Reading Comprehension || RC PRACTICE SET -2 || DUJAT 2021 || 26 August

Intermediate Para Transit (IPT) — a system that facilitates flexible passenger transportation and that does not necessarily follow fixed routes and schedules — is an integral part of the mobility ecosystem in Indian cities. The toxic emissions by the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE), however, are worrisome.

ICE-IPT vehicles contribute to vehicular pollution share: A conventional three-wheeler running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) emits approximately 0.005 tonnes of Particulate Matter10 (PM10) in a year and about 3.72 tonnes carbon dioxide in a year, according to a study conducted by The Energy Research Institute (TERI).

Alternative fuel-based mobility options are being explored to combat these problems. And electric three-wheel based IPT segment, especially electric-rickshaws (e-rickshaw), are emerging as a winner in this transition. There are, however, multiple challenges that need to be addressed to make this transition smooth.

E-rickshaws currently comprise 83 per cent of the India electric vehicle market. India currently has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws that increase with additional sales of around 11,000 new ones every month. These figures could be much higher as a large percentage is still unregistered. The major growth drivers behind this tremendous growth are socio-economic and environmental benefits, along with the supportive government policy landscape.

However, despite their mass deployment, there are several issues associated with the regulation of e-rickshaws. Their components are imported from outside but are assembled in India. These are usually non-standardised and assembled in local workshops without complying with standards. Unorganised players sell 10,000 e-rickshaws a month against 1,500-2,000 a month for organised players. The e-rickshaws sold by unorganised sector are of poor quality and operate on lead-acid battery that needs to be changed after every six-eight months. The replacement cost per battery is Rs 25,000-Rs 28,000. The lead-acid batteries are usually weighing close to 80 kilograms, which reduces vehicle mileage. As the battery cannot be refurbished, an e-rickshaw owner typically returns it to the vendor it has run its life. Used batteries are often disposed of carelessly, harming the environment. The Union government discontinued subsidy for lead acid-based e-rickshaws from October 2019 amid FAME I. E-rickshaws have proliferated because most of them remain unregistered. India has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws in 2021; till 2019, only 1.5 lakh were registered. Delhi, for instance, has more than 1 lakh e-rickshaws; but only 5,891 are registered. As a result, drivers do not hold valid licenses and the safety of passengers is compromised. The lack of authorised e-rickshaw charging facilities leads to power theft. Several unorganised setups in Delhi provide bulk charging at night by doing power theft. The e-rickshaw owners pay fixed money (Rs 100-150) for parking and charging facilities.

For electric rickshaw market to flourish in a sustainable way, a combination of policy and regulatory interventions are needed.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/air/why-e-rickshaws-have-emerged-a-winner-in-transition-to-electric-mobility-race-75767

Intermediate Para Transit (IPT) — a system that facilitates flexible passenger transportation and that does not necessarily follow fixed routes and schedules — is an integral part of the mobility ecosystem in Indian cities. The toxic emissions by the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE), however, are worrisome.

ICE-IPT vehicles contribute to vehicular pollution share: A conventional three-wheeler running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) emits approximately 0.005 tonnes of Particulate Matter10 (PM10) in a year and about 3.72 tonnes carbon dioxide in a year, according to a study conducted by The Energy Research Institute (TERI).

Alternative fuel-based mobility options are being explored to combat these problems. And electric three-wheel based IPT segment, especially electric-rickshaws (e-rickshaw), are emerging as a winner in this transition. There are, however, multiple challenges that need to be addressed to make this transition smooth.

E-rickshaws currently comprise 83 per cent of the India electric vehicle market. India currently has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws that increase with additional sales of around 11,000 new ones every month. These figures could be much higher as a large percentage is still unregistered. The major growth drivers behind this tremendous growth are socio-economic and environmental benefits, along with the supportive government policy landscape.

