Why tracking migration is important for nutrition schemes

 

A plan that focuses on targeting and triaging the most vulnerable — a strategy that keeps them at the centre without silos — might just be what we need to move one step forward in improving the wellbeing of people.

It seemed like a data anomaly when we looked at the temporal pattern of malnourishment in the tribal sub-division of Dharni in Maharashtra’s Amravati district. An April peak in the number of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) surprised us. The common sense of nutrition discourse dictates that the peak should be in monsoon when diarrhoea takes over, or in winter when hypothermia is the devil for children. We re-checked our data and went back to previous years — this only seemed to confirm our findings. Every year, for at least the past three years, numbers had peaked in April. And, this was no small peak. The numbers went up more than five times suddenly, with two tribal blocks having more SAM and MAM children than the rest of the 12 blocks combined. The numbers kept reducing steadily all year round before peaking again in April.

What was happening? After some discussions, we realised that several families were returning to Dharni from migrated places in March for Holi (the biggest festival here), then going back to fulfil contracts, only to come back “permanently” in the kharif season when cropping begins (there was a smaller peak at June). Our later pursuits revealed a more direct correlation in Nandurbar, a tribal district in Maharashtra, where a 2018 UNICEF study had followed the same cohort of children, before and after migration. SAM numbers increased fourfold, MAM too doubled — at least half of the migrated children. Given the geographical complications of migration as well as a lack of data, such studies have been few.

Migration became the buzzword during the Covid pandemic in cities. However, rural migration has continued for years. In tribal areas especially — owing to lack of industry, issues with forest rights, or its implementation, and lack of irrigation facilities — migration extends to six to eight months a year.

The first question that I asked myself was that if people are staying somewhere else for over half a year, wasn’t that place as much their home? Multiple government schemes — for strengthening education, health, connectivity, water supply, electricity — work on the assumption that people are going to stay in villages to reap the fruits of what this capital and operation will sow. This assumption falls flat in high migration areas and the understanding of an inter-relationship between long-term nutrition, migration and livelihood (including, most of all, MGNREGS) goes askew.

We decided to work on our findings last year and asked a few questions: Where were people migrating from the most? How many? Which were the highest-density in-migration places? We did get some answers, but they seemed vague. It stood out that in our nutrition surveys, the lack of migration data inflated the denominator (number of children being measured), especially because new births kept adding to it, leading to data that did not accurately reflect the situation. Since we were in the middle of migration season, we decided to meet these migrated families.

Three things that changed everything I have ever understood about migration came from field visits. The most distinct memory I have is of an interaction with a brick kiln owner who shook his head when I asked him “Kitne bacche honge idhar (how many kids are here?)”. He said “Ham bacche nahi ginte kyunki voh idhar kaam nahi karte (we don’t count children because they don’t work here).” No wonder, then, that there was an invisible set of people — especially pregnant/lactating women and children — who were not of any “use” here. We met many families. Coming face to face with our own prejudices was also important. We believe migration to be a bad thing, but here were multiple families being provided guaranteed wages — the word “guaranteed” being especially important because many people told us they would be happy to not work here if they got assured MGNREGS work back home.

The second learning happened when we met a nine-month-old who was due for MMR vaccination but wasn’t given the dose because he wasn’t due for it back home, and by the time he would go back, he would have missed it. Our assumption is that this time period of six to eight months must be leaving many children and pregnant women unvaccinated. This is not due to the lack of health or nutrition infrastructure or indifference — it is because of a lack of knowledge of these beneficiaries being here. Most of these brick kilns are around 1-2 km outside the villages and until there is intimation of some government contact, it is difficult for both giver and receiver to get in touch.

Portability as a concept is not new. But my third learning was that we have to start thinking about a system that does not rest completely on demand. Our questions — do you take ration from shops? Do you take your kids to anganwadis? — were answered in the negative. It did not surprise me. A Korku tribal population distress-migrating in a predominantly Marathi belt: Think of the bargaining power, especially of women and children. It doesn’t take much to join the dots.

Our learnings led us to start working on a migration tracking system as well as strengthening MGNREGS. But these inter-relationships need a deeper dive, especially in tribal areas, which constitute a higher density of malnutrition. SAM and MAM are the tip of the iceberg when we talk about nutrition. A long-term reduction in stunting and underweight and improving health will need us to understand the interplay of nutrition, livelihood and poverty. A plan that focuses on targeting and triaging the most vulnerable — a strategy that keeps them at the centre without silos — might just be what we need to move one step forward in improving the wellbeing of people.

