Context: The Rajya Sabha on 12th December, 2023 passed the bill to regulate the appointment conditions of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners. 

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023

• Purpose of the Bill: The proposed Bill repeals the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991.
• The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2023.
• Supreme Court Judgement (In Anoop Baranwal v. UOI case, 2023): Until the government forms a law on this, the selection panel of chief election commissioner and other election commissioners will have three members – the PM, the Leader of Opposition and the CJI.

Key Provisions of the Bill

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, introduces significant changes to the appointment and service conditions of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners (ECs) in India.

• Selection Committee for Appointments: The chief election commissioner and other election commissioners will be appointed by the President based on the recommendation of a Selection Committee comprising the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition or the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha.
• Validity of Recommendations: Recommendations made by the Selection Committee will be valid even in case of a vacancy in the Committee.
• Search Committee: A Search Committee, headed by the Law Minister will propose a panel of names to the Selection Committee. Eligibility for these posts includes holding (or having held) a post equivalent to the Secretary to the central government.
• Salary and Conditions of Service: The salary and conditions of service of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners will be equivalent to the salary of a Supreme Court Judge.
• Term and Reappointment: Members of the Election Commission will hold office for six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. They cannot be re-appointed.
• Removal Process: The manner of removal of the CEC and ECs is retained as specified in the Constitution{Article 324(5)}.
  • The CEC removable in the same manner as a Supreme Court Judge and the ECs removable only upon the recommendation of the CEC.
• Status of CEC and ECs: They enjoy the status of a judge of the Supreme Court. The Bill has retained that status.
• Safeguards CEC and ECs from legal proceedings: It is related to actions taken during their tenure, provided such actions were carried out in the discharge of official duties.
  •  The amendment aimed to shield these officials from civil or criminal proceedings related to their official functions.
  • These changes aim to redefine the process of appointment and the service conditions of the election commissioners, impacting the operational dynamics of the Election Commission of India

Debates around the Bill

• Select Committee Rejected: The Opposition wanted to send the Bill to a select committee but this was rejected by the House.
• Against SC Judgement: Several Opposition leaders said that the government has defied the Supreme Court judgement by removing the chief justice of India from the panel and replacing it with a cabinet minister.
• Question on intent of the bill: It could negate and subjugate the Election Commission to the authority of the Executive.

For further Information: Appointment of CEC and EC

Source: Economic Times

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Context: Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report titled “Asia and the Pacific – Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023: Statistics and Trend”.

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• Unaffordability: According to the report, 74.1% of Indians could not afford a balanced diet in 2021. This percentage was 76.2% in 2020.
• Regional Comparison: 82.2% of people in Pakistan and 66.1% of people in Bangladesh reported having trouble obtaining healthy food.
• Mismatch between the Food prices and Income: The report cautioned that if the rising food prices are not accompanied by increased income, more individuals will find it impossible to afford a nutritious diet.

Key Findings of the FAO Report

• Impact of the “5Fs” Crisis: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the region was impacted by the “5Fs” crisis – Food, Feed, Fuel, Fertilizers, and Finance. The protracted effects of these crises are still evident.
• Stunting: 31.7% of the nation’s under-five children experienced stunted growth( low height-for-age). 

• • Reasons for Stunting: Stunted growth and development can be caused by inadequate feeding practices for infants and young kids, poor maternal health and nutrition, and recurrent infections 
• Wasting: India has the highest rate of wasting (low weight for height) in the area, with 18.7% of children under five years old dealing with this severe health issue.Another health risk – 2.8% of children under five were overweight.
• Anaemia: The highest prevalence rate in the region for anaemia in 2019 was 53% among women in the country between the ages of 15 and 49. Anaemia “impairs health and well-being in women and increases the risk for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.”
• Obesity: 1.6% of adult citizens in the nation are obese. 
• Breastfeeding: India has improved the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0–5 months old; at 63.7%, it is higher than the global rate of 47.7%. 
• Low- Birth Weight: With a prevalence of low birth weight of 27.4%, India leads the region, followed by Bangladesh and Nepal.
• Cost of a Healthy Diet: The cost of a healthy diet rose on average by 5.3% in purchasing power parity (PPP). An estimated 232.8 million people in the region could not afford a healthy diet.

