In News:

A new World Bank report finds that climate change triggered temperature rise and lethal heat waves could affect more than 160 to 200 million people every year, and around 34 million Indians will face job losses due to heat stress-related productivity decline.

About the News:

• World Bank has released the “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector” report which talks about India’s key vulnerabilities, opportunities and need to shift to a more energy-efficient pathway.

• Key Vulnerabilities of India are:
• More than 160 to 200 million people could be exposed to a lethal heat wave in India every year.
• Around 34 million Indians will face job losses due to heat stress-related productivity decline.
• Current food loss due to heat during transportation is close to $13 billion annually
• Major Opportunities for India are:
• By 2037, the demand for cooling is likely to be eight times more than current levels
• Need to deploy alternative and innovative energy efficient technologies for keeping spaces cool could open an investment opportunity of $1.6 trillion by 2040 besides reducing greenhouse gas emissions significantly and creating 3.7 million jobs.
• With the demand for cooling shooting up, there will be a demand for a new air-conditioner every 15
• These cooling requirements could lead to an expected rise of 435% in annual greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades.

What were the key recommendations of the report?

1. The report proposes a roadmap to support New Delhi’s India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) 2019, through new investments in three major sectors: building construction, cold chains and refrigerants.
2. Adopting climate-responsive cooling techniques as a norm in both private and government-funded constructions.
   • This can ensure that those at the bottom of the economic ladder are not disproportionately affected by rising temperatures.
   • The report suggests that India’s affordable housing program for the poor, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), can adopt such changes on scale.
3. Enact a policy for district cooling which could lead to the consumption of 20-30% less power than the most efficient conventional cooling solutions.
   • District cooling technologies generate chilled water in a central plant which is then distributed to multiple buildings via underground insulated pipes. This brings down the cost for providing cooling to individual buildings.
   • Implementation of local and city-wide urban cooling measures such as cool-roofs should also be considered.
4. Fixing gaps in cold chain distribution networks by investing in pre-cooling and refrigerated transport systems.
   • This will minimize rising food and pharmaceutical wastage during transport due to higher temperatures.
   • It can help decrease food loss by about 76% and reduce carbon emissions by 16%.
5. Improvement in servicing, maintenance and disposal of equipment that uses hydro chlorofluorocarbons alongside a shift to alternative options with a lower global warming footprint. This can create two million jobs for trained technicians over the next two decades and reduce the demand for refrigerants by around 31%.

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/over-160-200-million-indians-could-be-exposed-to-lethal-heat-waves-annually-world-bank/article

https://www.livemint.com/news/world/greener-cooling-pathway-can-create-a-1-6-trillion-investment-opportunity-in-india-world-bank-11669814595765.html

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In news

The 'India Ransomware Report' by CERT-In states that Ransomware attacks jumped during the first half of this year, rising 51% from the previous year.

Report findings

• The trends as highlighted by CERT-In:
  • Threat actors were leveraging tools that are already available in the cyber environment rather than making custom tools and malware.
  • Threat actors are also able to execute scripts that reboot victim’s machine into ‘safe mode’, and thus bypass security solutions

• CERT-In saidCERT-In said Ransomware-As-A-Service (RAAS) ecosystem is evolving with sophisticated double and triple extortion tactics and a wide range of ransomware campaigns through affiliates
  • Ransomware as a service (RaaS) is a subscription-based model that enables affiliates to use already-developed ransomware tools to execute ransomware attacks.
• Key reasons identified behind the attacks include, post-COVID digitisation, hybrid work culture, modernisation of attack tool kits, and evolution of ransomware as a service.
• Also, the information technology sector was the most affected.
• In terms of mitigation, the agency recommended victims to immediately disconnect and isolate infected systems from the network.

About Ransomware

• Ransomware is a type of malicious software, used by cyber criminals, to infect a computer system by blocking access to the stored data by encrypting the files. A ransom is then demanded from the owner in exchange for the decryption key.

