Context

Recently, The Federal Communications Commission of USA voted to reinstate Net Neutrality regulations.

FCC Reinstates Net Neutrality Rules in the US: Implications and Controversies

• Reinstatement: The five-member FCC, in a 3-to-2 vote along the party lines, revived the rules declaring broadband a public utility-like service which will now be regulated like phones and water. 
  • The FCC framed the present rules giving effect to the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act 2022,  which  classified  broadband internet access as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. 
  • Regulatory Powers: The rules  give the F.C.C. the ability to demand from  broadband providers that they report and respond to outages, as well as expand the agency’s oversight of the providers’ security issues.
  • However, The order explicitly avoids rate regulation.
• The FCC said it was also using its new authority to order the U.S. units of China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile to discontinue broadband internet access services in the United States.

Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality Regulations were first introduced under the Obama administration in 2015, but were repealed under President Donald J. Trump in 2017.

• State Law: In the vacuum of federal regulations, several states including California and Washington created their own net neutrality laws.
• It refers to the principle that internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.
  • The rules typically prohibit internet-service providers from assigning priority to certain web traffic or creating so-called fast lanes for certain websites. They also restrict providers from throttling, or slowing down, traffic to websites that don’t pay up.
• Origin: It term was coined by Columbia University law professor Tim Wu in his 2003 paper titled “Network Neutrality, Broadband Discrimination”. 
• As a Concept: The discussions on Net Neutrality considers the following issues in Internet access and control regarding online freedom of expression, competition of service, innovation, pricing, and internet traffic management.

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Arguments for Net Neutrality

• Equal access to Internet: It does not allow ISPs to determine the speed at which consumers can access specific websites or services and smaller companies will be more likely to enter the market and create new services.
• Open Internet: Net neutrality ensures an open internet and prevents broadband providers from practicing data discrimination as a competitive tactic.
• Ensuring Accountability: The Rules will empower the FCC to hold companies like AT&T, Comcast, Spectrum and Verizon accountable for preferential and discriminatory business practices.
  • Example: Verizon’s throttling of services affected the Santa Clara County Fire Department’s ability to provide emergency services during the California wildfires
• Telecom Toll: Regulation is critical to ensure equal and non discriminatory preferential access to digital content and websites to internet  users. 
  • Example: Comcast introduced new speed limits where videos will be throttled to 480p on all its mobile plans unless customers pay extra and could charge content owners such as Netflix to pay extra, to have its videos delivered smoothly to viewers.

Arguments Against Net Neutrality

• Unethical traffic prioritization: It is a practice of prioritizing certain types of traffic over others using a network management tool which is generally acceptable in corporate settings. But when it  is introduced in the open, public internet it ends up  regulating user behavior which is not ethical.
• Guardrails on investment and innovation: Forcing ISPs to treat all traffic equally the government will ultimately discourage the investment in new infrastructure, and will also create a disincentive for ISPs to innovate.
• Derail telecommunications industry growth: ISPs argue that tiered prices allow them to remain competitive and generate funds needed for further innovation and expansion of broadband networks, as well as to recoup the costs already invested in broadband
• Unnecessary government oversight: There have been few examples of blocking or slowing of sites in the intervening period because of the existence of sufficient provision in law that will bar discriminatory practice.

Recommendations: As per a Department of Telecommunication Committee Report 2015 on Net Neutrality

• Innovation and infrastructure: To identify and eliminate actions that inhibit the innovation abilities inherent in an open Internet or severely inhibit investment in infrastructure.
• Adhering to Principles: To achieve the  developmental aims of the country by facilitating “Affordable Broadband”, “Quality Broadband” and “Universal Broadband” for its citizens
• Assured User rights: It needs to be ensured so that TSPs/ISPs do not restrict the ability of the user to send, receive, display, use, post any legal content, application or service on the Internet, or restrict any kind of lawful Internet activity or use. 
• Encourage OTT expansion: OTT application services should be actively encouraged and any impediments in expansion and growth of OTT application services should be removed.
• There should be a separation of “application layer” from “network layer” as application services are delivered over a licensed network.
• Traffic management practices: Legitimate Practices may be allowed but should be tested  against the core principles of Net Neutrality. 
  • TSPs/ISPs should make adequate disclosures to the users about their traffic management policies, tools and intervention practices to maintain transparency and allow users to make informed choices 

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Context

The Commonwealth Secretariat has recognized Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) of India as a best practice in Commonwealth Secretaries of Public Service meeting held at Marlborough House, London. 