Must Read: World Food India 2023

What is a Healthy Diet?

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a healthy diet is one that meets the nutritional needs of individuals at different stages of life and promotes overall health. It must be:

• Diverse and Balanced: A healthy diet should include a variety of foods. This diversity ensures an adequate intake of essential nutrients.
  • It typically includes fruits, vegetables, legumes (like lentils and beans), nuts, whole grains (such as unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice), and animal-sourced foods (like meat, fish, eggs, and milk).

For Further Information: GHI 2023

Source: The Hindu

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Context: Researchers at Berhampur University, Odisha have discovered a new species of marine amphipod which is a shrimp-like crustacean of genus Demaorchestia in the Odisha state’s Chilika lake.

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• Name of species: The new species was named as Demaorchestia alanensis after the name of  global expert professor Alan Myers of University College Cork, Ireland.
• Place of Discovery: Eight specimens of the new species Demaorchestia alanensis  were collected  from Barkul beach in Ganjam district, Odisha on the shore of the Chilika lake in January 2022.

More about this Amphipod Species

Physical features: 

• Colour and Size: This new species is white in color and less than 15 millimeters in length. It has 13 pairs of legs.

• Sub family: It belongs to the subfamily Platorchestiinae found along the Indian coast

News Source: Down to Earth

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Context: In a recent report, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) has highlighted the gaps in multi-function crypto asset intermediaries (MCI) operating globally. 

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• The report has recommended measures to enhance cross-border cooperation and information sharing to address the gaps. 
• The report has highlighted FTX collapse in November 2022, to underline the risk that occurs due to several different activities within the platform. 
• The risk is exacerbated by the lack of effective controls on their activities, poor disclosure of their corporate structure and conflict of interests due to trading in self-issued crypto assets. 

What is the Financial Stability Board?

• Mandate: FSB is an international body that monitors the global financial system to ensure international financial stability. 
• Collaboration: FSB works jointly with IMF to study trends and conduct early warning exercises. 
• Origin: It was established in 2009, after the G20 summit in London, to replace the Financial Stability Forum.
• Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland.
• Board Composition: The board includes all G20 major economies.
• Members: 68 member institutions comprising ministries of finance, central banks, and supervisory and regulatory authorities from all over the world. 

What are Multi-Function Crypto asset intermediaries?

• Definition: As per the report, Multi-Function crypto asset Intermediaries (MCI) are individual forms or groups of related firms that offer a range of crypto products and services related to trading. 
• Examples: Binance, Bitfinex and Coinbase. 
• Finances: The funding source for these platforms is the transaction fee generated in the trading-related activity and from operating a blockchain infrastructure for which they may collect some transaction validation fee. 

Risk Associated with Multi-Function Crypto Asset Intermediaries 

• Clashing Interests: These Multi-Function crypto asset Intermediaries have self-issued crypto assets and trade in the same, leading to a conflict of interest. This impacts market integrity, investor protection and financial stability. 
• Market-Related Vulnerabilities: Lack of liquidity and concentrated holdings coupled with opaque supply and circulation jointly allow the prices of MCI-issued crypto-assets to be inflated.
• Technological and operational vulnerabilities:   Multi-Function crypto asset Intermediaries have been a target of cyber-attacks and a number of them have had funds stolen by hackers in the past.

Also Read: RBI Starts Pilot Programme For Wholesale Digital Rupee

Crypto based Threat in India

• Money Laundering: WazirX Crypto-Currency Exchange was accused of Money Laundering via purchase & transfer of virtual crypto assets. 
• Market Manipulation: CoinDCX was accused of wash trading, which involves artificially inflating the trading volume of a cryptocurrency by buying and selling it to oneself. 
• Hacking: Key data of over 3.25 lakh Indian users were leaked to the dark web in BuyUCoin hack. 

Source: FSB

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Context: The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme. 

