DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (JANUARY 18, 2022)

1. THE POSTAL BALLOT FOR MEDIA PERSONS:EC

THE CONTEXT: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a list of those persons working in
essential services who can cast vote in upcoming assembly elections through postal ballot in five
states.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The ECI has allowed media persons authorised by it to exercise their franchise using the
    postal ballot facility for the upcoming assembly elections in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur
    and Goa.
  • The poll body has permitted persons employed in Information and Public Relation
    Department, Health and Family Welfare (Emergency Ambulance Services), Post
    Department, Traffic Department, Railways, Electricity Department, Civil Aviation
    Department, Metro Rail Corporation of Uttar Pradesh, Doordarshan, All India Radio, and
    Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited to cast their vote via postal ballot.


What is postal voting?

  • A restricted set of voters can exercise postal voting. Through this facility, a voter can
    cast her vote remotely by recording her preference on the ballot paper and sending it back
    to the election officer before counting.

Who else can avail this facility?

  • Members of the armed forces like the Army, Navy and Air Force, members of the armed
    police force of a state (serving outside the state), government employees posted outside
    India and their spouses are entitled to vote only by post.
  • The exception to the above-mentioned category of voters is provided under Section 60 of
    the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2. INDIA’S ECONOMIC SYSTEM RIGGED IN FAVOUR OF THE SUPER-RICH:

OXFAM REPORT

THE CONTEXT: The report points out that in India, during the pandemic the wealth of billionaires
increased from Rs 23.14 lakh crore to Rs 53.16 lakh crore. At the same time, more than 4.6 crore
Indians are estimated to have fallen into extreme poverty in 2020.

THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • The report was published ahead of the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda. According
    to the Global Oxfam Davos report 2022, while 84% of households in India suffered a
    decline in their income in a year marked by the tremendous loss of life and livelihoods, the
    number of Indian billionaires grew from 102 to 142.
  • The report states that just a 1% wealth tax on 98 wealthiest billionaire families in India can
    finance Ayushman Bharat, the government of India's national public health insurance fund,
    for more than seven years. It added that the collective wealth of India's 100 wealthiest
    people hit a record high of INR 57.3 lakh crore (USD 775 billion) in 2021.

CONTINUING DEPENDENCE ON INDIRECT TAXES

  • In 2000 the percentage of indirect taxation in the total tax revenue was 63.69%. Due to
    Covid pandemic, the dependent on the indirect taxes —especially the tax levied on the sale
    and manufacture of goods and services that ordinary Indians depend upon.
  • Also, the indirect tax as a share of the Union government revenue has been increasing when
    there is a decline in the proportion of corporate tax for the same in the last four years.
    The additional tax imposed on fuel has risen 33% in the first six months of 2020-21 as
    compared to the previous year and is 79% more than pre-Covid levels.
  • It is important to note, wealth tax for the super-rich was abolished in 2016. Corporatetaxes were lowered from 30% to 22% to attract investment last year, which has resulted in a loss of Rs 1.5 lakh crore, which has contributed to the increase in India's fiscal deficit.
  • These trends show that the poor, marginalised, and the middle class paid high taxes despite going through the raging pandemic while the rich made more money without paying their fair share.

LACK OF FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SERVICES

  • The India Supplement highlighted the de-prioritisation of education and health in the Union
    government budget when these two services were needed the most. Allocation towards
    health in 2021-22 saw a decline of 10% from the previous year in the Union budget, while
    the allocation towards education in 2021-22 saw an increase of only 10% from the
    previous year.
  • As a percentage of GDP, health spending has remained abysmally low at 1.2 to 1.6% and
    increased only by 0.09% over the last 22 years. As a percentage of GDP, education spending
    has remained low at 3% and increased only 0.07% over the last 18 years.
  • With 93 percent of the nation's workforce comprising of informal employment, there has
    been little success in bringing them under the ambit of formal employment, which would
    give them various benefits like paid leaves, health insurance, paid maternity leaves and
    pension”.

PRIVATISATION OF BASIC SERVICES

  • The India supplement shows that the high cost of private healthcare affects marginalised
    communities, mainly due to its high costs and further widens inequalities. Data from the
    National Sample Survey (NSS) 2017-18 shows that Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) in
    private hospitals is almost six times that in public hospitals for inpatient care and two or
    three times higher for outpatient care. The average OOPE in India is at 62.67%, while the
    global average is at 18.12%.

