Society 

Delhi’s gender budget: its decline and impact - The Hindu

Over the last decade, the overall budget for Delhi has increased from ₹271 billion to ₹760 billion. But, how much of this budget is reserved for women?

Gender Budget Trends

• Increase in Delhi's gender budget: Seven-fold increase from ₹10 billion (2011-12) to ₹71 billion (2024-25).
• Shift in focus: Cash transfers/ freebies instead of systematic empowerment.
• Women’s Education Budget: 
  • Increased from ₹2 billion (2011-12) to ₹18 billion (2024-25), peaking at ₹24 billion (2017-18).
  • Decline in share and allocation (54% (2017-18) to 27% (2024-25)).
  • 9% decline in the education budget in the past year alone.
• Impact of Low Investment in Education:
  • Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP) in Delhi at 21% (2023-24), lowest in India (national average: 45.2%).
  • High gender gap in labour force participation - 51.6% points.
  • Majority of women in low-skilled jobs with poor pay.
• Gender Inequality in Employment:
  • 94% of top leadership roles held by men.
  • Only 3.8% of women in high-skilled jobs vs. 10.34% of men.

World Affairs 

Trump, Musk & USAID - Indian Express

A week after President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid, his administration removed two top USAID security officials after they refused to grant representatives of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to restricted spaces at the agency. Musk has since repeatedly called for USAID’s “death”, referring to it as a “criminal organisation”.

Targetting USAID

• Aim: To reduce federal spending and eliminate perceived government inefficiency.
• Key Actions: Trump appointed Elon Musk as chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut federal spending by $2 trillion.
• Focus Areas: Specific programs like DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) aimed at supporting underrepresented groups.

USAID

• Role: Lead international humanitarian and development arm of the US government (CRS).
• Key Activities: Provides assistance through funding NGOs, foreign governments, international organizations, and US agencies.
• Focus areas: Poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, and development programs.
• Financial Scope:
  • Managed over $43 billion in FY2023.
  • Assisted around 130 countries.
• Top Recipients (FY2023): Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, DRC, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria.

Workforce:

• Over 10,000 employees in FY2023, with two-thirds serving overseas.
• Supported by thousands of institutional support contractors.
• Operates 60+ missions globally.
• Importance: Considered a key national security tool enhancing US influence abroad.

History 

• Post-WWII Origin: US viewed international development assistance as a key foreign policy tool to build alliances and exert influence.
• Cold War Influence: Started with the Marshall Plan to aid war-torn Europe and prevent the spread of communism.
• Formation: 1961 via an executive order by President John F. Kennedy after the Foreign Assistance Act was passed.
• Aim: To consolidate foreign aid under a single agency.

Alliance for Progress:

• Launch: 1961 to counter communist influence post-Cuban Revolution (1959).
• Focus: Democracy, economic development, education, housing, and infrastructure in South and Central America.

Role of USAID in India

• Background: US assistance to India began in 1951 with the India Emergency Food Assistance Act signed by President Harry Truman.
• Evolution: Shifted from emergency food aid to infrastructure development, capacity building, and support for economic reforms.

Contributions:

• 8 agricultural universities
• 1st Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
• 14 regional engineering colleges
• National programs on immunisation, family planning, maternal & child health, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and polio.

• Post-2004: India rejected foreign aid with conditions, leading to reduced US assistance.
• US aid obligations to India: $208 million (2001) → $153 million (2023) → $141 million (2024).

Current Relevance:

• USAID's contribution is minor compared to India’s total social welfare expenditure.
• India is capable of handling any potential disruptions in USAID support.

 

Economy 

How will the govt. produce the required fuel ethanol? - The Hindu

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that India will achieve its target of 20% ethanol blending of petrol in the next two months, at least a year ahead of what was originally planned. This would entail the production of nearly 1,100 crore litres of fuel ethanol in one year.

Ethanol Production Capacity:

• India’s distillery capacity: 1,600 crore litres.