However, despite their mass deployment, there are several issues associated with the regulation of e-rickshaws. Their components are imported from outside but are assembled in India. These are usually non-standardised and assembled in local workshops without complying with standards. Unorganised players sell 10,000 e-rickshaws a month against 1,500-2,000 a month for organised players. The e-rickshaws sold by unorganised sector are of poor quality and operate on lead-acid battery that needs to be changed after every six-eight months. The replacement cost per battery is Rs 25,000-Rs 28,000. The lead-acid batteries are usually weighing close to 80 kilograms, which reduces vehicle mileage. As the battery cannot be refurbished, an e-rickshaw owner typically returns it to the vendor it has run its life. Used batteries are often disposed of carelessly, harming the environment. The Union government discontinued subsidy for lead acid-based e-rickshaws from October 2019 amid FAME I. E-rickshaws have proliferated because most of them remain unregistered. India has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws in 2021; till 2019, only 1.5 lakh were registered. Delhi, for instance, has more than 1 lakh e-rickshaws; but only 5,891 are registered. As a result, drivers do not hold valid licenses and the safety of passengers is compromised. The lack of authorised e-rickshaw charging facilities leads to power theft. Several unorganised setups in Delhi provide bulk charging at night by doing power theft. The e-rickshaw owners pay fixed money (Rs 100-150) for parking and charging facilities.

For electric rickshaw market to flourish in a sustainable way, a combination of policy and regulatory interventions are needed.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/air/why-e-rickshaws-have-emerged-a-winner-in-transition-to-electric-mobility-race-75767

Intermediate Para Transit (IPT) — a system that facilitates flexible passenger transportation and that does not necessarily follow fixed routes and schedules — is an integral part of the mobility ecosystem in Indian cities. The toxic emissions by the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE), however, are worrisome.

ICE-IPT vehicles contribute to vehicular pollution share: A conventional three-wheeler running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) emits approximately 0.005 tonnes of Particulate Matter10 (PM10) in a year and about 3.72 tonnes carbon dioxide in a year, according to a study conducted by The Energy Research Institute (TERI).

Alternative fuel-based mobility options are being explored to combat these problems. And electric three-wheel based IPT segment, especially electric-rickshaws (e-rickshaw), are emerging as a winner in this transition. There are, however, multiple challenges that need to be addressed to make this transition smooth.

E-rickshaws currently comprise 83 per cent of the India electric vehicle market. India currently has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws that increase with additional sales of around 11,000 new ones every month. These figures could be much higher as a large percentage is still unregistered. The major growth drivers behind this tremendous growth are socio-economic and environmental benefits, along with the supportive government policy landscape.

However, despite their mass deployment, there are several issues associated with the regulation of e-rickshaws. Their components are imported from outside but are assembled in India. These are usually non-standardised and assembled in local workshops without complying with standards. Unorganised players sell 10,000 e-rickshaws a month against 1,500-2,000 a month for organised players. The e-rickshaws sold by unorganised sector are of poor quality and operate on lead-acid battery that needs to be changed after every six-eight months. The replacement cost per battery is Rs 25,000-Rs 28,000. The lead-acid batteries are usually weighing close to 80 kilograms, which reduces vehicle mileage. As the battery cannot be refurbished, an e-rickshaw owner typically returns it to the vendor it has run its life. Used batteries are often disposed of carelessly, harming the environment. The Union government discontinued subsidy for lead acid-based e-rickshaws from October 2019 amid FAME I. E-rickshaws have proliferated because most of them remain unregistered. India has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws in 2021; till 2019, only 1.5 lakh were registered. Delhi, for instance, has more than 1 lakh e-rickshaws; but only 5,891 are registered. As a result, drivers do not hold valid licenses and the safety of passengers is compromised. The lack of authorised e-rickshaw charging facilities leads to power theft. Several unorganised setups in Delhi provide bulk charging at night by doing power theft. The e-rickshaw owners pay fixed money (Rs 100-150) for parking and charging facilities.

For electric rickshaw market to flourish in a sustainable way, a combination of policy and regulatory interventions are needed.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/air/why-e-rickshaws-have-emerged-a-winner-in-transition-to-electric-mobility-race-75767

Intermediate Para Transit (IPT) — a system that facilitates flexible passenger transportation and that does not necessarily follow fixed routes and schedules — is an integral part of the mobility ecosystem in Indian cities. The toxic emissions by the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE), however, are worrisome.

