Context:

• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has removed offshore tax haven Cayman Islands from its ‘grey list’. Besides Cayman, Panama, Jordan, and Albania have been removed from the list.

What is FATF?

• It is an intergovernmental organization that designs and promotes policies and standards to combat financial crime. 
• Mandate: Recommendations created by the FATF target  money laundering, terrorist financing, and other threats to the global financial system. 
• Origin and Headquarters: Created in 1989 at the behest of the G7 and is headquartered in Paris

About Cayman Islands

• It is a British Overseas Territory located in the Western Caribbean Sea. 
• The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. 
• It has a  low-lying geography with coral reefs. 
• Economy: It has a mixed economic system, and the islands are a thriving offshore financial center.

News Source: Business Standard

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Context:

• India’s Prime Minister and Bangladesh’s Prime Minister are set to jointly inaugurate several key projects on November 1. 
• These projects include the 1320 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Project in Rampal, Bangladesh, the Akhaura-Agartala rail link spanning 15.064 km, and the Khulna-Mongla port rail line covering 86.87 km.

Maitree Super Thermal Power Project – Key Points

• Location: Rampal, Bangladesh, developed on the bank of Passur River.
• Capacity: 1320 MW
• Financing: Concessional funding from India
• Project Cost: The $2 billion
• Built by: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and the Bangladesh Power Development Board.  

Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link

• Distance: 15.064 km
• Connectivity: Bangladesh’s Akhaura to Tripura’s Nischintapur
• Project Cost: Rs 1,000 crore
• Nodal Agency: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) 
• Benefit: Significant travel time reduction

News Source: Economic Times

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Context:

• NTCA, in collaboration with the Sankala Foundation, is organizing an art exhibition to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger’s successful completion.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry for Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) and was established in 2006.

What is Project Tiger?

• Project Tiger (Centrally Sponsored Scheme) was launched by PM Indira Gandhi on April 1, 1973 from  Jim Corbett National Park.
• Project Tiger Objective: To promote the conservation of the tiger.
• Project Tiger not only focused on the conservation of the tiger but also ensured the preservation of their natural habitat as tigers are at the top of the food chain. 

Protection Status of Tigers

• Schedule I: Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
• Endangered: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List
• Appendix I: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) 

Threats

• Tiger-human conflicts: Retaliatory killing of tigers and demand for its organs are big hurdles to its survival.
• Poaching: Poaching is driven by demand for tiger parts for use in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as for trophies and other purposes.
• Habitat Loss: The destruction and fragmentation of tiger habitats due to human activities such as agriculture, logging, and infrastructure development continue to threaten tiger populations.
• Climate change: Climate change may affect tiger habitats, prey availability, and other aspects of tiger ecology, which could further threaten tiger populations in the long term.

Benefits of Conserving Tigers

• Preservation of Rivers: The Creation of Tiger Reserves resulted in the preservation of many rivers and biogeochemical cycles essential for maintaining healthy forests.
• Indicator of Health of Forests: The presence of tigers is an indicator of the good health of the forests.
• Food Chain: It is a top predator that is at the apex of the food chain and keeps the population of wild ungulates in check, thereby maintaining the balance between herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed.
• Carbon sequestration: Tiger habitats, particularly forests, are important for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. 
  • Conserving these habitats helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow down the pace of climate change.

News Source: PIB

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Context:

• Recently, The Assam government has issued an order disallowing government employees from entering into a second marriage without the permission of the government.
• In India, the permissibility of having more than one spouse depends on the religious and personal laws followed by individuals. 

Polygamy in India

• The practice of having more than one spouse at the same time.
• Polygamy is illegal under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but Muslim men are allowed to have up to four wives under Sharia Islamic law. 
• Besides, polygamy also exists in many tribal communities.
• Prevalence of polygamy in India: The National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-20) showed the prevalence of polygamy in India was 2.1% among Christians, 1.9% among Muslims, 1.3% among Hindus, and 1.6% among other religious groups.
• Countries where polygamy is legal?
  • Polygamy is permissible and legal exclusively for Muslims in nations such as India, Singapore, as well as Malaysia.
  • Polygamy is still recognized and practiced in nations such as Algeria, Egypt, and Cameroon. These are the only areas in the world where polygamy is still legal.

