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GS Paper: GS3

  • IIP gives us true health of our economy

    IIPContext

    • India’s statistics ministry generates only one high-frequency gauge of economic activity. And that lone barometer, the index of industrial production (IIP), is completely broken.

    What is IIP?

    • The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that indicates the performance of various industrial sectors of the Indian economy. It is a composite indicator of the general level of industrial activity in the economy.

    IIPHow is IIP calculated?

    • IIP is calculated as the weighted average of production relatives of all the industrial activities. In the mathematical calculation Laspeyre’s fixed base formula is used.

    What are the Core Industries in India?

    • The main or the key industries constitute the core sectors of an economy.
    • In India, there are eight sectors that are considered the core sectors.
    • They are electricity, steel, refinery products, crude oil, coal, cement, natural gas and fertilizers.

    Which has highest weightage in IIP?

    • The eight core sector industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers.

    IIPWhy is IIP important?

    • IIP is the only measure on the physical volume of production. It is used by government agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc. for policy-making purposes. IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP estimates.

    Who releases IIP data?

    How useful are monthly IIP figures to draw a conclusion about India’s growth?

    • IIP figures are monthly data and as such it keeps going up and down.
    • In fact, the release calls them “quick estimates” because they tend to get revised after a month or two.

    IIP Index Components

    • Mining, manufacturing, and electricity are the three broad sectors in which IIP constituents fall.
    • The relative weights of these three sectors are 77.6% (manufacturing), 14.4% (mining) and 8% (electricity).
    • Electricity, crude oil, coal, cement, steel, refinery products, natural gas, and fertilizers are the eight core industries that comprise about 40 per cent of the weight of items included in the IIP.

    Basket of products

    • Primary Goods (consisting of mining, electricity, fuels and fertilisers)
    • Capital Goods (e.g. machinery items)
    • Intermediate Goods (e.g. yarns, chemicals, semi-finished steel items, etc)
    • Infrastructure Goods (e.g. paints, cement, cables, bricks and tiles, rail materials, etc)
    • Consumer Durables (e.g. garments, telephones, passenger vehicles, etc)
    • Consumer Non-durables (e.g. food items, medicines, toiletries, etc)

    IIP base year change

    • The base year was changed to 2011-12 from 2004-05 in the year 2017.

    Way ahead

    • IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP (Gross Domestic Product) estimates.

    Mains question

    Q. What do you understand by IIP? How it helps us to understand economic health?

     

     

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  • Cheetah reintroduction

    Cheetah

    Context

    • This is the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a carnivore. It is even more unique because this is the first time cheetahs has reintroduced in an unfenced protected area (PA).
    • The Government is preparing to translocate the first batch from South Africa and Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

    About Asiatic Cheetah

    • Feature: Cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal was declared extinct in India in 1952.
    • Status: The Asiatic cheetah is classified as a “critically endangered” species by the IUCN Red List, and is believed to survive only in Iran.
    • Reintroduction: It was expected to be re-introduced into the country after the Supreme Court lifted curbs for its re-introduction.
    • Extinction: From 400 in the 1990s, their numbers are estimated to have reached to 50-70 today, because of poaching, hunting of their main prey (gazelles) and encroachment on their habitat.

    Cheetah

    Cheetah

    What caused the extinction of cheetahs in India?

    • Reduced fecundity and high infant mortality in the wild
    • Inability to breed in captivity
    • Sport hunting
    • Bounty killings

    Cheetah

    Why reintroduce Cheetahs?

    • Climate Change Mitigation: It will enhance India’s capacity to sequester carbon through ecosystem restoration activities in cheetah conservation areas and thereby contribute towards the global climate change mitigation goals.
    • Reintroductions of large carnivores have increasingly been recognized as a strategy to conserve threatened species and restore ecosystem functions.
    • The cheetah is the only large carnivore that has been extirpated, mainly by over-hunting in India in historical times.
    • India now has the economic ability to consider restoring its lost natural heritage for ethical as well as ecological reasons.

