Daily Prelims Notes 23 May 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

23 May 2024

1. Leading AI firms pledge ‘responsible’ tech development

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Awareness in IT and computer

Context:

• More than a dozen of the world’s leading artificial intelligence firms pledged at a global summit to develop and use their technology safely.

Key highlights:

• Sixteen companies involved in AI including Alphabet’s Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI, as well as companies from China, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have committed to safe development of the technology.
• Both South Korea and Britain hosted a global AI summit in Seoul.
• The agreement is a step up from the number of commitments at the first global AI summit held six months ago.
• Countries such as the UK and U.S. establishing state-backed AI Safety Institutes for evaluating AI models.

Global AI summit, Seoul:

• The artificial intelligence (AI) summit in Seoul aims to build on a broad agreement at the first summit held in the United Kingdom to better address a wider array of risks.
• The AI Summit Seoul is a leading technology and business-focused global conference that shares knowledge on the intersection between AI technology and business models for key players in the industry.
• Representatives of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies are expected to take part in the virtual summit.
• China will not participate in the virtual summit but is expected to attend Wednesday’s in-person ministerial session.

About Bletchley Declaration:

• The Declaration signifies a collective commitment to proactively manage potential risks associated with so-called “frontier AI” (i.e., highly capable general-purpose AI models) to ensure such models are developed and deployed in a safe and responsible way.
• The Bletchley Declaration, signed in November 2023 by 28 countries — including the United States, India, and China — and the European Union, aimed to boost global cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth, sustainable development and innovation, to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

About Seoul AI business Pledge:

• The Seoul AI Business Pledge enhances globally coordinated efforts to address artificial intelligence (AI) safety, with leading AI developers including BSA members as signatories.
• The pledge builds upon the Hiroshima AI Process and work by the United Nations, and is rooted in shared values, including the need to ensure widespread and inclusive access to the benefits of responsible AI.

2. Ireland, Spain, Norway to formally recognise Palestine

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

• Norway, Ireland and Spain announced on May 22 that they will formally recognise the state of Palestine.

Key Highlights:

• The European countries’ announcements come weeks after 143 of 193 countries in the United Nations (U.N.)  General Assembly voted for full membership to the U.N. for the State of Palestine.

Which countries recognized Palestine?

• Norway has been involved in peace talks between Israel and Palestine for decades, including by hosting the beginning of the Oslo process, which culminated in the Oslo Peace Accords in the early-mid 1990s.
• Spain and Ireland  announced that it would formally recognise Palestine.

About Palestine:

• Palestine officially the State of Palestine is a country in the southern Levant region of West Asia.
• It encompasses two disconnected territories i.e. the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, collectively known as the Palestinian territories within the larger region of Palestine. 
• The country shares its borders with Israel to the north, west and south, Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest.
• Its proclaimed capital is Jerusalem while Ramallah serves as its administrative center and Rafah is currently its largest city. 
• Arabic is the official language.
• The majority of Palestinians practice Islam while Christianity also has a significant presence.

About Oslo Peace Accords:

• The Oslo Accords are a pair of interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
• The Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C, in 1993 and the Oslo II Accord, signed in Taba, Egypt in 1995.
• The Oslo process began after secret negotiations in Oslo, Norway, resulting in both the recognition of Israel by the PLO and the recognition by Israel of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and as a partner in bilateral negotiations.

3. Kerala Governor declines Ordinance on ward delimitation citing Model Code of Conduct

Sub: Polity

Sec: Parliament and legislature

Context:

• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan  has declined the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s request to promulgate an Ordinance aimed at establishing a Delimitation Commission to redraw the boundaries and increase the number of local self-government wards based on the 2011 census.

Key reasons to decline the request:

• The Governor cited Model Code of Conduct principles and returned the executive order to the State government.
• The governor reportedly rested his case on the premise that he could only enact the Ordinance,only  with the prior consent of the Election Commission of India.
• The meeting proposed amendments to the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, and the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994.

