Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance.
Mains Examination: Normal Research II: India and its neighborhood- relations.
What’s the continuing story: The go to of Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to India this week — his first journey abroad since turning into chief of his nation — noticed some traditional diplomatic deal-making, with give and tackle either side.
Key Factors to Ponder:
— What’s the standing of the India-Sri Lanka relationship?
— Why is Sri Lanka necessary for India?
— What are the latest challenges within the India-Sri Lanka relationship?
— What’s the thirteenth modification with respect to Sri Lanka?
— What’s the subject of Tamil minorities within the context of India and Sri Lanka?
— Examine – the historic evolution of the India-Sri Lanka relationship, commerce cooperation, challenges, and new areas of cooperation.
Key Takeaways:
— AKD, as he’s popularly identified, dedicated to not permitting using Sri Lankan territory for any anti-Indian actions.
— The joint assertion mentioned “President Disanayake reiterated Sri Lanka’s said place of not allowing its territory for use in any method inimical to the safety of India in addition to in direction of regional stability.”
— This was a sign to China — whose “analysis vessels” ceaselessly go to Sri Lanka, and are seen with suspicion in New Delhi. The truth that the President, who’s seen as being pro-China, has clearly articulated this place is a aid to India.
— On the problem of Tamil minorities, nonetheless, AKD didn’t yield to the formulation most popular by New Delhi. There was no specific point out of the implementation of the thirteenth modification within the Sri Lankan Structure, which supplies powers to the Tamil minority — a long-standing demand of the Indian authorities.
— AKD doesn’t help the implementation of the modification, and has opposed any investigation into alleged warfare crimes over the last part of the civil warfare between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan navy.
— On bilateral growth cooperation, the joint assertion mentioned the 2 leaders acknowledged the “constructive and impactful position of India’s growth help to Sri Lanka that has considerably contributed to its socioeconomic progress”.
— The nations agreed to work collectively for the well timed completion of ongoing initiatives similar to Part III & IV of Indian Housing Mission, the three islands’ Hybrid Renewable Vitality Mission, and Excessive Impression Neighborhood Improvement Tasks throughout Sri Lanka.
— The weather of cooperation vary from digital connectivity — the Aadhaar challenge and UPI — to power cooperation. The nations are discussing the provision of LNG to Sri Lanka, the event of Trincomalee as a regional power and industrial hub, high-capacity energy grid interconnection, and the event of offshore wind energy within the Palk Strait.
— PM Modi flagged the significance of maritime safety, cyber safety and counter-terrorism among the many points to be mentioned by means of the Colombo Safety Conclave mechanism.
— All of this implies that regardless that India is now now not coping with the standard set of interlocutors who’ve dominated Sri Lankan governments, priorities and pursuits haven’t essentially modified for both New Delhi or Colombo.
— AKD is a consequential 5 years in energy, whereas India, which has deep strategic stakes in Sri Lanka’s success and stability, is eager on a “mutually useful” partnership.
Do You Know:
— India and Sri Lanka share a multifaceted relationship characterised by deep historic ties, financial cooperation, and strategic collaboration. The each nation continues to construct upon their historic connections, specializing in financial growth, protection cooperation, and cultural exchanges to foster a sturdy and mutually useful partnership.
— In September 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected as Sri Lanka’s President. Regardless of his occasion’s historic scepticism in direction of India, Dissanayake has acknowledged India’s essential position in Sri Lanka’s safety and financial growth. He has not indicated a desire for prioritizing relations with China over India, suggesting a balanced international coverage method.
— In July 2024, India and Sri Lanka unveiled a imaginative and prescient for deeper financial ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the significance of fulfilling the aspirations of the Tamil group in Sri Lanka. The 2 nations agreed to conduct feasibility research on a petroleum
pipeline and land bridge connectivity, aiming to boost commerce and power cooperation.