    Why was Kuno National Park chosen for Cheetah Reintroduction?

    • Both Cheetah and Asiatic Lions share the same habitats semi-arid grasslands and forests that stretch across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
    • The rainfall, temperature, and altitude in the Sheopur district, where Kuno is situated, are equivalent to those of South Africa and Namibia.
    • In addition, Kuno contains a diverse population of prey species, including peafowl, wild pigs, gazelle, langurs, chital, sambhar, and nilgai.

    What are the Other Recent Initiatives for Wildlife Conservation in India?

    Legal Framework:

    • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
    • Environment Protection Act, 1986
    • The Biological Diversity Act, 2002

    India’s Collaboration with Global Wildlife Conservation Efforts:

    • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
    • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
    • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
    • Global Tiger Forum (GTF)

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  • Apple Farming in India

    apple farmersContext

    • The increasing cost of production and the increase in GST on apple cartons has triggered protests in Himachal Pradesh’s apple farmers.

    What is the issue?

    • The cost of production of agricultural items increased substantially, denying remunerative prices to the poor and marginal apple farmers.

    Reason for crisis in apple farming

    • Increase in cost of production: The input cost of fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides has risen in the last decade by 300%, as per some estimates. The cost of apple cartons and trays and packaging has also seen a dramatic rise. In the last decade, the cost of a carton, for instance, has risen from about ₹30 to ₹ The cost borne to market the Produce has also risen.
    • High taxation: The increase in the Goods and Services Tax on cartons from 12% to 18%. This was done to ensure that farmers are forced to sell their produce to big buyers instead of selling it in the open market. Just as the three farm laws were designed on the pretext of getting rid of the middlemen, the argument here was that commission agents, who fleece the apple farmers, will be forced to exit the picture. But this leaves the apple growers at the mercy of large giants in procurement, who have precedence of even deciding the procurement price.
    • No MSP in Himachal: Unlike in Jammu and Kashmir, where there is a minimum rate for procurement, there is no such law in Himachal. The government also does not seem prepared to bring in such a law. The farmers are demanding that legally guaranteed procurement at a Minimum Support Price (C2+50%) should be ensured to improve apple farmers condition.

    apple farmersHow to address this issue?

    • Need for a regulator: What is required is an independent body that is duly supported and trusted by the farmers. Such a body should have representatives of apple growers, market players, commission agents and the government. This must be a statutory body that is also given the task of conducting research in the apple economy.
    • Directional efforts: Issues such as high input cost, lack of fair price and unavailability of infrastructure such as cold chains should be addressed.
    • Required research to support improvements in apple farming systems: Over the past few decades, the priorities in research projects and government policies on apple production were focused on the improvement of tree productivity and product quality. This was important to enhance the net incomes and living standards of apple producers in India. This research should be further enhanced by introducing European varieties in India.
    • Focussing on Alternative Market Channels: The alternative market channel works on the principles of decentralisation and direct-to-home delivery. The idea is to create smaller, less congested markets in urban areas with the participation of farmers’ groups and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) so that farmers have direct access to consumers.
    • Logistics transformation: To sustain the demand for agricultural commodities, investments in key logistics must be enhanced. Moreover, e-commerce and delivery companies and start-ups need to be encouraged with suitable policies and incentives. The small and medium enterprises, running with raw materials from the agriculture and allied sector or otherwise, also need special attention so that the rural economy doesn’t collapse.

    apple farmersConclusion

    • Agriculture is dying, not as in the production of food but as a desirable profession. One bad yield, whether due to errant rains, pests, etc., and most farmers have no buffer available. The last point worth considering is that food and agriculture are not the same. Expenditures on food span the value-add, including processing, preparation, service in restaurants, etc. Farmers in India merely get paid for their product and not for the food we eat.

     

    Mains question

    Q. Do you think there is urgent need to extend MSP to horticulture sector also? Discuss what can be done to solve the apple farmer crisis in Himachal Pradesh.