ICE-IPT vehicles contribute to vehicular pollution share: A conventional three-wheeler running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) emits approximately 0.005 tonnes of Particulate Matter10 (PM10) in a year and about 3.72 tonnes carbon dioxide in a year, according to a study conducted by The Energy Research Institute (TERI).

Alternative fuel-based mobility options are being explored to combat these problems. And electric three-wheel based IPT segment, especially electric-rickshaws (e-rickshaw), are emerging as a winner in this transition. There are, however, multiple challenges that need to be addressed to make this transition smooth.

E-rickshaws currently comprise 83 per cent of the India electric vehicle market. India currently has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws that increase with additional sales of around 11,000 new ones every month. These figures could be much higher as a large percentage is still unregistered. The major growth drivers behind this tremendous growth are socio-economic and environmental benefits, along with the supportive government policy landscape.

However, despite their mass deployment, there are several issues associated with the regulation of e-rickshaws. Their components are imported from outside but are assembled in India. These are usually non-standardised and assembled in local workshops without complying with standards. Unorganised players sell 10,000 e-rickshaws a month against 1,500-2,000 a month for organised players. The e-rickshaws sold by unorganised sector are of poor quality and operate on lead-acid battery that needs to be changed after every six-eight months. The replacement cost per battery is Rs 25,000-Rs 28,000. The lead-acid batteries are usually weighing close to 80 kilograms, which reduces vehicle mileage. As the battery cannot be refurbished, an e-rickshaw owner typically returns it to the vendor it has run its life. Used batteries are often disposed of carelessly, harming the environment. The Union government discontinued subsidy for lead acid-based e-rickshaws from October 2019 amid FAME I. E-rickshaws have proliferated because most of them remain unregistered. India has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws in 2021; till 2019, only 1.5 lakh were registered. Delhi, for instance, has more than 1 lakh e-rickshaws; but only 5,891 are registered. As a result, drivers do not hold valid licenses and the safety of passengers is compromised. The lack of authorised e-rickshaw charging facilities leads to power theft. Several unorganised setups in Delhi provide bulk charging at night by doing power theft. The e-rickshaw owners pay fixed money (Rs 100-150) for parking and charging facilities.

For electric rickshaw market to flourish in a sustainable way, a combination of policy and regulatory interventions are needed.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/air/why-e-rickshaws-have-emerged-a-winner-in-transition-to-electric-mobility-race-75767

Intermediate Para Transit (IPT) — a system that facilitates flexible passenger transportation and that does not necessarily follow fixed routes and schedules — is an integral part of the mobility ecosystem in Indian cities. The toxic emissions by the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE), however, are worrisome.

ICE-IPT vehicles contribute to vehicular pollution share: A conventional three-wheeler running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) emits approximately 0.005 tonnes of Particulate Matter10 (PM10) in a year and about 3.72 tonnes carbon dioxide in a year, according to a study conducted by The Energy Research Institute (TERI).

Alternative fuel-based mobility options are being explored to combat these problems. And electric three-wheel based IPT segment, especially electric-rickshaws (e-rickshaw), are emerging as a winner in this transition. There are, however, multiple challenges that need to be addressed to make this transition smooth.

E-rickshaws currently comprise 83 per cent of the India electric vehicle market. India currently has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws that increase with additional sales of around 11,000 new ones every month. These figures could be much higher as a large percentage is still unregistered. The major growth drivers behind this tremendous growth are socio-economic and environmental benefits, along with the supportive government policy landscape.

