UPSC Mains Answer Practice — GS 3 : Sustainable development and digital payment fraud compensation (Week 161)

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-3 to check your progress.

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Discuss the relevance of ecological thresholds in achieving sustainable development. How can the proposed ’10 per cent ecological cost rule’ strengthen environmental decision-making in India?

QUESTION 2

“Consumer protection is an essential pillar of a resilient digital economy.” Discuss this statement in the context of the Reserve Bank of India’s revised framework for digital payment fraud compensation.

QUESTION 1: Discuss the relevance of ecological thresholds in achieving sustainable development. How can the proposed ’10 per cent ecological cost rule’ strengthen environmental decision-making in India?

Relevance: The question integrates key GS-III themes of environment, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and environmental governance. It is relevant in the context of increasing infrastructure expansion, climate commitments, and debates over environmental clearances in India.

Note: This is not a model UPSC answer. It only provides you with a thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

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— Sustainable development necessitates balancing economic progress with the maintenance of ecological systems that promote human well-being.

— As India accelerates infrastructure growth and energy transition, defining ecological thresholds—the limits beyond which ecosystems lose resilience—becomes critical to ensuring that development does not compromise the country’s ecological roots. The proposed ’10 percent ecological cost guideline’ provides a cautious benchmark for striking this equilibrium.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

Relevance of ecological thresholds in achieving sustainable development

— Natural systems can only sustain a certain number of shocks before their ecological functions decline.

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— Ecological thresholds help to ensure that economic progress does not exhaust the environmental resources on which it is ultimately based.

— Forests, wildlife habitats, and watersheds provide essential functions like water control, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation.

— Environmental degradation has major economic implications; estimates place these losses in India at between 9 and 11 percent of GDP.

— Sensitive ecosystems, such as tiger habitats and wildlife corridors, function on narrow ecological limits and are susceptible to cumulative stress.

Conclusion:

— Recent estimates place the economic cost of environmental degradation in India at around 9-11 per cent of GDP. A precautionary approach would be to treat this as an ecological threshold — a point beyond which the economy is not operating sustainably and is drawing down its natural capital. Development must pay a minimum ecological due.

(Source: A 10 per cent rule for sustainable development)

Points to Ponder

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How does the concept of carrying capacity relate to environmental decision-making?

What challenges may arise in implementing ecological thresholds in policymaking?

Related Previous Year Question

Rehabilitation of human settlements is one of the important environmental impacts which always attracts controversy while planning major projects. Discuss the measures suggested for mitigation of this impact while proposing major developmental projects. (2016)

QUESTION 2: “Consumer protection is an essential pillar of a resilient digital economy.” Discuss this statement in the context of the Reserve Bank of India’s revised framework for digital payment fraud compensation.

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Relevance: The question covers important GS-III areas including Indian economy, banking reforms, digital economy, cybersecurity, and financial inclusion. It is relevant due to the rapid expansion of digital payments and increasing concerns over cyber fraud and financial security.

Note: This is not a model UPSC answer. It only provides you with a thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— A resilient digital economy is based not only on technology innovation and financial inclusion, but also on customer trust and security. As digital payment fraud gets more sophisticated, providing proper safeguards for consumers is crucial to maintaining trust in the digital financial ecosystem.

— In this regard, the Reserve Bank of India’s updated framework for compensating victims of digital payment fraud, which goes into effect on January 1, 2027, is a significant step toward improving consumer safety in India.

Body:

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You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

Revised framework for digital payment fraud compensation

— Victims of fraudulent electronic banking transactions with losses up to ₹50,000 are eligible for compensation of 85% of the net loss or ₹25,000, whichever is smaller, once in their lifetime.

— Compensation may be given even if customers mistakenly shared credentials such as OTPs, subject to the framework’s terms. Customers must report fraud to their bank and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or Helpline within five days.

— Banks must completely reimburse customers for fraud caused by weak security mechanisms, inability to issue alarms, system breakdowns, or failing to respond swiftly to complaints. In credit card fraud situations, banks must issue a preliminary credit (“shadow reversal”) within five days to ensure that clients do not suffer interest or other charges while the investigation is ongoing.

— Banks must resolve domestic fraud allegations within 45 days and cross-border complaints within 60 days.

Conclusion:

— By improving accountability, compensation procedures, and grievance redressal, the framework aims to make India’s digital financial ecosystem more secure, inclusive, and trustworthy.

(Source: RBI’s new fraud compensation mechanism: What’s different, who pays, how to claim compensation)

Points to Ponder

What role does consumer confidence play in promoting digital financial inclusion?

What are the major challenges posed by cyber-enabled financial frauds in India?

Related Previous Year Questions

What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation. (2024)

What is the status of digitalization in the Indian economy? Examine the problems faced in this regard and suggest improvements. (2023)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 160)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 159)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 160)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 159)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 158)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 160)

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