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  • Vande Bharat production to begin in October: Minister

    vande bharat

    Indian Railways had successfully completed trials of the second generation Vande Bharat train that will come with enhanced passenger comfort and safety features.

    What is Vande Bharat Express?

    • The Vande Bharat Express is a semi-high-speed train designed, developed, and built by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF).
    • Presently there are only two Vande Bharat trains that are running — Delhi to Varanasi and Delhi to Katra.

    Key Features

    • The current Vande Bharat trains have seating only in two classes — chair car and executive chair car. But Railways is planning to upgrade it.
    • The trains have fully sealed gangways for a dust-free environment, modular bio-vacuum toilets, rotating seats in Executive Class, personalized reading lights, automatic entry/exit doors with sliding footsteps, diffused LED lighting, mini pantry, and sensor-based interconnecting doors in each coach.
    • They are self-propelled trains that do not require an engine. This feature is called a distributed traction power system.

    Benefits of Vande Bharat Trains

    • Cuts Travel Time Drastically
    • Energy Efficient
    • Reduce Turnaround Time
    • Faster Acceleration and Deceleration among others.

     

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  • Cyborg Cockroaches to help in urban search-rescue missions

    cyborg

    Japanese scientists have devised a system that can create cyborg cockroaches that are part insect and part machine.

    Cyborg cockroaches

    • Cyborg cockroaches’ movements are controlled by tiny integrated circuits.
    • They will be able to conduct surveillance in procedures like urban search and rescue, environmental monitoring and inspection of areas dangerous to humans.
    • By equipping the cockroaches with small wireless control modules, handlers will be able to control the insect’s legs remotely for long periods of time.
    • The team used Madagascar cockroaches, which are not only the largest species of cockroaches, reaching an estimated 6 cm, but are also known for making hissing sounds when disturbed, which they make by expelling air from the openings on their back.

    How is it powered?

    • The researchers also designed the system to be rechargeable, by powering it with a super thin 0.004 mm solar cell module that is installed on the dorsal side of the cockroach’s abdomen.
    • This was done to ensure that the battery remains charged and the cockroach can be controlled for long periods of time, while simultaneously ensuring that the movement remains unhindered.

     

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  • Urban floods mitigation

    floods
    Context

    • Bengaluru floods are alarming us to go for robust disaster management strategies.

    What is flood?

    • Floods are the most frequent type of natural disaster and occur when an overflow of water submerges land that is usually dry. Floods are often caused by heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt or a storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami in coastal areas.

    Causes of frequent urban floods

    Natural

    • Meteorological Factors:Heavy rainfall, cyclonic storms and thunderstorms causes water to flow quickly through paved urban areas and impound in low lying areas.
    • Hydrological Factors: Overbank flow channel networks, occurrence of high tides impeding the drainage in coastal cities.
    • Climate Change: Climate change due to various anthropogenic events has led to extreme weather events.

    Anthropological

    • Unplanned Urbanization:Unplanned Urbanization is the key cause of urban flooding. A major concern is blocking of natural drainage pathways through construction activity and encroachment on catchment areas, riverbeds and lakebeds.
    • Destruction of lakes: A major issue in India cities. Lakes can store the excess water and regulate the flow of water. However, pollution of natural urban water bodies and converting them for development purposes has increased risk of floods.
    • Unauthorised colonies and excess construction: Reduced infiltration due paving of surfaces which decreases ground absorption and increases the speed and amount of surface flow
    • Poor Solid Waste Management System: Improper waste management system and clogging of storm-water drains because of silting, accumulation of non-biodegradable wastes and construction debris.
    • Drainage System:Old and ill maintained drainage system is another factor making cities in India vulnerable to flooding.
    • Irresponsible steps: Lack of attention to natural hydrological system and lack of flood control measures.

    floodsImpact of the devastation due to floods:

    • On economy: Damage to infrastructure, roads and settlements, industrial production, basic supplies, post disaster rehabilitation difficulties etc.
    • On human population and wildlife:Trauma, loss of life, injuries and disease outbreak, contamination of water etc.
    • On environment:Loss of habitat, tree and forest cover, biodiversity loss and large scale greenery recovery failure.
    • On transport and communication: Increased traffic congestion, disruption in rail services, disruption in communication- on telephone, internet cables causing massive public inconvenience.

