[Mission 2024] INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY 01 December 2023

GS Paper 3

 Syllabus: Agriculture

Source: TH, FAO

 Context: A recent FAO report (The State of Food and Agriculture 2023) exposes the hidden costs of unsustainable global agrifood systems, exceeding $10 trillion and constituting 11% of GDP in middle-income countries like India.

Major points of the report:

Previously, in the Status of Women In Agri-food Systems, FAO had suggested:

• Women need more access to and control over livestock, water, seeds, land, technology, and finance.
• Eliminating discriminationby engaging with men and boys.

Some best practices from India:

• In Tamil Nadu, women involved in fishing-related work had wider social networks and a greater adaptive capacity to seasonal stresses.
• The MGNREG Schemestipulates the provision of crèche facilities for young children for women involved in the schemes.
• In northern India, participatory village committees addressing water access, health and nutrition issues have facilitated shifts in discriminatory norms, enabling women to speak in front of men and take on public roles.

What is an agrifood system?

An agrifood system encompasses the entire process of producing, processing, distributing, and consuming food. It includes agricultural activities, food production, supply chains, and the socio-economic factors influencing food choices, aiming to ensure sustainable and equitable access to nutritious food for the population.

Need for adopting a sustainable agrifood system:

Government Initiatives for sustainable Agrifood system:

1. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: Created to build farm gates and agriculture marketing infrastructure in rural areas. It provides interest subsidies and credit guarantees to entrepreneurs, reducing post-harvest losses.
2. Water Use Efficiency Scheme: Launched to increase water use efficiency at the farm level. Establishes a dedicated micro-irrigation fund for implementing micro-irrigation technologies.
3. Crop Varieties Development: Developed 262 abiotic stress-tolerant varieties of different crops.
4. Food-Based Safety Net Programs: Operates the world’s largest food-based safety net programs — Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)
5. International Year of Millets:
6. Promotion of Millets: The UN recognized India’s proposal to celebrate the year 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets.’

Insta Links:

Scheme for Women Farmers

Mains Links:

How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production? ( UPSC 2019)

What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make the food grain distribution system more effective? (UPSC 2019)

Prelims Links

GS Paper 4

 Syllabus: Applications of Ethics

 Context: Ahead of COP28, UNESCO’s first-ever report on the Ethics of Climate Engineering emphasizes the risks and opportunities of climate manipulation technologies.

About the report:

The report has been published by UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST). COMEST is an advisory body and forum of reflection set up by UNESCO in 1998.

What is Climate Engineering?

Climate engineering, also known as geoengineering, involves deliberate modifications to the Earth’s natural systems to mitigate climate change effects. It includes techniques like Carbon Dioxide Removal (Building large-scale infrastructure to capture and store carbon emissions from industrial processes) and Solar Radiation Modification (Injecting aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight, thereby cooling the Earth’s surface temperature) to alter carbon levels and sunlight reflection.

Ethical Concerns in Climate Engineering:

Suggestions:

1. Legal Regulation: States should introduce legislation regulating climate engineering to prevent harm.
2. Ethical Research Standards: Scientific research must adhere to ethical standards consistent with international law.
3. Transboundary Impact Consideration: Countries must assess and consider the transboundary impact of their climate engineering decisions.
4. Global Governance Collaboration: Open and responsible collaboration between countries is crucial for effective global governance of climate engineering.
5. Inclusive Decision-Making: Marginalized communities impacted by climate disruption should be fully considered and involved in climate engineering policies.

Conclusion:

The current intergovernmental discussions during COP28 must cover the ethical aspects of climate engineering so that they align with ethical frameworks and Paris Agreement commitments.

Insta Links:

• Solar Geo-Engineering

Mains Links:

Do you think that climate engineering is a good strategy to overcome the challenges posed by global warming? State ethical concerns related to it.

Content for Mains Enrichment

Source: IE

 Context: Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, also known as Sam Bahadur, was the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal.

Sam Manekshaw’s life exemplified ethical values, including:

1. Integrity: He faced inquiry but maintained his integrity, eventually being cleared of all charges.
2. Compassion: After the 1971 war, he personally ensured the well-being of Pakistani Prisoners of War, providing a Quran upon request.
3. Loyalty: Despite facing challenges, he displayed loyalty to the Army, rising above personal vendettas when he attained higher ranks.
4. Courage: Throughout his military career, Sam displayed courage on the battlefield and in facing political pressures during his service.
5. Respect: Fluent in Punjabi, he showed respect to soldiers by conversing in their native language, fostering a connection with troops from different backgrounds.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: TH

 Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) dedicated to expediting justice in cases of sexual offences for an additional three years, extending up to March 31, 2026.

• Launched in 2019 as a centrally sponsored scheme, the FTSC aims to swiftly dispose of cases related to rape and those falling under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
• The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, oversees the implementation of the scheme, which has seen the establishment of 761 fast-track courts across 30 states and union territories.
• These courts have resolved over 1,95,000 cases, with a focus on ensuring prompt justice for victims of sexual offences.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: PIB

 Context: The Union Cabinet, has approved a Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

• The scheme aims to empower 15,000 selected Women SHGs by offering drone rental services to farmers for agricultural purposes.

The key features of the scheme include:

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: PIB

 Context: The Union Cabinet, has approved the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: TOI

Context: Climate change is causing a significant global phenomenon known as tropicalisation, where tropical species in the ocean are moving towards the poles, while temperate species are retreating.

• This mass movement of marine life is driven by rising sea temperatures and marine heat waves due to climate change.
• The trend is observed in areas with strong currents away from the equator, leading to consequences for ecosystems, biodiversity, and potential impacts on the global economy.
• The socio-economic impacts vary by region, influencing global fisheries, carbon storage, and tourism.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: DTE

 Context: India’s pressmud, a byproduct in the sugar industry, can be a valuable resource for compressed biogas (CBG) production.

What is Pressmud and how it is produced?

Pressmud, also known as filter cake or press cake, is a residual byproduct in the sugar industry. It is produced during the sugar extraction process from sugarcane. The sugarcane is crushed to extract juice, and pressmud is the solid residue left behind after squeezing out the juice. Other by-products are: Bagasse, molasses

Applications:

It has the potential use in generating compressed biogas (CBG) through anaerobic digestion and subsequent purification. With the potential to generate 460,000 tonnes of CBG valued at Rs 2,484 crore, pressmud offers advantages like a simplified supply chain, concentrated sourcing, and cost-effectiveness.

However, challenges include rising pressmud prices, competition for alternative uses, and storage issues. To fully exploit this resource, interventions such as streamlined bioenergy policies, price control mechanisms, and research on storage technologies are essential.

Source: TH

Context: The article highlights the environmental impact of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The use of heavy bombs, white phosphorus, and herbicides has led to widespread environmental damage, affecting soil, water, and air quality.

Mapping

Source: BBC

 Context: Pampore, known as the centre of the country’s saffron (referred to as “red gold”) cultivation has seen a decline in productivity.

About Saffron:

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the “saffron crocus”. The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food

The main issues impacting saffron production in Pampore are:

1. Climate change
2. Erratic rainfall patterns
3. Higher temperatures
4. Expansion of urban areas onto saffron fields
5. Insufficient investment in irrigation and farmer training, contribute to the challenges faced by saffron cultivation

Iran, India, Spain and Greece are the major saffron-producing countries with Iran occupying the maximum area and contributing about 88% of the world’s saffron production. Though, India occupies the 2nd largest area but produces approximately 7 per cent of the total world production.