“In matters of conscience the law of majority has no place.”
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)
“विवेक के मामलों में बहुमत के नियम का कोई स्थान नहीं है।”
मोहनदास करमचंद गांधी (1869-1948)
Friday, March 31, 2023
Quote of the Day March 31, 2023
Current Affairs-March 29, 2023
INDIA
- Centre sanctions 800 crore rupees under FAME Scheme Phase -2 for setting up 7,432 public fast charging stations.
- Education Ministry selects 9000 schools for flagship Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India scheme.
- National Gallery of Modern Art to organise Spring Fiesta 2023 to celebrate 69 years of Museum.
- The first batch of Agniveers from INS Chilika in Odisha is all set to be inducted into the Indian Navy.
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
- India’s overall exports cross all time high of 750 billion US dollars.
- Government estimates that over 341 lakh MT wheat will be procured during Rabi Marketing Season 2023-24.
- International conference on cooperation on trade finance among G20 member countries held in Mumbai.
- The last date for linking PAN and Aadhaar has been extended to 30th June, 2023.
WORLD
- Pakistan government tables bill in Parliament to curb powers of Chief Justice.
- World Bank: Transboundary solutions important to curb air pollution in South Asia.
- Scotland’s Parliament confirmed Humza Yousaf as the new First Minister; becomes the youngest First Minister and the first Muslim leader of a government in western Europe.
- Myanmar dissolves Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party.
SPORTS
- India outplays Kyrgyzstan 2-0 and lifts the Tri-nation International Football competition title.
- Messi scores 100th international goal for Argentina.
Current Affairs-March 31, 2023
INDIA
- Ministry of Defence signs Rs 19,600 crore contracts for acquisition of 11 Next-Gen Offshore Patrol Vessels and six Next-Gen Missile Vessels for Indian Navy.
- National Maritime Week commences as the National Maritime Day is celebrated on April 5.
- Defence Ministry signs over Rs 9100 crore contracts for Akash Weapon System and Weapon locating Radars.
- Second Sherpa Meet under India’s G20 Presidency to begin at Kumarakom, Kerala.
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
- Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board has introduced implementation of Unified Tariff of Rs 73.93 rupees per MBTU.
- All drugs and food imported for treatment of all rare diseases listed are now fully exempted from basic customs duty.
- Agriculture exports register over 6% rise during April 2022 to January 2023.
WORLD
- Spouses of H-1B Visa holders have been allowed to work in United States.
- Donald Trump has been indicted over hush money by a Manhattan grand jury; becomes first ex-President to be charged with crime
SPORTS
- Madrid Spain Masters tournament: PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth enter quarterfinals.
Current Affairs-March 30, 2023
INDIA
- New India Literacy Programme launched to cover target of 5 crore non-literates in age group of 15 years and above.
- Government identifies 1275 railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station scheme for development of Railway stations.
- The first G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group meeting begins at Gandhinagar.
- IIT Madras develops pocket-friendly device to detect milk adulteration in 30 seconds.
- National Gallery of Modern Art organizes Spring Fiesta 2023 to celebrate 69 years of museum.
- Ministry of Defence (MoD) signs deal to procure Automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System ‘Project Akashteer’ for Army and Sarang Electronic Support Measure (ESM) system for Navy.
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
- Centre aims to borrow ₹8.88 lakh cr. for the first half of financial year 2023-24, after consultation with RBI.
- SEBI unveils norms to ensure better disclosures and boost transparency.
- National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) says “No charge on normal UPI payments”
WORLD
- Death toll from landslip in Ecuador reaches eleven and about sixty people were still missing.
- Saudi Arabia agrees to join Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a dialogue partner.
- Australia creates landmark laws that will make its biggest greenhouse gas polluters reduce their emissions or pay for carbon credits.
- East Europe governments urge tech firms to fight disinformation on their social media platforms.