    Solutions for effective flood management

    • Improved flood warning systems: effective flood warning systems can help take timely action during natural calamities and can save lives. Pre-planning can significantly reduce the effects of floods, giving people time to migrate to safer locations and stock up essentials.
    • Building flood-resilient housing systems: concreting floors can be very useful during floods. Houses should be water proofed and electric sockets should be placed at higher levels up the walls to reduce the chances of shocks.
    • Constructing buildings above flood levels: buildings should be constructed a metre above from the ground to prevent flood damage and evacuation during floods.
    • Resilience to Climate change: drastic climate changes have increased the frequency of natural disasters in many parts of the world. Governments should bring about environment-friendly policy level changes and eliminate the ones hazardous to the environment to tackle the problem of global warming.
    • Create wetlands and encourage reforestation: creating more and more wetlands can help soak up excessive moisture since wetlands act as sponges. Wooded areas can also slow down heavy water flow, minimizing the effects of floods. Reforesting upstream regions can significantly reduce the effects of flood damage.
    • Improve soil conditions: improper soil management, animal hooves, and machinery can make soil compacted. As a result, instead of holding water in and absorbing moisture, the water runs off immediately. Properly drained soil can absorb large amounts of rainwater and can prevent it from flowing into the rivers.
    • Installing flood barriers: these are flood gates designed to prevent the area behind the barrier from flooding. They can also be kept around buildings to keep floodwaters outside the boundary created.
    • Development of GIS– Geographical Information System (GIS) based National Database: for disaster management. GIS is an effective tool for emergency responders to access information in terms of crucial parameters for disaster-affected areas.
    • Developing a Federal flood management plan: with responsibilities of union and state clearly defined.
    • Creation of 2nd flood commission: (Rashtriya Barh Aayog, created in 1976) to study the flood situation in India under rising challenges of climate change and propose a national-level flood resilience and management plan.

    Way forward

    • Resilience of people: The rapid transformation in rainfall characteristics and flooding patterns demand building people’s resilience.
    • Reconsider projects: Construction projects that impede the movement of water and sediment across the floodplain must be reconsidered.
    • Use of technology: At the same time, climate-imposed exigencies demand new paradigms of early-warning and response systems and securing livelihoods and economies.

    Conclusion

    • We can learn to live with nature, we can regulate human conduct through the state and we can strategically design where we build. We need to urgently rebuild our cities such that they have the sponginess to absorb and release water without causing so much misery and so much damage to the most vulnerable of our citizens.

    Mains question

    Q. We need to urgently rebuild our cities such that they have the sponginess to absorb and release water. Discuss the statement in context of urban flood management strategy in India.

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  • India ranks 132 in HDI as score drops

    hdi
    hdi

    India ranks 132 out of 191 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) 2021, after registering a decline in its score over two consecutive years for the first time in three decades.

    What is Human Development Index (HDI)?

    • The HDI combines indicators of life expectancy, education or access to knowledge and income or standard of living, and captures the level and changes to the quality of life.
    • The index initially launched as an alternative measure to the gross domestic product, is the making of two acclaimed economists from Pakistan and India, namely Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen.
    • It stresses the centrality of human deve­lop­ment in the growth process and was first rolled out by the United Nations Development Programme in 1990.

    Dimensions of the Human Development Index – HDI

    • The idea that progress should be conceived as a process of enlarging people’s choices and enhancing their capabilities is the central premise of the HDI.
    • Since its launch, the HDI has been an important marker of attempts to broaden measures of progress.
    • The HDI considers three main dimensions to evaluate the development of a country:
    1. Long and healthy life
    2. Education
    3. Standard of living

    Limitations of HDI

    HDR has been always disputable and has caught the public-eye, whenever it was published. It has many reasons.

