TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (7th JULY 2023)

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1. THE FARMERS DISTRESS INDEX

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: The work of the farmers distress index is in the final stages and it will be handed over to the central government in the next two-three months.

EXPLANATION:

• Farmers’ exposure to shocks have increased in the recent years, with an increase in extreme climate events as well as market and price fluctuations, many times driving them to death by suicides.
• In this regard, the farmers distress index is being prepared by the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) as an early warning system.
• The index will try to anticipate farmers distress and prevent its spread from a few farmers to the village or block level.
• The main aim behind creating such an index is to minimise the agrarian distress in the form of crop loss / failure and income shock.
• It will pre-warn different stakeholders, including central, state, local and also non-government agencies about the future occurrence of farmers distress in a particular block / district so that they can take timely preventive measures.

Methodology to track distress

• The first step is to raise awareness through local newspapers, other news platforms and social media platforms for any report on incidence of farmers distress.
• Distress can include localised cases of issues with debt repayment, death by suicide, pest attacks, drought, floods, migration, among others.
• Following this, contacts of marginal and small farmers or tenant farmers from the area will be collected to conduct telephonic interviews, which will have 21 standardised questions to gauge early signs of distress.
• The answers will be mapped against seven indicators :

1) exposure to droughts, floods, crop failure due to pest attacks, livestock deaths

2) debt

3) adaptive capacity of farmer and local government through different schemes

4) land holding and irrigation facilities

5) sensitivity, mitigation and adaptation strategies like growing of contingency crops if main crop fails

6) triggers for immediate distress like health-related expenditure

7) socio-psychological factors and impacts.

• These different agencies can then carry out interventions to prevent income shocks to farmers depending on the severity of distress.
• Few solutions suggested include direct money transfer, mid-term release of claims under government’s crop insurance scheme, providing work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act etc.
• The index is currently being worked out in the form of a mobile or desktop application.
• It will be made available to different state governments, agriculture departments, rural development departments, agriculture universities, which have databases of local farmers.

Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA)

• It is an institution under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and located in Hyderabad.
• It was formed in 1985 as the Project Directorate of the All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture.
• The institute was set up with the intention of undertaking agricultural research activities in areas that have low rainfall.
• The mission of Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) is:
• Conduct basic and applied research for improving the productivity of natural resources in dryland / rainfed areas
• To develop techniques and systems for long-term conservation and efficient utilization of dryland / rainfed environmental resources
• To understand crop growth process and yield management more specifically under moisture stress
• To conduct mitigation and adaptation research on climate change impacts.

2. INTERNATIONALISATION OF RUPEE

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a RBI Panel headed by RBI Executive Director recommended measures for internationalisation of the rupee. The group was constituted by the RBI Deputy Governor to review the position of the rupee as an international currency and to frame a road map for the internationalisation of the domestic currency.

EXPLANATION:

Some of the recommendations by the RBI panel:

• A standardised approach should be adopted for examining all proposals that involve bilateral and multilateral trade agreements/arrangements for invoicing.
• It recommended the use of the existing bilateral and multilateral payment and settlement mechanisms, such as ACU (Asian Clearing Union), to internationalise the rupee.
• It recommended for opening of the rupee accounts for non-residents both in India and outside India and integrating Indian payment systems with other countries for cross-border transactions.
• Measure should be taken for the inclusion of Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) in global bond indices.
• It suggested for rationalisation of the FPI regime to facilitate a more conducive environment for foreign investments into the Indian debt markets (both government and corporate).

Internationalisation of the rupee

• Internationalisation of the rupee is a process that involves increasing the use of the local currency in cross-border transactions.
• Rupee has the potential to become an internationalised currency as India is one of the fastest growing countries.
• Higher usage of the rupee in invoicing and settlement of international trade, as well as in capital account transactions, will give the domestic currency a progressively international presence.

Measures that can be taken:

• Inclusion of the rupee in the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket
• Recalibration of the foreign portfolio investor (FPI) regime
• Higher usage of the rupee in invoicing and settlement of international trade
• Higher usage of the rupee in capital account transactions

Earlier measures:

• In July,2022 the RBI put in place a mechanism to settle international trade in rupees in order to promote growth of global trade to support the increasing interest of the global trading community in the rupee.
• Along with rupee arrangements with Bhutan and Nepal, Sri Lanka has formally included the rupee as a designated foreign currency.

Special Drawing Rights (SDR):

• The SDR is an international reserve asset created by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) to supplement the official reserves of its member countries.
• The value of the SDR is based on a basket of five currencies—the U.S. dollar, the euro, the Chinese renminbi, the Japanese yen, and the British pound sterling.

3. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR)

TAG: GS 2: HEALTH ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is today reckoned among the most ominous threats confronting Global Public Health. AMR is a global issue, not confined by political boundaries, and is a threat to all humanity.

EXPLANATION:

• It is commonly known as Antibacterial Resistance (ABR).
• AMR implies that a pathogen is sensitive to a certain drug and ceases to respond to that drug.
• AMR encompasses resistance to medicines for treatment of other pathogens too, which cause viral, fungal, and parasitic diseases.
• Human beings are the victims of AMR due to the irrational and improper use of drugs. AMR spreads in humans through their food, water, and from their environment.
• Animals and plants are also afflicted by diseases caused by pathogens, and hence are vulnerable to AMR.

