Operation Spider’s Web

Source: Business Standard (BS)
Context: Ukraine carried out Operation Spider’s Web, its largest drone offensive to date, destroying Russian aircraft worth $7 billion.

 What is Operation Spider’s Web?

Operation Spider’s Web is a high-precision, long-range drone attack launched by Ukraine, aimed at Russian airbases located deep inside enemy territory.

 Nations Involved:

• Ukraine: Executed the offensive through its military and intelligence agencies.
• Russia: The target of the drone attacks, which damaged critical strategic airpower assets.

Objective:

• To cripple Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, particularly aircraft that can carry cruise missiles and nuclear payloads.
• To demonstrate deep-strike capability and shift the tactical balance ahead of potential peace negotiations.

 Key Features of Operation Spider’s Web:

• The operation was meticulously planned over 18 months by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

• A total of 117 drones equipped with explosives were launched.
• Aircraft targeted included:
  • Tu-95,
  • Tu-160,
  • Tu-22M bombers, and
  • A-50 early-warning aircraft.

 Tactical Innovation:

• Drones were hidden inside wooden sheds placed on civilian trucks — a technique likened to the ancient Trojan Horse.
• These drones were remotely launched after being deployed near airbases across multiple Russian time zones.

 Airbases Attacked:

• Belaya (Irkutsk)
• Olenya (Murmansk)
• Dyagilevo (Ryazan)
• Ivanovo Severny
• Ukrainka

• The offensive began just hours after Russia’s deadly Iskander missile strike on Dnipropetrovsk.
• The operation served as a symbolic prelude to peace talks, enhancing Ukraine’s strategic bargaining position.

Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)

Syllabus: Renewable Energy,  GS Paper  3
Source: The Hindu (TH)
Context: India is witnessing growing interest in Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), especially under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, which highlights its potential in providing clean energy for urban areas.

 About Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV):

 Definition:

• BIPV refers to the integration of solar panels directly into a building's external elements—such as façades, windows, and rooftops—so they function as both construction material and power generators.

⚡ Dual Role:

• Replaces traditional construction elements (e.g., glass, tiles, cladding).
• Simultaneously generates electricity from sunlight.

🔍 Features of BIPV:

• Aesthetic Flexibility:
  Customizable in color, shape, size, and transparency, allowing seamless integration into building architecture.
• Space Efficiency:
  Utilizes vertical surfaces like walls and railings, especially helpful in space-constrained urban zones.
• Structural Integration:
  Functions as a part of the building fabric, minimizing additional installation efforts and long-term costs.

⚙️ How BIPV Works:

• Photovoltaic Integration:
  Solar cells are embedded into construction materials like glass panels or roofing tiles.
• Electricity Generation:
  These panels absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity, reducing dependence on grid power.
• Passive Cooling Benefits:
  Semi-transparent panels cut down solar heat gain, helping in cooling interiors and improving energy efficiency.

✅ Advantages of BIPV:

• Space-efficient Solar Adoption:
  Ideal for high-rise buildings.
  Example: A building façade can generate up to 150 kWp, compared to 40 kWp from rooftop alone.
• Aesthetic Integration:
  Visually blends with architecture.
  Example: Renewable Energy Museum in Kolkata has a solar-powered dome.
• Dual-purpose Functionality:
  Replaces materials like glass or tiles while generating clean energy.
• Improves Energy Efficiency:
  Reduces heat ingress and air-conditioning demand.
  Example: Semi-transparent façade panels reduce indoor temperature load.
• Economic Savings:
  Though initial cost is high, long-term savings make it financially viable.
  Example: Balcony BIPVs in Germany save up to 30% in energy bills.

⚠️ Challenges of BIPV:

• High Upfront Costs:
  Costlier than traditional rooftop solar due to complex design and integration.
• Lack of Awareness:
  Limited understanding among architects, builders, and homeowners.
• Policy Gaps:
  No specific regulatory framework or performance standards, hindering large-scale adoption.
• Limited Domestic Production:
  Heavy reliance on imported components raises costs and supply risks.
• Planning Stage Exclusion:
  Often ignored in early architectural design, limiting its integration.

