In News:

• NSO estimates a decline in the unemployment rate

About the News:

• Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has recently released the quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey for July – September 2022.
• The National Statistical Office (NSO) of MoSPI first launched PLFS in 2017 considering the importance of the availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals,
• It aims to estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ (CWS).
• It estimates both employment and unemployment indicators in both rural and urban areas

Major findings of the report:

• Fall in unemployment: The rate of unemployment was 7.6% in the last quarter and 9.8% in the corresponding period in 2021.
• Labour force participation rate: As per the National Statistical Office labour participation saw an uptick for persons to 47.9% from 46.9%.
• Urban unemployment: In urban areas, the unemployment rate for persons aged above 15 eased to 7.2% in July­-September 2022 from 9.8% a year ago and 7.6% in the previous quarter.
• Gender divide: The unemployment rate was 6.6% for men and 9.4% for women which was a declining trend in comparison to last year for the same period.
• Worker-population ratio (WPR): It witnessed a marginal increase compared with last year for the given period.
  • Urban: While the WPR in urban areas for persons aged 15 and above stood at 44.5% in the present quarter which was an increase from 42.3% in the corresponding period in 2021.
  • Rural: It was 43.9% in April-June 2022.
  • Gender: The WPR among men was 68.6% and 7% among women in comparison to 66.6% and 17.6%, respectively in 2021.
  • Labour force participation rate (LFPR): For persons aged 15 and above, it saw an increasing trend in the present quarter in comparison to the corresponding period in 2021.

Source:

• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/unemployment-rate-dips-marginally-to-72-in-july%C2%AD-september-2022/article66180004.ece/amp/

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

In News

Tribes of Orissa have played a significant role in the survival and subsequent mainstreaming of millets in Orissa. It was largely propelled by a movement built around the Burlang Yatra.

About the News:

• The tribal of Orissa have revived millet production and are today cultivating 12 types of millets, as compared to the five types found in 2011.
• Burlang Yatra was identified as the occasion around which the revival of millets was strategized. The Burlang Yatra is a traditional annual festival of the Kutia Kondh tribe where the community, especially the women, worships and exchanges seeds through a celebratory mode of songs and dances at the village level.
• Odisha government has also started celebrating Mandia Dibas (Millet Day) on November 10 to popularize the crop.

What were the reasons for the decline in the production of Millet?

1. Perception of poor man’s food: The younger generation, felt that they were looked down upon for consuming millet, which is perceived as the poor man’s food.
2. Labour-intensive harvesting of millets as the de-husking of millet involved strenuous labour.
3. The decline in market for millets: Since there was no market available for the crop, people did not produce more than what they required for their own consumption.
4. Strengthening of the PDS system: Paddy and other foods reached their doorstep through the public distribution system and the expanding consumer market. Thus tribal started treating millet as a subsistence crop
5. MSP also supported the cultivation of paddy and rice.

What are the benefits associated with enhancing millet cultivation?

1. Nutritionally Superior: Millets are less expensive and nutritionally superior to wheat & rice owing to their high protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals like iron content, thus act as a shield against nutritional deficiency.
2. Restoration of ecosystems and sustainability: Drought-tolerant crops (like millets) with low dependence on chemical inputs would put far less pressure on ecosystems.
3. Biofuel and climate resilience: Millets also offer a significant cost advantage over maize as a feedstock for bio-ethanol production. They are also least affected due to erratic monsoon thus known as “famine reserves”.
4. Addressing SDGs: Millet farming has led to women’s empowerment. The Odisha Millet Mission saw 7.2 million women emerge as ‘agri-preneurs.
5. Water efficient: They require less water. It is about one-third of rice, wheat and sugarcane.
6. Social benefits: Millets possess immense potential in the battle against poverty and provide food, nutrition, fodder and livelihood security.

What are the steps taken by the government to promote millet production?

• Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millet Promotion
• Hike in Minimum Support Price of Millets and inclusion of millets in the public distribution system.
• Provision of seed kits & inputs to farmers along with building value chains through Farmer Producer Organizations
• Declaration of the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets to raise awareness about this superfood.

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-tribes-efforts-in-odisha-to-bring-millets-back-on-their-platters/article66178864.ece

Image Source: ICAR India

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Why in news?

