9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – October 17th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• In putting GN Saibaba back in jail, after Bombay High Court acquittal, Supreme Court gives rise to questions
• Food day as a reminder to ‘leave no one behind’
• Why does the SC collegium hold primacy over transfers?
• Internet age needs better international policing
• Making a case for the Old Pension Scheme
• Reducing the legal burden

GS Paper 3

• About the food-processing industry: Food growers can be processors too
• Empowering farmers is essential for the broad prosperity of India
• Securing India’s cyberspace
• State-owned firms must play by the same rules
• The bigger picture of intermediation, financial crises

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Why countries like Bolivia and New Zealand have awarded legal rights to non-humans
• Ocean currents protect Galápagos Islands from global warming; but are they safe forever?
• Global Hunger Report 2022- The index is an erroneous measure of hunger and suffers from serious methodological issues
• Heavy metal out there: Researchers detect barium in atmospheres of 2 exoplanets
• PM dedicates 75 Digital Banking Units across 75 districts to the nation
• Union Finance Minister attends the International Monetary and Financial Committee in Washington DC
• India’s coal mines are severely under-utilized amid push for new ones: Report
• What is ‘meat’ from plants, and is ‘just like’ meat vegetarian?
• Ukrainian Borsch: In war-torn Ukraine, Unesco fights to protect a beetroot soup

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

In putting GN Saibaba back in jail, after Bombay High Court acquittal, Supreme Court gives rise to questions

News: A day after the Bombay High Court discharged a former Delhi University Professor and four others in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 over alleged Maoist links, the Supreme Court suspended the HC judgement till further orders.

About the Bombay High Court ruling and reason for discharge

The High Court judgment had two core findings. 1) The cognisance was taken by the trial court without sanction being granted by the sanctioning authority as required by the UAPA, 2) Section 45 (2) of UAPA requires an exhaustive review of the prosecution evidence by an authority independent of the prosecution. Thus the “Sanction for prosecution …shall be given only after considering the report of such authority appointed by the Central Government”.

The High Court described the Director of Prosecution’s report as “laconic” and said “the report contains the conclusion sans reasoning.

What is the reason for suspending the High Court ruling?

The SC said, “the High Court has not entered into the merits of the case and considered anything on merits of the judgment and order of conviction and sentence passed by the learned trial court”.  But, these are “important questions of law and facts to be considered”.

The court also said it is unnecessary to waste time going through a lengthy trial because the initial flaw is fatal.

What are the challenges associated with suspending HC’s decision?

-The Supreme Court in Baij Nath Prasad Tripathi case, held that if cognisance is taken without complying with the requirement of valid sanction, the entire trial shall stand vitiated.

-This was not a civil case where a suspension approach could be taken. This was a criminal case.

Food day as a reminder to ‘leave no one behind’

News- The article explains the scenario of food security in India. It also explains the way forward for ensuring food security.

Today, around 828 million people worldwide do not have enough to eat, and over 50 million people are facing severe hunger.

According to Hunger Hotspots Outlook (2022-23) by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme, over 205 million people across 45 countries will need emergency food assistance to survive.

What is the scenario of food safety in India?

India has achieved self-sufficiency in food production and now one of the largest agricultural product exporters. During 2021-22, it recorded $49.6 billion in total agriculture exports.

National Food Security Act, 2013 along with Targeted Public Distribution System, the PM POSHAN scheme, and the Integrated Child Development Services have provided food equity in India.

India’s food safety net and inclusive nature was visible during COVID-19 and the global food crisis in 2012-13. An International Monetary Fund paper titled ‘Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India’ asserted that extreme poverty was maintained below 1% in 2020 due to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

However, recent climate shocks have raised concerns about India’s wheat and rice production Therefore, it is important to place a greater focus on climate adaptation and resilience building.

By 2030, India’s population is expected to rise to 1.5 billion. There is a need to move away from conventional input-intensive agriculture towards more inclusive, effective, and sustainable agri-food systems that would facilitate better production.

Why is there a need for renewed focus on millets?

They are climate smart crops and are good for nutrition and health. They can help in sustainable agriculture practices as they need fewer inputs and revive soil health.

Millet production has been proven to enhance biodiversity. It can increase yields for small holder

farmers, including rural women. The International Fund for Agricultural Development’s Tejaswini program with Madhya Pradesh showed that growing millets meant a nearly 10 times increase in Income with better food security.

What is India’s contribution in millets production?

It has led the global efforts in reviving millet production. Its efforts at UNGA led to the declaration of 2023 as international year on millets.

It is the world’s leading producer of millets. It is producing around 41% of total production in 2020. The national government is also implementing a Sub-Mission on millets as part of the National Food Security Mission.

What can be potential solutions for ensuring food security?

There is a need to ensure environmental sustainability. Soil degradation by the excessive use of chemicals, and non-judicious water use needs urgent attention.

There is a need for transforming food systems by making them more resilient and sustainable with a focus on equity.

Enhancing food and nutrition security and social protection networks is necessary. Providing non-distortionary income support can ensure it.

Global and regional supply chains need to be robust and responsive. It can be done by strengthening transparency in the agricultural system through systems that promote labelling, traceability.

Why does the SC collegium hold primacy over transfers?

News- The article explains the recent cases of the government unilaterally delaying or segregating names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.

What are cases of segregation and delays by the government in the names recommended by Collegium?

Justice Muralidhar’s transfer as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court was along with the name Justice Pankaj Mithal were recommended by collegium. Both names were proposed jointly in a single batch. The government approved Justice Mithal’s transfer while keeping silent about Justice Muralidhar.

In 2014, the Collegium headed by then Chief Justice of India (CJI) R. M. Lodha had recommended former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium for direct appointment to the Supreme Court. The government turned down Mr. Subramanium’s name while clearing the names of other senior advocates.

Why has collegium been given primacy in judicial appointments?

The Three Judges Case establishes the primacy of the Collegium in making judicial appointments. It will be the collective opinion of collegium.

CJI was given primacy as he was best equipped to know and assess the worth of a candidate for appointment as a superior judge.

The executive was to act as a mere check on the exercise of power by the Chief Justice of India, to achieve the constitutional purpose. Political influence was eliminated by this process.

It was for this reason that the word ‘consultation’ instead of ‘concurrence’ was used in the Constitution.

What is the way forward?

There is a need to introduce checks through the Memorandum of Procedure against unilateral segregation by the government.

A new MoP could also bring in a clause to clear names for judicial appointments within a reasonable time to avoid delay.

Internet age needs better international policing

News- This article explains the issue of online child sex abuse. It also explains the steps taken by India to deal with this challenge and suggests the way forward.

What are challenges associated with tackling online child sexual abuse?

Online child sex abuse is increasing exponentially. Large number of images and videos related to child pornography are available online.

Encryption makes it difficult to trace the source of these pornographic material.

The continuous production and distribution of such material demands for new and more bad images. It helps to further perpetuate the abuse of children.

Law enforcement agencies across various countries lack credible and coordinated response. There is a lack of real-time actionable data for investigation due to territoriality, complications in sharing data across countries and fake IDs.

What steps has been taken by India to curb such practices?

India has one of the largest populations of children in the world. The 2011 census shows that there are 472 million children below the age of 18.

Online child sex abuse is criminalised through IT Act and POSCO Act. It includes mechanisms for child-friendly reporting, recording of evidence and investigation through designated special courts. NCPCR monitors the status of POSCO implementation.

CBI has setup a dedicated cell to collect, collate, investigate and disseminate information regarding online child sex abuse. It has joined International Child Sexual Exploitation database by Interpol for support on child sexual abuse material.

CBI has also conducted three pan-India operations in recent years like operation Megh Chakra in 2022.

What is the way forward?

There is a need for a multidimensional fight against online child abuse. Criminalization o of offenses, proper investigation, identification of victims, and prosecution of offenders need to be ensured. Prevention and proactive detention and curbing the propagation are key to stopping such practices.

Children must be educated about the use of the digital world.

There is a need for synergy across law enforcement agencies of various countries.

Social media platforms need to develop protocols for proactive detention and blocking of such content.

Making a case for the Old Pension Scheme

News: The governments of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Punjab has announced to revert back to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) form the New Pension Scheme (NPS).

What is Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and New Pension Scheme (NPS)?

OPS is an assured inflation-indexed monthly family pension till a government employee or her spouse live(s). The OPS payment level is linked to the last pay an employee drew while in service.

Whereas, the NPS is the amount that an employee can draw as a pension after retirement. Its value is determined by the market value of the contributions made by the employee.

What are the benefits of Old Pension Scheme (OPS)?

First, the pension drawn in NPS is lower than the OPS (Chart 1).

Second, NPS is dependent on the market prices of equity/bonds in which the amount is invested. Therefore, a crash in the markets can affect the pensioners.

Whereas, OPS is a fixed government expenditure irrespective of an economic slowdown or a stock market crash. This makes it useful in counter-cyclical policy measure during a crisis.

What are the arguments against OPS?

It has been argued that the OPS acts as burden on the exchequer as it accounts for 25% of the States’ budget.

However, it may not be correct because three other parts of States’ revenue receipts (tax the Centre collects on behalf of the States, non-tax revenue that the States collect and non-tax grant that the Centre shares with the States) have not been taken into account.

Therefore, if OPS expenditure is calculated correctly then it would be half of 25%. (Chart 2A)

Further, the share of pensions falls when the revenues (as a share of State GDP) go up. Therefore, the government should focus on increasing the revenues rather than cutting the expenditures.

How can government focus on increasing the revenue for OPS?

Government earns revenues mostly from the indirect taxes and the share of direct taxes is low. (Chart 3)

Therefore, government can focus on increasing the revenues by increasing the direct taxes (ex-corporate taxes) to ensure proper pension can be given to all.

Further, income can also be generated from property and wealth taxes which are almost zero at the present.

Source: The Hindu

Source: The Hindu

Source: The Hindu

Reducing the legal burden

News: The government is planning to come up with a bill that will be aimed at increasing the ease of doing business in India.  The bill is being drafted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in consultation with the states.

The bill will focus on reducing the punitive measures from imprisonment to fines for a range of minor offences.

What are the earlier changes made in punitive measures by the government?

There have been significant changes made in the Companies Act by the government since last year.

For example, provisions related to foreign companies and non-compliance by auditors to report fraud have reduced from a prison sentence to monetary fines.

In Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), failure to spend the required amounts attracted a maximum sentence of three years in prison earlier but this has been replaced by a high fine.

Government has also created an “in-house adjudication” framework with adjudicating officers with the change in some provisions from criminal to civil.

What are the advantages of easing the punitive burden on companies?

First, it can create a positive impact on the business environment, especially foreign direct investors, as it reduces the compliance burden.

Second, as per the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, these measures will help to focus on major issues rather than focusing on every minor issue.

Third, it will also reduce the burden on the National Company Law Tribunal as it will no longer have to give judgements on minor offenses.

What are the concerns associated with the reduction in punitive burden?

First, the risk of corruption and political influence remain high as these measures do not reduce the encounter between corporations and the state. It is because adjudicating officers are government employees.

Second, companies may view penalties as an acceptable cost of doing business rather than a punishment of non-compliance.

Third, the decriminalization of provisions may be wrongly used if it is indiscriminately applied to the laws governing corporate activities.

GS Paper 3

About food-processing industry: Food growers can be processors too

News: The food-processing industry, despite impressive growth over the past few years, has failed to effectively serve its prime objectives of bolstering farmers’ incomes and curtailing wastage of farm produce.

About the present state of India’s food-processing industry(FPIs)

Given that India is among the world’s top producers of many key farm commodities. The country ranks first in the production of milk; second in that of fruit, vegetables and fisheries; and third in eggs. It also produces a variety of health foods and therapeutically important herbs which can be processed into nutritious snacks and other kinds of high-value products for domestic and export markets.

The gross value added (GVA) of the food-processing sector has surged from Rs 1.34 trillion in 2014-15 to Rs 2.37 trillion in 2020-21.

What are the various initiatives taken by the government to improve the FPIs?

A favourable policy environment is said to have played a major role in the rapid expansion of this sector.

-The government has allowed 100% foreign direct investment under the automatic route for manufacturing and retail trading, including e-commerce, of food products made in India.

-Besides, it has extended the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme to this industry to impart further impetus to its growth.

–Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana

–PM-Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme

What are the challenges associated with the present state of India’s food-processing industry?

a) The gains from the value-addition of agricultural products are accruing largely to the industry rather than the farmers, b) The post-harvest losses of farm output continue to be rather high — up to 40% in some perishable items. In monetary terms, these losses are assessed at Rs 60,000-80,000 crore annually, c) Hardly 10% of the farm harvest is subjected to some kind of value-enhancing treatment or processing and d) The obligation of processing units to procure raw material from markets operated by agricultural produce marketing committees (regulated mandis).