Agencies in India dealing with Cyber Attacks

• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is the national nodal agency that collects, analyses and circulates inputs on cyber-attacks.
  • It then issues guidelines, advisories for preventive measures, forecasts and issues alerts; and takes measures to handle any significant cyber security event.
• The National Cyber Security Coordinator, under the National Security Council Secretariat, coordinates with different agencies at the national level on cybersecurity issues, while the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre has been set up for the protection of nationally critical information infrastructure.
• Also, Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) has been launched for the detection of malicious software programmes and to provide free tools to remove the same.

Source:

Ransomware attacks in India log in 51% spike in first half of FY22: CERT-In

Image source:

https://www.csk.gov.in/documents/RANSOMWARE_Report_Final.pdf

https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/definition/ransomware

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Digital rupee pilot project

In News:

• India launches its first digital rupee project

About the News:

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently launched the “Digital Rupee pilot” for a wholesale segment on a trial basis initially for the settlement of transactions in government securities.
• Based on the usage and the functions performed by the digital rupee, RBI has demarcated the digital rupee into two broad categories, general purpose (retail) and wholesale.
• For the wholesale e-rupee (e-W) pilot project, RBI has identified nine banks for participation including both public and private banks.
• With this launch, RBI becomes one of the first major central banks in the world to start a pilot project with its own virtual currency(e₹-W)
• Use of e₹-W is expected to make the interbank market more efficient once the first pilot for the retail segment will be launched in future for user groups comprising customers and merchants.
• Previously, RBI has proposed to start a pilot project to test the digital rupee or the central bank digital currency (CBDC) in specific use cases.

e-rupee (e-W) pilot project:

• About: Under the pilot project, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced the launch of India’s much-awaited Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), a sort of official cryptocurrency, for retail users.
• CBDC: It is the legal tender issued by a central bank in a digital form and will be the same as a fiat currency which will be exchangeable one-to-one with the fiat currency.
• Mechanism: Initially four banks including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, and IDFC First Bank in four cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar will issue digital tokens in the same denominations as paper currency, which can be used to make and receive payments.
• Working: The e₹-R digital token will be issued in the same denominations as paper currency and coins and will be distributed through intermediaries such as banks.
• Transactions: Users will be able to transact with e₹-R through a digital wallet offered by the participating banks and stored on mobile phones and devices for both person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M).
• Payment modes: Under the project, merchants will be able to receive payments using QR codes displayed at merchant locations with features of physical cash like trust, safety and settlement finality.

Importance of retail e-rupee project:

• Future ready: The pilot will test the robustness of the entire process of digital rupee creation, distribution and retail usage in real time.
• Method-learning: Different features and applications of the e₹-R token and architecture will be tested in future pilots, based on the learnings from this pilot.
• Benefits: CBDC is expected to help in the reduction of operational costs involved in physical cash management, fostering financial inclusion, and bringing resilience, efficiency and innovation in the payments system.
• Improving efficiency: It will add efficiency to the settlement system and boost innovation in the cross-border payments space and provide the public with uses that any private virtual currencies can provide, without the associated risks.
• Promotes inter-banking: The use of e-W is expected to make the inter-bank market more efficient as virtual money has a wider remit compared to physical assets.

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/digital-rupee-pilot-project-launching-on-december-1-what-is-it-and-how-will-it-work-8296610/

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Why in news?

• Recently, a study report on the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework and Deployment Mechanism in India has been released by NITI Aayog.

What is Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)?