About the ordinance:

• The State Election Commissioner will chair the proposed Delimitation Commission and  will have five members at the rank of Secretary to the government.
• The Commission will issue a draft notification. This notification will include fixing the ward boundaries and shaping the future electoral landscape.
• The Commission will create new wards based on the 2011 census findings.

About Ordinance power of Governor:

• Article 213 states that the Governor of the state may issue ordinances when the state legislative assembly (or either of the two Houses in states with bicameral legislatures) is not in session.
• These ordinances have the same legal force and effect as an Act of legislature, but they are only temporary in nature.

Key features of this ordinance:

• An ordinance can be retrospective, which means that it can be enacted prior to its approval.
• An ordinance passed while the legislature is in session is deemed null and void.
• To stay a law, the Ordinance must be approved by the legislature within six weeks of its reassembly. Its existence is terminated if the legislature does not act within six weeks of its reassembly.
• Acts, laws, and events that occurred as a result of the ordinance remain in effect until it expires.
• Ordinance promulgation cannot be regarded as a substitute for the Governor’s legislative authority.
• Ordinances can only be passed on subjects where the State legislature has the authority to pass laws.
• Ordinances cannot be used to revoke the fundamental rights of the citizens guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
• The ordinance would also be declared null and void if the legislature passes a resolution opposing it.

About Delimitation Commission:

• Delimitation entails fixing the number of seats and boundaries of territorial constituencies, including the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), based on census data.
• Article 82 (Lok Sabha) and Article 170 (State Legislative Assemblies) mandate readjustment of seats after each Census, performed by the Delimitation Commission.
• Delimitation exercises were conducted post the 1951, 1961, and 1971 Censuses, highlighting its periodic nature.
• The Delimitation Commission is a high-powered committee entrusted with the task of drawing and redrawing boundaries of different constituencies for state assembly and Lok Sabha election.
• It is appointed by the President and works in collaboration with the Election Commission.
• The Commission consists of –
  • A retired or working Supreme Court Judge (chairperson)
  • Election Commissioner
  • Concerned State Election Commissioners or
• Commission’s orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court.
• The orders are laid before the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies concerned, but they cannot affect any modifications in the orders.

4. BIMSTEC acquires ‘legal personality’ after charter comes into force

Sub: IR

Sec: Int groupings

Context:

• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will now be open to new members and observers after a historic first charter of the grouping came into force on 20 May.

Key highlights:

• With the adoption of the charter at the 5th summit of the BIMSTEC leaders, the grouping has acquired a ‘legal personality’ and will be able to enter into structured diplomatic dialogue with other groupings and countries.
• This BIMSTEC Charter reaffirms India’s commitment to a prosperous, peaceful and sustainable neighborhood.
• BIMSTEC reflects the synthesis of our Neighbourhood First and Act East policies.
• Following the pandemic, the leaders of the BIMSTEC nations met virtually on 30 March 2022 under the chairship of Sri Lanka and adopted the charter. 
• The chair of BIMSTEC was taken up by Thailand after the 5th leaders summit.
• Last month, Nepal’s parliament took up the BIMSTEC charter and ratified it which paved the way for the coming into force of the charter.

About BIMSTEC:

• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional multilateral organization.
• Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.
• Out of the 7 members,
• Five are from South Asia –
  • Bangladesh
  • Bhutan
  • India
  • Nepal
  • Sri Lanka
• Two are from Southeast Asia –
  • Myanmar
  • Thailand
• This sub-regional organization came into being in 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
• Initially, it was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri-Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
• It was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ in 1997, following the inclusion of Myanmar.
• With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan in 2004, the name of the grouping was changed to ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC).
• The organization received greater attention especially in the backdrop of the near moribund status of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which last met in Kathmandu during November 2014.

Importance of BIMSTEC:

• India is willing to shift its focus from SAARC to BIMSTEC as the latter is in greater harmony with India’s ‘Act East’ policy.
• BIMSTEC not only connects South and Southeast Asia, but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.
• It mainly aims to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development; accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.

About SAARC:

• The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in South Asia.
• SAARC was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
• SAARC comprises eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu on 17 January 1987.