SPORTS
- Nitu Ghanghas clinches Gold in 48 kg category of the IBA Womens World Boxing Championship
- Indian weightlifters Dhanush and Jyoshna win bronze medals in IWF World Youth Championships
QS World University Rankings 2023
The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, released on March 29th, 2023, has ranked over 1,600 universities from around the world, evaluating their performance across 51 subjects. Indian universities have made significant progress this year, with 44 courses from Indian universities ranked among the global top 100.
Ranking Universities by Subject Categories
The QS World University Rankings by Subject aims to provide students, parents, educators, and policymakers with a tool for assessing the performance of universities in specific subject areas. The rankings are based on four indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per paper, and H-index.
Indian Universities’ Performance in QS World University Rankings by Subject
According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, Indian universities have performed well in several fields. Indian universities have excelled in Computer Science, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Business Studies, and Physics. In the dentistry program, the Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences had the best performance globally, achieving a perfect score in citations per paper and H-index.
IIT Delhi’s Electrical Engineering program broke into the top 50 categories globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023. Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Sociology program took 68th place, showing a rise of 33 places.
Research Output and Citations
India is the fourth-largest producer of research globally, according to the QS. Between the years 2017 and 2022, research output in India grew by 54%. However, only 15% of India’s publications were cited in top journals from 2017 to 2021, a lower percentage than the United Kingdom and Germany, which have top journal citation percentages more than double that of India.
India’s Overall Performance and Progress
India’s overall performance improved by 17.2% year on year in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023. This progress is noteworthy, considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, among countries having over 10 universities featured in the rankings, Mainland China improved the most in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.
International Day of Zero Wastes
Every year on March 30, people around the world celebrate the International Day of Zero Waste, a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote reducing waste and sustainable consumption and production patterns. This day promotes the creation of a more sustainable and waste-free world.
History of the International Day of Zero Waste
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on December 14, 2022, designating March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste. The proposal was co-sponsored by Turkey and 105 other countries and is part of a series of resolutions dealing with waste. It aims to achieve all the objectives and targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by promoting zero-waste initiatives.
Theme of the International Day of Zero Waste 2023
The theme of the International Day of Zero Waste in 2023 is “Achieving sustainable and environmentally sound practices of minimizing and managing waste.” This theme emphasizes the importance of promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns to reduce the negative impact of waste on the environment.
Impact of Waste on the Environment
According to the UN data, around 2.24 billion tons of municipal solid waste are produced each year. Only 55% of them is being disposed of in managed facilities. Also, an estimated 931 million tons of food are either lost or wasted every year, and approximately 14 million tons of plastic waste enters aquatic ecosystems each year. These numbers highlight the adverse consequences of waste on the environment, including landfills, pollution, and resource depletion.
Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
The International Day of Zero Waste seeks to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns by encouraging individuals, communities, and organizations to adopt practices that minimize waste, reuse and recycle materials, and reduce the amount of waste generated. Initiatives like clean-up campaigns, recycling drives, educational programs, and advocacy campaigns are being conducted on this occasion to enable community mobilization towards a more sustainable and waste-free world.
Sustainable Development Goals Promoted by the International Day of Zero Waste
The International Day of Zero Waste promotes SDGs 11 and 12, which aim to make cities and communities more sustainable and promote responsible consumption and production. These goals align with the broader agenda of the United Nations to promote sustainable development and address the challenges posed by climate change, environmental degradation, and poverty.
Observance of the International Day of Zero Waste
International Day of Zero Waste is jointly overseen by the UN-Habitat and the UNEP. Member countries, UN organizations, civil societies, private entities, academia, youth and other stakeholders are encouraged to participate in activities that create awareness of of national, subnational, regional, and local zero-waste initiatives and their role in enabling a sustainable development.
