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Recently the Blue Leaders High-Level Event on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction was held in Belgium.

Key Highlights On  BBNJ Treaty Or High Seas Treaty

• Objective: The event was held  to urge nations to ratify a new treaty to protect the high seas from pollution, climate change and overfishing. 
• The Blue Leaders High-Level Event on BBNJ: It decided to use the United Nations Ocean Conference to be held in 2025 as a platform to bring the BBNJ Treaty into force.
• Participating countries: Belgium, Cape Verde, Greece, Monaco, Nigeria, Norway and the United Kingdom participated in the event. 
• India’s position: India is yet to sign the BBNJ treaty. However, it called on efforts for entry into force and implementation of the treaty at the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration held in September 2023.

BBNJ Treaty: Biological  Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction

• It is an agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction also known as the “Treaty of the High Seas”.
• Adoption:The agreement was adopted by consensus at the 5th BBNJ Intergovernmental Conference in New York on 19 June 2023 
• Secretariat BBJN: Brussels.
• Signatories: At present 88 countries are signatories to the treaty with two countries ie.  Chile and Palau have ratified it. 
  • The BBNJ treaty will “enter into force” when at least 60 countries ratify it.
• The agreement will be closed for signature  on September 20, 2025. This means countries have given their consent to be bound to it and after the  deadline,countries can no longer sign but  still can  accede to the treaty, which has the same legal status as ratification.
• Provisions of the treaty: 
• • Establish Marine Protected areas in High seas: To achieve the target of effective conservation of 30% of land and sea by 2030, agreed within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
  • Benefits sharing of  marine genetic resources:The treaty ensures that profits from marine genetic resources (MGR) ie. materials of plant, animal or microbes are shared equitably and fairly.
  • Rules  for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA): It is to identify and evaluate the potential impacts of certain activity could have on the ocean For example, Carbon sequestration or deep-sea mining will now have to do EIAs.
  • Foresees capacity building and the transfer of marine technology between the Parties

News source: DTE

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India has been bestowed with the Measles and Rubella Champion Award by The Measles and Rubella Partnership at the American Red Cross Headquarters, USA 

India Receives Measles and Rubella Champion Award 

• The Measles and Rubella Partnership is a multi-agency planning committee which includes  the American Red Cross, BMGF, GAVI, US CDC, UNF, UNICEF, and WHO.
• The award has been presented for India’s exemplary efforts in measles and rubella disease prevention  resulting in 50 districts consistently not witnessing any measles case while 226 districts not reporting  rubella cases over the past 12 months.

Difference Between Measles and Rubella

• Measles

• • Measles is a highly contagious viral disease caused by Morbillivirus in the Paramyxoviridae family. 
  • Transmission: It spreads through the breaths, coughs or sneezes of an infected person . 
  • Children are most susceptible to the disease with their respiratory tract getting infected first 
  • Symptoms: Include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash all over the body.
  • Mortality: An estimated 128 000 people died from measles in 2021 – mostly children under the age of five years, despite the availability of a safe and cost-effective vaccine

• Rubella: 

  • It is a contagious viral infection best known by its distinctive red rash. It’s also called German measles or three-day measles.
  • Rubella Infection is particularly serious for unborn babies whose mothers become infected during pregnancy.
    • Rubella infection in pregnant women may cause death or congenital defects known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS)
  • Treatment: The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing rubella. The vaccine provides lifelong protection against rubella.

Indian Initiatives to Prevent Measles and Rubella

• Measles and Rubella are vaccine preventable diseases  and MMR Vaccine is part of India’s Universal Immunization Programme since 2017.
• India’s target: It aims to eradicate measles by 2023 while  vaccinating 95% of the population with two doses of the measles vaccine under the Intensified Mission Indradhanush.
• Strategy used: 
  • A proactive MR vaccination campaign in specific high-risk areas
  • Reach underserved populations through innovative reach 
  • Robust  surveillance systems, and effective public-awareness initiatives
  • The robust network of and last mile reach of country’s frontline health workers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and communities across the nation.
• India uses measles as a tracer to strengthen routine immunization under the country’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) providing regional leadership to the measles & rubella elimination programme.

