Daily Current Capsules 22^nd April 2021

India's Agriculture trade grows during 2020-21
What's the NEWS

• India has consistently maintained trade surplus in the agricultural products over the years.
• India's agricultural and allied exports during 2019-20 were Rs. 2.52 lakh Crores and imports were Rs. 1.47 lakh Crores. Even, during the difficult time of Pandemic, India took care not to disturb the world food supply chain and continued to export.
• The export of Agri and allied commodities during Apr,2020 - Feb,2021 were Rs. 2.74 lakhCrore as compared to Rs. 2.31 Crore in the same period last year indicating an increase of 18.49%.

The main features of the report:

• India has witnessed tremendous growth of 727% for Wheat export and 132% for (Non-Basmati) Rice export during 2020-21.
• Country has witnessed significant growth of 132% in export of (Non-Basmati) Rice. Export of Non-Basmati Rice has gone up from Rs 13,030 crores in 2019-20 to Rs 30,277 crores in 2020-21.
• This increase in exports is on account of multiple factors, mainly being India capturing new markets namely, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Chile, and Puerto Rico.
• Exports were also made to Togo, Senegal, Malaysia, Madagascar, Iraq, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Vietnam, Tanzania Rep and Madagascar.
• India also enhanced export of Soya meals by 132%. Soya meal has gone up from Rs 3087 crores in 2019-20 to Rs 7224 crores in 2020-21.
• The imports of Agri and allied commodities during April, 2020 - Feb, 2021 were Rs. 141034.25 Crore as compared to Rs. 137014.39 Crore in the same period last year witnessing a slight increase of 2.93%.
• Despite COVID-19, balance of trade in agriculture has favorably increased during April, 2020 - Feb, 2021 to Rs. 132,579.69 Crore as against Rs. 93,907.76 Crore during the same period in 2019-20.

State of the Global Climate 2020
What's the NEWS

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its annual State of the Global Climate for 2020.
• Extreme weather combined with COVID-19 in a double blow for millions of people in 2020.
• However, the pandemic-related economic slowdown failed to put a brake on climate change drivers and accelerating impacts, according to a new report compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and an extensive network of partners.

The main points of the report:
Global Temperature:

• 2020 was one of the three warmest years on record, despite a cooling La Niña event.
• The global average temperature was about 1.2° Celsius above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level.
• The six years since 2015 have been the warmest on record. 2011-2020 was the warmest decade on record.

Greenhouse Gases:

• Concentrations of the major greenhouse gases continued to increase in 2019 and 2020. Globally averaged mole fractions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have already exceeded 410 parts per million (ppm), and if the CO2 concentration follows the same pattern as in previous years, it could reach or exceed 414 ppm in 2021, according to the report.
• The economic slowdown temporarily depressed new greenhouse gas emissions, according to UNEP, but had no discernible impact on atmospheric concentrations.

The Ocean:

• The ocean absorbs around 23% of the annual emissions of anthropogenic CO2 into the atmosphere and acts as a buffer against climate change.
• However, the CO2 reacts with seawater, lowering its pH and leading to ocean acidification.
• This in turn reduces its capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Ocean acidification and deoxygenation have continued, impacting ecosystems, marine life and fisheries, according to IOC-UNESCO.
• The ocean also absorbs more than 90% of the excess heat from human activities. 2019 saw the highest ocean heat content on record, and this trend likely continued in 2020.

The Cryosphere:

• Since the mid-1980s, Arctic surface air temperatures have warmed at least twice as fast as the global average. This has potentially large implications not only for Arctic ecosystems, but also for the global climate through various feedbacks such as thawing permafrost releasing methane into the atmosphere.

Floods and drought:

• Heavy rain and extensive flooding occurred over large parts of Africa and Asia in 2020. Heavy rain and flooding affected much of the Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa, triggering a desert locust outbreak.
• The Indian subcontinent and neighbouring areas, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, and parts of South-East Asia also received abnormally high rainfall at various times of the year.

COVID-19 impacts:

• More than 50 million people were doubly hit in 2020 by climate-related disasters (floods, droughts and storms) and by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
• This worsened food insecurity and added another layer of risk to evacuation, recovery and relief operations related to high-impact events.

World Press Freedom Index 2021
What's the NEWS

• The 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) shows that journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of the 180 countries ranked by the organisation.
• India has ranked 142nd yet again out of 180 nations in the recently unveiled World Press Freedom Index.

About the World Press Freedom Index:

• It has been published every year since 2002 by Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) or Reporters Without Borders.
• Based in Paris, RSF is an independent NGO with consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF).
• This year's Index, which evaluates the press freedom situation in 180 countries and territories annually, shows that journalism, journalism, which is arguably the best vaccine against the virus of disinformation, is totally blocked or seriously impeded in 73 countries and constrained in 59 others, which together represent 73% of the countries evaluated.
• These countries are classified as having "very bad," "bad" or "problematic" environments for press freedom, and are identified accordingly in black, red or orange on the World Press Freedom map.
• India was ranked 142 in the year 2020 as well, thus showing no improvement in the environment it provides to its journalists.
• India has fared poorly amongst its neighbours with Nepal at 106, Sri Lanka at 127 and Bhutan at 65. Pakistan is a close follower at 145th spot.
• India is among the countries classified "bad" for journalism and is termed as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists trying to do their jobs properly.
• The report has blamed an environment of intimidation created by the nationalist government for any critical journalist often brandishing them as anti state or anti national.
• The situation is worrying in Kashmir, where incidents of harassment of reporters by police and paramilitaries have surfaced.

Startup India Seed Fund Scheme
What's the NEWS

• Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization.
• This would enable these startups to graduate to a level where they will be able to raise investments from angel investors or venture capitalists or seek loans from commercial banks or financial institutions.

The Need For Startup India Seed Fund Scheme

• Easy availability of capital is essential for entrepreneurs at the early stages of growth of an enterprise.
• Funding from angel investors and venture capital firms becomes available to startups only after the proof of concept has been provided. Similarly, banks provide loans only to asset-backed applicants.
• It is essential to provide seed funding to startups with an innovative idea to conduct proof of concept trials.

About the Scheme

• To provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry, and commercialization.
• It is launched by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) with an outlay of Rs. 945 Crore.

Some Eligibility Conditions:

• A startup, recognized by DPIIT, incorporated not more than 2 years ago at the time of application.
• Startups should not have received more than Rs. 10 lakh of monetary support under any other Central or State Government scheme.

How the Startup India seed fund scheme would benefit the startups:

• The scheme will secure seed funding, inspire innovation, support transformative ideas, and facilitate implementation of those ideas.
• Smaller towns are often deprived of adequate funding and this scheme will create a robust startup ecosystem in Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions of India.
• The government has constituted an Experts Advisory Committee(EAC) which will be responsible for the overall execution and monitoring of the scheme.
• Over 7,500 new startups are incorporated every year and it is essential to provide seed funding to startups with innovative ideas to conduct their ''Proof of Concept''.
• The scheme is being launched by DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) to support this early-stage startup funding.
• It would provide financial assistance to startups for Proof of Concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. The scheme aims to support an estimated 3,600 entrepreneurs through 300 incubators.