• Mother Dairy, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board, has announced a hike in prices of full cream milk by Rs 1 per litre and token milk (bulk vended milk) by Rs 2 per litre in Delhi-NCR, citing increase in feed costs.

Fodder Crunch

• In August, torrential rainfall across the country caused crop damage and led to green fodder yields to decline. This was coupled with a steep rise in the cost of cattle feed.
• The cattle feeding cost alone has increased to approximately 20% compared to last year.

Rise in Procurement Cost

• Due to the rise in input costs, milk procurement rates have increased by 15-25% compared to last year.
• Mother Dairy attributed the recent hike in prices to an increase in its procurement cost of raw milk from dairy farmers.

High Energy Cost

• Due to huge rise in petrol and diesel prices, the cost of transportation of milk is also raised.
• This not only affects the milk suppliers but also farmers who have to pay more on transporting fodder and milk.

More Demand, Less Supply

• Even as the demand grows, the supply hasn’t been able to keep up with the pace.
• The production of white butter and skimmed milk powder (SMP) continues to dip.

Lumpy Skin Disease

• Lumpy skin disease in Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana – which are among the largest milk producers – has played a big role in causing a decline in milk yield.

Applicability of GST

• Another reason for rising prices of dairy products, especially curd, is the applicability of 5 per cent GST on all pre-packaged and pre-labelled products with effect from July.

Conclusion

• As long as input costs such as energy and feed continue to rise then it is likely that the cost of products such as milk will follow suit and these costs will have to be passed onto the consumer. However, inflationary pressure is not confined to dairy milk and alternatives are also seeing costs increase. 

Content Source Link:

• https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/retail-inflation-for-milk-is-high-higher-for-dairy-products/article66164722.ece,
• https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/mother-dairy-hikes-prices-of-full-cream-amp-token-milk/2866049/

Image Source Link:

• https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/retail-inflation-for-milk-is-high-higher-for-dairy-products/article66164722.ece

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

In news

The Australian parliament recently ratified the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA),  with the passing of India-Australia ECTA Bill and the DTAA amendment bill.

About India-Australia ECTA

• AI-ECTA is a partnership agreement that aims to boost bilateral trade and investment between the two Indo-Pacific countries.
• The Agreement inter-alia covers areas like Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement and Movement of Natural Persons.
• Benefits
  • Duties on 100% tariff lines would be eliminated by Australia.
  • Will provide a big boost to several sectors of the economy, especially textiles, gems and jewellery and pharmaceuticals.
  • The total bilateral trade will cross US$ 45-50 bn in 5 years from existing US$ 31 bn.
  • 10 lakh jobs are estimated to be created as the result of the ECTA.
  • Would also open new opportunities for the service sector in India and would immensely benefit students by offering them an opportunity to work in Australia.
  • Will influence and connect more than seven lakhs of Australia’s Indian diaspora, which makes a significant contribution to Australia’s society and economy.
  • Further, ECTA is likely to make coal, a crucial input for India’s energy needs and its industrial growth, available at competitive prices.
  • Indian graduates from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) will be granted extended post-study work visas, while Annual Visa quota of 1800 is to be instituted for India Yoga teachers and Chefss.
• Significance
  • Agreement reflects the confidence and trust between the two countries, and India’s growing stature in the world.
  • ECTA is the first trade agreement of India with a developed country after more than a decade
  • The long pending issue under Double taxation related to IT/ITES has been resolved under this Agreement.

Challenges: India-Australia relations

• Nuclear Deal at Pivoting Point
  • Despite an agreement, Australia has continued its policy of not supplying uranium to India, as India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• Malabar Trilateral related
  • The irritant in the relationship is India’s reluctance to involve Australia in the Malabar trilateral naval exercise alongside the other three Quad nations — India, Japan and the United States.
• Differing concerns with regard to China
  • Australia is more concerned about China's increased activities in the Pacific; while India is concerned about China’s greater presence and influence in the Indian Ocean.
  • Also, Australia has a certain lack of confidence given that India seems ambiguous about whether to balance or hedge.