• Global level: Accelerated immunization activities by countries, WHO, the Measles & Rubella Partnership and other international partners successfully prevented 56 million deaths between 2000–2021. 
  • Vaccination decreased measles deaths from 761 000 in 2000 to 128 000 in 2021.

News source: PIB

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Karnataka and Rajasthan have initiated auctions for exploration licences of critical and deep-seated minerals.

Rajasthan, Karnataka Launch India’s first Exploration licence Auction for Critical Minerals

• The auctions in Karnataka and Rajasthan included minerals like gold, copper, and lithium.
• Karnataka auctioned one block each of gold, copper, and lithium, while Rajasthan auctioned three blocks including rare earth elements, rare metals, and potash.

What Are Exploration Licences?

• Exploration licences are permissions or rights given by government authorities to carry out exploration activities in the designated areas.
• These  licenses help Junior Mining Companies get expertise from around the world to gather, process, and understand exploration data.
  • It helps companies to take risks to find deep-seated minerals using expertise and new mining technologies.

Benefits of Exploration Licences

• Empowering Junior Mining Companies

  • Expansion of knowledge: Exploration Licenses help small mining companies learn from experts worldwide.
  • Interpretation of Data: These companies can acquire, process, and interpret exploration data using cutting-edge technologies.
    • They use new tools and methods to find valuable minerals  deep in the earth.

• Boosting State Government Revenues

• • Exploration of minerals: With Exploration Licenses, companies search for minerals in specific areas.
    • They find specific areas where mining can happen.
  • Direct auction for mining leases: These explored blocks can then be directly auctioned for mining leases.
    • The money earned from selling these areas helps the state governments.

• Focusing on Important Minerals

• • Exploration Licenses help in finding vital minerals like gold, copper, and lithium.
    • Support to Other Industries: These minerals play a crucial role in various industries and technologies.
    • Exploring and using these minerals further help our economy grow and develop.

News Source: Thehindu

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A widespread coral bleaching event spread over two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was observed by aerial surveys conducted.

Fourth Global Mass Coral Bleaching? – Aerial Surveys Conducted by the Reef Authority

• The survey was conducted jointly by the Reef Authority with the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).
• Place impacted the most: The bleaching gripped the reef in over 300 inshore, midshelf and offshore reefs, stretching from Cape Melville of Cooktown towards north of Bundaberg in the southern boundary of the Marine Park
  •  The southern GBR was the most affected by coral bleaching.
• Reason: The results from the surveys are consistent with the patterns of heat stress built up over summer with above-average sea surface temperatures observed  across the Marine Park for an extended period of time.
• The current coral bleaching event: It marks the fifth event in the past eight years.
• The  Coral Reef Watch programme has prophesied that the Earth could witness a fourth global mass coral bleaching event, with reefs located in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans showing severe signs of bleaching. 

Corals: 

• Corals are colonial marine invertebrates of the phylum Cnidaria. 
• Polyp: An individual coral is known as a polyp. A polyp is a sac-like animal and they excretes an exoskeleton near the base. Polyps form a symbiotic relationship with plant like cells called zooxanthellae (unicellular dinoflagellates). 

• Symbiotic Relationship: Coral Polyp can ingest tiny organisms called plankton & other small creatures but still majority of their energy and nutrients they get from the zooxanthellae living within their tissues which also is responsible for giving the corals its color.
  • In return corals provide the zooxanthellae with shelter and protection.

• Conditions For Survival:

• • Shallow water: corals require sunlight and clear shallow water for their growth. They are found typically in water above 165 feet (50 meters).
  • Clear water: That lets sunlight through. They don’t thrive well when the water is opaque.
  • Warm water: Reef-building corals require warm water conditions to survive. Different corals living in different regions can withstand water temperatures in the range of  20–32° C.
  • Pollution-free water: Corals are sensitive to pollution and sediments. Wastewater discharged into the ocean near the reef can contain too many nutrients that cause seaweeds to overgrow the reef
  • Salinity: Corals need saltwater (salinity almost 27 ppt) to survive and require a certain balance in the ratio of salt to water. This is why corals don’t live in areas where rivers drain fresh water into the ocean ie. estuaries

Coral Reefs:

