Weekly Current Affairs (1st to 7th December 2022) - 2 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

National Bamboo Mission

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture has formed an Advisory Group for streamlining the development of the Bamboo sector under the restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM).

What is the National Bamboo Mission?

• About: The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched during 2018-19 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). NBM mainly focuses on the development of the complete value chain of Bamboo sector to link growers with consumers starting from planting material, plantation, creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing, marketing, micro, small & medium enterprises, skilled manpower and brand building initiative in a cluster approach mode.
• Objective: To increase the area under bamboo plantation in non-forest Government and private lands to supplement farm income and contribute towards resilience to climate change. Connecting farmers to markets so as to enable farmer producers to get a ready market for the bamboo grown and to increase the supply of appropriate raw material to the domestic industry. It also endeavours to upgrade skills of traditional bamboo craftsmen as per the requirement of contemporary markets with a tie-up with enterprises and premier institutes.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

What is the Potential of Bamboo?

Significance:

• The bamboo industry is witnessing a phase change by the opening of multiple avenues of resource utilization.
• Bamboo is a versatile group of plants which is capable of providing ecological, economic and livelihood security to the people
• Recently, the Prime Minister inaugurated the new terminal of the Bengaluru (Kempagowda) Airport in which the versatility of bamboo as an architectural and structural material has been proved and the destiny of this green resource defined as the ‘green steel’.
• Apart from using in the construction sector as design and structural element, the potential of bamboo is multifaceted.
• Ecofriendly mouldable granules from bamboo can replace the use of plastic. Bamboo is a reliable source for the ethanol and bio-energy production due to its fast rate of growth and abundance.
• The market of Bamboo based lifestyle products, cutleries, home decors, handicrafts and cosmetics also is in a growth path.

Status of Bamboo Production in India:

• India has the highest area (13.96 million ha) under bamboo and is the second richest country, after China, in terms of bamboo diversity with 136 species (125 indigenous and 11 exotic).

What are the Initiatives to Promote Bamboo?

• Bamboo Clusters: The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has virtually inaugurated 22 bamboo clusters in 9 states viz. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
• MSP Hike: Recently, the Central government has revised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce (MFP).
  • MFP includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and includes bamboo, canes, fodder, leaves, waxes, resins and many forms of food including nuts, wild fruits, lac, tusser etc.
• Removal of Bamboo from ‘Tree’ Category: The Indian Forest Act 1927 was amended in 2017 to remove bamboo for the category of trees.
  • As a result, anyone can undertake cultivation and business in bamboo and its products without the need of a felling and transit permission.
• Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs): 10,000 new FPOs will be formed in 5 years.
  • FPOs engage in providing a range of assistance to farmers like imparting better farm practices, collectivisation of input purchases, transportation, linkage with markets, and better price realisation as they do away with the intermediaries.

Way Forward

• States need to take forward the objectives of the National Bamboo Mission which would contribute to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan through an “Aatmanirbhar Krishi (self-reliant farming).
• With the abundance of bamboo and its rapidly growing industry, India should aim to establish herself in global markets for both engineered and handcrafted products by increasing the exports even further.

Vizhinjam Port Project

Context: Recently, Adani Group approached the Kerala High Court requesting the security cover of central forces in its port construction site in Vizhinjam which was marred by violent protests by the Fishermen.

What is the Vizhinjam Port Project?

About:

• It is a Rs 7,525 crore port, being built under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with Adani Ports Private Limited at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• It was laid in December 2015 and has since missed its completion deadline.
• The port is to have 30 berths, and will be able to handle giant “megamax” container ships.

Significance:

• It is believed that the ultramodern port, located close to major international shipping routes, will boost India’s economy and its location is also of strategic importance.
• The port is expected to compete with Colombo, Singapore, and Dubai for a share of trans-shipment traffic.
• The port’s advantages are “availability of a 20m contour within one nautical mile from the coast, minimal littoral drift along the coast, hardly any maintenance dredging required, links to national/regional road, rail network, and proximity to international shipping routes.

Why are Fishermen Protesting?

