News Analysis (13 Feb, 2021)
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Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition: CFS
Why in News
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has endorsed the first-ever Voluntary
Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition (VGFSyN) which aim to support
countries to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by utilizing a food
systems approach.
The endorsement took place during the CFS 47th Session.
Key Points
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About the Guidelines:
Food Systems Approach:
The Guidelines highlight the complex and multidimensional
interlinkages between sustainable food systems and healthy diets.
Food systems are a complex web of activities involving production,
processing, handling, preparation, storage, distribution, marketing, access,
purchase, consumption, food loss and waste, as well as the outputs of these
activities, including social, economic and environmental outcomes.
Seven Policy Areas:
Transparent, democratic and accountable governance.
Sustainable food supply chains to achieve healthy diets and in the
context of climate change.
Equal and equitable access to healthy diets.
Food safety.
People-centred nutrition knowledge, education and information.
Gender equality and women’s empowerment across food systems.
Resilient food systems in humanitarian contexts.
Significance:
The guidelines are intended to build upon and complement the work and
mandate of other international bodies, for example the UN Decade of
Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) and Sustainable Development
Goal (2) of ‘Zero Hunger’.
They call for realisation of the right to adequate food in the context
of national food security for all, particularly for the most vulnerable and
affected groups.
They focus on policy planning and governance so that food systems
can be made more resilient and responsive and are in accordance with
needs of consumers and producers too, especially small and marginal
farmers.
Committee on World Food Security (CFS):
It is the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform
for all stakeholders to work together to ensure food security and nutrition for all.
The Committee reports to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly
through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and to the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Conference.
CFS holds an annual Plenary session every October in FAO, Rome.
CFS receives its core funding equally from the FAO, the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food
Programme (WFP).
India’s Scenario
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State of Hunger and Malnutrition:
According to FAO estimates in ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in
the World, 2020’ Report:
189.2 million people are undernourished in India i.e. 14% of the
population is undernourished.
51.4% of women in reproductive age between 15 to 49 years are
anaemic.
34.7% of the children aged under five are stunted (too short for their
age) while 20% suffer from wasting (weight too low in proportion to
height).
Besides, India ranked 94th among 107 countries in the Global Hunger
Index 2020.
Initiatives Taken:
POSHAN Abhiyaan, launched in 2017-18, aims to reduce stunting, under-
nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies through synergy and convergence
among different programmes, better monitoring and improved community
mobilisation.
Antoydaya Anna Yojana (AAY) aims to provide food at subsidized prices to
poor families.
The Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) envisages
comprehensive early childhood care and development by focussing on children in
the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and adolescent girls.
The Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme aims to improve nutritional levels among
school children which also has a direct and positive impact on enrolment,
retention and attendance in schools.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Rs. 6,000
is transferred directly to the bank accounts of pregnant women for availing better
facilities for their delivery.
The National Mission on Agriculture Extension and Technology enables
delivery of appropriate technologies and improved agronomic practices for
farmers.
The National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture aims to enhance
agricultural productivity, and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
(PMKSY) aims to improve water-use efficiency.
Source:DTE
World Sustainable Development Summit 2021
Why in News
3/13
Recently, the World Sustainable Development Summit, the annual flagship event
of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) was held.
The theme of the 2021 Summit was ‘Redefining our common future: Safe and
secure environment for all’.
TERI is a non-profit research institute, established in 1974. It conducts research
work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development for India and
the Global South.
Key Points
India’s Stand at the Event:
Emphasis on Climate Justice:
“Climate justice” is a term, and more than that a movement that
acknowledges climate change can have differing social,
economic, public health, and other adverse impacts on
underprivileged populations.
As per India, ‘climate justice’ is inspired by a vision of trusteeship -
where growth comes with greater compassion to the poorest. It also means
giving the developing countries enough space to grow.
Reassurance to Climate Mitigation Efforts:
India reassured commitments to its targets under the Paris deal to
reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 percent from 2005 levels.
India’s steady progress on its commitment to Land Degradation
Neutrality and setting up of 450 gigawatts of Renewable Energy
generating capacity till 2030 was also highlighted.
Initiatives of India under International Solar Alliance were also
discussed.
Commitment to Enhancing Disaster Resilience:
To enhance India’s disaster management capabilities, commitments to
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) were
assured.
CDRI: A multi-stakeholder global partnership of country
governments, UN agencies, multilateral banks, private sector and
knowledge institutions that aims to build resilience into infrastructure
systems to ensure sustainable development.
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India's Efforts Towards Sustainable Development:
In March 2019, India achieved nearly 100% electrification through
sustainable technologies and innovative models.
Through the Ujala Programme, 367 million LED bulbs were distributed which
reduced over 38 million tonnes carbon dioxide per year.
Through the PM Ujjwala Yojna, more than 80 million households below the
poverty line have access to clean cooking fuel. India is working to increase the
share of natural gas in India's energy basket from 6% to 15%.
The Jal Jeevan Mission has connected over 34 million households with tap
connections in 18 months.
Through conservation efforts, the population of lions, tigers, leopards and
Gangetic river dolphins has gone up.