• Coral reefs are formed when thousands of polyps living together in a coral colony secretes calcium carbonate exoskeleton beneath it. Over time, the skeletons of many coral colonies add up to build the structure of a coral reef.
• Coral reefs are also called the  “rainforests of the sea” as they form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.
• Distribution: They are found mostly in tropical and subtropical waters  occurring  between 30º north and 30º south latitudes.
• Example: The Indonesian/Philippines archipelago has the world’s greatest concentration with greatest coral diversity.
  • In India, they are present around A&N, Lakshadweep, Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Mannar.
• Role: It acts as a shelter or home for many marine species apart from zooxanthellae such as  fish, invertebrates, algae and microorganisms.
• Types of Coral Reefs:
  • Fringing reef (Shore reefs): It is a coral platform attached to a continental coast or an island, sometimes separated by a narrow, shallow lagoon known as Boat Channel.
  • Barrier reef 
  • Atoll reefs : These are the reefs that are roughly circular and surround a large central lagoon.
    • If a fringing reef forms around a volcanic island that subsides completely below sea level while the coral continues to grow upward, an atoll forms.  

• Benefits of Coral Reef Ecosystems: 

• • Coastal protection: Coral reefs act as a shock absorber and offer protection to coastlines from storms and erosion.
  • Employment opportunities: It provides jobs for local communities boosting the fishing industry.
  • Tourism opportunity: It  offer opportunities for recreational activities like diving, and snorkeling etc
  • Source of food and medicines: They are also are a source of food and new medicines as it attracts fish population and other marine organism
  • These ecosystems are culturally important to indigenous people around the world.

Coral Bleaching:

• Coral bleaching occurs when the coral Polyp expels the marine algae ie. zooxanthellae from its   tissue and breaks the symbiotic relation. This result in them loosing their colour and source of nutrients and energy with coral’s bright white skeleton is revealed. transparent and the
• Coral reef bleaching indicates a stress response which enables them to recover, depending on the intensity of heat stress and its duration, however prolonged or intense heat can prove fatal to corals.
• Past events of mass bleaching:  It started  from 1998 and then reported in 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022 and the latest in 2024. 
  • As per, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Satellite and Information Service: The third global coral bleaching event between 2014 and 2017 remains the longest, most widespread and probably the most damaging coral bleaching event on record. 
  • It affected reefs in areas such as GBR, Kiribati, Jarvis Island and is considered worse than any global bleaching event.

• Causes:

• • Temperature: The corals can survive only in a specific temperature range and global sea surface temperature is rising because of global warming stressing the corals.
  • Subaerial Exposure: Low tides, sea level drops and tectonic uplift can result in sudden exposure of coral to the atmosphere. Subaerial exposure often results in bleaching and consequent coral death due to sudden changes in atmospheric conditions.
  • Sedimentation: Human Activities such as land clearing and coastal construction can result in high rates of erosion, increasing sediment content in water and disrupting the natural process of photosynthesis.
  • Inorganic Nutrients: Increases in inorganic nutrients such as ammonia and nitrate cause zooxanthellae to multiply  by 2-3 times which can cause secondary adverse effects such as lower coral resistance and increased disease susceptibility.

News Source: DTE

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Recently, A monthly air quality snapshot by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals that  an industrial town ‘Byrnihat situated in Assam-Meghalaya’s border emerged as the most polluted city in India for February 2024.

Most Polluted City in India: Key Highlights of the Report 

• In February 2024, 160 out of 253 cities recorded PM2.5 levels below India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). 

• Only one city met the World Health Organization’s stricter guidelines to maintain PM2.5 Standard. 
• Most Polluted Cities in India
• Byrnihat (1st)
  • Araria in Bihar (2nd)
  • Hapur in Uttar Pradesh(3rd)
  • Hanumangarh in Rajasthan(4th) 
• Northeastern Pollution Concerns: Nalbari (5th), Agartala (12th), Guwahati (19th), and Nagaon (28th) also featured among the 30 most polluted cities in India, highlighting the hazardous air pollution levels in urban centers across northeastern states. 
• Cleanest Cities in India:
  • Satna in Madhya Pradesh, Sivasagar in Assam, Vijayapura in Karnataka as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, respectively were reported as the cleanest cities in India. 
  • In the Northeast states cities like Sivasagar, Silchar, Aizawl, and Imphal reported as the cleanest cities in the region. 
• Among National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) Cities: 
  • In 96 (NCAP) cities PM2.5 Monthly average levels exceeded WHO guidelines.
  • 60 Cities adhered to India’s NAAQS. 
• Among Non-NCAP Cities: 
  • Only one city reported PM2.5 levels below WHO guidelines. 
  • 100 cities met India’s NAAQS, while 57 cities faced worse air quality. 

