12th International Tourism Mart in Kaziranga

 The 12th International Tourism Mart (ITM) takes place in Kaziranga from November 26 to 29, 2024. This annual event aims to connect tourism businesses from northeastern India, which encourages partnerships among various stakeholders, including buyers, sellers, and media. The Ministry of Tourism organizes this mart to showcase the region’s tourism potential.

Focus on Sustainability

This year’s event marks sustainability and aligns with the “Travel for Life” initiative by the Ministry of Tourism. The goal is to reduce environmental impact. Participants will use energy-efficient methods. The use of single-use plastics will be avoided.

Expected Participants

Around 400 participants are anticipated, which includes tour operators, hoteliers, and homestay owners. Tourism service providers and influencers will also attend. Government officials and media representatives are key stakeholders. International students will participate to gain vital information about the tourism sector.

Event Highlights

The three-day programme features diverse activities. Presentations by state governments will inform attendees about local tourism. Business-to-business meetings will facilitate networking. Panel discussions will address industry challenges and opportunities. Food demonstrations will showcase local cuisine. Cultural evenings and live music will enhance the experience.

Participants will enjoy technical visits to important sites. The Charaideo Moidam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kaziranga National Park is renowned for its biodiversity. The Hathikuli Tea Estate offers vital information about tea production. The Orchid and Biodiversity Park showcases regional flora.

Media Coverage

Media representatives will cover the event extensively. They will highlight the potential of northeastern tourism. Coverage aims to attract both domestic and international tourists. The event will serve as a platform for promoting sustainable tourism practices.

Important Facts for Exams:

1. Charaideo Moidam: Charaideo Moidam is India’s 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is important for its historical burial mounds. The site reflects the cultural heritage of the Ahom dynasty.
2. Hathikuli Tea Estate: Hathikuli Tea Estate is known for its high-quality tea production. It offers vital information about traditional tea cultivation. Visitors can learn about the tea-making process and its history.
3. Kaziranga National Park: Kaziranga National Park is famous for its one-horned rhinoceros. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home to diverse flora and fauna, attracting eco-tourists.
4. Travel for Life: “Travel for Life” is an initiative by the Ministry of Tourism. It promotes sustainable tourism practices. The initiative aims to reduce environmental impact and encourage responsible travel.

Disaster Mitigation Funding Approved for 15 States

 The Union Home Minister Amit Shah has recently led a high-level committee that approved important funding for disaster mitigation. This initiative aims to enhance capacity-building projects across 15 states in India. A total of ₹1,000 crore has been allocated for these efforts. Additionally, ₹115.67 crore will support the training of civil defence volunteers nationwide.

Fund Allocation Details

The approved funds are distributed as follows –

• Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh – ₹139 crore each
• Maharashtra – ₹100 crore
• Karnataka and Kerala – ₹72 crore each
• Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – ₹50 crore each
• Northeastern States – ₹378 crore for Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura

National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF)

The projects are financed by the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF). They focus on reducing landslide risks in the designated states. Additional projects include Urban Flood Risk Mitigation in seven cities, costing ₹3,075.65 crore. Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk management will receive ₹150 crore across four states.

Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction

The Ministry of Home Affairs is implementing various measures to boost disaster risk reduction. These efforts align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a disaster-resilient India. The aim is to prevent important loss of life and property during disasters.

Previous Funding Released This Year

This year, over ₹21,476 crore has already been allocated to states. The breakdown includes:

• State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) – ₹14,878.40 crore
• National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) – ₹4,637.66 crore
• State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) – ₹1,385.45 crore
• National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) – ₹574.93 crore

Important Facts for Exams:

1. National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) – NDMF finances disaster mitigation projects across India. It aims to reduce risks from natural disasters, particularly landslides and flooding in vulnerable regions.
2. Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF): GLOF refers to floods caused by the sudden release of water from glacial lakes. These events pose important risks in mountainous regions, especially during climate change.
3. State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF): SDRF is a financial mechanism for states to respond to disasters. It enables rapid allocation of resources to address immediate needs after calamities.
4. Civil Defence Volunteers: Civil defence volunteers play important role in disaster management. They are trained to assist in emergencies, providing support and resources during natural disasters and crises.

Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents

 

Vol. 59, Issue No. 47, 23 Nov, 2024

The Bugbear of Food Inflation

Comment

Bulldozer Justice?

