Daily Mains Answer Writing –10 October 2025

Model Answer

Introduction

India’s ethanol blending success marks a turning point in energy policy. The target of 20% blending achieved in 2025, five years ahead of schedule, shows strong policy coordination. However, this achievement has created unintended effects on food security, crop diversity, and nutrition. The shift from food crops to fuel crops presents a serious policy trade-off.

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Rising Ethanol Crops:

• Rapid expansion: Ethanol-linked crops such as maize and sugarcane are expanding rapidly.
• Maize dominance: Maize now contributes over 42% of ethanol output, overtaking sugarcane-based feedstocks.

Falling Food Crops:

• Oilseeds decline: Area under oilseeds declined by 7.11 lakh hectares.
• Pulses impact: Tur (pigeon pea) production fell by 6.7%, threatening edible oil and protein security.

Impact on Nutrition:

• Dietary imbalance: Reduced pulses and oilseeds worsen protein and micronutrient deficiencies.
• NFHS-5 data: 35.5% of children under five are stunted, reflecting ongoing nutrition challenges.

Traditional Crops Neglected:

• Millets & rice varieties: Nutrient-rich millets and indigenous rice continue to lose acreage.
• Agro-biodiversity loss: Their marginalization weakens resilience to climate and market shocks.

Economic Pull Factors:

• Assured markets: Ethanol feedstocks ensure stable prices and procurement security.
• Price volatility: Pulses and oilseeds face low MSP coverage and uncertain markets.

Byproduct Effects:

• DDGS surge: Distillers’ Dried Grains with Solubles rose thirteenfold, substituting oil meals.
• Indirect impact: Reduces demand for pulses, further discouraging their cultivation.

Policy Gains:

• Foreign exchange: Ethanol blending saved ₹1.36 lakh crore in imports.
• Emissions: Reduced 698 lakh tonnes of CO₂, advancing energy transition goals.

Environmental Cost:

• Water stress: Maize and sugarcane expansion burdens groundwater and soil health.
• Monoculture: Continuous cultivation reduces soil fertility and biodiversity.

Food–Fuel Dilemma:

• Land diversion: Rising ethanol crops reduce area for food and nutrition crops.
• Policy paradox: Energy security improves, but long-term food security weakens.

Conclusion

India’s ethanol revolution is an energy success but an agricultural warning. Fuel security has advanced, yet food and nutritional security face new risks. The way forward lies in promoting second-generation biofuels, ensuring procurement support for pulses and oilseeds, and maintaining crop diversification. Sustainable energy policy must protect the foundation of food security.

Model Answer

Introduction

India’s dairy sector sustains nearly 80 million rural households but is also among the largest global sources of livestock methane. Balancing emission reduction with livelihood protection has emerged as a critical climate-development challenge. Methane mitigation in dairying, if implemented strategically, can strengthen both climate resilience and rural incomes through sustainable productivity growth.

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Methane Challenge in Dairy Systems:

• Emission share: India contributes about 14% of global livestock greenhouse gas emissions.
• Source: Over 90% of these emissions arise from enteric fermentation in cattle and buffaloes.
• High emitters: Buffaloes emit the most methane per animal; poorly fed indigenous cows emit up to 44 g CH₄ per kg of milk.

Feed and Fodder Interventions:

• Green fodder: Enhances digestibility and reduces methane intensity by ~15% with consistent supply.
• Ration balancing: NDDB trials show 10–13.5% reduction in methane per kg milk.
• Feed supplements: Urea-molasses-mineral blocks, protein-rich greens, and bioactives like Harit Dhara cut emissions by 17–20%.
• Seaweed feeds: Potential 10% reduction though large-scale application remains limited.

Animal Health and Genetic Improvement:

• Feed efficiency: Healthier animals convert feed more efficiently, lowering emissions per litre of milk.
• Disease impact: Conditions like mastitis raise emission intensity by over 8%.
• Genetic progress: Under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, milk productivity improved 26% in a decade; indigenous breeds rose 39%.