However, despite their mass deployment, there are several issues associated with the regulation of e-rickshaws. Their components are imported from outside but are assembled in India. These are usually non-standardised and assembled in local workshops without complying with standards. Unorganised players sell 10,000 e-rickshaws a month against 1,500-2,000 a month for organised players. The e-rickshaws sold by unorganised sector are of poor quality and operate on lead-acid battery that needs to be changed after every six-eight months. The replacement cost per battery is Rs 25,000-Rs 28,000. The lead-acid batteries are usually weighing close to 80 kilograms, which reduces vehicle mileage. As the battery cannot be refurbished, an e-rickshaw owner typically returns it to the vendor it has run its life. Used batteries are often disposed of carelessly, harming the environment. The Union government discontinued subsidy for lead acid-based e-rickshaws from October 2019 amid FAME I. E-rickshaws have proliferated because most of them remain unregistered. India has around 15 lakh e-rickshaws in 2021; till 2019, only 1.5 lakh were registered. Delhi, for instance, has more than 1 lakh e-rickshaws; but only 5,891 are registered. As a result, drivers do not hold valid licenses and the safety of passengers is compromised. The lack of authorised e-rickshaw charging facilities leads to power theft. Several unorganised setups in Delhi provide bulk charging at night by doing power theft. The e-rickshaw owners pay fixed money (Rs 100-150) for parking and charging facilities.

For electric rickshaw market to flourish in a sustainable way, a combination of policy and regulatory interventions are needed.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/air/why-e-rickshaws-have-emerged-a-winner-in-transition-to-electric-mobility-race-75767

Nearly 100 million Americans had voted before November 3, the official election day in the US – nearly two-third by mail ballots and the rest in person. In addition to delaying the counting, such ‘early voting might have a significant impact on the election.

In countries where it is allowed, early voting has been effective at relieving congestion at polling stations on election day, something that is especially helpful in this pandemic era.

Early voters cast their ballots without knowledge of events that may occur later in a campaign or just before the election day. Some believe that it is a travesty to let people cast their votes before they are able to listen to the candidates’ debates, be educated by advertisements or review the most recent unemployment data that could reflect poorly on the incumbent. Besides, the spirit of civic cohesiveness inherent in having voters turning out on a single day is damaged by early voting. With two-third votes already cast, the thrill of the Election Day is eventually relegated to the nostalgia bin. Finally, early voting might increase the already skyrocketing cost of political campaigns.

A 2019 article in 'Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy' considered four countries with different types of early voting: days-long advance voting in Canada, week-long advance voting in Finland, on-demand postal voting in Germany, and automatic postal voting in Switzerland. It was observed that early voting is unlikely to mobilise commonly underrepresented population groups, with the exception of the elderly, who are often quite likely to take advantage of early voting opportunities.

But this is not the case everywhere. For example, in a 2020 research paper in Applied Economics, with evidence from Ohio, Ethan Kaplan of the University of Maryland and Haishan Yuan of the University of Queensland found substantial positive impacts of early voting on turnout equal to 0.22 percentage points of additional turnout per additional early voting day. They also found greater impacts on women, Democrats, independents, and those of child-bearing and working age.

Curiously, about 1 in 5 of the early voters of this American election had not voted in their state in the previous election. Thus, early voting might generate an entirely different group of voters. Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent thought that early voting “may end up transforming our politics to a far greater extent than any of us can yet imagine”.

Early voters are often inclined in terms of political allegiance. It was 56-44 in favour of the Democrats among the early voter in the 2020 US election. Early voters in Australia tend to lean towards the Liberal-National Coalition – while the coalition did 4% better in early voting than voting on election day in 2004, this gap rose to just over 5% by 2019.

Source: https://scroll.in/article/977597/would-indian-democracy-benefit-from-allowing-early-voting

Nearly 100 million Americans had voted before November 3, the official election day in the US – nearly two-third by mail ballots and the rest in person. In addition to delaying the counting, such ‘early voting might have a significant impact on the election.

In countries where it is allowed, early voting has been effective at relieving congestion at polling stations on election day, something that is especially helpful in this pandemic era.

Early voters cast their ballots without knowledge of events that may occur later in a campaign or just before the election day. Some believe that it is a travesty to let people cast their votes before they are able to listen to the candidates’ debates, be educated by advertisements or review the most recent unemployment data that could reflect poorly on the incumbent. Besides, the spirit of civic cohesiveness inherent in having voters turning out on a single day is damaged by early voting. With two-third votes already cast, the thrill of the Election Day is eventually relegated to the nostalgia bin. Finally, early voting might increase the already skyrocketing cost of political campaigns.

