4th NOV, 2023
Prime Minister inaugurated Second edition of World Food India (WFI) 2023
Ministry of Food Processing Industries organised WFI 2023 to celebrate 2023 as International Year of Millets, and showcase
India as ‘food basket of the world’.
1st edition was launched in 2017.
‘Exponential Food Processing: Positioning India as Global Hub’ is one of the focus pillars of WFI 2023.
India’s Food Processing Industry (FPI) emerged as “sunrise sector” and attracted FDI investments of about Rs 50,000 crore
in past nine years.
Processed food segment’s contribution to agri exports has grown to 23 percent, making an overall increase of 150 percent
of exported processed foods.
Processing Capacity increased to more than 200 lakh metric tonnes.
3 main pillars of India's growth of FPI
Small Farmers: Effective
use of Farmer Produce Initiatives taken to promote Food Processing Industry
Organizations (FPOs) to PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana.
increase their participation Mega Food Park is one of its components.
and profits. 7,000 FPOs have One District One Product scheme giving a new identity to small farmers and small industries.
already been made. Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI).
Small Industries: About 2 lakh Eat right India movement.
micro enterprises are being
organized to increase Small Scale Industries participation.
Women: More than 9 crore women are associated with SHG. Also, PM disbursed seed capital assistance to over 1 lakh
SHGs.
Studies find negative impact of air pollution on economic growth
Conventionally air pollution has been seen as a by-product of economic growth. However, in recent times it is impacting
economic growth.
Both GDP growth and per-capita income levels are impacted by it.
Key impacts on various sectors:
Human resource: 4.5% of India’s GDP could be at risk by 2030 due to lost labour hours from climate change issues,
including extreme heat and humidity (Reserve Bank of India).
Agriculture: High levels of concentration of pollutants, and particularly of ozone, reduce crop yields and thus affect
agricultural productivity.
Manufacturing and Service sector: Lower consumer footfall in consumption-led services.
Health Care services: There will be surge in health expenses and welfare allocations. It will put more burdens on the
governments.
♦ Low per-capita GDP states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh will be more vulnerable.
Way forward
Increased use of Anti-smog gun (device that spews fine
nebulised water droplets to absorb dust and polluted Major Initiatives taken in India:
particles). National Clean Air Programme (2019)
Promotion of Green building techniques for energy National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
efficiency. System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research
(SAFAR)
Replacement of conventional fuels with biofuels.
Exploration of Hydrogen based energy systems.
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Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) released Ecological Threat Report (ETR) 2023
Headquartered in Sydney, IEP is an independent, non-profit think tank.
ETR focuses on four categories of threat that are directly related to drivers of conflict. These include
Food Insecurity: 42 countries facing severe food insecurity and more than 65% of population not able to afford food in
past year.
Natural Disasters: High chance that devastating natural disaster will impact over 5% of population.
Demographic Pressure: More than 70% increase in population by 2050, increasing strain on public resources and societal
resilience.
Water Risk: No access to clean drinking water to more than Key Recommendations
20% of population.
Building resilience with functioning institutions and infrastructure.
Relationship between Ecological Threats (ET) and Conflict Empowering local communities for higher level of sustainability.
Shifts in ETR scores are associated with increased risk of Innovative programs to build water resilience like sand dams,
conflict. engineered wetlands etc.
♦ Shift in indicator score of 25% for food insecurity Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration for reclaiming degraded land.
increases the risk of conflict by 36%.
Large scale natural hazards restrict access to resources and markets resulting in food insecurity and water risk which
further fuels the conflicts.
ET influence conflict in regions with lower levels of peacefulness, high climatic variability, high poverty, and weak
governance such as Sahel.
Senegal hosts first meeting of World Health Power Shift: Why we need to wean
Organisation’s (WHO) initiative Global industrial food systems off fossil fuels
Onchocerciasis Network for Elimination (GONE) Report released
GONE, launched in January 2023, empower countries to In report, Global Alliance for the Future of Food
accelerate progress towards onchocerciasis targets set in highlights that food systems currently account for at
2030 Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) roadmap of WHO. least 15% of global fossil fuels use annually, equivalent
to 4.6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide.