Source: https://www.gktoday.in/topic/international-day-of-zero-wastes/
Gaping gap: Editorial on pay gap between men and women
Psychological stress is also the result of embedded discrimination
An important sign of gender inequality across the world is the pay gap between men and women doing the same job and with the same level of productivity. Globally, women earn only 77 cents on an average for every dollar earned by a man. This gap is present in India too, and may be worsening over time. Between April and June 2022, the female wage rate ranged across states from just over 50% to 93.7% in rural India, and from just under 50% to 100.8% in cities. The gap in rural areas has worsened over the last decade in most states. The urban gap has, however, diminished. The data have been released by the National Statistical Office in the report, Women and Men in India 2022. In some states where the male wage is among the highest in India, the gender gap is also the widest. The data do not reveal any obvious patterns. According to the report, in the states of West Bengal, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, the rural wage gap has increased by more than 10% between 2011-12 to 2022. These three states have different patterns of development, ranging from very rapid to quite slow. The figures are perhaps indicative of the deep-rooted patriarchal belief that women are less productive and more likely to leave the labour force or be absent.
The pay gap is not only unfair in terms of the ethics of equal pay for equal work but it also has long-term consequences for the economic development of a nation. The lifetime earnings of women turn out to be less compared to men. Women often end up in poverty despite having similar wage employment. Poverty is disempowering. Thus, the ability of a woman to have an effective influence over decisions affecting her own life, such as education, health, personal expenses and childcare, is likely to be poor. This engenders low self-esteem and self-worth, reinforcing beliefs of gender inequality. Psychological stress is also the result of embedded discrimination. In some situations where women may have other job opportunities available, they may not work for the same employer for long. This creates a self-fulfilling condition of lower productivity for women. This is caused by the fact that they are either constantly on the lookout for higher-paying jobs or for matrimonial alliances to augment their access to a higher family income. Getting rid of the wage gap and other forms of discrimination is not too difficult, provided there is adequate political will among those who govern.
Source: Telegraph, 27/03/23
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Quote of the Day March 28, 2023
“Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of youthful looks.”
Charles Dickens, novelist (1812-1870)
“खुश रहना और संतुष्ट रहना सौन्दर्य बढ़ाने और युवा बने रहने के श्रेष्ठ तरीके हैं।”
चार्ल्स डिकिन्स, उपन्यासकार (1812-1870)
Indian Government’s 14 Guidelines to Address Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC)
Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a critical issue in India, where the coexistence of humans and wild animals is necessary. HWC is defined as the negative impact of the interaction between humans and wildlife on either or both parties. To address this issue, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav released 14 guidelines to facilitate a common understanding among key stakeholders on what constitutes effective and efficient mitigation of HWC in India.
Species-specific guidelines
Ten species-specific guidelines for mitigating conflict with elephants, gaur, leopard, snake, crocodile, rhesus macaque, wild pig, bear, blue bull, and blackbuck were released. These guidelines will help develop site-specific HWC mitigation measures.
Cross-cutting issue guidelines
In addition, there are four guidelines on cross-cutting issues, including cooperation between the forest and media sector, occupational health and safety, crowd management, and addressing health emergencies.
Harmonious-coexistence approach
The guidelines aim to ensure the harmonious coexistence of humans and wild animals. They take into consideration the existing guidelines and advisories issued by various agencies and state forest departments, as well as good practices and experiences from the field.
Holistic approach
The guidelines provide a framework to take a holistic approach to address HWC. This includes addressing the drivers and pressures that lead to HWC, establishing and managing prevention methods, and reducing the impact of conflict on both humans and wild animals.
Participatory and inclusive approach
The development of the guidelines followed a participatory, inclusive, and integrated approach involving key relevant stakeholders and sectors, including agriculture, veterinary, disaster management, district administration, rural development and Panchayati Raj Institutions, NGOs, and media. Over 1600 participants were involved in 105 events, workshops, consultations, meetings, and field missions.
Living document
The set of guidelines is not static but rather a living document that will be reviewed every five years from 2023 onwards. Feedback from field practitioners and other wildlife experts will be analyzed to assess specific elements and sections that need to undergo changes.
Source: https://www.gktoday.in/topic/indian-governments-14-guidelines-to-address-human-wildlife-conflict-hwc/
Current Affairs- March 24, 2023
INDIA
- Tamil Nadu Assembly re-adopts Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill.