What are the reasons for the present state of India’s food-processing industry?

This can be attributed to numerous reasons, such as a) Inept post-harvest handling, transportation, storage, and marketing the produce; b) A low level of on-farm processing to enhance the value and extend the shelf-life of the harvested stuff; and c) lack of direct linkage between growers and processors.

Why do small and micro food-processing units economically more viable than the larger ones?

This is because, a) The perishable and seasonal nature of farm produce and its scattered availability in small lots; b) Paucity of commodity-specific warehousing and transportation facilities; and c) The issues related to product quality, especially in terms of its suitability for processing.

What needs to be done to improve the present state of India’s food-processing industry?

a) Value-enhancing treatment needs to be stepped up substantially, at least to 25%, to reduce spoilage, and facilitate the year-round availability of seasonal agricultural products. It will generate additional income for farmers and off-farm employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for rural people, b) Promote small-scale and village-level agro-processing units even while continuing to support the organised sector food-processing industry, and c) Farmers need to be encouraged to set up mini or micro agro-processing centres, individually or collectively, through cooperatives or farmers’ producer organisations.

Empowering farmers is essential for the broad prosperity of India

News: To realise the vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ in agriculture, structural changes in the fertilizer sector are crucial. 

What are the various initiatives taken in the fertilizer sector? 

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhhi Kendra (PMKSK) scheme: It will have one-of-a-kind ‘model fertilizer retail shops’ that shall offer various facilities under a single roof. The farmers get fertilizers and other inputs at cheaper rates under a single roof, adopt new technologies to enhance their farm production and are able to earn higher incomes.

These Kendras will also provide an interactive platform for knowledge sharing to create awareness among farmers on the latest and best agriculture technology and practices, as well as on the balanced use of fertilizers.

At the village level, Kendras will aid farmers with crop literature, soil fertility maps, messages from government authorities and data on the stock position of fertilizers, subsidies, marked retail prices, etc. 

Tehsil level Kendras will have facilities like a help desk on new-age fertilizers and government schemes, a crop advisory, tele-consultation with experts, a common service centre, soil testing facility and sample collection unit for seed and pesticide testing, etc.

District-level Kendras will have all facilities at a larger scale, with the entire product range showcased, enlarged seating capacity, testing facilities for soil, seeds, water and pesticides, and a common service centre.

Training of retailers: It will be conducted every six months. Agricultural scientists and agriculture experts will also be engaged for training retailers on various topics.

Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana: Under the slogan ‘One Nation, One Fertiliser’ India shall have a single brand, Bharat, for all types of major fertilizers.

What are the advantages of both schemes?

a) The concept of ‘One Nation, One Fertiliser’ will help farmers overcome their confusion over brand-specific choices, as all DAP fertilizer brands must have 18% nitrogen and 46% phosphorus, b) Maximize farm production by ensuring easy availability of fertilizers and other agri services to farmers at affordable prices, and c) Promote balanced nutrient application, which is essential for sustained agricultural growth as well as the prosperity of the farmers.

Securing India’s cyberspace

News- The article explains the vulnerability of India cyberspace due to military applications of quantum technology. It also suggests the way forward to deal with these challenges.

What are advances by India in the field of quantum technology?

The Indian Army is developing cryptographic techniques to make its networks resistant to attacks by systems with quantum capabilities.

In 2019, the Centre declared quantum technology a “mission of national importance”. The Union Budget 2020-21 had proposed to spend Rs 8,000 crore on the newly launched National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications.

A joint team of the Defence Research and Development Organisation and IIT Delhi has successfully demonstrated a QKD link between two cities in UP, Prayagraj and Vindhyachal.

Why is there a need for quantum-resistant systems for cybersecurity?

Traditional encryption models at risk. The current encryption standards that can be broken by quantum cryptography. There are increasing military applications of quantum technology.

India will have to proactively deal with cyber risks arising from quantum computing advances by some nations in this sector. For example, the US National Quantum Initiative Act has already allocated $1.2 billion for research in defence-related quantum technology. China now hosts two of the world’s fastest quantum computers.

Another vulnerability is India’s dependence on foreign hardware, particularly from China.

What is the way forward for India?

