Breastfeeding – Importance and Challenges

Why in News?

Recently, India continues to see a drop in exclusive breastfeeding by six months, despite high initiation rates.

What is breastfeeding?

• Definition – Breastfeeding, also called nursing
• It is the process of feeding a mother's breast milk to her infant.
• It is done either directly from the breast.
• It is also done by pumping out the milk from the breast and bottle-feeding it to the infant.
• Status in India – Only 63.7% of infants meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) -5.
  • India’s current systems treat it as optional or supplemental.

What are the benefits of breast feeding?

• For child

• For mother

What are the challenges in breastfeeding?

• Physiological barriers – Latching difficulties, maternal nipple pain and low perceived milk supply are primary causes for early discontinuation.

In breastfeeding, latching refers to how a baby attaches their mouth to the mother's breast to feed. A good latch involves the baby's mouth covering not just the nipple, but also a portion of the areola (the dark area around the nipple). This allows for effective milk transfer and minimizes discomfort for the mother.

• Hormonal issues – It can inhibit oxytocin -the hormone essential for milk ejection, further complicating feeding.
  • Stress elevates cortisol, which interferes with prolactin-driven milk production.
• Poor maternal health – Marginalised mothers especially from tribal, migrant and urban poor communities face compounded challenges of malnutrition, low literacy and poor access to health information.
• Lack of Maternity leaves – Women in informal sectors, lack maternity leave which inhibits breastfeeding habit.
• Absence of safe spaces – There is a insufficiency of safe and secure spaces to feed milk.
• It causes early weaning.

Weaning, is the process of switching an infant's diet from breast milk or formula to other foods and fluids.

• Lack of trained staff – Without trained staff to correct positioning and latch, mothers often stop within weeks.
  • They are not equipped to diagnose a poor latch, assess milk transfer, or identify feeding-related weight faltering.
• Psychosocial barriers – It includes lack of support from partner, family and workplace stress.
• Low compliance – Although India’s Maternity Benefit Act mandates breastfeeding breaks and crèche facilities, compliance is low.

What can be done to promote breastfeeding?

• Lactation support – ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activist) and ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) - play a pivotal role in extending lactation support into communities.
• Competency-based lactation training – It provides access to visual tools and referral pathways for unresolved cases.
• Digital aids – Growth monitoring charts and helpline access can increase field-level efficacy.
  • For example, Exclusive breastfeeding at 3 and 6 months can be tracked
• Structural reforms – Access to clean, private feeding rooms increase breast feeding duration.
  • Public-private partnerships and CSR-backed infrastructure in factories and informal work hubs could address these gaps.
• Innovative methods – We need mobile crèches, lactation pods and peer-led support at the community level.
• Targeted advocacy – We need multilingual, audio-visual counselling and incentives embedded in schemes like ,
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
  • Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) program
  • Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY)
• Establishing as right – Treating breastfeeding as a health right could develop a sense of consciousness among people.
• Social support – Attaching local leaders in programme planning can enhance trust and cultural fit.

What lies ahead?

• The government and health organisations could encourage people to embed lactation science into everyday healthcare delivery.
• Structured, evidence-based support could be made available at every level hospital, home and workplace.

Reference

The Hindu| Structural Reforms to Promote Breastfeeding

Microfinance

What is microfinance?

• Microfinance – It is a form of financial service which provides small loans and other financial services to poor and low-income households.
• Enhance access to financial services – Microfinance represents banking services for low-income individuals or groups who otherwise would not have access to financial services.
• Working – Like conventional lenders, microfinanciers charge interest on loans and institute specific repayment plans
• Safe lending practices – Microfinance allows people to take on reasonable small business loans safely and consistent with ethical lending practices.
• Data management – Microfinance client disbursement and recovery data is updated daily with Credit Information Companies (CIC), ahead of the 15-day regulatory requirement.
• Financial operations – Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) operate with thin profit margins.
• These institutions offer loans without collateral with small interest rate increases (e.g., 0.15%) attract significant attention.
• Globally influential – Most microfinancing operations occur in developing nations, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, and Ecuador.
• In India – all loans that are below Rs. 1 lakh are considered as microloans.
• Based on the recommendations of Malegam Committee, RBI introduced a comprehensive regulatory framework for NBFC-MFIs in 2011.

