2023 07 12

Table of Contents:

GS Paper 1:

Extreme rain events: How unusual, what is causing them
Impact of India’s demographic journey on Women’s Lives

GS Paper 2:

Multidimensional poverty Index

Content for Mains Enrichment

Kerala’s Cinema Tourism Project
Wastewater surveillance

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

European Sky Shield Initiative’ (ESSI)
Last Natural Person Above Every Person Clause
Twin-Balance Sheet problem
Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) by CBIC
New Wheat Variety
Hydrazine Hydrate
Klotho

Mapping

Sweden

Extreme rain events: How unusual, what is causing them

GS Paper 1

Syllabus: Physical Geography of India (Drainage, Climate)

Source: TH

Context: Northern India is currently in the midst of an extremely wet phase of the monsoon.

What is an extremely heavy rainfall event?

It occurs when more than 205 mm of rainfall happens at any place within a 24-hour period. (IMD)
Such events of extremely heavy rainfall are not unexpected during the monsoon season.
After the 2013 Uttarakhand tragedy, there has not been a single year without at least one major disaster-like situation produced by an extreme rainfall event.

Trends in recent years:

Overall rainfall during the monsoon has remained more or less constant over the last two decades.
But the intra-seasonal variation has increased – fewer days are producing a bulk of the seasonal rainfall, while the rest of the days remain dry.

How is this year’s monsoon rainfall unusual?

The monsoon season this year was not expected to be very wet.
July rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh is substantially higher (by 26%) than normal.
Heavy rain has resulted in large-scale destruction and loss of lives, particularly in the hilly areas.

Reasons for this extreme rainfall:

Rains induced by the Biparjoy cyclone: By the first two weeks of the monsoon, India had accumulated a rainfall deficit of more than 50%. However, this deficit had come down to 8% by the end of June.
Western disturbances: IMD has attributed this spell to an interaction between the monsoon winds and western disturbances that converged over northern India.
Climate change: It is known to increase the possibility, frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall and heat waves.
Warming of the Arabian Sea: Excess rainfall over northwest India is consistent with the Arabian Sea having warmed by about 1.5 degrees Celsius since January.

How can Indian cities bring themself out of these troubled waters?

The authorities need to plan the usage of shallow aquifers to prevent waterlogging.
At the same time, the city needs to recharge the deeper aquifers with rainwater.
Forming a water plan to recharge aquifers
Rainwater harvesting structures along the stormwater drains can help mitigate floods while utilizing rainwater resources.

Conclusion: Only improved forecasts with sufficient granularity in space and time can reduce the element of surprise resulting from these extreme weather events.

Insta Links:

Cyclone Biparjoy

Prelims Links: UPSC 2020

With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are correct?

OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters in the southwestern Indian Ocean during January — March.
OMT collected during January — March can be used in assessing whether the amount of rainfall in the monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: 2

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, 12 July CA, Biparjoy cyclone, Extreme rainfall events, GS 1, Today's Article, Today’s article

Impact of India’s demographic journey on Women’s Lives

GS Paper 1

Syllabus: Role of Women and Women’s Organization

Source: TH

Context: World Population Day (July 11) is a time to look at how India’s demographic journey has changed the lives of its citizens, particularly its women.

India’s population:

It grew from about 340 million at Independence to 4 billion.
This growth was fuelled by the improvement in public health, food security, etc. For example, male life expectancy was about 56 years (in 1941); today, it is 69 years.
With this rapid decline in mortality, parents no longer needed to have four children to ensure that at least two would survive.
As a result, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) fell from 5.7 in 1950 to 2.1 in 2019.

Impact of reduced TFR:

It brought a tectonic shift in the lives of Indian women.
Women’s childhood, adulthood, and old age have been transformed (both positively and negatively) over the course of the demographic transition.

Change for Indian women:


Childhood	Adulthood	Old age
Sex-selective abortions have declined – girl-survival rate improved	Creating space for education: With a fertility decline, active mothering occupies a smaller proportion of women’s lives. Lower female labour force participation: By the time peak childcare demands end, they have missed the window for occupations that require specific skills; only unskilled work is open to them.	Women generally marry men who are older and are more likely to outlive their husbands. The 2011 Census shows that while only 18% of men above age 65 are widowed, about 55% of the women are widowed. For widowed women, the lack of access to savings and property results in dependence on children, mainly sons, bringing the vicious cycle of son preference to full circle.

Way ahead:

Women need to establish secure connections to the labour market and gain work experience if they are to get skilled jobs.
Enhancing women’s access to employment and assets will reduce their reliance on sons and could break the vicious cycle of gendered disadvantage.
As early marriage and childbearing remain central to Indian women’s lives, any efforts at improving women’s labour force participation must be accompanied by access to safe and affordable childcare.