About the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme

• It is a national forest certification scheme, designed to promote sustainable management of forest and trees outside forest. 

• Features of Scheme: 
  • Mechanism: It offers voluntary third-party certification designed to promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry. 
  • Demand: It will provide market incentives to various entities that will ensure responsible forest management and agroforestry practices in their operation. 
  • Certification: There is provision for Forest Management Certificates, Trees outside Forest Management Certificate and chain of custody certification. 
  • Standard: Forest Management certification is based on the Indian Forest Management Standard that was launched earlier this year. 
• Implementation: 
  • Body: The Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal will be overseeing the implementation of the scheme. 
    • IIFM, Bhopal: It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It imparts education and training in Forest Management. 
  • Guidelines: The Quality Council of India will accredit the certification bodies that will assess the adherence of various entities on the standards of this scheme. 
    • Quality Council Of India: It is an autonomous body set up by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as an accreditation body, to raise the standards in all spheres of activity.

Significance of Forest Certification

• Certification helps the buyers know that forest product like timber has been sourced from well-managed forests or from recycled products. 
• It also discourages the use of supplies from illegal sources. 
• Ensures forest activities lead to environmental, social and economic benefits.

Source: PIB

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Context: The annual meeting of Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit commenced in New Delhi in Bharat Mandapam on 12th December, which will last till 14th December. 

Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence or GPAI Summit 2023

• India is the Incoming Support Chair for the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). 
• Key Themes discussed in the meeting are: ‘Application of AI in Priority Sector’, ‘Creating a Responsible AI’, ‘Role of AI in advancing healthcare’ and ‘Ensuring Resilient Employment in times of AI’.

Learn more about GPAI Summit 2023, here.

What is the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence?

• Mission: Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence is a multi stakeholder initiative, which strives to ensure that the AI in practice is aligned with human rights, diversity, innovation while encouraging sustainable economic growth. 
• Secretariat: Placed at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
• Membership: The  Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence is a global alliance of 29 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, Israel, Singapore, Australia, Belgium and France, as well the EU,
• India: India is a founding member of  Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, having joined the multi-stakeholder initiative in June 2020. 
  • India will take over the presidency of the  Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in 2024, and has already been a member of the steering committee since November 2022. 

Previous meetings of AI

• The first three Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence summits were held in Montreal, Paris and Tokyo, respectively.
• When Japan was hosting the GPAI, the Tokyo Declaration was signed. The declaration opposed the unlawful and irresponsible use of artificial intelligence and other technologies.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

• Definition: As per IBM, Artificial intelligence leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind. 
• Algorithms: AI operates using techniques like Neural Network, Deep Learning, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. 
• Chatbots: Presently, AI has been democratized through chatbots like ChatGPT, Bard and Microsoft Bing Chat.
  • These chatbots employ Large Language Models (LLMs) to understand the inputs by users, and generate appropriate responses based on their training data. 
  • These types of AI Chatbots have popularly become known as Generative AI due to their ability to generate human-like responses. 

Regulation of AI

• USA issued an executive Order to regulate the threats posed by use of AI and extend oversight over the safety benchmarks that are used by various companies during the training of generative AI bots. 
• Recently, the EU has passed the first comprehensive legislation on AI, called the AI Act. The Act introduces safeguards on the use of AI, including clear guardrails on its adoption by law enforcement agencies, and empowering to launch complaints against any perceived violations.
  • The deal includes  restrictions on facial recognition technology, and on using AI to manipulate human behaviour, alongside provisions for tough penalties for companies breaking the rules.
• Bletchley Declaration: It is the first-ever global AI Safety Summit to address the frontier AI associated risks and work together on AI Safety. India has also signed the declaration. 

Must Read: Global AI Summit London 2023

India’s initiatives towards AI

• ‘AI for all’ is a self learning platform designed to teach AI to people from all walks of life. India’s effort towards AI journey focuses on social empowerment and inclusion at the core. 
• India’s AI Vision: India wants to take the Digital Public Infrastructure or DPI approach with AI, where it aims to build underlying systems – both databases and compute capacity – for facilitating the spread of AI.
• IndiaAI Hub: It is the national portal to provide an ecosystem for innovation and adoption for social impact. 
• YUVAai: It is a platform to enhance the skills of school students from classes 8 to 12 on using AI to tackle critical problems and become future-ready. 
• National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence: It is an upcoming strategy to help India leverage technology effectively.. 

