्हणे वसुंधरा तुला मानव

             कुठली ही चढली नशा....

जेव्हा या ओळी समोर येतात तेव्हा यक्ष प्रश्न समोर येतो तो म्हणजे, आता प्रश्न मोगलीच्या कुटुंबाचा  ...!

           आपल्याला लहानपणापासून शिकवलं जातं. भारत हा विविधतेनं नटलेला देश आहे. इथे धर्म, भाषा, सण, परंपरा, खाद्यपदार्थ यांचं जे वैविध्य आहे; तसं जगात कुठल्याच देशात नाही. हे आता इथे लिहिण्याचं कारण म्हणजे या सगळ्या गोष्टी शिकवताना एक गोष्ट मात्र कायमची आपल्याला सांगायची राहून गेलीये. किंबहुना ती गोष्ट या सगळ्यांपेक्षा महत्त्वाची, उल्लेख करण्याजोगी आहे हेच कुणाला कधी वाटलं नाहीये आणि हेच आपलं दुर्दैव आहे. ही गोष्ट म्हणजे आपल्या जगण्याला खरा अर्थ देणारी आपली जैवविविधता.

          आपला देश जैवविविधतेच्या बाबतीत जगातील टॉप 17 देशांत येतो. पण तरीही मोगली कशाला तर साधे पक्षी, प्राणी यांना निवारा नाही.नाही म्हणजे आधी च्या काळी असलेलं त्यांचं अधिराज्य संपुष्टात येऊ लागलंय..आज पिंडाला शिवायला कावळा नाही अशी वेळ ...एक काळ असा होता की जिकडे तिकडे चिमण्यांची शाळा भरलेली दिसायची, राष्ट्रीय प्राणी आणि पक्षी संपुष्टात आलेले नव्हते , 'वृक्षवल्ली आम्हा सोयरे वनचरे' अशी वृत्ती होती , झाडे लावा झाडे जगवा असा नारा देण्याची गरजच नव्हती कारण माणूस अप्पलपोटी होऊन स्वतःच्या गरजा भागवत नव्हता.

          खरं तर निसर्ग आपल्याला त्याच्या अंगाखांद्यावर मनसोक्तपणे बागडू देत आलाय. त्याचा सगळा खजिना त्यानं आपल्याला खुला केलाय. पण, आपण त्यालाच बोचकारतोय. त्यामुळे, निसर्गही कोपलाय. त्यानं काही छोटे मोठे धक्के देऊन इशारा दिलाय. तरिही आपल्याला जाणीव नाहीये. निसर्गानं आता माणसाशी युद्ध पुकारलंय. पुढच्या काही वर्षांत न भुतो न भविष्यती असं संकट माणसासमोर उभं ठाकणार आहे. कोरोनाच्या संकटापासून सुरक्षित राहायला आपल्याकडे घर तरी होतं. पण, आताच आपण निसर्गावरचा अत्याचार थांबवला नाही तर भविष्यात येणाऱ्या संकटापासून वाचायला डोक्यावरचं छत आणि पायाखालची जमीनही नसेल. आता कित्येक लोकं हा अंदाज वर्तवत तर आहेतच की काही हजारो वर्षांनी पृथ्वी संपूर्ण जलमय होईल पण खर तर याची सुरुवात आपणच केलीये, प्रगतीच्या नावाखाली निसर्गात ढवळा-ढवळ करून.

          गेल्या काही वर्षांत जगानं तापमान वाढ, दुष्काळ, महापूर, सुनामी, चक्रीवादळ, भूस्खलन, अशी संकटं अनुभवली आहेत. पण, आश्चर्याची गोष्ट म्हणजे कोरोना काळात  माणसाचा निसर्गातील हस्तक्षेप कमी झाला आणि निसर्गाचे थक्क करणारे चमत्कार दिसू लागले. चंदीगढमधून दिसणारा हिमालय, मुंबईच्या समुद्रात बऱ्याच वर्षांनी दिसलेले डॉल्फिन, मुंबई, दिल्लीसारख्या महानगरांत थोडी फार अनुभवायला मिळणारी शुद्ध हवा याचं आपल्याला मोठं कौतुक वाटतंय. पण, तरीही या गोष्टी कायम राहाव्यात यासाठी आपण कणभरही प्रयत्न करत नाही. एवढं होऊन सुद्धा पिंजऱ्यातून बाहेर पडलेल्या कल्पक प्राण्याने सुविधा करता करता पुन्हा हानी ही सुरूच केली. मग ते रस्ते बांधणीत लाखोंनी झाडें तोडणे असो किंवा पुन्हा नद्या,नाले, समुद्र यांच्या जवळ घर बांधणी असो. प्लास्टिक, प्रदूषण या गोष्टी तर बोलण्याच्या पलीकडे निघून गेल्यात. श्वास घ्यायला सुद्धा कही वर्षात 'प्रायव्हेट झाड' अशी संकल्पना यायला वेळ  लागणार नाही. 

         या वर उपाय एकच, मानवाला जितका निसर्गात हस्तक्षेप कमी करता येईल तितका कमी करणं , पर्यावरण पूरक गोष्टीच वापरणं. यामुळे हानी कमी होईल अशी आशा, कारण आपल्या चुका महाकाय रुप घेऊन आपल्यावर येऊन धडकत आहेत. आपण स्वतः जागे होणे व इतरांना, ज्यांनी झोपेचे सोंग घेतले आहे त्यांना, गदागदा हलवून जागे करणे ही प्रत्येकाची जबाबदारी आहे. पर्यावरणाला हानी पोहोचवणाऱ्या गोष्टींचे उत्पादन व वापर थांबवणे, तशा गोष्टींचे नवीन शोध न लावणे, पृथ्वीवर जंगलांचे क्षेत्रफळ वाढवणे, जलप्रदूषण, वायुप्रदूषण कमी करणे, अपारंपारिक उर्जास्रोतांचा वापर करणे अशा अनेक गोष्टी आपल्याला सहजच करण्यासारख्या आहेत. अगदीच काही नाही तर प्लॅस्टिकचा वापर कायमस्वरूपी थांबवणे, आठवड्यातून एक दिवस कुठलेही वाहन न वापरणे व पर्यावरणपूरक एक झाड लावणे, जोपासणे व वाढवणे हे तर आपल्याला नक्कीच करता येईल. हे सगळं तर बालवाडी पासून पुस्तकात शिकतोय फक्त ते आमलात आणता आलं पाहिजे,ह्या गोष्टींची जर आपल्याला सवय झाली तर पर्यावरण रक्षिणे व ते वृद्धिंगत होणे हे आपले श्वास घेण्यासारखे नित्यकर्म होईल व प्रत्येक दिवसच पर्यावरण दिवस होईल. त्यासाठी वेगळा दिवस साजरा करायची गरजच पडणार नाही. आणि मोगलीच्या जीवनाचाही प्रश्न सुटेल,नाही का?

- Tanvi Chitale