MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Discuss how the food security of tropical countries is affected by climate change.
GS III – Agriculture related issues
- Crop yields, water supplies, biodiversity, food prices, and public health are all impacted by climate change.
Among the repercussions are:
- Decreased crop yields: Increasing temperatures, shifting patterns of precipitation, and more frequent and severe droughts and floods can all have a negative impact on crop yields and quality.
- Maize yields in Sub-Saharan Africa have decreased by 5.8%.
- Changed growing seasons: The production of agriculture may suffer if climate change causes changes to the farming seasons.
- Shorter growing seasons for crops like rice and unpredictable rainfall patterns are two effects of climate change in India.
- Volatility in food prices: The supply and demand of food can be affected by climate change, leading to price instability and compromising food access.
- The food crisis of 2007–2008 was partially brought on by weather-related events including floods and droughts.
- Enhanced susceptibility: Tropical nations are more susceptible to hurricanes and cyclones, which can harm food systems and crops.
- Cyclone Amphan severely damaged India’s fisheries and crops in 2021.
In order to increase food security in tropical nations, we need to take adaptation and mitigation steps like:
- improving land management to boost carbon absorption and lower emissions.
- creating crop varieties with resilience.
- diversifying diets and food production methods.
- encouraging sustainable and healthful eating practices.
- minimising food waste at every stage of the supply chain.
Q2. The key element of the development process in India has been the insufficient focus on human resource development. Provide solutions for this insufficiency.
GS I – Society related issues
- A nation’s human resources are its most important asset. This area of development has received little attention, which has left the populace severely undertrained and unable to take advantage of job prospects, among other problems.
Strategies to address insufficiency:
- Education: As suggested by the New Economic Policy, allocating 6% of GDP on education would yield substantial rewards. Government scholarships as well as those from other programmes must be freely available.
- Skill Development: Improving employability requires a combination of vocational training and other upskilling options. For instance, Bangladesh leveraged its large pool of qualified workers to propel economic growth.
- Although Skill India is an excellent effort, it must be carefully tailored to the demands of business.
- Healthcare: It is crucial to place more emphasis on the availability of medications, the efficiency of hospitals, and the general accessibility of healthcare to the general public through programmes like Ayushman Bharat.
- Gender Sensitivity: Developing a comprehensive human resource pool requires the implementation of gender-sensitive programmes like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.”
Way Forward:
- India is a thriving country with a youthful, energetic population, but if enough focus is not put on its development, a significant demographic dividend may be squandered.
