Relevance: GS III (Environment) & GS IV (Ethics) | Source: The Indian Express

1. The Human Context: You Are Not Alone

The article challenges a modern feeling of “loneliness.” It argues that humans are never truly alone; we are surrounded by millions of silent workers—ants, trees, and birds—who are constantly building and maintaining our world.

  • The Shift: This is a call to move from Anthropocentrism (believing humans are the center of the universe) to Biocentrism (recognizing that every living being has intrinsic value).
  • The Philosophy: It mirrors the concept of Deep Ecology or Indian Advaita—the idea that the observer (us) and the ecosystem are one. A tree isn’t just wood; it’s a “breathing city” hosting insects, fungi, and birds.

2. The Case Study: The Aravallis (The Old Guard)

The Aravalli Range is the perfect example of this “silent worker.”

  • Ancient Shield: Formed 1.5 billion years ago, these Old Fold Mountains are far older than the Himalayas. They stand as a barrier, stopping the Thar Desert from expanding eastward and swallowing the fertile plains of North India.
  • Water Towers: They are not just rocks to be mined; they are the primary groundwater recharge zone for the parched regions of Haryana and Rajasthan.
  • The Threat: When we see them only as “construction material” (stone/gravel), we dismantle our own defense system against desertification and drought.

3. The Ethical Lesson

This is about Inter-generational Equity. We inherited this natural defense system; ethics demand we preserve its “integrity” for the future, rather than exploiting it until it collapses.

UPSC Value Box

Concept / Term Relevance for Prelims
Deep Ecology An environmental philosophy (coined by Arne Naess) arguing that nature has a right to flourish independent of its usefulness to humans.
Anthropocentrism The belief that human beings are the most important entity in the universe and that nature exists solely to serve human needs.
Great Green Wall A global concept (famous in Africa’s Sahel region) of planting trees to stop desertification. The Aravallis act as India’s natural Green Wall.

Q. With reference to the Aravalli Range, consider the following statements:

  1. It is an example of a young fold mountain system formed during the Tertiary period.
  2. It acts as a water divide separating the drainage of the Indus river system from the Ganga river system.
  3. It prevents the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert into the Gangetic plains.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

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