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📍Sri Lanka presidential elections
📍Sri Lankan President Dissanayake reaches Delhi, his first international journey after coming to energy, pacts readied
Earlier yr UPSC Mains Query Masking comparable theme:
📍India is an age-old good friend of Sri Lanka.’ Focus on India’s position within the latest disaster in Sri Lanka within the mild of the previous assertion. (UPSC CSE, GS2, 2022)
How Local weather crises are related
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance
Mains Examination: Normal Research-III: Conservation, environmental air pollution and degradation, environmental affect evaluation.
What’s the continuing story: A brand new main scientific report has highlighted the sturdy interlinkages between a few of the greatest challenges going through humankind similar to local weather change, biodiversity loss and starvation, and emphasised on the necessity for adopting an built-in method in addressing these points.
Key Factors to Ponder:
— How are local weather change, biodiversity loss, meals insecurity, water shortage, and well being dangers interlinked?
— What’s the position of IPCC?
— What are the worldwide platfoms that cope with points associated with local weather change?
— What’s the affect of lack of biodiversity on the financial system of a nation?
— Examine: UN Conference on Organic Range (CBD), the Conference on Combating Desertification (CCD), the Ramsar Conference on Wetlands, Conference on Worldwide Commerce in Endangered Species, and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
Key Takeaways:
— The report, the primary of its variety trying on the interconnections between these a number of crises, has been produced by Intergovernmental Science-Coverage Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Providers (IPBES), a world group of scientific specialists.
— The group examined 5 main challenges — local weather change, biodiversity loss, meals insecurity, water shortage, and well being dangers — and located that they have been strongly interconnected.
— It mentioned the style through which financial actions have been at the moment being carried out had massive damaging impacts on biodiversity, local weather change, meals manufacturing, water and well being. The unaccounted-for prices of those opposed results are estimated to be at the very least $10-25 trillion a yr.
— IPBES is to biodiversity and pure ecosystems what the extra well-known Intergovernmental Panel on Local weather Change (IPCC) is to local weather change. It periodically examines all the present scientific data on biodiversity and nature to make an evaluation of their present state.
— IPBES produced its first report in 2019 through which it assessed the risk to international biodiversity. That report discovered that as many as a million totally different species of vegetation and animals, out of an estimated eight million in whole, have been going through extinction threats, greater than at any earlier time, primarily as a result of modifications in pure ecosystems brought on by human actions.
— It had mentioned almost 75 per cent of the Earth’s land floor and 66 per cent of marine environments had been “considerably altered”, and over 85 per cent of wetlands had been “misplaced”.
— The knowledge on this report turned the premise for the Kunming-Montreal World Biodiversity Framework, a world settlement that was finalised in 2022.
— The most recent evaluation of IPBES is named the Nexus Report, which has highlighted the sturdy interlinkages between the 5 recognized international challenges.
— Its key takeaway is that responses to all these challenges have to be harmonised in order that constructive actions taken on any considered one of these doesn’t lead to damaging impacts on others, one thing that’s fairly attainable, as exemplified in a number of present approaches.
— The report, subsequently, argues that it was necessary to undertake synergistic approaches that ship advantages throughout the spectrum.
— Such synergistic approaches have been obtainable, the report mentioned, and recognized over 70 response choices that produced constructive outcomes throughout the 5 parts.
— There have been different response choices that ship advantages on two or three parts however not all. These have been necessary however wanted to be carried out fastidiously, the report mentioned.
— The report emphasised that nature and biodiversity have been necessary not only for ecological and aesthetic causes but in addition for purely financial causes. It identified that greater than half of the worldwide GDP — about 58 trillion {dollars} value of annual financial exercise — was reasonably to extremely depending on nature.
— As it’s, the world has been witnessing biodiversity decline on the fee of about 2-6 per cent on a mean each decade over the past half a century, the report mentioned. It additionally highlighted that present financial programs nonetheless supplied trillions of {dollars} in incentives yearly for actions which have direct damaging impacts on biodiversity and pure ecosystems.
