Environment
NITI Aayog - UNDP Launch Handbook on Sustainable Management of Plastic Waste for ULB's

What's the NEWS

• NITI Aayog and UNDP India launched a handbook to promote sustainable management of plastic waste in the country.
• The report, titled ‘NITI Aayog-UNDP Handbook on Sustainable Urban Plastic Waste Management', was released on 11^th October, 2021 by NITI Aayog

Know! the report highlights

• The report has been jointly developed by UNDP India and NITI Aayog, in consultation with eminent experts and leading organizations in the domain of plastic waste.
• The discussion for the Handbook was initiated in February 2021.
• This was followed by over 20 virtual stakeholder consultations, including Urban Local Bodies, Recyclers, Corporates, Civil Society Organizations, Academia, managed by UNDP.
• The format included expert interviews, focussed group discussions, and technical workshops covering 14 Indian cities and 4 South East Asian cities.
• The Handbook presents best practices and examples from cities in India and Southeast Asia which face similar infrastructure and plastic waste challenges.
• The handbook covers crucial components for sustainable urban plastic waste management including, technical models, recovery facilities, IEC and digitisation, and good governance."
• NITI Aayog has constituted 11 committees for bringing circular economy in various areas of waste management.
• With complete recycling of plastic waste followed by extraction of valuables and mixing it with virgin materials, the transition to a circular economy in plastic waste sector will be completed.
• Only about 9% of the total plastic produced globally gets recycled, about 12% is incinerated and energy is recovered, and rest about 79% gets into land, water, and ocean and pollutes the environment.
• Phasing out single use plastic is crucial and to the extent possible, plastic items for which alternatives are available needs to be abandoned.
• The handbook on Sustainable Urban Plastic Waste Management will play a major role in fulfilling the goal of reducing the use of plastic and increasing plastic waste recycling, and also ensuring that plastic waste is brought to minimal
• The Plastic Waste Management programme at UNDP promotes the collection, segregation and recycling of all types of plastic waste to protect our environment and create a circular economy for plastics.
• The programme also ensures the wellbeing and financial inclusion of waste pickers, one of the most critical stakeholders in the waste value chain

Government Schemes
Cabinet approves the continuation of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) [SBM U] till 2025-26 for sustainable outcomes

What's the NEWS

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister approved the continuation of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) till 2025-26

Financial Outlay under SBM-Urban 2.0:

• A financial outlay of Rs.1,41,600 crores has been finalized for SBM-U 2.0, including central share of Rs.36,465 for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26

Fund sharing pattern between Centre and States is as follows:

• Cities with million plus population: 25:75
• Cities with population between 1-10 lakhs: 33:67
• Cities with less than one lakh population: 50:50
• Union territories without legislature: 100:0
• Union territories with legislature: 80:20

Expected Outcomes under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0
Sanitation:

1. All statutory towns to become at least ODF+
2. All cities with <1 lakh population to be made ODF++
3. Putting in place systems and processes so that all wastewater is safely treated and optimally reused and no untreated wastewater pollutes water bodies

Solid Waste Management:

• All cities to achieve at least 3-star Garbage Free certification

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0: Key Features

• SBM-U 2.0, launched on 1st October 2021
• Objective - Focus on sustainability of Open Defecation Free (ODF) outcomes, achieving scientific processing of Solid Waste in all cities, and managing Wastewater in cities with less than 1 lakh population in Census 2011 [cities not covered under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)].
• The implementation of the Mission components will be done in a structured and time-bound manner
• The Mission will be completely paperless, digital, leveraging digital technology for complete transparency and accountability through GIS-mapped waste management infrastructure, robust user interface, online grievance redressal system, end-to-end online monitoring of projects starting from project creation to fund release, and project progress monitoring on integrated GIS-based platform.