Laws Regarding Polygamy in India

Hindu Marriage Act, 1955:

• Under The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, bigamy (having two spouses) is prohibited for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs.
• The Act explicitly states that “neither party has a spouse living at the time of the marriage” as a condition for Hindu marriages.
• Bigamy under this act is punishable, and the provisions of Sections 494 and 495 of the Indian Penal Code apply. A person convicted of bigamy may face imprisonment and a fine.

Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937

• Muslim men are allowed to have up to four wives under Muslim Personal Law.
• However, the Supreme Court has clarified that having more than one wife is not a religious obligation in Islam.

Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936

• The Parsi laws also prohibit bigamy among Parsis.
• A Parsi who contracts a marriage without being lawfully divorced from their spouse or having their marriage legally declared null and void may be subject to penalties under the Indian Penal Code.

Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872

• Indian Christians are prohibited from marrying a second time if their spouse from the first marriage is still living and the marriage is not void.
• The Act states that “neither of the persons intending to be married shall have a wife or husband still living.”

Special Marriage Act, 1954

• The Special Marriage Act, 1954 also states that special marriages will be solemnised when “neither party has a spouse living”.
• Upon conversions too it is clarified that another marriage of a spouse (by conversion) would not be considered valid if the previous partner of the spouse continues to remain of the religion under which the marriage was solemnised.

News Source: Livemint

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Context:

• On October 23 and 24, 2023, representatives from 14 countries that are home to the world’s populations of river dolphins came together for the Global Declaration of River Dolphins and their Rivers convening.

Background

• The declaration was prompted by the devastating news of over 150 dolphins found dead in the Amazon in Lake Tefé, Brazil, and a record drought caused by a historic El Niño season, emphasizing the need for international efforts to protect river dolphins.

Global Declaration of River Dolphins – Key Highlights

• Eleven of these countries signed a global declaration for the protection of river dolphins by 2030. 
  • Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru and Venezuela.
  • These countries are committing to work on transboundary research-driven solutions and recommendations to mitigate threats facing river dolphins.

• The Eight Pillars of the Global Declaration for River Dolphins are: 
  • Creating a network of protected areas; 
  • Enhancing management of river dolphin sites; 
  • Expanding research and monitoring; 
  • Engaging local communities and Indigenous Peoples; 
  • Eradicating unsustainable fishing practices; 
  • Improving water quality and quantity; 
  • Celebrating #WorldRiverDolphinDay to raise awareness; and, Increasing resource allocation and partnerships.
• Formation of a Global Coalition: The signatory countries will also create a global coalition comprising NGOs, scientific research institutions, and foundations. 
• • This coalition will be responsible for implementing the declaration and focusing on securing the long-term future of river dolphins, their river habitats, and the communities that depend on these rivers.

News Source: National Geographic

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Context:

• Two individuals were killed and many injured in an explosion at a Jehovah’s Witnesses prayer convention near Kochi, Kerala. 

Who Are Jehovah’s Witnesses?

• Religious Beliefs:
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian sect with distinctive beliefs.
  • They reject the Holy Trinity and believe in Jehovah as “the one true and Almighty God, the Creator”, who is “the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus”.
  • They see Jesus as the King of God’s Kingdom in heaven, but not as the Almighty God.
  • They base their faith solely on the Bible and avoid celebrating holidays like Christmas and Easter due to their pagan origins.
• Evangelical Activities:
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for their door-to-door evangelism to spread their message.
    • Evangelism: The spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.
  • They believe the end of the world is near, and God’s Kingdom will replace human governments.
  • The denomination has millions of followers worldwide.
• Origin: The sect originated in the 1870s with American pastor Charles Taze Russell.

Jehovah’s Witnesses in India

• Presence and History:
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses have been in India since 1905.
  • They established an office in 1926 in Bombay (now Mumbai) and obtained legal registration in 1978.
• Legal Status:
  • They enjoy legal protection under India’s constitution, which upholds the right to practice, profess, and propagate one’s faith.

News Source: The Indian Express 

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Context:

• This article is based on the news “Solving intermittency of renewables” Which was published in the Business Standard. The intermittent nature of renewable energy sources is posing a challenge in matching supply with steady demand, especially during evening peak periods.

Renewable Energy Gaps – Managing Imbalances

• Renewable energy sources generate electricity based on varying factors like sunlight, wind speed, and tides. 
• This inherent variability leads to intermittent power generation, making it difficult to match supply with demand consistently. 
  • The power demand rose to 236.59 GW in August 2023 as against the power supply of 195.22 GW in August 2022 and 196.27 GW in August 2021.
• The intermittency of renewable energy creates imbalances in the grid, which results in energy waste, grid instability, and reliance on backup power sources.  
• To overcome these challenges, experts have suggested bundling energy storage with generation to create a more stable electricity generation unit, resembling traditional non-intermittent generators. 

Importance of Renewable Energy Storage Systems

• Grid Stability and Reliability: Energy storage systems store excess energy during periods of high production and release it during periods of low or no generation, ensuring a consistent power supply and reducing grid stress.
• Integration of Variable Renewable Sources: It enables the integration of variable energy sources like solar and wind into the grid.
• Energy Management and Flexibility: They enable power providers to balance supply and demand, and support the grid during sudden changes in generation or consumption.
• Resilience and Emergency Preparedness: It enhances grid resilience by providing backup power during blackouts or disruptions. 

What are the storage solutions for renewable energy?

• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Lithium-ion batteries are scalable, modular, and capable of quick response times, making them suitable for both residential and grid-scale storage. 
• Pumped Hydro Storage: It involves pumping water to an elevated reservoir during periods of excess electricity and releasing it through turbines to generate electricity when demand is high. 
  • While geographically dependent, pumped hydro storage offers large-scale storage capacity and long-duration capabilities.
• Thermal Energy Storage: It stores heat or cold generated from renewable sources for later use. 
• Intelligent Grid Management Systems: These leverage digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and machine learning algorithms. 
  • These systems forecast renewable energy generation, manage grid imbalances, and dynamically adjust energy flows, maximizing the utilization of renewable resources and storage capacity.

Also read: World Energy Outlook 2023: India’s AC Power Demand to Surpass Total Energy Use in Africa

What are the challenges of the renewable energy transition in India?

• Dependency on Chinese Equipment: India heavily relies on Chinese solar equipment, with about 70% of the country’s solar capacity being built using Chinese-made solar equipment. 
  • India has no manufacturing capacity for solar wafers and polysilicon ingots and currently imports 100% of silicon wafers.
• Inadequate grid infrastructure: India’s current grid infrastructure was designed to support conventional fossil fuel-based power generation, which is more predictable and reliable. 
  • While renewables offer a cleaner and more sustainable energy option, their intermittent nature poses grid integration challenges
  • A planned approach to build huge solar plants in Leh was recently canceled due to a lack of transmission infrastructure.Frequency & voltage issues: The unpredictability of solar and wind energy production makes the frequency and voltage produced relatively unpredictable. 
  • For Examples: Power inverters need to frequently use to compensate for system irregularities that occur during solar power generation.
  • Adverse weather conditions like heat waves and storms can hamper the power supply and cause blackouts.
• Transmission Line in GIB priority and potential area: The Supreme Court’s recent designation of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) region has significantly impacted PGCIL substations.
  • It required underground transmission lines or bird diverters, causing concerns for renewable energy developers and delays in the PGCIL transmission network expansion.
• Right of way (ROW) for the transmission line: Conducting a transmission line survey and obtaining access rights from private property holdings is challenging.
  • It necessitates permissions from a variety of government and private agencies, as well as local government authorities delaying the laying time.
• Cost burden of legacy infrastructure: High transmission and distribution (T&D) losses have plagued discoms preventing them from making decisive investments to support renewable energy.
• Cost of financing the transition: The government’s plan to add 50 GW of renewable capacity per year, from FY24 to FY28, will need funding of around trillions of dollars. 
  • Solar and wind power technologies incur higher initial costs detering businesses and individuals from switching to Renewable energy despite the long-term benefits.

