3rd October - AAJ KA QUALITY ENRICHMENT

KEYWORDS

From high-production centric to food-system approach:
  • Meaning: High-Production-Centric Approach: It prioritizes maximizing agricultural output, often focusing on monoculture, large-scale farming, and the use of synthetic inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
  • Food-System Approach: It recognizes that food is part of a complex system that includes various interconnected elements such as agriculture, transportation, processing, distribution, retail, consumption, and waste management.
  • Usage: It can be used in questions related to - Agriculture and food security, Problem of groundwater depletion, PDS and MSP, Sustainable development and impact of agriculture on climate change Etc.
Culture of moralpolitik: 
  • Meaning: The term "moralpolitik" combines two words: "moral" and "politik," suggesting the integration of moral or ethical considerations into political decision-making and governance.
  • Usage: It can be used in questions related to – Political and electoral reforms, Gov. policies and schemes, Good governance, International relations and governance, etc.
From SEZs to Special economic hubs (SEHs):
  • Meaning: This keyword reflects an evolution in the concept and approach to economic development in certain regions or areas. While SEZs and SEHs share some similarities, the shift to SEHs typically signifies a broader and more holistic strategy for economic growth and development. 
  • Special economic hubs may consists of industries and export companies, mega food parks, seafood cultures, pharma and medical clusters textile clusters 
  • Usage: It can be used in questions related to – Special economic zones (SEZs), Make in India, Export and economic growth, One district one product, India as a developed nation by 2047, Etc.
Torchbearers in India’s journey to a ‘Viksit Bharat’: 
  • Meaning: This keyword signifies India's aspiration to achieve comprehensive development and progress across various sectors. In India's journey towards a "Viksit Bharat," there are numerous individuals, organizations, and initiatives that have played crucial roles as torchbearers.
  • Usage: It can be used in questions related to - Make in India, Atmanirbhar bharat, India as a developed economy by 2047 etc. to highlight importance of scientific community, bureaucrats and civil servants, govt. policies and schemes, private sector etc.

CASE STUDIES/ EXAMPLES

Negative impact of global warming and climate change:
  • Case: Amazon rive, South America.
  • What happened? The carcasses of 120 river dolphins have been found floating on a tributary of the Amazon River caused by severe drought and heat. Low river levels during a severe drought have heated water in stretches to temperatures that are intolerable for the dolphins.

KEY FACTS

Key facts related to logistics sector in India:
  • In the World Bank’s logistical performance index (LPI):
  • India has moved from No. 54 on a list of 139 countries in 2014, to rank No. 38 in 2023.
Impact of ultra-processed food on health:
  • Study of Sapiens Labs (US-based nonprofit) has revealed that consumption of ultra-processed foods may be strongly linked to sharp decreases in mental wellbeing across genders, age groups and nationalities across globe.
  • This would be of particular concern because India is one of the fastest-growing markets for ultra-processed foods, with the WHO finding that this sector grew at a compound annual growth rate of 13.37% in retail sales value between 2011 to 2021. 

PM/VP/PRESIDENT SPEECHES

Vice President’s speech:
  • On Gandhiji: Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of Truth (Satyagraha) and Non-violence (Ahimsa) were the guiding light in India’s struggle for independence against colonial rule.  
  • His relentless pursuit of freedom and equality remains a beacon- not just for Bharat, but for the global community- in our quest for a just and harmonious society.

JUDGEMENTS/ COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

Rohini commission on sub-categorisation of OBCs:
  • Formed in 2017, the commission was asked to examine the extent to which reservation and other benefits for OBCs are concentrated among some dominant caste groups.
  • The analysis showed 97% of all jobs and education seats have gone to 25% of OBC castes, and 24.95% of these jobs and seats have gone to just 10 OBC communities. 
  • As many as 983 OBC communities - 37% of the total - were found to have zero representation in jobs and educational institutions, and 994 OBC sub-castes had a representation of only 2.68% in recruitments and admissions. 

DEFINITION

Graded response action plan (GRAP):  
  • Definition: GRAP is a set of emergency measures that kick in to prevent further deterioration of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in the Delhi-NCR region. 
  • It was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 and notified in 2017, and is incremental in nature and thus, the steps taken are based on the air quality.  
Lagrange points:
  • Definition: A Lagrange point, also known as a Lagrangian point, is a specific location in space where the gravitational forces of two large celestial bodies, such as a planet and its moon or a planet and the Sun, create a stable and relatively stationary region i.e., equilibrium state of gravitational force.

QUOTES

Quote on Inflation: Inflation destroys savings, impedes planning, and discourages investment. That means less productivity and a lower standard of living.”. –  KEVIN BRADY
  • Meaning: The quote highlights some of the potential negative effects of inflation on individuals, businesses, and the overall economy. Efforts to manage and mitigate the adverse effects of inflation often include prudent fiscal and monetary policies, such as controlling government spending, managing money supply, and using interest rate policies. The goal is to strike a balance between encouraging economic growth and maintaining price stability. readily available.