World Sustainable Development Summit
About:
The World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) is the annual flagship
event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
It was earlier known as Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.
Objective:
It has been conceptualized as a single platform to accelerate action towards
sustainable development and climate change.
It aims to bring together global leaders and thinkers in the fields of
sustainable development, energy and environment sectors on a common
platform.
Sustainable Development:
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs". This most widely accepted definition of Sustainable
Development was given by the Brundtland Commission in its report ‘Our
Common Future’ (1987).
Climate Change:
It is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come
to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates.
Climate data records provide evidence of climate change key indicators,
such as global land and ocean temperature increases; rising sea levels; ice loss at
Earth’s poles and in mountain glaciers; frequency and severity changes in
extreme weather such as hurricanes, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, floods
and precipitation; and cloud and vegetation cover changes, to name but a few.
Source:PIB
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Lateral Entry Into the Administrative Services
Why in News
Recently, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has issued an advertisement
to recruit 30 persons at the Joint Secretary and Director level in the Central administration
through Lateral Entry.
Key Points
About:
The term lateral entry relates to the appointment of specialists, mainly those
from the private sector, in government organisations.
Government is looking for outstanding individuals, with expertise in
revenue, financial services, economic affairs, agriculture, cooperation and
farmers’ welfare, road transport and highway, shipping, environment, forests and
climate change, and new and renewable energy, civil aviation and commerce.
Advantages of Lateral Entry:
Addresses Complexity:
People with expertise and specialist domain knowledge are
required to navigate the complex needs of present day administrative
challenges.
Meets Personnel Requirement:
Lateral entry will help in addressing the problem of shortage of IAS
officers at the Centre.
Organisation Culture:
It will help in bringing the values of economy, efficiency and
effectiveness in the Government sector.
It will help in building a culture of performance within the Government
sector.
Participatory Governance:
In the present times, governance is becoming more participatory and a
multi actor endeavour, thus lateral entry provides stakeholders such
as the private sector and non-profits an opportunity to participate in
the governance process.
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Issues Involved:
Need for Transparent Process:
The key to the success of this scheme would lie in selecting the right
people in a manner which is manifestly transparent.
Difference in Organisational Values:
The value systems between the government and the private sector are quite
different.
It is important to ensure that the people who come in are able to have the
skills to adjust to a totally different system of functioning. This is
because the government imposes its own limitations.
Profit Motive vs Public Service:
Private sector approach is profit oriented. On the other hand, the
motive of Government is public service. This is also a fundamental
transition that a private sector person has to make while working in
government.
Internal Resistance:
Lateral entry is likely to face strong resistance from in service Civil Servants
and their associations. It may also demotivate existing officials.
Issue of Conflict of Interest:
The movement from the private sector raises issues of potential conflict of
interest. Thus, a stringent code of conduct for entrants is required.
Narrow Scope:
Lateral entry at only top level policy making positions may have little
impact on field level implementation, given the multiple links in the
chain of command from the Union Government to a rural village.
Way Forward
Lateral entry is not a panacea for the ills of governance. However, it opens a
small window to get the best from the American and British system and puts
pressure on the system to reform and perform.
For lateral entry to deliver and more importantly win the confidence of the most
oppressed sections of society, it must be fair, transparent, and egalitarian.
Agencies such as UPSC can play a role based on a selection process approved by
Parliament.
Source:TH
Schemes for Reducing Tax Disputes
Why in News
7/13
Recently, the Finance Secretary has said that the new system of faceless assessment
and appeal would help bring down tax disputes substantially.
Key Points
Tax Disputes (Data):
As per official data, the amount involved in tax disputes was over Rs. 11
lakh crore in FY19-end, up 23% over a year-ago.
Since India has a very high number of tax litigations, the resolution times
are significantly higher, involving time and cost (on the part of the
government as well as taxpayers).
8/13
Initiatives Taken to Reduce Tax Disputes:
Dispute Resolution Committee:
In Budget 2021, the Minister of Finance has proposed the formation of a
Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) in order to provide quicker relief to
taxpayers in tax disputes.
It will be formed under a new section, 245MA, of the Income Tax Act.
The DRC will cater to small taxpayers having a taxable income of up to
Rs. 50 lakh and a disputed income of up to Rs. 10 lakh.
The Committee will have the powers to reduce, waive any penalty or give
immunity from any offence punishable under the Income Tax Act.
The alternative mechanism through the DRC shall help taxpayers in
preventing new disputes and settling the issue at the very initial stage.
India has been ranked at 88 in the World Rule of Law Index
2020 in terms of accessibility of alternative dispute resolution
mechanisms.
Faceless Assessment and Appeal:
The Prime Minister in August 2020 announced three key structural tax
reforms under the ‘Transparent Taxation - Honouring the Honest’
platform - faceless assessment, faceless appeal and taxpayers’ charter.
The faceless assessment system was launched to remove the need of the
physical presence of the taxpayers in front of the tax officials.
Since the launch of faceless random assessment, over 50,000 disputes
have been settled.
The faceless appeals system aims to eliminate discretionary powers of
the taxman, curb corrupt practices and provide ease of compliance to
taxpayers.