For Further Information: Global AI Summit

Source: The Hindu

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Context: India votes in favor of the demand of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in a draft resolution introduced at the UN General Assembly.

UN Resolution on Ceasefire in Gaza

The resolution on ceasefire in Gaza was adopted with 153 votes in favor, while 23 nations abstained and 10 voted against the text.

• In October 2023, India had abstained in the General Assembly on a resolution that had called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza strip.

Key Features of the Draft Resolution on ceasefire in Gaza

• Introduced By: Egypt, at an Emergency Special Session of UNGA.
• Demanded: 
• • An immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza
  • All parties comply with their obligations under international law, “notably with regard to the protection of civilians.”
  • Immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.

About Israel-Hamas Conflict

• Hamas (Palestinian politically armed group operating in Gaza strip) launched the present offensive (7 october 2023) against Israel in their long standing Israel- Palestine conflict.
• Israel declared a ‘State of War’ and  in response launched ‘operation Iron Swords’ against Hamas operation Al- Aqsa flood.

For More Information on: Israel-Hamas Conflict

News source: Economic Times

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Context: Existence of a stationary element in the dynamics of Indian monsoon since 1901-2019,  where the synchronized extreme rainfall events occur and are restricted to a corridor, finds a new study.

Key Findings of Study on Indian Monsoon

• Trends in Indian monsoon: For more than seven decades, total seasonal rainfall has trended downwards due to differential heating of land masses  and sea  due to global warming. 
• Large-scale extreme rainfall events: Intense wet spells particularly over Central India have become larger in scale due to the influence of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal combined.
• The ‘highway’/corridor: It extends from parts of West Bengal and Odisha to parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, making it a narrow highway or corridor of concentrated  large-scale extreme rainfall events. 
• Capturing Complex Rainfall Relationships: Traditional statistical methods tend to miss the complex relations between multiple nodes of rainfall centers.
• • Nodes are the Centre points of concentrated rainfall over a period of time considered for the study purpose. 
• Unpredictability of the Indian Monsoon: Stationary elements no longer exist in climate systems because of global warming. 
  • Yet the Indian monsoon continues to produce surprises in the way it is able to synchronize heavy rain events as well as stick to the ‘highway’ for such a long time.

News source: The Hindu

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Context: The Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA), led by the  National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, was launched at COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai.

India-led Global River Cities Alliance launched at COP28

• A Memorandum of Common Purpose (MoCP): A Memorandum of Common Purpose (MoCP) has been signed by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on behalf of River Cities Alliance (RCA) and the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), which represents 124 cities and towns in the United States along the banks of the Mississippi River. 
• Support from International Organisations: Multilateral funding agencies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have also pledged their support for the initiative.

Must Read: COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai: Key Highlights, Themes, and India’s Role

What is the Global River Cities Alliance?

• Global River Cities Alliance  is a unique alliance covering 275+ global river-cities in 11 countries, international funding agencies and knowledge management partners and is first of its kind in the world. 
• The Global River Cities Alliance is modeled on the lines of India’s River Cities Alliance established by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in November 2021.
• Secretariat: The National Mission for Clean Ganga will take on the role of the Secretariat of the Global River Cities Alliance to generate the initial momentum of the alliance activities.
• Participants: India, Egypt, Netherlands, Denmark, Ghana, Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Japan and river-cities of:
  • The Hague (Den Haag) from the Netherlands
  • Adelaide from Australia
  • Szolnok of Hungary 
  • International funding agencies the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

News Source: PIB

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Context: A project for Sabarimala pilgrims during the Makaravilakku festival was recognised among the top interventions from across the country for improving road safety.