Way Forward

• Revamping of grid infrastructure: The grid infrastructure requires a significant revamp to accommodate the fluctuating and intermittent nature of power from renewables. 
  • With a high level of electrification, grid infrastructure should be developed on priority. 
  • Government of India announced an INR 2.8 lakh crore (USD 35 billion) package for Inter-state transmission network to build infrastructure to evacuate renewable power.
  • A well-connected national grid that transcends several regions ensures optimal utilization of uneven distribution of energy sources.
• Focusing on price dynamics: It is crucial to move away from conventional power-purchase agreements and instead allow real-time pricing to balance supply and demand.
  • This will encourage consumers to reduce electricity usage during peak periods through apps and smart home automation.
• Innovations for Energy storage: Pumped hydro storage (PHS) projects and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are promising energy storage technologies that can play a crucial role in grid-balancing services.
• Introducing time-of-day (ToD) Power Tariffs: These tariffs encourage electricity consumption when the renewable energy supply is high and can even help balance the grid by regulating load from rooftop solar and electric vehicle users.
  • ToD tariff would be applicable for Commercial and Industrial consumers having Maximum demand of 10 KW and above, from 1st April, 2024 and for all other consumers except agricultural consumers, latest from 1st April, 2025.
• Structural Reforms: Challenges associated with discoms’ health and land must be addressed. Implementation of the proposed Electricity Act is crucial for the revival of discoms. 
  • Direct benefit transfer, discom privatisation, strict RPO compliances and safeguards against contract renegotiation are urgently needed to hasten renewable capacity addition.
• Streamlining regulations: Access to low-cost financing is imperative for energy transition.
  • The government needs to regulate administrative mechanisms such as land laws, legislation enforcement, and program administration to create an environment that attracts patient, low-cost capital focused on long-term returns.

Conclusion:

Addressing the intermittency challenges of renewable energy in India requires a comprehensive approach, including robust energy storage systems, grid infrastructure revamping, and strategic policy initiatives, to ensure a sustainable and reliable transition towards a cleaner energy future.

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Context:

• This article is based on the news “Ashok Gulati writes: How we tame food inflation, and at whose cost” Which was published in the Indian Express. With several state elections in the coming months, it is apparent that the central government is making efforts to curb food inflation to prevent inflation from becoming a focal point in election campaigns.

Food Inflation in India – Latest Update

• India’s food inflation rose up to a 41-month high of 11.5 per cent in July 2023. It has come down to 9.9 per in August, 2023. 

What is the Consumer Food Price Inflation (CFPI)?

• It is a measure of inflation which focuses exclusively on the price changes of food items in a consumer’s basket of goods and services.
• Consumer Food Price Index: It  is a measure of change in retail prices of food products consumed by a defined population group in a given area with reference to a base year.
• Like Consumer Price Index (CPI), the CFPI is also calculated on a monthly basis and methodology remains the same as CPI. The base year presently used is 2012.
  • CPI is a price index, the price of a weighted average market basket of consumer goods and services purchased by households. Presently the consumer price indices compiled in India are CPI for Industrial workers CPI (IW), CPI for Agricultural Labourers CPI (AL) and; Rural Labourers CPI(RL) and (Urban), and CPI(Rural).
• CFPI (Rural/ Urban/ Combined) is compiled as the weighted average of the Cereals and Products sub group of CPI for each of those categories – Rural/ Urban/ Combined. Modified weights of these Sub-groups within CFPI are as follows:

What are the reasons for food inflation in India?

