Context: Declining multidimensional poverty is good news but income poverty, which has remained defiantly high for the last five years, must be fixed.

Progressing Indian economy:

• NSO estimates GDP growth at 7.3%, Sensex crosses 72,000, and foreign exchange reserves exceed $620 billion.
• Inflation contained within RBI's desired band of 4 plus/minus 2 percent.
• India has achieved a remarkable reduction in its MPI value and Headcount Ratio between 2015-16 and 2019-21, indicating success of the country’s commitment and action to address the multidimensional nature of poverty through its multisectoral approach.
• Optimistic macro-economic outlook for India, outperforming G20 countries.

Challenges:

The Indian economy has faced several challenges in recent times, including:

Weak Demand: The economy has grappled with weak demand, which has impacted various sectors

Unemployment: Rapid growth in unemployment has been a significant challenge, affecting the country's workforce

Poor Infrastructure: India's infrastructure gap, estimated to be around $1.5 trillion, has hindered economic development and the quality of life, particularly in rural areas Balance of Payments Deterioration: The country has been running a persistent current account deficit, reflecting its dependence on foreign goods and services

High Levels of Private Debt: The economy has been burdened by high levels of private debt, impacting financial stability

Inequality: There is a significant disparity between the rich and the poor, posing a challenge to inclusive economic growth

Population Growth: The heavy population pressure has strained the economy, affecting Resource allocation and social welfare

Agrarian Crisis: The agriculture sector, which employs a large portion of the population, has faced challenges, contributing to the overall economic issues

Inflation: High inflation has affected the cost of living and household financial savings, impacting purchasing power

Trade Imbalance and Global Developments: The economy has been influenced by trade imbalances, global demand, and macroeconomic policies, posing risks to growth and development

Income poverty

• It  refers to a situation where an individual or a family's income is insufficient to meet basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing.
• In the context of India, the poverty line is calculated based on the income required to afford a minimum standard of living.
• According to the World Bank, extreme poverty in India has reduced by 12.3% between 2011 and 2019, with the poverty headcount rate declining from 22.5% to 10.2% during this period.
•  The poverty rate in the country has nearly halved, falling from 55% to 28% over the ten-year period.
• Despite these improvements, poverty remains widespread in India, with millions of people still living below the poverty line. While there has been progress in reducing income poverty, it remains a significant challenge in the country.

Causes:

1. Lack of good jobs/job growth: When there is a lack of good job opportunities or job growth, individuals may struggle to generate sufficient income.
2. Inequality and marginalization: Social and economic inequality can contribute to poverty, as marginalized groups may face barriers to accessing Resources and opportunities.
3. Lack of access to basic healthcare and education: Without access to essential healthcare and education, individuals may find it difficult to improve their economic prospects.
4. Conflict and instability: Regions affected by conflict and instability often experience higher levels of poverty due to the disruption of livelihoods and basic services.
5. Inadequate infrastructure and Resources: Limited access to clean water, nutritious food, and basic services can perpetuate poverty by hindering individuals' ability to meet their basic needs.
6. Unemployment and underemployment: High levels of unemployment and underutilized Resources can lead to a lack of income-generating opportunities, particularly in sectors such as agriculture.
7. Ineffective governance: Poor governance can impede economic development and the provision of essential services, contributing to persistent poverty.

Solutions:

To address income poverty in India, several measures have been proposed and implemented. Some of the common solutions include:

• More Employment Opportunities: Creating and promoting more job opportunities, especially in rural areas, can help alleviate poverty
• Minimum Needs Programme: Implementing programs that ensure the supply of minimum needs to the poor sections of society, such as food, shelter, and clothing
• Social Security Programmes: Introducing social security programs to provide a safety net for the vulnerable population
• Education Facilities: Providing universal access to education, including special facilities such as stipends, free books, and contingency allowances for the poor
• Agricultural Growth and Poverty Alleviation: Focusing on agricultural growth and related initiatives to uplift rural communities
• Infrastructure Development: Accelerating the development of infrastructure, including transportation, energy, and communication networks, to create employment and economic opportunities
• Human Resource Development: Investing in the development of human capital through education, healthcare, and skill training
• Access to Assets and Credit: Facilitating access to assets and credit for the poor to support entrepreneurship and economic activities
• Public Distribution System: Strengthening the public distribution system to ensure the efficient and equitable distribution of essential goods and services
• Direct Attack on Poverty: Implementing targeted anti-poverty programs and schemes to directly address the needs of the impoverished population
• These measures aim to tackle income poverty through a combination of economic, social, and policy interventions, with a focus on creating sustainable livelihoods and improving the well-being of the population.

