World Population Prospects 2024: UN

 The most recent “World Population Prospects 2024” study from the United Nations gives us a lot more information about how many people are expected to live on Earth in the future. According to key findings, the world’s population will hit its peak of about 10.3 billion people in the middle of the 1980s. After that, it will start to slowly decline until the end of the century. The fact that this peak is about 700 million fewer than what was thought ten years ago shows that population trends have changed.

Factors Affecting Population Growth

Lower birth rates in some of the world’s most popular countries, like China, are to blame for the change in population predictions. These changes are having a big effect on the demographic picture and give us a new way to think about how populations will change in the future. The earlier coming of this population peak is also seen as a good thing for the environment because it could reduce the stress that human consumption puts on the planet’s resources.

Global Distribution and Ageing

Over a quarter of the world’s people live in places like China, Russia, Japan, and Germany where population growth has stopped. This group is going to grow because countries like Brazil, Iran, and Turkey are going to have their most populous decades in the next 30 years. Also, after 2054, the populations of more than 120 countries will still be growing. This includes big countries like India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United States. The ages of people in the population are also changing. In line with trends seen after Covid, life expectancy will rise from an average of 73.3 years in 2024 to 77.4 years in 2054. It is expected that by the late 2070s, there will be more adults aged 65 and up than people under 18 years old. This means that the world’s population is getting older quickly.

Implications

The world’s population is getting older and will finally go down, which brings both problems and chances. It might help the environment in some ways by lowering total consumption, but it also makes people more aware of the need to live in a way that is good for the environment. Also, governments around the world may face problems because of populations that are getting older, such as a lack of workers and higher healthcare needs. In conclusion, it is important to understand these population trends for policymaking and long-term growth, as they will have big effects on the world’s social, economic, and environmental settings in the future.

About UN Population Prospects

• Global and Regional Trends: The UN Population Prospects study projects the world’s population to peak at about 10.4 billion by 2100, with India surpassing China as the most populous country by 2023. Africa is highlighted for its significant population growth, with Nigeria expected to be the third most populous country by 2050.
• Longevity and Migration: By 2050, the global life expectancy is projected to reach nearly 77 years, reflecting improvements in healthcare. Conversely, Europe’s population may decline due to falling birth rates and increased longevity. Migration plays a crucial but complex role in shaping demographic changes, especially in developed regions.

Nagaland Wins Best State in Horticulture Award 2024

 Nagaland won the “Best State in Horticulture Award 2024” at the Agriculture Leadership Awards, which shows how clever its horticulture projects are. Minister Salhoutuonuo Kruse took the award in New Delhi and said that the government’s policies are aimed at promoting prosperity in rural areas and long-term farming.

Horticulture Development Initiatives

Key policies have mostly focused on improving nutrition and the economy by encouraging diverse farming and organic certification. One of the things that was done was to register the Naga Mircha, Naga Tree Tomato, and Naga Sweet Cucumber as Geographical Indications (GI). This made the product more valuable and protected native heritage.

Institution of Farmer’s Producer Companies

13 Farmers’ Producer Companies (FPCs) needed to be set up. These FPCs have helped organic farming on 6800 hectares of land, which has led to world recognition and national awards for crops like pineapple, kiwi, and large cardamom.

About Farmers’ Producer Company (FPCs)

• Formation and Structure: Farmers’ Producer Companies (FPCs), which were made possible by the Companies Act of 2002, let farmers pool their resources and get better deals. They need at least ten producer members or two institutions to work, but there is no limit on the number of members, and each member has one vote in the democratic management system.
• Government Support and Tax Benefits: Schemes like the Equity Grant and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme help FPCs with help from the government. Also, up to INR 100 crore in income from FPC operations is not taxed. This encourages farmers to work together to get their goods to market and supports environmentally friendly farming methods.
• Impact on Farmers: FPCs have made it much easier for small farms to get into markets, cut down on transaction costs, and use new technologies. Farmers get better prices, more efficient work, and higher total productivity when they pool their resources and work together.

Market Integration and Expansion

The Department of Horticulture has started air shipping services to make it easier for Naga Organic Pineapple and Organic Kiwi to get to markets. Getting Nagaland’s goods to other parts of India has been made easier by this connection. The creation of “100 vegetable villages,” which are meant to help 10,000 families, is an important project. This scheme not only makes more food available, but it also helps communities become self-sufficient.

Promotion of Exotic and Native Horticulture

Nagaland is making progress in sustainable farming by growing unusual plants like Kiwi and Dragon Fruit and coming up with the innovative idea of a “Horticultural Model Village.” Each village is only responsible for growing one crop so that resources are used more efficiently and output is higher.

Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents

 

Vol. 59, Issue No. 28, 13 Jul, 2024

Uphold the Constitution in Practice

Comment

Contractualisation of Academic Labour

From 25 Years Ago

From 25 Years Ago:  Residual Illiteracy and Uneven Development – I: Patterned Concentration of Literacy

From 50 Years Ago

From 50 Years Ago:  World Crisis and Latin America’s International Options: A Note

Commentary

Climate Risk Management - The RBI’s Disclosure Norms for Banks and Finanacial Institutions

Arindam Bandyopadhyay

Gambling on Africa - India and the Moral Dilemmas Facing the Global South

Shobana Shankar

Interstate Inequality in Consumption - Emerging Evidence from HCES 2022–23 

Arup Mitra, Puneet Kumar Shrivastav

Nullifying 24,000 Jobs - Legal Sustainability of the Calcutta High Court’s ‘Cash for Job’ Order

Sayan Mukherjee

Continuing Failure of India’s Neighbourhood Policy

Mukul Sanwal

Book Reviews

Economic Perspectives on the Environment and Climate Change

Achin Chakraborty

Sikh Struggles for Identity Consolidation in East and Northeast India

Geetanjali Atri

The Crisis of Perspective in Modern India Historiography

Vishal Singh Deo

Perspectives

Devolution to States from the Net Proceeds in India - Methodological Issues and Assessment of Finance Commission Recommendations

R Ramakumar

Special Articles

Ideal Social Discount Rate for Public Sector Projects in India - An Assessment

Ravindra H Dholakia, Sitikantha Pattanaik, Ajitesh Kumar

Finance Commissions’ Distance Criterion - Role in Delivering Equalisation

D K Srivastava, Muralikrishna Bharadwaj, Tarrung Kapur, Ragini Trehan

Poverty in India over the Last Decade

Surjit S Bhalla, Karan Bhasin

Discussion

Official Statistical System in India - Through a Looking Glass Erroneously

Ashok K Nag

Current Statistics

Current Statistics

Letters

Gendered Realities of Our Democratic Society

Anjali Chauhan

Thinking of Gaza from Delhi

Deblina Dey

Engage-Articles

Pornography—The Digital Red-light District

Shashank Maheshwari, Sofia Dash

Great divide: Editorial on NITI Aayog report flagging growing inequality in India

 

The two indicators flagged by the NITI Aayog point to two different kinds of problem. Economic inequality stems from unequal access to assets and opportunities in a market economy

One of the major consequences of market-led growth in India has been the sharp rise in economic inequality, both in terms of wealth and income. This has been measured and remarked upon by a number of international scholars and think tanks, much to the annoyance of the Narendra Modi-led Central government. But now, the Centre’s own think tank, the NITI Aayog, has come up with a report that has flagged growing inequality in India as an issue of concern. According to the NITI Aayog report, inequality scores as measured by United Nations suggested metrics have worsened from 71 in 2018 to 65 in 2023-24. The report also underlines the worsening of gender inequalities that might pull down India’s sustainability goals that are to be achieved by 2030. Incidentally, according to non-government sources such as Oxfam, 40% of the national income went to the top 1% of Indians while the bottom 50% received only 3% between 2012 and 2021. The level of inequality is supposed to be worse than that which prevailed during the colonial period.

The two indicators flagged by the NITI Aayog point to two different kinds of problem. Economic inequality stems from unequal access to assets and opportunities in a market economy. Poor people have limited access and, hence, they continue to be poor. Unequal opportunities spill over into access to credit, education, health and justice. Such inequalities harden, more so when systematic safety nets provided by the government are not assured. These growing inequalities have political and social consequences that might be quite potent in terms of unrest and violence. Denied of decent, dignified living, the poor often turn to crime and illegal activities. Extreme inequality can also be viewed as unjust and offensive given the opulent exhibitionism of the rich and the famous. Gender inequality, on the other hand, is a consequence of deep-seated social problems that reflect increasing male dominance. The gender bias is manifest in the nation’s political representation, in India’s work culture, and even in its family values. The consequent loss to the nation is in terms of talent and creativity foregone when so many women lack educational and employment opportunities and spend the most productive period of their lives engaged in household chores. Now that the government’s own think tank has raised these issues, the time has come for serious policy action.