• International Prices and Trade Policy: After adoption of Liberalization, Privatisation and Globalization reforms, agricultural markets in India have been progressively integrating with global markets. 
  • Consequently, a shift in international food prices exert direct and indirect influence on domestic markets through trade as well as through policy adjustments.
  • For Example:  India’s agriculture sector witnessed greater integration with the global market, with the share of agriculture trade to agriculture GDP rising from 5.2% in 1990-91 to 19% in 2013-14. 
• Shift in Food Consumption patterns: With rising incomes, dietary preference has shifted towards more nutritious and high-value food items away from starchy cereals.
  •  This changing preference has resulted in high levels of inflation in pulses and other protein-rich items in recent years
• Minimum Support Prices: The role of MSPs in guiding food inflation is fairly large as the crops covered under MSP constitute more than a third of all-India food consumption basket. 
  • The MSP as a concept is intended to be a floor for market prices but during years with substantial hikes, it eventually ends up setting market prices directly, which is generally followed by rise in prices of key agricultural crops.
• Climate Impact: 
  • Impact of El Nino: Uncertainty has increased over the outlook for both summer and winter crops as there is a 95% chance that El Nino will prevail from December 2023 to February 2024. 
  • Geographical anomalies: The recent spike in the prices of essential food items, which have doubled in most cases across India, has been attributed to geographical anomalies like heatwave and pestilence.
• Fuel Prices: The price of fuel, another key input in agriculture, has witnessed considerable increase in recent years. 
  • For Example: An increase in fuel inflation by 1% leads to a 0.13% rise in food inflation, and the effect slowly declines through the next 12 months. 
• Economic recovery has pushed up prices: In May 2020, food prices fell to their lowest levels in four years, partly due to the pandemic, as economic activity declined sharply in the wake of lockdowns
  • As global economic growth started to recover—global GDP is estimated to have grown by 5.9% in 2021 after a 3.1% contraction in 2020—commodity prices, including that of food items, started receiving a boost.
• Russia-Ukraine Crisis: The global impact of ongoing conflicts, in Ukraine, has adversely affected, particularly developing countries, with spiraling energy and commodity prices and disruptions in global logistical supply chains.
  • With Ukraine and Russia accounting for up to 30% of the global exports for wheat, food prices, too, have jumped.

What are the government measures to control food inflation?

• Commodities at Subsidized Prices: The government has stepped up sales of subsidized vegetables, particularly onions and tomatoes, through its distribution network, while releasing stocks of wheat and sugar into the market to cool prices.
• Reducing Import Duty: In the case of pulses, the government is encouraging farmers to grow pulses to boost domestic production and has also reduced the import duty on some of the pulses to improve local availability.
• Ban on Exports: The imposition of a wheat export ban in May 2022, a ban on the export of broken rice in September 2022 to ensure an ample domestic rice supply and gradually bring prices down.
• Ban on Stockpiling: The government has also banned traders, millers, wholesalers and retail chains from holding more than 3,000 tonnes of wheat. Smaller retailers and shops cannot stock more than 10 tonnes. 
• Operation Greens:  Operation Greens seeks to stabilize the supply of Tomato, Onion, and Potato (TOP) crops and to ensure the availability of TOP crops throughout the country round the year without price volatility.
• Floor Prices: Recently, the Union government imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of $800 a tonne ( ₹67 a kg) on onion exports between 29 October and 31 December 2023 to ensure domestic availability.
  • The move comes against the backdrop of rising onion prices owing to a delay in the arrival of kharif onions.

Way Forward

• Investments to increase food supply elasticity: Investments and policies to make food supplies more price-sensitive—such as improved rural infrastructure, well-functioning input and output markets, and competitive supply chains—should be pursued to reduce domestic price volatility, and domestic prices should reflect export or import parity prices.
• Facilitating effective risk management tools: More effective risk management tools are needed by farmers, traders, and consumers to cope with extreme weather events, global warming, and market fluctuations.
  • Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA): It is an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems towards green and climate-resilient practices.
  • Contrary to conventional agricultural development, CSA systematically integrates climate change into the planning and development of sustainable agricultural systems.
• Institutional forecasting mechanism: The Indian government needs to set up a strong institutional forecasting mechanism that could send demand and price signals to the farming community before the sowing season.
  • Giving farmers the scope to scale up  production in accordance with exzpected demand.
• Supply-side reforms: Addressing structural bottlenecks and improving supply-side factors can help alleviate inflationary pressures.

Also Read: India’s Food & Nutrition Security: Time to Adopt a Three-Sided Approach

Conclusion:

Addressing the multifaceted challenges of food inflation in India requires a comprehensive approach, encompassing global market dynamics, climate resilience, effective policy measures, and investments in supply-side reforms to ensure long-term food security and economic stability.

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