- One World TB Summit is being organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Stop TB Partnership, on World Tuberculosis Day.
- One tigress each to be released to Kota’s Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve and Bundi’s Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan.
- Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled the State Youth Policy and a Youth Portal.
- Konkan 2023, a joint maritime exercise, was conducted between the Royal Navy of Britain and the Indian Navy, off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.
- National Institute of Urban Affairs is organising first Urban Climate Film Festival under U20 engagement events.
- The Defence Ministry signed two contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), at a total cost of over ₹3,700 crore for ‘Arudhra’ Medium Power Radars.
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
- Union Finance ministry asks public sector banks to share bond portfolio data.
- FSIB recommends Siddhartha Mohanty for the position of chairperson of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
- Amazon’s accelerator programme to support 50 Indian D2C (direct-to-consumer) startups.
- Lok Sabha passes Rs 45 trillion Budget for current fiscal without debate.
WORLD
- Protests intensify in France over government’s plan to raise pension age.
- Islamic holy month of Ramzan begins across world; Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated at the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan.
- UNESCO report: 26 % of world’s population does not have safe drinking water.
SPORTS
- Boxing: Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Saweety Boora and Nitu Ghanghas have entered the finals in the Women’s World Boxing Championships.
- India won a silver and a bronze in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup shooting championship.
- India clinches both men’s and women’s titles of Asian Kho Kho Championship.
Current Affairs-March 25, 2023
INDIA
- Ujjwala Yojana: Union Cabinet extends subsidy of 200 rupees per cylinder for 12 refills annually for beneficiaries for one year.
- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi disqualified from Lok Sabha after conviction in criminal defamation case.
- Project Himshakti: Defence Ministry signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited BEL Hyderabad for the procurement of two Integrated Electronic Warfare Systems.
- Tamil Nadu releases the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Plan, 2023.
- Andhra Pradesh passes resolution to provide SC status for Dalit Christians.
- ICMR releases ethical guidelines for AI usage in healthcare
- Karnataka scraps reservation of 4% given to Muslims and distributed it to two dominant communities Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas.
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
- Cabinet approves 4 % hike of Dearness Allowance to Central government employees.
- The first meeting of the Trade and Investment Working Group, under India’s G20 Presidency, will be held in Mumbai
- The government has scrapped the long-term capital gains treatment (with indexation benefits) for income from debt mutual funds.
- Government raised the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on futures and options contracts in the stock market by 25%.
WORLD
- Sri Lanka decides to divest stake in seven state-owned enterprises.
- The U.S. military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria against Iran-aligned groups.
- On World Tuberculosis Day, WHO called for intensified actions to eradicate the disease in the South East Asia region.
- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that there will be a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on joint official statements.
SPORTS
- India’s Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil wins bronze medal in 10m Air Rifle event of ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship.
Current Affairs- March 26, 2023
INDIA
- Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launches Aravalli Green Wall Project in Gurugram.
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launches LVM3-M3/Oneweb India-2 Mission in Sriharikota.
- National Science Centre organizes Innovation Festival to promote passion and aptitude for science and technology.
- Border Roads Organisation (BRO) opens Leh-Manali Highway in a record 138 days
- Parliamentary panel urges govt to frame a comprehensive national EV policy, extend FAME-II incentives by 2 years
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
- IMF sets another condition for crisis-hit Pakistan to revive loan
- MGNREGS wages raised by up to 10.4% for FY24; In absolute terms, the daily wages have been raised in the ₹7-26 range.
- India and US ink MoU on semiconductor supply chain, innovation partnership.
- Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill with key amendments without discussion.
WORLD
- Russian President Vladimir Putin announces plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
- Over 26 persons were killed in a tornado in several towns of Mississippi in US.
- World observes annual Earth Hour to raise awareness about climate change.
- Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel and creator of Moore’s Law, dies at 94.
- UAE Food Bank launches initiative to eradicate food waste and distribute 3 million meals during Ramadan.
SPORTS
- Swiss Open: Indian Men’s Doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enter into finals.