Key Components under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0
Sustainable Sanitation:

• complete access to sanitation facilities
• Complete liquid waste management in cities in less than 1 lakh population - a new component introduced under SBM-Urban 2.0

Sustainable Solid Waste Management:

1. 100 percent source segregation of waste along with functional Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in every city, with a focus on phasing out single use plastic
2. Setting up of construction & demolition (C&D) waste processing facilities and deployment of mechanical sweepers in National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) cities and in cities with more than 5 lakh population
3. Remediation of all legacy dumpsites, so that 14,000 acres of locked up land lying under 15 crore tonnes of legacy waste are freed up.

Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban

• Announced on 15th August 2014

Formally launched on 2ndOctober 2014 with the following objectives:

• Eradication of open defecation in all statutory towns
• 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste in all statutory towns
• Effecting behaviour change through Jan Andolan

Achievements of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban

• The Mission has revolutionized the sanitation space in urban India by providing 100% access to sanitation facilities in urban India.
• Under SBM-Urban, over 70 lakh household, community and public toilets have been built
• SBM Toilets on Google Maps where over 65,000 public toilets across 3,300+ cities have been made live.
• Urban India was declared open defecation free in 2019
• Over 3,300 cities and over 960 cities being certified ODF+ and ODF++ respectively.
• Cities are progressing towards Water+ certification under the Water+ Protocol which focuses on treatment of wastewater and its optimum reuse.
• Waste processing in India has gone up over four times from 18% in 2014 to 70%
• 100% door-to-door waste collection in 97% wards and source segregation of waste being practised by citizens in letter and spirit across 85% wards.
• Swachhata App - the digital grievance redressal platform introduced by MoHUA in 2016, has reinvented the way in which citizen grievance redressal is managed MoHUA has recently launched the revamped version of Swachhata App 2.0
• SwachhSurvekshan, the world's largest urban cleanliness surveycovering over 4,000 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) was initiated under SBM-Urban in 2016.

Know! about ODF + and ODF ++ terminology

• The ODF+ Protocol introduced by MoHUA in 2018 focuses on the cleanliness and functionality of community and public toilets
• The ODF++ Protocol introduced by MoHUA in 2018 focuses on complete faecal sludge and septage management
• The Water+ Protocol introduced by MoHUA in 2019 focuses on wastewater treatment and its optimum reuse

Prelims Factoids
Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2021

What's the NEWS

• The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2021 was released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

Key Findings of the Index

• Totally multidimensional poor: 1.3 billion people (nearly half (644 million) of these are children under the age of 18)
• About 85% live in sub-Saharan Africa (556 million) or South Asia (532 million). More than 67% live in middle-income countries.
• In some regions, disparities in multidimensional poverty among ethnic and racial groups exceed inequalities in geographic subnational regions.
• Around two-thirds of the multidimensional poor (836 million) worldwide live in households where no woman or girl has completed at least six years of schooling.
• Women and girls living in multidimensional poverty are at greater risk of intimate partner violence.
• 1 billion people are exposed to solid waste-based cooking fuels, others (billions) live with inadequate sanitation, as well as many (billions) have poor housing.
• 788 million people live in a household with at least one malnourished person.
• 568 million lack access to better drinking water.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in social security systems, education and workers' vulnerability around the world.
• These vulnerabilities are greatest in countries with high levels of multidimensional poverty.
• 227 million poor live in India.
• Five out of six multidimensional poor people in India are from lower tribes or castes.
• 9.4% of the ST group live in multidimensional poverty.
• 33.3% of SC group live in multidimensional poverty.
• 27.2% of OBCs live in multidimensional poverty.
• In India, about 12% of the population lives in female-dominated families.

Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

• It was developed in the year 2010.
• Issued by: Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• According to MPI poverty is multidimensional as it depends not only on income and a person may lack many basic necessities like education, health etc.

MPI uses 3 dimensions and 10 indicators:

• Education: Years of Schooling and Child Enrollment
• Health: Child Mortality and Nutrition
• Standard of Living: Electricity, Floors, Drinking Water, Sanitation, Cooking Fuel and Property

Environment
Universal Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment

What's the NEWS

• The United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously voted to recognize a healthy and sustainable environment as a universal human right.
• This will be the first right in more than 70 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) after being recognized.
• The right to a clean environment is enshrined in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration (Magna Carta of the Human Environment).

