Context: India’s Ambassador to the US outlined that it is only natural that the two largest democratic countries further deepen their existing space collaboration.

India-US Space Collaboration:

• India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET):
  • The India- US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) was launched during the Quad summit in  2022. 
  • Vision for Space: It was established in order to elevate and expand our strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the country’s governments, businesses and academic institutions.
• NISAR: It is a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). 
• Indian Space Policy of 2023: It has opened up avenues for industry, investment, and research collaborations between Indian and US private sector partners.

News Source: The Economic Times

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Context:

The Earth’s upper atmosphere, stratosphere, has been dramatically cooling in response to human-induced climate change since 1986, according to a recent study. 

Key Findings of Study:

• Unprecedented Stratospheric Temperature Increase: Temperatures in the stratosphere were 12 to 15 times greater than what would have occurred naturally, without human influence.
• Use of Satellite Data to understand Stratosphere: The team used data from satellites and computer models in their analysis and found the greenhouse gases released from human activities led to a mean cooling of about 1.8 to 2.2 degrees Celsius in the middle and upper stratosphere globally from 1986-2022.
• Impact of Human Activities vis-i-vis Natural Variations in Stratosphere: Without human activities, natural variations would have caused global-mean stratospheric temperature changes no larger than about 0.15 degrees Celsius over the same period.
  • Natural variations include changes in solar activity, volcanic activities and climate patterns such as El Nino and La Nina. 
• The opposite impacts of warming troposphere and cooling stratosphere across all latitudes are a unique fingerprint of greenhouse gases, the researchers explained.

News Source: Down To Earth

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Context:

An international research team led by Pennsylvania State University used artificial intelligence to reconstruct historically sparse water quality data from nearly 800 rivers across the United States and Central Europe to understand Riverine Ecosystem   

Key findings of Study about Riverine Ecosystem:

• Warming of Rivers: Rivers are warming and losing oxygen faster than oceans, and deoxygenation could “induce acute death” for certain aquatic species aftecting Riverine Ecosystem. 
  • Magnitude of Warming in Riverine Ecosystem: The findings of the study showed that of nearly 800 rivers, warming occurred in 87 percent and oxygen loss in 70 per cent.
  • Urban rivers vis-i-vis rural rivers: While urban rivers showed the most rapid warming, rural rivers witnessed the slowest warming but fastest deoxygenation.
  • Impact of Deoxygenation on Riverine Ecosystem: Deoxygenation drives greenhouse gas emissions and leads to the release of toxic metals.
  • Forecasting  Future deoxygenation:  Across all the rivers researchers studied, future deoxygenation rates were between 1.6 and 2.5 times higher than historical rates.
• Challenges in Measuring Riverine Water Quality: Though riverine water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels are essential measures of water quality and ecosystem health, they are poorly understood as they are hard to quantify.
• Flawed Assessment: Lack of consistent data across different rivers and the myriad of variables involved that can change oxygen levels in each watershed as the reasons for flawed assessments.

News Source: Down to Earth

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Context: The Central government has established a 31 state bench of the GST Appellate Tribunal announced for 28 states and eight union territories.

More on news:

• As per the order issued by the finance ministry, Uttar Pradesh will have three benches, while Karnataka and Rajasthan two each, and one for northeastern states of these Tribunal. 

About  GST Appellate Tribunal

• Composition: GSTAT shall be presided over by its President and shall consist of one Technical Member (Centre) and one Technical Member (State) in these Tribunal
• Powers of GST Appellate Tribunal: 
  • As per the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, the GST Appellate Tribunal holds the same powers as the court and is deemed Civil Court for trying a case. 
  • The Tribunal also has the power to impose penalties, revoke or cancel registrations, and take such other measures as may be necessary to ensure compliance with the GST laws.

Governance of the GST Appellate Tribunal:

• National Bench: The National Appellate Tribunal is situated in New Delhi, and constitutes a National President (Head) along with 2 Technical Members (1 from the Centre and one State each)
• Regional Benches: On the recommendations of the GST Council, the government can constitute (by notification) an ‘N’ number of Regional Benches, as required. 
• State Bench and Area Bench: The Government, on the recommendations of the GST council, has notified a number of State Benches.
• Common forum: Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal is the forum of second appeal in GST laws and the first common forum of dispute resolution between Centre and States. 
• Functions GST Appellate Tribunal:
  • Being a common forum, GST Appellate Tribunal will ensure that there is uniformity in redressal of disputes arising under GST, and therefore, in implementation of GST across the country.
  • It would also enable the principal bench to take certain important decisions such as distribution of cases amongst the state benches, referring cases to other members if there is a difference in views within the same bench or otherwise.

News Source: Economic Times

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Context: 

Recently, the Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil broke his 17-day fast demanding reservation for the community in jobs and education.