Commonwealth Secretariat Recognises India’s Public Redress System as Global best practice

• Theme: The Institutionalisation of SMART Government to enhance public service delivery with focus on adopting AI in governance.
• The forum brought together Commonwealth Heads of Public Service, Secretaries to Cabinet, Senior Public Officials, industry champions, and eminent scholars.
• Objective: It is to share contemporary knowledge, ideas and experiences on how to leverage technology to support provision of e-services for optimal service delivery and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development across the Commonwealth
• Outcome Statement: At the Third Biennial Pan-Commonwealth Heads of Public Service Meeting, the commonwealth Secretariat Shared with member countries certain future-ready governance best practices from across the Commonwealth, these are,
  • The  Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) of India
  • The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (CVRS)
  • Identity management systems of Namibia
  • Human Resource Management and E-Citizen models of Kenya

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• Actions taken: 
  • A stocktaking exercise: To conduct a stock taking exercise on the status of smart governance within the Commonwealth countries and to identify both the success stories as well as the gaps/demand for digital services.
  • A Road Map: To facilitate implementation of agreed actions at country level including  the establishment of a Smart Governance Working Group at the Commonwealth Secretariat
  • Sharing technology and best practise: To share the work being conducted by the Commonwealth AI Consortium amongst members also the future-ready governance best practices, such as the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) of India etc with member countries.
  • Assistance: To Continue the provision of technical assistance to support implementation of GAPP principles, including capacity building in government performance management.

About Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)

• It  is an online platform available to the citizens 24×7 to lodge their grievances to the public authorities on any subject related to service delivery. 
• Implementation Agency: Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievance, Ministry of personnel. Public grievance and Pension.
• Single window: It is a single portal connected to all the Ministries/Departments of Government of India and States.
• Accessibility:  Every Ministry and States have role-based access to this system and is accessible to the citizens through standalone mobile application downloadable through Google Play store and mobile application integrated with UMANG.
• Features: 
  • Tracking: The grievance status  can be tracked with an unique registration ID provided at the time of registration of the complainant. 
  • Feedback and appeal: After closure of grievance if the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution, he/she can provide feedback. If the rating is ‘Poor’ the option to file an appeal is enabled.
    • The status of the Appeal can also be tracked by the petitioner with the grievance registration number.
• Exempted Issues:
• • RTI Matters
  • Court related / Subjudice matters
  • Religious matters
  • Grievances of Government employees concerning their service matters including disciplinary proceedings etc. unless the aggrieved employee has already exhausted the prescribed channels.

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Context

The Tamil Nadu government is considering denotifying a significant portion of the Pulicat bird sanctuary. 

Pulicat Bird Sanctuary Under Threat: Potential Denotification and Patta Land Exclusion

• Patta Land Exclusion: Patta land in 13 revenue villages situated within the sanctuary’s boundaries may be excluded from the sanctuary. 
• Issuance of Notice: The Tiruvallur district collector issued a draft notice Just before the Lok Sabha elections and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
  • The notice was about settling claims for patta lands that were going to be removed from the sanctuary.

Pulicat Bird Sanctuary

• This Sanctuary is India’s second-largest bird sanctuary.
• Migratory birds in winter: The Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary welcomes a significant number of migratory birds like gulls, terns, and flamingos  each winter.
• The sanctuary is home to various birds like pelicans, storks, and ducks throughout the year.
• Location: The sanctuary spans across the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu.
  • However, the majority of the sanctuary falls within the borders of Andhra Pradesh.

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Legal Status of Pulicat Bird Sanctuary:

• Establishment: In 1980, the state government included the bird sanctuary under Section 18 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, but it wasn’t a final decision.
• However, the sanctuary’s legal status is currently in flux due to the following points:
• Current Status:
  • Final Notification Pending: The sanctuary does not have a final notification under Section 26(A) of the Act. 
    • According to the Act, a final notification under Section 26(A) must be issued, but this can only happen after the collector settles the claims of affected individuals, which is currently underway.
  • Boundary Clarity: The boundaries of the sanctuary have remained undefined until now.
  • Private Land Status: Private patta lands cannot be designated as part of the sanctuary.
    • Government Action: It requires the government to either acquire these lands or exempt them from sanctuary status.
  • Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ): The final notification with a defined boundary will determine the size of the ESZ surrounding the sanctuary. 
    • The current 10 km default ESZ might be recalculated based on the final sanctuary area.