Written by Mittali Sethi

Source: Indian Express, 2/12/22

Quote of the Day December 1, 2022

 

“I discovered a long time ago that if I helped people get what they wanted, I would always get what I wanted and I would never have to worry.”
Anthony Robbins

“मुझे काफी समय पहले ही पता लग गया था कि यदि मैं लोगों की उनकी चाहतों को पूरा करने में सहायता करता हूं तो मुझे हमेशा वह सब मिल जाएगा जो मैं चाहता था और मुझे कभी भी चिंता नहीं करनी पड़ेगी।”
एंथनी राबिन्स

Nai Chetna Campaign

 Nai Chetana Campaign was launched by the Central Government on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25).

What is Nai Chetana Campaign?

• Nai Chetana is a gender campaign launched in all Indian states under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
• Over the next five years, this campaign seeks to build a common understanding and recognition of disadvantages and discrimination faced by women across all levels among community institutions, rural communities and government departments.
• The theme for this year’s campaign is Gender Based Violence. It will be organized from November 25 to December 23 this year.
• This nationwide campaign aims to sensitise women, especially those in rural regions, about gender-based violence and make them aware about various institutional mechanisms that are available to help them address such violence.
• It is envisaged as a Jan Andolan (people’s movement) to change the popular opinion that gender-based violence is normal.
• The campaign will help women identify violence meted out to them due to the normalization of gender-based discrimination and violence.
• It will create public awareness about redressed mechanisms for victims of violence.
• It will also help prepare women to raise their voice against gender-based violence and put end to it at the grassroot level.
• The campaign will deepen the understanding of gender through multisectoral approach.

Who is implementing the Nai Chetana Campaign?

The Nai Chetana Campaign is being implemented by the state governments in collaboration with the civil society organizations (CSOs). It is being organized at all levels, including the state, district, block engaging with the community institutions and extended communities. As part of this campaign, all concerned stakeholders will come together to create a concerted effort in acknowledging, identifying and addressing violence-related issues.  Knowledge workshops, leadership training, seminars on sexual violence and other such events will be conducted as part of this month-long campaign.

Current Affairs-December 1, 2022

 

INDIA

– Maternal Mortality Ratio declines from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20

– Maternal Mortality Ratio is the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 1,00,000 live births during the same period

 BJP received Rs 614.53 crore as contributions in 2021-22, Congress: Rs 95.46 crore: Election Commission

– Manipur Sangai Festival 2022 organised by state govt. from Nov 21 to 30

– Assam to provide Rs 10000 annually to female post-graduate students in 10 monthly instalments

– India-US joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’ being held in Uttarakhand, 100 kms from China LAC (Line of Actual Control)

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– India’s GDP grows 6.3% in second quarter of 2022-23

– Growth in eight core industries slows down to 0.1% in October

– India-Australia Economic Cooperation & Trade Agreement to come into force from Dec 29

– Kirit Parikh panel suggests floor and ceiling price for gas from old fields

– RBI authorises Tamilnad Mercantile Bank to undertake government business

– Toyota Kirloskar Vice Chairman Vikram S Kirloskar dies in Bengaluru at 64

– Remittance flows to India to rise 12% to reach $100 billion in 2022: World Bank

WORLD

– China: Former President Jiang Zemin (1993-2003) dies at 96

– Chinese astronauts meet colleagues at under-construction space station; makes country’s first

– Bakery item French baguette given “intangible cultural heritage status” by UNESCO

– Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare observed on November 30

SPORTS

– Stéphanie Frappart of France becomes first female referee in FIFA Men’s World Cup, in Costa Rica v/s Germany match on Dec 1

– 3rd & final India-NZ ODI at Hagley Oval, Christchurch called off due to rain; NZ win series 1-0

Faulty reasoning

 Divorce law in India remains a site of daily tragedy

Mr X and Ms Y fell in love and got married. They moved abroad and had three children. Unfortunately, things went awry and X filed for divorce in India, claiming an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. He contended that Y had inflicted physical and mental cruelty on him. Y vehemently opposed the divorce and countered that X had been an irresponsible husband and had been in an extra-marital affair. They had been living apart for five years by this time.