Safe Zone Sabarimala: A Kerala’s Sabarimala Road Safety Project 

• Road Safety Project: A project for the Makaravilakku festival, designed by the Kerala government’s Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) resulted in a 100% reduction in road fatalities.
• Measures Undertaken by Kerala’s MVD: A slew of measures were implemented for ensuring road safety which included: 
  • Deployment of personnel on the ground for ensuring parking discipline, tending to vehicle pile-ups and crashes. 
  • Ground personnel were aided by three 24/7 control rooms with communication facilities.
  • Ambulance services are also ensured to provide emergency medical care. 
  • There were also awareness campaigns conducted in 6 languages distributed at major check posts and toll booths.

About Makaravilakku Festival

• Makaravilakku: It is a religious festival of Kerala, held every year during Makar Sankranti at the Sabarimala Temple.
• Makara Vilakku Meaning: Makara is the Zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn) and Vilakku means light. 
• Deeparadhana: It is performed to mark the beginning of Makaravilakku after which a star is visible to the east of the shrine.
  • This marks the auspicious time of the sun moving from Dakshinayanam (south) to Utharanayanam (north).

• Procession: The celebrations include a procession of the sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappan (known as Thiruvabharanam), which is brought in a procession from Pandalam palace to the temple at Sabarimala.
• Ritual: Devotees observe a compulsory 41 days of austerities and fast before visiting the Ayyappa Swami temple for Makara Vilakku festival. 
  • Thousands of devotees of Lord Ayyappa gather at the temple to see light or flame (which is Makarvilakku) that appears thrice on the Ponnambalamedu hill.
• About Lord Ayyappa (Ayyappa Swami): He is said to be the son of Lord Shiva and Mohini, the only female form of Lord Vishnu. 
  • Ayyappa Swami is highly regarded and worshiped by devotees all over India. 
  • His temple at Sabarimala is a pilgrim site. 

News Source: Hindu

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Context: At the ongoing COP28 climate summit, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by phasing out ‘unabated’ fossil fuels has become a central focus.

About Unabated Fossil Fuels 

• The term is closely linked with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies which are widely discussed by both climate scientists and oil and gas companies.
  • Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies involve capturing emissions from power stations or industrial facilities and storing them underground.
• According to the deal struck at COP28, countries need to phase-down unabated coal power.

What does ‘Unabated’ Fossil Fuels Mean?

• In the context of fossil fuels, “unabated” means doing nothing to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that are released from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas.
  • Conversely, “abated” refers to the attempts to decrease the release of polluting substances to acceptable levels.
• As per the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scientific advisory body report,  unabated fossil fuels are those that substantially reduce ”greenhouse gas emissions(GHG)“ without interventions.

Unabated Fossil Fuels: Concerns

• Funneling out Climate Finance to Fossil Fuel Projects: The phase-out or reduction of unabated fossil fuels might permit countries to continue burning fossil fuels, provided they capture and store the emissions underground. 
  • The false promises of ‘abated’ fossil fuels risks climate finance being funnelled to fossil projects.
• Greenwashing of Unabated Emissions: This could result in the greenwashing of “unabatable” emissions from their ultimate use, constituting 90% of fossil oil and gas emissions.
  • Greenwashing is the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice.

For More Information on: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies

News Source: Indian Express

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Context: This article is based on the news “Have earthquakes really increased in India due to activation of Almora Fault?” which was published in the Down to Earth. As per recent news report, there has been an increase in the number of earthquakes between January to November, 2023 compared to the last three years.

Almora Fault Line Behind High Seismicity in 2023

• Earthquakes linked to Almora Fault Line: The rise in earthquake activity in 2023 has been linked primarily to the activation of the Almora fault in Western Nepal.
  • The activation led to major earthquakes on January 24, 2023 (magnitude 5.8), October 3, 2023 (magnitude 6.2) and November 3, 2023 (magnitude 6.4).
• However, the geologists have negated the view that the rise in earthquake frequency is on account of the active Almora fault. 