Key Concerns of Reducing Pulicat Bird Sanctuary Areas:

• Adani-Kattupalli port expansion: The northern boundary of the port expansion project would fall outside the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) once the Pulicat bird sanctuary area is reduced. 
  • This might exempt the project from requiring clearance from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).
    • It will allow Kattupalli port expansion to damage the lagoon’s sandbar and change entire hydrology of Pulicat
• Environmentalists’ Arguments:
  • Habitat of migratory birds: The sanctuary provides crucial habitat for migratory and water birds.
  • Weak environment Protection: Reducing the sanctuary size could weaken environmental protections for the area. Therefore, 
    • The entire Pulicat ecosystem, including the Ennore Creek, backwaters, and Kosasthalaiyar River, needs protection.
    • Ecological Integrity: They argue that Redefining sanctuary boundaries shouldn’t compromise the ecological integrity of the wider habitat.

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Context

Recently, under the aegis of Strategic Forces Command a new version of Medium-Range Ballistic Missile successfully launched in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

About Crystal Maze 2

Crystal Maze 2 is an extended stand-off range air-to-surface ballistic missile of Israeli origin, also known as ROCKS.

• The missile, launched from a Su-30 fighter jet by the IAF.
• This missile inherits many technologies from Popeye and SPICE which was used in the Balakot strike.

Crystal Maze 2 Features:

• This missile has the ability to strike targets located at distances exceeding 250 kilometers.
• It is designed for precision strikes on high-value targets. 
• It is capable of engaging heavily fortified positions from long distances, ensuring minimal collateral damage. 
• It is renowned for its accuracy and reliability in combat scenarios, making it a preferred choice for missions requiring surgical precision. 
• The missile’s integration into various platforms enhances its operational flexibility and effectiveness in diverse combat environments.
• It  operates effectively in GPS-denied areas like the one India faced during the Kargil War. 
• It can breach regions secured by air defense systems. 
• This system allows for the choice between penetration or blast fragmentation warheads, making it suitable for targeting both surface and heavily fortified underground facilities.

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Significance for India: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully conducted tests on this missile and aims to procure it in large numbers under the Make in India initiative. This move highlights India’s dedication to achieving self-sufficiency in defense manufacturing.

What is a Ballistic Missile and Why is it Named So? 

• A Ballistic missile follows a ballistic flight path which comprises three phases of flight: 
  • First phase or the Boost Phase: The solid-fuel rocket engine propels the missile upward, requiring it to swiftly attain velocity and altitude as it penetrates through the dense layers of Earth’s atmosphere. 
  • Second and unpowered phase of flight: It happens in the upper reaches of the earth’s atmosphere or in space, where the missile travels along its pre-determined path, but without the power of its engines. 
    • It is known as the coast phase or mid-course phase and during this time, it travels along a horizontal path. 
    • During the coasting, the missile is either in space or the upper atmosphere, where it faces minimal resistance or drag. 
  • Third and final phase or the terminal phase: The missile descends and gets back into the earth’s atmosphere and flies towards its target, while being guided by its on-board systems.

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Context

Bhutan’s government is organizing the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference on Earth Day 2024.

Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference: Bhutan’s Earth Day Initiative

• This event is Co-organized by Bhutan’s government and the Tiger Conservation Coalition.
• Bhutan will host the two-day conference with the support of the country’s queen, Jetsun Pema Wangchuck. 
• The event will feature expert panels discussing sustainable finance, connections to the UN’s Global Biodiversity Framework, and the role of public-private partnerships in protecting tiger habitats.
• Objective:  To gather $1 billion over 10 years to protect tigers and their habitats  in Asia.

About The Tiger Conservation Coalition

• Vision: To maintain sustainable and thriving populations of wild tigers in secure habitats.
  • To safeguard tiger populations and their habitats for future generations.
• Member NGOs: The coalition includes 10 organizations such as EIA, FFI, IUCN, Panthera, and WWF.

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Role of the Global Environment Facility in Tiger Conservation 

• Since 2010, they have contributed over $197 million directly and mobilized an additional $880 million in co-finance for tiger conservation.
  • They also  aim to mobilize sustainable financing for biodiversity conservation and utilization.