— In one other report launched concurrently, IPBES known as for elementary and transformative shifts in the best way folks view and work together with the pure world in pursuit of its well-being.
— This report, being known as the Transformative Change Report, mentioned present, and former, approaches to cope with ecological decline had failed, and a brand new and totally different method was wanted to halt the slide additional.
— It mentioned the world wanted to behave instantly on such new approaches as a result of the price of delaying motion would considerably enhance the prices, nearly doubling in nearly a decade.
Different Necessary Articles Masking the identical subject:
📍Biodiversity COP16: What’s it, what’s on agenda this yr
Earlier yr UPSC Prelims Query Masking comparable theme:
(1) Close to ‘World Local weather Change Alliance’, which of the next statements is/are appropriate?
1. It’s an initiative of the European Union.
2. It supplies technical and monetary help to focused creating nations to combine local weather turn into their growth insurance policies and budgets.
3. It’s coordinated by World Assets Institute (WRI) and World Enterprise Council for Sustainable Improvement (WBCSD).
Choose the proper reply utilizing the code given under:
(a) 1 and a couple of solely
(b) 3 solely
(c) 2 and three solely
(d) 1, 2 and three
Earlier yr UPSC Mains Query Masking comparable theme:
Focus on international warming and point out its results on the worldwide local weather. Clarify the management measures to convey down the extent of greenhouse gases which trigger international warming, in mild of the Kyoto Protocol, 1997. (UPSC CSE 2022)
EXPRESS NETWORK
Function of locals important in defending setting
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance
Mains Examination: Normal Research-III: Conservation, environmental air pollution and degradation, environmental affect evaluation.
What’s the continuing story: Veteran ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who acquired the UN’s highest environmental honour — the ‘Champions of the Earth’ award — for 2024 final week, emphasised the position of native communities in defending the setting whereas talking to The Indian Categorical.
Key Factors to Ponder:
— What’s the position of native communities in defending the setting?
— What steps could be taken on the particular person stage to guard the setting?
— What are group reserves?
— how Kerala’s Kudumbashree can be utilized as position mannequin for group participation?
— What was the aim of the Western Ghats Ecology Knowledgeable Panel (WGEEP)?
— What have been the key suggestions of the Gadgil committee?
— What have been the explanations for Wayanad landslide?
Key Takeaways:
— He mentioned that Gram Sabhas and locals needs to be a part of the decision-making course of relating to finishing up actions similar to rock quarrying in ecologically delicate areas in Western Ghats.
– Gadgil was the chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Knowledgeable Panel (WGEEP), which submitted a report in 2011 — later got here to be generally known as the Gadgil report — and beneficial demarcating the Western Ghats into totally different ranges of ecologically delicate space.
— He mentioned, “The method for making selections needs to be bottom-up, and never vice versa. In low-sensitivity areas, rock quarrying could be allowed with recommendations from well-organised group teams similar to Kerala’s Kudumbashree. These teams needs to be given the contract for rock quarries and requested to handle them.”
— Gadgil additionally accused “tea property homeowners and their buddies” of constructing resorts and lakes within the space that are additional growing the strain on the land and making it extra weak to landslides.
— He highlighted the truth that when disasters just like the Wayanad landslides happen it’s the poor and marginalised communities that endure.
— The ecologist additionally identified that India must revise its outlook on financial progress. He mentioned that the nation must concentrate on the event of 4 major elements — pure capital, human capital, social capital, and man-made capital.
Do You Know:
— The Western Ghats have been categorised as an ecologically fragile area. Latest analysis by specialists on the Indian Institute of Science divided the 1.6 lakh sq km of Western Ghats into 4 ecologically delicate areas (ESR). Selling sustainable land-management practices similar to reforestation, managed deforestation, and sustainable agriculture is essential to sustaining hillside stability and decreasing soil erosion, thereby mitigating the consequences of heavy rains.