- In Women’s Premier League Cricket, Delhi Capitals will face Mumbai Indians in the summit clash.
Current Affairs- March 27, 2023
INDIA
- Centre reduces disturbed areas under AFSPA from three North-eastern states of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur.
- Four astronauts selected for India’s first Human Space Flight Programme, Gaganyaan completed the first semester of crew training.
- Second Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting to begin at Gandhinagar.
- First Delhi-Dharamshala-Delhi Indigo Flight was flagged off; 2-phase plan for expansion of Dharamshala airport underway.
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
- India’s Net direct tax growth for 2022-23 to slow to 15%; including corporate income tax, personal income tax and the securities transaction tax (STT).
- Union government caps the maximum rate of GST compensation cess on pan masala, cigarettes and other forms of tobacco.
WORLD
- Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu fires Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, after speech to stop proposed judicial overhaul.
- People joined Hong Kong’s first authorised protest since the lifting of major COVID norms under strict rules.
- North Korea test-fires 2 more missiles as U.S. sends carrier; the launches were the North’s seventh missile event this month.
SPORTS
- Mumbai Indians lift inaugural Women’s Premier League trophy beating Delhi Capitals.
- India wins four gold medals in the Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.
- India’s men’s doubles badminton pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty win Swiss Open Super 300 Badminton doubles title in Basel
Food supply chains must be reimagined to end hunger
Food wastage is an issue of concern in both developing and developed countries. Food wastage occurs more at the retail and consumer end in developed countries. In developing countries, post-harvest and processing losses are more prominent.
Nearly one in ten people worldwide suffers from hunger. Goal 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is to end hunger, but we are failing in our efforts. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), eight per cent of the world population will continue to suffer from hunger in 2030, the target year for achieving the zero-hunger goal. The world population suffering from hunger in 2015, when these goals were adopted, was also eight per cent.
Armed conflicts, climate change and Covid-19 are some key factors behind failing efforts to combat global hunger. With more than 800 million people going to bed on an empty stomach, the basic tenets of humanity are under question. The global hunger crisis is not due to lack of supply or food unavailability but is largely an issue of price, purchasing power and food wastage. The FAO estimates that one-third of the total food produced on the planet ends up in a landfill.
Food wastage is an issue of concern in both developing and developed countries. Food wastage occurs more at the retail and consumer end in developed countries. In developing countries, post-harvest and processing losses are more prominent. Wasting food is an ethical concern since large number of people suffer from hunger worldwide. It is also a key contributor to the global hunger crisis and is detrimental to environment and climate.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, there is more food in landfills than any other single material. Food scraps do not easily degrade in landfills and get tightly compacted creating anaerobic conditions around them. In the absence of oxygen, the degrading food waste releases methane which is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) more dangerous than carbon dioxide. The global warming potential of methane is several times that of carbon dioxide.
According to the FAO, GHG emissions caused by food waste account for about eight per cent of total anthropogenic GHG emissions. If food loss and wastage were a country, it would be the third largest GHG emitting country in the world. The food and agriculture industry consumes nearly 35 per cent of global freshwater and more than 30 per cent cropland. Large volumes of harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides are sprayed on crops and soil for producing food.
In India, where close to 60 per cent land is under agriculture, food production contributes significantly to soil and water pollution. The groundwater table in the North Indian states of Punjab and Haryana has declined significantly due to intensive agriculture. Conflicts over water resources to meet agricultural demand are on the rise across India. Wasting one plate of food means wasting all the natural resources and efforts that have gone into producing it.
Despite these concerns, India is a large food waste generating country. According to the UN’s Food Waste Index report 2021, India wastes 68.8 tonnes of food every year. The Global Hunger Index 2022, although disputed by the Government on methodology, ranks India at 107 out of 121 countries. There is a need for reimagining food supply and accessibility since the current food system is not working for everyone.
Food supply chains in India need to be designed on the principles of circular economy beginning with the 3Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle. Food wastage at production level must be reduced by organising operations efficiently. Food industry standards need to be strengthened to minimize waste generation at all levels. Municipal agencies must lead awareness to prevent food wastage across cities and towns.