Community and Institutional Approaches:

• Digital monitoring: Enables real-time tracking of animal health and emission intensity.
• Fodder hubs: Localized fodder banks and pasture restoration integrate ecological and income goals.
• Technology integration: Combining genomics, AI, and selective breeding builds adaptive and climate-resilient livestock systems.

Conclusion

Methane mitigation is not just a climate obligation but a developmental lever. Strategies centred on feed quality, animal health, and genetic improvement can simultaneously lower emissions, raise productivity, and secure livelihoods. India’s pathway must blend scientific innovation with indigenous knowledge and strong institutional delivery to make livestock systems both climate-smart and economically inclusive.

Model Answer

Introduction

India’s livestock sector faces a structural feed crisis that undermines both productivity and climate mitigation. The shortage of green fodder compels farmers to rely on low-quality residues, increasing methane emissions per unit of milk while depressing yields.

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Fodder Deficit and Emission Link:

• Extent of deficit: Seasonal green fodder shortage ranges between 11–32% across regions.
• Digestibility issue: Poor-quality feed prolongs rumen retention, producing higher methane per kilogram of milk.
• Emission intensity: Underfed indigenous cattle emit 44 g CH₄ per kg milk — well above efficient benchmarks.

Constraints for Farmers:

• Input barriers: Limited access to quality seeds, irrigation, and credit restrict fodder cultivation.
• Dependence on residues: Overreliance on straw and crop waste reduces productivity and raises emissions.
• Weak infrastructure: Poor logistics and storage facilities limit year-round availability of green feed.

Sustainable Solutions:

• Community hubs: Establish fodder hubs and local seed banks for steady green feed supply.
• High-yield crops: Promote sorghum, desmanthus, and other climate-resilient fodder species.
• Mission integration: Link fodder development to Rashtriya Gokul Mission and NDDB dairy programs.
• Digital tools: Use GIS mapping and training for balanced rations and rotational grazing.
• PPP model: Strengthen public–private partnerships to develop sustainable fodder supply chains.

Conclusion

Addressing fodder deficit is both an environmental and economic imperative. Ensuring consistent green feed supply enhances methane efficiency, stabilises milk productivity, and supports rural incomes. Sustainable fodder ecosystems—rooted in local participation and policy support—are central to India’s climate-smart livestock transition.

Model Answer

Introduction

Animal health directly influences feed efficiency, productivity, and methane emissions. In India’s dairy sector, poor health and diseases not only reduce output but also raise emission intensity, making animal welfare a key climate and economic concern.

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Link Between Health and Methane Efficiency:

• Digestive efficiency: Healthy animals digest feed better, producing less methane per litre of milk.
• Disease burden: Mastitis and parasitic infections increase methane intensity by about 8%.
• Feed inefficiency: Sick animals consume more resources for the same yield, extending feed cycles.

Economic and Productivity Impacts:

• Yield loss: Poor health causes lower milk output, delayed reproduction, and higher mortality.
• Emission footprint: Replacement of diseased animals adds new rearing cycles, multiplying emissions.
• Double dividend: Better animal health enhances productivity and cuts emissions simultaneously.

Measures for Animal Health Improvement:

• Veterinary access: Expand coverage and vaccination drives for common diseases.
• Monitoring: Integrate NDDB-led digital diagnostics for early detection and response.
• Balanced nutrition: Improve immune response and feed conversion ratio through dietary balance.
• Biosecurity: Adopt hygiene protocols to prevent outbreaks in dairy clusters.
• Data management: Promote digital livestock tracking for health and emission metrics.

Policy and Institutional Support:

• Rashtriya Gokul Mission: Strengthens indigenous breeds and animal healthcare delivery.
• MAITRI technicians: Enable doorstep veterinary and breeding services for smallholders.
• Integrated approach: Linking animal health with feed and breeding policies ensures systemic efficiency.

Conclusion

Animal health is the foundation of climate-smart dairying. Healthy, productive livestock reduce methane intensity, safeguard incomes, and build resilience against climate shocks. India’s strategy must prioritise preventive health, veterinary access, and digital monitoring to align animal welfare with climate action and rural development.