12 February 2024

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Project Tiger: GS III – Environmental Conservation:

Context:

• The fight to conserve tigers has progressed over time, with the creation of Tiger Reserves (55) and the enactment of significant legislation protecting animals.
• However, because of infringements on the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 and the Forest Rights Act of 2006, tensions between the forest administration and the forest inhabitants have grown in Tiger Reserves.
• Project Tiger and Elephant (PTE) is the new name for the two flagship initiatives, Project Tiger (PT) and Project Elephant, which were announced by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.

What Gaps Exist in the Conservation of Tigers?

• The Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2006 permitted the killing of wildlife as a last option when it posed a threat to human safety and did not forbid the redirection of a “tiger’s forest” for development projects.
• The government intended to operationalize the Act and announce the FRA Rules in 2009.
• However, in November 2007, the Chief Wildlife Wardens were given 13 days by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to submit a proposal outlining the boundaries of Critical Tiger Habitats (CTHs), which are areas that range from 800-1,000 square miles. km.
• Consequently, the government was forced to announce 26 Tiger Reserves in 12 States under WLPA Section 38 (V) without adhering to its guidelines.
• The Critical Tiger Habitats (CTHs) in Similipal, Odisha, were Tiger Reserves without a Buffer Area.
• They were only included in 2012 as a result of a Supreme Court order that handed the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) a three-month deadline.
• The Tiger Task Force discovered that the strategy of utilising fences, guards, and firearms wasn’t working to safeguard tigers and that the growing hostility between the bureaucracy responsible for forests and animals and the people who live alongside the tigers was a surefire way to end badly.

What Steps Are Being Done to Preserve Tigers?

Project Tiger:

About:

• India started Project Tiger, a wildlife protection programme, in 1973.
• The principal aim of Project Tiger is to establish and preserve the tiger population in their native environments through the establishment of Tiger Reserves.
• beginning with a mere nine reserves totaling 9,115 square feet. Thus, the project signalled a change of direction for wildlife conservation initiatives.

Tiger Census Methodology:

• More precise methods such as the camera-trap method replaced the faulty pug-mark method used in the 1972 initial tiger census.

Tiger Population Growth Rate:

• In 1972, 1,827 tigers were counted in the first tiger census, which employed the inaccurate pug-mark method.
• The tiger population is predicted to reach 3,167–3,925 by 2022, showing an annual growth rate of 6.1%.
• Currently, three-quarters of all tigers worldwide are found in India.

Tiger Reserve:

• Project Tiger started in 1973 with nine reserves totaling 9,115 square feet. km. By 2018, there were 55 reserves spread throughout several states, covering 78,135.956 square feet. kilometres, or 2.38% of the country of India.

Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972:

• A legislative framework for the preservation of different wild animal and plant species, the management of their habitats, and the regulation and control of the trade in wild animals, plants, and products derived from them is provided by the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The foundation for tiger conservation was established by the Wildlife (Protection) Act (WLPA), 1972. Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH) were introduced, rights were segregated in favour of state governments, and National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries were established.
• A thorough tiger conservation strategy and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) were established as a result of the WLPA amendment in 2006.
• This was a change from the previous fortress conservation strategy because it recognised the close connection between forest conservation, tiger protection, and the welfare of local populations.

Tiger Task Force:

• Concerns regarding tiger conservation led to the creation of the Tiger Task Force in 2005, which highlighted the need for a reevaluation. The task team identified weaknesses in the current approach, which placed a heavy reliance on fences, guards, and weaponry.

 

 

 

 

• The Recognition of Forest Rights Act of 2006: What is it?

 

• Communities’ customary and traditional forest rights were acknowledged with the passage of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
• This gave the Gramme Sabhas the authority to democratically manage the biodiversity and forest resources inside their borders.

Critical Habitat for Wildlife (CWH):

• Comparable to the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) under the Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA), the Forest Rights Act (FRA) established a “Critical Wildlife Habitat” (CWH).
• One significant distinction was that a CWH could not be diverted for non-forestry uses after it was reported. During talks, Adivasi movements pressed for this specific phrase.
• 42,913.37 square kilometres make up Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH). km, or 26 percent, of the land devoted to wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
• Within their traditional borders, the Gramme Sabhas were granted the power to protect, maintain, and manage the forest, animals, and biodiversity.
• India’s dedication to tiger conservation and sustainable coexistence is reflected in the path from Project Tiger in 1973 to the establishment of the NTCA by 2006 amendments. A comprehensive paradigm in wildlife conservation is demonstrated by the incorporation of community empowerment, the acknowledgment of forest rights, and a nuanced approach to animal protection.

