E-Waste Recycling

Source: The Hindu (TH)

Context

The central government is promoting local electronics manufacturing through initiatives such as semiconductor fabs and the electronics component manufacturing scheme, but e-waste recycling remains a weak link.

In recent years, millions of tonnes of consumer electronics and appliances have accumulated as waste. Policymakers acknowledge that recycling is crucial for extracting rare and valuable metals, especially as electronics consumption is projected to rise sharply in the coming years.

E-waste refers to discarded electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, TVs, refrigerators, and chargers.
These often contain valuable metals but are thrown away instead of being reused or recycled.

Need for Effective E-Waste Management

• Health Risks: E-waste contains toxic substances like lead, mercury, and cadmium. Improper management causes soil and water pollution, leading to neurological disorders, kidney failure, and chronic diseases.
• Environmental Damage: Unsafe recycling methods pollute air, soil, and water, and increase greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change and ecological harm.
• Economic Loss: Inefficient recycling wastes valuable metals like gold, silver, and copper, which could have been reused in production.

Link to ESG and SDGs

E-waste management aligns with global sustainability frameworks:

• SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
• SDG 13: Climate action

It strengthens India’s ESG commitments by integrating resource efficiency and environmental protection into development.

Electronics Consumption and Domestic Push

Despite having more than 939 million mobile broadband connections, India accounts for only 4% of global electronics consumption.

Weaknesses in global supply chains have pushed the government to promote domestic manufacturing and ensure raw material availability. In September 2025, a ₹1,500 crore mineral recycling programme was also launched.

Scale and Processing of E-Waste

According to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2020, India is the third-largest e-waste producer in the world after China and the U.S.

India’s electronics industry is projected to grow at 16.6% CAGR, from USD 215 billion in FY19 to USD 540 billion by FY25.
With this rapidly expanding market, e-waste volumes are also set to increase significantly.

In 2022, India generated an estimated 4.17 million metric tonnes of e-waste, but only about one-third of it was processed through formal channels.

Legal Framework for E-Waste Management

Improper disposal of end-of-life (EoL) EEE products has severe impacts on human health and the environment.

• E-waste in India is regulated under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, implemented from 1 April 2023.
• State Pollution Control Boards collect inconsistent data, leading to discrepancies between Indian and international statistics.
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recently audited over 50 recyclers.
• Companies are working to integrate informal operations into formal “mandi”-style streams to recover metals such as gold, copper, aluminium, and steel.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Challenges

The government has established EPR rules, requiring manufacturers to collect end-of-life devices and recycle metals such as copper, aluminium, nickel, cobalt, and lithium.
This move is partly motivated by geopolitical risks, such as China’s export restrictions on rare metals.

Dominance of the Informal Sector

According to a 2023 Indian Cellular and Electronics Association report, India’s recycling sector is dominated by informal operators.

These operators focus on repair and parts extraction but remain outside the formal framework, hindering the circular economy.
Even within EPR, issues like “paper trading” exist, where recyclers inflate recycling volumes to gain financial incentives.

Concerns About Transparency and Best Practices

Experts argue that many irregularities exist in the sector — with several companies lacking real extraction capabilities.

They emphasise the need for third-party audits, environmental safeguards, and life-cycle tracking of products.

India’s inventory tracking is weak, whereas in Western countries, products are treated as potential e-waste right from the point of sale.

Future Prospects

Currently, the share of recycled precious metals in India’s supply chains is negligible.
However, industry experts believe that with the right policy support, India could meet up to 70% of its rare metal requirements domestically within 18 months.

Recycling is becoming increasingly important each year and has the potential to become a pillar of India’s electronics ecosystem.

New Definition of Pandemic Emergency

Source: The Hindu (TH)

The revised International Health Regulations (IHR) have now come into effect, introducing a new legal category — Pandemic Emergency.

A Pandemic Emergency is a newly defined sub-category under the IHR, based on the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), but with a higher threshold. It applies when an infectious disease:

• Spreads across wide geographical regions,
• Places excessive strain on health systems,
• Causes large-scale social and economic disruption, and
• Requires urgent, coordinated global action.

2024 Amendments and Changes:

• Adopted unanimously through Resolution WHA77.17 at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) in June 2024.
• Effective from 19 September 2025 for member states that have accepted the amendments.
• Major new legal obligations:
  • The WHO Director-General (DG) may decide whether a PHEIC escalates into a Pandemic Emergency (Article 12).
  • Each country must appoint a national IHR authority to coordinate across ministries.
  • A Coordinating Financial Mechanism has been launched to help developing nations in pandemic preparedness.
  • A States Parties Committee has been established to support implementation (non-punitive monitoring).

Key Features:

• Tiered Alert System: Pandemic Emergency is a level above PHEIC but based on it — an event must first meet PHEIC criteria.
• Expanded Triggers: Includes widespread geographic spread, health system burden, socio-economic disruption, and the need for whole-of-society and government-level response.
• Equity and Solidarity: Emphasizes equal access to medical products, financial cooperation, and global collaborative response.
• No New Sovereignty Powers: Clarifies that WHO cannot mandate domestic policies (e.g., lockdowns) — countries retain legislative independence.
• Smooth Integration: Does not replace PHEIC, but strengthens it; simplifies decision-making and avoids duplication.

Significance:

• Legal Clarity: Provides a clear legal framework for determining when and how a global pandemic can be declared.
• Rapid Response: Enables swift mobilization of global resources and coordinated interventions.

Support for Developing Countries: Financial mechanisms and legal obligations ensure equity in capacity building.

DigiLocker

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced that candidates’ caste, income, and disability certificates will now be verified through DigiLocker to prevent the submission of forged certificates.

On the occasion of its centenary year, UPSC has also launched the “My UPSC Interview” portal, inviting serving and retired officers to share their interview experiences.

About DigiLocker

What is it?
It is a flagship initiative under Digital India that provides citizens with a secure, cloud-based platform to access and share authentic digital documents.

• Ministry: Developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Objective: To provide digital empowerment to citizens, promote paperless governance, and ensure faster service delivery through legally valid digital documents.

Key Features

• Digital Document Wallet: Securely stores Aadhaar, PAN, driving license, educational and caste certificates in digital form.
• Legal Recognition: Documents are considered equivalent to originals under Rule 9A of the IT Rules, 2016.
• Citizen-Centric: Provides access to documents anytime, anywhere, with user consent for sharing.
• Efficiency: Enables real-time verification directly from issuing authorities, reducing delays and fraud.
• Paperless Governance: Lowers administrative burdens and promotes sustainable, eco-friendly record-keeping.

About My UPSC Interview Portal

What is it?
A new initiative launched during UPSC’s centenary year, inviting serving and retired civil servants to share their interview experiences.

• Objectives:
  • To build a repository of real-life experiences for aspirants,
  • To enhance transparency in the recruitment process,
  • To preserve institutional memory.

Special Note: Selected experiences will be published in 2026 as part of the UPSC centenary celebrations.