Primary Feedstocks:

• Sugar & High-Grade Molasses: ~400 crore litres (2024-25).
• Sugar Production: 315 lakh tonnes; 40 lakh tonnes for ethanol.
• C Heavy Molasses: Used for non-fuel ethanol.
• FCI Rice: ~110 crore litres, with reduced price from ₹28 to ₹22.5/kg.
• Maize: ~400 crore litres.

Role of Maize in Ethanol Production

• 2024-25 Maize Output: 42 million tonnes; 9 million tonnes for ethanol.
• Imports: $188 million (Apr-Nov 2024), mainly due to sugar-based feedstock curbs.

Cultivation Trends:

• 10% increase in maize cultivation area with higher yields since 2020-21.
• Farmers shifting from traditional maize uses due to ethanol’s profitability.

Market Impact & Sustainability:

• DDGS (byproduct of ethanol): Used for poultry feed to offset maize diversion.
• Potential risks: Impact on other foodgrain production if maize dominance continues.

Economic Benefits:

• 100 crore litres of ethanol = ~₹6,000 crore savings on oil imports.
• Supports internal economy, benefiting farmers.

Ethanol/ Ethyl alcohol

• About: A biofuel from sugarcane, corn, rice, wheat, and biomass.
• Production: Via sugar fermentation (by yeasts) or ethylene hydration (petrochemical process).
• Use: 99.9% pure alcohol, blended with petrol for cleaner fuel alternatives.

• Byproducts of Ethanol Production:

• Distillers' Dried Grain with Solubles (DDGS):
  • Residue after grain fermentation.
  • High-protein animal feed supplement for livestock.
• Potash from Boiler Ash:
  • Contains up to 28% potash.
  • Used as fertilizer.

• Applications as Fuel:

• Renewable biofuel alternative to gasoline in transportation.
• Blended with petrol in ratios like E10 (10% ethanol) and E20 (20% ethanol).

• Ethanol Blending Programme (India):

• Reduces dependence on imported crude oil.
• Cuts carbon emissions and improves air quality.
• Boosts farmers' income by creating a market for agricultural produce.
• Contributes to climate change mitigation.

 

EXTRA LONG STAPLE (COTTON) - Indian Express

Union Finance Minister while presenting the Union Budget, recently announced a five-year mission to “facilitate significant improvements in productivity and sustainability of cotton farming, and promote extra-long staple (ELS) cotton varieties”.

Extra-Long Staple (ELS) Cotton

• Classification:
  • Based on fibre length: short, medium, and long staple.
  • Gossypium hirsutum (96% of India's cotton) is medium staple (25–28.6 mm).
  • ELS cotton has fibre lengths of 30 mm and above.
• Source: Derived from Gossypium barbadense (Egyptian or Pima cotton), originating in South America.
• Major producers: China, Egypt, Australia, Peru.
• India: Grown in Atpadi (Maharashtra) and around Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu).

Quality and Usage:

• Produces high-quality fabric.
• Blended with medium staple cotton to enhance fabric quality.
• Imports: Over 90% of India’s imported cotton (20–25 lakh bales annually) is ELS cotton.

Reasons for Limited ELS Cotton Cultivation in India

• Lower Yields:
  • ELS cotton: 7–8 quintals per acre.
  • Medium staple cotton: 10–12 quintals per acre.
• Pricing Challenges: Farmers struggle to secure premium prices for ELS cotton despite higher quality.
• Market Linkage Issues: Lack of effective market connections to sell ELS cotton at profitable rates.

Role of the Cotton Mission

• Aim: To tackle low per-acre yields and increased pest attacks through modern solutions.
• Adoption of GM Technology: Demand for legalizing herbicide-resistant HtBT cotton to improve weed management.
• Yield Improvement: India's yields lag behind:
• Brazil: 20 quintals/acre
• China: 15 quintals/acre
• Solutions: Use of better seeds, agronomic advice, and advanced technologies.
• Promotion of Premium Varieties: Supports cultivation of premium cotton types like ELS cotton for higher productivity and quality.