Reason Behind Shift in Pollution Level in Urban Centres: 

• Unregulated industrial operations
• Inadequate public transportation infrastructure 
• Rampant construction 
• Lacking efficient pollution control measures

Call for Action: 

There is an urgent need for bolstering air quality monitoring in the northeastern states to effectively track and address escalating pollution levels.

News Source : The Hindu

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Recently, Mendha village in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra gets separate Gram Panchayat status under Gramdan Act

After 10 years struggle, Mendha Gets Separate Gram Panchayat Status Under Gramdan Act

• Mendha Village’s Struggle for Self-Rule: The battle for Gramdan implementation in Mendha commenced over a decade ago in 2013.

• Legal Recognition: In October 2023, Mendha attained Gramdan status following a directive from the Bombay High Court .
• Gram Panchayat Notification: On February 21, 2024 the Maharashtra government finally issued a notification declaring Mendha as an independent Gram Panchayat under The Maharashtra Gramdan Act, 1964.It marked a significant milestone in the residents’ struggle for sovereignty over their forests and land. 
  • It grants extensive powers and responsibilities to the Gram Sabha for the administration, development, and welfare of the village. 

Gramdan or Bhoodan Movement: Initiated by Vinoba Bhave

• The Bhoodan Movement, initiated by Vinoba Bhave in the 1950s, was an attempt at land reform, at bringing about institutional changes in agriculture, like land redistribution in rural India in post independence.
• Objectives Of Bhoodan Movement
  • To bring about a social order based on equality of opportunities by ensuring balanced economic distribution. 
  • Decentralization of economic holdings and powers

• Gramdan: Towards of the end of 1955, the movements in India took a new form, that of Gramdan or ‘donation of village’
• • Objective of the Gramdan movements : To persuade landowners and leaseholders in each village to renounce their land rights and all the lands would become the property of a village association for egalitarian redistribution and joint cultivation.
  • Political Support: The movements in India received widespread political patronage. Several state governments passed laws aimed at Gramdan and Bhoodan.
  • Gramdan Significance:
    • The movement not only facilitates equitable distribution of land but also empowers communities towards self-governance and sustainable resource management. 
    • Future Prospects: It will assert  autonomy and realize its vision of self-rule and sustainable development.

Gramdan Across India 

• The first village to come under Gramdan, was Magroth, Haripur, Uttar Pradesh. The second and third took place in Orissa In 1955. 
• Currently, India has 3,660 Gramdan villages spread across seven states, with Odisha leading with 1,309 villages.

News Source : DTE

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Recently, the Prime Minister awarded the inaugural National Creators Award 2024 at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

National Creators Award 2024: Key Highlights

• The National Creators Award 2024 were given across 20 categories across various domains such as storytelling, social change advocacy, environmental sustainability, education and gaming.

National Creators Award 2024 Winners List

What is National Creators Award?

• The National Creators Award celebrates talented people who make a big difference in areas like storytelling, social issues, saving the environment, education, and gaming.
• It serves as a platform to propel creativity towards fostering beneficial transformations in society.
• The award honors digital content creators for their positive impact on society and innovative contributions.
• By recognizing excellence and impact, the National Creators Award aims to inspire others to use their creativity for constructive purposes.

Eligibility Criteria For National Creators Awards

• Age: 18+ years old on nomination day.
• Nationality:
  • 19 categories for Indians only.
  • 1 category for international creators (digital content).
• Platforms:  Content must be shared on any of the listed digital platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, ShareChat, Koo, Roposo, or Moj.
• Language: Content can be in English or any Indian language.
• Nominations:
• • 3 categories: Creators have the option to nominate themselves in up to 3 categories.
  • 20 categories: Individuals nominating others have the opportunity to nominate across all 20 categories.

