Current Context : Recently, World Food Programme (WFP) Released ‘Global Outlook for 2025’ Report.

• It provides updates on global food security & highlights solutions WFP can offer to respond to crises, and tackle root causes of hunger.

Relevant Data

Global Hunger Crisis

• 343 million people across 74 countries are acutely food insecure.
• 9 million are on the brink of starvation.

Key Drivers of Hunger

• Armed violence: Affects 14 out of 16 hunger hotspots (e.g., Sudan, Gaza).
• Other factors: Food inflation, extreme weather events, and fragile governance.
• 65%of acutely food-insecure people live in fragile/conflict-affected situations.

Funding Requirement

• The WFP requires $16.9 billion to assist 123 million vulnerable people in 2025.

India-Specific Data

1. Malnutrition and Poverty
   1. 25%of the world’s undernourished population resides in India.
   2. 25%of the population lives on less than $1.90/day.
   3. 38% of children aged 6-59 months suffer from chronic malnutrition.

About the World Food Programme (WFP)

Establishment

1. Founded in 1961by the UN General Assembly and FAO.
2. HQ: Rome, Italy.

Operations

1. Active in 120+ countries.
2. Largest humanitarian agency addressing hunger and building resilience.

Recognition

1. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.

Current Context : Koraga tribal community in Kerala is set to receive land titles under Operation Smile project.

About koraga tribe

Habitat

• Found primarily in Kasaragod district (Kerala)and Karnataka.
• Classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).

PVTG Classification

• PVTGs identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• India has 75 recognized PVTGs.
• Scheduled Tribe Status : Recognized as a Scheduled Tribe under the Presidential Order of 1956.
• Language : Primarily speak Tulu, but have their independent language.
• Traditional Occupation : Known for basket weaving as a traditional livelihood.

About Operation Smile :  It is a Kerala government initiative to rehabilitate and support homeless people, including tribal communities.

Current Context : The Minister of State for Communications provided details regarding Digital Bharat Nidhi to a question in Rajya Sabha.

About Digital Bharat Nidhi

• Initially known as Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
• Established under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003.
• Renamed to Digital Bharat Nidhi by the Telecommunications Act, 2023​

Objective : Promote access to telecommunication services in underserved rural, remote, and urban areas.

• Support inclusive and affordable telecom services​

Operates under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications.

General Studies Paper -3

Context: As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), The Worker Population Ratio for women has increased from 22% in 2017-18 to 40.3% in 2023-24.

About

• The Labour Force Participation Rate for women has risen from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24.
• It indicates that 39.6% of women with post-graduate education and above are employed in 2023-24, up from 34.5% in 2017-18.
• 9% of women with a higher secondary education are part of the workforce in 2023-24, compared to 11.4 per cent in 2017-18.

Recent Trends as per the State of Working India Report 2023

• Older women with lower levels of education are exiting the workforce and younger women with higher levels of education are entering it.
• The number of women in salaried employment is increasing, while women in informal wage work are decreasing.
• The share of women working in agriculture is decreasing. The proportion of women entering the services sector is increasing.
• Impact:
• As the number of women in salaried employment increases, it has a positive impact on the gender gap in earnings, which decreases with more women leaving casual wage work.
• These shifts in the female workforce imply a longer-term impact on women’s economic participation in the country.

Significance of Women Participation

• India is seeking to harness its demographic dividend, with the largest working-age population in the world—expected to touch nearly 70 percent by 2030.
• India is poised to become the biggest contributor to global growth.
• A recent report has forecast that the next five years are crucial for the country to achieve a GDP growth rate of 8 percent.
• To ensure that growth, women must account for more than half of the new workforce which will be created by 2030.

Challenges

• Pay Gap: Despite entering the workforce in larger numbers, women often face a significant gender pay gap.
• Sexual Harassment: Women in the workplace, particularly in male-dominated sectors, face a high risk of sexual harassment.
• Unpaid Domestic Work: Even though women are increasingly participating in the workforce, they still bear the primary responsibility for unpaid domestic labor, such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare.
• Lack of Supportive Infrastructure: There is insufficient support infrastructure such as childcare facilities, flexible working hours, and work-from-home options that could ease the burden of balancing work and family duties.
• Resistance from Family: Families often resist the idea of women working, especially in rural areas or conservative households.