Income Tax appeals will be finalised in a faceless manner with
the exception of appeals related to serious fraud, major tax evasion,
search matters, international tax issues and matters pertaining to
black money.
The tax charter elaborated on the rights and responsibilities of the
taxpayers to help them familiarise with the whole process of Income Tax
collection.
The effort is on to establish a National Faceless Income Tax Appellate
Tribunal Centre that will offer personal hearings through video-
conferencing.
9/13
Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme:
The scheme provides for settlement of disputed tax, disputed
interest, disputed penalty or disputed fees in relation to an
assessment or reassessment order on payment of 100% of the disputed tax
and 25% of the disputed penalty or interest or fee.
The Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Act, 2020 was enacted in March
2020 to settle direct tax disputes locked up in various appellate forums.
As many as 1.25 lakh cases, a quarter of all direct disputes, have opted for
Vivad se Vishwas scheme, enabling settlement of Rs. 97,000 crore in tax
demands.
Source: IE
Centre Withdrew Draft Heritage Bylaws on Jagannath Temple
Why in News
The Centre has withdrawn the draft heritage bylaws issued by the National
Monuments Authority (NMA) for Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha.
The Odisha Government is demanding withdrawal of the bylaws for
temples in Ekamra Kshetra area of Bhubaneswar as well.
Key Points
Draft Heritage Bylaws:
Background:
The government in 2010 formed the National Monuments
Authority under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites
and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010.
NMA’s primary role was to prepare heritage bylaws for the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) listed structures.
Meaning:
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains
(Amendment and Validation) Act 2010 mandates that monument-
specific heritage bylaws be prepared to regulate construction
activity near ASI-protected monuments.
The draft heritage bylaws need to be approved by Parliament.
10/13
The Case of Odisha:
The State government considered that the byelaws would have hampered
the grand infrastructure development planned around 12th century Shree
Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Similar heritage bylaws have been drafted for two temples in Bhubaneswar -
the 13th century Vaishnava temple of Ananta Basudev and Shiva temple
of Brahmeswar, both in the Ekamra Kshetra area.
In 2020, the state government planned a beautification project around
the area spread across 1,126 acre and develop it into a major tourist
attraction.
Jagannath Temple:
Construction:
It is believed to be constructed in the 12th century by King Anatavarman
Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
Mythology:
Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to
the Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death, has been nullified
due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.
Architecture:
This temple was called the “White Pagoda” and is a part of Char Dham
pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).
There are four gates to the temple- Eastern ‘Singhdwara’ which is the
main gate with two crouching lions, Southern ‘Ashwadwara’, Western
'Vyaghra Dwara and Northern ‘Hastidwara’. There is a carving of each
form at each gate.
In front of the entrance stands the Aruna stambha or sun pillar,
which was originally at the Sun Temple in Konark.
Festival: The World famous Rath Yatra (Car Festival) & Bahuda Yatra.
Other Important Monuments in Odisha:
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment
and Validation) Act, 2010
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Objective:
To preserve, conserve, protect and maintain all ancient monuments and
archaeological sites and remains declared of national importance, and their
surrounding areas up to a distance of 300 meters (or more as may be specified in
certain cases) in all directions.
Provisions:
No construction or reconstruction is permitted in the prohibited area
(an area up to a distance of 100 meters in all directions from the nearest protected
limit of nearby protected monument or protected area declared as of national
importance), but repair or renovation is considered.
In the regulated area (an area up to a distance of 200 meters in all directions
from the prohibited area of any protected monument and protected area declared
as of national importance),
repair/renovation/construction/reconstruction are considered.
All applications for construction related work in the prohibited and regulated
areas are to be submitted to the Competent Authorities (CA) and then to
National Monuments Authority (NMA) for consideration.
NMA functions under the Ministry of Culture.
Source: TH
Tholpavakkoothu: Kerala
Why in News
Recently, a shadow leather puppet in Kerala’s famous temple art Tholpavakkoothu
has been animated by a robot.
Key Points
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About:
It is a traditional temple art in Kerala having its roots in Palakkad and
neighbouring regions.
This art is confined largely to Pulavar families from Shoranur region
of Palakkad district.
Among the ancient artforms of Kerala, tholpavakkoothu or shadow puppet
play occupies a prominent place. It is a fine example of the integration of
Aryan and Dravidian cultures.
It is a ritual art performed during the annual festivals in the Kaali temples
of Palakkad district.
It is also known as Nizhalkkoothu and Olakkoothu.
The theme of the play is based on the Kamba Ramayana (the Tamil version of
the epic).
Origin:
In Malayalam, Thol means leather, pava means doll and koothu the play.
Though the origin of this ritualistic art form is not known exactly, some believe
it to be as old as 1200 years.
It used to be performed in the Bhadrakali temples of Palakkad, telling tales
from the Ramayana.
The Show:
This entertainment art is performed on a special stage called koothumadam
in the temple courtyard.
It is performed using the mythological figures along with the use of
fire and lighting of lamps behind the screen.
The chief puppeteer is known as ‘Pulavan’.
Musical Instruments Used:
Ezhupara, Chenda and Maddalam etc.
Source:TH
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