Context: On January 8, 2024, the Union Health Ministry introduced updated regulations in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, aiming to strengthen the oversight of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Pharmaceutical Companies:

• GMP functions as a framework ensuring consistent production and control of products in adherence to quality standards. It seeks to mitigate risks in pharmaceutical production that cannot be addressed solely through final product testing.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) provides extensive GMP guidelines, with various countries developing their specific requirements based on WHO GMP.
• Regional bodies such as ASEAN and the EU synchronize their requirements through the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention.

GMP for Pharmaceutical Companies in India:

• In India, GMP is obligatory, ensuring product quality through control over materials, methods, machines, processes, personnel, and facility/environment.
• Originally incorporated in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules in 1988, the last amendment occurred in 2005. The recent amendment replaced 'GMP' with 'Good Manufacturing Practices and Requirements of Premises, Plant and Equipment for Pharmaceutical Products.'

Revised Schedule M of Drugs: Need and Changes Introduced

• To align with global standards, particularly those of the WHO, and guarantee globally accepted drug quality, the Ministry revised Schedule M. Changes introduced include the incorporation of a Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS), Quality Risk Management (QRM), Product Quality Review (PQR), Qualification and Validation of Equipment, and a Computerized Storage System for all drug products.
• The revised rules underscore manufacturers' responsibility for product quality, compliance with license requirements, and patient safety.

Implementation of Revised Schedule M Rules:

Implementation of the revised rules is based on company turnovers: Small and medium manufacturers (annual turnover less than ₹250 crore) must comply within 12 months, while large manufacturers (annual turnover exceeding ₹250 crore) have a six-month timeframe for implementation.

Significance of Government's Revision of Schedule M:

• This revision is a positive development for the Indian pharmaceutical sector, enhancing and modernizing the quality standards of medicines.
• It reinforces the industry's standing, enhances patient outcomes, and ensures compliance with international quality standards.
• The emphasis on risk management, equipment qualification and validation, and self-inspection significantly contributes to the sector's progress.

Sohrai paintings

Context: On January 8, 2024, a secluded village in Bengal embraced the commencement of the New Year by hosting a workshop dedicated to the ancient indigenous art form known as Sohrai Painting.

About Sohrai Painting:

• Sohrai Painting is an indigenous mural art deeply embedded in cultural traditions. The term 'Sohrai' is derived from 'soro,' meaning 'to drive with a stick.'
• With roots dating back to the Meso-chalcolithic period (9000-5000 BC), this art form can be traced to ancient times.
• Notably, the Isko rock shelter in Barkagaon, Hazaribagh, showcases rock paintings identical to traditional Sohrai art

Theme and Elements:

• Themes in Sohrai Painting predominantly revolve around natural elements such as forests, rivers, and animals. Tribal (Adivasi) women are the creators of these paintings, utilizing natural substances like charcoal, clay, or soil.
• The primitive manifestation of Sohrai art initially appeared as cave paintings, reflecting its historical evolution.

Geographical Practice:

Primarily practiced by indigenous communities, Sohrai Painting finds expression in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal. The Hazaribagh region in Jharkhand has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for this distinctive art form.

Artistic Custodians:

Sohrai Painting serves as the artistic expression of women from tribes like Kurmi, Santal, Munda, Oraon, Agaria, and Ghatwal.

Distinctive Features:

Renowned for vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and symbolic motifs, Sohrai paintings carry a unique visual identity.

Sohrai Festival:

An annual Sohrai festival marks the harvesting season and the onset of winter, celebrating the rich cultural significance of this art form.

Context: On January 8, 2024, the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) issued a cautionary advisory regarding the feeding of animals with cassava, commonly known as tapioca.

About Tapioca Plant:

• Tapioca is a significant horticulture crop extensively cultivated on nearly 3 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, yielding an annual production of 60 lakh tonnes.
• It holds global importance and is cultivated across tropical regions worldwide for its tuberous roots.
• These roots serve as the SOURCE for various products, including cassava flour, bread, tapioca pearls, laundry starch, and an alcoholic beverage.

Climatic Requirements:

• Tapioca flourishes in well-drained soil, preferably red lateritic loamy soil, and thrives in a tropical, warm, and humid climate.
•  It requires well-distributed rainfall exceeding 100 cm annually and can be cultivated up to an elevation of 1000 m.