Government Initiatives to Increase women Participation in Labour Force

• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY): Under PMMY, women can avail of micro-credit loans without collateral to set up small enterprises, helping women overcome barriers related to accessing capital.
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme: The scheme works to prevent gender-based discrimination and violence, focusing on changing societal attitudes towards girls.
• It promotes education, health, and empowerment, which indirectly increases women’s participation in the labor force.
• Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017: The Act extended the maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for women working in establishments with more than 10 employees.
• Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) by NITI Aayog: The platform offers mentorship, networking, funding, and skill development opportunities for women in business.
• Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM): The NRLM, through its SHG component, encourages women in rural areas to form collectives that can access credit, entrepreneurship training, and marketing opportunities.
• National Creche Scheme: This scheme supports working mothers, especially those in the unorganized sector, by setting up daycares in nearby locations where they can leave their children while they work.
• Mission Shakti is a women empowerment programme launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) for the period 2021-2025.
• It aims to strengthen interventions for women’s welfare, safety, and empowerment, making women equal partners in nation-building.
• The Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE KIRAN) program has supported nearly 1,962 women scientists from 2018 to 2023.

Way Ahead

• Women-led development remains at the core of announcements made by the Finance Minister (FM) in this year’s Budget.
• There has been a remarkable 218.8 percent rise in the budget allocation for women’s welfare from FY14 to FY25.
• Shifting societal norms about women’s roles through awareness campaigns can encourage more women to join the workforce.
• Encouraging women’s entrepreneurship through easier access to credit, business training, and financial support will foster economic independence.

Ensuring safe work environments, addressing workplace harassment, and offering flexible work options will help women balance work and family responsibilities.

Current Context : The Ministry of Culture implements the “Global Engagement Scheme” to promote India’s rich cultural heritage across the globe.

About Global Engagement Scheme

• Objective : Promotes India’s rich cultural heritage globally, fostering international cultural relations.
• Former Name: Previously called the Scheme for Promotion of International Cultural Relations.
• Components:
• Festival of India (FoI): Organized abroad to enhance people-to-people connections and bilateral cultural ties.
• Grant-in-Aid to Indo-Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies: Provides support to cultural societies fostering international cultural exchanges.
• Contribution Grant: Includes Indian contributions to international organizations such as:
  • ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)
  • World Heritage Fund.
• Supports Indian participation and hosting of international cultural and heritage-related meetings.

Current Context : Recently, the Rengma Naga tribe concluded a two-day celebration of the Ngada festival-cum-Mini Hornbill Festival at the Tseminyu RSA ground in Nagaland.

About Rengma Naga Tribe:

• Ethnic Group: Tibeto-Burman.
• States: Predominantly in Nagaland and Assam.
• Names: Refer to themselves as “Njong” or “Injang”.
• Racial Stock: Mongoloid.
• Migration History: Believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia across the Yunnan mountains to Upper Burma before settling in their current region.

Economic Activities:

• Primary occupation:
• Practices: Jhum cultivation (slash-and-burn) and wet cultivation for paddy.

Festival : “Ngada” is the most important festival of Rengma tribes.

Current Context : Recently, the chief of the Indian Army launched an online learning platform for the Indian Army nicknamed as “Eklavya”.

About Eklavya Digital Platform:

• Aimed at enhancing online learning for Army personnel, it was developed by BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics) in collaboration with the Directorate General of Information Systems.

Features and Hosting:

• Hosted on the Army Data Network with a scalable design to integrate multiple training establishments and courses seamlessly.
• Provides access to professional courses, preparatory materials, and assignment-related learning.

Categories of Courses:

1. Pre-Course Preparatory Capsules: Basics for physical courses to focus on advanced applications.
2. Specialization Courses: Assignment-related training to enhance expertise.
3. Professional Development Suite: Topics include leadership, strategy, operational art, technology, and more.

Unique Functionalities:

• Includes a “Knowledge Highway” with journals, research papers, and articles for comprehensive study.
• Students can enroll in multiple courses simultaneously, encouraging continuous education.

Alignment with Army Goals:

• Supports the theme of 2024 as the “Year of Technology Absorption” and aligns with the vision of transforming the Indian Army.

Current Context : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recently approved investing Rs 1750 crores for the Tato-I Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Shi Yomi District.

About Tato-I Hydroelectric Project:

 Location: Shi Yomi District, Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Historical Evolution:

• Initially planned as part of a broader hydroelectric initiative to harness Arunachal Pradesh’s energy potential.
• Stalled due to various challenges, it was revived with fresh investment under the Central Government’s push for renewable energy development​
• Installed Capacity: 186 MW (3 units of 62 MW each).
• Completion Timeline: 50 months from approval.
• Expected Annual Generation: 802 million units (MU) of electricity​
• Jointly developed by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd. (NEEPCO) and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

Key Benefits For Arunachal Pradesh:

• 12% of generated power allocated for free.
• 1% of power set aside for Local Area Development Fund (LADF).

Observed annually on December 2.

• Aim : To spread awareness about the importance of technological skills and encourage their development worldwide.
• First observed in 2001, launched by the Indian computer company NIIT on its 20th

Observed annually on December 2.

• Aim : to raise awareness about the prevalence of modern slavery and its various forms, including human trafficking, forced labor, child labor, and forced marriages.
• Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1986 to focus on ending modern slavery practices.