UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 24th October 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-II

Context

A recent World Bank report, titled “Correcting Course”, captures the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global poverty. The economic mismanagement we were witness to in India resulted in 5.6 crore people slipping into extreme poverty in 2020.

Do You Know?

• 17 October is observed as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
• The theme for International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022-2023 is “Dignity For All in Practice: The commitments we make together for social justice, peace, and the planet”

What is the Impact of COVID-19?

• Rapid rise in extreme poverty: The number of people living in extreme poverty rose by seven crores million in 2020, as the global poverty rate rose from 8.4% in 2019 to 9.3%in 2020.
• Increased Inequality: This is the first time in two decades that the poverty rate has gone up. Global inequalities have widened, evident in the relative impacts felt on incomes in the richest countries as opposed to the poorest; and, unsurprisingly, economic recovery has been similarly uneven.

What the World Bank report says on fiscal policy of developing Nations?

• The report focuses on fiscal policy as an instrument for governments in dealing with crises such as the pandemic.
• Poorer countries were unable to use fiscal policy as effectively and thus unable to offset the impact of the pandemic to a much lesser degree than richer countries.

What is the status of India’s Fiscal Policy and Poverty?

• Sluggish state of Indian Economy: India’s economy continues to be sluggish in 2022, and one should look back at the policy choices that were made back in 2020.
• Absence of official poverty data: The World Bank report relies on the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), in the absence of official poverty data since 2011.
• Poverty and fall in GDP: By the estimate, 5.6 crore people are likely to have slipped into poverty as India’s GDP fell by7.5% in FY2020-21.
• India’s Population below poverty line: The population below poverty line in India stood at 10% in 2020.
• Marginal Incremental spending: Refusal to provide a fiscal stimulus to consumption the Government announced a fiscal stimulus worth Rs.2 lakh crore, or 1% of GDP. However, only a small fraction therein reflected incremental spending.
• Inadequate increase in MGNREGA wage: The minor increase to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) wage by Rs.20 per day was a long-pending correction and quite inadequate to say the least.
• No money in the hands of households: The majority of India’s stimulus package took the form of credit lines and refinancing schemes to private enterprises, which are an inefficient mechanism to realise the goal of putting money in the hands of people to boost household-level consumption.

The relationship between India’s Tax policies and Poverty

• Reduced corporate tax: Through the pandemic and beyond, India persisted with the reduced corporate tax rate that had been announced in September 2019. The reduction of corporate tax from 30% to 22% cost the exchequer Rs.1.84 lakh crore over the last two fiscal years, according to the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates.
• Rise in corporate profit: India has refused to reintroduce wealth tax, or indeed, an inheritance tax. At the same time, corporate profits soared, as reported by the CMIE.
• Rise in inequality: Through all of this, and in spite of the World Inequality Report terming India as a ‘poor and very unequal country’.
• GST as regressive tax regime: India has repeatedly increased the rates on a wide range of products covered by the Goods and Services Tax as well as increased the prices of cooking and transport fuels. While indirect taxes may help prop up public finances, they place a disproportionate burden on the poor.

Food aid through PMGKAY and the problem associated with it

• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana: The announcement of 80-crore people in India would get food aid through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), a scheme that continues mainly because of the undeniable household-level distress. PMGKAY is currently estimated to cost about Rs.3.90 lakh crore. Started in April 2020, it has been extended till the upcoming Assembly elections are over.
• PMGKAY is not a long-term solution: food aid is not a long-term solution, and certainly does not solve the problem of chronic malnutrition.
• World Bank Suggested priorities for Post pandemic recovery
  • The World Bank report identifies three priorities for fiscal policy for governments to aid with post-pandemic recovery:
    • Targeted subsidies that benefit the poor
    • Public investment to build resilience in the long term;
    • Revenue mobilisation that should rely on progressive direct taxation rather than indirect taxes

Conclusion

India’s fiscally prudent policies had ensured the wealthy state but poor people. However, we must not see India’s story in isolation. Despite the good fiscal packages developed country like UK, USA are heading towards recession.

Context

Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently conferred the ‘Most Popular GI’ award to Hyderabadi Haleem and other GI products.

• Hyderabadi Haleem received the ‘Most Popular GI’ award under the food category and agriculture category.
• It received the award by beating dishes like Rasgulla, Bikaneri Bhujiya, and Ratlami Sev.
• The award was presented to the director of Pista House and president of Hyderabad Haleem Makers Association MA Majeed.
• Under the handicraft category, Thanjavur Art Plate from Tamil Nadu won the award.
• Mysore Sandal Soap from Karantaka received the award under the manufacturing category and Uttar Pradesh’s Chuna Balua Patthar won in the natural category.
• The winners of this award were chosen based on the popular vote.

What is Understood by a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag?

About:

• Geographical Indication (GI) is an indication used to identify goods having special characteristics originating from a definite geographical territory.
• The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
• It is governed and directed by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
• It was decided and also stated under Articles 1 (2) and 10 of the Paris Convention that the protection of industrial Property and Geographical Indication are elements of Intellectual Property.
• It is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods).

Validity:

• This tag is valid for a period of 10 years following which it can be renewed.

Significance:

• Once a product gets this tag, any person or company cannot sell a similar item under that name.
• GI registration of a product provides it legal protection and prevention against unauthorised use by others.
• GI tag helps in promoting the exports of the product.
• It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product.

GI Registration:

• There is a proper process of registration of GI products which includes filing of application, preliminary scrutiny and examination, show cause notice, publication in the geographical indications journal, opposition to registration, and registration.
• Any association of persons, producers, organisation or authority established by or under the law can apply.
• The applicant must represent the interest of the producers.

GI Tag Products:

• Some famous goods which carry this tag include Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea, Chanderi Fabric, Mysore Silk, Kullu Shawl, Kangra Tea, Thanjavur Paintings, Allahabad Surkha, Farrukhabad Prints, Lucknow Zardozi, Kashmir Saffron and Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving.

GS-III

Context

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri recently inaugurated Asia’s largest Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant in Lehragaga, Punjab.

Key Takeaways

• The compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant in Lehragaga was constructed at the cost of Rs.230 crore over 20 acres of land.
• The project was commissioned with a foreign direct investment (FDI) of Verbio AG – one of the leading bio-energy companies in Germany.
• The CBG plant is currently capable of processing 6 tonnes of paddy straw each day.
• This capacity will later be expanded to 300 tonnes of paddy straw per day to produce 33 TPD of compressed biogas using eight digesters of 10,000 cubic meters.
• It will address the issue of stubble burning in the state.
• The CBG plant will consume 100,000 tonnes of paddy straw, which will be procured from 6 to 8 satellite locations within a 10 km radius of the plant.
• It will produce 600-650 Tons of FOM (fermented organic manure) each day. The manure will be used for organic farming.
• The new CBG plant is a step towards achieving the goals of the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme.
• SATAT scheme : The Indian Government launched the SATAT scheme in 2018 to set up the CBG production plants across the country by inviting expressions of interest through potential investors. The CBG will be used for the automotive sector.

Important value addition

• Coal, crude oil and natural gas are all fossil fuels and are used to produce diesel, gasoline, and kerosene. 
• Fossils fuels formed millions of years ago from the remains of organic matter from dead animals and plants.
• As fossil fuel resources are finite and are among the biggest contributors to climate change, it is critical that we meet our energy needs from renewable resources. 
• India’s renewable energy resource potential is significant, with solar, wind, biomass, and small hydropower representing the technologies having the largest potential. 
• Among all, biomass warrants special attention. 
• All the living matter present on earth derived from growing plants including algae, trees, and crops or from animal manure is called biomass.
• Anaerobic digestion of biomass is the process in which organic matter, in the absence of oxygen, is mainly transformed into a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide which is usually referred to as biogas.
• Biomethane can also be compressed and bottled into cylinders and it is called Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (Bio-CNG) or simply Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG)

Context

The recent sighting of Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert has given rise to speculation that it might have flown from India’s Desert’s National park to Pakistan.

Great Indian Bustards :

• In India, the bustard is restricted to isolated pockets in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• It is the state bird of Rajasthan.

Protection

• CITES Appendix I.
• Schedule 1 (Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2002 )
• Project Great Indian Bustard — state of Rajasthan — identifying and fencing off bustard breeding grounds in existing protected areas as well as providing secure breeding enclosures in areas outside protected areas.

Protected areas

• Desert National Park Sanctuary — Rajasthan
• Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary – Andhra Pradesh
• Karera Wildlife Sanctuary– Madhya Pradesh

Context

India has successfully test-fired indigenously-developed new generation medium-range ballistic missile Agni Prime from the Odisha coast.

Agni Prime: Key features

• It is a two-stage canisterised solid-propellant missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system.
• Operational range : between 1,000 km and 2,000 km.
• Launched by: DRDO
• It weighs 50 per cent less than the Agni 3 missile and has new guidance and propulsion systems.
• In addition, since it is canisterised, it can be launched from rail or road, be stored for longer periods and can be transported as per operational requirements.
• It is the sixth missile in the Agni (missile) series of the ballistic missile.
• It’s the first ‘declared’ MIRV missile in India’s missile arsenal.

 What are Agni missiles?

• They are the mainstay of India’s nuclear launch capability.
• They are long-range, nuclear weapons capable of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.
• the first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and tested in 1989.
• After its success, the Agni series of missiles got separated from IGMDP seeing its strategic significance.
• Indian Surface-to-Surface missile system: Agni missile, Prithvi missile, Shaurya missile, Surya missile

What are ballistic missiles?

• A ballistic missile is a type of missile which uses projectile motion to deliver warheads to a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. In contrast, cruise missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights.

Context

According to new research, climate change could increase the risk of “viral spillover” in some regions that could cause new pandemics over the next few years.

What is viral spillover?

• Viruses are some of the most abundant entities on earth, but they need to infect a host’s cell in order to replicate.
• \The host spectrum of viruses is quite diverse, as they can sustainedly infect a few species to several phyla.
• When confronted with a new host, a virus may even infect it and transmit sustainably in this new host, a process called ‘viral spillover’
• Research methodology: Researchers collected sediment and soil samples from Lake Hazen in Canada – the largest High Arctic lake by volume in the world, and the region’s largest freshwater ecosystem.
• Then they undertook DNA and RNA sequencing and found that viral spillovers increase with changes in the environment at a particular location, driven by global warming.
• Outcome:  Climate change could shift the species range of certain viral vectors and reservoirs northwards, and the High Arctic zone (regions of Canada within the Arctic Circle such as the Northern islands) could become fertile ground for emerging pandemics.

Context

As per the recently released CTR, extreme heat in India led to losses of nearly US $ 160 bn (around 5% of its GDP) in the key economic sectors.

Key findings:

• G20 countries (responsible for over 3/4th of global emissions) are not doing enough to mitigate global warming.
• Six G20 countries (including India) have not signed the Global Methane pledge
• The rainfall pattern in India has changed in the past 30 years, impacting many economic activities such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
• Earth’s global surface temperature has increased by around 1° C compared with the average in 1850–1900. 

About the Report:

• It is the World’s most comprehensive annual review of G20 countries’ climate action and their transition to a net zero emissions economy.  It is prepared by experts from 16 partner organizations from the majority of the G20 countries.

India’s Climate Pledge

• Net-zero by 2070
• Reduce the Emission intensity of GDP by 45% (from the 2005 level) by 2030
• 50% of its energy from non-fossil fuel by 2030
• Mission LiFE