What are its contributions?

• Increases banking penetration – Serves 75 million low-income clients across 720 districts including 112 aspirational districts.
• Last-mile financial service – Microfinance institutions frequently deliver loans and related financial services directly to borrowers’ homes or villages, especially in rural and remote areas.
• This “last-mile” servicing involves substantial expenses such as travel costs, field staff salaries, logistics, and time.
• Generates employment – Contributes 2.03% to India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and generates employment for 13 million people (based on 2021 NCAER study with 2018-19 data).
• Empowers women – Promotes women’s empowerment, builds digital capabilities, and helps curb urban migration.
• Enhances accountability – The sector maintains transparency by publicly disclosing minimum, maximum, and average interest rates.

How they are regulated in India?

• Lending limits – The microfinance Industry Network (MFIN) restricts lending so that a borrower can have loans from no more than three regulated entities.
  • Additionally, the combined loan amount from all lenders cannot exceed ₹2 lakh, protecting borrowers from excessive debt.
• Repayment limits – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandates that microfinance borrowers' total repayment obligations must not exceed 50% of their household income.
• This rule ensures borrowers retain enough income for daily expenses, preventing financial distress and promoting sustainable borrowing.
• Periodical monitoring – To enforce these protections, MFIN conducts quarterly reviews of Credit Information Company (CIC) data.
  • This ongoing monitoring helps ensure responsible lending practices and reduces risks of over-indebtedness among low-income borrowers.

Portfolio at Risk (1-90 days) is a key metric used in microfinance to assess the quality of loan portfolios. It represents the percentage of a microfinance institution’s outstanding loan portfolio that is overdue or at risk of default by 1 to 90 days. A lower PAR percentage indicates better portfolio health and effective recovery of loans.

What are the issues?

• Gaps in KYC process – After the 2017 Supreme Court ruling, regulated entities (such as microfinance institutions) were prohibited from storing or reporting Aadhaar numbers to Credit Information Companies (CICs).
• This limits effective customer identification and verification in microfinance.
• To comply, institutions use alternative IDs like voter ID as these are less reliable and prone to inaccuracies.
• Increasing risks of duplicate or fraudulent borrower records.
• The inability to fully use Aadhaar undermines the potential for seamless and accurate borrower verification in the sector.
• Funding crunch – Despite abundant liquidity in the banking system, bank funding to Non-Banking Financial Company-Microfinance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs) fell by 54%.
• Lending restrictions – This has restricted NBFC-MFIs’ ability to lend, resulting in nearly 7 million low-income clients losing access to formal microfinance services.
• Pricing perception – Public discussions often ignore key factors like interest rate benchmarks, the costs of offering doorstep services, and the risks of unsecured loans.
  • Comparing a single institution’s rates in isolation can be misleading; rates must be viewed relative to overall sector benchmarks to understand if they are reasonable or excessive.
  • This incomplete understanding muddies perceptions about fair loan pricing.
• Informal finance still accounts for 31% of rural loans, indicating the ongoing need for well-regulated microfinance.

What lies ahead?

• To keep helping low-income communities, it's important to make regulations clearer, improve Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, and tackle funding issues.
• Pricing talks may be more responsible and take into account the challenges and risks faced by microfinance providers, which are essential for financial inclusion.

Reference

The Economic Times| Microfinance

Microfinance

What is microfinance?

• Microfinance – It is a form of financial service which provides small loans and other financial services to poor and low-income households.
• Enhance access to financial services – Microfinance represents banking services for low-income individuals or groups who otherwise would not have access to financial services.
• Working – Like conventional lenders, microfinanciers charge interest on loans and institute specific repayment plans
• Safe lending practices – Microfinance allows people to take on reasonable small business loans safely and consistent with ethical lending practices.
• Data management – Microfinance client disbursement and recovery data is updated daily with Credit Information Companies (CIC), ahead of the 15-day regulatory requirement.
• Financial operations – Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) operate with thin profit margins.
• These institutions offer loans without collateral with small interest rate increases (e.g., 0.15%) attract significant attention.
• Globally influential – Most microfinancing operations occur in developing nations, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, and Ecuador.
• In India – all loans that are below Rs. 1 lakh are considered as microloans.
• Based on the recommendations of Malegam Committee, RBI introduced a comprehensive regulatory framework for NBFC-MFIs in 2011.