News Source: Indianexpress

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India and the EFTA Countries are likely to sign a long-negotiated bilateral free trade agreement aimed at increasing trade and investment flows, job creation, and economic growth.

India EFTA Free Trade Agreement

• This is the first FTA for India where it has been able to get a commitment on investment and employment from the partner nations.
• The EFTA countries are looking at investing in joint ventures in areas such as pharmaceuticals, especially medical devices, certain chemicals, food processing, and engineering products.

About EFTA Countries| European Free Trade Association

• Intergovernmental Organisation: The European Free Trade Association is an intergovernmental organization set up to promote free trade and economic cooperation between its members, within Europe and globally.
  • Aim: Deeper economic integration among its members, including a common customs union.
• Member States: It has four member states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
  • These countries are all open, competitive economies committed to the progressive liberalization of trade in the multinational arena as well as in free trade agreements.
• Historical Background: ETFA was founded by the Stockholm Convention in 1960 as an alternative to the European Economic Community (EEC), the European Union (EU) precursor.
• Advisory Bodies: The EFTA Parliamentary Committee (PC) and the EFTA Consultative Committee (CC) are two important bodies to the EFTA Council.

• • EFTA Council: It is the highest governing body of EFTA. The Council usually meets eight times a year at the ambassadorial level and twice a year at the Ministerial level.
  • EFTA Secretariat: The Headquarters in Geneva deals with the management and negotiation of free trade agreements with non-EU countries, and provides support to the EFTA Council.

Implications of India EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement

• Increased Trade: 

• • Reduced tariffs and quotas on goods and services will likely lead to a significant increase in trade between India and the EFTA countries.

• Investment Opportunities: 

  • The agreement might encourage more foreign direct investment (FDI) from EFTA countries into India leading to the creation of new businesses, technology transfer, and infrastructure development in India.
    • The proposed free trade agreement is expected to lead to a flow of investments worth $100 billion from the four-country bloc into India over the next 15 years generating an estimated one million jobs.

• Improved Efficiency: 

• • Streamlined customs procedures and regulations could make trade between India and EFTA countries more efficient and less time-consuming, benefiting businesses on both sides.

• Bringing Down the Trade Deficit: 

  • The trade pact with EFTA is also likely to bring down the huge trade deficit India has with the bloc.
    • India’s export to the EFTA block in 2023 was at $1.87 billion, with items such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, apparel and pearls, and precious and semi-precious stones, dominating the export basked.
    • On the other hand, it imported goods worth $20.45 billion from the EFTA in 2023 with inflows of pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, and coins valued at $16.7 billion.

• India FTA Negotiation with Other Countries: 

  • The signing of the India-FTA TEPA is likely to give a boost to India’s ongoing FTA negotiations with other partners such as the EU and the UK.
    • It would indicate that it was possible to close deals with India.

News Source: The Hindu and EFTA

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This Article is based on the news “Every village to have agricultural credit societies by 2027, says Amit Shah” which was published in the Indian Express. Central government targets every village to have agricultural credit society by 2047.

National Cooperative Database 2023

• The computerization of the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies has opened up many possibilities for their development. The government has launched the “National Cooperative Database” and released its report.
  • Aim of Database: To identify and address the gaps through a comprehensive analysis.

• The National Cooperative Database has been carried out in three phases.
  • 1st Phase: The Mapping of approximately 2.64 lakh societies in three sectors, namely Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, Dairy, and Fisheries, was completed.
  • 2nd Phase: Data from various National Federation, State Federation, State Cooperative Banks, District Central Cooperative Banks, Urban Cooperative Banks etc were collected.
  • 3rd Phase: Data mapping of all remaining 8 lakh primary cooperative societies in other sectors was carried out.

What is Primary Agricultural Credit Society?

• Primary Agricultural Credit Society is a  village-level cooperative credit society.
• They serve as the last link in a three-tier cooperative credit structure headed by the State Cooperative Banks at the state level.
• The Primary Agricultural Credit Societies has around 13 crore farmers who are primarily engaged in short-term credit and distribution of seeds, fertilizers, etc.