Cyanogenic Glucosides (CNGs):

• All parts of the cassava or tapioca plant, including leaves, stem, tuber, and rind, contain cyanogenic glucosides (CNGs) like linamarin and lotaustralin.
• These compounds can be hydrolyzed by the endogenous enzyme linamarase to acetone cyanohydrin, which may spontaneously release free hydrogen cyanide.
•  Both acetone cyanohydrin and free cyanide are toxic.
• Tapioca leaves contain approximately 10 times higher CNGs than the roots, and the cyanogenic glucoside content in the rind is 10-30 times higher than in the edible parts.

Risk of Cyanide Poisoning:

Feeding crushed peels or leaves immediately after crushing, or without proper drying, poses a high risk of cyanide poisoning in animals. Proper processing and precautions are essential to mitigate the toxic effects of cyanogenic glucosides in tapioca plants.

Context: The reappearance of toxic foam in the Indrayani River has revived concerns about pollution in the region.

About Indrayani River :

• Geographical Setting: The Indrayani River serves as a tributary of the Bhima River, a significant contributor to the Krishna River.
• Originating near Lonavla in Kurvande village amidst the Sahyadri mountains of Maharashtra, the river depends on rainfall for its flow.
• Flowing eastward, it converges with the Bhima River, mainly coursing to the north of Pune. Religious towns like Alandi and Dehu grace the riverbanks, with Dehu being renowned as the hometown of Saint Tukaram and Alandi hosting the samadhi of the poet Dnyaneshwar.
• The Valvan Dam at Kamshet on the Indrayani River serves as a hydroelectric generating station.

Bhima River:

• Known as the Chandrabagha River, the Bhima River plays a crucial role as a major tributary to the Krishna River in the southwest.
• It begins from the Bhimashankar hills near Karjat, Maharashtra, traversing through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana, and ultimately merging into the Krishna River at Kadlur (Raichur).
• River Characteristics: With a length of 861 km, the river is bordered by the Western Ghats, Balaghat Range, and Mahadeo Hills. The Bhima River basin spans 48,631 sq. km, with 75 percent located in Maharashtra. Notable tributaries include the Sina and Nira rivers.
• Sacred Significance: Pandharpur, situated on the right bank of the Bhima River, holds sacred significance.

India cut its windfall tax on petroleum crude to 1,700 rupees ($20.53) a tonne from 2,300 rupees a tonne, according to a recent government notification.

Windfall Tax

It is a tax levied by governments against certain industries when economic conditions allow those industries to experience significantly above-average profits.

• The term “windfall” refers to an unexpected rise in profits, and the tax on windfall gains is known as the windfall tax. 

When is it imposed?

• • When the government notices a sudden increase in an industry's revenue, they impose this tax.
  • However, these revenues cannot be linked to anything the company actively pursues, such as its business strategy or expansion.
  • Rather, it is related to a one-off external event for which the business is not responsible. 
  • Consequently, a Windfall Tax is imposed on an industry's profits when it experiences a sharp increase in revenue due to unrelated external events.
  • A recent example is the sudden rise in the profits of the oil and gas industries due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 
  • The unexpected windfalls are taxed by the government over and above the normal tax rates.

The most common industries that fall target to windfall gains tax include oil, gas, and mining.

Purpose:

• • Redistribution of unexpected gains when high prices benefit producers at the expense of consumers;
  • To fund social welfare schemes;
  • As a supplementary revenue stream for the government;
  • As a way for the Government to narrow the country’s widening trade deficit.

A rare and elusive bear, the Tibetan brown bear, has been recently sighted in Sikkim, making it the first confirmed record of the animal being sighted in India.

Tibetan Brown Bear

• The Tibetan brown bear, also known as the Tibetan blue bear, is one of the rarest subspecies of bears in the world and is rarely sighted in the wild. 
• Scientific Name: Ursus arctos pruinosus
• Distribution:
  • Historically found mainly on the alpine eastern Tibetan plateau (4,500 to 5,000 metres) in eastern Tibet, western China, Nepal, and Bhutan.
  • Remaining bears in the wild seem to be confined to eastern Tibet and Bhutan.
• Habitat: It inhabits alpine forests, meadows, and steppes, close to the tree line.
• This rare bear is very different from the more commonly found Himalayan black bear in terms of its appearance, habitat, and behaviour.
• Features:
  • It has shaggy, dark brown to black fur, a cream to cinnamon face, and a white collar that broadens from the shoulders to the chest. 
  • It has small ears covered with long black fur.
  • Lifespan: around 20 to 30 years.
  • Its sense of smell is much more acute than its hearing and sight.
  • They are solitary, but the territories between two Himalayan brown bears have been seen to overlap. They are one of the most terrestrial of the bears. 
  • It feeds on marmots and alpine vegetation.