    One of them is that the concept of human development is much deeper and richer than what can be caught in any index or set of indicators. Another argument is that its concept has not changed since 1990 when it was also defined in the first.

    (1) An incomplete indicator

    • Human development is incomplete without human freedom and that while the need for qualities judgement is clear; there is no simple quantitative measure available yet to capture the many aspects of human freedom.
    • HDI also does not specifically reflect quality of life factors, such as empowerment movements or overall feelings of security or happiness.

    (2) Limited idea of development

    • The HDI is not reflecting the human development idea accurately.
    • It is an index restricted to the socio-economic sphere of life; the political and civil spheres are in the most part kept separate.
    • Hence there is a sub-estimation of inequality among countries, which means that this dimension is not being taken into consideration appropriately.

    (3) A vague concept

    • Concerning data quality and the exact construction of the index HDI is conceptually weak and empirically unsound.
    • This strong critic comes from the idea that both components of HDI are problematic. The GNP in developing countries suffers from incomplete coverage, measurement errors and biases.
    • The definition and measurement of literacy are different among countries and also, this data has not been available since 1970 in a significant number of countries.

    (4) Data quality issues

    • The HDI, as a combination of only four relatively simple indicators, doesn’t only raise a questions what other indicators should be included, but also how to ensure quality and comparable input data.
    • It is logical that the UNDP try to collect their data from international organizations concentrating in collecting data in specific fields.
    • Quality and trustworthiness of those data is disputable, especially when we get the information from UN non-democratic members, as for example Cuba or China.

    (5) A tool for mere comparison

    • The concept of HDI was set up mainly for relative comparison of countries in one particular time.
    • HDI is much better when distinguishing between countries with low and middle human development, instead of countries at the top of the ranking.
    • Therefore, the original notion was not to set up an absolute ranking, but let’s quite free hands in comparison of the results.

    (6) Development has to be greener

    • The human development approach has not adequately incorporated environmental conditions which may threaten long-term achievements on human development. The most pervasive failure was on environmental sustainability.
    • However, for the first time in 2020, the UNDP introduced a new metric to reflect the impact caused by each country’s per-capita carbon emissions and its material footprint.
    • This is Planetary Pressures-adjusted HDI or PHDI. It measured the amount of fossil fuels, metals and other resources used to make the goods and services it consumes.

    (7) Wealth can never equate welfare

    • Higher national wealth does not indicate welfare. GNI may not necessarily increase economic welfare; it depends on how it is spent.
    • For example, if a country spends more on military spending – this is reflected in higher GNI, but welfare could actually be lower.

    Significance of HDI

    • It is one of the few multidimensional indices as it includes indicators such as literacy rate, enrollment ratio, life expectancy rate, infant mortality rate, etc.
    • It acts as a true yardstick to measure development in real sense.
    • Unlike per capital income, which only indicates that a rise in per capital income implies economic development; HDI considers many other vital social indicators and helps in measuring a nation’s well-being.
    • It helps as a differentiating factor to distinguish and classify different nations on the basis of their HDI ranks.

    Way forward

    • Both sustainable development and poverty eradication are both long-term and urgent endeavours, requiring not only the gradual and substantial redirection of country policies but a rapid response to pressing problems.
    • Ideally, sustainable development could provide an overarching framework within which all sub-goals (eg poverty eradication, social equality, ecosystem maintenance, climate compatibility) are framed.
    • It is not a subset of development; it is development (in a modern world of resource limits).
    • Environmental issues are not one factor among many but the meta-context within which poverty and other goals are sought.
    • Investing more in public research could lead to technological solutions to poverty and sustainability problems becoming more rapidly and openly available.

     

     

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  • Ban on Single-Use Plastics

    Since July 1, 2022, India has banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of single-use plastics (SUP) items with low utility and high littering potential.

