India,5 things on the list

Climate change, agricultural crisis, unemployment: 5 things on the list

MUMBAI: After a long period of data on India's unemployment, crimes in India and the suicide of peasants, this is an important year for data. Unemployment was reported at 6.1%, the highest in 45 years; 11,379 farmers committed suicide in 2016; And from 2015 to 2017, crime against women increased by 9%.

At the same time, climate data showed the number of extreme weather events, such as extreme heatwaves, floods, and storms. There were widespread struggles for the land rights of the indigenous people living in the Indian wilderness.

Climate change

In July 2019, India was the hottest on record; 74% of heavy rainfall occurred during the summer monsoon; The number of storms hit by the wildfire increased by 113%, the India Speed ​​Dec. 18, 2019 article said.

Due to extreme weather events, India ranks fifth among 181 countries most vulnerable to climate change. In the Global Climate Risk Index -2020, India's overall ranking was 14th in 2017, falling nine points to 5th in 2018. The Pan-based think tank Germwatch has said that India will lose Rs 2.7 trillion or 0.36 percent of its GDP by climate change.

By the year 2040, 2.5 billion Indians will be at risk of flooding; This is six times more than 37 lakhs between 1971 and 2004. India's major cities, including Mumbai, Surat, Chennai, and Kolkata, are likely to be underwater or will be flooded again by 2050, according to an article in the October 31, 2019, report on increasing carbon emissions.

About 60 crore Indians are at risk of global average temperature rise. The world must greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to control global warming; But in the last 10 years, its emissions have increased at a rate of 1.5% per annum. The emission gap, released in November 2019, says temperatures are expected to rise to 3 - 3.2 degrees Celsius this century, though all countries have fulfilled their obligations under the 2016 Paris Agreement.

The agrarian crisis

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released its report on 2015 Accident Deaths and Suicides in India after a four-year hiatus. The report, which was last published in 2016, provides nationwide data on accidents such as suicide and fatalities, traffic accidents, fires, and building collapse.

While the number of suicidal landlords declined in 2016, more farmworkers committed suicide in 2016 than in 2015. In 2016, 6,270 farmers or cultivators and 5,109 workers committed suicide; It was 8,007 and 4,595 in 2015, respectively.

The current 2019-20 budget has allocated Rs 1.4 lakh crore to the Ministry of Agriculture; This is an increase of 141% over the 2018-19 budget estimate of Rs 57,600 crore. But India Spend's February 12, 2019 article reported that the increase in funding, which has led to widespread agrarian agitation in India has led to agrarian distress.

With global average temperatures rising to 3 - 3.2 degrees Celsius, the agrarian crisis is still worsening. India Spend March 22, 2018 article states that when temperatures rise by 1 ° C, the income of farmers decreases to 6.2% in the Kharif (winter) and 6% in the non-irrigated districts during the Rabi (monsoon) season.

Irregular rainfall and extreme weather events, which are missed by the season, also affect crop yields. About 42% of India's land area is facing drought in April 2019; This aggravated the agrarian crisis. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, parts of the Northeast, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana were the most affected. In the South and the Cauvery River Districts of Uttarakhand, 25% of crops were damaged by this irregular rainfall. The farmers here had postponed the sowing of crops to August; This is because the traditional sowing months in June and July received very little rainfall. However, the April 2019 article in India Spend reported that the rains in August caused a quarter of damage to young and mature crops.

Forest Rights

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in September 2019 that India would raise the target of restoring degraded land from 2.1 crore hectares to 2.6 crore hectares by 2030. Out of the country's total area of ​​32.872 crore hectares, about 9.64 crore hectares (30%) or Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been degraded.

A few days before the announcement, the Government of India called on the private sector to participate in the land reclamation process so that it could “generate revenue”, according to an article in India Spend 2019. Activists warned that the involvement of private companies and the legal recognition of communities' tenure rights over forest resources could trigger land conflicts without involving local communities.