Any responsive and modern family law regime should, in such circumstances, consider divorce a given and focus its energies on ensuring equitable economic consequences for the spouses and maximising the welfare of the children. But when faced with such a matrix in a recent case, the Kerala High Court denied divorce and concluded that none of the ‘fault’ grounds for seeking it was met. Moreover, the husband had seemingly indulged in an “unholy alliance” by having an extra-marital affair and, thus could not “benefit” from it.

This is the tragedy of divorce law in India, where courts condemn couples to perpetual unhappiness. Currently, Hindu, Christian and secular marriage laws only recognise divorce on fault grounds. A successful divorce requires proving that the other spouse committed a legal fault. While legislative amendments have introduced mutual consent divorce, laws still do not recognise a unilateral divorce based on the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage. Recently, a Constitution Bench concluded hearings on whether it should grant a unilateral divorce, and, if so, when and under what factual circumstances should such divorces be granted? It was argued that if the Indian Constitution recognised an individual’s right to marry, there had to be a corresponding right to exit the marriage as well. These arguments build on the court’s jurisprudence on the right to privacy and the decriminalisation of homosexuality, where it emphasised the autonomy of individuals to make intimate decisions. But apart from constitutional arguments, there are reasons rooted in family law and policy which strongly advocate for a no fault, unilateral divorce regime in India.

Requiring parties to prove fault unnecessarily prolongs marital dispute and relies excessively on judicial discretion. While judges routinely exercise discretion, in family law, this needs fact-intensive queries in high-conflict, interpersonal disputes where establishing bright lines is almost impossible. Moreover, it incentivises the spouses to become adversarial and, rather than promoting long term relationships, only fosters discord. It also diverts judicial time and energy in the pointless pursuit of establishing fault rather than concentrating on spousal economic dependency and the welfare of children. For the sake of argument, even if one assumes a governmental interest in preserving marriage and promoting rapprochement between spouses, the current fault-based divorce regime serves no such purpose. Alternative policy instruments like mandatory pre-divorce mediation or a cooling-off period before unilateral divorce are more useful.

In family law, the excessive focus on fault has diverted policy attention from significant reform questions, such as the need to legally value the spouses’ contributions to marriage while determining post-divorce economic support or ensuring fair parental access in bringing up children. Further, debates that reduce family law reforms to a zero-sum choice between a Uniform Civil Code and patriarchal and religious identity-based personal law also shift focus from more concrete legal and policy conundrums in family law.

Consequently, divorce law in India remains a site of daily tragedy. While the Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on its powers to grant a divorce upon their retrievable breakdown of marriage, a judicial resolution of the issue may only serve a limited purpose. Most litigants simply do not have the wherewithal to go up to the Supreme Court to resolve their marital disputes. Lawmakers must give family law policy the serious attention it deserves.

Akshat Agarwal is a doctoral candidate at Yale Law School. Views are personal

Source: The Telegraph. 1/12/22

How teachers are being silenced in Manipur

 

Censorship in academic publication and restrictions of free speech in Manipur is not only an affront to academic freedom, it is dangerous for democracy

On September 15, the government of Manipur issued an order that requires prior approval to publish books on the state. Listing certain topics that are under scrutiny, a committee will examine the manuscripts. The topics include works on the history, culture, tradition and geography of Manipur.  The order stated that “any publication of a book in violation” of the order “shall be liable to be punished under the relevant law”. The order came in the wake of a book that the government considers “may either distort facts or disturb the peaceful co-existence amongst the various communities in the State”.

The regulation is a direct offshoot of the recent controversy surrounding a book that argues that only 700 square miles of the valley of the state was merged with the Indian Union in the merger agreement and not even a single inch of the hill areas was covered under it. Another order on November 9 declares every copy of the book titled The Complexity Called Manipur: Roots, Perceptions & Reality authored by Sushil Kumar Sharma as “forfeited to the Government”.