 Significance of BIPV in India:

• Urban Solar Potential:
  Can meet targets in space-limited cities.
  World Bank: BIPV has 309 GW potential from existing buildings.
• Supports Climate Goals:
  Helps achieve India’s Paris Agreement targets by lowering emissions.
• Decentralized Clean Energy:
  Promotes localized power generation, easing pressure on central grids.
• Boosts Green Infrastructure:
  Complements Smart Cities and AMRUT by encouraging eco-friendly construction.
• Economic Opportunity:
  Opens new markets in green architecture, solar product design, and green jobs.

🧾 Conclusion:

BIPV offers a visionary approach to building energy-positive structures, merging functionality with design. For it to succeed, India needs strong policy support, financial incentives, and public awareness. Rapid scaling of BIPV can redefine the future of urban sustainability in India.

Previous Year Question (2015):

Q: To what factors can the recent dramatic fall in equipment costs and tariff of solar energy be attributed? What implications does the trend have for the thermal power producers and the related industry?

India Energy Security

Syllabus: Energy
Source: The Hindu (TH)
Context:
India's Petroleum Minister, in a recent op-ed, highlighted India’s comprehensive energy strategy, achievements in biofuels, and the push for green hydrogen, as India became the world’s 4th largest economy in 2025 with a GDP of $4.3 trillion.

🔍 About India’s Energy Security

✅ Why India Needs Energy Security:

• High Demand Growth:
  By 2047, India is projected to contribute 25% of global energy demand, requiring reliable, affordable, and clean energy access.
• Strategic Sovereignty:
  Achieving energy self-sufficiency reduces reliance on volatile global markets and strengthens national security.
• Developmental Imperative:
  With a 6.7% GDP growth in Q1 of 2025, uninterrupted energy supply is crucial for supporting infrastructure, manufacturing, and service sector expansion.
• Urban-Rural Integration:
  Energy security enables equitable development via city gas networks and LPG penetration in rural areas.
• Global Climate Commitments:
  India’s net-zero emissions goal by 2070 and its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) require a shift toward sustainable and diversified energy systems.

🔧 India’s Multi-Pronged Energy Strategy:

• Diversification of Sources:
  Expanding imports from new suppliers and boosting domestic production to reduce oil dependency.
• Exploration Expansion:
  Through OALP (Open Acreage Licensing Policy) and DSF (Discovered Small Fields) reforms, India doubled its exploration coverage from 8% (2021) to 16% (2025), aiming to cover 1 million sq km by 2030.
• Pricing Reforms:
  Natural gas is now linked to 10% of India’s crude oil basket; a 20% premium on new wells encourages investment and urban gas infrastructure.
• Infrastructure Expansion:
  India currently has 24,000 km of product pipelines and 96,000 fuel retail outlets.
  Discoveries by ONGC and Oil India added 75 MMtoe (Million Metric Tonnes of Oil Equivalent).
• Digital Governance:
  Under PM Gati Shakti, over 1 lakh energy assets were digitally mapped, saving ₹169 crore through optimized routing.

🌱 India’s Green Energy Push:

• Ethanol Blending Success:
  Increased from 1.5% in 2013 to 19.7% in 2025, saving ₹1.26 lakh crore in foreign exchange and earning ₹1.79 lakh crore for distillers.
• Green Hydrogen Expansion:
  8.62 lakh tonnes of green hydrogen tendered.
  IOCL is setting up a 10 KTPA plant in Panipat, and NRL will lead the transition in the Northeast.
• Compressed Biogas (CBG):
  Over 100 plants are active under SATAT, targeting 5% blending by 2028 to reduce agricultural waste and enhance the circular economy.
• Pipeline Growth:
  The national gas pipeline network has reached 25,000 km, with a goal of 33,000 km by 2030.
• Hybrid Leases:
  A 2024 policy amendment now allows both hydrocarbon and renewable energy projects on the same oilfield, boosting low-carbon transition.

🔚 Conclusion:

India’s energy landscape is transitioning from dependence to confidence. Through strategic policies, infrastructure development, and green innovations, India is crafting a secure, clean, and sustainable energy future aligned with its developmental aspirations and international climate commitments.

📘 PYQ (2022):

Q. Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objectives? Explain.