How to ensure access to safe and affordable childcare?

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) can be used to develop social infrastructure where NREGS workers can help staff crèches.
The burgeoning self-help group movement can be harnessed to set up neighbourhood child-care centres in urban and rural areas.

Best practice: Crèche facilities in Anganwadis in MP led to an increase in the work participation of mothers.

Conclusion: Demographic dividends cannot be realised without fully harnessing the gender dividend. As changing patriarchal norms may take a long time, improving access to childcare (for working women) is a low-hanging fruit.

Insta Links:

Insufficient Representation of Women in India’s Workforce

Mains Links:

What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space? (UPSC 2019)

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, 12 July CA, GS 1, Impact of India’s demographic journey on women’s lives, Today's Article, Today’s article

Multidimensional poverty Index

GS Paper 2

Syllabus: Issues Relating to Poverty and Hunger

Source: TH

Context: According to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2023, a total of 415 million people moved out of poverty in India within just 15 years from 2005/2006 to 2019/2021.

What is the global MPI?

It is a key international resource that measures (annually) acute multidimensional poverty across more than 100 developing countries.
First launched in 2010 by UNDP and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), the global MPI advances SDG 1 – ending poverty in all its forms everywhere.
It also measures interconnected deprivations across indicators related to SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 11.

How does it measure multidimensional poverty?

By constructing a deprivation profile for each household and person across 10 indicators spanning health, education and standard of living.
A person is multidimensionally poor if s/he is deprived in one-third/33% or more of the weighted indicators out of the 10 indicators.
Those who are deprived of one-half or more of the weighted indicators are considered living in extreme multidimensional poverty.

Significance of the global MPI: It monitors poverty reduction and informs policy, showing how people experience poverty in different aspects of their daily lives.

The 2023 global MPI:

Prevalence:

Distribution:

Reduction:

Good news: 25 countries, including India, successfully halved their global MPI values within 15 years.

Concerns:

Child poverty will continue to be a pressing issue, particularly in relation to school attendance and undernutrition. The poverty rate among children is 27.7%, while among adults is 13.4%.
Poverty predominantly affects rural areas, with 84% of all poor people living in rural areas.
The lack of comprehensive data during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges in assessing immediate prospects.
The negative impacts of the pandemic in dimensions such as education are significant and can have long-lasting consequences.

Case of India:

In 2005/2006, about 645 million people were in multidimensional poverty in India, with this number declining to about 370 million in 2015/2016 and 230 million in 2019/2021.
- Thus, 415 million poor people moved out of poverty from 2005/2006 to 2019/2021.
Incidence fell from 55.1 to 16.4%.
Deprivation in all indicators declined.
The poorest states and groups, including children and people in disadvantaged caste groups, had the fastest absolute progress.
The above findings are significant as India surpassed China (in Apr 2023) to become the world’s most populous nation with 142 crore people.

Way ahead:

Intensify efforts to comprehend the dimensions most negatively affected.
Strengthen data collection and policy efforts to get poverty reduction back on track.
Broaden the picture to include the impacts of the pandemic on children.

Conclusion: The report demonstrates that poverty reduction is achievable, demonstrating the feasibility of the SDG target – ending poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030.

Insta Links:

Multidimensional poverty

Mains Links:

Though there have been several different estimates of poverty in India, all indicate a reduction in poverty levels over time. Do you agree? Critically examine with reference to urban and rural poverty indicators. (UPSC 2015)

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, 12 July CA, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), GS 2, SDG-$., Today's Article, Today’s article, UNDAP

Kerala’s Cinema Tourism Project

Content for Mains Enrichment

Source: TH

Noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam has shown support for Kerala’s Cinema Tourism project, which aims to attract tourists by showcasing prime locations featured in popular films.

E.g., the Government is trying to promote Bekal Fort in Kasaragod district, where scenes from his film Bombay were shot. Similar tourism is promoted by New Zealand by showing places where the iconic movie Lords of the Rings was shot.

Use: the example can be used in questions related to tourism promotion in the Arts and Culture and Economy paper.

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, Kerala's Cinema Tourism project, Today's Article

Wastewater surveillance

Source: TH

The use of wastewater for public health surveillance offers significant benefits for disease prevention and control. It is a cost-effective approach that does not rely on invasive samples from individuals. Wastewater surveillance, integrated with existing surveillance mechanisms, could enhance India’s epidemiological capabilities by providing real-time insights into community-level disease patterns. This integration could be facilitated through efforts to strengthen public health laboratory networks and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

Usage: Wastewater surveillance for community disease prevention can be used as a point or way forward

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, Today's Article, Wastewater surveillance

European Sky Shield Initiative’ (ESSI)

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: The Print

Context: Austria and Switzerland, traditionally neutral countries, have joined the ‘European Sky Shield Initiative’ (ESSI) for air defence in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

About ESSI:

The European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) is a regional grouping of European countries aimed at developing a common air and missile defence system. It focuses on acquiring air defence equipment and missiles collectively to strengthen NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD)

The ESSI now has 19 member states, with the goal of leveraging existing NATO cooperation frameworks for defence. It was spearheaded by Germany in 2022.