What are its contributions?

• Increases banking penetration – Serves 75 million low-income clients across 720 districts including 112 aspirational districts.
• Last-mile financial service – Microfinance institutions frequently deliver loans and related financial services directly to borrowers’ homes or villages, especially in rural and remote areas.
• This “last-mile” servicing involves substantial expenses such as travel costs, field staff salaries, logistics, and time.
• Generates employment – Contributes 2.03% to India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and generates employment for 13 million people (based on 2021 NCAER study with 2018-19 data).
• Empowers women – Promotes women’s empowerment, builds digital capabilities, and helps curb urban migration.
• Enhances accountability – The sector maintains transparency by publicly disclosing minimum, maximum, and average interest rates.

How they are regulated in India?

• Lending limits – The microfinance Industry Network (MFIN) restricts lending so that a borrower can have loans from no more than three regulated entities.
  • Additionally, the combined loan amount from all lenders cannot exceed ₹2 lakh, protecting borrowers from excessive debt.
• Repayment limits – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandates that microfinance borrowers' total repayment obligations must not exceed 50% of their household income.
• This rule ensures borrowers retain enough income for daily expenses, preventing financial distress and promoting sustainable borrowing.
• Periodical monitoring – To enforce these protections, MFIN conducts quarterly reviews of Credit Information Company (CIC) data.
  • This ongoing monitoring helps ensure responsible lending practices and reduces risks of over-indebtedness among low-income borrowers.

Portfolio at Risk (1-90 days) is a key metric used in microfinance to assess the quality of loan portfolios. It represents the percentage of a microfinance institution’s outstanding loan portfolio that is overdue or at risk of default by 1 to 90 days. A lower PAR percentage indicates better portfolio health and effective recovery of loans.

What are the issues?

• Gaps in KYC process – After the 2017 Supreme Court ruling, regulated entities (such as microfinance institutions) were prohibited from storing or reporting Aadhaar numbers to Credit Information Companies (CICs).
• This limits effective customer identification and verification in microfinance.
• To comply, institutions use alternative IDs like voter ID as these are less reliable and prone to inaccuracies.
• Increasing risks of duplicate or fraudulent borrower records.
• The inability to fully use Aadhaar undermines the potential for seamless and accurate borrower verification in the sector.
• Funding crunch – Despite abundant liquidity in the banking system, bank funding to Non-Banking Financial Company-Microfinance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs) fell by 54%.
• Lending restrictions – This has restricted NBFC-MFIs’ ability to lend, resulting in nearly 7 million low-income clients losing access to formal microfinance services.
• Pricing perception – Public discussions often ignore key factors like interest rate benchmarks, the costs of offering doorstep services, and the risks of unsecured loans.
  • Comparing a single institution’s rates in isolation can be misleading; rates must be viewed relative to overall sector benchmarks to understand if they are reasonable or excessive.
  • This incomplete understanding muddies perceptions about fair loan pricing.
• Informal finance still accounts for 31% of rural loans, indicating the ongoing need for well-regulated microfinance.

What lies ahead?

• To keep helping low-income communities, it's important to make regulations clearer, improve Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, and tackle funding issues.
• Pricing talks may be more responsible and take into account the challenges and risks faced by microfinance providers, which are essential for financial inclusion.

Reference

The Economic Times| Microfinance

Buoyancy Flux in Tropical Water

Why in News?

Recently, a new study by researchers at the University of Washington revealed the complicated process of tropical ocean waters.