5. RBI’s Record Surplus Transfer to the Centre for FY24

Sub: Economy

Sec: Monetary Policy 

Key Highlights:

• Record Surplus Transfer:
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a transfer of ₹2,10,874 crore as surplus to the Union government for the financial year 2023-24.
  • This transfer is more than double the ₹87,416 crore transferred in FY23.
• Economic Capital Framework (ECF):
  • The surplus has been determined based on the Economic Capital Framework adopted by the RBI on August 26, 2019.
  • The ECF was developed following recommendations from the Expert Committee to review the RBI’s capital framework.
• Contingent Risk Buffer (CRB):
  • The RBI has decided to increase the Contingent Risk Buffer to 6.50% for 2023-24, up from 6% the previous year.
• Implications for Fiscal Consolidation:
  • The significant surplus transfer is expected to aid the Union government’s fiscal consolidation efforts.
  • Experts noted that the larger dividend was due to higher RBI income from both domestic and foreign assets, leading to increased profits.
• Future Outlook:
  • The transfer supports the government’s fiscal consolidation program, with the final budget anticipated in July.
  • Economists view this as a positive step towards maintaining fiscal discipline and managing the fiscal deficit.

Conclusion:

The RBI’s record surplus transfer of ₹2,10,874 crore to the Union government for FY24 marks a significant financial boost. The transfer, which more than doubles the previous year’s amount, is expected to support fiscal consolidation efforts, reflecting higher income from the RBI’s domestic and foreign assets.

The increase in the Contingent Risk Buffer further strengthens the RBI’s financial resilience, ensuring continued stability in the economic framework.

How the RBI Generates Surplus

RBI’s Income Sources:

• Interest on Holdings:
• Domestic Securities: Interest earned on government securities held by the RBI.
• Foreign Securities: Interest earned on foreign assets and securities.
• Fees and Commissions:
• Charges for various services provided to the government and financial institutions.
• Profits from Foreign Exchange Transactions:
• Gains from buying and selling foreign currencies.
• Returns from Subsidiaries and Associates:
• Income from the RBI’s investments in its subsidiaries and associated organizations.

RBI’s Expenditure:

• Printing of Currency Notes:
• Costs incurred in the production and supply of currency notes.
• Payment of Interest:
• Interest paid on deposits and borrowings.
• Salaries and Pensions:
• Compensation and retirement benefits for RBI staff.
• Operational Expenses:
• Costs of running the RBI’s offices and branches.
• Provisions for Contingencies and Depreciation:
• Funds set aside to cover unforeseen expenses and asset depreciation.

 Surplus Calculation:

• The surplus is the difference between the RBI’s total income and its total expenditure.
• After accounting for reserves and retained earnings, the remaining surplus is transferred to the government.

Legal Framework for Surplus Transfer:

• Section 47 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934:
  • This section governs the allocation of surplus profits of the RBI.
  • It mandates that the surplus, after provisions, must be transferred to the Central Government.

6. Delay in Publishing Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) Unusual: CITU

Sub: Economy

Sec: Inflation  

Key Points:

• CITU’s Concern:
  • The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has raised concerns over the delay in releasing the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPI-IW) for February and March.
• Importance of AICPI-IW:
  • AICPI-IW is crucial for regulating wages and dearness allowance for millions of workers and employees in India and compiled by the Labour Bureau.
  • It is also used for measuring inflation and informing other policy formulations.
• Scheduled Release Dates:
  • According to norms, the index for February was due on March 28, and the index for March was expected on April 30.
  • The index for April is expected to be released on May 31.

Conclusion:

The CITU has highlighted the critical importance of the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPI-IW) and expressed concern over the unusual delay in its release for February and March.

Given the index’s role in wage regulation and inflation measurement, the CITU urges the Labour Ministry to adhere to the scheduled release dates to maintain transparency and reliability in economic indicators essential for workers and policy formulations.

What is AICPI-IW?