Source  The Hindu

2 – Anusuchit Jaati Pradhan Mantri Abhuyday Yojana: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

• The Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhuyday Yojana (PM-AJAY), recently announced by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is a comprehensive programme that combines three Centrally Sponsored Schemes: Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY), Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP), and Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gramme Yojana (PMAGY).

 

• Launched in the fiscal year 2021–2022, this project seeks to improve the lives of Scheduled Caste (SC) communities by creating job possibilities through skill development, schemes that generate revenue, and other activities.
• Which PM-AJAY highlights are most important?

 

• Goals:

 

• By creating more job opportunities through skill development, income-generating schemes, and other measures, we can lessen poverty in the SC communities.
• To improve literacy and promote SC enrollment in higher education by building sufficient residential facilities in reputable establishments, in the SC majority blocks and aspirational districts of India.

 

• PM-AJAY components include:

 

• Creation of a “AdarshGram” out of SC-Dominated Villages: This component, which was previously known as the Pradhan Mantri AdarshGram Yojana (PMAGY), aims to guarantee the integrated development of villages with a SC majority.
• To meet the demands of socioeconomic development, provide a suitable infrastructure.
• Determined socioeconomic indicators should be improved with a focus (Monitorable indicators).
• Ten domains comprise the distribution of the monitorable indicators. These domains include important areas including agriculture practices, financial inclusion, digitization, rural roads and housing, electricity and clean fuel, drinking water and sanitation, education, health and nutrition, social security, and livelihood and skill development.
• Get rid of the differences between the SC and non-SC populations.
• Make sure all SC children receive an education that reaches at least the secondary level.
• Address the causes of newborn and maternal mortality.
• Reduce the prevalence of malnutrition, particularly among women and children.

 

• Successes:

 

• In the current fiscal year 2023–2024, 1834 villages have been designated as Adarsh Grammes under the Adarsh Gramme Component.

 

• “Grants-in-aid” for Projects at the District/State level:

 

• The Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Caste Sub Plan was the previous name for this component.

 

• Through funding for the following kinds of projects, the programme seeks to promote the socioeconomic growth of SCs:

 

• Projects for Comprehensive Livelihood: These will only be undertaken if they develop a whole ecosystem for generating long-term revenue or provide social advancement to the SCs alone. Preferably, the projects ought to combine two or more of the following:
• Skills: Training programmes in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Skills Development. Infrastructure and facilities that are necessary for the government to execute skill development activities. Institutions for skill development may also receive funding.
• Grants for the Creation or Acquisition of Assets for Households or Beneficiaries: The programme does not permit the distribution of individual assets on its own. Beneficiaries may be eligible for financial assistance for loans up to Rs. 50,000 or 50% of the asset cost, whichever is smaller, per beneficiary or household, if the project include acquiring or producing assets essential for livelihoods.
• Infrastructure development includes the construction of residential schools and hostels in addition to project-related infrastructure.

 

• Particular Instructions:

 

• Up to 15% of the total grants may be used only on projects or schemes for SC women’s economic development that are likely to generate revenue.
• Thirty percent or more of all grants were used to improve infrastructure.
• 10% or more of the total amount allocated to skill development
• Encourage SC Women’s Cooperatives that produce and sell consumer goods and services.

 

• Successes:

 

• Under the Grant-in-aid component, the prospective plan for 17 states has been authorised for the FY 2023–2024.

 

• Building Hostels in Higher Education Establishments:

 

• It is implemented through state and local governments, UT administrations, and federal and state universities and institutions, and it helps and motivates SC students to obtain high-quality education and lower the dropout rate.

 

• The following cost guidelines will apply to hostel construction and expansion:

 

• each prisoner in the North Eastern Region: Rs. 3.50 lakh.
• Regions of the Northern Himalayas: Rs. 3.25 lakh per prisoner.
• Gangetic Plains & Lower Himalayan Region: Rs3.00 lakh per detainee.
• Previously, cost sharing with the State was in place for hostels for boys, but now there is 100% central help.