Onchocerciasis, commonly known as “river blindness”, is
caused by parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus that spreads Main contributor includes Input production, land
by the bites of infected black flies that breed in rapidly flowing use and agricultural production, processing,
rivers. packaging, retail, consumption, and waste.
It is the second leading infectious cause of blindness after Key Findings:
trachoma. Energy intensity of Food processing, refrigeration,
Symptoms: Intense itching, rashes, skin discoloration, warehousing, storage is increasing as supply chains
visual impairment and permanent blindness. get longer, requiring increased use of packaging.
Africa is home to 99% of people at risk of onchocerciasis; ♦ Processing and packaging constitute the
the remaining 1% lives on border between Brazil and highest energy consumption followed by retail,
Venezuela. consumption, and waste.
Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico have been High fossil fuel usage in fertiliser production, it is
verified by WHO for eliminating transmission of disease. expected to further increase significantly through
NTDs are a diverse group of 20 conditions that are mainly 2050.
prevalent in tropical areas, where they affect more than 1 Large multinational firms dominate the agri-food
billion people who live in impoverished communities. and energy sectors.
Caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, Recommendations:
bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins. Adopting regenerative and agroecological
NTDs include: Dengue and chikungunya, Rabies, approaches.
leishmaniasis; leprosy; lymphatic filariasis etc. Promoting tax credits, subsidies, and loans to
India has successfully eliminated certain NTDs like guinea increase production of biofuel.
worm, trachoma, and yaws. Renewables-based technologies for cooling,
Initiatives to tackle NTDs heating, and drying agricultural products.
Achieve sustainable food environments that
London Declaration on NTDs.
support plant-rich diets.
30th January recognised as World NTDs Day.
Promoting collaboration between different actors
Kigali declaration on NTDs adopts the targets to eradicate or control
in food and energy systems as they are intertwined.
NTDs by 2030.
It will help in help in reducing emissions and
WHO launched mobile application to facilitate diagnosis of NTDs. promoting energy and food security.
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Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) established an institutional mechanism to
check film piracy
Under it, Nodal Officers have been appointed from Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the Ministry to receive
complaints against piracy.
Mechanism has been established under the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act 2023.
An original copyright holder or any person authorised by them
can file complaint. For complaints by non-authorized persons,
the officer can hold hearings on a case to case basis to decide
its genuineness.
After directions from officer, the intermediaries (digital
platform) have to remove internet links hosting pirated
content within a period of 48 hours.
To Curb Piracy, Cinematograph (Amendment) Act 2023 was
passed (amended the Cinematograph Act 1952).
It supports the existing laws viz. the Copyright Act, 1957
and the Information Technology Act (IT) 2000.
Key provisions of Act:
Prohibits unauthorized recording and exhibition of films.
Offences will be punishable with imprisonment (3 months
to 3 years) and a fine (three lakh rupees and 5% of the
audited gross production cost).
With the proliferation of internet piracy (unauthorized
duplication) of films and other related content has increased.
It results in losses of up to Rs. 20,000 crore every year to the film industry.
Also in News
Amnesty Scheme Dated Government securities (G-Secs)
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of The government auctioned first 50-year bond (dated G-secs)
Finance announced the amnesty scheme. which saw strong demand from investors.
According to it taxpayers, will now have additional time (till Previously, the 40-year bond, was the longest-duration bond
January 2024) to file appeals against demand orders. offered by India.
Demand orders are issued under Section 73 and 74 of the Dated G-Secs are securities which carry a fixed or floating
Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. coupon (interest rate) which is paid on the face value, on half-
yearly basis.
♦ Sections 73 and 74 apply in cases where the department
has identified a tax shortfall, lack of payment, etc. The sale of long-term bonds may help the government elongate
the tenure of debt sold and keep its interest costs under control.
Beneficiaries have to pre-deposit 12.5 % of the tax demand.