A 2019 article in 'Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy' considered four countries with different types of early voting: days-long advance voting in Canada, week-long advance voting in Finland, on-demand postal voting in Germany, and automatic postal voting in Switzerland. It was observed that early voting is unlikely to mobilise commonly underrepresented population groups, with the exception of the elderly, who are often quite likely to take advantage of early voting opportunities.

But this is not the case everywhere. For example, in a 2020 research paper in Applied Economics, with evidence from Ohio, Ethan Kaplan of the University of Maryland and Haishan Yuan of the University of Queensland found substantial positive impacts of early voting on turnout equal to 0.22 percentage points of additional turnout per additional early voting day. They also found greater impacts on women, Democrats, independents, and those of child-bearing and working age.

Curiously, about 1 in 5 of the early voters of this American election had not voted in their state in the previous election. Thus, early voting might generate an entirely different group of voters. Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent thought that early voting “may end up transforming our politics to a far greater extent than any of us can yet imagine”.

Early voters are often inclined in terms of political allegiance. It was 56-44 in favour of the Democrats among the early voter in the 2020 US election. Early voters in Australia tend to lean towards the Liberal-National Coalition – while the coalition did 4% better in early voting than voting on election day in 2004, this gap rose to just over 5% by 2019.

Source: https://scroll.in/article/977597/would-indian-democracy-benefit-from-allowing-early-voting

Nearly 100 million Americans had voted before November 3, the official election day in the US – nearly two-third by mail ballots and the rest in person. In addition to delaying the counting, such ‘early voting might have a significant impact on the election.

In countries where it is allowed, early voting has been effective at relieving congestion at polling stations on election day, something that is especially helpful in this pandemic era.

Early voters cast their ballots without knowledge of events that may occur later in a campaign or just before the election day. Some believe that it is a travesty to let people cast their votes before they are able to listen to the candidates’ debates, be educated by advertisements or review the most recent unemployment data that could reflect poorly on the incumbent. Besides, the spirit of civic cohesiveness inherent in having voters turning out on a single day is damaged by early voting. With two-third votes already cast, the thrill of the Election Day is eventually relegated to the nostalgia bin. Finally, early voting might increase the already skyrocketing cost of political campaigns.

A 2019 article in 'Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy' considered four countries with different types of early voting: days-long advance voting in Canada, week-long advance voting in Finland, on-demand postal voting in Germany, and automatic postal voting in Switzerland. It was observed that early voting is unlikely to mobilise commonly underrepresented population groups, with the exception of the elderly, who are often quite likely to take advantage of early voting opportunities.

But this is not the case everywhere. For example, in a 2020 research paper in Applied Economics, with evidence from Ohio, Ethan Kaplan of the University of Maryland and Haishan Yuan of the University of Queensland found substantial positive impacts of early voting on turnout equal to 0.22 percentage points of additional turnout per additional early voting day. They also found greater impacts on women, Democrats, independents, and those of child-bearing and working age.

Curiously, about 1 in 5 of the early voters of this American election had not voted in their state in the previous election. Thus, early voting might generate an entirely different group of voters. Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent thought that early voting “may end up transforming our politics to a far greater extent than any of us can yet imagine”.

Early voters are often inclined in terms of political allegiance. It was 56-44 in favour of the Democrats among the early voter in the 2020 US election. Early voters in Australia tend to lean towards the Liberal-National Coalition – while the coalition did 4% better in early voting than voting on election day in 2004, this gap rose to just over 5% by 2019.

Source: https://scroll.in/article/977597/would-indian-democracy-benefit-from-allowing-early-voting

Nearly 100 million Americans had voted before November 3, the official election day in the US – nearly two-third by mail ballots and the rest in person. In addition to delaying the counting, such ‘early voting might have a significant impact on the election.

In countries where it is allowed, early voting has been effective at relieving congestion at polling stations on election day, something that is especially helpful in this pandemic era.

Early voters cast their ballots without knowledge of events that may occur later in a campaign or just before the election day. Some believe that it is a travesty to let people cast their votes before they are able to listen to the candidates’ debates, be educated by advertisements or review the most recent unemployment data that could reflect poorly on the incumbent. Besides, the spirit of civic cohesiveness inherent in having voters turning out on a single day is damaged by early voting. With two-third votes already cast, the thrill of the Election Day is eventually relegated to the nostalgia bin. Finally, early voting might increase the already skyrocketing cost of political campaigns.

A 2019 article in 'Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy' considered four countries with different types of early voting: days-long advance voting in Canada, week-long advance voting in Finland, on-demand postal voting in Germany, and automatic postal voting in Switzerland. It was observed that early voting is unlikely to mobilise commonly underrepresented population groups, with the exception of the elderly, who are often quite likely to take advantage of early voting opportunities.

But this is not the case everywhere. For example, in a 2020 research paper in Applied Economics, with evidence from Ohio, Ethan Kaplan of the University of Maryland and Haishan Yuan of the University of Queensland found substantial positive impacts of early voting on turnout equal to 0.22 percentage points of additional turnout per additional early voting day. They also found greater impacts on women, Democrats, independents, and those of child-bearing and working age.

Curiously, about 1 in 5 of the early voters of this American election had not voted in their state in the previous election. Thus, early voting might generate an entirely different group of voters. Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent thought that early voting “may end up transforming our politics to a far greater extent than any of us can yet imagine”.

Early voters are often inclined in terms of political allegiance. It was 56-44 in favour of the Democrats among the early voter in the 2020 US election. Early voters in Australia tend to lean towards the Liberal-National Coalition – while the coalition did 4% better in early voting than voting on election day in 2004, this gap rose to just over 5% by 2019.

Source: https://scroll.in/article/977597/would-indian-democracy-benefit-from-allowing-early-voting

Nearly 100 million Americans had voted before November 3, the official election day in the US – nearly two-third by mail ballots and the rest in person. In addition to delaying the counting, such ‘early voting might have a significant impact on the election.

In countries where it is allowed, early voting has been effective at relieving congestion at polling stations on election day, something that is especially helpful in this pandemic era.

Early voters cast their ballots without knowledge of events that may occur later in a campaign or just before the election day. Some believe that it is a travesty to let people cast their votes before they are able to listen to the candidates’ debates, be educated by advertisements or review the most recent unemployment data that could reflect poorly on the incumbent. Besides, the spirit of civic cohesiveness inherent in having voters turning out on a single day is damaged by early voting. With two-third votes already cast, the thrill of the Election Day is eventually relegated to the nostalgia bin. Finally, early voting might increase the already skyrocketing cost of political campaigns.

A 2019 article in 'Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy' considered four countries with different types of early voting: days-long advance voting in Canada, week-long advance voting in Finland, on-demand postal voting in Germany, and automatic postal voting in Switzerland. It was observed that early voting is unlikely to mobilise commonly underrepresented population groups, with the exception of the elderly, who are often quite likely to take advantage of early voting opportunities.

But this is not the case everywhere. For example, in a 2020 research paper in Applied Economics, with evidence from Ohio, Ethan Kaplan of the University of Maryland and Haishan Yuan of the University of Queensland found substantial positive impacts of early voting on turnout equal to 0.22 percentage points of additional turnout per additional early voting day. They also found greater impacts on women, Democrats, independents, and those of child-bearing and working age.

Curiously, about 1 in 5 of the early voters of this American election had not voted in their state in the previous election. Thus, early voting might generate an entirely different group of voters. Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent thought that early voting “may end up transforming our politics to a far greater extent than any of us can yet imagine”.

Early voters are often inclined in terms of political allegiance. It was 56-44 in favour of the Democrats among the early voter in the 2020 US election. Early voters in Australia tend to lean towards the Liberal-National Coalition – while the coalition did 4% better in early voting than voting on election day in 2004, this gap rose to just over 5% by 2019.

Source: https://scroll.in/article/977597/would-indian-democracy-benefit-from-allowing-early-voting