Conservation Status:

• • IUCN Red List: Least Concern
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule II

Recently, a photographer has spotted an extremely rare all-white Gentoo penguin in Chilean Antarctica.

Gentoo penguin

It is exclusively found in the Southern Hemisphere between 45 and 65 degrees south latitude.

• Within this range, gentoos are found on the Antarctic Peninsula as well as many sub-Antarctic islands.
• One of the most predominant locations gentoos inhabit is the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Habitat: Gentoo penguins typically are found along the shoreline. This allows the penguins to be able to quickly access food while remaining close to their nest.

• The major difference between gentoo penguins and other penguin species are their head markings.
• Gentoos feature two white wedges around their eyes that are connected by a medium-sized line across the tops of their heads.
• Their heads are mostly covered in black feathers but small flecks of white feathers can also be found.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Falkland Islands?

It is an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic Ocean. It lies about 300 miles (480 km) northeast of the southern tip of South America and a similar distance east of the Strait of Magellan.

Scientists recently discovered a new species of fungus in Kerala, named ‘Paramyrothecium indicum’.

Paramyrothecium indicum

• It is a new species of phytopathogenic fungus.
• Phytopathogens are parasites surviving on a plant host. 
• Most of Paramyrothecium are phytopathogens.
• They are responsible for “serious plant diseases which might negatively affect crop productivity.
• Paramyrothecium leaf spots are a type of fungal disease that can affect a variety of plants.
• Some species of Paramyrothecium produce secondary metabolites with bio-herbicidal potentials” and, therefore, may find application in controlling weeds.

Key Facts about Fungi

• Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or Eubacteria, form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology.
• Fungi includes the yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. 
• They are eukaryotic organisms, i.e., their cells contain membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei.
• Reproduction: Fungi usually reproduce both sexually and asexually. 
• Distribution:
  • Fungi are either terrestrial or aquatic, the latter living in freshwater or marine environments.
  • They are found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world where there is sufficient moisture to enable them to grow.
• A group called the decomposers grows in the soil or on dead plant matter, where they play an important role in the cycling of carbon and other elements.
• Some are parasites of plants causing diseases such as mildews, rusts, scabs, or canker. In crops, fungal diseases can lead to significant monetary losses for the farmer.
• A very small number of fungi cause diseases in animals. In humans, these include skin diseases such as athletes’ foot, ringworm, and thrush.
• Fungi are essential to many household and industrial processes, notably the making of bread, wine, beer, and certain cheeses.

Protista?

Protists are a group of all the eukaryotes that are not fungi, animals, or plants. As a result, it is a very diverse group of organisms. The eukaryotes that make up this kingdom, Kingdom Protista, do not have much in common besides a relatively simple organization. Protists can look very different from each other. Some are tiny and unicellular, like an amoeba, and some are large and multicellular, like seaweed. 

The anti-communal and progressive civic space is under the most serious attack by various restrictions in India.

What are the issues faced by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)?

A free civic space is the space where CSOs can operate without undue interference from the state or other actors.

• India is a diverse and vibrant civil society but the constitutional freedom is under siege which provides citizens to participate in public affairs, express their views, and hold the government accountable.
• As per study, the organisations that were actively fighting against communalism were mostly under attack by various legal and financial instruments.

Communalism is the ideology that divides people along religious lines and promotes hatred and violence between different communities.

What are the instruments used by the State against CSO?

• Prevention of Money Laundering Act- It expanded the scope of proceeds of crime that enabled the Department of Revenue and Enforcement Directorate to target NGOs and opposition politicians with charges of money laundering.
• Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA)- It was made stringent and the right of NGOs to access foreign funds was taken away from them.
• Power to CBI- FCRA enabled the CBI to investigate and prosecute NGOs and their personnel.
• Income Tax Act- It was amended in 2020 to make renewals of certificates and disclosure of donor data mandatory every 5 years.
• It also brought the domestic funding of anti-communal NGOs under siege.
• Prior reference category list- It is a list of 80 foreign donors who are monitored by the government for supporting human rights causes.

• MV Vasiliy Golovnin, an expedition vessel chartered by India, commenced its journey recently.
• The journey is from Cape Town to Antarctica for the 43^rd Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) Voyage.

The expedition includes 21 members from India, two from Mauritius, and one from Bangladesh.

• Moradabad brass is a small-scale, low-technology industry that has been growing since the early 19^th century.
• Moradabad city is known as the "City of Brass" or Pital Nagri for its large-scale brass works.
• It was established in 1600 by Murad, the son of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, as a result the city came to known as Moradabad.

The British took the art to foreign markets in the early 19th century.