About Tiger 

Tigers are the largest wild cat species in the world.

• Scientific name: Panthera tigris
• Conservation status 
  • International Union for conservation of Nature (IUCN): Endangered
  • 1972 Indian wildlife protection act: Schedule I
  • Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I
• Significance: They are apex predators and play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
• Habitat Requirements: Tigers are “landscape” species.
  • They need vast areas with diverse habitats. 
    • These areas must be free from human disturbance and rich in prey to support tigers.
    • These areas, called tiger landscapes, are crucial for biodiversity and the well-being of human communities living nearby.
• Population Update: In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that the global tiger population had stabilized and possibly increased.
  • Increase in Numbers: Data indicated a potential 40% rise in tiger numbers, from 3,200 in 2015 to 4,500 in 2022, despite severe threats.

Impact of Bhutan’s Funding Initiative for Tiger Conservation

• Securing Long-Term Conservation Efforts: The $1 billion target would provide a stable financial base for tiger conservation programs over the next decade. 
  • This allows for consistent anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration initiatives, and research on tiger populations and threats.
• Momentum for Global Action: Bhutan’s initiative brings tiger conservation to the forefront of international attention.
  • The conference’s success could inspire further action from governments, NGOs, and individuals around the world, creating a more robust global movement for tiger conservation.
• Tiger landscapes benefits: Protecting tiger habitats not only helps tigers but also promotes biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and supports the well-being of over 100 million people living near these areas.

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Context 

A few days after Meta unveiled its Llama 3 Large Language Model (LLM), Microsoft  unveiled the latest version of its ‘lightweight’ AI model – the Phi-3-Mini.

Phi-3-Mini

• It is believed to be first among the three ‘small models’ that Microsoft is planning to release. 
  • Other Two Models : Phi-3-small (7B) and Phi-3-Medium will be available shortly.
• It has  outperformed models of the same size and the next size up across a variety of benchmarks, in areas like language, reasoning, coding, and math.
• Variants : It is available in two variants, one with 4K context window, and another with 128K tokens.
  • Theses model is instruction-tuned, which means that it is trained to follow the different types of instructions given by users. 
  • This also means that the model is ‘ready to use out-of-the-box’.
• Potential uses : 
  • Providing summaries of long documents or trends within market research reports. 
  • Also, marketing and sales departments could use it to write product descriptions or social media posts.
  • It could also underpin a customer chatbot to answer basic questions about products and services.

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What are Language Models?

• Language models are the backbone of AI applications like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc. These models are trained on existing data to solve common language problems such as text classification, answering questions, text generation, document summarisation, etc.
• Large Language Models(LLMs): LLMs are large general-purpose language models that can be pre-trained and then fine-tuned for specific purposes.
  • ‘Large’ in LLMs has two meanings — the enormous size of training data; and the parameter count. 
    • In the field of Machine Learning, where machines are equipped to learn things themselves without being instructed, parameters are the memories and knowledge that a machine has learned during its model training.
    • They define the skill of the model in solving a specific problem.
• Small Language Models(SLMs):  SLMs are more streamlined versions of large language models. 
  • When compared to LLMs, smaller AI models are also cost-effective to develop and operate, and 
  • They perform better on smaller devices like laptops and smartphones.
  • SLMs are great for resource-constrained environments including on-device and offline inference scenarios.

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Context

Recently, the Embassy of Israel in India, in collaboration with a non-profit entity, has officially joined the ‘Million Miyawaki’ project as part of Earth Day celebrations.

About Million Miyawaki Project

• Deals With: It is a community-led initiative aimed at improving air quality in Indian cities through mass afforestation in tight urban spaces.
• Aim: Under this project, efforts are made at planting a million trees in Delhi-NCR by creating ‘forest-like’ Miyawaki plantations of 600 trees each, with a variety of up to 30 different locally-sourced species.

About Miyawaki Technique

• Developed by: Miyawaki is a technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s.
• Aim: To make more green areas in a small space by growing a dense forest in just ten years, which usually takes a hundred years.

Features Of Miyawaki Technique:

• Cultivating multi-layered forests involves cultivating multi-layered forests that grow rapidly.
• This type of cultivation mimics the natural biodiversity of native forests.
• The method includes planting two to four varieties per square meter.
• In the cultivation process, only those largely self-sustaining plants are selected.
• It reduces the need for regular maintenance like fertilization and watering.