Reusing surplus edible food is critical for preventing food wastage. Pioneering initiatives by civil society organisations are needed to create platforms for redistributing surplus food. Government and municipal agencies can help by making feeding the hungry a priority. Donating extra edible food helps save resources that were utilized for food production and should become a regular practice. Surplus edible food can also be plugged into existing government schemes for feeding the poor.
Some food waste is bound to happen due to the nature of this industry. Recycling food waste and inedible byproducts will close the loop by avoiding landfill dumping. Encouraging start-ups that are working to convert food leftovers to compost or energy is a step in the right direction. The success of such initiatives will help promote segregation of waste at household level. Adopting waste segregation is a key step for preventing food waste from reaching landfills.
Goal 12 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals aims at achieving responsible consumption and production. One of its targets is to halve global per capita food waste by 2030. India has a rich past of generating minimal waste and maintaining sustainable lifestyle. Feeding the hungry is part and parcel of the traditions, culture and heritage of India. Revisiting the Indian value system and amalgamating it with the circular economy can help end hunger and food wastage.
(The writers are, respectively, a student and an associate professor at Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability, O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana, India.)
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, there is more food in landfills than any other single material. Food scraps do not easily degrade in landfills and get tightly compacted creating anaerobic conditions around them. In the absence of oxygen, the degrading food waste releases methane which is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) more dangerous than carbon dioxide. The global warming potential of methane is several times that of carbon dioxide.
According to the FAO, GHG emissions caused by food waste account for about eight per cent of total anthropogenic GHG emissions. If food loss and wastage were a country, it would be the third largest GHG emitting country in the world. The food and agriculture industry consumes nearly 35 per cent of global freshwater and more than 30 per cent cropland. Large volumes of harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides are sprayed on crops and soil for producing food.
In India, where close to 60 per cent land is under agriculture, food production contributes significantly to soil and water pollution. The groundwater table in the North Indian states of Punjab and Haryana has declined significantly due to intensive agriculture. Conflicts over water resources to meet agricultural demand are on the rise across India. Wasting one plate of food means wasting all the natural resources and efforts that have gone into producing it.
Despite these concerns, India is a large food waste generating country. According to the UN’s Food Waste Index report 2021, India wastes 68.8 tonnes of food every year. The Global Hunger Index 2022, although disputed by the Government on methodology, ranks India at 107 out of 121 countries. There is a need for reimagining food supply and accessibility since the current food system is not working for everyone.
Food supply chains in India need to be designed on the principles of circular economy beginning with the 3Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle. Food wastage at production level must be reduced by organising operations efficiently. Food industry standards need to be strengthened to minimize waste generation at all levels. Municipal agencies must lead awareness to prevent food wastage across cities and towns.
Reusing surplus edible food is critical for preventing food wastage. Pioneering initiatives by civil society organisations are needed to create platforms for redistributing surplus food. Government and municipal agencies can help by making feeding the hungry a priority. Donating extra edible food helps save resources that were utilized for food production and should become a regular practice. Surplus edible food can also be plugged into existing government schemes for feeding the poor.
Some food waste is bound to happen due to the nature of this industry. Recycling food waste and inedible byproducts will close the loop by avoiding landfill dumping. Encouraging start-ups that are working to convert food leftovers to compost or energy is a step in the right direction. The success of such initiatives will help promote segregation of waste at household level. Adopting waste segregation is a key step for preventing food waste from reaching landfills.
Goal 12 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals aims at achieving responsible consumption and production. One of its targets is to halve global per capita food waste by 2030. India has a rich past of generating minimal waste and maintaining sustainable lifestyle. Feeding the hungry is part and parcel of the traditions, culture and heritage of India. Revisiting the Indian value system and amalgamating it with the circular economy can help end hunger and food wastage.
Prabhroop Kaur & Govind Singh
Source: The Statesman, 24/03/23
(The writers are, respectively, a student and an associate professor at Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability, O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana, India.)
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