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), Today's Article

Last Natural Person Above Every Person Clause

Source: TH

Context: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) clarified in the Supreme Court that the challenges it faced in the Hindenburg-Adani allegations case were from the lack of a requirement to disclose the ‘last natural person above every person’ owning an economic interest in the FPIs.

What is ‘Last Natural Person Above Every Person’?

It refers to the requirement to identify and disclose the ultimate individual who has control or ownership over a financial investment such as Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI). It means revealing the final person in the ownership chain who holds an economic interest in the FPI, ensuring transparency and accountability in the investment structure.

However, most of the national and international laws don’t have such provisions,

FPI Vs FDI?

FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investment) refers to investments made by foreign individuals or entities in financial assets such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds of a country.
FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), on the other hand, refers to investments made by foreign individuals or entities in tangible assets such as businesses, properties, or infrastructure projects in a country. FDI typically involves a long-term commitment and a significant level of control and ownership in the invested entity, while FPI involves relatively shorter-term investments in financial instruments without obtaining control or ownership rights.

Challenges posed by FPIs:

FPIs use multiple platforms, each below the limit for beneficial owner identification, to hold stakes (thus remaining below the radar of regulatory agencies)
FPIs operate in tax haven jurisdictions, creating ambiguity around their ownership and control.

SEBI’s recently Proposed Disclosure Requirements for FPIs


Proposal	Explanation
Tighter Rules for High-Risk FPIs	FPIs with over 50% concentration in a single group or assets valued above Rs 25,000 crore will be categorized as high-risk. They must provide additional details about ownership, economic interests, and control rights.
Transition Period and Adherence	FPIs with more than 50% exposure to a single corporate group will have a six-month transition period to reduce their exposure before complying with additional disclosure requirements.
Detailed Ownership Information and Enhanced Transparency	SEBI aims to gather comprehensive ownership information of FPIs, including details about natural persons, public retail funds, and large public-listed companies, to improve transparency in the market.
Stricter FPI Disclosure Standards	If approved, the proposed rules will make India’s FPI disclosure standards among the strictest globally, ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the financial system.
FPI Categorization	SEBI suggests categorizing FPIs based on their risk levels. Government entities, central banks, and sovereign wealth funds will be considered low-risk, while pension funds and public retail funds will be categorized as moderate-risk. All other FPIs will fall under the high-risk category.

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, FDI, FPI, Last Natural Person Above Every Person Clause, Today's Article

Twin-Balance Sheet problem

Source: TH

Context: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the Indian economy has overcome the twin-balance sheet problem and now enjoys a twin-balance sheet advantage.

What is the Twin-Balance Sheet problem?

The twin-balance sheet problem refers to a situation in which both banks and corporates face financial distress simultaneously. It occurs when banks have a high amount of non-performing assets (bad loans) (NPA of public sector banks reached almost 12% in 2016-17) on their balance sheets, and corporates have accumulated excessive debt, leading to a negative impact on the overall economy.

RBI’s recent Financial Stability Report states that both banking and corporate sector balance sheets have strengthened and India might be on the cusp of a twin balance sheet advantage.

The gross NPA ratio fell to a 10-year low of 3.9%.
The corporate balance sheet is also at its healthiest in 10 years.
The profitability of public sector banks has tripled since 2014, reaching over ₹1 lakh crore in 2022-23.

Some of the initiatives taken by the government are:

4R strategy (recognizing, recapitalizing, resolving, and reforming);
Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) to enable banks to share information on large loans;
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
National Asset Reconstruction Company(NARCL) to handle bad debt

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, Today's Article, Twin-Balance Sheet problem

Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) by CBIC

Source: IE

Context: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has issued a standard operating procedure (SoP) to prevent the use of freebies, illicit liquor, and other prohibited items to lure voters during upcoming elections in India.

What is SoP?

It is a set of guidelines and instructions that define how a particular task or process should be carried out. SoPs are created to ensure consistency, efficiency, and compliance with established protocols.

