Women Empowerment and Inclusive Growth; Rights related to Health, Food Security and Education-Issues and Challenges.
Number of questions- Mains: 02, Prelims – 10
Mains Questions of the day-
1.Explain the phenomenon of Feminization of Agriculture.
Introduction: –
What is feminization of agriculture?
Body: –
Write about recent trends with data and mention the factors contributing to the feminization of agriculture.
Conclusion: –
- With women playing predominant role at all levels-production, pre-harvest, post-harvest processing, packaging, marketing – of the agricultural value chain, to increase productivity in agriculture, it is imperative to adopt gender specific interventions.
- An ‘inclusive transformative agricultural policy’ should aim at gender-specific intervention to raise productivity of small farm holdings, integrate women as active agents in rural transformation, and engage men and women in extension services with gender expertise.
Content: –
- The term ‘Feminization of agriculture’ refers to increasing the percentage of women who are economically active in agricultural sector either as self-employed or as agriculture wage workers.
- An increase in the percentage of women in the agricultural labour force relative to men, either because more women are working or because fewer men are working in agriculture.
- The Periodic Labour Force Survey data shows a surge in female labour force participation rate in agriculture.
- There has been a rise in workforce engaged in agriculture to 45.6 per cent (2019-20) from 42.5 per cent (2018-19).
- Almost the entire rise in the workforce was accommodated by agriculture.
- There has been a sharp increase in the female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) by 5.5 percentage points (30% in 2019-20) from 24.5% in 2018-19).
- Much of this is driven by the increased LFPR of rural women.
- This phenomenon of increased participation by women, particularly working as agri-labourers, is referred to as the process of feminization of the Indian Agri-workforce.
Factors driving the feminization in agriculture: –
- Migration of men due to agrarian distress
- Women have less mobility due to social norms
- Women are preferred for labour intensive woks
- Women labour ensure low production cost as they are low-paid easy to hire and fire.
2.Mention the key finding of the recent release of Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index by NITI AAYOG?
Introduction: –
Write briefly about National Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index
Body: –
Explain the key finding in the report.
Conclusion: –
- Poverty can effectively be eradicated only when the poor start contributing to growth by their active involvement in the growth process.
- This is possible through a process of social mobilization, encouraging poor people to participate and get them empowered.
- This will also help create employment opportunities which may lead to increase in levels of income, skill development, health and literacy.
- Moreover, it is necessary to identify poverty stricken areas and provide infrastructure such as schools, roads, power, telecom, IT services, training institutions etc.
Content: –
Key highlights of the index: –
- It was developed in consultation with 12 ministries and in partnership with state governments
- The index publishing agencies Oxford University’s Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
- The National MPI Project is aligned with the Global MPI for comprehensive Reform Action Plans with the larger goal of improving India’s position in the Global MPI rankings.
- It is calculated using the NFHS-4 (2015-2016) that is used to derive the baseline multidimensional poverty.
- The Index is calculated using 12 indicators – nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, antenatal care, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets and bank account that have been grouped under three dimensions namely:
- Health
- Education and
- Standard of living.
- According to Global MPI 2021, India’s rank is 66 out of 109 countries.
- As per (National Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index) NMPI, Bihar also has the highest number of malnourished people followed by Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
- Kerala, Goa, and Sikkim have the lowest percentage of population being multidimensional poor at 0.71 per cent, 3.76 percent and 3.82 per cent, respectively.
- Among the Union Territories (UTs), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (27.36 per cent), Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh (12.58), Daman & Diu (6.82 per cent) and Chandigarh (5.97 per cent), have emerged as the poorest UTs in India.
- The proportion of poor in Puducherry at 1.72 percent is the lowest among the Union Territories, followed by Lakshadweep at 1.82 per cent, Andaman & Nicobar Islands at 4.30 per cent and Delhi at 4.79 percent.
Prelims Questions of the day: –
1. Which of the following institute releases the National Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (NMPI)?
- International Institute for Population Sciences(IIPS)
- NITI Aayog
- RBI
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW)
Answer: -B
Explanation: –
NITI Aayog has released the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
Earlier, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2021 was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI).
2. Which of the following state has highest proportion of multidimensionally poor based on National Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index report?
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- Uttar Pradesh
- Haryana
Answer: -A
Explanation: –
Bihar has the highest proportion of people of the state’s population followed by Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh who are multi-dimensional poor base on National Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index report.
3.Which of the following system is the universal recording of the events of births and deaths?