    What are single-use plastics?

    • Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled.
    • These include, among other items, grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery.

    Why are single-use plastics harmful?

    • The purpose of single-use plastics is to use them once or for a short period of time before disposing of them. Plastic waste has drastic impacts on the environment and human health.
    • There is a greater likelihood of single-use plastic products ending up in the sea than reusable ones.

    SUP ban in India

    • India has taken resolute steps to mitigate pollution caused by littered single-use plastics.
    • A number of items are banned, including earbuds with plastic sticks, balloon sticks, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decorations, plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straws etc.
    • India has also banned plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers, etc.

    What is the impact on the environment?

    [A] Solid Waste generation

    • The disposal of plastics is one of the least recognized and most highly problematic areas of plastic’s ecological impact.
    • Ironically, one of plastic’s most desirable traits: its durability and resistance to decomposition, is also the source of one of its greatest liabilities when it comes to the disposal of plastics.
    • A very small amount of total plastic production (less than 10%) is effectively recycled; the remaining plastic is sent to landfills.
    • It is destined to remain entombed.

    [B] Ecological Impact

    (i) Groundwater and soil pollution

    • Plastic is a material made to last forever, and due to the same chemical composition, plastic cannot biodegrade; it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.
    • When buried in a landfill, plastic lies untreated for years.
    • In the process, toxic chemicals from plastics drain out and seep into groundwater, flowing downstream into lakes and rivers.
    • The seeping of plastic also causes soil pollution and have now started resulting in presence of micro plastics in soil.

    (ii) Water Pollution

    • The increased presence of plastic on the ocean surface has resulted in more serious problems.
    • Since most of the plastic debris that reaches the ocean remains floating for years as it does not decompose quickly, it leads to the dropping of oxygen level in the water.
    • It has severely affected the survival of marine species.
    • When oceanic creatures and even birds consume plastic inadvertently, they choke on it which causes a steady decline in their population.
    • In addition to suffocation, ingestion, and other macro-particulate causes of death in larger birds, fish, and mammals.

    [C] Health Hazards

    • Burning of plastic results into formation of a class of flame retardants called as Halogens.
    • Collectively, these harmful chemicals are known to cause the following severe health problems: cancer, neurological damage, endocrine disruption, birth defects and child developmental disorders etc.

    Ban elsewhere

    • India is not the first country to ban single-use plastics.
    • Bangladesh became the first country to ban thin plastic bags in 2002; New Zealand banned plastic bags in July 2019.
    • China had issued a ban on plastic bags in 2020 with a phased implementation.
    • As of July 2019, 68 countries have plastic bag bans with varying degrees of enforcement.

    What are the plastic waste management rules in India?

    • With effect from September 30, 2021 India has the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.
    • It prohibited the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of plastic carry bags whose thickness is less than 75 microns.
    • From December 31, 2022, plastic carry bags whose thickness is less than 120 microns will be banned.
    • It means that the ban does not cover all plastic bags; however, it requires the manufacturers to produce plastic bags thicker than 75 microns which was earlier 50 microns.
    • As per the notification, the standard shall be increased to 120 microns in December this year.

    What is the role of the manufacturer?

    • In addition, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022 on February 16, 2022.
    • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the responsibility of a producer for the environmentally sound management of the product until the end of its life.
    • The guidelines provide a framework to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote the development of new alternatives to plastic packaging and provide the next steps for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses.

    Various steps taken

    • The Indian government has taken steps to promote innovation and create an ecosystem for accelerated adoption and availability of alternatives across the country.
    • To ensure the effective enforcement of the ban, national and State-level control rooms will be established, as well as special enforcement teams for the purpose of checking the illegal sale and use of single-use plastics.
    • To prevent the movement of banned single-use plastic items between States and Union Territories, border checkpoints have been established.
    • In an effort to empower citizens to help curb the plastic menace, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has launched a grievance redressal application.

    What are the challenges?

    • The ban will succeed only if all stakeholders participate enthusiastically and engage in effective engagement and concerted actions.
    • However, if we look back at our past, almost 25 Indian States previously banned plastic at the state level.
    • However, these bans had a very limited impact in reality because of the widespread use of these items.
    • Now the challenge is to see how the local level authorities will enforce the ban in accordance with the guidelines.
    • Banned items such as earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, etc., are non-branded items and it is difficult to find out who the manufacturer is and who is accountable.

    Way forward

    • The consumer needs to be informed about the ban through advertisements, newspaper or TV commercials, or on social media.
    • In order to find sustainable alternatives, companies need to invest in research and development.
    • The solution to the plastic pollution problem is not the responsibility of the government alone, but of industries, brands, manufacturers and most importantly consumers.
    • Finding alternatives to plastic seems a little difficult, however, greener alternatives to plastic may be considered a sustainable option.
    • For example, compostable and bio-degradable plastic, etc., may be considered as an option.
    • While the total ban on the use of plastic sounds a great idea, its feasibility seems difficult at this hour, especially in the absence of workable alternatives.

     

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  • Mandatory requirements for Packaged Commodities

    The Department of Consumer Affairs, Legal Metrology Division has notified a draft amendment to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 making some compulsions.

    Discrepancies over Packaged Commodities

    • The Division has observed that many manufacturers/packagers/importers do not clearly label necessary declarations or prime constituents on the front of packaged commodities.
    • It is common for consumers to assume that brands’ claims are accurate, but such claims are usually misleading.
    • Such disclosure are deemed essential in order to protect consumer rights.

    What are the mandatory provisions under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011?

    • It is mandatory under the Rules, to ensure a number of declarations, such as the:
    1. Name and address of the manufacturer/packer/importer,
    2. Country of origin,
    3. Common or generic name of the commodity,
    4. Net quantity,
    5. Month and year of manufacture
    6. Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and
    7. Consumer care information.
    • As a consumer-oriented policy, all pre-packaged commodities should also be inspected.
    • Rule 9(1)(a) provides that the declaration on the package must be legible and prominent.
    • The consumers’ ‘right to be informed’ is violated when important declarations are not prominently displayed on the package.

    What are the proposed amendments?

    • As many blended food and cosmetic products are sold on the market, the key constituents need to be mentioned on the product packaging.
    • Additionally, the front side of the package must contain the percentage of the composition of the unique selling proposition (USP).
    • Also, packages displaying key constituents must display a percentage of the content used to make the product.
    • The new amendments has suggested that at least two prime components should be declared on the package’s front side along with the brand name.
    • Currently, manufacturers list the ingredients and nutritional information only on the back of the packaging.
    • This declaration must also include the percentage/quantity of the USPs of the product in the same font size as the declaration of the USPs. However, mechanical or electrical commodities are excluded from this sub-rule.

    Back2Basics: Consumer Rights

    Consumer right is an insight into what rights consumer holds when it comes to the seller who provides the goods.

    In general, the consumer rights in India are listed below:

    (1) Right to Safety

    • Means right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services, which are hazardous to life and property.
    • The purchased goods and services should not only meet their immediate needs, but also fulfil long term interests.
    • Before purchasing, consumers should insist on the quality of the products as well as on the guarantee of the products and services. They should preferably purchase quality marked products such as ISI, AGMARK, etc.

    (2) Right to be Informed

    • Means right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices.
    • Consumer should insist on getting all the information about the product or service before making a choice or a decision.
    • This will enable him to act wisely and responsibly and also enable him to desist from falling prey to high pressure selling techniques.

    (3) Right to Choose

    • Means right to be assured, wherever possible of access to variety of goods and services at competitive price. In case of monopolies, it means right to be assured of satisfactory quality and service at a fair price.
    • It also includes right to basic goods and services. This is because unrestricted right of the minority to choose can mean a denial for the majority of its fair share.