From 25 Years Ago

From 25 Years Ago: Promoting the Internet in South Asia

From 50 Years Ago

From 50 Years Ago: Soviet Union

H T Parekh Finance Column

COP29 - Choosing Low-hanging Fruits Unfit for Purpose

C P Chandrasekhar

Law and Society

Excavating the ‘Minority Character’ of an Institution

Alok Prasanna Kumar

Commentary

The 2024 Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir

Rekha Chowdhary

The Macho and the Malayalam Film Industry - A Response to the Hema Committee Report

Lakshmi Priya N

Beyond the Medal - Paralympic Athletes and the Ableist Gaze

Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi

Disparity in Asset Holdings of the Household Sector - AIDIS and NSS Definitions

Dipankar Mitra, Aloke Kar

Book Reviews

Environment and Human–Animal Interactions

Thomas Malsom

Province and Its Inexact Calculi - A Study in Media and Infrastructure

Shriya Raina

Perspectives

Women in Cinema and the Patriarchal Deep State

Meena T Pillai

Special Articles

The Scholarship of K N Raj - Humanist Vision, Grounded Theorising, and Focus on Institutional Context

Suraj Jacob

Caste and Socio-economic Inequality in Bihar - A Disaggregated Analysis of the 2023 Census

Christophe Z Guilmoto, Himanshu

Why Do Indian Farmers Leave the Cultivation of Nutri-cereal Crops? - A Temporal Analysis of Selected States

A Narayanamoorthy, K S Sujitha, R Suresh

Current Statistics

Current Statistics

Postscript

Denial of Desire - Depictions of Elderly Intimacy in Malayalam Cinema

Geethu Thomas

Deconstructing Benevolent Ableism through Srikanth

Shashank Pandey

Daughters like me

Anannya Dasgupta

Last Lines

Letters

How Universal Is Universal Basic Literacy?

Vachaspati Shukla

Barriers to Understanding Theory

Parvathy Venu

Far from equal

 The SDG Gender Index, published by Equal Measures 2030, a coalition of NGOs, provides a comprehensive evaluation of the global progress toward achieving gender equality as outlined in the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. However, the findings of the 2024 report deliver a stark message: not a single country is on track to meet gender equality by 2030.

One of the most alarming findings of the report is that, at the current pace, gender equality will not be achieved globally until another century. This prediction reflects deep structural issues in the way gender equality is pursued globally, compounded by intersecting crises such as economic inequality, the rise of anti-democratic movements, and post-pandemic recovery challenges.

Between 2019 and 2022, nearly 40% of the countries included in the SDG Gender Index either stagnated or saw a decline in gender equality progress. This decline affects over one billion women and girls globally. The Index finds that 74% of the SDG targets cannot be achieved without addressing these gender gaps.

Economic inequality continues to play a significant role in obstructing gender equality. From 2019 to 2022, income inequality either stagnated or worsened in three-quarters of the countries analysed; the 10 countries where the score worsened most were Malta, the Netherlands, Estonia, Mali, Finland, Lithuania, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, and Colombia. The rise in governments’ debt burdens has been linked to diminishing public funds available for gender-responsive budgets and social infrastructure. Gender equality programmes suffer consequently, making it difficult to achieve social transformation.

Political and societal polarisation, fuelled by the rise of right-wing, nationalist, and populist governments, are exacerbating the rollback of gender equality. The report highlights a troubling increase in anti-feminist rhetoric, which directly impacts policies and funding for women’s rights, health, education, and public participation. This backlash is not limited to policy but is reflected in the fracturing of societal values. Survey data from countries such as Germany, South Korea, and the United States of America show that young men are significantly less supportive of gender equality than their female counterparts.

Moreover, women’s right to political participation has seen a consistent decline across the globe with the sharpest setbacks occurring in Asia and the Pacific, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean. This shrinking space for women’s voices in both private and public spheres raises concerns about the future of gender-inclusive democracies and the capacity to advocate for sustainable changes.

The next six years leading up to the 2030 Agenda are fraught with challenges that threaten to erase the fragile gains in gender equality. The 2024 SDG Gender Index stresses the need for immediate investment in gender-responsive policies, progressive taxation, and public services. However, with growing government debt and increasing economic inequality, the likelihood of mobilising sufficient public funds for gender programmes appears grim.

Global cooperation and solidarity are more necessary than ever to address these challenges. The report calls for fairer trade and tax rules as well as increased international aid and grants to support countries in achieving gender equality. These efforts must be coupled with systemic reforms that challenge the political and economic structures that perpetuate inequality.

The 2024 SDG Gender Index offers a sobering look at global progress toward gender equality. With less than six years remaining before the 2030 Agenda deadline, it is clear that the world is far from achieving its promise of gender equality. Without renewed commitment and global solidarity, gender equality will remain a distant goal. The SDG Gender Index serves not only as a diagnostic tool but is also a rallying cry for the international community to prioritise and protect gender equality.

Anjali Chauhan is a doctoral researcher at the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi

Source: The Telegraph India, 26/11/24

Unsafe spaces: Editorial on the rise in crimes against children

 The health of a society can be gauged by the condition of its children. The National Crime Records Bureau report on crimes against children shows that in 2022 sexual crimes against children increased by 8.7% from 2021 and since 2014 by 81%. Like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the increase in West Bengal has been 5%. This is a shocking increase, apart from the fact that the rape of a child in itself is a shocking crime. The worst indicator is that the home is where most rapes take place, followed by childcare institutions and schools. Crimes at children’s workplaces follow these; earlier the workplace was thought to be the most likely site for such crimes. The criminals are mainly relatives, followed by parents and then caregivers. Can anything be more painful? The safe haven of the home is where such crimes occur the most, and the perpetrators are adults with whom children should feel the safest. The helplessness, betrayed trust and psychological damage of children can barely be imagined. Worse, children may be led to believe that this is a form of ‘love’ that must be kept secret. Fear or misplaced trust in the perpetrator may prevent children from complaining. Adults, such as a parent, may refuse to believe the child or deliberately turn a blind eye.

The law against child abuse and the juvenile justice system may have helped awareness, but the increase in crime shows indifference to these. But the ease of placing a complaint in the central portal may have brought about an increase in complaints. Experts have pointed out that 50% of the perpetrators are paedophiles. Labelling this a disease would lighten the criminal aspect, hence this should be seen as a form of sexual aberration. It is important to recognise its signs inside the home to protect children. The crucial issue here is that responsible adults must be willing to see the danger and be alert. The conditions surrounding the crime, domestic or professional, are complicated by the nature of relationships between adults. Besides, there is little awareness in India about paedophilia or the ability to distinguish it from other forms of sexual domination and coercion that lead to the rape of older girls and women. But the NCRB report has made this identification and understanding urgent.

Source: Telegraph India, 28/11/24

Quote of the Day November 12, 2024

 

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
Pericles

“आप जो अपने पीछे छोड़ जाते हैं वह पत्थर के स्मारकों पर गढ़ा नहीं बल्कि दूसरों के जीवन की यादों में बसा होता है।”
पेरिकल्स

Assam’s New Healthcare Innovation Institute Launched

 The Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute (AAHII) has been launched. This initiative is a collaboration between IIT Guwahati and the Assam Government. It aims to enhance healthcare self-reliance in India. The inauguration included a symposium attended by prominent doctors and scientists. The focus was on developing indigenous medical technologies. This aligns with the Make in India initiative.

Objectives of AAHII

The primary objective is to reduce dependency on imported healthcare technologies. AAHII will establish advanced research facilities and a super-specialty hospital. The project aims to improve healthcare accessibility and affordability. It seeks to bridge the gap between medical and engineering disciplines. This partnership is expected to encourage innovation in healthcare solutions.

Facilities and Features

The AAHII campus will include a 400-bed super-specialty teaching hospital. It will also feature state-of-the-art research laboratories. Residential facilities for healthcare professionals will be part of the campus. Six centers of excellence will focus on various fields. These include stem cell research, digital health, therapeutics, precision medicine, robotics, and affordable diagnostics.

Government Support and Vision

Ravi Kota, Chief Secretary of Assam, inaugurated the symposium. He brought into light the government’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare ecosystem. The Assam Government aims to leverage local resources for healthcare challenges. The initiative is seen as a bold step for both Assam and the nation. It represents a model for collaboration between academia, government, and healthcare professionals.

Contributions from Experts

Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director of IIT Guwahati, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration. He emphasized the importance of involving healthcare professionals in research from the start. Prof. Ashok K. Puranik from AIIMS Guwahati also pledged support for AAHII. He endorsed the vision of Design in India, Design for the World.

Industry-Academia Partnerships

The symposium discussed the need for stronger partnerships between industry and academia. U.S.-based cardiologist Dr. Naba Goswami addressed rural healthcare challenges. He advocated for collaborative efforts to enhance healthcare solutions. This initiative aims to create a self-reliant healthcare ecosystem in India.

Background of AGIHF

The Assam Government IIT Guwahati Healthcare Foundation (AGIHF) was founded in 2022. It is a Section 8 company managed jointly by IIT Guwahati and the Assam Government. AGIHF facilitates partnerships with industry stakeholders. The aim is to advance healthcare technologies in the region. This initiative marks an important milestone in India’s healthcare landscape. It aims to establish Assam as a leader in indigenous medical technology.

Important Facts for Exams:

1. AAHII: The Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute focuses on indigenous medical technology. It aims to reduce reliance on imports. This initiative promotes healthcare accessibility and affordability in India.
2. AGIHF: The Assam Government IIT Guwahati Healthcare Foundation was founded in 2022. It operates as a Section 8 company. The foundation encourages partnerships to advance healthcare technologies in Assam.
3. Prof. Devendra Jalihal: He is the Director of IIT Guwahati. He emphasises early involvement of healthcare professionals in research. His vision aligns with reducing healthcare import dependency.
4. AIIMS Guwahati: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Guwahati supports the AAHII initiative. Prof. Ashok K. Puranik is its Executive Director. The institute aims for innovative healthcare solutions in India.