WAY FORWARD

  • Oxfam India said that India needs to track policy impact better by improving mechanisms
    for its measurement. “There is an immediate requirement to start disaggregating more
    public statistics by income and introduce a regular collection of data on income and wealth
    inequality while ensuring that this data is made freely available in the public domain".
  • It also highlighted the importance of generating revenue to invest in education and
    healthcare. The report pointed out that a temporary 1% surcharge on the wealthiest 10%
    of the population could help raise an additional Rs 8.7 lakh crore, utilising the education
    and health budget.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. THE GLOBAL COALITION PUSHES FOR MORATORIUM ON SOLAR

GEOENGINEERING

THE CONTEXT: An international “coalition” of scientists and governance scholars launched an
initiative that calls for a moratorium on the study and development of a controversial climate-
change mitigation strategy known as solar geoengineering.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The scholars are calling for an ‘International Non-Use Agreement on Solar
    Geoengineering’. It is particularly opposed to the idea of spraying aerosols in the
    stratosphere to scatter some sunlight into space because, the technology is “ungovernable
    in a fair, democratic and effective manner”.
    The group of experts proposed an international non-use agreement on solar geoengineering that
    called upon governments and the United Nations to make the following commitments:
  1.  To prohibit national funding agencies from supporting the development of technologies for
    solar geoengineering.
  2. To ban outdoor experiments of solar geoengineering technologies.
  3. To not grant patent rights for technologies for solar geoengineering.
  4. To not deploy technologies for solar geoengineering if developed by third parties
  5. To object to future institutionalisation of planetary solar geoengineering as a policy option in relevant international institutions, including assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

WHAT IS SOLAR GEO ENGINEERING?

According to scientists, the solar geoengineering, also known as solar radiation management or
modification, is a set of technologies to lower global temperatures by artificially intervening in the
climate systems.

WHY IT IS CONTROVERSIAL?

  • Solar geoengineering is controversial because it’s impossible to contain its consequences in
    one geographical region and, by extension, to know their full extent.
  • For example, if the US government decides to spray large quantities of aerosols into the
    stratosphere over its west coast, and scatter sunlight, there will be implications for the
    American mainland, for temperature and wind patterns over the Pacific Ocean, for marine
    life (and the livelihoods of people that depend on them), and could cascade into longer-
    term effects over South America, Oceania and Asia as well.
  • The experts have also expressed concerns that the availability of solar geoengineering technologies in the future could disincentivise the efforts and commitments being made towards achieving carbon neutrality in the world.

4. ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY LOSS LIMITS PLANTS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

THE CONTEXT: According to a new study, the plant worldwide has a 60 per cent lower chance of
adapting to climate change due to the declining numbers of birds and mammals.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • According to the study, more than half of the plant species depend on animals and plants
    for seed-dispersing. But the number of mammals, birds, fish, plants and insects has dropped
    to an average of 68 per cent from 1970 to 2016, the Living Planet Report 2020 revealed.
  • With declining animal biodiversity, fewer seeds will reach new grounds. Consequently,
    plants might lose their ability to migrate to a newer and more suitable environment.
  • The scientists used computer models to draw comparisons between seed dispersal in the
    real world and a simulated world with no extinctions and range shrinkage of birds and
    mammals.
  • They found that seed dispersal function globally has “declined sharply” from its natural level, with 60 per cent fewer seeds travelling far enough to keep pace with climate change.
  • The seed-dispersal losses were especially severe in temperate regions across North America, Europe, South America and Australia.

Effects on India

  • India is home to over 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals.
  • Over the last five decades, India has lost 12 per cent of its wild mammals, 19 per cent
    amphibians and 3 per cent birds.
  • In northeast India, seed dispensers such as elephants and bats are heavily hunted. This loss
    limits the movement of seeds in the region.
  • The rest of the country, on the other hand, has a higher density of elephants, horn bills and
    other fruit-eating animals. But the region is witnessing fragmentation and habitat
    degradation, which impact seed dispersal.
  • India has smaller patches of forests. This means animals are likely to drop off seeds on the
    rooftops. “Livestock grazing in forest areas impacts seed dispersal. Invasion is another major
    issue.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 18 TH JANUARY 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about Kathak:
1. It is a classical dance form of India originated in Southern India.
2. Its foundations are rooted in Natya Shastra, an ancient Sanskrit text written by Bharata
Muni.
3. The exponents of Kathak convey stories through rhythmic foot movements, hand gestures,
facial appearances and eye work.
Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 3 only

ANSWER FOR 17 TH JANUARY 2022.

Answer: D)
Explanation:

  • Vitamin D works more as a hormone and is involved in a host of biochemical reactions. It is
    key to maintaining metabolic functions, immune system, bone health and plays a crucial
    role in depression, mood swings, anxiety, and sleep quality.
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