Causes of AMR:

Antibiotic resistance develops naturally in bacteria. However, our actions can increase resistance developing and spreading. This can happen:

• when human and animal health professionals over prescribe antibiotics.
• when people don’t take antibiotics as directed.
• due to poor hygiene and a lack of infection prevention and control e.g. not washing hands properly.
• due to people travelling around the world, spreading resistant bacteria.

A serious concern around the world

• Over the last ten years, the prevention, control, and response to AMR has been a high priority for most national governments, international organisations, healthcare communities etc.
• The WHO’s global action plan (GAP) was adopted by member nations in 2015. National action plans have been prepared by many countries.
• India’s National Action Plan(NAP), 2017 includes:
• Coordinated action by the government and non-government sectors
• A whole of government approach (Health, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Agriculture, Dairy, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology sectors)
• Advocacy, awareness-building and involvement of the community
• Infection prevention and control
• National AMR Surveillance Network (NARS Net)
• Research and international collaboration
• AMR is also an important priority in the G20 health agenda under India’s presidency.

4. HIGH SEAS TREATY

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the UN adopted the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) or the High Seas Treaty. It became the third agreement to be approved under UNCLOS, after the 1994 and 1995 treaties, which established the International Seabed Authority and the Fish Stocks agreement.

EXPLANATION:

Background:

• The idea of protecting the marine environment led to the UNGA resolution in 2015 to form a Preparatory Committee to create the treaty.
• The Committee recommended the holding of intergovernmental conferences (IGC) and after five prolonged IGC negotiations, the treaty was adopted in 2023.

What does the treaty entail?

• The treaty’s objective is to implement international regulations to protect life in oceans beyond national jurisdiction through international cooperation.
• The treaty aims to address critical issues such as the increasing sea surface temperatures, overexploitation of marine biodiversity, overfishing, coastal pollution, and unsustainable practices beyond national jurisdiction.
• It aims to establish marine protected areas to protect oceans from human activities through a “three-quarterly majority vote,” which prevents the decision from getting blocked by one or two parties.
• The treaty mandates sharing of scientific information and monetary benefits through installing a “clear house mechanism” on the fair sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources.
• To bring transparency and boost cooperation, information on marine protected areas, marine genetic resources, and “area-based management tools” will be open to access for all parties
• The last pillar of the treaty is capacity building and marine technology. The Scientific and Technical Body will also play a significant role in environmental impact assessment.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):

• It was adopted in 1982 and lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.
• It provides information, advice and assistance to States with a view to providing a better understanding of the Convention and the related Agreements, uniform and consistent application and effective implementation.
• The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations serves as the secretariat of the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• The Division monitors all developments relating to the Convention, the law of the sea and ocean affairs and reports annually to the General Assembly of the United Nations on those developments.

International Seabed Authority (ISA)

• It is an intergovernmental body of 167 member states and the European Union established under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its 1994 Agreement on Implementation.
• The Authority operates as an autonomous international organization with its own Assembly, Council and Secretariat.
• The ISA’s dual mission is to authorize and control development of mineral related operations in the international seabed and also protect the ecosystem of the seabed, ocean floor and subsoil in “The Area” beyond national jurisdiction.

Fish Stocks Agreement:

• It sets out principles for the conservation and management of those fish stocks and establishes that such management must be based on the precautionary approach and the best available scientific information.
• It states that the states should cooperate to ensure conservation and promote the objective of the optimum utilization of fisheries resources both within and beyond the exclusive economic zone.

5. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GREEN HYDROGEN (ICGH-2023)

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The ICGH-2023 is organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Office of Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

EXPLANATION:

• The fundamental aim of the Conference is to establish a Green Hydrogen ecosystem and foster a systemic approach for meeting the global goals for decarbonization through Green Hydrogen.
• The Conference discussed on hydrogen production, storage, distribution and downstream applications and green financing, human resource upskilling etc.
• It provides a platform for domestic and international participants from the industry to discuss of the objectives embedded in India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Green hydrogen and its significance:

• Green hydrogen is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.
• The carbon intensity ultimately depends on the carbon neutrality of the source of electricity i.e., the more renewable energy there is in the electricity fuel mix, the “greener” the hydrogen produced.
• Green Hydrogen can be utilized for:
  • long-duration storage of renewable energy,
  • replacement of fossil fuels in industry,
  • clean transportation, and
  • decentralized power generation,
  • aviation and marine transport.
• It has the potential to decarbonize various sectors such as transport, industry, power and buildings, and contribute to the global efforts to mitigate climate change.
• It can also help to balance the intermittency of renewable energy sources, by storing excess electricity and releasing it when needed.
• It can also be converted into other forms of energy carriers such as ammonia, methanol or synthetic fuels, which can be used for various applications.

Green hydrogen mission

• It is a mission launched to help achieve India’s target of Net Zero by the year 2070 and energy independent by 2047.

Objectives of the mission:

• Making India a leading producer and supplier of Green Hydrogen in the world.
• Creation of export opportunities for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.
• Reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock.
• Development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
• Attracting investment and business opportunities for the industry.
• Creating opportunities for employment and economic development.

The mission outcomes projected by 2030 are:

• Development of green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW in the country.
• Over Rs. Eight lakh crore in total investments.
• Creation of over Six lakh jobs.
• Cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports over Rs. one lakh crore.
• Abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions.