Current Context : Recently, the World Energy Outlook 2024 report is published by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

India is poised to face a higher increase in energy demand than any other country over the next decade.

KEY FINDINGS ABOUT REPORT :

• Global Energy Demand: Growth slows to 0.7% annually until 2030, driven by efficiency and electrification in developed countries.
• Renewable Energy Growth: By 2030, over half of global electricity will come from low-emissions sources, with solar and wind leading this shift.
• Fossil Fuel Peak: Demand for coal, oil, and gas is expected to peak by the end of this decade.
• India’s Energy Surge: India will face the largest global energy demand increase, with total demand expected to grow by 35% by 2035.
• Coal’s Role in India: Despite the clean energy transition, coal will remain dominant in India’s energy mix, especially for industrial uses.
• Electricity Demand in India: India’s electricity generation capacity is set to triple, reaching 1,400 GW by 2035, driven by industrial growth and air conditioner use.

Current Context : The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2024 report, jointly released by the UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

Theme 2024: “Poverty Amid Conflict” explores the link between violent conflict and multidimensional poverty.

Key Findings of Global MPI 2024:

• 1 billion people(~18%) live in multidimensional poverty across 112 countries.
• 455 million live in conflict-affected areas.

Impact of Conflict:

• 8%of people in conflict zones are poor, compared to 10.9% in peaceful regions.
• Poverty is more severe in conflict zones, especially in nutrition, electricity access, and child mortality.

Children:

• Over 50%of the MPI-poor are children (584 million). Child poverty rate: 9%

Basic Needs:

• 637 million live with undernourished members, 998 million lack cooking fuel, and 886 million lack adequate housing.

Poverty Reduction:

• 76 of 86 countriesreduced MPI-poverty, with 9 of 17 showing progress post-pandemic

India’s MPI:

• Largest Poor Population: India has 234 million people living in acute poverty, the highest globally.
• India’s National MPI (NMPI): Launched in 2021 by NITI Aayog, it retains the 10 original global MPI indicators and adds two more: Maternal Health and Bank Account ownership.

ABOUT MPI

• It is a poverty measure that reflects the multiple deprivations that poor people face in the areas of education, health, and living standards (refer image).
• Launched: 2010, by UNDP and OPHI.
• Purpose: Measures acute multidimensional poverty based on health, education, and living standards.
• Indicator Threshold: People are considered MPI-poor if deprived in 1/3rd or more of the 10 (weighted) indicators.

Observed annually on October 21.

• Purpose: Honors police officers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
• Historical Significance: Commemorates the ambush of ten Indian policemen by the Chinese Army in Ladakh in 1959.
• First Observance: The day was first officially observed in 1960.

Celebrated every five years, with this year observance on October 20, 2024.

• First celebrated on October 20, 2010, following a UN General Assembly resolution.
• Theme for 2024: “Empowering Data for Sustainable Development,” focusing on the role of data in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Aim : to raise awareness about the importance of reliable data in global policy-making and improving national welfare.

General Studies Paper-2

Context: The United Nations’ goal to eradicate world hunger by 2030 seems increasingly challenging to achieve due to the impacts of wars, climate change, and economic crises.

About

• Goal 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is all about creating a world free of hunger by 2030.
• The 2024 Global Hunger Index score for the world is 18.3, with 42 countries still experiencing alarming or serious hunger.
  • Hunger is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where the crisis has soared to humanitarian levels.
• Little progress has been made on reducing hunger since 2016, and the prospects for achieving Zero Hunger by the target date of 2030 are grim.

Food Insecurity in India

• India has been ranked 105th out of 127 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024, placing it in the “serious” category for hunger levels.
• The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report states that around 224 million people in India faced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2021-22.

What are the challenges?

• Wars and Conflicts: Ongoing conflicts like in the Red Sea, disrupt supply chains, and access to food, leading to severe hunger, especially in vulnerable regions like sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
• Climate Change: Extreme weather events, droughts, floods, and shifting agricultural patterns caused by climate change severely affect food production and availability.
• Regional Disparities: Hunger remains most severe in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where conditions have escalated to humanitarian crises, making it harder to address hunger effectively in these regions.
• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity, pushing many households into poverty and making it harder for them to access sufficient food.

India’s Efforts to achieve zero hunger by 2030

• Mid-Day Meal Programme: The Programme aims to boost enrolment, retention, and attendance while improving the nutritional status of children in government, local body, and government-aided schools.
• Food Fortification: The government promotes fortified rice, wheat flour, and edible oils as part of the public distribution system.
• The National Food Security Act, 2013: The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
• Poshan Tracker: The Ministry of Women and Child Development developed the Poshan Tracker ICT application as a key governance tool.
  • It uses WHO’s expanded tables with day-based z-scores to dynamically assess stunting, wasting, underweight, and obesity in children based on height, weight, gender, and age.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was launched to alleviate hardships faced by the poor due to economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
• SakshamAnganwadi and Poshan 2.0 includes key schemes such as the POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anganwadi Services and Scheme for Adolescent Girls as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country.

Way Ahead

• Humanitarian Assistance: Provide more financial resources for humanitarian aid to conflict-affected regions to ensure food distribution and nutritional support.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Promote agricultural practices that can withstand shocks from climate change.
• Targeted Assistance Programs: Develop targeted food assistance programs for vulnerable populations affected by conflicts, including cash transfers and food vouchers.

Current Context : India has recently signed a deal with the United States to acquire 170 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles.

ABOUT AGM-114R HELLFIRE MISSILES

• Type: Short-range Air-to-Ground Missile (AGM).
• Range: Approximately 7 to 11 kilometers.
• Guidance: Semi-Active Laser (SAL) guided, allowing for precision strikes.
• Versatility: Designed to neutralize a variety of targets, including:
• Air defense systems
• Patrol boats
• Armored vehicles
• Enemy combatants
• Warhead: Multipurpose, enabling it to handle different types of threats.
• Launch Platforms: Can be launched from various platforms, including:
• Aircraft
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Current Context : Recently, United Kingdom, a Five Eye Alliance extended support to Canada in recent diplomatic crisis with India.

ABOUT FIVE EYE (FVEY) ALLIANCE 

• The Five Eyes (FVEY) is a multilateral intelligence-sharing alliance between five countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Origins : It was established post-World War II, formalized in 1948 to enhance cooperation on signals intelligence (SIGINT) during the Cold War.
• Focus Areas : Primarily deals with intelligence related to surveillance, counterterrorism, cyber threats, and monitoring geopolitical adversaries (like China and Russia).
• Each country is responsible for intelligence gathering in different regions:
• US: Russia and parts of Asia
• Canada: Polar regions
• Australia: South and East Asia
• UK & NZ: Europe and Pacific respectively.

Current Context : The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM-K), Kundli, has introduced the Solar Assisted Reefer Transportation with Hybrid Controls and Intelligence (SARTHI) System.

ABOUT SARTHI

• Objective: SARTHI is designed to reduce post-harvest losses during the transportation of perishable goods like fruits and vegetables.
• It features dual compartments that cater to the different temperature and humidity needs of fruits and vegetables, optimizing their storage conditions.
• The system can maintain temperatures between 0-5°C in one compartment and 7-12°C in another, with a provision for even lower temperatures (-10°C) for specific produce.
• SARTHI uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology for real-time monitoring of temperature, humidity, ethylene, and CO2 levels. Sensors collect data, which is sent to a mobile app for easy access to quality parameters during transportation.

Current Context : Recently, Supreme Court hit out at the Punjab and Haryana governments for their failure to take effective action against stubble burning, which results in the deterioration of air quality in the Delhi-National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR).

ABOUT

• Stubble burning refers to setting fire to the leftover stubble after the rice harvest. This practice is common between September and November in northern India, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Cause: The narrow time window between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing compels farmers to use this quick, inexpensive method to clear fields.

Impacts of Stubble Burning:

1. Air Pollution:Major source of pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NOx) that worsen air quality in the Delhi-NCR region, contributing to severe smog and health hazards.
2. Climate Change:Releases greenhouse gases (GHGs), exacerbating global warming.
3. Soil Degradation:Nutrient loss from burning residues negatively impacts soil fertility.

Stubble Management Strategies:

• Incorporation into Soil:Using machinery to mix stubble into the soil, improving fertility and productivity.
• Alternative Uses:Turning crop residues into animal feed, bioethanol, biogas, and compost.

Why Delhi faces the most severe pollution due to stubble burning?

• Geographical Proximity: Delhi is close to Punjab and Haryana, where stubble burning is widespread.
• Wind Patterns: Prevailing northwesterly winds carry smoke from the fields of Punjab and Haryana directly toward Delhi. These winds combine with local pollution sources like vehicular emissions, industrial activity, and construction dust.
• Local Emissions: Vehicular traffic, industrial emissions, and construction dust compound the problem.When combined with stubble burning emissions, the overall pollution levels become hazardous.
• Meteorological Conditions: During the winter months lower wind speeds, colder temperatures, and a phenomenon called temperature inversion (where a layer of warm air traps pollutants close to the ground) create a “pollution trap” over the region. This leads to higher concentrations of particulate matter in the air, worsening the smog.
• Valley Effect: Delhi’s geography creates a “valley effect” where pollutants settle in the low-lying areas, making it difficult for polluted air to disperse. The flat plains and limited airflow during the winter months make the city more vulnerable to prolonged pollution episodes.

Current Context :  Recently, the central government has extended the Samarth Scheme for two years (FY 2024-25 and 2025-26) with a budget of Rs. 495 Crore to train 3 lakh persons in textile-related skills.

ABOUT SAMARTH SCHEME:

• It is a Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS).
• Aim: It aims to provide skill development training in the organized textile sector to generate employment, except in spinning and weaving.
• Training Focus: Includes entry-level training, as well as upskilling and reskilling existing workers, particularly in areas like apparel and garmenting.​
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textiles, Government of India