Source:

India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA)

Image source:

https://twitter.com/RAJAGOPALAN1951/status/1595603366322720768/photo/1

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

• Context: How Odisha’s Kutia Kondh tribe rediscovered a palate for the ‘poor man’s food’.
• The Kutia Kondhs are particularly vulnerable tribal groups in Kalahandi district, Odisha. They live in Lanjigarh, Thuamul Rampur, Madanpur Rampur and Bhawanipatna blocks.
• They worship nature and do not use wood from the forests for fuel.

• The social structure is well-organised and unified in a Kondh settlement; families are mostly nuclear and patriarchal in character.
• Women play a relatively big role in the collection, processing and sale of non-timber forest produce.
• Shifting cultivation, or slash-and-burn agriculture is the primary source of food for the tribal communities in the area. The Kondhs call it dongar chaas or podu chaas.
• The major crops cultivated in the shifting cultivation system are minor millets like ragi (finger millet), kosala, kangu with arhar as an intercrop.
• The tribe lives in poverty and wages from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme provide the mainstay for many households.

Sources:

• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-tribes-efforts-in-odisha-to-bring-millets-back-on-their-platters/article66178864.ece/amp/
• https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/governance/rooster-s-call-for-sensory-heritage-75590

Image source:

• https://odishatourisms.com/tribes/

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

• Context: Recently India and Iran held Foreign Office Consultations and discussed the development of Chabahar Port.
• Location: Shahid Beheshti terminal of the Chabahar Port
• The Chabahar Port is located in southeastern Iran and in the north of the Gulf of Oman.
• It is located in the Sistan-Balochistan province in the energy-rich Iran’s southern coast.
• Significance:

1. It will open trade opportunities for India with Iran, Afghanistan and other central Asian nations.
2. India need not depend on Pakistan to trade with Afghanistan.
3. It would give momentum to the International North-South Transport Corridor and will counter Chinese presence in Pakistan (Gwadar Port developed by China) and Arabia.
4. It will significantly reduce the cost of crude oil that India imports from other countries (Presently the U.S., Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE together make up roughly 63 percent of the total value of Indian crude oil imports.)

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-iran-discuss-development-of-chabahar-port/article66180139.ece/amp/

https://thediplomat.com/2022/10/the-challenges-and-limitations-in-india-iran-relations/

Image Source:

https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-starts-sending-wheat-to-af-via-irans-chabahar-port-616071.html

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

• Context: Recently CITES COP19 listed sea cucumbers as ‘threatened’ ie Appendix II of the Convention.

• Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates that live on the seafloor found generally in tropical regions.
• There are about 1,250 species of sea cucumber, all of which belong to the taxonomic class Holothuroidea. However, only 3 of them have been added in the threatened category.
• This class falls under the Echinodermata phylum, which also includes many other well-known marine invertebrates, such as sea stars, sea urchins and sand dollars.
• Sea cucumber in India is treated as an endangered species listed under schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• As per IUCN Red List Brown Sea Cucumber has been listed as Endangered
• Even in India, specifically in the Tamil Nadu coast, sea cucumbers are illegally smuggled from Gulf of Mannar region and the Palk Strait to various parts of the world which is a cause for concern.
• As deposit feeders, they play an important role in nutrient cycling. Their actions reduce organic loads and redistribute surface sediment.

Source

• https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/cites-cop19-lists-sea-cucumbers-as-threatened--86120
• https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1756319

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

• Context: The inclusion of Over The Top or OTT (Communication Services) within the ambit of the draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 that was unveiled recently for public comments.

• OTT stands for “Over the Top” and refers to any streaming service that delivers content over the internet, at the request and to suit the requirements of the individual consumer.
• With OTT video delivery technology, people have a multitude of options and can view content on a variety of platforms such as: Smart TVs, computers, tablets, mobile phones, or gaming consoles.
• Performance depends on
  • speed of the connection (e.g., Fiber, Wi-Fi, LTE, DSL),
  • the display device (e.g., phone, streaming device like Roku, Apple TV, or Firestick, or laptop), and
  • how many network hops there are between the provider and the end user.
• OTT systems and technologies are designed to minimize the impact these parameters have, by providing a “best effort” approach to serving up the content.
• OTT technology will adjust to the network performance of the entire chain in real-time so that the video and audio are delivered without pauses caused by buffering.
• People with poor internet connections will not enjoy a smooth viewing experience.
• Access to the Internet is also required because the materials are only available online.
• Security and privacy are the two most pressing problems for OTT platforms.