Views of Geologists Regarding Almora Fault Line Becoming Active

• Mainshock Leading to Aftershock: Tectonic collision is the reason behind earthquakes in the Himalayan region and smaller earthquakes/aftershocks are mostly followed by severe earthquakes.
  • In 2023, there were two major earthquakes, one in January and another in November, leading to an overall increase in seismic activity this year.
• MBT Behind Earthquakes: As per the Geologists, the earthquakes in the Himalayan region are attributed to a fault known as the Main Himalayan Thrust (MBT).
  • Both major earthquakes in 2023 occurred on the MBT and have been incorrectly attributed to the Almora Fault.

• • MBT is situated approximately 15 to 20 kilometers below the mountain range.
• No Active fault: None of the faults in the Himalayas i.e.,  Main Boundary Thrust, North Almora Thrust or South Almora Thrust are active. 
• Almora Thrust: The government has incorrectly mapped the recent earthquakes in the North or South Almora Thrust.
  • The Almora Thrust is not deep and does not reach the mantle and thus, the possibility of an earthquake is negligible.

What is an Earthquake?

• It is the violent shaking of the ground and everything over it. It results from the release of accumulated stress of the moving lithospheric or crustal plates. 

Earthquake Risk in India

• As per the current seismic zone map of the country, over 59 per cent of India’s land area is under threat of moderate to severe seismic hazard.
• The entire Himalayan belt is considered prone to great earthquakes of magnitude exceeding 8.0.
• Scientific publications have warned of the likelihood of the occurrence of very severe earthquakes in the Himalayan region, which could adversely affect the lives of several million people in India.

Seismic Zonation of India

• Seismic Zonation map of the country (state wise) given by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has categorized India into seismic zones (Zone II to Zone V).
• Almora in Uttarakhand is located in Seismic Zone IV.

Why is the Himalaya region Prone to Earthquake?

• Tectonic Movements: The Himalayas is a tectonically unstable region as it is the convergence zone of the Indian and Eurasian plates.
  • The two plates are constantly pushing against each other and over time, stress accumulates and periodically releases as earthquakes, as was the case with the recent Nepal earthquake.

• Mountain Building Process: The mountain building process is still going on because the Indian plate is still moving towards the Eurasian plate.
  • The Indian plate is pushing the Asian plate northward at the rate of about 2 cm per year. This means that in every 100 years India moves 200 cm north against the Asian plate. 
• Fault Lines: The existence of various fault lines makes it susceptible to earthquakes. 
  • The stress accumulation along these faults leads to seismic activities when released. 
• Non-Uniform Structure of Himalayas:  The Himalayas are not uniform and assume different physical and mechanical properties in different directions.
  • This resulted in significantly large earthquake events in the Himalayas.

• Instability of region: Due to the ongoing tectonic activity in Nepal since 2015, the entire region has become increasingly unstable. 

• • Moreover, certain areas experience aftershocks due to past earthquakes.
• Human Activities: Activities such as mining, reservoir-induced seismicity from filling large reservoirs, and geothermal energy extraction can also induce earthquakes, though these are typically of lower magnitudes.

Also Read: Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023 

Measures taken towards Earthquake prevention in India

• Seismic Zoning Map of India: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) published the Seismic Zoning Map of India, ranging from Zone II to V. 
  • It offers guidelines for implementing the essential engineering codes and practices to construct earthquake-resistant buildings.
• National Centre for Seismology (NCS): NCS under Ministry of Earth Sciences is the nodal agency of Government of India (GoI), for monitoring earthquakes in and around the country.
  • NCS maintains a National Seismological Network (NSN) consisting of 115 observatories for disseminating earthquake information to the concerned central and state disaster authorities.
• Seismic Microzonation of cities: This is to be done  in cities  having populations of 5 Lakh and above. 
  • The purpose is to generate inputs for constructing earthquake risk resilient buildings / structures to reduce and mitigate the impacts of earthquakes.
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):  It is engaged with conducting regular awareness campaigns every year to sensitize programs on prevention and preparedness for building safety from earthquakes.