• AICPI-IW stands for All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers.
• It is a measure of the cost of living for industrial workers in India.
• Compiled by the Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Importance of AICPI-IW

• Wage Regulation: Used for the regulation of wages and dearness allowance for millions of workers and employees in the country.
• Inflation Measurement: Serves as an important metric for measuring inflation.
• Policy Formulation: Influences policy decisions related to labor, wages, and inflation.

Compilation and Release

• The Labour Bureau compiles the AICPI-IW based on the price changes of various goods and services consumed by industrial workers.
• Frequency: The index is usually released monthly.

7. UN Rice Tenders: Indian Export Curbs Under WTO Lens

Sub: Economy

Sec: External sector

Key Points:

• Concerns Raised by WTO Members:
  • Canada, Brazil, Australia, and the U.K. have raised questions at the World Trade Organization (WTO) about India’s alleged restriction on rice exporters participating in UN World Food Program (WFP) tenders.
  • These tenders were for the supply of broken rice to Cameroon, Togo, and Algeria.
• WTO Committee on Agriculture Meeting:
  • India is expected to respond to these queries at the WTO Committee on Agriculture (CoA) meeting scheduled for Thursday.
• Commitment to WFP Exemptions:
  • In 2022, WTO members agreed to exempt the WFP’s humanitarian food purchases from export restrictions.
  • Initially, India opposed this decision to maintain flexibility for domestic food security but eventually consented.
• Impact on Agriculture Exports:
  • India’s export restrictions on commodities like rice, wheat, sugar, and onions have affected agricultural exports, reducing them by about $5-6 billion in the last fiscal year.
• Domestic Food Security Concerns:
  • Indian officials argue that these export restrictions are crucial to ensure domestic food security.
  • Exports are allowed only when there is a surplus.
• Decline in Agriculture Exports:
  • India’s agriculture exports for the April-February 2023-24 period declined by 8.8% to $43.7 billion

8. Brazil’s Amazon fires off to record 2024 start as green union blames firefighting budget cut

Sub: Geography

Sec: Mapping

Context:

• Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has experienced its largest blazes on record in the first four months of the year

Details:

• Partial blame on lower government spending on firefighting.
• President Lula da Silva aims to protect the Amazon and enhance Brazil’s climate policy leadership.
• Record drought, driven by El Nino and global warming, contributing to dry conditions and fires.
• Fires are generally ignited by people clearing land for agriculture.
• The firefighting budget for environmental agency Ibama is 24% lower than in 2023.
• 380 firefighters were sent to the hardest-hit northern Amazon state of Roraima.

Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA):

• Ibama is a federal agency under the Ministry of Environment, which has the following purposes: exercise the environmental police role; implement proceedings of the national policies for the environment related to environmental permits, environment quality control, authorization of use of natural resources and its supervision, environmental monitoring and control; and perform subsidiary actions of Union competence in compliance with environmental regulations.

ASCEMA:

• The Brazilian National Association of Environmental Careers (ASCEMA) is a nonprofit that organizes the rights of workers from an environmental perspective.

About the Amazon rainforest:

• The Amazon rainforests cover about 80 per cent of the basin and as per NASA’s Earth Observatory, they are home to nearly a fifth of the world’s land species and are also home to about 30 million people including indigenous groups and several isolated tribes.
• The Amazon basin is huge with an area covering over 6 million square kilometres, it is nearly twice the size of India.
• The Amazon forests have absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere, helping to moderate the global climate
• The basin produces about 20 per cent of the world’s flow of freshwater into the oceans. Over the last few years, the forest has been under threat due to deforestation and burning.
• Forest fires have doubled since 2013.

• Pantanal wetland:
  • The Pantanal is a natural region encompassing the world’s largest tropical wetland area and the world’s largest flooded grasslands.
  • It is located mostly within Brazil and extends to some portions of Bolivia and Paraguay.
  • It is fed through the Paraguay River and tributaries.

Source: TH

9. The value of attributing extreme events to climate change

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Defence

Evolution of Extreme Event Attribution:

• Previously, the IPCC argued against attributing individual weather events to climate change.
• Now, researchers attribute some extreme events to climate change despite uncertainties.