Sources:

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-word-of-advice-on-ott-and-the-draft-telecom-bill/article66179200.ece/amp/

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Why in news? Recently, India has got rules for export of timber-based products made of Shisham eased under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES).

About:

• Dalbergia sissoo is commonly known as North Indian Rosewood or Shisham.
• It is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous rosewood tree native to the Indian subcontinent and southern Iran.
• It is native to the foothills of the Himalayas.
• Temperature: range averages 10–40 °C (50–104 °F) but varies from just below freezing to nearly 50 °C (122 °F).
• Average annual rainfall: up to 2,000 millimetres (79 in) and droughts of 3–4 months.
• CITES Status: Appendix II
• IUCN Status: Least Concern

https://m.timesofindia.com/india/india-gets-cites-rules-eased-for-export-of-shisham-items/amp_articleshow/95670787.cms

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Why in news? Recently, India and the United Arab Emirates are going ahead with food security cooperation under the I2U2.

About:

• I2U2 stands for India, Israel, UAE, and the US, and was also referred to as the ‘West Asian Quad’.
• I2U2 aim is to discuss “common areas of mutual interest, to strengthen economic partnership in trade and investment.
• Significance of I2U2 for India: greater engagement across the western Indian ocean, facilitate access to strategic markets in West Asia etc.
• Six areas of cooperation have been identified: water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-uae-food-security-cooperation-under-i2u2-on-track-says-mea/article66169736.ece/amp/

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Why in news? Recently, the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has released a working paper titled ‘Why India does poorly on global perception indices’.

About:

• Freedom in the World Index:
  • It has been published since 1973 by Freedom House.
  • The index has placed India in the “partially free”
  • Before India was considered as Partially Free: during a time of emergency and then during 1991-96 (economic liberalization).
• Democracy Index:
  • The index is published by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
  • India is placed in the category of “Flawed Democracy”.
  • The decline in rank has been on account of the decline in Civil Liberties and Political Culture.
• Varieties of Democracy(V-DEM) Report:
  • It is produced by the Varieties of Democracy Institute at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
  • India has been termed as an “electoral autocracy” in the 2021 report, the same as it was during the period of Emergency.

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-ranks-low-in-global-indices-due-to-serious-problems-in-methodology-eac-pm-s-paper/amp-11669141562173.html

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Why in news? The Union Rural Development Ministry wants to link the performances of the States under the Unnati project with its labour budget for the upcoming financial year.

About:

• Unnati project is a skilling project launched in 2020 intended to upgrade the skill base of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries, and thereby improving their livelihoods.
• This project is meant for providing training for one adult member (of age 18-45 years old) of a household who has completed 100 days of work under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.
• Under the project, the selected candidates are skilled using three established training programmes:
  • Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushal Yojana (DDU-GKY),
  • Rural Self Training Institute (RSETI) and
  • Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/skill-training-of-rural-jobs-scheme-workers-lags-centre-blames-it-on-the-states/article66169948.ece/amp/

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Why in news? Recently, an Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform (MSPP) was set up this year to mark the start of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW).

About:

• It was launched by a quadripartite comprising FAO, UNEP, WHO and the World Organisation for Animal Health.

• The platform aims to catalyse a global movement for action against AMR by fostering cooperation between a diverse range of stakeholders at all levels across the One Health spectrum.
• It was recommended by the Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) on AMR in its 2019 report to UN Secretary-General.
• Antimicrobial Resistance
  • It is a global public health concern that was responsible for almost 5 million deaths across the world in 2019.
  • The AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve over time and do not respond to medicines.

https://www.fao.org/antimicrobial-resistance/quadripartite/the-platform/en/

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Why in news? Recently, Raksha Mantri participated in the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

About:

• The ADMM Plus is an annual meeting of Defence Ministers of ten ASEAN countries and its eight dialogue partner countries.
• The 2nd ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in 2007 at Singapore adopted a resolution to establish the ADMM-Plus.
• It aims to promote mutual trust and confidence between defence establishments through greater dialogue and transparency.
• Areas of cooperation: Maritime security, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, and military medicine.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1878296

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute

Exam View: Interstate-border Disputes and Related Issues, Article 263 of the Constitution.