However, there is a larger malaise that has long existed in the hills. In the last decade, several vigilante groups in the valley have been actively engaged in spewing venomous claims about indigenous minority groups as “refugees”. The state government is complicit in this by allowing these hate groups to continue their activities despite several objections raised by community-based organisations. The unending hate campaign has unsettled many in the hills and they finally found teeth in the contents of the book. It provided them with the counter-argument to strike back at the toxic hegemony and clamour that the hill areas are not parts of the territory of Manipur

Two years earlier, on August 10, 2020, the N Biren Singh government issued an office memorandum enforcing the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965, to all government college teachers and other staff working under the state higher education department. This order requires approval to “be taken before publishing or making statements regarding any government policy or programme in the media”, and failure to do so will invite disciplinary action. Before this order was issued, the relationship between the ruling coalition partners, BJP and NPP, soured, leading to a public spat between leaders. The political environment worsened when leaders began switching parties between the Congress and BJP before election for the lone Rajya Sabha member from the state. The manner in which the BJP won the floor test and evaded the anti-defection law became a matter of public concern and discussion. This was debated in local television channels where teachers from government colleges were often invited. It was this that triggered the N Biren Singh government to issue the aforementioned order.

A vibrant liberal democracy requires a corresponding civil society and a knowledge system free of government interference. Freedom to publish and participate in debates in the media is an essential part of the freedom of speech and expression. Any censorship on academic publication and restrictions of free speech is an affront to the Constitution. It implies that the dominant perspective acceptable to the government will prevail and alternative perspectives will be derided.

The enforcement of CCS rules on teachers, particularly those in higher educational institutions, is an impairment to their profession. Under the rules, a teacher may no longer have the freedom to train students in critical thinking and analysis. A political scientist can no longer freely discuss politics. An economist can be punished for discussing the economic policy of the government. The strictures on “publication or making statement” imply that the academic activities of writing opinions in newspapers and magazines, or participating in a discussion or debate in television shows, will involve bureaucratic scrutiny, hassle and red tape. Writing an editorial for a journal can become a violation of service rules. In short, teachers can be criminalised for the very activity that they are expected to perform.

The National Education Policy 2020 emphasises the development of cognitive skills such as critical thinking. For this, the quality of engagement of teachers is considered to be the most important factor. Therefore, “the criticality of faculty in achieving the goals of higher education” and “the criticality of research” is considered to be essential for the progress of the country.

In the last few years, not only were the CCS rules imposed on teachers, there were relentless attempts to stifle dissent in the state. Several academic and political activists were incarcerated for expressing their views against the policies and programmes of the state. A teacher of Manipuri was served a show cause notice by Manipur University on September 28 for criticising the state government’s “legalisation of liquor”. The imposition of CCS rules is also in contradiction to the UGC regulations on ‘Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education’ of 2018. The regulations clearly stated that teachers in universities and colleges should be able to “express free and frank opinion by participation at professional meetings, seminars, conferences etc, towards the contribution of knowledge”. They are required to “work to improve education in the community and strengthen the community’s moral and intellectual life” and “be aware of social problems and take part in such activities as would be conducive to the progress of society and hence the country as a whole”.

Academic disagreements need academic debate and engagement, not government censorship and intimidation. The clampdown on free speech and the imposition of regulation on publication is not only an impairment to academic freedom, it is inimical to democracy.

Written by Thongkholal Haokip

The writer is assistant professor, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, JNU

Source: The Indian Express, 29/11/22

Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii erupts: What is the science behind volcanic eruptions?

 Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, erupted after 38 years on Sunday (November 27), spewing ash and debris, and covering the night sky of Hawaii’s Big Island in an incandescent red hue.

Aerial images showed molten lava flowing out of the volcano, whose name translates to “long mountain” in the native Hawaiian language. Mitch Roth, mayor of Hawaii County, was quoted as saying by NPR that the eruption does not appear to be threatening any downslope communities.

We take a closer look at the science behind volcanoes, and some of the largest eruptions in recorded history.

Why do volcanoes erupt?

The deeper one goes under the surface of the Earth towards its core, the hotter it gets. The geothermal gradient, the amount that the Earth’s temperature increases with depth, indicates heat flowing from the Earth’s warm interior to its surface. At a certain depth, the heat is such that it melts rocks and creates what geologists call ‘magma’. Magma is lighter than solid rock and hence it rises, collecting in magma chambers. Chambers which have the potential to cause volcanic eruptions are found at a relatively shallow depth, between six to ten km under the surface. As magma builds up in these chambers, it forces its way up through cracks and fissures in Earth’s crust. This is what we call a volcanic eruption. The magma that surfaces on the Earth’s crust is referred to as lava

Why are some volcanic eruptions explosive and some not?