Value of Extreme Event Attribution:

• Attribution is seen as critical for the loss and damage (L&D) process in climate talks.
• Developing countries demand L&D funding to cope with climate impacts, but criteria for eligibility are crucial.
• Attribution reports could inform legal accountability for extreme events, but challenges remain.

Attribution of Asian Heatwaves:

• World Weather Attribution (WWA) reported that Asian heatwaves were 45 times more likely due to climate change.
• Attribution involves comparing current conditions with a hypothetical world without climate change.
• Data limitations and challenges in modelling rainfall affect attribution reliability.

Challenges in Event Selection:

• Selecting extreme events for attribution is challenging due to various factors.
• In evaluating Asian heatwaves, WWA scientists used regional scales and various definitions, considering daily, three-day, or monthly average temperatures.
• Heatwaves can be influenced by natural factors (e.g., El Niño) and human factors (e.g., urbanization, deforestation).
• There is debate over whether irrigation affects heatwaves.
• Extreme events are unique and often have no exact precedent, making subcontinent-scale attributions easier than local ones.

Dependency of Extreme Events on Human Action:

• The impacts of extreme events depend on hazard, vulnerability, exposure, and financial factors.
• Questions arise whether attribution exercises should focus solely on hazards or also consider impacts.

International Finance and Adaptation:

• Consideration of international finance aspects is necessary for adaptation, mitigation, and L&D.
• Historical responsibilities should be addressed to fund developing countries and support global mitigation efforts.

Resource Constraints and Cost-Benefit Analysis:

• In a resource-constrained world, a cost-benefit analysis is needed for the role of attribution in climate action.
• While attribution is a scientific challenge, its practical application requires careful consideration of costs and benefits.

World Weather Attribution (WWA):

• WWA is an international collaboration of climate scientists conducting rapid assessments to determine the role of climate change in extreme weather events.
• Collaborative Effort: Involves scientists from Imperial College London (UK), KNMI (Netherlands), IPSL/LSCE (France), Princeton University and NCAR (US), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), IIT Delhi (India), and climate impact specialists from the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre (RCCC).
• Objective: Provide timely, scientifically rigorous information on links between extreme weather and climate change.
  • Inform policymakers, media, and the public about climate change impacts and the need for mitigation.
• Methodology:
  • Uses a standardized, transparent approach comparing the likelihood and severity of weather events in current climate conditions versus a world without climate change.
  • Collaborates globally, with all results peer-reviewed for scientific accuracy.
• Three-Part Response to Extreme Events:
  • Define the Event: Identify the geographic region and relevant weather parameters.
  • Gather Historical Data: Collect weather data from 1950 to the present to compute statistics on normal and extreme weather patterns.
  • Simulate the Event: Use computer models to simulate the event multiple times, comparing current greenhouse gas conditions to past conditions.

Source: TH

10. Pentagon says Russia launched space weapon in path of U.S. satellite

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Defence

Context:

• The Pentagon accused Russia of launching a likely space weapon and deploying it in the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite.

Details of the ‘Counter space weapon’:

• This ‘counter-space weapon’ is presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit.
• Russia’s response: We act absolutely in accordance with international law, do not violate anything, and have repeatedly advocated banning any weapons in space.
• Both countries have proposed rival non-proliferation motions at the UN.
• Russia vetoed the US initiative last month, and the US, Britain, and France blocked Russia’s proposal on 20 May.

Anti-satellite weapon (ASAT):

• Anti-satellites (ASATs) are weapons designed to destroy or disable satellites in orbit. They can be ground-based, air-based, or space-based. ASATs can use various methods to attack satellites, including kinetic impact, lasers, and directed energy weapons.
• Anti-satellite (ASAT) technology refers to the capability to intercept, disable, or destroy satellites in orbit. This technology is primarily developed for defence and strategic purposes.
• Types of Anti-Satellite Weapons
  • Kinetic energy methods: This involves launching a missile that intercepts and physically collides with the target satellite to destroy it.
    • The kinetic energy ASATs physically collide with satellites and can reach altitudes. These ASATs can be ballistic missiles, drones, and other satellites.
  • Non-kinetic methods: They use non-physical attacks such as cyber-attacks, jamming, and even lasers to blind satellites without physically destroying them.
    • All of these attacks can be launched from the air, low orbit, or even ground installations.