 

• Successes:

 

• In total, 15 new hostels have been approved for the FY 2023–2024.

 

Source à The Hindu

 

 

 

 

3 – WEF’s Global Risks Report 2024:

 

GS II

 

International Issues

 

• Context:

 

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released the Global Risk Report 2024, which highlights some of the most serious threats that the world may encounter over the next ten years against the backdrop of warfare, rapid technology advancement, unstable economic conditions, and global warming.

 

• A survey of over 1,500 specialists, business executives, and legislators served as the basis for the research.

 

• Which aspects of the Global Risk Report 2024 stand out the most?

 

• deteriorating outlook for the world
• Numerous worldwide occurrences in 2023, such as deadly wars, extreme weather, and social unrest, have added to a largely bleak prediction.

 

• Misinformation and Disinformation Driven by AI:

 

• The most serious threats for the next two years are misinformation and disinformation, underscoring the speed at which technological advancements are either causing new issues to arise or exacerbating preexisting ones.
• It is troubling that persons with specialised talents will no longer be able to create complex synthetic content that can be used to control groups of people, thanks to the rise in Generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
• As billions of people in several nations, including developed economies like the United States, Britain, Indonesia, India, Mexico, and Pakistan, prepare to cast ballots in 2024 and beyond, misinformation and deception driven by artificial intelligence is becoming a threat.

 

• Global Risks Are Shaped by Structural Forces:

 

• Over the next ten years, the following four structural forces will shape global risks: technological acceleration, demographic bifurcation, climate change, and geostrategic upheavals.
• The world will change over longer periods of time as a result of these forces, and their interactions will increase volatility and uncertainty.

 

• Front-row Environmental Risks:

 

• Over all time periods, environmental risks—especially extreme weather—dominate the risk landscape.
• It is clear that there are concerns about climate change, biodiversity loss, and important changes to Earth systems, all of which could have permanent effects.

 

• Financial Difficulties and Inequality:

 

• For 2024, the cost-of-living crisis and financial threats including inflation and a collapse in the economy are major concerns.
• Low- and middle-income nations will be disproportionately impacted by economic uncertainty, which could increase societal and environmental effects and result in digital isolation.

 

• Technology Advances and Security Risks:

 

• For the next two years, interstate armed conflict is noted as a new entry into the top risk rankings.
• Technological advancements, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, provide security dangers due to their ability to provide non-state actors with disruptive capabilities, which may in turn fuel more conflict and criminal activity.

 

• Governance Challenges and Geopolitical Shifts:

 

• Increased polarisation among world powers, particularly between the Global North and South, could provide problems for international governance.
• Geopolitical tensions and the growing power of Global South governments could change security dynamics and have an impact on global threats.

 

• What Suggestions Are There?

 

• The impact of those unavoidable risks that we can plan for can be lessened by localised policies that leverage investment and regulation, and both the public and private sectors can play a crucial role in extending these advantages to everyone.
• A single breakthrough project can also contribute to making the world a safer place if it is developed via initiatives to put the future first and concentrate on research and development.
• Even if the combined efforts of individual people, businesses, and nations may not seem like much, when they reach a certain size, they can have a major impact on reducing global risk.
• Cross-border cooperation at scale is still essential for risks that are vital to human security and development, notwithstanding the world’s growing fragmentation.

 

• Global Risk: What Is It?

 

• The probability of an event or circumstance that, if it materialises, would have a detrimental influence on a sizable amount of the world’s population, gross domestic product, or natural resources is known as global risk.
• The World Economic Forum releases the Global Risks Report every year in advance of its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

 

 

 

 

• World Economic Forum: What is it?

 

• The WEF is a Geneva, Switzerland-based nonprofit organisation that was founded in 1971.
• acknowledged as the global hub for public-private collaboration by Swiss authorities.

 

• Goal:

 

• devoted to making the world a better place by influencing regional, national, and industry agendas with the help of intellectual, corporate, and governmental leaders.
• Klaus Schwab is the founder and executive chairman.

 

Source à The Hindu

 

4 – Global Employment and Social Prospects: Patterns by 2024:

 

GS II

 

International issues

 

• Context:

 

• The World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2024 report, recently released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), emphasised that growing inequality and stagnant productivity are significant concerns as the global unemployment rate is expected to rise in 2024.