• Fisherfolk have been protesting against the project for the past four months, alleging that its construction is causing massive sea erosion, taking away their livelihood and dwellings.
• They want an impact study conducted and the project to remain suspended until the study report comes out.
• The fishing community has also put forward six other demands:
  • Rehabilitation of families who lost their homes to sea erosion
  • Effective steps to mitigate coastal erosion
  • Financial assistance to fisherfolk on days weather warnings are issued
  • compensation to families of those who lose their lives in fishing accidents
  • Subsidised kerosene
  • A mechanism to dredge the Muthalappozhi fishing harbour in Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram district.
• The kerosense subsidy has been demanded by claiming that because of the project, fishermen have to venture deeper into the ocean for catch, increasing the fuel cost burden.

The Future of Food and Agriculture: FAO

Context: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) new report, The Future of Food and Agriculture — Drivers and triggers for transformation, the world will witness persistent food insecurity if agrifood systems remain the same.

• This report aims at inspiring strategic thinking and actions to transform agrifood systems towards a sustainable, resilient and inclusive future.

What are the Findings of the Report?

Drivers of Agrifood System:

• There are 18 interconnected socio-economic and environmental forces, called drivers, which interacted and shaped the various activities occurring within agrifood systems, including farming, food processing, and food consumption.
• Poverty and inequalities, geopolitical instability, scarcity and the degradation of resources, and climate change are some of the key drivers and how they are and their management will determine what the future of food looks like.

Concerns over Food Insecurity:

• The world will witness persistent food insecurity, degrading resources and unsustainable economic growth in the future if agrifood systems remain the same.
• The world is “tremendously off track” to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including agrifood targets.
  • Many of the SDGs are not on track and will only be achieved if agrifood systems are transformed properly to withstand ongoing global adversity that undermines food security and nutrition due to growing structural inequalities and also regional inequalities.
• By 2050, there will be 10 billion people in the world to feed and this will be an unprecedented challenge if significant attempts are not made to reverse current trends.

Future Scenarios:

• There will be four future scenarios for agrifood systems that bring diverse outcomes in terms of food security, nutrition and overall sustainability.
  • More of the same, that envisages continuing muddling through by reacting to events and crises.
  • Adjusted future, where some moves towards sustainable agrifood systems occur at a slow, uncertain pace.
  • Race to the bottom, that portrays a world in disarray in the worst version of itself.
  • Trading off for sustainability, where short-term Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is traded off for inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability of agrifood, socioeconomic and environmental systems.

What are the Suggestions?

• Decision makers need to think beyond short-term needs. A lack of vision, piecemeal approaches and quick fixes will come at a high cost for everyone
• There is an urgent need to change course so that a more sustainable and resilient future for agrifood systems is created.
• There is a need to work on Key ‘triggers of transformation’:
  • Improved governance.
  • Critical and informed consumers.
  • Better income and wealth distribution.
• Innovative technologies and approaches.
• A comprehensive transformation, however, will come at a cost and will require trade-off of contrasting objectives that governments, policy makers and consumers will have to address and balance, while tackling resistance to the paradigm shift.

What is the Food and Agriculture Organization?

About:

• FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
• World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16th October. The day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of the founding of the FAO in 1945.
• It is one of the UN food aid organisations based in Rome (Italy). Its sister bodies are the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Initiatives Taken:

• Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
• Monitors the Desert Locust situation throughout the world.
• The Codex Alimentarius Commission or CAC is the body responsible for all matters regarding the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
• The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was adopted by the Thirty-First Session of the Conference of the FAO in 2001.

Flagship Publications:

• The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA).
• The State of the World's Forests (SOFO).
• The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).
• The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA).
• The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO).

Stubble Burning

Context: According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), fire count from Stubble Burning in Delhi and the NCR (National Capital Region) has reduced by 31.5% in 2022 as compared to 2021.

• As compared to 2021, stubble burning decreased in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh by 30%, 47.60%, and 21.435% respectively in 2022. The fire counts are based on information from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Satellites.

What caused the Reduction in Stubble Burning?

• State governments went for both in-situ and ex-situ management and a special campaign was started to honour the farmers who did not burn stubble.
  • In-Situ Treatment of Stubble: For example, crop residue management by zero-tiller machine and Use of bio-decomposers (e.g., Pusa bio-decomposer).
  • Ex-Situ (off-site) Treatment: For example, Use of rice straw as cattle fodder.
• About 10 million tonnes of straw had been managed through in-situ management, which is about 25% more than last year in Punjab.
  • Similarly, 1.8 million tonnes of straw had been managed through the ex-situ method, which is more than 33% over the previous year.
• Punjab had chalked out an action plan for three years, which has been shared with the central government.

What is Stubble Burning?

About:

Stubble (parali) burning is a method of removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat from the last week of September to November, coinciding with the withdrawal of southwest monsoon.

• Stubble burning is a process of setting on fire the straw stubble, left after the harvesting of grains, like paddy, wheat, etc. It is usually required in areas that use the combined harvesting method which leaves crop residue behind.
• It is a common practice in October and November across North West India, but primarily in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Effects of Stubble Burning:

• Pollution: Emits large amounts of toxic pollutants in the atmosphere which contain harmful gases like methane (CH4), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Volatile Organic compounds (VOC) and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These pollutants disperse in the surroundings, may undergo a physical and chemical transformation and eventually adversely affect human health by causing a thick blanket of smog.
• Soil Fertility: Burning husk on the ground destroys the nutrients in the soil, making it less fertile.
• Heat Penetration: The heat generated by stubble burning penetrates into the soil, leading to the loss of moisture and useful microbes.

Alternatives to Stubble Burning:

• Use of Technology- For example Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) machine, which can uproot the stubble and also sow seeds in the area cleared. The stubble can then be used as mulch for the field.

What is Other Related Initiative?

• The State Governments of Punjab, National Capital Region (NCR) States and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) have developed detailed monitorable action plans based on the framework by the CAQM to tackle the problem of air pollution.

What is CAQM?

• CAQM is a statutory body formed under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, Act 2021.
  • Earlier, the commission was formed through the promulgation of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2021.
• The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, Act 2021 also dissolved the Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) established in the NCR in 1998.
• It has been set up for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas for better co-ordination, research, identification and resolution of problems surrounding the air quality index and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Way Forward

• As we know, burning stubble destroys a helpful raw material, pollutes the air, causes respiratory diseases and worsens greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the need of the hour is to make constructive use of stubble as animal feed and further utilise technology by enabling various alternatives like Turbo-Happy Seeder Machine and Bio-Decomposer etc.
• Stubble can be recycled to make products including paper and cardboard.
• Also, it can be used as a manure. For example, in Palla village outside Delhi, the Nandi Foundation purchased 800 MT of paddy residue from farmers to turn it into manure.
• Crop residue can also be used for various purposes like charcoal gasification, power generation, as industrial raw material for production of bio-ethanol.

Dharavi Redevelopment Project

Context: The Bombay High Court (HC) seeks the Dharavi redevelopment project authority’s reply to Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for removal of Mahim Nature Park from the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

• Mahim Nature Park is a protected forest under Indian Forest Act, 1927.

What is Dharavi Redevelopment Project?

• Dharavi Redevelopment Project is the makeover of Mumbai’s slum cluster, Dharavi.
• The project was initially mooted in 2004, but never got off the ground due to various reasons.
  • Recently, the Adani Group won the bid for this project.
• It entails resettling 68,000 people, including slum dwellers and those with commercial establishments.
• The rehabilitation construction cost is estimated at 23,000 crore.
• A special purpose vehicle (SPV) is to be formed, with Adani as the lead partner.
  • Adani will hold 80% equity in the SPV while the state government will hold 20%.
• The SPV will construct free housing for eligible slum residents, with amenities and infrastructure such as water and power supply, sewage disposal, piped gas, etc.

What is Dharavi?

• Dharavi is the biggest slum cluster of Asia that lies on prime property right in the middle of Mumbai.
• It is spread over 300 hectares, of which the state government has notified 240 hectares for the project.
• It was founded in 1882 at the time of British Raj.
  • During the 18th century, unplanned localities started to grow when the process of urbanization of Mumbai was going on.
• Half-a-million people or so, live in Dharavi.
  • Apart from the currently estimated 56,000 families, it houses tens of thousands of small commercial establishments, ranging from pottery to leather work.
  • But living conditions are quite poor, given the density and the lack of many basic amenities.

Global Report on Health Equity for Disables

Context: Ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3rd December), the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report titled- Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities.

What are the Findings of the Report?

• Statistics related to Disabilities: Currently, some 1.3 billion people, or one in six, worldwide suffer from major disabilities. Because of the systemic and persistent health inequities, many persons with disabilities face the risk of dying much earlier—even up to 20 years earlier—than persons without disabilities. An estimated 80 % of people with disabilities reside in low- and middle-income countries with limited resources, making it difficult to address these inequities.
• Risk of Disabilities: They are at a two-fold risk of contracting chronic illnesses like asthma, depression, diabetes, obesity, dental disorders and stroke. Many of the discrepancies in health outcomes cannot be attributed to underlying health conditions but rather to preventable, unfair and unjust circumstances.
• Some Factors for Inequity in Healthcare:
  • Hostile attitudes of healthcare providers
  • Non-comprehensible health information formats
  • Physical barriers, lack of transportation, or financial constraints that prevent access to a health center.

What are the Recommendations?

• It is crucial to ensure that people with disabilities participate fully and effectively in all facets of society and to instil inclusion, accessibility and non-discrimination in the medical field.
• Health systems should be alleviating the challenges that people with disabilities face, not adding to them.
• Ensuring health equity for persons with disabilities will also have wider benefits and can advance global health priorities in 3 ways:
  • Health equity for all is critical towards achieving universal health coverage;
  • Inclusive public health interventions that are administered equitably across different sectors can contribute to healthier populations; and
  • Advancing health equity for persons with disabilities is a central component in all efforts to protect everyone in health emergencies.
• Governments, health partners and civil society should ensure all health sector actions are inclusive of persons with disabilities so that they can enjoy their right to the highest standard of health.

What are the Initiatives to Empowerment of Disables?

• India:
  • Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016
  • Unique Disability Identification Portal
  • Accessible India Campaign
  • DeenDayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme
  • Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/fitting of Aids and Appliances
  • National Fellowship for Students with Disabilities
• Global:
  • Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific.
  • United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability.
  • International Day of Persons with Disabilities
  • UN Principles for People with Disabilities

Report on Forced Displacement: UNDP

Context: According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report “Turning the tide on internal displacement: A development approach to solutions”, for the first time ever, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced in 2022, most of them within their own countries.

What are the Findings of the Report?

Statistics:

• At the end of 2021, there were over 59 million people forcibly displaced within their own countries due to conflict, violence, disasters and climate change.
• Before the war in Ukraine, 6.5 million people are estimated to have been internally displaced.
• By 2050, climate change may force more than an estimated 216 million people to move within their own countries.
• Disaster-related internal displacement is even more widespread, with new displacements recorded in over 130 countries and territories in 2021.
• Around 30% of professional lives became unemployed and 24% were not able to earn money the same way as before. 48% of the internally displaced households earned less money than before displacement.

Impact:

• The internally displaced persons struggle to cover their basic needs, find decent work or have a stable source of income.
  • Female and youth-headed households are more impacted.
• Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa and parts of the Americas are the mostly affected regions from forced displacement.
• The direct impact of internal displacement globally is estimated at over USD 21.5 billion in 2021 in the form of the financial cost of providing every internally displaced person with housing, education, health and security, and accounts.
• Lack of Proper and Commonly Accepted Statistics about displacement has led to a lack of policies for displaced people.

Suggestions:

• Longer-term development action is needed to reverse record levels of internal displacement, with millions more people predicted to be uprooted by climate change.
• Humanitarian aid alone cannot overcome record levels of internal displacement globally. There is a need to devise new ways to address the consequences of internal displacement through a development approach.
• Five key pathways to development solutions can be adopted, which are,
  • Strengthening governance institutions
  • Boosting socio-economic integration through access to jobs and services
  • Restoring security
  • Enhancing participation
  • Building social cohesion

What is United Nations Development Program?

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network.
• UNDP is based on the merging of the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and the United Nations Special Fund.
• The UNDP was established in 1965 by the United Nations General Assembly, and became operational in January 1966.
• It provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries.
• The UNDP Executive Board is made up of representatives from 36 countries around the world who serve on a rotating basis.
• It is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from member nations.
• UNDP is central to the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a network that spans 165 countries and unites the 40 UN funds, programmes, specialized agencies and other bodies working to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• UNDP Publication: Human Development Index.