Kawah Ijen Crater Lake Lucy Mission
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission provided optical images of NASA's Lucy mission has discovered that the asteroid Dinkinesh
Kawah Ijen Crater Lake’s unique natural phenomenon. is actually a binary system of two asteroids.
About Lake: Launched in 2021, Lucy is the first space mission to explore
Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
Located in East Java (Indonesia) has a pH < 0.3.
Trojans are a group of small bodies (remnants of early solar
It is the world’s largest acidic lake.
system) that orbit the Sun in two “swarms” along the orbit of
It is known as 'largest acid cauldron on Earth' and has a Jupiter.
volcanic origin.
Trojan asteroids are most likely made of same primordial
It is the source of the extremely acidic and metal-polluted material that led to formation of outer planets (Jupiter,
river ‘Banyupahit’. Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).
It emits hot, flammable sulphurous gases that ignite upon Over its 12 year mission (2021-2023), Lucy will fly past various
contact with Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere and burn with asteroids like Eurybates, DonaldJohanson, Polymele, Leucus,
an eerie, blue flame. etc.
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Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary
National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)
(GBWS)
NDSA team has criticised the Kaleshwaram project's planning Over 50 grass species were identified during a survey on ‘Grasses
and design for Medigadda Barrage's failure. Identification and Grassland Management’ at GBWS.
About National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) About Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary
It is a protected area, situated between Kurnool and Prakasam
National Dam Safety Authority HQ
districts in Andhra Pradesh.
(NDSA) New Delhi
Lies between two hill passes known as "Mantralamma
About:
Statutory authority established under Dam Safety Act kanuma" and "Nandi kanuma".
2021. Immediately to the north of this sanctuary is Nagarjunasagar
Headed by an officer not below the rank of Additional Srisailam Tiger Reserve.
Genesis:
Secretary to Government of India or equivalent to be
appointed by Central Government. Gundlakamma River flows through it.
Forest Type: Dry mixed deciduous forest, moist dry
Functions: ♦ Making regulations for maintaining standards of deciduous, semi evergreen, dry deciduous scrub forest and
dam safety and preventing dam failures.
dry savannahs.
♦ Maintain national level database of all specified
dams and dam failures. Fauna: Animals Sloth Bear, Wild Dog, Striped Hyaena, Jungle
♦ Examine cause of any major dam failure or major Cat, Grey Langur, Lesser wooly horse-shoe bat etc.
public safety concern.
Formaldehyde (CH2O)
Sterling Engine
Researchers have found that exposure to formaldehyde caused
the loss of methylation of histones, which are proteins that
Indian scientists made a micro-scale heat engine (aka Stirling package DNA and control the function of thousands of genes.
Engine) that has shown 95% efficiency. This could further contribute to well-documented carcinogenic
Achieving high efficiency with high power has been properties of formaldehyde.
considered almost impossible as conversion of heat to Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling, flammable
energy causes heat loss in the process. chemical.
It is made up of a colloidal bead (a single particle floating in a Usage: Manufacture of resins production of plastic, cosmetics
solution), and a laser beam. industry, household products etc.
Laser beam has replaced conventionally used gas for fuel, Formaldehyde can be generated within our bodies through
and functions like a piston. The electric field is then applied metabolism of common dietary substances like the
to this setup. sweetener aspartame.
Places in News Galapagos Islands
Two new coral reefs and seamounts discovered in Galapagos Islands.
Political features
Situated in Eastern Pacific Ocean, ~1,000 km from Ecuadorian coast.
Located at confluence of three ocean currents (Humboldt current, Panama Flow and
Cromwell current).
Consists of 13 major and 6 smaller islands.
Equator passes through island.
Geographical features
Formed of lava piles and dotted with shield volcanoes, many of which are periodically
active.
Largest Island: Isabela.
Highest Point: Peak of Wolf Volcano (on Isabella Island).
Protection Status
Galapagos a wildlife sanctuary. Later, sanctuary became Galapagos National Park.
UNESCO World Heritage site.
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