Context:

According to recent study, up to 10,000 emperor penguin chicks across four colonies in Antarctica’s Bellingshausen Sea may have died as the sea ice underneath their breeding grounds melted and broke apart in late 2022.

About Emperor Penguins:

• Emperor Penguins are the largest penguins on Earth. 
• They live in Antarctica, the coldest habitat on Earth. 
• The emperor penguin’s body has a thick layer of blubber insulated by a thick layer of down covered by feathers.
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened

Reason for Failure of Breeding 

• Antarctic Sea Ice Decline: Since 2016, the Antarctic sea ice extent — the total region with at least 15% sea-ice cover — has been shrinking with the total area of frozen water around the continent reducing to new record low levels almost every year. 
  • Impact: This puts more than 90% of emperor penguin colonies at risk as they may go extinct by the end of this century, if Earth continues to get warmer at the present rate.
  • Stable sea ice in the emperor penguin breeding cycle is crucial for their breeding.
• Drop in Sea Ice: Although it’s currently the winter season in the Southern Hemisphere, ice growth has been really slow in Antarctica.
• Decline in Ice Sheet: Decline in the ice sheet causes a spike in sea surface temperatures as sea ice reflects solar rays back into space and thwarts heat from getting absorbed in the oceans.
• Antarctic Sea Ice Variability: Climate models show very large variability in Antarctic sea ice, because the models generally struggle to simulate the past changes in Antarctic sea ice.

News Source: The Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

Despite National Green Tribunal’s directions to the Government of Punjab, the state is yet to carry out Flood Plain zoning.

• Flood plain areas of Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Ghaggar have been encroached upon, making villages along these rivers perennially at risk of floods whenever they swell.

About Floodplains:

• A floodplain (or floodplain) is a generally flat area of land next to a river or stream. 
• It stretches from the banks of the river to the outer edges of the valley.
• Major Processes involved in the natural development of floodplains: 
  • The erosion of a floodplain describes the process in which earth is worn away by the movement of a floodway. 
  • Aggradation (or alluviation) of a floodplain describes the process in which earthen material increases as the floodway deposits sediment.
• Geomorphologically, the floodplains in India are of two types: 
  • Peninsular (found in the Deccan plateau) where there are rock terraces (step-like structures created by lava flows), and 
  • those found in the Himalayan region, which are old, wide and depositional (created by the deposition of sediment). 

Characteristics of Floodplains:

• Seasonal Flooding & Fertility: A flood plain regularly overflows,  which deposits a layer of fine soil, rich mineral salts, nutrient-rich silt, which make the soil fertile.
• Water Storage and Flow Regulation: Floodplains can absorb excess water during periods of high flow, helping to reduce the risk of downstream flooding.
• Dynamic in nature: Floodplains are not static; they continue to evolve as rivers erode, deposit sediment, and change their course over time. 
• Topographical Features: Floodplains often contain oxbow lakes – basically abandoned meandering channels of the river, where it once flowed prior to changing its course.
• Densely Populated: Flood plains are generally densely populated because rivers are a perennial source of water, thus people tend to live in areas where water is available. 

Zoning of Flood Plains:

• Zoning of floodplains refers to the practice of designating different areas within a floodplain for specific land uses and activities based on their vulnerability to flooding and associated risks. 
• Floodplain zoning guidelines:
  • The Central Water Commission prepared floodplain zoning guidelines and the Model Bill for Floodplain Zoning was circulated by the Government of India in 1975. 
  • Four states followed this up by passing floodplain zoning acts: Manipur in 1978, Rajasthan in 1990, erstwhile state Jammu and Kashmir in 2005 and Uttarakhand in 2012. 
  • Acts provide for the establishment of a “Flood Zoning Authority”, to conduct surveys to determine the nature or extent of floodplains, prohibit or restrict the use of land in the floodplains, and impose penalties for non-compliance.

Significance of  Zoning of FloodPlains 

• To manage and regulate development in flood-prone areas, aiming to minimize damage to property, protect human life, and maintain the ecological functions of the floodplain.
• Flood Risk Reduction: Zoning helps to manage and reduce the risk of flood-related damage to property, infrastructure, and human lives. 
  • By restricting or guiding development in areas prone to flooding, communities can avoid or minimize the negative impacts of floods.
• Public Safety: Zoning ensures that areas most vulnerable to flooding, such as floodways, remain free of development. 
  • This prevents people and property from being exposed to fast-moving floodwaters, reducing the potential for casualties and injuries.

News Source: The Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

Recently, the Supreme Court observed that Article 35-A of the Constitution has deprived people not residing in Jammu and Kashmir of some key constitutional rights.

About Article 35-A:

• It  was introduced through the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954 issued by the President under Article 370.
• Permanent Residents: It empowered the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature to define “permanent residents” of the State.
  • It provided permanent residents with the exclusive right to purchase land, seek State government employment and other benefits in education and health care. 
  • The others, called ‘non-permanent residents’, were not privy to these privileges.
• Violation of Fundamental Rights: It denied people at least three fundamental rights:
  • Article 16(1): Equality of opportunity for employment under the State.
  • Article 19(1)(e): Right to reside and settle in any part of India.
  • Article 19(1)(f): Right to acquire immovable property, which is now provided under Article 300A.
• Abrogation: Article 35A, was nullified along with the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

‘Permanent residents’ as per Article 35-A:

• ‘Permanent residents’ included people who were hereditary State subjects as in 1927, when J&K was a princely state prior to its accession to the Indian Dominion in 1947. 

News Source: The Hindu

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

According to a report by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Delhi recharged more groundwater than it extracted in FY 2021-22.

• This is the first time since at least 2009-2010 that Delhi’s recharge is more than its extraction.
• Compared to 2020-21, the number of “safe” tehsils in Delhi has gone up from three to four, while the number of “overexploited” tehsils has dropped from 17 to 15. 
• However, Delhi is still “critical” in terms of groundwater extraction.

About Groundwater:

• Groundwater is the water that is present beneath the Earth’s surface within the spaces and fractures of rocks and soil. 
• It is a vital component of the Earth’s water cycle and plays a crucial role in supporting ecosystems.

India’s Groundwater

• India has 4 per cent of global water resources for its use in spite of having 17 percent of the world population. 
  • There are wide spatial and temporal variations in the distribution of water. 
• Groundwater is the backbone of India’s agriculture and drinking water security. 
  • Contribution of groundwater in agriculture is about 62 per cent, 85 per cent in rural water supply and 50 per cent in urban water supply, respectively. 
• Main Source: The main source of groundwater resources is rainfall which contributes to nearly 61 per cent of total annual groundwater recharge according to a Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) report ‘National Compilation on Dynamic Groundwater Resources of India, 2022’
• India’s per capita availability of water has touched the water stressed benchmark, and is likely to reach a water scarce scenario by 2050.

• Recharge of groundwater: Recharge of groundwater depends on the type of rock formation in a place. 
  • For example, porous formations (such as alluvial formation) in the Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra basin have high specific yields and are good repositories of groundwater.

Ways to Improve Groundwater level:

• The groundwater level can be increased by two means — artificial recharges and rainwater harvesting.
  •  Artificial recharge: It is a process that increases infiltration either through faster rates or due to availability of source water in a longer time duration.
  • Rainwater Harvesting: Collect and store rainwater for direct use or recharge purposes, reducing the reliance on groundwater for certain applications.

News Source: The Hindubusinessline

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

Recently, the Indian Finance Minister stressed the importance of taming inflation but cautioned against using interest rate hikes as the sole solution.

More on News:

• Recently, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep the main policy instrument (Repo rate) unchanged at 6.50%.
• It has hiked the inflation projection from 5.1 percent to 5.4 percent for FY2024 in the wake of the high food inflation.

About Inflation Targeting:

• Inflation targeting is a central banking policy that revolves around adjusting monetary policy to achieve a specified annual rate of inflation. 
• Objective: Maintaining price stability, and price stability is achieved by controlling inflation.
• New Zealand pioneered inflation targeting in 1990, and it has since become a widely adopted approach in monetary policy worldwide.
• Significance: Inflation targets used in monetary policy
  • Inflation targets guide central banks in monetary policy.
  • They help determine interest rates.
  • Interest rates are raised when inflation or GDP growth exceeds desired levels.
  • Conversely, rates are lowered when these factors fall below desired levels.

MPC and its role Inflation Targeting: 

• In 2015, India’s central bank and government established a policy framework with a primary goal of ensuring price stability, while also considering growth objectives.The Flexible Inflation Target (FIT) framework was officially adopted in 2016, aligning India with other nations practicing flexible inflation targeting.
• To provide a legal basis for FIT, the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, was amended.
• Monetary Policy: It is a function of the central bank, which is chiefly aimed at regulating the size and cost of money in the economic system.
• Duration: The policy is a bi-monthly affair announced 6 times in a financial year.
• Monetary Policy Committee:
  • Monetary Policy Framework Agreement 2015: MPC was set up consequent to the agreement reached between Government and RBI to task RBI with the responsibility for price stability and inflation targeting. 
    • Under the amended RBI Act, 1934, the central government is empowered to constitute a six-member Monetary Policy Committee. 
  • The first such MPC was constituted in 2016. Under the Monetary Policy Framework Agreement, the RBI will be responsible for containing inflation targets at 4% (with a standard deviation of 2%) in the medium term (For more details see here). 
  • The Central Government determines the inflation target in terms of the Consumer Price Index, once in every five years in consultation with the RBI. 
  • Decision-making of MPC: 
    • The MPC takes decisions based on majority vote (by those who are present and voting). 
    • In case of a tie, the RBI governor will have the second or casting vote. 
    • The decision of the Committee would be binding on the RBI.

How CPI basket drives MPC inflation Target:

• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket is a key factor in setting the inflation target for the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). 
  • It is released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• It measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer. 
• The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.
• Price movements of these items determine inflation. The government, with input from the central bank, sets an inflation target (4% with a +/- 2% range). 
• The MPC’s role is to use tools like interest rates to meet this target. 

Challenges related to inflation targeting:

• Accountability Issues: The CPI inflation target is set at 4% with an upper tolerance limit of 6%.
  • CPI  inflation has rose to 7.44% in July 2023.
  • If inflation remains above 6% for three consecutive quarters, the RBI must report reasons for failure and remedial actions to the government. Accountability has been a relatively new problem though.
• Monetary Dependence: India’s reliance on food items in its consumption basket necessitates government intervention to meet inflation targets.
  • RBI depends on government supply-side measures to curb food inflation, compromising monetary independence.
  • In the last one year, the effective import duty on crude and refined palm oil has come down from 30.25% and 41.25% to 5.5% and 13.75%, respectively. It’s been even sharper — from 30.25% to nil — for crude soyabean and sunflower oil.
• Adverse impact on other sectors: The cases of IL&FS, PMC Bank, PNB and YES Bank suggest that poor management and maladministration in the financial sector can escape RBI scrutiny as they tend to focus more on inflation targeting.
  • RBI has kept the interest rates high to manage inflation. This has discouraged private investment thereby reducing employment and export potential.
• Disregards Multifaceted Role: In a developing country like India, focusing solely on inflation overlooks the central bank’s broader responsibilities, including fostering growth and financial stability.
• No Clear Link to Financial Stability: The 2008 Global Financial Crisis revealed that emphasizing price stability alone does not ensure financial stability. Overreliance on price stability can neglect regulatory functions, potentially leading to crises.
• Low GDP Growth: Tightening monetary policy to control inflation can lead to higher interest rates, reducing investment and consumption, and hindering GDP growth.
• Supply-Side Inflation: Inflation in India often stems from supply-side issues like rising oil prices or weather-related disruptions. In such cases, the central bank’s ability to influence inflation is limited, requiring government intervention.
  • The current surge in tomato and onion prices, for example, is primarily due to supply-side interruptions.

Suggestions to Improve Inflation Targeting:

• Alignment with Global Practices: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its Currency and Finance (RCF) report has called for aligning the shut period with global practices. Shut down period is the period, in which MPC members maintain complete silence, i.e. no media coverage. 
  • Shorten Shut Period: Reduce the shut period from seven days to three days after the release of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) resolution for more effective market transmission.
• Shift to Core Inflation: Change the focus of inflation targeting from headline inflation to core inflation to better reflect the impact of monetary policy, especially on non-commodity components.
  • More than 50% basket of headline inflation comprises commodities that the RBI policy rate cannot affect. Especially fuel inflation.
• Regular CPI Measurement Updates: Improve the regular measurement of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), including frequent updates of the basket and its weights to align with changing consumption patterns.
• Expanded MPC Scope: Include discussions on liquidity issues (liquidity adjustment facility, changes in reverse repo, and open market operations) in MPC meetings to increase transparency and effectiveness.

Conclusion: 

• While controlling inflation is a crucial objective, it’s becoming increasingly clear that relying solely on interest rate hikes may not be the most effective approach, especially in the context of economic recovery. 
• Balancing inflation control with other growth-related priorities and addressing supply-side factors are vital components of a holistic strategy.

News Source: The Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

The Prime Minister recently highlighted the significant contributions of female scientists and engineers towards the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

More about the news:

• For the first time in India’s history, a space mission is being led by two women scientists of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• More than 100 women played a direct and significant role in making soft-landing on the lunar south pole possible. 
• Some important women scientists include:
  • Missile Woman of India: Dr. Dr Tessy Thomas
  • Rocket Woman of India: Ritu Karidhal
  • Deputy Project Director of Chandrayaan-3 Kalpana K

• Status of women in STEM: Department of Science and Technology (DST)Report: 
  • Global status: As per the recent Global Gender Gap Report 2023 by the World Economic Forum,  women account for 27% of India’s STEM workforce, as compared to 32% of the non-STEM workforce.
  • Women in Research projects: As per World Bank data, only 33% of researchers are women worldwide 
  • Women in engineering and technology: Women account for just 22% of professionals working in artificial intelligence and 28% of engineering graduates. 
  • Gender gap in STEM Education: Globally, 18 percent of girls in higher-level education are pursuing STEM studies, compared with 35 percent of boys.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

