The Hindu Editorials Short Summary Notes

 

GS-1/3/ Mains

Question: Critically examine the impact of locusts attack on Agriculture and its suggested remedis.

 

Context:

• Locust swarm in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

Economic Impact:

• destroying plant leaves and shelf life, poste threat to human food security, farmers can’t afford to control due to already facing others wages related issue.

Institutional Set up:

• Locust Warning Organisation (LWO) in Jodhpur set up for monitoring and destroying these attacks and Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage by Ministry of Agriculture.

 Control Measures: 

• drones by sprinkling chemicals and spraying liquid insectisides , digging trenches , beating and burning, applying a fine dust on locuts.

Relationship Between Climate and Locust:

• positive Indian Ocean Dipole lead to ‘warming Indian Ocean’.
• Heavy rainfall in Eastern Africa provides breeding ground for locust development.
• In addition to it, Corona pandemic creates hurdle in proper prevention and management of this attack, Global Warming further intensifies the whole process.
• So there is need of full cooperation among countries without any blame game fo this.

 

 

 

 

GS-3 Mains

Discuss the difficulty in designing and implementation of agriculture friendly reforms in India and Indian agriculture is facing multiple challenges .

Context:

• issues related to farmers not gettting fair price for their produce and its measures taken by Indian govt.

Problems Faced by Farmers:

• they have been denied their right to freedom fo trade as it is constitutional right, don’t have selling freedom , their farm incomes depend on markets, middlemen and money lenders – economic disparities,restrictive trade, implicit taxation and marketing policies this led to erosion of farmers incomes at large, Principle sources are – Bengal Famine 1943, WW-2, Essential Commodities Act,1955 and APMC.

Steps taken by Govt.:

• Recently Modi’s government took welcome step by annoucing an economic package of 20 lakh crore including 4 lakh crore as agriculture package and this will improve infra. and will enhance credit support.

Key Recommendations:

• creating strong and effective FPOs, allowing direct access of buyers in order to enhance farmers bargaining powers.

Conclusion :

pro-farming investments and holistic approach such as increasing MSPs, more freedom in deciding price of their produce can make a big change in agriculute sector of India.