— The Central authorities on Friday issued the sixth iteration of a draft notification, declaring 56,825.7 sq km of the Western Ghats an ecologically delicate space (ESA) within the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
— The ESAs proposed throughout these states are unfold over 449 sq km in Gujarat, Maharashtra (17,340 sq km), Goa (1,461 sq km), Karnataka (20,668 sq km), Tamil Nadu (6,914 sq km), and Kerala (9,993.7 sq km). The Centre has offered a window of 60 days to submit objections and recommendations on the draft.
Different Necessary Articles Masking the identical subject:
📍Earlier than the landslide: Wayanad tragedy is a warning – don’t ignore ecology
📍Govt reissues draft notification to declare over 56,000 sq km of Western Ghats as eco-sensitive
Earlier yr UPSC Prelims Query Masking comparable theme:
(2). ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan Committee Report’, typically seen within the information, are associated to (UPSC CSE 2016)
(a) constitutional reforms
(b) Ganga Motion Plan
(c) linking of rivers
(d) safety of Western Ghats
EDITORIAL
NYAY gone flawed
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Financial and Social Improvement – Sustainable Improvement, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, and many others
Mains Examination: Normal Research-I: Function of girls and girls’s organisation, inhabitants and related points, poverty and developmental points, urbanisation, their issues and their cures.
Normal Research-II: Authorities insurance policies and interventions for growth in varied sectors and points arising out of their design and implementation.
What’s the continuing story: Praveen Chakravarty writes: Web page 21 of the Congress occasion’s 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto mentioned “To remove abject poverty by 2030, Congress will introduce a Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) to offer Rs 72,000 a yr to the poorest one-fifth of all households. The cash will probably be transferred to the checking account of the lady head of the household”. The Congress occasion misplaced the 2019 election badly. However this concept of an unconditional money switch to girls in poor households has received large.
Key Factors to Ponder:
— What’s the Nyay Scheme?
— What’s the Common Primary Revenue (UBI)?
— What are the arguments in favour and towards the UBI?
— How freebies are a double-edged sword?
— How money transfers to girls have turn into a political software quite than addressing the actual issues?
Key Takeaways:
— 5 years after NYAY was first proposed, 15 states ruled by eight totally different political events have carried out some model of NYAY, after promising it of their state election manifestoes. Sixty per cent of India’s girls reside in these 15 states.
— So, a majority of poor girls in India now are beneficiaries of an unconditional money switch from the federal government. Going by the development, it’s only a matter of time earlier than different massive states comply with go well with. That is an astonishingly fast paradigm shift in India’s welfare mannequin.
— Feminists and social scientists help unconditional money transfers for its energy to liberate and empower girls, particularly in underdeveloped nations. Economists imagine it may enhance consumption demand and assist stimulate the bigger financial system.
— Effectivity hunters discover money transfers interesting for his or her simplicity and effectivity of governance. Libertarians prefer it due to the liberty it supplies to the person household unit in making spending selections.
— The reality is that it’s nonetheless too early to evaluate the actual affect of $25 billion a yr “NYAY” sort programmes on social growth and girls’s empowerment.
— However it’s apparent that the thought has gained monumental political forex, with almost each political occasion promising it of their election manifestos. Nonetheless, there isn’t any empirical or scientific proof that money transfers to girls, both as a scheme by a ruling occasion or as a promise by an opposition occasion, have materials affect on influencing voter behaviour.
— Noisy rhetoric apart, money transfers to girls is clearly not the electoral magic bullet that it’s made out to be. But almost all political events in India have pounced on this concept.
— These schemes come at a considerable value, politically and financially. Money transfers subvert the very essence of politics by way of representing folks, understanding their actual points and fixing them with particular insurance policies and programmes.