Right to clean environment and constitutional aspect

• It protects the fundamentals of the natural environment, which enable dignified living.
• The 'right to life' (Article 21) includes the right to life, quality of life, the right to a dignified life and the right to livelihood.
• Through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), two important articles 48'A' and 51A (g) were included in the constitution.
• Article 48'A': The State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to protect the forests and wildlife of the country.
• Article 51A (g): It is the duty of every citizen to protect and protect the environment.
• These provisions make the Indian Constitution the first constitution in the world to grant the constitutional status of environmental protection.

United Nations Human Rights Council

• It is an inter-governmental body.
• It is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.
• It was formed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the year 2006.
• Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland

Major laws related to Environmental Protection in India

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
• The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
• Forest (Conservation) Act, 1989
• National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

Social Issues
Quarterly Employment Survey
What's the NEWS

• The data and findings of the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) for the first quarter (April to June) of the year 2021 were released by the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
• Objective of the survey: To enable the government to formulate a 'Better national policy in the field of employment'.

Quarterly Employment Survey (QES)

• QES is part of the All-India Quarterly Establishment-Based Employment Survey (AQEES).
• AQEES is conducted by the Labor Bureau to update the employment and establishments in 9 selected sectors on a quarterly basis in both organized and unorganized sectors.
• The 9 selected sectors of AQEES are responsible for the increase in total employment in non-agricultural establishments.
• These 9 sectors are manufacturing, construction, trade, transport, education, health, housing and restaurants, IT/BPO and financial services activities.
• AQEES has two components: Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) and Area Frame Establishment Survey (AFES).
• QES provides survey of establishments employing 10 or more workers whereas AFES covers the unorganized sector (with less than 10 workers) through sample survey.
• Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) provides a picture of the demand side.

Key findings of QES 2021

• Figures for April-June 2021 show a 29% growth in employment in nine sectors during the peak COVID-19 months.
• These figures are based on the year 2013-14 (6th Economic Census).
• The share of women workers has declined. It was 31% during the 6th Economic Census (2013), which is currently 29%.
• 7 out of 9 sectors saw an increase in employment.
• Only 2 sectors (Business & Housing & Restaurants) saw a decline in employment figures.
• The IT/BPO sector registered a record growth of 152% in the period 2013-2021.

Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS)

• PLFS presents a supply side picture of the labor market.
• PLFS is administered by the 'National Statistical Organization' (NSO) under the 'Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation'.

Prelims Factoids
2021 Nobel Prize for Economics

What's the NEWS

• The 2021 Nobel Prize for Economics was announced to David Card, Joshua D. Angrist and Guido Imbens of America.
• These American economists have been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economics for their work on drawing conclusions from unexpected experiments, or so-called 'natural experiments'.

Major Works of David Card, Joshua D. Angrist and Guido Imbens

• Card is of Canadian origin, Angrist is a US citizen while the nationality of Imbanes is Dutch.
• 50% of the prize has been given to David Card and the other half jointly to Angrist and Imbans.
• All three have completely redesigned empirical/empirical work in the economic sciences.
• The study of cards and the methodological contributions of Angrist and Imbens in relation to important questions for society have shown that natural experiments are a rich source of knowledge.

Nobel of Economics

• The Nobel for Economic Sciences is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
• Officially it is called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences.
• The award was established in 1968 by the Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden's central bank) in memory of Alfred Nobel.
• The first prize in Economic Sciences was awarded in 1969 to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen.
• So far, there are only two Indians who have won the Nobel in Economics.
• The first person is Amartya Sen, who received the prize in 1998 and the second is Abhijit Banerjee who received the Nobel in Economics in 2019.
• Most of the Nobel Prize winners in economics are from America.

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