More on News:

• The demand for OBC reservation arose after the Supreme Court, in May 2021, struck down the quota for Marathas under the state’s Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) Act, 2018.
• The Marathas want to be identified as Kunbis, which would entitle them to benefits under the quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). 

About Marathas:

• The Marathas comprise various castes, including peasants and landowners, making up approximately 33% of Maharashtra’s population.
• Historically, the Marathas have been identified as a ‘warrior’ caste known for their substantial land holdings.
• Political Representation: Since the establishment of Maharashtra state in 1960, 12 out of 20 chief ministers have been from the Maratha community.

Timeline of Maratha Reservation Issue:

• June 2017: 11-member commission headed by Retired Justice M. G. Gaikwad was established. The commission recommended granting reservation to Marathas under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) category.

• November 2018: Maharashtra government approves reservation for Marathas under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class Act, based on the Backward Class Commission’s findings led by M G Gaikwad.June 2019: The Bombay High Court upholds the constitutional validity of the Maratha quota under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018. It reduces the quota from 16% to 12% in education and 13% in government jobs, following the recommendations of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission.
• May 2021: A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, strikes down the provisions of the Maharashtra law providing reservation to the Maratha community. 
  • The decision is made on the grounds that it exceeds the 50% quota limit set by the court in its 1992 Indra Sawhney (Mandal) judgment.
• November 2022: After the Supreme Court upholds the 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), the Maharashtra state government allows economically weaker members of the Maratha community to benefit from the EWS quota until the issue of Maratha reservation is resolved.

Marathas Reservation Demand:

• Background: The demand for Maratha reservation emerges from underdeveloped areas, particularly Marathwada and other regions in Maharashtra.
• Core Agitating Districts: Districts like Beed, Parbhani, Nanded, Aurangabad, and Jalna in Marathwada are pivotal in the agitation, later spreading across the state.

Causes:

• Economic Underdevelopment: Economic and industrial underdevelopment in these regions, exacerbated by consistent droughts, pose significant challenges to the local population.
• Lack of Industrial Growth: Unlike western Maharashtra, Marathwada lacks substantial industrial growth, limiting employment opportunities beyond agriculture.
• Agricultural Unsustainability: Increasingly unsustainable agriculture forces rural youth into migration or aggressive political activism.
• Government Job Aspirations: Scarce private sector jobs drive youth to seek government employment through competitive exams, leading to a pronounced demand for reservations in these sectors.

Stand of Maharashtra Government:

• Provision for Kunbi Caste Certificates: Maharashtra government approves the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from Marathwada possessing Nizam-era documents that acknowledge them as Kunbis.
  • Objective: Providing Marathas with Kunbi caste certificates implies categorizing them as Other Backward Classes (OBCs), allowing access to reservation benefits provided to OBCs.
• Committee Formation for Standard Procedure:
  • The government has constituted a five-member committee led by former Justice Sandeep Shinde to prepare the Standard operating procedure (SOP) for issuing the Kunbi caste certificate.

Reaction of OBC Organisations:

• Opposition to Maratha Demand: OBC organizations strongly oppose the Maratha demand for OBC reservation, viewing it as a potential threat to their own reserved quota.
• Reservation Concerns: OBC leaders assert that it should not come at the expense of the existing OBC quota. They argue that OBCs already have a 19% reservation in Maharashtra compared to the 27% national average.

Conclusion: 

• In the current social and political landscape, it is increasingly evident that a potential confrontation between the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the Marathas looms large if the situation is not addressed and managed amicably. 
• To maintain social harmony and prevent further discord, it is imperative for stakeholders and policymakers to engage in constructive dialogue and find equitable solutions.

News Source: The Indian Express

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• In August, India experienced a continued decline in its foreign trade, marked by:
  • contraction in goods exports for the seventh consecutive month
  • an estimated drop in services exports for the first time in over a year
  • a 10-month high in the goods trade deficit
• Decline in Services exports: It had been growing strongly at 26.7% in 2022-23, showed a slight decrease of 0.4% in August, totaling $26.39 billion. 
  • This decline raised concerns about a potential widening current account deficit for the quarter.
• Merchandise import bill: While it decreased by 5.23% year-on-year to $58.64 billion, it was 10.85% higher than July’s $52.9 billion import figure. 
• • This increase led to a goods trade deficit of $24.16 billion in August, which was only 2.8% lower than the deficit in August 2022 but almost 17% higher than July’s $20.67 billion deficit.
• Increase in trade deficit: The significant increase in imports during August resulted in a trade deficit reaching its highest level in ten months. 
  • With the monthly merchandise trade deficit being notably higher in July-August compared to April-June 2023, India’s current account deficit is likely to expand during this quarter (Q2). This expansion could exceed the expected range of $10-12 billion seen in Q1.
• Oil prices hitting exports: Nearly half of the decline in exports this year has been driven by the decline in petroleum prices.
  • Though export volumes of petroleum products were up 6% during April to July, prices were 27% lower than a year ago.

