Prelim Bits 03-09-2019

Costs of wasted food to the global economy

A new report “Reducing Food Loss and Waste” has been released by ‘World Resources Institute (WRI)’ and ‘Rockefeller Foundation’.
It quantified that nearly one-third of the food produced each year goes uneaten, costing the global economy over $940 billion.
The uneaten food is responsible for emitting about 8% of planet-warming greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

It calls on governments, companies, farmers and consumers to collectively overcome world’s food loss problem.
Some of these actions include developing national strategies for food loss and waste reduction,
Creating national public-private partnerships,
Launch supply chain initiatives,
Reducing small-holder losses and
Shifting consumer social norms.

Fruits and vegetables make up the largest share of total annual food loss and waste as a proportion, by weight, of all the food.

India’s interim government in 1946

On September 2, 1946, the Congress party formed the interim government led by Jawaharlal Nehru.
It was the only cabinet in India’s history in which arch-rivals Congress and the Muslim League shared power at the Centre.
The interim government functioned with a great degree of autonomy, and remained in power until the end of British rule.
After which it was succeeded by the ‘Dominions of India and Pakistan’.
Starting with Cripps mission in 1942, a number of attempts were made by colonial authorities to form an interim government.
In 1946, elections to the Constituent Assembly were held following the proposals of the British Cabinet Mission dispatched by ‘Clement Attlee’.
In that election, the Congress obtained a majority seats and Muslim League consolidated its support among Muslim electorate.
‘Viceroy Wavell’ subsequently called upon Indian representatives to join the interim government.
A federal scheme had been visualised under the ‘Government of India Act of 1935’.
But this component was never implemented due to the opposition from India’s princely states.
As a result, the interim government functioned according to the older ‘Government of India Act of 1919’.
The Muslim League initially decided to sit out of the government.

3 of the 5 ministries reserved for Muslims were occupied all non-League Muslim representatives and
2 posts remained vacant.

However, after Lord Wavell agreed to allot all 5 reserved portfolios to the Muslim League if it agreed to cooperate, the latter finally joined.
On September 26, 1946, Nehru declared the government’s plan to engage in direct diplomatic relations with all countries.
In November 1946, India ratified the ‘Convention on International Civil Aviation’.
In April 1947, the US announced the appointment of its ambassador to India.
Embassy level diplomatic relations with the USSR and the Netherlands also started.
After Partition was announced on June 3, a dedicated cabinet sub-committee was formed to deal with the situation on June 5.
Later, on June 16, a special cabinet committee aimed at tackling the administrative consequences of Partition was created.

Professor Emeritus

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has recently asked some of its Professors Emeriti, including historian Romila Thapar, for CVs to “review their position”.
Emeritus’ (female equivalent ‘Emerita’) is a Latin word that literally means a ‘Veteran soldier’.
Worldwide, ‘Professor Emeritus/Emerita’ is the title bestowed upon an eminent retired academic in recognition of their work and distinguished service.
In India, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has a ‘Scheme of Emeritus Fellowship’.
It is “to provide an opportunity to the superannuated teachers who have been actively engaged in research.
According to the UGC, eligibility for the fellowship “will be based on the quality of research and published work contributed by the teacher in his/her service career.
The awardee (superannuated) can work under this scheme with a well-defined time-bound action plan up to the age of 70 years or up to 2 years (non-extendable) of the award whichever is earlier.
No extension under the scheme is admissible and hence the proposal should be well defined with a time-bound action plan.
In JNU, the departments (called ‘centres’) propose names for Professor Emeritus.
The JNU website currently lists 25 Professors Emeriti.
Across the world, institutions such as the MIT, Harvard and Oxford etc. have long lists of Professors Emeriti, who are considered to add to the prestige of the university.

Source: PIB, The Indian Express