Functioning of Primary Agricultural Credit Society:

• Credit from the SCBs is transferred to the District Central Cooperative Banks, or DCCBs, that operate at the district level.
• The DCCBs work with PACS, which deals directly with farmers.
• Since these are cooperative bodies, individual farmers are members of the PACS, and office-bearers are elected from within them.

Significance Primary Agricultural Credit Society:

• Last Mile Connectivity: They offer last-mile connectivity to farmers in disbursing credit.
• Hassle-Free Loans: PACS have the credit to extend credit with minimal paperwork within a short time.

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This Article is based on the news “Nutritional crisis: India has most ‘zero-food’ children at 6.7 million; third highest prevalance among 92 LMICs” which was published in the DownToEarth. Recently, India has ranked poor in a study calculating the prevalence of Zero Food Children across 92 low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

Study On Nutritional Security

• The research was published in the journal JAMA Network and looked at 276,379 babies aged six to 23 months in 92 LMICs.
• Data Collection Methods: The researchers gathered data from demographic and health surveys (DHS) and multiple indicator cluster (MICS) surveys.
• Period: May 20, 2010, to January 27, 2022. 
• India Specific Data: National Family Health Survey’s 2019-2021 data was used.

Nutritional Security in India: Key Findings of the Study

• Prevalence of Zero Food Children: India had the most ‘zero-food’ children at 6.7 million — almost half of all the zero food children in the surveys. 
  • With 19.3 percent ‘zero-food’ children, India was third highest globally after west African countries Guinea (21.8 per cent) and Mali (20.5 per cent). 
    • Nigeria had the second-highest number of zero-food children (962,000), followed by Pakistan (849,000).
• Regional Variations: The prevalence of zero-food instances differed by regions, with the highest rates seen in South Asia (15.7 per cent) and west and central Africa (10.5 per cent).

• Data on Breastfeeding: More than 99 per cent of the children who experienced zero-food situations had been breastfed.
• Zero Food Situation Variation Across Ages: 20 per cent of children aged 6 to 11 months had zero food, which decreased to 6.6 per cent for those aged 12 to 17 months and further to 4.1 per cent for those aged 18 to 23 months.

India-Specific Findings:

• Zero-Protein: More than 80% of children in the age group of 6-23 months had not consumed any protein-rich foods for an entire day (“zero-protein”).
  • According to NFHS-5 data ,close to 40% of children in the age group of 6-23 months did not eat any grains (roti, rice, etc.) for an entire day.
• Zero-Milk: Six out of 10 children in the age group of 6-23 months do not consume milk or dairy of any form every day (“zero-milk”).

Nutritional Security in India: Current Status

• Child Malnutrition in India:

• • Longstanding Child Malnutrition Challenge:The first National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in 1992-1993 revealed that over half of children under four were underweight and stunted, with one in six being excessively thin (wasted).
    • According to NFHS-5 data the zero-food prevalence was 30% for infants aged 6-11 months, 13% among 12-17 months old, and 8% among 18-23 months old.

• Global Malnutrition Ranking: 

  • The Global Hunger Index (2023) ranks India at 111 out of 125 countries.
    • India’s child wasting rate (low weight for height), at 19.3%, is worse than the levels recorded in 2014 (15.1%) and even 2000 (17.15%).It is the highest for any country in the world.

• Child Stunting: 

  • According to the fifth round of NFHS (2019-2021) data from 22 states, only nine showed a decline in the number of stunted children, 10 in wasted children, and six in underweight children.
    • 35% of children are Stunted and 57% of women and 25% of men are anemic.

Challenges Associated With Nutritional Security in India

• Cropping Pattern and Agriculture Practices: 

  • For instance, the cultivation of rice and wheat often overshadows the production of nutrient-rich crops like millets and pulses, contributing to nutritional insecurity.
    • For Example: At the end of fiscal year 2022, India had over 46 million hectares of land area for cultivation of rice, whereas area under cultivation of millets in 2021-22 is 15.48 million hectares

• Insufficient Funding: 

  • Many nutrition programs suffer from budget constraints, affecting their scale and effectiveness. India’s public health expenditure is still only about 1.3% of its GDP.