In News: Recently, five villagers from Meghalaya and an Assam Forest guard were killed and two others were seriously injured in a firing incident along the boundary between the two States.

Assam and Meghalaya have a longstanding dispute in 12 stretches of their 884-km shared border.

The Assam-Meghalaya border dispute are the areas of Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli and Retacherra.

During British rule, undivided Assam included present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram.

Meghalaya was carved out in 1972, and its boundaries were demarcated as per the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969 but has held a different interpretation of the border since.

In 2011, the Meghalaya government had identified 12 areas of difference with Assam, spread over approximately 2,700 sq km.

Major Dispute:

Attempts to Resolve Dispute:

• Both state chief ministers constituted a committee: In 1985, an official committee was constituted under the former Chief Justice of India Y V Chandrachud. However, a solution was not found.
• Disputed areas for resolution identified in the first phase are:
  • Three areas contested between West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya and Kamrup in Assam.
  • Two between RiBhoi in Meghalaya and Kamrup-Metro.
  • One between East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya and Cachar in Assam.
• Both sides submitted reports based on five mutually agreed principles:
  • Historical perspective
  • Ethnicity of local population
  • Contiguity with boundary
  • Peoples’ will
  • Administrative convenience.
• Final set of recommendations: Out of 36.79 sq km of disputed area taken up for settlement in the first phase, Assam would get full control of 18.46 sq km and Meghalaya of 18.33 sq km.

Way Forward:

• Revival of Inter-state council: Under Article 263 of the Constitution, the Inter-state council is expected to inquire and advise on disputes, discuss subjects common to all states and make recommendations for better policy coordination.
• Revival of Zonal councils: to discuss the matters of common concern to states in each zone—matters relating to social and economic planning, border disputes, inter-state transport, etc.
• Satellite mapping of the actual border locations: Boundary disputes between the states can be settled by using satellite mapping.

Between 2019 and 2022, many steps have been taken to establish peace in the North-east region like- the NLFT agreement (2019), the Bru-Reang agreement (2020), the Bodo agreement (2020), the Karbi-Anglong agreement (2021), today’s Assam-Meghalaya border agreement.

India is the epitome of unity in diversity. However, in order to strengthen this unity furthermore, both the centre and state governments, need to imbibe the ethos of cooperative federalism. The need of the hour is to shape public opinion for peaceful borders and redouble efforts for a political solution to these decades-old disputes.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/assam-meghalaya-border-dispute-recent-killing-impacts-8285785/

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.

Background

India has made substantial progress in reducing the incidence of child marriage over the years, but the economic hardship induced by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to roll back the gains made so far. In Rajasthan, rising incidences of child marriage and the sale of girls for marriage have become a matter of concern.

About Child Marriages in Rajasthan

• Rajasthan where the social malaise of child marriage is culturally endemic, the recent alleged sale of girls on stamp paper to settle debts shows the vulnerability of girl children in families that see them as a means to tide over their financial woes.
• COVID-induced financial distress over the past two years has resulted in child marriage rearing its ugly head in Rajasthan again.
• Rajasthan has witnessed 1,216 child marriages since 2018-19. Though there has been a decline in the prevalence of the practice from 47.4% in 2005 to 23.3% in 2021, the United Nations Population Fund has warned that pandemic-induced economic hardship could roll back the gains made so far.
• NFHS-5 (2019-21) show variations in child marriage in accordance with the household wealth index. 40% of girls from the lowest wealth quintile were married before 18 years compared with just 8% from the highest quintile.

What are the various customs with wide social acceptance in Rajasthan?

• Chari, in which the groom’s family pays a bride’s price. If the bride’s family cancels the marriage, then it has to pay a hefty fine to the groom. It gained momentum during the COVID crisis.
• Aata-Sata: Two families agree on giving their respective daughters in marriage. In other words, the husband’s sister marries the wife’s brother. Ensures brides in skewed sex ratios and helps save wedding costs.
• Be-mel or marriages between couples with a huge age difference, with mostly the girl being underage, is also a common practice and involves payment of the bride price.
• Marrying off all daughters of a family to the sons of another family help save wedding costs and sometimes even avoid dowry.

Source:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/child-marriage-rears-its-ugly-head-in-rajasthan/article66180810.ece

Click the link below to attempt the daily MCQs and the Mains based questions.