 

‘Budget focus firmly on employment generation’ - The Hindu 

The Labour Ministry got its highest-ever allocation in this year’s Union Budget, and the increase in funding will help focus on the new employment generation scheme. The allocation under the Employees’ Pension Scheme has been increased by ₹300 crore and under the PM Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana by 37% compared to last year.

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM)

• About: A Central Sector Scheme for old-age protection and social security of unorganised workers.
• Management: Ministry of Labour and Employment
• Implementation: Trough LIC (Pension Fund Manager) and CSC eGovernance Services.

Eligibility:

• Indian citizen, aged 18-40 years.
• Monthly income below ₹15,000.
• Not a member of EPFO/ESIC/NPS.
• Street vendors, construction workers, farmers, carpenters, fishermen, etc.

Key Features:

• Voluntary and contributory pension scheme.
• Assured pension: ₹3,000/month after 60 years of age.
• Contribution: Auto-debited from savings/Jan Dhan account.
• Matching contribution by the Central Government on a 50:50 basis.

Family Pension:

• On subscriber’s death (after 60), spouse receives 50% of the pension.
• If the subscriber dies before 60, the spouse can continue or exit the scheme.

Exit Provisions:

• Exit before 10 years: Subscriber’s contribution + interest refunded.
• Exit after 10 years but before 60: Contribution + accumulated interest returned.

 

Science and Technology 

Fentanyl - Indian Express 

• Nature: Potent synthetic opioid approved by the FDA.
• Potency: 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
• Medical Use: Treats severe pain in cancer patients or post-surgery cases.
• Illegal Use:
  • Illegally manufactured for recreational use.
  • Often mixed with heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, or made into pills resembling prescription opioids.
• Risks: Highly addictive and deadly in large doses or when combined with other drugs.

 

Why scientists are monitoring asteroid with only 1% chance of hitting Earth - Indian Express

A newly discovered asteroid — called 2024 YR4 — has slightly more than 1% chance of crashing into Earth in 2032, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) officials said last week.

Asteroid 2024 YR4

• Discovery: Detected in December 2023 by a telescope in Chile.
• Size: Estimated between 40 to 100 metres, similar to a football field.
• Closest Approach: Passed within 800,000 km of Earth on Christmas Day, about twice the distance of the Moon.

Visibility:

• Will fade from view by mid-April 2024.
• Expected to be visible again in 2028.

Measurement Challenges:

• Size estimation based on brightness, influenced by asteroid’s reflectivity.
• Difficult to differentiate between a large, dark asteroid and a small, reflective one.

Destruction Potential 

• Scale: Rated 3 on the Torino Scale (0-10) by NASA's CNEOS, indicating localized damage potential.

• Energy Release: Estimated to release 8–10 megatons of energy if it crashes.

• Chelyabinsk asteroid (2013): Released 500 kilotons, injuring ~1,500 people and damaging thousands of buildings; it was half the size of 2024 YR4.
• Risk: Could cause considerable local damage if it hits a populated area.

Frequency of Asteroid Impacts on Earth

• Daily Occurrences:
  • Thousands of asteroids enter Earth's atmosphere daily.
  • Most burn up due to friction.

• Large Asteroid Impacts: Rare events; asteroids >1 km in diameter (like the Chicxulub asteroid) may hit Earth every 260 million years.

• Smaller Asteroid Threats: Can still cause significant damage, depending on speed and angle of entry.

Plans to Avert Asteroid Crashes

• Planetary Defense Efforts: Space agencies like NASA are developing planetary defense mechanisms to prevent asteroid impacts.
• Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART): NASA’s first planetary defense mission, in 2022 which crashed into asteroid Dimorphos, successfully altering its shape and trajectory.