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Benefits of the Miyawaki Plantation:

• Mitigation of the ecological impact of mining activities 
• Restoration of biodiversity
• Enhance ecosystem services
• Creation of carbon sinks
• Creating and offering livelihood opportunities for local communities 
• Promotion  of Sustainable development 
• In this technique, the interdependence among plants supports the growth of each other
  • It causes trees to grow much faster using this method compared to the conventional ways.
• This technique helps grow fully grown dense forests (20 feet high) in a short time (two years).
• It will help in revolutionizing the paradigm of urban afforestation by transforming small plots into mini-forests. 

Drawbacks of Miyawaki Technique:

• Decreased Tree Variety: In this plantation method, some trees such as Timber trees are mainly preferred which causes a decrease in the variety of tree types found naturally.
• Suitability Limitation: This afforestation technique is suitable for suburban or urban areas with limited space but is unsuitable for tropical regions.
• Disruption of Natural Ecosystem: The natural wildlife movement is limited due to the narrow spaces between trees which disrupts the natural flow of the ecosystem.
• Uncertainty in Rainfall Impact: The effectiveness of rainfall brought by Miyawaki forest trees remains uncertain.

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Context

Recently, the 2024 Global Report on Food Crisis (GRFC) has been launched by the Global Network Against Food Crises.

• Recently, the World Bank said that it was providing $57.6 million in “quick release” grant financing to Malawi to help the country respond to a food crisis.

About Global Report on Food Crisis

The Global Report on Food Crisis (GRFC) is the reference document for a comprehensive analysis of global, regional and country-level acute food insecurity. 

• Aim: To inform humanitarian and development action by providing independent and consensus-based evidence and analysis.
• Measurement: When it comes to estimating hunger, there are different measures for different purposes. The GRFC focuses on acute food insecurity in countries experiencing food crises. It is part of an annual suite of products including regional reports.
  • The report analysed a population of 1.3 billion in 2023 across 59 countries.
• Food Crisis: The GRFC defines a food crisis as a situation where acute food insecurity requires urgent action to protect and save lives and livelihoods at local or national levels and exceeds the local resources and capacities to respond.
• Acute Food Insecurity: It refers to a situation in which populations face food deprivation that threatens their lives or livelihoods, regardless of the causes, context or duration.
  • A food crisis is defined as ‘major’ if more than 1 million people or more than 20% of its total county population is estimated to be facing Phase 3 Crisis or above, or if at least one area is classified in Phase 4 Emergency or above.
  • Action becomes a matter of life or death when the situation is particularly severe, such as in IPC/CH Phases 3, 4 or 5.
• Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC): IPC is a standardized scale developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for improving food security analysis and decision making. 
  • The IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification System indicates five phases of Acute Food Insecurity: Minimal, Stressed, Crisis, Emergency and Catastrophe when Famine may be declared.

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Crucial Insights of the 2024 Global Report on Food Crisis (GRFC)

Rise in Acute Food Insecurity: Overall, 1 in 5 people assessed were in need of critical urgent action. 