Must Read: Disaster Management In India

Way Forward/Six Pillars of Earthquake Management:

• Ensure the incorporation of earthquake resistant design features for the construction of new structures.
• Facilitate selective strengthening and seismic retrofitting of existing priority and lifeline structures in earthquake-prone areas.
• Improve the compliance regime through appropriate regulation and enforcement.
• Improve the awareness and preparedness of all stakeholders.
• Introduce appropriate capacity development interventions for effective earthquake management (including education, training, R&D, and documentation).
• Strengthen the emergency response capability in earthquake-prone areas.

Conclusion:

The surge in earthquakes in 2023 in India is incorrectly attributed to the Almora Fault line, as geologists point to the Main Himalayan Thrust (MBT) as the actual cause, highlighting the ongoing seismic risk in the Himalayan region.

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Context: This article is based on the news “Women are losing out to men in India’s jobless growth” which was published in the Live Mint. According to quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data, the share of women in regular salaried jobs in urban India dropped from 54% in the first quarter to 52.8% in the second quarter in 2023.

Women in India’s Jobless Growth

• PLFS Data: The survey showed that the share of women who are self-employed and doing casual work increased to 40.3% in Q2 from 39.2% in Q1, while that of casual workers increased marginally to 6.9% in Q2 from 6.8% in Q1.
• International Labour Organisation (ILO) Data: It states that the employability gender gap in India is 50.9%, with only 19.2% of women in the labour force compared to 70.1% of men.
  • Less than 20% of India’s women work at paid jobs and female workforce participation has been declining in the country.
• Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) Data: Unemployment rates in rural areas experienced a sharp increase to 9.2 percent in February 2022, whereas urban areas witnessed a reversal in the previous trend, reaching 7.5 percent. 
  • Despite this, one in four urban women, aged 15-29, are unable to secure employment.
• Salaried Jobs for Women: The increase in education has not led to an increase in salaried jobs for women, which shows the economy is not creating enough salaried jobs, and that employers retain their preference for men.

Know more about the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Annual Report 2022, here.

Must Read: Women Participation in Workforce and India’s Economic Growth

What is Jobless Growth?

• Concept of Jobless Growth: It refers to a situation where economic growth does not lead to job creation. 
  • This phenomenon can occur when a country emerges from a recession and despite an expanding economy, unemployment remains the same or worsens.
  • This tends to happen when a relatively large number of people have lost their jobs, and the ensuing recovery is insufficient to absorb the unemployed, under-employed, and those first entering the workforce.

• Jobs and Growth: Economies experience cyclical as well as structural changes as they recover from a recession. 
  • In a cyclical economy, employment growth and decline follows the expansion and contraction of the economy. 

• • A structural change is a fundamental shifts in an economy and exacerbated by external factors such as technology, competition, and government policy
• Jobless Growth in India: Even though India is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, it has been characterized by jobless growth and informalisation of job opportunities in the organized sector. 
  • India has undergone a major structural transformation from farm to services sector.  
  • Much of the country’s economic growth is driven by finance, real estate, and IT sectors, which are not major job creators, unlike manufacturing sector. 
  • Less than half of college graduates in India have the skills that companies need, exacerbating jobless growth.
  • The economy has added nearly 57 million jobs in five years to June 2022, leading to India’s workforce growing to 493 million, but 35 million people remained unemployed.

What factors contribute to the low representation of women in paid jobs?