 

• Which aspects of the report stand out the most?

 

• Adaptability in the Face of Worsening Economic Conditions:

 

• Global labour markets have exhibited remarkable resilience in the face of worsening economic conditions, as seen by improvements in the unemployment rate and jobs gap rate (i.e., the proportion of unemployed people who are looking for work).

 

• Trends in Global Unemployment:

 

• In 2023, the rate of unemployment worldwide was 5.1%, indicating a slight decrease from 2022.
• However, the analysis forecasts a deteriorating state of the labour market, with an extra two million workers anticipated to be seeking employment by 2024, bringing the overall unemployment rate to 5.2%.

 

• Unequal Recuperation:

 

• There has been an uneven pandemic recovery, with expectations for improved social justice being undermined by numerous crises and new vulnerabilities.
• There are still disparities in unemployment and jobs gap rates between higher-income and lower-income nations.
• In 2023, the employment disparity rate was 8.2% in high-income nations and 20.5% in low-income ones.
• In a similar vein, the unemployment rate in 2023 was 5.7% in low-income countries but remained at 4.5% in high-income ones.

 

• Growing Income Inequality

 

• In most G20 nations, disposable incomes have decreased and income inequality has increased.
• Net income equals disposable income. It is the sum remaining after deducting taxes.
• Real disposable income declines are thought to be detrimental to aggregate demand and a longer-lasting economic recovery.

 

• Persistence of Working Poverty:

 

• The number of workers living in extreme poverty (earning less than USD 2.15 per person per day in purchasing power parity terms) increased by almost 1 million in 2023, albeit rapidly dropping after 2020.
• In 2023, there were 8.4 million more workers classified as living in moderate poverty (earning less than USD 3.65 per day per person in PPP values).
• Working poverty will probably always be difficult.

 

• Rates of Informal Work Remain High:

 

• In 2024, rates of informal employment are projected to be constant, making up approximately 58% of the workforce worldwide.

 

• Balances in the Labour Market:

 

• differing groups have experienced differing returns to labour market participation rates prior to the epidemic.
• Although women’s engagement has rapidly increased, there is still a gender disparity, particularly in emerging and developing countries.
• Long-term job prospects are hampered by high youth unemployment rates and the NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) category.

 

• Productivity Growth Decreased:

 

• Following a brief post-pandemic uptick, labour productivity is back to the low levels observed a decade ago.
• Despite breakthroughs in technology and greater investment, productivity growth has remained sluggish due to a number of obstacles, including a lack of skilled labour and the dominance of huge digital monopolies.

 

 

 

• Uncertainty in the outlook and structural worries:

 

• The imbalances seen may be fundamental rather than just a result of the pandemic’s recovery. Workforce issues endanger people’s livelihoods as well as companies’.
• Relatively low productivity, ongoing inflation, rising inequality, and declining living standards all work against the goals of social justice and long-term economic growth. The urgency of finding efficient and timely solutions to these problems is emphasised throughout the report.

 

• Positive Real Wages:

 

• While real earnings in Turkey and India are “positive” when compared to other G20 nations, the data that is currently accessible compares 2022 to 2021. This suggests that pay growth in India has been able to keep up with inflation despite global challenges, which has improved real wages.
• Real wages decreased in the other G20 nations; in Brazil (6.9%), Italy (5%) and Indonesia (3.5%), the drops were most noticeable.

 

• The International Labour Organisation: What is it?

 

• About:

 

• It was designed to represent the idea that social justice must be the foundation of any long-lasting, global peace when it was founded in 1919 as a part of the Treaty of Versailles, which put an end to World War I.
• In 1946, it was designated as a specialised agency of the UN.
• It is a tripartite organisation, the only one of its kind that unites executive bodies representing companies, workers, and governments.

 

• Participants:

 

• India, one of the ILO’s founding members, has 187 member states in total.
• In 2020 India took the Chairmanship of the Governing Body of ILO.

 

• Headquarters:

 

• Switzerland’s Geneva.

 

• Honours:

 

• For promoting fair labour practices and worker justice, fostering international unity and peace, and offering technical support to other developing countries, the ILO was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969.

 

Source à The Hindu