GLOBAL NUTRITION REPORT 2020
Context :
According to the Global Nutrition Report 2020, India is among 88 countries that are likely to miss global nutrition targets by 2025. It also identified the country as one with the highest rates of domestic inequalities in malnutrition.
Highlights of the report :
- According to the Global Nutrition Report 2020, India will miss targets for all four nutritional indicators for which there is data available — stunting among under-five children, anaemia among women of reproductive age, childhood overweight and exclusive breastfeeding.
- Between 2000 and 2016, underweight rates have decreased from 66.0% to 58.1% for boys and 54.2% to 50.1% in girls. However, this is still high compared with the average of 35.6% for boys and 31.8% for girls in Asia.
- In addition, 37.9% of children under five are stunted and 20.8% are wasted, compared with the Asia average of 22.7% and 9.4% respectively.
- One in two women of reproductive age is anaemic, while at the same time the rate of overweight and obesity continues to rise, affecting almost a fifth of the adults, at 21.6% of women and 17.8% of men.
- India is identified as among the three worst countries, along with Nigeria and Indonesia, for steep within-country disparities on stunting, where the levels varied four-fold across communities.
Global Energy Transition Index
Context :
As per the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual rankings, India has secured the 74th position on the global Energy Transition Index (ETI). In the previous year, India ranked 76th.
Key findings :
- India showed improvements in all key parameters of economic growth, energy security, and environmental sustainability.
- In WEF rankings, Sweden topped for a third consecutive year in the ETI. It is followed by Switzerland and Finland in the second and third positions respectively.
- The 2020 results showed that 75% of countries have improved their environmental sustainability.
India :
- India has gained from a government-mandated renewable energy expansion programme, which has now extended to 275 GW by 2027.
- As per the report, India has made significant strides in energy efficiency through bulk procurement of LED bulbs, smart meters, and programs for labelling of appliances. India is also experimenting with similar measures to drive down the costs of electric vehicles (EV).
- India’s improvement has come in economic development and growth, energy access and security, and environmental sustainability.
Top 8 countries of the list are:
1) Sweden
2) Switzerland
3) Finland
4) Denmark
5) Norway
6) Austria
7) UK
8) France
DIRECT SEEDING OF RICE (DSR)
Context :
Due to shortage of labourers in Punjab and Haryana, farmers are now being encouraged to adopt ‘direct seeding of rice’ (DSR) in place of conventional transplanting.
Normal transplanting of paddy :
- In transplanting, farmers prepare nurseries where the paddy seeds are first sown and raised into young plants.
- These seedlings are then uprooted and replanted 25-35 days later in the main field. The nursery seed bed is 5-10% of the area to be transplanted.
Direct seeding of Rice (DSR):
- In DSR, there is no nursery preparation or transplantation. The seeds are instead directly drilled into the field by a tractor-powered machine.
- The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana has developed a ‘Lucky Seed Drill’ that can both sow seeds and simultaneously spray herbicides to control weeds.
- In DSR, water is replaced by real chemical herbicides. Farmers have to only level their land and give one pre-sowing irrigation or rauni. It also saves water by not requiring flooding of fields.
Source : Indian Express
Devices for Disabled and Elderly
Context :
The Department of Science and Technology has helped in developing various assistive tools, devices and technological solutions to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 among Divyangjan and Elderly through a programme on Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE).
Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE) :
- It is the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) focused initiative on Science and Technology (S&T) interventions for the benefit of elderly and also the differently-abled Divyangjan persons in the country.
- In addition to improving the quality-of-life of the target population with appropriate and/or innovative scientific technological interventions, TIDE also aims at giving them autonomy, and independence through holistic development by creating requisite enabling environments for their empowerment.
- Proposals on Research and Development for technological solutions with multidisciplinary approach to improve the quality of life of Elderly population and Divyangjan and in making them self sufficient are considered for financial assistance under this programme.
Latest Tools and Devices to tackle Covid-19:
- e-Tool:
- It has been developed by Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai. It aims to create awareness and impart health and hygiene related information along with education and entertainment through tablets and mobiles.
- It is expected to overcome loneliness of the persons with intellectual disabilities, due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Wearable sensor device:
- It is a band which has been developed by PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore to remotely monitor the activities of Elderly and Divyangjan staying alone or those who happen to be under quarantine or isolation wards.
- The device will help the elderly to get outcomes regarding the improvement in muscle strength, flexibility and endurance without physical interventions from doctors and physiotherapists.
AIR POLLUTION
Context :
According to analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), for the first time in four decades, emissions of toxic carbon dioxide have declined in the country — thanks to an economic slowdown, growth of clean energy and the ongoing lockdown.
Key Findings :
- According to the analysis, CO2 emissions in the country fell by around 15% in March, and are likely to have fallen by 30% last month, year-on-year.
- Using the latest consumption data for coal, oil and gas, the analysts concluded that CO2 emissions fell by 30 million tonnes in the financial year 2019-20 compared to the previous fiscal.
- Power and transportation sectors are the major contributors of CO2 pollution in the country. The fall in the consumption of fossil fuels has led to the decline in CO2 emissions.
- Power generated from coal-fired plants fell by 15% in March, and 31% in the first three weeks of April. In contrast, renewable energy (RE) generation increased by 6.4% in March, and saw a slight decrease of 1.4% in the first three weeks of April.
- Not just coal, consumption of oil too has witnessed a decline. The already-slow demand in growth of oil consumption fell by 18% this March, compared to the previous year.