Out of the 2.6 crore hectares promised by the government for recovery, 2.1 crore hectares (81%) are forest land. Land show watchdog has documented 38 cases of land disputes across India. Aboriginal and hill people have protested against the diversion of forest lands. These conflicts, spread over eight states, affect more than one million people.

According to the Forest Rights Act (FRA) - 2006, the indigenous and non-Aboriginal peoples cannot reverse the use of the forest without the consent of their traditional rights. Nevertheless, across India, 19 million people or 46% of the forest rights claims were rejected. Various state governments have violated the law by allowing forest guards to determine claims unlawfully. India Spend published a March 2, 2019 article, asking tribes to provide satellite images and archival documents that are 75 years old.

Under the Forest Rights Act-2006, the Supreme Court on February 13, 2019 ordered the eviction of about 95 lakh forest dwellers. After widespread criticism, protests and a petition from the federal government, the Supreme Court suspended its order on February 28, 2019. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have used outdated laws; They have avoided the recent federal law on land acquisition. While state law does not require landowners' approval for the acquisition, federal law - the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act of 2013 - requires 70% landowner approval.

Unemployment

The leaked National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) report on unemployment figures painted a distorted picture of employment; Subsequently, the government issued the same statement in May 2019. Periodic Labor Force Survey 2017-18 (PLFS) reports that unemployment in India has increased to 6.1%, the highest rate in 45 years.

The world's second-largest, working-age population, 68.8 million has a higher working-age population (15 to 59 years old) than the dependent population (under 15 and over 64 years of age). This is called a low dependency period. India may accelerate growth during this period; The right policies and plans are already in place, the India Spend 2019 August 23 article said.

Other countries have seen higher economic growth in the low-dependency period, the report said. For example, World Bank data shows that over the 10-year period beginning 1985, China's growth rate has averaged 9.16% per annum, while China's dependency rate is similar to that of India today. Similarly, South Korea saw an average increase of 9.2% during its 10-year period on its population journey.

However, India may miss this opportunity due to high unemployment. The PLFS report shows unemployment among urban young adult women (27.2%), educated urban women (19.8%), rural male youth (17.4%), and educated rural women (17.3%).

India interviewed unskilled and partially skilled workers from 11 labor centers across Splendor in order to provide a preview article on the national disputes over job losses and after the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Our reports showed how employment in these centers was declining and wages for existing jobs were low.

India Spend analysis of NSSO data for 2011-12 reveals that out of the total 6.1 crore jobs created in India in the 22 years since the liberalization began in 1991, 92% were organized.

Crime against women

The number of crimes against women in 2017 (359,849) is 9% higher than 2015, according to NCRP 2019 data. In most of The number of crimes against women in 2017 (359,849) is 9% higher than in 2015, according to NCRP 2019 data. The highest (29%) of these cases were reported under the category of 'bullying by the husband / her relatives'. This is followed by 'assault on women' (23.9%) and 'trafficking of women' (18.4%).

Of these, 32,559 cases of sexual misconduct accounted for 9.6% of total crimes against women. Moreover, one in three married women aged 15 to 49 in India has experienced physical abuse, according to data from the National Family Health Survey (2015-16).

In December 2012, a 23-year-old medical student was raped by six people on a running bus. The affair, known as Nirbhaya, has generated widespread opposition and attracted international attention. In 2013, the central government established a Nirbhaya fund to improve women's safety in the country.

The Dec. 7, 2019 article on FactChecker.in reported that out of the Rs 1,672 crore sanctioned by the Ministry of Interior for the fund - almost half - 91% of the expenditure on the construction of the Patel statue, known as the Unity Circle, was unused. The funding comes from a variety of sources, including the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Women’s Welfare and the Justice Department. While the funds allocated to the Justice Department is not fully utilized, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has used 20% of the funds.

Though the number of crimes against women has increased after the strike, India Spend 2019 August 3 article states that Delhi has little impact on arrest and conviction rates. Delhi's conviction rate for rape has been in steady decline since 2007; This is the lowest level in history, from 27% in 2006 to 18.9% in 2016, according to the report.