• Its main objective is to prevent the captured carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, by either storing or reusing it in order to reduce carbon emissions.
• It is a three-step process that involves capturing the carbon dioxide produced by energy production or industrial processes, like the production of steel or cement, transporting it, and then storing it underground.
• It is a technology used to decarbonize carbon dioxide (CO₂) from highly polluting industries like steel, cement, oil, gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, and fertilisers.
• Saline aquifers and exhausted oil and gas reservoirs are two potential locations for carbon emissions storage.
• It would support the development of a low-carbon, hydrogen economy and aid in reducing atmospheric CO₂

Associated Challenges

• Cost: Reduce the price of the mechanisms needed to implement the technology.
• Doesn’t attract Private Sector: Reluctance of private sector to invest, since there are no sufficient incentives or benefits associated with the sale of CO₂.
• Dangers associated with storage and transportation of CO₂: While the accident count for such cases is low, but the potential danger cannot be ignored.
• Security issues: Leakages would prove highly fatal due to high toxicity of the gas, leaving the air unbreathable.

Way Forward

• It will prove beneficial for the economy if value-added products like green ammonia, green methanol are available through the process of carbon capturing.
• Indian economy will sustain fossil-fuel-based resources in the future, thus CCUS policy will prove beneficial in the course of time.
• Government must enact a policy for mandatory implementation of CCUS technology and create a market favouring its use.
• There must be a financing and funding mechanism associated with the early stage of the policy.

Content Source Link:

https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/niti-aayog-launches-carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage-policy-framework-11669788252622.html,

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1879865,

https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/renewable/carbon-capture-key-for-sustainable-development-niti-aayog-report/95870462

Image Source Link:

https://context.capp.ca/infographics/2021/what-is-carbon-capture-utilization-and-storage-ccus/

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• Context: World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1 every year since 1988.
• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 

• HIV destroys CD4 T cells (white blood cells that play a large role in helping one’s body fight disease) with its last stage called AIDS.
• It can spread through sexual contact, illicit injection drug use or sharing needles, contact with infected blood, or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
• HIV is treated with antiretroviral medicines, which work by stopping the virus from replicating in the body which prevents further damage to the immunity system.
• As per reports, HIV has significantly declined in India. WHO has identified “EQUALIZE” as this year’s
• GOI Initiatives

1. The HIV & AIDS Prevention and Control Act, 2017
2. National AIDS and STD Control Programme (NACP)
3. Laboratory Services
4. Adolescence Education Programme (AEP)
5. Mission SAMPARK
6. National Toll-free AIDS Helpline

Source:

https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2022/nov/doc20221130138601.pdf

https://m.timesofindia.com/videos/toi-original/world-aids-day-2022-how-the-world-can-end-hiv-aids-with-latest-treatment-and-prevention-methods/amp_videoshow/95894566.cms

Image Source: 

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2022/may/21/andhra-p-no-2-in-new-hiv-cases-in-2020-21-2456144.html

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• Context: Supreme Court seeks government’s response on evolving ‘Project Great Indian Bustard’ conservation programme.
• The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) (GIB), locally called ‘godawan’, has been categorised as critically endangered by IUCN.
• Project Great Indian Bustard was launched in Rajasthan in 2013, with the objective of conservation of the remaining population of the bird.

• The bird, which once inhabited 12 states, is wiped out from 90% of its former habitat and is confined to three small pockets:
  • Jaisalmer
  • the grasslands of Kutch and
  • the trijunction of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Among the biggest threats to the GIBs are overhead power transmission lines. They collide with the cables and die. The SC has ordered
  • that all overhead power transmission lines in core and potential GIB habitats, should be made underground.
  • installation of bird diverters (reflector-like structures strung on power cables) in priority areas.
• In 2015, the Centre launched the GIB species recovery programme, where GIB eggs harvested from the wild were incubated artificially.
• SC has mooted the idea of launching ‘Project GIB’ on the lines of ‘Project Tiger’.
• GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland and hence, barometers of the health of grassland ecosystems.

Sources:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-seeks-governments-response-on-evolving-project-great-indian-bustard-conservation-programme/article66206483.ece

Image source: 

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/renewable-energy/an-unusual-contest-great-indian-bustards-vs-great-indian-green-energy-quest-82308

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• Context: Recently 300 Kuki Chin refugees fled from Bangladesh and entered Mizoram to escape atrocities.