• Regional Disparities: 

• • For example, states like Punjab and Haryana have better access to nutritious food due to better facilities developed during the Green Revolution, while states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh face higher rates of malnutrition due to limited resources.

• Environmental Enteropathy: 

  • Poor hygiene and sanitation lead to a sub-clinical condition called “environmental enteropathy” in children, which causes nutritional malabsorption and is the source of a variety of problems, including diarrhoea, retarded growth and stunting.
    • For Example: prevalence of waterborne diseases and malnutrition as seen in several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

• Social Factors: 

  • Low status of women in Indian society, Poor childcare practices, such as not immediately starting breastfeeding after birth and child marriages. 
    • Estimates suggest that each year, at least 1.5 million girls under 18 get married in India, which makes it home to the largest number of child brides in the world. 
    • Infants born to child brides in India (married before the age of 18) have a higher risk of malnutrition

• Food Wastage: 

• • Around 67 million tonnes of food is wasted in India every year which has been valued at around Rs 92,000 crores. 
    • For context, this amount is enough to feed all of Bihar for a year. Annually, nearly 21 million metric tonnes of wheat rots in India. This figure is equal to Australia’s total annual production.

• Politics of Distribution: 

  • According to Amartya Sen, hunger usually arises from food distribution problems, or from governmental policies in the developing world, and not from the insufficiency of food production. Corruption, leakages, exclusion-inclusion error etc. makes PDS inefficient.

• Climate Change and Natural Disasters: 

• • Frequent droughts, floods, and other climate-related events lead to food shortages. 
    • For Example: States like Maharashtra and Kerala have experienced adverse effects of climate change, affecting crop yields.

• Lack of Diversity Under Public Distribution System (PDS): 

  • The Public Distribution System (PDS) lacks more nutritious foods such as coarse grains, pulses, etc.
    • India’s protein consumption falls far below the recommended daily intake of 48 grams per day suggested by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 
    • The recommended dietary allowance of protein for an average Indian adult is 0.8 to 1 gm per kg body weight.

• Cultural Practice: 

• • For example, a study in rural Rajasthan found that women eat last and consume lower quantities of nutrient-rich foods compared to other family members, resulting in compromised nutritional security.

Way Forward to Improve Nutritional Security in India

• Improving Agricultural Productivity: 

  • By ensuring scientific usage of water by means of drip irrigation and precision farming, cultivate a healthy environment with mixed crops, crop rotation, and bio fertilizers and using modern techniques like poly houses, green houses, shade houses and others.

• Universal Maternity Entitlements and Child Care Services: 

  • Enabling exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate infant and young child feeding as well as towards recognising women’s unpaid work burdens.

• Strengthening Public Systems: 

  • Enhancing the efficiency of the Public Distribution System, ICDS, and healthcare services is paramount. 
    • For Example: The computerization of PDS in Chhattisgarh exemplifies how technology can curb corruption and improve service delivery.

• Increased Budgetary allocations: 

  • Adequate  budgetary allocation can help to tackle the issue of nutritional security. Research suggests that $1 spent on nutritional interventions in India could generate $34.1 to $38.6 in public economic returns, three times more than the global average. 

• Nutrition Education and Awareness: 

  • Public awareness campaigns can educate people about the importance of a balanced diet, hygiene practices, and breastfeeding, etc.  
    • Example: My plate for the day to prevent hidden hunger is a nutrition awareness poster released by National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. 
    • Other awareness campaigns include Eat Right Campaign, Right To Food, etc.

• Strengthen Inter-Departmental Convergence: 

  • In this regard, approach undertaken by Bangladesh can be replicated in India. 
    • For Example: The National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Bangladesh is based on a multi-sectoral convergence strategy involving health, education, fisheries and livestock, environment, social protection, disaster management etc to combat child malnutrition.

• Learn from International Experience: 

• • Thailand has been one of the most outstanding success stories of reducing child malnutrition in the period 1980-1988 during which child malnutrition (underweight) rate was effectively reduced from 50 percent to 25 percent.
    • This was achieved through a mix of interventions including intensive growth monitoring and nutrition education, strong supplementary feeding provision, high rates of coverage ensured, Iron and Vitamin supplementation and salt iodization along with primary health care.

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