    (4) Right to be Heard

    • Means that consumer’s interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums. It also includes right to be represented in various forums formed to consider the consumer’s welfare.

    (5) Right to Seek redressal

    • Means right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers. It also includes right to fair settlement of the genuine grievances of the consumer.
    • Consumers must make complaint for their genuine grievances. Many a times their complaint may be of small value but its impact on the society as a whole may be very large.

    (6) Right to Consumer Education

    • Means the right to acquire the knowledge and skill to be an informed consumer throughout life.
    • Ignorance of consumers, particularly of rural consumers, is mainly responsible for their exploitation.

     

     

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  • Agriculture Supply Chain

    supply chainContext

    • Disruption of supply chains due to Ukraine war has implications for India’s food security

    What is supply chain in simple words?

    • A supply chain is the network of all the individuals, organizations, resources, activities and technology involved in the creation and sale of a product.

    Is supply chain management related to agriculture?

    • Agribusiness, supply chain management (SCM) implies managing the relationships between the businesses responsible for the efficient production and supply of products from the farm level to the consumers to meet consumers’ requirements reliably in terms of quantity, quality and price.

    supply chainWhat are two types of food chain?

    • Agriculture food supply chains for fresh agricultural products: (such as fresh vegetables, flowers, fruit). In general, these chains may comprise growers, auctions, wholesalers, importers and exporters, retailers and speciality shops and their input and service suppliers. Basically, all of these stages leave the intrinsic characteristics of the product grown or produced untouched. The main processes are the handling, conditioned storing, packing, transportation and especially trading of these goods.
    • Agriculture food supply chains for processed food products: (such as portioned meats, snacks, juices, desserts, canned food products). In these chains, agricultural products are used as raw materials for producing consumer products with higher added value. In most cases, conservation and conditioning processes extend the shelf-life of the products.

    supply chainSupply chain issues

    • Shelf-life constraints for raw materials, intermediates and finished products and changes in product quality level while progressing the supply chain (decay).
    • High volume, low variety (although the variety is increasing) production systems.
    • Importance of production planning and scheduling focusing on high capacity utilization.
    • Highly sophisticated capital-intensive machinery leading to the need to maintain capacity utilization.
    • Variable process yield in quantity and quality due to biological variations, seasonality, random factors connected with weather, pests and other biological hazards.

    What should we do to ensure nutritional security?

    • Strengthening and shortening food supply chains: reinforcing regional food systems, food processing, agricultural resilience and sustainability in a climate-changing world will require prioritising research and investments along these lines.
    • Infrastructure: Lastly, infrastructure and institutions supporting producers, agripreneurs and agricultural micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in their production value chain are central to the transition.
    • Potential for crop diversification: Data compiled in the agro-climatic zones reports of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the erstwhile Planning Commission of India reveal enormous potential for crop diversification and precision for enhanced crop productivity based on soil type, climate (temperature and rainfall), and captive water resources.
    • Holistic policy approach: In the context of the intensifying economic, environmental and climate challenges and crisis, the need of the hour is a good theory of transition encompassing the spatial, social and scientific dimensions, supported by policy incentives and mechanisms for achieving a sustainable, resilient and food secure agriculture.
    • Agro-climatic approach: An agro-climatic approach to agricultural development is important for sustainability and better nutrition.

    Way forward

    • Transparency: The Indian government could ensure more transparency on food stocks and regulate the private sector.
    • Set restriction on hoarding: For that, there is a need to set restrictions on the reserves that the private sector can hold, as they often tend to hoard food stocks to later sell at a profit.
    • Speculation should be regulated: This will help prevent the opaqueness of private sector reserves, which often fuels speculation by large international financial actors.
    • Positional limits: Internationally, positional limits could be set on speculators but that would require a multilateral accord, a topic which should be on the agenda at the next G-20 meeting.

    Mains question

    Q. What role supply chain play in nutritional security? Discuss the constraints in supply chain along with way forward.

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