8 August 2024

• Polity: Uttar Pradesh made its anti-conversion law more stringent. Forced conversion now carries 20 years to life imprisonment. Any person (not just the aggrieved) can file a complaint.
• Economy and welfare: a close look at India's nutrition data showed the poorest 5 per cent consume only about 1,564 kcal per day in rural areas, well below the 2,172 kcal recommended minimum.
• Paris Olympics: Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50 kg wrestling final after being found overweight by 100 grams. She had defeated Japan's reigning Olympic champion to reach the final.
• Governance: QCI's Surajya ranking placed Uttar Pradesh first in education, Chhattisgarh first in health, and Gujarat and Karnataka first in prosperity.

GS area: Polity, Governance, Fundamental Rights

Uttar Pradesh's Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, originally enacted in 2021, was amended to significantly increase penalties:

• Revised punishments: the base penalty for unlawful conversion is 5 to 10 years' imprisonment with a Rs 50,000 fine. Where the victim is a minor, a woman or a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, the penalty rises to 5 to 14 years with a Rs 1 lakh fine.
• Forced conversion: 20 years to life imprisonment. This is one of the most severe provisions in any state's anti-conversion legislation.
• Who can complain: previously, only the aggrieved person or a relative could file an FIR. The amendment allows any person to complain, which effectively enables third-party reporting.
• Non-bailable: all offences under the amended Act are now non-bailable. Bail requires meeting twin conditions: the court must be satisfied the accused will not commit a similar offence and will not tamper with evidence.
• Constitutional backdrop: Article 25 guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion. Anti-conversion laws have been challenged as restricting this right. The Supreme Court has upheld the right to propagate but has also recognised state power to regulate forced, fraudulent or induced conversions.

The key legal distinction: propagating one's religion (protected under Article 25) versus inducing conversion through force, fraud or allurement (subject to state regulation). Where the line falls has been disputed since the Stainislaus case (1977).

Static linkage: fundamental rights, federalism, religion and law.

GS area: Economy, Society, Government Schemes

An analysis of household consumption data placed India's poverty and nutrition indicators in sharp relief:

• Poverty thresholds: the rural poverty line is Rs 2,197 per month (Rs 1,569 for food, Rs 628 for non-food). The urban threshold is Rs 3,077 (Rs 2,098 food, Rs 979 non-food). These are the Tendulkar Committee-era thresholds, which critics argue are unrealistically low.
• Caloric deficit: the poorest 5 per cent of the rural population consume about 1,564 kcal per day, against a recommended minimum of 2,172 kcal. The urban poor consume 1,607 kcal against a requirement of 2,135 kcal.
• Poverty rates: rural poor at 17.1 per cent and urban poor at 14 per cent.
• Economic cost: micronutrient deficiencies (iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin A) cost India between 0.8 and 2.5 per cent of GDP annually in productivity losses and healthcare burden.
• Relevant schemes: Mission Poshan 2.0 (integrating supplementary nutrition, ICDS and mid-day meal), PM Poshan (formerly mid-day meal scheme), Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (free grain distribution).

Static linkage: poverty measurement, nutrition policy, government welfare schemes.

• Copper: top producing countries are Chile, Peru, China, USA and the Democratic Republic of Congo. India imports most of its copper requirements. Copper is essential for electrical wiring, EV motors, renewable energy infrastructure and electronics. With global electrification accelerating, demand projections are sharply upward.
• Kasturi Cotton Bharat: a quality certification and traceability programme for Indian cotton using QR codes and blockchain. Administered by TEXPROCIL (The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council). Certifies that the cotton is domestically grown, of specified quality and traceable from farm to mill.
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat: the national anaemia programme uses a 6x6x6 strategy targeting six population groups (children under 5, adolescents, women of reproductive age, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adult men in malaria-endemic areas) with six interventions including iron-folic acid supplementation, deworming and fortified foods.
• Sucralose: a non-nutritive sweetener (600 times sweeter than sugar, with no caloric value). Clinical trials in August 2024 showed no adverse effect on glucose metabolism in people with Type 2 diabetes, supporting its use in diabetic diets.