India must consider procuring the United States National Security Agency’s Suite B Cryptography Quantum-Resistant Suite as its official encryption mechanism. It is resistant to quantum cyberattacks.

The Indian defence establishment can consider emulating the cryptographic standards set by the US’s National Institute of Standards and Technology.

India must start its national initiatives to develop quantum-resistant systems. For this, the government can fund and encourage existing open-source projects related to post-quantum cryptography. It can also have active participation in the Open Quantum Safe project, a global initiative started in 2016 for prototyping and integrating quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms.

The country should start implementing and developing capabilities in quantum-resistant communications, specifically for critical strategic sectors. Quantum key distribution can be used for connecting military outposts. This will help in establishing a nationwide communication network integrated with quantum cryptographic systems.

Diplomatic partnerships with other countries with top technology sectors, advanced economies, and a commitment to liberal democracy can help India pool resources and mitigate emerging quantum cyber threats.

State-owned firms must play by the same rules

News: The tussle between Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL) and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) highlights the issue of payment delays made by government companies.

What are the issues?

DAMEPL is private company, a subsidiary of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure.

DAMEPL was involved with DMRC over construction of the high-speed metro lines from the airport to the city. However, due to the track safety concerns the project was stopped within 18 months.

DAMEPL further terminated the concession agreement with DMRC which led to the issue between the two.

Moreover, DAMEPL won an arbitral award of about ₹3,000 crore plus interest under the deal’s break-up terms in 2017. This amount was to paid by the DMRC to DAMEPL.

But DMRC has been continuously delaying paying the amount to the DAMEPL despite of multiple deadlines set by the judiciary.

This has highlighted the dismal condition of India in the payment of arbitral award.

There are also other instances where India has failed to comply. For example, Vodafone and Cairn issues and Antrix to Devas Multimedia’s award.

These kind of failures by the state to pay compensation (arbitral award) to companies hampers the image of India globally and affects it sovereign credit rating.

It also affects the interest of the investors to invest in the state-run projects due to the safety of their investments.

Therefore, there is a need that India must look into the issue and follow the contract guidelines with the private firms.

The bigger picture of intermediation, financial crises

News:  This article highlights the role played by financial sector and banks in particular, in the development of modern economies.

Nobel Prize 2022 in economics has been awarded to Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig for research on banks and financial crises.

What are the findings behind the Nobel prize in Economics 2022?

There are chances that banks may even fail in a stable condition. The reason given by them were the balance that bank has to maintain even in an ideal condition. That is, a bank has to turn short-term deposits into long-term lending.

Short term deposits are the deposits made by the people whereas long-term lending is given by banks in the form of loans.

Banks lend these deposits in the form of loans but there are instances of withdrawing those deposits by the depositors. It creates an imbalance.

However, unforeseen circumstances faced by the depositors (economic or political events of the nation) can make them feel uncertain of their deposits and can lead to withdrawal of the money.

This kind of situation will make banks to run out of the cash and it will affect their business.

Therefore, it is better to offer deposit insurance to the depositors to prevent such a crisis. This framework has been explained by Diamond and Dybvig.

They explained how financial development affects the rest of the economy and the effects of monetary policy on banks’ portfolio choices.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Why countries like Bolivia and New Zealand have awarded legal rights to non-humans

Source: The post is based on the article “Why countries like Bolivia and New Zealand have awarded legal rights to non-humans” published in Indian Express on 17th October 2022.

What is the News?

A report titled ‘Law in the Emerging Bio Age’ has proposed giving legal rights to plants, animals and non-living entities for building meaningful human-environment relationships.

What is the need of giving legal rights to non-humans?

Ethical conduct in the emerging Bio Age: The increased integration of biotechnology in human life will bring in the bio age. This integration is most likely to pervade lives in the future. It will mark the end of the digital Information Age.

Hence, this era will require legal intervention to hold researchers accountable for the impact of their work on the environment.

The granting of legal rights and protection to non-human systems – flora, fauna, rivers, ecosystems and landscapes – would recalibrate human-environment relationships and bring ethical conduct to the field.

How various countries are providing legal rights to non-humans?

Ecuador: It is the first country in the world to recognise the rights of nature.

– In 2008, Ecuador approved a Constitution that grants tropical forests, islands, rivers and air, legal rights to “exist, flourish and evolve”.

– In 2022, Ecuador became the first country to grant legal rights to individual wild animals.

Bolivia: Bolivia granted all nature rights equal to that of humans in 2011. It established the Law of the Rights of Mother Earth which redefined Mother Earth as an indivisible community of all living systems and living organisms, interrelated, interdependent and complementary, which share a common destiny.

New Zealand’s Whanganui river: First in the world to be given legal status

What is the status of legal rights to non-humans in India?

Article 51-A(g): It is the fundamental duty of every citizen to protect wildlife and have compassion for all living creatures.

Uttarakhand High Court Judgment (2017): It granted the river Ganga and its longest tributary Yamuna the legal right to be protected and not be harmed. However, SC stayed it due to various legal and administrative issues and said it was unsustainable.

The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 do not recognize animals as individual living entities.

Ocean currents protect Galápagos Islands from global warming; but are they safe forever?

Source: The post is based on the article “Ocean currents protect Galápagos Islands from global warming; but are they safe forever?” published in Down To Earth on 17th October 2022.

What is the News?

According to a study, Cold ocean currents have sheltered the Galápagos Islands from global warming.

About Galapagos Island

The Galapagos Islands are a part of Ecuador. These are located in the Pacific Ocean around 1,000 km away from the South American continent.

In 1978, the islands became UNESCO’s first World Heritage Site. It is described by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention as a “living museum and showcase of evolution.” 

The islands contain aquatic species such as manta rays and sharks which have been endangered by commercial fishing.

Galápagos is home to the critically endangered — Galápagos penguin, Galápagos fur seal and Galápagos sea lion.

Also, the giant tortoises found here – ‘Galápagos’ in old Spanish – give the islands its name.

How are cold ocean currents helping Galapagos Islands from global warming?

The Galapagos islands are protected from an otherwise warming the Pacific Ocean by a cold, eastward equatorial ocean current. 

The equatorial undercurrent in the Pacific Ocean is bound to the equator by the force of the planet’s rotation. Under the ocean’s surface, a swift circulation of cold, nutrient-rich water flows from west to east.

Some of this water is forced to the surface when it reaches the Galápagos Islands. The nutrient-rich water triggers photosynthesis and leads to an explosion of food for a wide variety of animals.

Global Hunger Report 2022- The index is an erroneous measure of hunger and suffers from serious methodological issues

Source:  This post is based on the following articles:

a. “Explained | Understanding the Global Hunger Index” published in The Hindu on 17th October 2022

b. “Global Hunger Report 2022- The index is an erroneous measure of hunger and suffers from serious methodological issues” published in PIB on 17th October 2022.

What is the News?

For the second time in two years, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has rejected the Global Hunger Index(GHI) which ranked India 107 among 121 countries. 

India was accorded a score of 29.1 out of 100 (with 0 representing no hunger), placing it behind Sri Lanka (66), Myanmar (71), Nepal (81) and Bangladesh(84).

What is the Global Hunger Index(GHI)?

Click Here to read about it

Why has the Government of India rejected the report?

The Government of India has rejected the report based on the following reasons:

Firstly, three out of the four indicators used for the calculation of the index are related to the health of Children and cannot be representative of the entire population. 

Secondly, the fourth and most important indicator estimate of the Proportion of the Undernourished (PoU) population is based on an opinion poll conducted on a very small sample size of 3000.

Thirdly, the report is not only disconnected from ground reality but also chooses to deliberately ignore the food security efforts of the Government of India especially during the pandemic. For instance:

–  Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna (PM-GKAY) provides an additional five kg ration per person each month in addition to their normal quota of foodgrains as per the National Food Security Act. It was recently extended to December 2022.

– Under Anganwadi Services, since the Covid-19 pandemic, supplementary nutrition was provided to approximately 7.71 crore children up to the age of 6 years and to 1.78 crore pregnant women and lactating mothers.  

– Under the Pradhan Mantri Matri Vandana Yojna, more than 1.5 Crore registered women were provided Rs 5000/- on the birth of their first child for wage support and nutritious food during pregnancy and post-delivery period.

Heavy metal out there: Researchers detect barium in atmospheres of 2 exoplanets

Source: The post is based on the article “Heavy metal out there: Researchers detect barium in atmospheres of 2 exoplanets” published in Down To Earth on 16th October 2022.

What is the News?

Scientists have detected barium in the upper atmosphere of two giant exoplanets for the first time.

Which are those two exoplanets where scientists have detected barium?

The exoplanets are two ultra-hot Jupiters — WASP-76b and WASP-121b — which orbit their host stars WASP 76 and WASP 121.

The former is about 640 light-years away from the Earth and the latter around 900 light-years away. Both WASP-76b and WASP-121b complete one orbit in two days.

Surface temperatures in these bodies reach as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius. These bodies have unique features owing to their high temperatures. For instance, WASP-76b experiences iron rain.

The presence of hydrogen, lithium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, vanadium, chromium, manganese and iron in the atmosphere of the WASP-76 b has also been confirmed in addition to barium.

In WASP 121b, they confirmed the presence of lithium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron and nickel.

Additionally, the scientists found elements such as cobalt and strontium. They also found indications of titanium in the exoplanet.

What is the significance of these findings?

Barium two and half times heavier than iron is the heaviest-ever detected element in the upper atmosphere.

This is surprising because heavy elements like barium are expected to quickly fall into the lower layers of the atmosphere given these exoplanets have high gravity,

What is Barium?

Barium is a silvery-white metal which exists in nature only in ores containing mixtures of elements. 

It combines with other chemicals such as sulfur or carbon and oxygen to form barium compounds.

Applications: Barium is often used in barium-nickel alloys for spark-plug electrodes and in vacuum tubes as drying and oxygen-removing agents. 

– It is also used in fluorescent lamps: impure barium sulfide phosphoresces after exposure to the light.

– Barium compounds are used by the oil and gas industries to make drilling mud. Drilling mud simplifies drilling through rocks by lubricating the drill.

– Barium compounds are also used to make paint, bricks, tiles, glass, and rubber. Barium nitrate and chlorate give fireworks a green colour.

PM dedicates 75 Digital Banking Units across 75 districts to the nation

Source: The post is based on the article “PM dedicates 75 Digital Banking Units across 75 districts to the nation” published in PIB on 16th October 2022.

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has dedicated 75 Digital Banking Units(DBU) across 75 districts to the nation.

Note: As part of the Union budget speech for 2022-23, the Finance Minister announced setting up the 75 DBUs in 75 districts to commemorate our country’s 75 years of independence. 

What are Digital Banking Units(DBU)?

A digital banking unit is a specialized fixed point business unit or hub, housing a certain minimum digital infrastructure for delivering digital banking products and services as well as servicing existing financial products and services digitally in self-service mode at any time.

The DBUs are being set up with the objective to ensure the benefits of digital banking reach every nook and corner of the country and will cover all the States and Union territories. 

Who will set up these DBUs?

Commercial banks (other than regional rural banks, payment banks and local area banks) with past digital banking experience are permitted to open DBUs in tier 1 to tier 6 centers unless otherwise specifically restricted without having the need to take permission from the RBI in each case.

Currently, ​​11 Public Sector Banks, 12 Private Sector Banks and one Small Finance Bank are participating in this endeavour.

What are the services DBUs will provide?

DBUs will be brick-and-mortar outlets which will provide a variety of digital banking facilities to people such as opening savings accounts, transfer of funds, investment in fixed deposits, loan applications, stop-payment instructions for cheques issued, applying for credit/debit cards, view statement of account, pay taxes, pay bills among others.

They will also spread Digital Financial Literacy and special emphasis will be given to customer education on cyber security awareness and safeguards.

Union Finance Minister attends the International Monetary and Financial Committee in Washington DC

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Finance Minister attends the International Monetary and Financial Committee in Washington DC” published in PIB on 16th October 2022.

What is the News?

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs attended the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee(IMFC) at the International Monetary Fund Headquarters during the Annual Meetings 2022 in Washington DC.

What is the International Monetary and Financial Committee(IMFC)?

The IMF Board of Governors is advised by two ministerial committees, the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) and the Development Committee.

IMFC: It has 24 members drawn from the pool of 190 governors.Its structure mirrors that of the Executive Board and its 24 constituencies.As such, the IMFC represents all the member countries of the Fund.

– The IMFC meets twice a year, during the Spring and Annual Meetings. 

– The Committee discusses matters of common concern affecting the global economy and also advises the IMF on the direction of its work. 

– At the end of the Meetings, the Committee issues a joint communiqué summarizing its views. These communiqués provide guidance for the IMF’s work program during the six months leading up to the next Spring or Annual Meetings. 

– There is no formal voting at the IMFC which operates by consensus.

Development Committee: It is a joint committee tasked with advising the Boards of Governors of the IMF and the World Bank on issues related to economic development in emerging and developing countries. 

– The committee has 24 members (usually ministers of finance or development). It represents the full membership of the IMF and the World Bank and mainly serves as a forum for building intergovernmental consensus on critical development issues.

India’s coal mines are severely under-utilized amid push for new ones: Report

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s coal mines are severely under-utilized amid push for new ones: Report″ published in The Hindu on 17th October 2022.

What is the News?

According to an analysis by Global Energy Monitor(GEM), India is developing 99 new coal mines despite the Government of India’s International pledge to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.

Coal Crisis faced by India 

At least twice in 2021, India experienced severe coal crises with more than 100 of 285 thermal power plants seeing coal stocks fall below the critical mark of 25% of the required stock. 

This led to power shortages in several states including Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. 

What is the Government of India doing to overcome the coal crisis?

The Government of India is developing 99 new coal mines. These projects have the capacity to produce 427 million tonnes of coal annually (mtpa).

What are the issues with this plan of developing new coal mines?

Firstly, the new coal mines projects under development could be ‘unnecessary’ as only two-thirds of the current capacity is under use.

– Note: India has a 36% underutilised coal capacity in existing mines, equivalent to 433 mtpa. The underutilized capacity exceeds the proposed capacity of 427 mtpa.

Secondly, the upcoming projects put 165 villages and 87,630 families at risk of displacement. And 41,508 of these families belong to scheduled tribes.

Thirdly, water shortages would be exacerbated by the new coal projects, increasing demand by 1,68,041 kilolitres per day. Some of these new coal mine projects are located in high and extreme water-risk zones.

What is ‘meat’ from plants, and is ‘just like’ meat vegetarian?

Source: The post is based on the article “What is ‘meat’ from plants, and is ‘just like’ meat vegetarian?″ published in Indian Express on 17th October 2022.

What is the News?

Recently, cricketer M S Dhoni picked up an undisclosed equity stake in plant-based meat startup Shaka Harry. A couple also founded plant-based Imagine Meats in September 2021.

What is Plant based meat?

“Plant-based” refers to products that bio-mimic or replicate meat, seafood, eggs, and milk derived from animals — by looking, smelling, and tasting like them.

How are Plant-based meat and dairy made?

Animal meat contains protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water, just like plants. This biochemical similarity allows for finding analogues in the plant kingdom or making them through mechanical, chemical, or biological treatment of such ingredients.

The challenge lies in replicating muscle tissue that plants don’t have. The unique spatial arrangement of proteins in these tissues is what creates the distinct texture of animal meat.

As for plant-based dairy, the main products are milk from oats, almond, soyabean, coconut and rice.

How big are the plant-based meat and milk industry?

According to the Good Foods Institute in Washington DC, retail sales of plant-based animal product alternatives in the US stood at $7.4 billion in 2021. 

In India, there is not much of a big market at least in dairy. Most Indians take naturally milk which is a classic “superior food”.

Ukrainian Borsch: In war-torn Ukraine, Unesco fights to protect a beetroot soup

Source: The post is based on the article “In war-torn Ukraine, Unesco fights to protect a beetroot soup” published in TOI on 17th October 2022.

What is the News?

UNESCO inscribed the Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in July 2022.

What is Ukrainian Borsch?

Borscht is a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and the word is associated with the soup’s variant of Ukrainian origin.

Ukrainian borscht is cooked with broth combined with beetroot, sugar beet or fermented beet juice. 

Ukrainian borscht unites people of all ages, genders and backgrounds at the table. It is also used in ritual practices such as in the region of Podillia, where the third day of the wedding has maintained its ritual name do nevistky – na borshch meaning ‘visit daughter-in-law to eat borscht’. 

Threats faced by this traditional soup of Ukraine: This soup has been threatened by various factors since the beginning of the armed conflict including the displacement of bearers from their communities of origin and from the cultural contexts necessary for the cooking and consumption of borscht in Ukraine. 

Moreover, the destruction of the surrounding environment and traditional agriculture has prevented communities from accessing local products, such as vegetables, needed to prepare the dish.