• The Kuki-Chin people share ethnic ties with the Mizos and they fled their homes following armed conflicts between the Bangladesh army and Kuki-Chin National Army (an ethnic insurgent group).
• KNA has been demanding a separate state for Kuki Chins in Bangladesh which has created the refugee crisis.
• Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is a poor mountainous, wooded territory sprawl in Khagrachari, Rangamati, and Bandarban districts of Bangladesh share boundaries with Mizoram on its eastern side, Tripura on the northern side, and with Myanmar on the south and south-eastern front.
• Mizoram shares a 318 km-long international border with Bangladesh
• India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.
• All foreign undocumented nationals are governed as per the provisions of

1. The Foreigners Act, of 1946
2. The Registration of Foreigners Act, of 1939
3. The Passport (Entry into India) Act, of 1920
4. The Citizenship Act, of 1955.

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nearly-300-kuki-chin-mizo-refugees-from-bangladesh-flee-military-insurgent-conflict-cross-international-border-into-mizoram-8293297/lite/

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• Context: The GeM platform crossed Rs 1 Lakh crore Gross Merchandise value till November 2022 for the financial year 2022-2023.

• The Government e-Marketplace (GeM), is an online platform for public procurement in India.
• It was launched in 2016, by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with the objective of creating an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers by driving its three pillars, namely,
  • inclusivity,
  • transparency, and efficiency
• GeM (Or e-Marketplace), is 100 per cent Government owned, and has over 63,000 government buyer organisations and over 54 lakhs sellers and service providers, offering a wide range of products and services.
• Government e-Marketplace aims to transform the way in which procurement of goods and services is done by the Government Ministries and Departments, Public Sector Undertakings and other apex autonomous bodies of the Central Government.

Sources:

https://theprint.in/india/pm-applauds-peoples-efforts-after-gem-achieves-rs-1-lakh-crore-gmv-in-fy-23/1242043/?amp

Image source:

https://egniol.co.in/2021/11/18/gem-government-e-marketplace/

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Why in news? Recently, an Israeli filmmaker's comments about ‘The Kashmir Files’ underlines that the tragedy of the Kashmiri Pandits remains an open wound and a deeply sensitive and polarising issue.

About:

• The Kashmiri Pandits originally lived in the Kashmir Valley before the growth of Islamic militancy in the valley.
• The Kashmiri Pandits had been a favoured section of the population of the valley during Dogra rule (1846–1947).
• They were the minority in the valley comprising only 5% of the total population.
• Traditionally dependent on agriculture and small-scale business and one of the favoured sections in the administration.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/when-kashmiri-pandits-fled-the-valley-more-than-30-years-ago-8296870/

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Why in news? Recently, The National Zoological Park, New Delhi (Delhi Zoo) celebrated International Jaguar Day.

About:

• Jaguar is the largest carnivore and the only big cat in Latin America, encompassing 18 countries from Mexico to Argentina.
• Jaguars are great swimmers and have even been known to swim the Panama Canal.
• Scientific name: Panthera Onca.
• IUCN status: “Near Threatened”
• CITES Listings: Appendix I
• Main threat: habitat loss caused by agricultural expansion and logging.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1879835

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Why in news? Recently, the Ministry of Power launched a Scheme for the Procurement of Aggregate Power of 4500 MW for five years under B (v) of the SHAKTI Policy.

About:

• Ministry of Power (MoP) in 2017 cleared the Coal Linkage Policy known as SHAKTI (Scheme to Harness and Allocate Koyla Transparently in India).
• The Policy provides coal linkages to power plants which lack fuel supply agreements (FSAs) through coal auctions.
• Aims/Objectives:
  • to ensure the availability of coal to all the Thermal Power Plants in India.
  • to reduce the dependence on imported coal and promote domestic industries.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1879539

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Why in news? Recently, Kerala’s man-animal conflict mitigation team was selected for the Wildlife Trust of India award.