— Most significantly, the monetary burden of such money switch schemes is massive, actual and present. Practically $25 billion is being spent by all state governments mixed on money transfers to girls yearly, roughly 10 per cent of what every state authorities earns yearly.
— Sarcastically, the rising debt of state governments on account of NYAY-type programmes comes again to hurt the identical poor girls beneficiaries by means of elevated costs (inflation) and costlier entry to cash (rates of interest). That is why the 2019 Congress manifesto that proposed NYAY additionally dedicated that “will probably be funded solely by means of new revenues and rationalisation of present expenditure with a dedication to retaining the fiscal deficit to lower than 3 per cent of GDP”. All political events appear to have borrowed the NYAY thought unconditionally.
— It’s probably that the social advantages of NYAY-type programmes by way of girls empowerment are monumental in the long term. However within the brief run, the tangible prices far outweigh the intangible advantages. It’s thus prudent to calibrate spending on money transfers slowly yearly quite than develop quickly in a single go.
Do You Know:
— The time period ‘freebie’ within the dictionary refers to an merchandise or service that’s supplied or delivered with none value. In a bulletin revealed in June 2022, the Reserve Financial institution of India (RBI) issued a definition for the time period ‘freebies’ as a type of public welfare programme that’s supplied with none value.
— The Reserve Financial institution of India (RBI) asserts that freebies could be differentiated from public or advantage items, similar to schooling and healthcare, in addition to different state expenditures that yield broader and enduring benefits. However, discerning between welfare items, sometimes called ‘advantage’ items, and freebies or ‘non-merit’ merchandise poses a major problem. — Students have underscored the importance of advantage items, similar to free or subsidised meals, schooling, shelter, and healthcare, in expediting human growth and subsequently fostering nationwide financial progress.
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📍The 360° UPSC Debate | Are Freebies a Gateway to Monetary Catastrophe?
📍What elite critics of freebies don’t perceive
Earlier yr UPSC Mains Query Masking comparable theme:
What are the continued challenges for girls in India towards time and house? (2019)
THE IDEAS PAGE
Two steps ahead, one step again
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance.
Mains Examination: Normal Research II: Bilateral, regional and international groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s pursuits.
What’s the continuing story: Jabin T Jacob writes: Whereas Indian statements on the bilateral relationship with China are workout routines in brevity, Chinese language statements are extra expansive by comparability. Taken collectively, nonetheless, they supply an image of how the connection is evaluated by either side. With the twenty third assembly of the Particular Representatives (SRs) on the India-China boundary query concluding in Beijing earlier this week, bilateral exchanges on the highest ranges might need gotten nearer to common service however the assembly additionally highlights persevering with variations.
Key Factors to Ponder:
— What are the latest areas of battle between India and China?
— What are the land border disputes between India and China?
— What was the latest settlement between each the nations on the disengagement alongside the LAC?
— What are the border disputed areas? Map them.
— What’s the border dispute settlement mechanism between India and China?
— What are the interior safety challenges alongside the LAC?
Key Takeaways:
— Evaluating the six statements on SR conferences which have come out (three from every nation) for the reason that first “casual summit” between Indian Prime Narendra Modi and Chinese language President Xi Jinping, it’s evident that the Indian aspect has more and more weak expectations of the connection.
— Whereas the most recent Indian assertion pressured the necessity “to make use of, coordinate and information the related diplomatic and navy mechanisms” to “preserve peace and tranquillity on the border and advance efficient border administration”, there was no speak any longer about particularly “promot(ing) exchanges and communication between the border personnel”, reflecting maybe, the need to scale back direct contacts between the precise troops on the bottom in addition to the truth of no-patrolling buffer zones in some areas alongside the LAC.
— As in 2021, so additionally of their newest assertion, the Chinese language described a six-point consensus that the Indians didn’t acknowledge as such. Whereas previous Indian statements have described talks as “constructive and forward-looking” the most recent talked as an alternative about “resolv(ing) to inject extra vitality into this course of”.