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Context:

The United Nations food agency has warned of a severe global hunger crisis affecting over 700 million people who are uncertain about when or if they will have their next meal.

More on News: According to World Food Program estimates from 79 countries, up to 783 million people, one in 10 of the world’s population, still go to bed hungry every night.

• Nearly 47 million individuals in more than 50 countries are on the brink of famine. 

• • This includes approximately 45 million children under the age of five who are currently experiencing acute malnutrition.
• More than 345 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity this year, an increase of almost 200 million people from early 2021 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

India’s Hunger Paradox

• Hunger is usually understood to refer to the distress associated with a lack of sufficient calories.
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), India is the world’s largest producer of milk, pulses and jute, and ranks as the second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut, vegetables, fruit and cotton.
• However, the Global Hunger Report 2022 has ranked India at 107 among 121 countries. 
• National Family Health Survey 5: Child Stunting stands at around 36%, wasting at around 19% and there are around 32% children who are underweight at all India level.

Causes of Hunger Crisis:

• Poverty, Unemployment and Underemployment: Many people do not have the means to afford an adequate diet or access to basic necessities.
  • Example: A large portion of the population in rural India earns less than the minimum wage, making it difficult for them to afford nutritious food.
• Food Distribution and Supply Chain Issues: Inefficient infrastructure and food distribution systems result in food shortages and higher prices, making food less accessible.
  • Example: Downstream bottlenecks in like logistics connectivity and facilities prevents timely delivery of crops increasing their wastage.

• Population Growth: India’s rapidly growing population can put additional pressure on resources, making it more challenging to provide food and other essential services to everyone.
  • For instance, India has overtaken China as the world’s most populous nation according to the UN, but overall agricultural productivity is not keeping pace with population growth.Crop Failures and Natural Disasters: Crop failures due to droughts, floods, or other natural disasters can lead to food shortages.
• Indirect Causes
  • Gender Inequality: Women and girls often face discrimination in access to resources and opportunities.
  • Lack of Education:This can hinder people’s ability to make informed choices about nutrition and health.
  • Caste and Social Hierarchies: Discrimination can limit access to resources and opportunities for marginalized groups. 

Challenges:

• Achieving SDG Zero Hunger by 2030: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report projects that nearly 600 million people worldwide could still be facing hunger in 2030.
• Food Wastage and Losses: It leads to increase in prices and expensive food in 2022 has triggered a global food crisis pushing millions into the trap of hunger, deprivation, and malnutrition.
• • As per the World Bank, about 222 million people in 53 countries will be experiencing acute food insecurity this year. 
• Insufficient Nutrition: According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2022 Report,, 224.3 million people, or 16 per cent of India’s population, are undernourished with 53 percent of reproductive-age women also being anemic.
• Inequality: There is a significant disparity in food access and nutrition between different regions and social groups in India. 
  • According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report, a staggering 74.1 percent of the population in India cannot afford healthy food.
• Climate Change: Irregular rainfall patterns, droughts, and extreme weather events can disrupt agricultural production.
  • Example: Prolonged droughts can lead to crop failures, reducing food availability and driving up prices, making food less affordable for vulnerable populations.
• Lack of Nutritional Awareness: Many people in India lack awareness of proper nutrition and dietary practices, leading to unhealthy eating habits.

Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach and implementing social safety nets and policies that target the most vulnerable populations.

Way Forward:

• Addressing Poverty: The problems of poverty and hunger are interlinked and need a concrete action plan like universal basic income.
  • According to the UN, in India the incidence of poverty stands at around 16% in 2019/21.
• Local Governance and Public Distribution System (PDS): For a Hunger-free Village, Gram Panchayat can work to promote breastfeeding of infants, locally available nutritious food and resilient agricultural practices while PDS can integrate diversification of food basket.
• Improving Agricultural Productivity, Food Distribution and Storage: 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.
• 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.
• Dietary Diversification: Increasing both the quantity and the range of micronutrient-rich foods such as animal products, fruits and vegetables in adequate quantities
• Other Measures:
  • Supplementation: Nutrients are delivered directly to the desired population by means of syrup or pills. 
  • Food fortification: Addition of micronutrients to processed foods to restore nutrients lost during food processing.
  • Biofortification: Enhancing the nutritional properties of crop varieties by using better techniques of plant breeding or genetically modifying the plants.

It is essential to recognize that addressing hunger is a long-term endeavor that requires sustained commitment from all stakeholders, including governments, civil society, and the private sector. Collaborative efforts and innovative solutions are key to making progress in this critical issue and ensuring SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) target is timely achieved.

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