While the typical image of a volcano is that of a fountain of lava spouting high in the air from the mouth of the volcano, eruptions vary in intensity and explosiveness, depending on the composition of the magma.

In simple terms, runny magma makes for less explosive volcanic eruptions that typically are less dangerous. Since the magma is runny, gasses are able to escape, leading to a steady but relatively gentle flow of lava out of the mouth of the volcano. The eruption at Mauna Loa is of this kind. Since the lava flows out at a slow pace, people typically have enough time to move out of the way. Geologists are also able to predict the flow of the lava depending on the incline and exact consistency it has.

If magma is thick and sticky, it makes it harder for gasses to escape on a consistent basis. This leads to a build-up of pressure until a breaking point is reached. At this time, the gasses escape violently, all at once, causing an explosion. Lava blasts into the air, breaking apart into pieces called tephra. These can be extremely dangerous, ranging from the size of tiny particles to massive boulders.

This sort of eruption can be deadly: as thick clouds of tephra race down the side of the volcano, they destroy everything in their path. Ash erupted into the sky falls back to Earth like powdery snow. If thick enough, blankets of ash can suffocate plants, animals, and humans. Further, when the hot volcanic materials mix with nearby sources of water, they can create mudflows that have been known to bury entire communities alive. Mount Vesuvius, which obliterated the city of Pompeii, is an example of an explosive volcano.

The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a scale used to measure the explosivity of a volcano. It has a range of 1 to 8 with a higher VEI indicating more explosivity. While the VEI of the current eruption at Mauna Loa is not known yet, the previous eruption in 1984 was deemed to have a VEI of 0. The highest VEI ever recorded in Mauna Loa has been 2 (in 1854 and 1868)

Some famous volcanoes

Any volcano that has erupted within the Holocene period (in the last 11,650 years) is considered to be “active” by scientists. “Dormant” volcanoes are those active volcanoes which are not in the process of erupting currently, but have the potential to do so in the future. Mauna Loa was a dormant volcano for the last 38 years. “Extinct” volcanoes are ones which scientists predict will never face any further volcanic activity. Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the UK, is an extinct volcano.

Krakatoa, Indonesia

One of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions ever occurred in Krakatoa in 1883 (VEI 6). The volcano released huge plumes of steam and ash. The explosions were so brutal, they were heard 3,100km away in Perth, Western Australia. According to the Dutch colonial authorities, Krakatoa’s eruption and the consequent tsunamis caused 36,417 deaths, though modern estimates peg the number to be much higher.

Mount Vesuvius, Italy

In 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted (VEI 5), in one of the deadliest eruptions in European history, killing as many as 16,000 and destroying the town of Pompeii. According to scientists, the explosion released 100,000 times the thermal energy that was released with the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is said to have instantly boiled the blood of all those who were too close to it. The explosion was described by Greek writer Pliny the Younger, who was present nearby, as being “sometimes bright and sometimes dark and spotted… more or less impregnated with earth and cinders.”

Mount Fuji, Japan

A defining image of Japan, Mount Fuji towers over the countryside with its snow-capped peaks and barren surface. It last erupted in 1707-1708 (VEI 5) and had a devastating effect on the local population. The tephra release led to significant agricultural decline, leading to widespread starvation in the Edo (now Tokyo) area. Although this eruption itself did not directly kill a lot of people, its subsequent impact proved deadly.

Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland

Sometimes referred to as E15, it is one of the many volcanic features of Iceland. In 2010, a relatively small eruption (VEI 4) managed to bring air traffic in Europe to a complete standstill. 20 countries closed their airspace, impacting approximately 10 million travellers.

Kīlauea, Hawaii

Adjacent to the Mauna Loa, this is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. It has been erupting intermittently since recorded history, with its eruption lasting from 1983 to 2018 being the longest continuous eruption ever recorded. It is a major tourist attraction, with the earliest hotel built at the edge of the volcano in the 1840s.

Mount St Helens, USA

Located in Washington State, Mount St. Helens was a major eruption that occurred on May 18, 1980 (VEI 5), and it remains the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. It started after an earthquake hit the region, killing 57 and causing property damage over $1 billion. It remains an active volcano and one that is considered to be amongst the riskiest by scientists.

Source: The Indian Express, 30/11/22