- Civil Registration System
- National Family Health Survey
- Ministry of Family Welfare
- Office of the Registrar General
Answer: -A
Explanation: –
Civil Registration System (CRS) is the unified process of continuous, permanent, compulsory and universal recording of vital events (births, death, stillbirths) and characteristics thereof.
- The Registration of Births and Deaths Act,1969 provides for the compulsory registration of births and deaths.
- Births and deaths are registered only at the place of their occurrence within 21 days of occurrence of the event
4. Which of the following Ministry releases the “The Swachh Survekshan 2021” report?
- Ministry of Rural Development
- Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
- Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Answer: -C
Explanation: –
The Swachh Survekshan 2021 Report was released by the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
About the Swachh Survekshan (SS) report, 2021: –
- It is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U).
- It is conducted by MoHUA with Quality Council of India (QCI) as its implementation partner.
- The objective of the survey is to encourage large scale citizen participation, ensure sustainability of initiatives taken towards garbage free cities (GFC) and open defecation free cities (ODF) among others.
5.Which of the following is the nodal Ministry for monitoring the Quality Council of India?
- Ministry of communications and information technology
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- Ministry of labour and employment
- Ministry of commerce and industry
Answer:-D
Explanation: –
Quality Council of India: –
It was set up jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations such as:
- Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)
- Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and
- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
- It is aimed to establish and operate national accreditation structure and promote quality through National Quality Campaign.
- It is governed by a Council of 38 members with equal representations of government, industry and consumers.
- Chairman of QCI is appointed by the Prime Minister on recommendation of the industry to the government
- The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is the nodal ministry for QCI.
6. Which of the following organization releases the State of food security and nutrition in the world report?
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- World Food Programme (WFP)
Answer: – A
Explanation: –
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)has released State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 report about State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021.
- It was jointly prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
- This report presents the first global assessment of food insecurity and malnutrition for 2020 and highlights the need for a deeper reflection on how to better address the global food security and nutrition situation
7.Consider the following statements about Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana(PMMVY).
1. It is a central sector scheme to provide financial incentive to pregnant women
2. Pregnant women in regular employment of State government are eligible to receive benefits under the scheme.
Which of the above given statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: D
Explanation:
- Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana is a Maternity Benefit Programme launched to ensure safe delivery and good nutrition for pregnant women before and after delivery of the first living child by providing partial compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentives, it is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Jointly funded by Centre and States but implemented by State governments). Hence statement 1 is incorrect.
- Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or PSUs or those who are receiving similar benefits under any other law are not eligible to receive benefits. Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
- PMMVY is a centrally sponsored scheme and government employees of Centre and state are not eligible to gain benefits of scheme.
8.With reference to Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), consider the following statements.
1. It is a central sector scheme
2. It aims to strengthen the Panchayati raj institutions.
3. Ministry of Panchayati raj is Implementing agency
Which of the above given statements is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: C
Explanation:
- Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan: It envisaged developing governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj.
- Institutions (PRIs) to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, statement 2 is correct.
- Implementing Agency: Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
- It is a centrally Sponsored Scheme (highest funding from Centre), 60:40 ratios in case of states, 90:10 ratio in case of North East and Hilly states and 100% funding by central government for all Union Territories Hence statement 1 is incorrect.
- Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan is under Ministry of Panchayat raj
9. Operation Greens launched by the Central Government is related to
- Urban Forest
- Agriculture
- Green corridors
- Biodiversity
Answer: B
Explanation:
- Operation Greens Scheme was announced in the Budget for 2018-19 to promote Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Agri-logistics, processing facilities, and professional management for Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) crops.
- The Scheme was launched with two components:
(i) Long term: Value Chain Development Projects.
(ii) Short term: Price Stabilization Measures.
- Operation green was launched to promote FPO’s, Agri-logistics, processing facilities, and professional management for Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) crops.
10. Consider the e-SHRAM portal related to which of the following ministry?
- Ministry of Labour and Employment
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
- ministry of rural development
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
Answer: A
Explanation: –
- e-SHRAM portal has been launched to create a National Database of Unorganized Workers (UWs).
- One of the main objectives of this portal is to facilitate delivery of Social Security Schemes to the workers.
- This database is seeded with Aadhaar and for age group between 16-59 years.
- It includes construction workers, migrant workers, gig workers, platform workers, agricultural workers, MGNREGA workers, fishermen, milkmen, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, street vendors, domestic workers, rickshaw pullers and other workers engaged in similar other occupations in the unorganised sector.