Countries with ASAT Technology:

• ASATs were first developed during the Cold War era. They have never been used in warfare, but have been used to remove decommissioned satellites.

Outer Space Treaty, 1967:

• The treaty provides the basic framework for international space law.
• The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind.
• Outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States.
• Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.
• States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner.
• The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.
• Astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind.
• States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental activities.
• States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects.
• States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

Source: TH

11. Half of world’s rangelands are degraded, UN study finds: What are rangelands, why they matter

Sub: Geography

Sec: Economic geo

Context:

• About half of the world’s rangelands are degraded and need policy interventions, and communities depending on them need focused support, according to a new report of the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD).

What are rangelands?

• The UNCCD report defines rangelands as natural or semi-natural ecosystems that are grazed by livestock or wild animals.
• Rangelands contain vegetation such as grasses, shrubs, bushes, open forests, and agroforestry systems (land which contains trees and crops or pastures).
• The exact nature of rangelands’ vegetation is influenced by rainfall, temperature, and other climate phenomena.
• Rangeland Atlas is prepared by a consortium of international non-profits and United Nations agencies.
• Extant of rangelands:
  • Currently, rangelands cover 80 million sq km of Earth’s terrestrial surface area (over half of Earth’s land) and are thus the largest land cover or land use type in the world.
  • In India, rangelands occupy about 1.21 million sq km, from the Thar Desert to Himalayan meadows.
• Environmental and social significance:
  • They act as carbon sinks, storehouses of fresh water, and prevent desertification of land.
  • They provide food security and livelihoods to millions of people.
  • Rangelands generate 16% of global food production and 70% of feed for domesticated herbivores, most significantly in Africa and South America.

UNCCD Report Findings:

• Approximately 50% of the world’s rangelands are classified as “degraded” and are in decline.
• Factors contributing to this degradation include climate change, unsustainable land and livestock management practices, biodiversity loss, and conversion of rangelands to farmlands.
• Uncertainty over land rights among pastoralist communities exacerbates degradation.
• Impact on Communities:
  • Deterioration of rangelands adversely affects communities dependent on them.
  • Consequences include reduced soil fertility, biodiversity loss, decreased incomes, and increased conflicts over grazing rights with authorities.

Who are Pastoralists?

• Pastoralism is a livelihood centred around livestock production, including dairy, meat, wool, and leather.
• Pastoralists are communities, both indigenous and non-indigenous, engaged in livestock rearing.
• They rear a variety of animals including sheep, goats, cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, yaks, llamas, alpacas, pigs, ducks, and chickens.
• Their livelihood depends significantly on access to quality pasturelands (rangelands) and their rights over them.
• Global and Indian Context:
  • Globally, an estimated 500 million pastoralists are involved in livestock production.
  • In India, approximately 13 million pastoralists are part of 46 groups such as Gujjars, Bakarwals, Rebaris, Raikas, Kurubas, and Maldharis.

Economic Contributions in India:

• India holds 20% of the world’s livestock population, with 77% reared in pastoralist systems.
• Pastoralists play a crucial role in protecting indigenous livestock breeds and preserving traditional knowledge of animal rearing.
• India leads globally in milk production (23% of global output), buffalo meat production, and sheep and goat meat exports, with pastoralists making significant contributions to these sectors.
• Some important pastoral communities and regions they belong:

Pastoralism in Africa astoralism in Africa:

• In Africa, even today, over 22 million Africans depend on some form of pastoral activity for their livelihood.
• Like pastoralists in India, the lives of African pastoralists have changed dramatically over the colonial and post-colonial periods.
• Some pastoralist communities in Africa:
  • Bedouins, Berber, Maasai,Somali, Boran, Turkana and Kaokoland herders (Namibia).

Source: IE