About:

• The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is a non-profit conservation organisation dedicated to safeguarding India's natural heritage.
• Mission:

• To conserve wildlife and its habitat and
• Work for the welfare of individual wild animals, in partnership with communities and governments
• WTI programmes are supported, among others, by:
  • Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India
  • Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.
  • State Forest & Wildlife Departments.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/man-animal-conflict-mitigation-team-selected-for-the-wildlife-trust-of-india-award/article66205666.ece#:~:text=Kerala-,Man%2Danimal%20conflict%20mitigation%20team%20selected%20for,Wildlife%20Trust%20of%20India%20award&text=An%20eight%2Dmember%20team%20from,won%20recognition%20for%20its%20efforts

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Why in news? Recently, Growth in the eight infrastructure sectors slowed to 0.1% in October, dragged down by weak oil and electricity production.

About:

 Eight Core Sectors industries:

• The eight core industries hold 27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• The eight core sector industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers.

Index of Industrial Production:

• IIP is an indicator that measures the changes in the volume of production of industrial products during a given period.
• It is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• Base Year for IIP is 2011-2012.

https://www.livemint.com/economy/core-sector-cools-to-0-1-in-october-iip-set-for-decline-11669830269569.html

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Why in news? Tech companies, the worsening job market all around, and recently laid-off H-1B visa holders are frantically searching for new options.

About:

• H-1B Visa is a non-immigrant visa given by the US to employ skilled workers from other countries for various specialised fields of occupation for a certain period of time.
• Usually, the initial duration of an H-1B visa is three years. However, this can be extended for a maximum of six years.
• The biggest beneficiaries of H-1B visas are Indians, followed by the Chinese.

https://www.outlookindia.com/business/what-is-h-1b-visa-how-layoffs-at-amazon-facebook-twitter-have-worsened-the-woes-of-h-1b-visa-holders--news-241219/amp

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Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index

Exam View: Multidimensional Poverty Index, Recent Survey, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In News: The authoritative Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) household data for 2005-06, 2015-16, and 2019-21 establish that the pace of decline in Indian poverty accelerated post-2014.

Demographic and Health Surveys are nationally representative household surveys that provide data for a wide range of monitoring and impact evaluation indicators in the areas of population, health, and nutrition.

A person is multidimensionally poor if she/he is deprived in one-third or more (means 33% or more) of the weighted indicators (out of the ten indicators). Those who are deprived of one-half or more of the weighted indicators are considered living in extreme multidimensional poverty.

MPI is significant as it recognizes poverty from different dimensions compared to the conventional methodology that measures poverty only from income or monetary terms.

Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):

• The MPI seeks to measure poverty across its multiple dimensions and in effect complements existing poverty statistics based on per capita consumption expenditure.
• It has three equally weighted dimensions – health, education, and standard of living.
• These three dimensions are represented by 12 indicators such as nutrition, school attendance, years of schooling, drinking water, sanitation, housing, and bank accounts among others.
• Global Multidimensional Poverty Index: It is released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

Multidimensional Poverty Index and Sustainable Development Goals:

• The ‘Health’ dimension covers the following SDGs areas:
  • SDG 2 – Zero Hunger
  • SDG 3 – Health and Well-Being
• The ‘Education’ dimension covers the following SDGs area:
  • SDG 4 – Quality Education
• The ‘Living Standards’ dimension covers the following SDGs areas:
  • SDG 1 – No Poverty
  • SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities

Key Highlights of the Data: (For the DHS India survey, censored estimates were used)

From 2005-06 to 2005-15 (period I)

• In 2005-06: the multidimensionally poor were 55.1 per cent.

uncensored nutritionally poor was 57.3 per cent.

and 44.3 per cent were censored nutritionally poor. (Close to 80 per cent of the nutritionally deprived are also multidimensionally poor)

• In 2005-15: Annual pace of improvement in the health, education and living standards indicators: 7.3, 10.0 and 9.6 per cent respectively.