— Oddly, nonetheless, the Indian SR assertion talks about “in search of a good, affordable and mutually acceptable framework for the settlement of the boundary query” regardless that such a framework already exists within the type of bilateral treaties.
— India, in contrast, has displayed a reluctance to refer on to extant authorized agreements and has — just like the Chinese language — most popular to reference as an alternative the “steering”, “instructions” or “resolution” of conferences between Modi and Xi.
— The hazard now exists — as was the case post-Doklam in 2017 — that the Indian authorities may as soon as once more take its foot off the gasoline pedal of sustained political, diplomatic, navy and financial strain on China with a purpose to obtain short-term pursuits.
— Provided that India’s lack of proactive, like-for-like responses to China’s 2020 violations of bilateral agreements on the LAC is now clear, Beijing can maybe breathe just a little simpler that the entrance with India isn’t prone to pose a significant risk if China have been to focus on its different fronts with lively territorial disputes.
— This actuality would possibly draw much more strain from the Individuals underneath Donald Trump – now stronger and extra decided to comply with by means of together with his threats to adversaries and buddies alike – for New Delhi to get with the bigger American method to China as an alternative.
Do You Know:
— On the assembly of the Working Mechanism for Session and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs, the 2 sides additionally ready for the following assembly of the Particular Representatives on the boundary query – Nationwide Safety Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese language Overseas Minister Wang Yi are the 2 SRs.
—On the WMCC assembly Thursday, the 2 sides agreed to revive a number of dialogue mechanisms together with the Particular Representatives dialogue on the boundary query.
— This was the primary assembly between high officers of the 2 nations after the disengagement of troops and restoration of patrolling rights on the friction factors of Depsang Plains and Demchok.
Different Necessary Articles Masking the identical subject:
📍Defined: China-India state of play
📍India-China border dispute: Past the hype, the truth of the LAC
Earlier yr UPSC Prelims Query Masking comparable theme:
(3) Siachen Glacier is located to the (UPSC CSE 2020)
(a) East of Aksai Chin
(b) East of Leh
(c) North of Gilgit
(d) North of Nubra Valley
Earlier yr UPSC Mains Query Masking comparable theme:
The China-Pakistan Financial Hall (CPEC) is seen as a cardinal subset of China’s bigger ‘One Belt One Street’ initiative. Give a quick description of CPEC and enumerate the explanation why India has distanced itself from the identical. (UPSC CSE 2018)
A smoker test
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance
Mains Examination: Normal Research-II: Authorities insurance policies and interventions for growth in varied sectors and points arising out of their design and implementation.
What’s the continuing story: Jeffrey Drope and Mukesh Kejriwal write: The Group of Ministers (GoM), arrange by the GST Council has beneficial a significant revision of taxes, aligning them extra carefully with the vital and important priorities of the frequent individual.
Key Factors to Ponder:
— What’s the GoM? What are their capabilities?
— What’s the GST Council?
— How tobaccos are cultivated?
— What are the initiatives taken by the federal government towards tobacco smoking?
— How tobacco taxation insurance policies are one of many hurdles in curbing tobacco consumption?
— What steps have to be taken by the federal government to cease consumption of tobacco?
Key Takeaways:
— Important objects like bottled water, bicycles, and train books will see lowered levies. Concurrently, there’s momentum to scale back the GST on well being and life insurance coverage premiums, making these important providers extra reasonably priced. Excessive-value luxurious items, together with tobacco merchandise, will face increased GST charges.
— Utilizing tobacco merchandise like cigarettes, bidis and gutka kills about half of the individuals who use them and takes 11 years off a life on common. In India, tobacco kills almost 1.3 million folks every year and makes hundreds of thousands extra sick. These numbers are usually not simply statistics; they symbolize households torn aside and massive societal prices by way of misplaced productiveness and healthcare burdens.