• Distress Driven Self-Employment:  Rise in women’s participation in India’s labour force was led by self-employment, likely driven by distress more than economic growth. 
  • For instance, According to a report titled “State of Working 2023” released by Azim Premji University’s, self-employment among women was up 14 percentage points to nearly 65% between the quarter ended June 2018 and the quarter ended December 2022. 
• Pandemic Induced Shecession: The pandemic disproportionately affected women, leading to the “shecession,” as sectors like retail and hospitality, where women are more prevalent, were significantly impacted.
  • The World Economic Forum (WEF) has highlighted that progress towards gender parity has been halted and even reversed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 
• Societal Norms and Gender Roles: Conservative societal norms in India prioritise women’s roles within the family, often leading them to leave their jobs, especially after marriage or after having children. 
  • India has a number of factors that hold women back from paid work and this downward trend applies to women across different social classes, religions, and age groups. 
• Gender Pay Gap: Disparities in earnings were observed across casual work, regular jobs, and urban self-employment, further reinforcing the gender wage gap. 
  • The Oxfam India Discrimination Report 2022 highlighted the gender pay gap in India, with women facing bias in recruitment and pay across the country. 
  • The gender pay gap is also evident in technology roles, with women earning less than men, even more so in senior management positions.
• Bias Against Hiring Women: When employing women, firms face a multifaceted set of challenges ranging from unclear female labor regulations, to the high cost of accommodating workplaces, to low retention of workers.
  • For instance, ‘pregnancy discrimination’ is to treat a woman unfavourably on the grounds of her pregnancy or because she wants to take or has taken maternity leave.
• Safety concerns: Migration and safety concerns further limit women’s access to employment. Inadequate urban infrastructure, along with safety issues in public spaces, can discourage women from seeking and retaining jobs, particularly in urban areas.

Also Read: Gender Parity At Workplace

What government initiatives exist in India to enhance the participation of women in the workforce?

• Ensuring Compatible Work Environment: To encourage employment of women, a number of enabling provisions have been incorporated in the recently enacted Labour Codes viz. the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 and the Code on Social Security, 2020 for creating compatible work environment for women workers.
• Increase Participation of Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): Vigyan Jyoti was launched to balance low representation of girls in different streams of Science and Technology from 9th to 12th standards.
• Mission Shakti: It has two components, Sambal and Samarthya. Under “Sambal”, components such as Beti Bachao Beti Padao, One Stop Centre, Women Help Line and Nari Adalat are in operation. Under “Samarthya”, the components are Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Shakti Sadan, Hub for Empowerment of Women, Sakhi Niwas i.e. Working Women Hostel, Palna, Anganwadi cum Creches.
• Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM): Under DAY-NRLM, nearly 90 lakh women Self Help Groups (SHGs) having nearly 10 crores female members are transforming the rural landscape with regard to women’s economic empowerment.
• Improving Political Participation: Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 Act, 2023 was introduced for reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and in the State Legislative Assemblies including Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi.

Way Forward

• The ILO suggests the following strategies to bridge the workforce gender gap:
  • Ensuring equal pay for work of equal value through legal protection, wage transparency, and gender-neutral job evaluation.
  • Addressing occupational segregation by challenging preconceived notions about the value of certain types of work.
  • Eliminating gender discrimination and harassment through legislation, effective remedies, and awareness campaigns.
  • Promoting work-family balance through adequate maternity protection, paid paternity and parental leave, and social protection measures.
  • Creating quality care jobs and improving regulation and protection for care professionals.
  • Implementing gender-responsive policies to safeguard women’s employment during economic downturns.
• Need for Better Government Measures: Despite existing legislation such as the Equal Remuneration Act and the Minimum Wages Act, women’s labour is undervalued in rural areas, the unorganised sector, and the private sector. This highlights the need for improved policy formulation with robust implementation. 
  • These is a need initiatives such as financial support for women entrepreneurs, improved education and training access, gender equality promotion, safety and security measures, increased job opportunities, better work policies, etc.
• Supporting Women Entrepreneurs: By establishing and running their own businesses, women entrepreneurs can not only generate employment opportunities for other women but also inspire them to enter the workforce. 
  • The increased involvement of women in entrepreneurship has the potential to boost India’s GDP by $0.7 trillion by 2025 which can lead to significant economic growth.
• Ensuring Supportive Environment: Women face a myriad of issues at workplaces and it is the responsibility of corporations, policymakers, and the government to foster a supportive environment with adequate facilities for childcare, and mentorship and counselling for women,  specially for those joining work after maternity break.
• Promoting Role of Men as Stakeholders: Including men on the journey reduce this disparity is the key to its success. Giving men an opportunity to participate in improving conditions for women instead of mandating changes in rules will  help significantly in empowering women at work.

Conclusion:

Addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by women in India’s job market requires a comprehensive approach, including policy reforms, targeted initiatives, and societal mindset shifts, to ensure inclusive economic growth and bridge the gender workforce gap.

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