About SoP by CBIC:

Aim: The SoP aims to ensure fair and transparent elections by preventing the flow of suspicious cash, illicit liquor, drugs/narcotics, freebies and smuggled goods during assembly and general elections.
Monitoring: In line with the directions of the Election Commission, CBIC has instructed its field officials to monitor both monetary and non-monetary inducements used during the election process.
Surveillance: The officials will establish surveillance teams, conduct checks on vehicles and warehouses, and apprehend smuggled goods. Setting up flying squads and static surveillance teams for vehicles check and verification of warehouses.
Confiscation: Movement of items like saris, party flags etc. associated with candidates or political parties without an e-way bill may be confiscated.
Reporting: The tax officers will report their activities to the Election Commission on a daily basis.

About CBIC:

It is a government body under the Ministry of Finance in India. It is responsible for formulating policies related to customs, excise duties, GST, and narcotics. CBIC oversees the administration and collection of these taxes and is the administrative authority for its subordinate organizations. These include Custom Houses, Central Excise and GST Commissionerates, and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, CBIC, Standard Operating Procedure, Today's Article

New Wheat Variety

Source: IE

Context: The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has developed a new variety of wheat called PBW RS1, which has high amylose starch content.

Advantages:

Reduce the risks of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases: Chapatis made from this wheat release glucose more slowly into the bloodstream, providing a feeling of satiety and potentially reducing the prevalence of diet-related diseases.
It is resistant to yellow rust and moderately resistant to brown rust fungal diseases.

Concern:

It has slightly lower productivity compared to other varieties.

About Starch:

Starch is a complex carbohydrate found in various plant-based foods, such as grains, potatoes, and legumes. It serves as a storage form of energy in plants. Starch is composed of glucose molecules that are joined together in long chains.

About Amylose:

Amylose is a type of starch found in various carbohydrate-rich foods, including grains like wheat. It is one of the two main components of starch, the other being amylopectin. Foods with higher amylose content generally have a slower digestion rate and a lower impact on blood sugar levels compared to foods with higher amylopectin content.

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, PBW RS1, Today's Article, Wheat variety

Hydrazine Hydrate

Source: HBL

Context: Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd (GACL) (state PSU) has started dispatching indigenously made Hydrazine Hydrate, a chemical product used in various industries. This move aims to reduce India’s dependence on imports from Europe.

What is Hydrazine Hydrate?

Hydrazine Hydrate is a chemical compound with the formula N2H4·H2O. It is a colourless liquid that is widely used as a reducing agent, a chemical intermediate, an oxygen scavenger in the treatment of boiler water, and a rocket propellant. It has applications in industries such as pesticides, agrochemicals, water treatment, pharmaceuticals, polymer production, and fine chemicals.

About:

GACL, in collaboration with CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad, has received patents for indigenous manufacturing of Hydrazine Hydrate. The company has established a commercial-scale plant in Dahej to produce 10,000 metric tonnes per annum of Hydrazine Hydrate. Additionally, GACL has also set up a Purified Phosphoric Acid plant to meet the demand for this chemical in various industries.

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, Hydrazine Hydrate, Today's Article

Klotho

Source: Nature

Context: A new study has revealed that Injecting ageing monkeys with a ‘longevity factor’ protein that can restore levels of Klotho, can improve their cognitive function, a study reveals.

What is Klotho?

Klotho is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the KL gene and produced in Kidney. Circulating levels of soluble Klotho decrease with age and the Klotho gene is associated with increased risk of age-related diseases.

Significance of the findings: The findings could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

Previous research on mice had shown that injections of klotho can extend its lives and increase synaptic plasticity (the capacity to control communication between neurons, at junctions called synapses).

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, Klotho, Today's Article

Sweden

Mapping

Source: IE

Sweden’s request for joining NATO membership has been facing hurdles (Turkey and Hungary have still not approved). Previously, Finland joined NATO.

Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains. Its capital Stockholm is built on 14 islands. Historically, it has been a neutral country in world geopolitics.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization also called the North Atlantic Alliance (HQ: Brussels; founded: 1949), is an intergovernmental military alliance between 31 member states – 29 European and two North American.

July 12, 2023 /12 July 2023, nato, Sweden, Today's Article

Ecuador

Mapping

Source: TH

The port city of Guayaquil in Ecuador (a route for cocaine trafficking from neighbouring Colombia to the United States and Europe) is grappling with a devastating battle for control among criminal gangs, leaving the country broken. The violence has escalated dramatically in recent years, making Ecuador the fourth most violent country in Latin America, surpassed only by Venezuela, Honduras, and Colombia.

Ecuador is on South America’s west coast. Its diverse landscape encompasses the Amazon jungle, Andean highlands and the wildlife-rich Galápagos Islands. Ecuador’s role in the drug trade dates back to the 1980s, when it was a transit route for Peruvian coca base trafficked into Colombia.

July 13, 2023 /12 July 2023, Today's Article