Source: The Telegraph, 17/07/24

Quote of the Day July 2, 2024

 

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
Robert Brault

“छोटी छोटी बातों का आनंद उठाइए, क्योंकि हो सकता है कि किसी दिन आप मुड़ कर देखें तो आपको अनुभव हो कि ये तो बड़ी बातें थीं।”
रॉबर्ट ब्राल्ट

What is Teesta Treaty?

 In June 2023, when Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, paid a state visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a technical team would go to Bangladesh to talk about how to protect and control the Teesta River. The Teesta water-sharing pact has been a point of contention between India and Bangladesh for over a decade. This brought it back to the public’s attention.

India’s Stand on Teesta Water Sharing

After Modi’s speech, India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra made it clear that the talks were more about controlling the flow of water in the Teesta than making deals to share water. While the central government agreed with this position, West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, disagreed. She said that talks about the Teesta waters should not continue without the state’s participation. She was worried that sharing Teesta’s water would have bad effects on the people in north Bengal.

Background of the Teesta Dispute

The Teesta River is a big river that starts in Sikkim and flows into Bangladesh. It is important for farming and the environment. As part of the planned treaty from 2011, which was almost agreed upon by India’s UPA-II government, India would get 42.5% of the water and Bangladesh would get 37.5%. But the deal didn’t go through because Mamata Banerjee was against it, saying that it could be bad for West Bengal.

Political and Environmental Considerations

There are also political and environmental issues at play in the argument over the Teesta water-sharing plan. India’s hydroelectric projects and barrages in the river’s top catchment areas are thought to have slowed it down, which has hurt the environment and the people in Bangladesh who depend on it for their livelihoods. There are pressures on Bangladesh’s Awami League government to complete the treaty from within the country as well as from outside, such as China’s plans for large-scale dredging and infrastructure projects along the Teesta River.

Broader Implications and Future Perspectives

Managing and sharing Teesta’s waters is connected to problems of sustainability and working together in the region as a whole. Environmentalists and political leaders in India and Bangladesh are still trying to figure out how to handle resources, follow international law (The Helsinki Rules), and deal with the unique social and economic situations in their countries. The current talks, along with the need to renew the Ganga water sharing treaty, show how difficult it is to manage transboundary rivers in a way that is fair, long-lasting, and takes into account everyone’s needs.

Assam Witness Protection Scheme, 2024

 The Assam Cabinet started the Assam Witness Protection Scheme, 2024 because witnesses in court cases are being threatened more and more. This action is in line with Section 398 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and is meant to make evidence in court cases safer and more trusting.

Implementation of the Witness Protection Scheme

The plan lets witnesses ask for safety through a Competent Authority that is set up in each district. There is a District and Sessions Judge in charge of this authority, as well as the Head of Prosecution, an officer chosen by the District Magistrate, and the District Police Head. The method sorts witnesses into three groups, called A, B, and C, based on how dangerous they think the situation is.

Protection Measures and Funding

Protection tactics include trials that are recorded, putting in security systems at witnesses’ homes, and maybe even moving them temporarily. A State Witness Protection Authority will also create and oversee a special fund to help with these steps, making sure there are enough resources to protect witnesses.

Revisions in Transportation Penalties

Also, the Assam Cabinet has made important changes to the rules for transportation. To make things easier on people’s budgets, fines for riding a two-wheeler without the right paperwork have been removed. However, helmet laws are still in effect. The other way around, three-wheeled cars will get up to four warnings before they are fined for breaking the rules.

About Assam Witness Protection Scheme

The Assam government set up rules for the Assam Witness Protection Scheme in 2020 to keep witnesses in criminal cases safe from threats or harassment. As part of the plan, witnesses are kept anonymous, moved, given police protection, and given money if they need it. Based on risk levels, it tells the difference between the three types of threats and adjusts the security details accordingly. It also stresses that witness names should be kept secret, gives police agencies a few rules to follow, and includes monitoring and evaluation tools to see how well protection measures are working and make changes as needed.