Significance of Women Participation in STEM:

• • Economic growth: Women’s participation in STEM fields could spur economic growth and promote gender equality worldwide.
    • A study from McKinsey found that with equal workforce distribution, India could increase its GDP by 10%.
  • Gender Diversity: Involving more women and girls in science can help create a more diverse and inclusive scientific community. 
  • Targeted interventions: When women and other traditionally underrepresented groups are involved in the design and execution of scientific studies, the results are likely to be more relevant to them and their communities.
  • Inclusivity: Including women and girls in science helps ensure that the resulting knowledge is reflective of the needs of society as a whole, not just those of one group.
  • Improved decision making: Different perspectives of females can bring valuable insights and advancements to scientific research and discovery leading to better problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Achieving SDGs: STEM is crucial to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 5 (gender equality) which includes women’s use of enabling technology.
• Reasons behind under- representation of women in STEM:
  • Masculine culture: This is due to stereotyping that men are fitter for certain jobs and skills than women, and that women are more ‘delicate’, ‘tender’ and thus unfit for ‘hard’ jobs. 
  • Paucity of female role models:  There are not enough female role models whom women may admire and follow. (Of the 866 Nobel winners so far, only 53 have gone to women).
  • Gender gap in self-efficacy: The situation generates concerns among girls and women about their suitability only for certain “soft” fields and professions leading to self-doubt. 
  • Self-doubt among women professionals: It limits them from applying for leadership roles.
  • Challenges of Marriage and family planning:  It leads to delay in the involvement of women at the doctoral levels. 
    • Those who manage to overcome these hurdles often find themselves isolated as they stand out in predominantly male fields, where biases are prevalent and gaining recognition is a continual challenge. 
  • Burden of dual responsibilities: Women are expected to manage both home and work, for which they require more flexible schedules.
    • If there is a career break for personal reasons, it can become almost impossible for women to resume their careers in STEM. 
  • Systemic Issues: The under-representation of women in STEM starts from school and results from deep-rooted social discrimination, social norms, biases that influence the quality of education they receive and the subjects they study.

• Government initiatives:
  • Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy of DST: It is targeting 30 per cent women’s participation in science and technology by 2030. 
    • Currently, 35 of the 97 scientists in DST are women and 11 of 18 divisions are headed by them i.e., 61 per cent of women in leadership.
  • Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine): It encourages women scientists and technologists to undertake international collaborative research in premier institutions in the USA. 
  • Vigyan Jyoti: It encourages meritorious girl students of Class 9-12 to pursue education and career in science and technology, particularly in the areas where women are underrepresented. 
  • Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI): It aims to transform institutions for a more gender-sensitive approach and inclusiveness with the ultimate goal to improve gender equity in S&T.
  • KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing):  To encourage women scientists through various programmes in the field of Science and Technology (S&T). 
    • ‘Women Scientist Scheme (WOS)’ under KIRAN provides career opportunities including fellowships to unemployed women scientists and technologists, especially those who had a break in career, for pursuing research in frontier areas of science and engineering. 
  • CURIE initiative of DST: ‘Consolidation of University Research through Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE)’ Programme of DST provides support for development of research infrastructure in women universities to encourage women’s participation in R&D activities.

• Way Forward:
  • Redefining the culture in STEM: Mandatory representation of women in Boards, massive rollout of women-centric mentoring programs, flexible or remote work setups, and providing childcare and after-school support. 
  • Investment in women only institutions: They provide the best platform to address many issues that concern women. 
    • The Women’s Technology Park started in universities attracted rural women eager to learn and it helped young and bright women to start early on through internships and apprentices. 
  • Paid Internships: Each state, particularly in rural areas, must encourage girl science students through paid internships or monthly stipends. 
  • Gender-diversity dividend in STEM: It involves systemic social and psychological changes like introducing young women to incredible STEM role models and ensuring that women in the field are widely represented and appreciated. 
    • The work culture at ISRO has played a significant role in promoting the potential of women scientists. 
  • Creative programs: Establishing creative programs to hire, retain, and promote women can help to achieve better gender balance in STEM. 
    • For instance, organizations like Uber have employee resource groups, mentorship programs, and other initiatives to invest in young women professionals developing careers in technology. 
    • Indusface, which not only has a woman co-founder but also places a strong emphasis on hiring women in the workforce. This helps to maintain a current female ratio of 25% to 30%.
  • Mentoring and funding: Mentoring system and financial resources are needed for those seeking to reenter the workforce after a break. 
  • Positive parenting: This will help change stereotypical perceptions related to STEM subjects and inspire young girls to choose and work in this area.

News Source: The Hindu 

DOWNLOAD PDF