• Scientists have long assumed so because rainwater is fresh and freshwater is lighter than seawater.
• Recent Findings - A recent study revealed that rain sometimes makes the surface heavier and more stable.
• Reason - Rain in the tropics often comes with large clouds and cold, dry air called cold pools.
• These cold pools can actually cool the ocean’s surface by blocking sunlight and increasing the transfer of heat from the water to the air.
• Data taken from - The researchers used data from 22 buoys across the equatorial oceans that measure rainfall, sea surface temperature, wind speed, and heat transfer.
• They analysed more than 31,000 hours of rainfall events from this data, focusing on the buoyancy flux, which combines the effects of heat and freshwater.

Buoyancy flux is the rate at which buoyancy is transported through a given area, typically per unit mass. It represents the vertical transport of potential energy due to density differences in a fluid.

• Key findings – The study also found that at night, rainfall was more likely to cause instability than during the day.
• The researchers found two rain zones
  • Cold rain zone – In the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, where rain was associated with more heat loss.
  • Hot rain zone – In the central Pacific where heat loss was less intense.
• Significance – Ocean mixing plays a key role in regulating the climate by transporting heat, carbon, and nutrients.

Quick facts

Reference

The Hindu| Buoyancy Flux in Tropical Water

Grant -in-aid to National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

Why in news?

Recently, Cabinet approves central sector scheme, Grant in aid to National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).

• Duration - 4 years from 2025-26 to 2028- 29.
• Funds will be utilised by - NCDC for granting loans to Cooperatives for setting up new projects / expansion of plants and loan for meeting the working capital requirements.
• Implemented by - National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
• Features - NCDC will provide loans to cooperatives either through state government or directly, as per NCDC guidelines.
• Criteria for Cooperatives, which are meeting the criteria of direct funding guidelines of NCDC would be considered for financial assistance directly against admissible security or state government guarantee.

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

• Established in - 1963 as a statutory corporation.
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Cooperation.
• Headquarters– New Delhi.
  • NCDC functions through 18 Regional/State Directorates.
• Management – It is overseen by a General Council and a Board of Management.
• Functions – Planning, promoting and financing programmes for production, Processing, marketing, Storage, export and import of agricultural produce, food stuffs.
• Supply of consumer goods and collection, export of minor forest products through cooperatives, besides income generating stream of activities such as poultry, dairy, fishery, sericulture, handloom.
• The NCDC Act has been amended to support a broader range of cooperatives and strengthen its financial resources.
• Support for Rural projects – It is also empowered to fund rural industrial cooperative projects and essential rural services.
• Loans and grants are given to State Governments to help fund primary and secondary level cooperative societies.
• They also given loan directly to national-level and other cooperative societies which operates in more than one State.
• It can also directly fund projects under its various assistance schemes upon fulfilment of the specified conditions.

References

1. PIB| Cabinet approves Grant in aid
2. The National Cooperative Development Corporation

India’s Economic Growth Projections 2025 & 26

Why in News?

Recently, the IMF forecasted India's growth at 6.4% for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, driven by reforms, strong consumption, and public investment.

The International Monetary Fund is an organization that works to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, promote sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

• India's growth projections – 6.7 % for 2025 & 6.4 % for 2026 (India’s growth rate was 6.5 % in 2024).
• Driving factors – Robust consumption growth and reforms in momentum and a push for public investment.
• Priority sectors – Fostering job creation,
  • Absorbing excess labour from the agricultural sectors by reskilling labour,
  • Allowing more labour market flexibility,
  • Continuing to invest in infrastructure,
  • Removing trade restrictions.
• Measures needed –Invest in education, Land reforms, Expand social safety nets, and reduce red tape to allow businesses perform better.
• IMF’s Global forecasts – Emerging market and developing economies, growth is expected to be 4.1 % in 2025 and 4.0 % in 2026.
  • For China growth is revised upward by 0.8 % to 4.8 % in 2025 showcasing significant reduction in US-China tariffs.
  • Global growth – Projected at 3 % for 2025 and 3.1 % in 2026.
  • Growth in advanced economies – Growth to be 1.5 % in 2025 and 1.6 % in 2026.
  • In the United States, expand at the rate of 1.9 % in 2025, with tariff rates settling at lower levels than those announced and looser financial conditions.
  • