UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 9 February 2024

GS1/3 Paper 

 Syllabus: Geography/Agriculture

Context: The Parliamentary Panel on Labour, Textiles, and Skill Development advised the government to devise umbrella policies for the cotton sector and closed jute mills.

About Cotton: 

Cotton is one of the most important commercial crops cultivated in India and India accounts for around 25% of the total global cotton production. Due to its economic importance in India, it is also termed as “White-Gold”. In India, around 67% of India’s cotton is grown in rain-fed areas and 33% in irrigated areas.

Status of India: 

1. India has the largest area under cotton cultivation
2. India is the second largest producer (after China) and second largest consumer of cotton
3. Majorly, cotton is produced in 11 states with Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana having a major share.

Significance of Cotton in India:

1. Triple Role:Cotton in India provides food, feed, and fibre, making it a crucial crop for agriculture and the textile sector.
2. Cotton Components:After harvesting cotton (Kapas), the breakdown is approximately 36% fibre, 62% seeds, and 2% waste.
   1. Cottonseed is essential for vegetable oil and feed cake production.
3. Market Contribution:Cottonseed oil is the third-largest domestically produced vegetable oil in India, following mustard and soybean. It also ranks second in feed cake production, with soybeans leading.
4. Textile Dominance:Cotton is the dominant fibre in India’s textile industry, accounting for about two-thirds of the total consumption.

Main determinants of the location of Cotton textile industries in various parts of the world:

1. Availability of Raw Materials:Cotton textile industries require a steady and abundant supply of raw cotton. Therefore, proximity to cotton-producing regions is a crucial factor in determining the location of these industries.
   1. For example, Ahmadabad and Surat are from Gujarat.
2. Labour Supply:Textile manufacturing is a labour-intensive industry, and the availability of a skilled and affordable workforce is an essential consideration.
   1. g. Bangladesh and Vietnamare emerging as major suppliers of cotton textiles due to the availability of cheap labour.
3. Infrastructure and Transportation: For instance, Cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou have well-developed transportation systems, facilitating the movement of raw materials and finished goods.
4. Market Access:Proximity to domestic and international markets is an important determinant. Cotton textile industries often locate themselves close to their target markets to minimize transportation costs and ensure timely deliveries.
5. Power supply:Cotton textile manufacturing is an energy-intensive process, and the availability of reliable and affordable energy sources is crucial.
   1. For instance, Cotton Textiles Industries shifted from Kanpurto the western region of the country due to an erratic power supply.
6. Access to Technology and Innovation: g. Chemnitz and Aachen cities of Germany have strong positions in this sector primarily due to their access to cutting-edge technology.

Key challenges contributing to the decline in cotton production in India:

1. Climate change:
   1. Erratic Rainfall Patterns: Changing climate patterns result in unpredictable and irregular rainfall, adversely affecting cotton crops.
      1. Cotton’s specific water requirements are jeopardized, leading to water stress, reduced yields, and compromised quality.
   2. Extreme Weather Events: Increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like droughts, floods, and hurricanes pose severe threats to cotton fields.
      1. Floods damage cotton plants, while droughts lead to water scarcity and hinder growth.
   3. Temperature Extremes: Rising temperatures alter flowering and fruiting patterns, reducing the productivity of cotton crops.
   4. Deterioration in soil health due to the absence of crop rotation and proper crop residue management.
2. Low yield: India’s extremely low per hectare cotton yield (447 Kgs/ hectare compared to China’s 1993 Kgs/hectare) due to outdated Bt seed technology, whitefly and pink bollworm infestation.
3. Pest and Diseases: Cotton’s susceptibility to pests and diseases is exacerbated by the emergence of resistant strains. Monoculture farming practices contribute to the build-up of pests and diseases, increasing the risk of infestations. E.g. emergence of the pink bollworm
4. High Input Costs: The cost of agricultural inputs, including high-quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labour, and machinery, has steadily risen. Licensing fees for genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds add to the financial burden.
5. Competition from Other Crops: Cotton faces competition for land and water resources from more profitable or less risky crops like pulses and oilseeds.
   1. Farmers opt for alternative crops due to higher market prices, better returns, and lower resource intensity.
6. Profitability Concerns: Farmers may switch to crops offering higher profitability and returns, reducing the attractiveness of cotton cultivation.
   1. Some alternative crops are less resource-intensive and have shorter growth cycles, minimizing risks.
7. Drought Resistance: Alternative crops may exhibit greater resilience to changing climate conditions, making them a preferred choice in regions prone to water scarcity.
   1. g. depletion of groundwater table in key cotton-producing states like Maharashtra, Gujarat etc.
8. Limited Market Access: A significant number of cotton growers in India face constraints in reaching markets and are compelled to sell their harvest at reduced rates to intermediaries.

Parliamentary committee’s Recommendations:

The government should implement an umbrella policy approach for the cotton sector, integrating activities across all areas. This would involve overhauling the cropping system, strengthening market linkages, enhancing research and development for new cotton varieties, and improving pest management practices. Additionally, the Government should focus on expanding irrigation to increase cotton cultivation productivity and address issues farmers face in obtaining genetically modified seeds, possibly through price caps and government-led seed development initiatives.

Way forward:

1. Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Promote the adoption of integrated pest management strategies that incorporate natural controls, trap crops, and beneficial insects.
   1. Reduce dependency on pesticides while effectively managing pest populations for sustainable cotton cultivation.
2. Community-Based Seed Banks: Establish community-level seed banks to conserve and share traditional cotton seed varieties. Preserve genetic diversity, promote the cultivation of higher-yielding strains, and empower communities with resilient seed resources.
3. Market Linkage Platforms: Develop digital platforms that directly link cotton farmers with buyers and textile manufacturers.
   1. Minimize middlemen involvement, ensure fair pricing, and enhance market access for cotton producers.
4. Value Addition through Local Processing: Promote value addition by establishing local cotton processing units capable of ginning, cleaning, and processing cotton fibre.
   1. Create employment opportunities locally and add value to the cotton supply chain, contributing to economic development.

Initiatives in the cotton sector:

1. PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks Scheme

1. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme to promote the production of MMF Apparel, MMF Fabrics and Products of Technical Textiles

3. Cotton development programme under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
4. Mobile app Cott-Ally to increase awareness about Minimum Support Price for Cotton
5. Branding of Indian Cotton as “Kasturi Cotton India”
6. Project “Targeting technologies to agro-ecological zones-large scale demonstrations of best practices to enhance cotton productivity” under NFSM

1. SAMARTH (Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textile Sector)
2. Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS)

Conclusion

Implementing these initiatives requires collaboration among farmers, local communities, government agencies, and the private sector. These interventions aim to foster sustainability, resilience, and economic empowerment within the cotton farming ecosystem.

Insta Links: 

• Textile industry seeks govt support to stay competitive
• Sustainable Cotton Textiles

Mains Links:

Analyse the factors for the highly decentralised cotton textile industry in India. (UPSC 2013)

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Source: TH

 Context: U.N. Women has partnered with the Kerela State government to support its Safe City project and gender data hub. They will offer technical assistance in collaboration with the State’s gender parks.

Background:

Ministry of Home Affairs had in 2018 sanctioned Safe City Projects under the Nirbhaya Fund Scheme in eight cities (including Bengaluru), which involves identifying hotspots for crime against women and deploying infrastructure, technology, and capacity-building programs.

Technologies deployed as part of the project: Audio-visual systems including drones, CCTV cameras and emergency call boxes in “vulnerable” areas of the city.

Other measures: Setting up Pink Police Out-posts, Augmentation of existing Asha Jyoti Kendra, Improving Street Lighting in Hot Spot areas; Setting up Pink Toilets; single Emergency number ‘112’; Gender sensitization awareness campaigns Etc.

Benefits: The Safe City Project aims to provide safety, equality, and privacy for women. It prioritizes the safety and security of women while ensuring equality and non-discrimination in urban environments.

Usage: The example can be used in questions related to women’s safety/Gender justice.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: IE
Context: After protests and dialogue, the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) has announced that both Roman and Bengali scripts will be allowed for Kokborok exams

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: TH

 Context: Archaeologists in Nalgonda, Telangana, uncovered a significant discovery – a 20-foot-tall lamp post along the River Krishna, shedding light on the region’s trade connections during the early medieval period.

• The pillar, bears a multi-lingual inscription dating back to June 1635, primarily in Telugu with traces of Tamil.
• Dedicated to Kasi Viswanatha, the pillar likely served as a lighthouse on the riverine trade route due to its imposing height.
• The inscription credits Madiraju Narasayya for engraving it and Polinedu, son of Vali Munulayya, for its erection.
• This finding suggests active trade links in the area, supported by the discovery of an eighth-century inscription from the Badami Chalukya era, affirming the village’s role in trade routes over millennia.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: Hindustan Times

Context: A committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has selected Supreme Court judge Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar as the new chairperson of Lokpal, and Aeratu S. Rajeev, managing director of Bank of Maharashtra, as the Vigilance Commissioner

Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority or body of ombudsman that represents the public interest. The Lokpal Act was passed in 2013 and came into force on January 16, 2014. The Lokpal’s purpose is to inquire into allegations of corruption against public functionaries

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: Business Standard

 Context: Several startups, including Decentro, Juspay, and Zoho, have recently obtained regulatory approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as payment aggregators (PAs).

• Other notable companies that received licenses earlier include Zomato, Stripe, and Tata Pay.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: Hindustan Times

Context: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has developed and successfully tested India’s first hypervelocity expansion tunnel test facility, making the country one of the few nations with this advanced hypersonic testing capability.

• The facility, named S2 or “Jigarthanda,” is located within IIT Kanpur’s hypersonic experimental aerodynamics laboratory (HEAL) and is capable of simulating hypersonic conditions with flight speeds ranging from 3 to 10 km/s.

The facility aims to inspire aerospace enthusiasts, foster innovation, and strengthen India’s space and defence sectors by providing sophisticated hypervelocity testing capabilities domestically.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: Sci.News

 Context: Astronomers utilizing data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) have identified a super-Earth exoplanet, TOI-715b, orbiting the nearby red dwarf star TOI-715 in the constellation of Volans.

• This planet, approximately 1.5 times the width of Earth, resides within the habitable zone of its parent star, suggesting conditions suitable for liquid water.

About TESS:

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a NASA space telescope that searches for exoplanets. TESS was launched on April 18, 2018, and is designed to search for exoplanets around 200,000 nearby stars.

Mapping

Source: TOI

 Context: In Winter 2024, Wildlife SOS provided a specialized diet to Himalayan Black Bears at the Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir to support them during their natural hibernation period.  Due to heavy snowfall and cold weather, regular food sources became scarce for the bears.