'India no longer sees itself as western-style democracy': Bhupender Yadav

Interview/ Bhupender Yadav, Union minister for environment, forest and climate change, and labour and employment

Q/ How do you assess the past nine years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi? What has been the transformation in the country’s polity?

A/ When Narendra Modi took over as prime minister, India was stuck in policy paralysis and corruption. Appeasement politics prevented inclusive development.

The most significant thing that has happened in the past nine years is that Modi has set India firmly on course for realising Amrit Kaal. India is today making great strides in all spheres of development. We are now the world’s fifth-largest economy and the fastest growing major economy. The government is working with consistency and continuity to ensure ease of doing business and ease of living.

Regarding the transformation that has happened, I see a shift in approach. From ‘how will this be done’ we have moved to ‘how can it not be done’. The nation of 130 crore people is working with a ‘can do’ approach. Most significantly, India is taking pride in following Indian growth models. Culturally, we have ushered in a process of ‘returning to the roots’. India no longer sees itself as a democracy cast in the model of the west. Modi has instilled confidence in the nation to believe that India is the cradle of democracy.

Q/ What are the major achievements in the field of environment?

A/ India’s aggressive policies towards rapid deployment of renewables and robust framework for energy efficiency programmes have shown considerable impact. India has been ranked among top five countries in the world, and the best among G20 countries, based on its climate change performance.

When it comes to India’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2070, we are walking the talk. In August 2022, India became one of the few countries to communicate its updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. India now stands committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 per cent by 2030.

India’s power generation mix is rapidly shifting towards a more significant share of renewable energy. India has already installed 172.45GW of renewable energy, and is the only country among G20 nations that is progressing rapidly to meet its climate goals. In the past nine years, India’s installed renewable energy capacity has increased by two and a half times, and the solar energy capacity has increased by 25 times. India is thus likely to achieve its second NDC well ahead of schedule. The 2023-24 Union budget has also made an allocation of Rs19,700 crore to the National Green Hydrogen Mission as a step towards a decarbonisation pathway.

India’s forest cover has grown significantly. The total forest and tree cover is 80.9 million hectares, which is 24.62 per cent of the country’s geographical area. India is also on course to protect at least 30 per cent of biodiversity-rich areas by 2030, which is a target set under the global biodiversity framework agreed upon at the UN Biodiversity Summit.

India is working on all fronts to ensure that environment is not just protected but also enriched.

Q/ There is debate over development and environment. You have talked about ‘climate justice’ regarding the use of coal and fossil fuel. How is the balance being maintained?

A/ As I have said earlier, India does not see development and environmental conservation as antagonistic. India reserves its right to develop and ensure an end to poverty, which is one of the sustainable development goals.

We do not need the west to decide our development model when their own model has caused today’s crisis. Having said that, I want to reiterate that India is a responsible global partner and has been doing more than its fair share for the cause of sustainable development.

Q/ There is opposition to genetically modified crops from many stakeholders and groups. What is your stance?

A/ The opposition to GM crops is not based on scientific evidence, but on unfounded fears and misunderstandings. GM crops can give higher yields than conventional crops, which can help feed the growing global population.

GM crops can be engineered to be resistant to certain insects, which can reduce the need for chemical insecticides. This can benefit the environment by reducing the amount of harmful chemicals that are released into the ecosystem. The crops can be engineered to have increased levels of specific nutrients, such as vitamin A or iron. This can help address nutritional deficiencies in populations that rely heavily on a particular crop. They can be engineered to have longer shelf lives, which can reduce food waste and improve food security. They can be engineered to be more drought-resistant, which can help conserve water resources.

GM crops have undergone rigorous biosafety assessments over the years. The use of GM crops is not mandatory; farmers who do not wish to use GM seeds can continue to use traditional varieties.

Q/ During the pandemic, migrant workers were the worst hit. The past few years have been tough for them. What has been done for their welfare?

A/ The Modi government places a very high degree of importance on our shramjeevis, our nation-builders. Close to 29 crore workers from the unorganised sector, which employs 90 per cent of the workforce, have been registered on the eShram portal. This will ensure that workers get social security cover and the benefits of welfare schemes.

The new version of the portal also has data-sharing and data analytics capabilities. The data-sharing portal will allow sharing of eShram beneficiaries’ data with states and Union territories for targeted implementation of schemes. Recently, the labour and employment ministry also initiated an exercise to map data related to different schemes with eShram data to identify the eShram registrants who have not yet received the benefits of these schemes. This data is also being shared with states and Union territories.

The government is working on expanding the social security coverage for unorganised workers, and [directing] states to make rules for labour codes. This will help strengthen the country’s labour market.

Additionally, India has launched the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana, which is meant for old-age protection and social security of unorganised workers. About 3.2 million street vendors have been provided collateral-free loans to help them resume their businesses after the Covid lockdown.

Q/ Critics often cite job creation as a shortcoming. Your views.

A/ Employment generation has been a top priority for the Modi government. Major schemes being implemented include the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission and the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.

Flagship programmes such as Make in India, Start-up India, Digital India, Smart City Mission, and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation are also geared towards generating employment opportunities.

In order to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities and exports, the 2021-22 Union budget announced an outlay of Rs1.97 lakh crore for production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes in 14 key sectors of manufacturing. With the announcement of PLI schemes, significant creation of skills, employment, economic growth and exports is expected over the next five years.

Further, the 2023-24 budget proposed to increase capital investment outlay steeply for the third year in a row―by 33 per cent to Rs10 lakh crore, which would be 3.3 per cent of the GDP. This substantial increase is central to the government’s efforts to enhance growth potential and job creation.

Employment data released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation also reflects the outcome of job-creation measures taken by the government. The Periodic Labour Force Survey Report 2021-22 reveals that India’s worker-population ratio increased to 52.9 per cent as compared to 46.8 per cent in 2017-18, indicating steady increase in employment over the years. On the other hand, the unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above has declined to 4.1 per cent during 2021-22, from 6.0 per cent during the year 2017-18. The PLFS data itself is clear evidence of improvement.