Poverty, trafficking in Bengal linked to climate change: experts

With five tropical cyclones battering the State's coastline since May 2020, experts say climate change is one of the factors pushing people into poverty and driving human trafficking. According to the National Crime Records Bureau's latest report, 58,871 people were reported missing from West Bengal in 2022; 53,655 of them were women and 12,455 children. A total of 67 cases of human trafficking were reported with 78 victims in 2022. Data for the same year show a conviction rate of 55% in human trafficking cases in the State. Several stakeholders from ILFAT (Integrated Leaders Forum Against Trafficking), one of the biggest federations of trafficking survivors comprising over 2,800 members across seven States, feel that the fight against trafficking should integrate climate change as a factor for effective interventions. 

PSLV C-60 mission: space start-up firm gets desired results

Bellatrix Aerospace has announced that it has achieved the desired results from the Rudra High- Performance Green Propulsion System, which was onboard the POEM-4 in the recently launched PSLV C-60 mission. The Bengaluru-based space start-up said the Rudra High-Performance Green Propulsion System has fired flawlessly aboard POEM-4 in PSLV C-60.

Remembering the impactful legacy of wise leadership

The savings rate had begun to rise ever since the demographic dividend set in in the early 1980s. The rise in savings/GDP ratio – and corresponding growth in the investment to GDP rate was the basis for the ensuing rise in the GDP growth rate. Thus, by 2003-04, the savings rate had risen to 23% of GDP and investment to 24% of GDP. Despite the global economic crisis of 2008-09, GDP growth dipped for a few quarters before recovering quickly, because of a well-designed fiscal/monetary policy stimulus so that the 2009-14 period also saw 7.5% p.a. Thus, the overall growth rate over 2004-14 averaged 7.8% p.a., which was unprecedented in India's history. 

Why has Trump called the Panama treaty 'foolish'?

Donald Trump threatened to take back the Panama-canal, calling the transfer treaty "foolish". The first and major reason for the U.S. President-elect's upset is the high transit fees applied on U.S. vessels by the ACP (Panama Canal Authority). In 2023, Lakes Gatun and Alhajuela experienced severe drought affecting the shipping and navigation of the canal as it relies on these reservoirs to operate its locks. Therefore, the ACP reduced the number of slots for crossing ships by 36%.

The Panama Canal is an artificial 80-kilometre canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, reducing cost, time and distance for international shipping. The canal is crucial for the global supply chain, and 6% of maritime world trade goes through it. 

'Suicides among CISF personnel dip 40% due to proactive measures'

Proactive measures launched by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) led to a 40% decline in suicide rates among its rank and file, sources said. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the national suicide rate stood at 12.4 per lakh people in 2022, while in CISF, it has been reduced to 9.87 per lakh people in 2024. The CISF claims to have taken creditable steps in combating this challenge by implementing a series of proactive measures which have led to substantial reduction in suicides of force members in 2024. 

Experts on GM crop panels to declare conflict of interest

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has amended the rules governing the selection of experts to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the apex technical body regulating genetically modified (GM) seeds in India. Under the new rules, an "expert member" ought to disclose their "interest" that could conflict with their duties. The expert is also expected to take all steps necessary to ensure that any conflict of interest does not affect any decision of the GEAC. These rules come on the back of a Supreme Court order in July 2023 requiring that the Centre form a national policy on GM crops. 

Govt. report reveals stark infrastructure gap in Indian schools

Of the over 14.71 lakh schools in India, up to 1.52 lakh schools have no functional electricity, according to the latest data released by the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) maintained by the Ministry of Education. Of the 14.71 lakh schools, 10.17 lakh schools are government-run, of which 9.12 lakh schools have functional electricity, while 1.52 lakh schools do not. Apart from the government-run schools, there are 4.54 lakh schools that are government-aided, private and unaided, and others, of which 4.07 lakh have functional electricity.

The report says 67,000 schools operate without functional toilets, of which a majority (46,000) are government schools. 

Indian researchers develop injectable hydrogel for targeted cancer treatment

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) and the Bose Institute, Kolkata have developed an advanced injectable hydrogel for localised cancer treatment. The findings of the research, expected to be revolutionary for breast cancer therapy, have been published in Materials Horizons, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The team addressed these challenges by designing a hydrogel that delivers drugs precisely to the tumour site, ensuring localised action. Hydrogels are water-based, polymer networks capable of absorbing and retaining fluids. Their unique structure mimics living tissues, making them suitable for biomedical applications. 

Households' balance sheet stress is also K-shaped, reckons Nomura

With the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) latest Financial Stability Report taking cognisance of increasing stress levels in retail loans, especially among unsecured creditors, Nomura economists remarked household stress in India has also turned K-shaped, with the rise in retail debt driven by consumption loans while asset-creating loans have a shrinking share. Nomura has reiterated that India is in the midst of a cyclical slowdown, and this "evidence of household balance sheet stress chimes with weak income and K- shaped" urban consumption demand. 

Government constitutes panel to rejig the Wholesale Price Index

The Centre announced the formation of an expert panel to revise the constituents of the country's Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in light of the structural changes in the economy that have occurred between 2011-12, the current base year for the critical price gauge, and 2022-23 that would be the new base year. The working group, to be steered by NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand, would also examine the composition of, and the methodology for compilation of a new Producers' Price Index or PPI, approved by a technical advisory panel on Statistics of Prices and Cost of Living.