27 February 2024

• Economy: The government extended grain storage pilot within PACS and announced the computerisation of 18,000 primary agricultural credit societies to improve cooperatives' record-keeping.
• Society: Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022-23 showed the rural-urban consumption gap narrowing significantly for the first time in decades.
• Infrastructure: India's longest cable-stayed bridge, Sudarshan Setu, was inaugurated at Beyt Dwarka in Gujarat.
• Defence: India-Japan DHARMA GUARDIAN 5 exercise concluded at Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan.

GS area: Economy (Poverty, Consumption, Social Statistics)

The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022-23 (HCES) released key data on consumption patterns across India:

• Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE):
  • Rural: 3,773 rupees per month.
  • Urban: 6,459 rupees per month.
• Rural-urban ratio: Urban MPCE is 1.71 times rural. In 2011-12, the ratio was approximately 1.84 times. The gap has narrowed.
• Historical comparison: The last major HCES was in 2011-12. Earlier surveys found rural MPCE of 1,430 and urban MPCE of 2,630 in 2011-12 (current prices), with a ratio of 1.84.
• Food versus non-food spending:
  • Rural households spend approximately 46 per cent of MPCE on food.
  • Urban households spend approximately 39 per cent on food.
  • This reflects the Engel's Law: as income rises, the share spent on food declines.
• Bottom decile rural MPCE: Approximately 1,373 rupees per month, highlighting continued poverty among the lowest rural quintile.
• Survey mechanism: HCES is conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• Policy relevance: HCES data feeds into poverty measurement, consumer price index construction, and benefit targeting for government welfare schemes.

Static linkage: Economy (poverty measurement, consumption, NSO, statistics, Engel's Law, MPCE).

GS area: Infrastructure, Geography (Gujarat)

Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Sudarshan Setu, connecting Okha on the mainland to Beyt Dwarka (Bet Dwarka) Island in Gujarat.

• Length: 2.32 kilometres, making it India's longest cable-stayed bridge (surpassing the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai at 5.6 km total but 0.57 km of cable-stayed portion; Sudarshan Setu's full 2.32 km is cable-stayed).
• Location: Devbhumi Dwarka district, Gujarat. Connects Okha port town to Bet Dwarka island, a major pilgrimage site associated with Lord Krishna.
• Design features: The bridge includes a 2.5-metre-wide walkway on each side. Solar panels are installed along the parapets, generating approximately 1 MW of electricity.
• Religious significance: Bet Dwarka island is believed to be the ancient capital of the Dwaraka kingdom of Lord Krishna. Previously accessible only by boat, the bridge improves pilgrimage access significantly.
• Cost and timeline: Approximately 980 crore rupees; construction took around five years.

Static linkage: Infrastructure (cable-stayed bridges, Gujarat), Geography (Dwarka, pilgrimage sites, Saurashtra coast).

GS area: International Relations (Defence Cooperation), Security

The fifth edition of the India-Japan Army joint exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN concluded.

• Venue: Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan (a facility used for large-scale combined arms exercises, including other bilateral exercises like SHAKTI with France).
• Duration: Approximately two weeks.
• Focus: Counter-terrorism operations, joint patrolling, and field combat drills.
• India-Japan defence ties:
  • India and Japan signed the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) in 2020, allowing each other's military to use facilities and share supplies during exercises and emergencies.
  • Japan is a significant investor in India's northeast infrastructure (Dedicated Freight Corridors, metro projects) and is India's key Indo-Pacific partner.
• Context: Both India and Japan participate in the Quad (with the USA and Australia), which emphasises maritime security, technology cooperation, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
• Other bilateral exercises with Japan: Jimex (naval), Veer Guardian (air force).

Static linkage: International Relations (India-Japan, Quad, ACSA), Security (counter-terrorism, joint exercises).

GS area: Economy (Cooperatives, Agriculture)

The government announced an expanded pilot to build grain silos in Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across 11 states and announced the computerisation of 18,000 PACS:

• PACS background: PACS are the smallest unit in India's three-tier cooperative credit structure: PACS (grassroots) feed into District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), which connect to State Cooperative Banks (StCBs).
• Problem being solved: India wastes an estimated 10 to 16 per cent of foodgrain production due to inadequate storage at the farm level. PACS-based grain silos would allow farmers to store produce locally, access credit against stored grain, and sell when prices are favourable.
• 97th Constitutional Amendment 2011: This amendment added Part IX-B (Articles 243-ZH to 243-ZT) to the Constitution, providing a framework for cooperative functioning including their formation, elections, audit, and dissolution.
• Multi-State Cooperative Societies Amendment Act 2022: Strengthened Central Registrar's oversight and transparency requirements.
• Ministry: The Ministry of Cooperation, created in July 2021, oversees cooperative policy.

Static linkage: Economy (cooperatives, PACS, three-tier credit structure, foodgrain storage), Polity (97th Amendment, Part IX-B).

GS area: International Relations (European Groupings)

The Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) group held a summit in Copenhagen. Finland's new NATO membership featured prominently.

• NB8 members: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. (Eight countries sharing geographic and political proximity in Northern Europe.)
• Finland's NATO membership: Finland formally joined NATO in April 2023 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed Nordic security calculations. Sweden joined NATO in March 2024.
• India-NB8 linkage: India has growing trade and defence technology partnerships with Nordic countries. Sweden's Saab supplies the Gripen fighter (India evaluated it for MMRCA). Denmark is a major partner for offshore wind energy and shipping. Finland's Nokia and Ericsson are key 5G suppliers.
• Indo-Pacific dimension: Nordic countries participate in exercises like ARC (Arctic Challenge), and several have expressed interest in deeper cooperation with Quad nations.

Static linkage: International Relations (European groupings, NATO expansion, Nordic countries, India-Nordic ties).

• Hunger Moon: February's full moon in the Northern Hemisphere is traditionally called the "Hunger Moon" or "Snow Moon." The name comes from Native American and early colonial traditions when food was scarce in late winter. In 2024, the February full moon fell on February 24.
• Income Tax and Political Parties: The Supreme Court was hearing whether political parties must disclose income above 20,000 rupees per donation under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, which exempts political party income from tax provided disclosure norms are followed. The case was tied to the broader electoral transparency debate that led to the February 15 Electoral Bonds ruling.