• The overall share of the analysed population facing high levels of acute food insecurity was marginally lower than in 2022, but still higher than pre-COVID-19. 
  • Since the first report by the Global Food Crisis Network covering 2016, the number of food-insecure people has risen from 108 million to 282 million.
  • Meanwhile, the share of the population affected within the areas concerned has doubled 11 percent to 22%.
  • 36 countries have been consistently featured in the GRFC analyses since 2016, reflecting continuing years of acute hunger, and currently representing 80% of the world’s most hungry.  
    • There has also been an increase of 1 million people facing Emergency (IPC/CH Phase 4) levels of acute food insecurity across 39 countries and territories, with the biggest increase in Sudan.
• Year-on-year Increase: It was mainly explained by increased analysis coverage, as well as deterioration in some countries / territories outweighing improvements in others.
  • More geographical areas experienced “new or intensified shocks” while there was a “marked deterioration in key food crisis contexts such as Sudan and the Gaza Strip.
  • Acute food insecurity deteriorated in 12 countries with comparable data between 2022 and 2023, where 13.5 million more people needed urgent assistance, mostly in Sudan. 
• Regional Impacts: Food insecurity worsened around the world in 2023, with some 282 million people suffering from acute hunger due to conflicts, particularly in Gaza and Sudan. 
  • The Gaza Strip became the area with the most severe food crisis in the last eight years.
  • Sudan is facing one of the worst food crises in the world, with almost a third of the population in need of emergency food aid. 
  • Prolonged major food crises are ongoing in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Syria and Yemen.
  • Worsening conditions in Haiti were due to political instability and reduced agricultural production.
• Interconnection between Displacement & Acute Food Insecurity: In both Sudan and Gaza, the number of forcibly displaced people reached 90 million in the 59 countries, the highest in eight years of GRFC reporting, highlighting the high correlation between displacement and acute food insecurity. 
• • Sudan became the world’s biggest internal displacement crisis. 
  • By the end of 2023, almost 80% of the population of the Gaza Strip was internally displaced.
• Starvation: In 2023, more than 705,000 people were at the Catastrophe (IPC/CH Phase 5) level of food insecurity and at risk of starvation, the highest number in the GRFC’s reporting history. 
• Famine: The current situation in the Gaza Strip accounts for 80% of those facing imminent famine, along with South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Somalia and Mali.
• Funding: It is not keeping pace with need.
  • Also, the costs of distributing aid have risen.
• Observed Improvement: The situation improved in 17 countries in 2023, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine, resulting in 7.2 million fewer people facing high levels of acute food insecurity. 

Key Drivers of Food Crises

Intensifying conflict and insecurity, the impacts of economic shocks, and the effects of extreme weather events are accelerating the acute food insecurity. 

• Concerning Impacts: These interlinked drivers are exacerbating food systems fragility, rural marginalization, poor governance, and inequality, and lead to massive displacement of populations globally. 
  • The protection situation of the displaced population is additionally impacted by food insecurity.

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India’s Response to Global Food Crisis

• India’s Traditional Belief: India sees the world as one family and that is linked to its Vedic tradition of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — underlining its relevance not just for global peace, cooperation, environment protection but also for humanitarian response including rising global hunger and leaving no one behind.
  • India’s humanitarian food assistance to the people of Afghanistan, through the United Nations Food Programme (where half of the population needs urgent food assistance to avert a famine) is an example of its commitment and commendable steps towards humanitarian crises.
• India’s Mainstreaming of Millets: India launched the ‘Millets and Other Ancient Grain International Research Initiative’ (MAHARISHI). 
  • It facilitated synergies and collaborations between nations, research institutes and civil society organizations to achieve Zero Hunger (SDG2).
  • India’s role in declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets by the United Nations General Assembly is expected to create international recognition for these nutrient-rich crops.
• Public Stockholdings of Food Grains in the WTO: During the WTO 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), India has been vocal about the need for a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes, allowing developing countries to subsidise agricultural production without facing trade sanctions.
• • India is deeply concerned about the impact of agricultural subsidies and domestic support measures adopted by developed countries on its farmers’ livelihoods and food security.

Way Forward to Combat Global Food Crisis

• Urgent Response: This food crisis demands an urgent response. Using the data in this report to transform food systems and address the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition will be vital.
• An Integrative Approach: The Global Network Against Food Crises urgently calls for a transformative approach that integrates peace, prevention and development action alongside at-scale emergency efforts to break the cycle of acute hunger.
  • Without peace and protection, people will continue to face a lifetime of hunger and the most vulnerable will starve.
    • For 2024, progress will depend on the end of hostilities.
• Long-term Investment: Tackling persistent food crises requires urgent long-term national and international investment to transform food systems and boost agricultural and rural development alongside greater crisis preparedness and critical life saving assistance. 
• Humanitarian Approach: More equitable and effective global economic governance is imperative and must be matched with government led plans that seek to reduce and end hunger.
  • The aid could rapidly alleviate the crisis in Gaza or Sudan, once humanitarian access to the areas is possible.
• A Global Commitment & Action: The Global Network Against Food Crises offers to leverage its unparalleled knowledge of hunger in the most fragile countries to strengthen the linkages and build coherence where possible between these various global initiatives to ensure innovative and concrete impact for those affected by food crises. 
  • The international community has made a range of bold commitments including through the recent G7 and G20 initiatives to tackle rising acute food insecurity. 
    • Examples: The G20 Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition 2023.
    • In 2022, the G7 leaders announced an additional US$ 4.5 billion to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to protect the world’s most vulnerable people from hunger and malnutrition.
  • The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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