— Nonetheless, there’s a confirmed solution to cut back this pointless dying and illness — taxation. Elevating taxes on tobacco merchandise to extend their costs is the only simplest coverage to scale back consumption. Increased costs discourage folks from beginning, encourage present customers to stop, and stop relapse amongst former customers.
— That is notably true for younger folks, who’re extremely price-sensitive. Many people who smoke would stop, many younger folks would by no means begin, and lots of of 1000’s of lives could possibly be saved even within the brief time period.
— So as to add one other massive win, as a result of consumption declines disproportionately much less in comparison with the tax enhance, these tax will increase will result in considerably increased tax revenues, which can be utilized to help well being, schooling, and different insurance policies that promote societal well-being.
— On this context, the proposal to put tobacco merchandise in a better slab of the GST at 35 per cent is a wonderful coverage for each public and monetary well being. It can additionally assist to appropriate a considerably rocky latest path for tobacco tax insurance policies in India that started properly when the GST was launched.
— The Economics for Well being programme at Johns Hopkins College Bloomberg Faculty of Public Well being evaluates nations’ tobacco tax insurance policies biennially on a scale of 0 to five, with 5 being the highest rating. It evaluates the general value, the tax share of value, the change in affordability, and the tax construction.
— India’s general rating within the newest version was 1.5 out of 5, which was under the worldwide common of 1.99. India’s tax share of costs of all the key tobacco merchandise falls considerably wanting the WHO’s beneficial minimal of 75 per cent.
— India continues to wrestle on each tax construction and alter in affordability. Like lots of its South Asian neighbours, India maintains a tiered construction whereby excise taxes are decrease on some manufacturers. Because of this when taxes and costs enhance, there stay cheaper, comparable merchandise to which customers can swap.
— Moreover, bidis have a lot decrease and even no tax and are subsequently very cheap. Due to each the problematic tax construction and the shortage of normal, vital tax will increase, from 2016 to 2022, tobacco merchandise like cigarettes, bidis and chewing tobacco merchandise have turn into extra reasonably priced on common.
— A better GST slab for tobacco merchandise won’t solely save lives but in addition align with India’s broader objectives of making a more healthy, extra productive inhabitants. The income generated could be reinvested in public items, reinforcing the nation’s dedication to common well being and social fairness.
Do You Know:
— Lung most cancers is the second most identified most cancers and the main explanation for most cancers deaths globally, claiming round 1.8 million lives yearly. Tobacco smoking is the first wrongdoer, chargeable for over 67% of lung most cancers deaths in 2019.
— In India, a report from the Indian Journal of Medical Analysis (2022) reveals that one in 9 individuals are prone to face a most cancers analysis of their lifetime, with lung most cancers rating highest amongst males, based on the Nationwide Most cancers Registry Programme.
— A Lancet report cited lung most cancers because the second most identified most cancers worldwide in 2020. In Southeast Asia, although it ranked third in new instances (185,636), it led in most cancers deaths, inflicting 166,260 fatalities. In India, lung most cancers accounts for 72,510 new instances and 66,279 deaths yearly. Past tobacco, long-term publicity to air air pollution, notably particulate matter, is an more and more recognised threat issue.
— The examine raises a pink flag, suggesting that banning the sale of cigarettes and different tobacco merchandise to folks born between 2006 and 2010 may stop 40% of all lung most cancers deaths in 185 nations by 2095.
Different Necessary Articles Masking the identical subject:
📍New Lancet examine: How banning sale of tobacco merchandise can stop 40% of lung most cancers deaths
Earlier yr UPSC Prelims Query Masking comparable theme:
(4) Which one of many following teams of vegetation was domesticated within the ‘New World’ and launched into the ‘Outdated World’? (UPSC CSE 2019)
(a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
(b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber
(c) Cotton, espresso and sugarcane
(d) Rubber, espresso and wheat
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| PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (a) 2. (d) 3. (d) 4. (a) |
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