After 2014 (period II): 11, 8.4 and an outsized 17.2 per cent annual gain in the health, education and living standards.

• The performance index for poverty decline: Performance index average for all indicators — 1.6, or approximately a 60 per cent higher rate of decline in poverty.
• Assets and school attendance: School attendance improvement is lower as one approaches 100 percent enrolment.
• MPI poverty: It moved from 27.7 per cent in 2015-16 to 16.4 per cent in 2019-21

Challenges posed by poverty to Indian society:

• Inequality: After 1991 reforms it is argued that there is increasing inequality in India. According to an Oxfam report, India’s top 1% of the population now holds 73% of the wealth.
• Regional imbalances: This is leading to new demands for state formation and may further lead to fissiparous tendencies.
• Crime: Poverty increases crime rate in the society leading to issues of security of women and other social evils.
• Poverty is a vicious cycle: It is difficult for any society to come out of it and its consequences. The vulnerable sections of SCs ,STs and Minorities and women are most affected due to poverty.
• Poverty and Naxalism: Poverty and inhuman existence of tribals is a plausible reason for Naxalites to seduce the tribal youth into Naxalism.

Way Forward:

• Participation of poor: Poverty can effectively be eradicated only when the poor start contributing to growth by their active involvement in the growth process. This is possible through a process of social mobilization, encouraging poor people to participate and get them empowered.
• Address deprivations across the entire population: In order to reduce the Intensity of Poverty we need to address deprivations across the entire population, that is there should be a universal approach instead of a targeted approach to addressing it.
• Programmatic interventions should be curated with ground-level realities: The survey data gives us only broad policy pointers whereas programmatic interventions should be curated with ground-level realities.
• Continuous engagement with survey data in terms of improving the sample design and response quality has to be sustained.
• This will also help create employment opportunities which may lead to increase in levels of income, skill development, health and literacy.
• Moreover, it is necessary to identify poverty-stricken areas and provide infrastructure such as schools, roads, power, telecom, IT services, training institutions etc.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/data-does-not-lie-8294937/

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Background:

The genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee has cleared the environmental release of Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11), a genetically-engineered variant of mustard. But Supreme Court has expressed concerns over the plight of women agricultural labourers, traditionally engaged in de-weeding since farmers will now use herbicides instead of manual labour.

About DMH-11:

• DMH-11 is a hybrid variant of mustard developed at the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants, at the University of Delhi.
• It was created through transgenic technology, primarily involving the Bar, Barnase and Barstar gene systems.
• It is produced by crossing a popular Indian mustard variety ‘Varuna’ (the barnase line) with an East European Early Heera-2 mutant (barstar).
• DMH-11 is claimed to have shown an average 28% yield increase over Varuna in contained field trials carried out by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

What are the concerns associated with the commercial cultivation of DMH-11?

1. DMH-11, herbicide-tolerant crops would encourage farmers to spray chemical weed-killers, leaving toxic chemical residue in large amounts on the crops.
2. India has 5,477 varieties of mustard, which would be at risk. Moreover, GM-Crops are suitable in the western context where there are large farms.
3. Commercial cultivation of GM Mustard would open the door for multinational corporations that would manipulate seed costs.
4. Concerns regarding safety have been expressed since the government had not placed the biosafety dossier on the GM crop in the public domain.
5. Ethical concerns have been raised as GM crop is the violation of natural organisms’ intrinsic values by mixing among species.
6. Allegedly testing of GM crops was "completely flawed" and there were no laboratories capable of doing the bio-safety tests.

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gm-crops-supreme-court-worried-over-effect-on-livelihood-of-women-farm-labourers/article66205107.ece/amp/

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