Context: India seeks exploration rights from International Seabed Authority.

Key Highlights:

• Targets Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount) rich in minerals.
• Also applied for Carlsberg Ridge exploration.

Issues:

• Reported Chinese activity in the region.
• Sri Lanka claims rights to AN Seamount under separate laws.
• Exploration rights specific to open ocean areas.
• Continental Shelf Commission may impact India’s plans.

Prelims Connect  (Institutions in News):

Source: The Hindu

Context:  the findings of the ‘India Employment Report 2024’.Top of Form

India Employment Report 2024: it released by the Institute for Human Development (IHD) and International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Findings:

• Slow non-farm transition.
• Youth unemployment.
• Emphasizes the industry’s role in hiring.
• Challenges in skill initiatives persist.
• Unemployment among educated youth, especially women, is a concern.

Suggestions:

• Focus on boosting non-farm employment.
• More support for small enterprises and urban policies.
• Skills development and active labor market policies require enhancement.
• Key policy areas include job creation, employment quality, and bridging inequalities.

Prelims Connect (Institutions in News):

The International Labour Organization: it is a United Nations agency.

• The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded: 1919.
• The Institute for Human Development (IHD) is a non-profit autonomous institution.
• 

Source: Indian Express

Context: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) spending of green funds.

• It has only used 20% of Environment Protection Charge (EPC), and Environmental Compensation (EC).

Prelims Connect (Institutions in News)

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):

• It is a statutory organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• It was established in 1974 under the Water Act, 1974.
• The CPCB is also entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air Act, 1981.
• It monitors air and water quality.

Source: Indian Express

Context: Supreme Court quashes bail condition restricting political activities.

Observations:

• The Supreme Court nullified the ban on political activities as a bail condition.
• The court said such condition is a breach of fundamental rights.

+ Prelims Connect:

Source: Indian Express

Context: COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, is going to set NCQG New Collective Quantitative Goal (on finance).

New Collective Quantitative Goal(NCQG)

• It aims to mobilize more finance for climate action in developing countries.
• Current climate finance falls short of the promised $100 billion annually.
• Trillions are needed yearly for climate action, with more required by 2050.
• UN Climate Change faces financial issues despite advocating for more finance.
• The new amount must be transparently monitored and used for various climate needs.

Source: Indian Express

Context: Recently Agriculture Minister inaugurated the Krishi Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in New Delhi.

Krishi ICCC

• Tech-based solution within the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
• Utilizes AI, remote sensing, and GIS for agricultural data processing.
• Aims for comprehensive farm sector monitoring via geospatial integration.
• Generates farmer-specific advisories by correlating various data sources.
• Applications include custom advisories, drought actions, and crop analysis.
• K-DSS (Krishi Decision Support System) acts as a data repository for evidence-based decision-making.

Context: Foreign policy discussions need to be included in electoral manifesto.

Importance of including foreign policy in electoral dialogue

• Attention to foreign policy in election manifestos could bridge the gap between India’s global rise and domestic discourse.
• The Indian political class must articulate concrete foreign policy goals instead of prioritizing abstract claims of autonomy.
• The government aims to make India a developed nation by 2047, requires debate on economic strategy and global challenges.
• India’s low per capita income underscores the developmental challenges despite its growing economy.
• The Opposition plays a crucial role in debating policy issues and shaping foreign policy discourse.

Source: Indian Express

Context: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) addressing the concern of black carbon

Black carbon:

• Emitted during incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels.
• Exposure leads to heart disease, birth complications, and premature death.
• PMUY has reduced black carbon emissions by promoting the use of cleaner fuels.

Concerns:

• 25% PMUY of beneficiaries still cook solely with traditional biomass.
• Availability issues and last-mile connectivity gaps hinder PMUY’s success.
• Reliance on traditional fuel disproportionately affect women and children.

Recent steps to address this concern:

• Prime Minister announced a further ₹100 price reduction in March 2024,
• The government plans to continuously increase the spending since the scheme’s inception.

The way ahead:

• Panchayats can take the initiative to produce coal-bed methane gas from biomass.
• Prioritizing black carbon reduction is crucial for India’s global leadership in SDG.

Source: The Hindu

Political process

• Democratic politics aims to foster constructive collaboration and consensus building.
• Public discourse is essential for the exchange of ideas and opinions necessary to reach consensus.

Impediments affecting public discourse:

• Institutional news media’s loss of credibility.
• Content creation on social media prioritizes virality over substance.
• Media proliferation fragments collective attention.
• Civil society increasingly relies on the state for legitimacy, shifting away from its role as an independent voice.
• Political parties prioritize internal affairs over policy discussion, limiting constructive dialogue.
• Uncertain electoral benefits deter representatives from influencing policy agendas, favoring direct interventions for constituent services.

Conclusion:

• These interconnected issues resist easy solutions, but efforts must be made to address them in the world’s largest democracy.

Source: The Hindu

Context: Increasing incidents of depression and suicide among young students,

 Factors responsible:

• Job scarcity and high fees fuel fierce competition in education.
• Parental expectations often disregard a child’s interests.
• Financial constraints limit access to educational resources.
• Changing family dynamics weaken family bonds, affecting social connections.
• Educational institutions often lack emotional support for students.
• Socioeconomically disadvantaged communities face discrimination, worsening their challenges.

Source: The Hindu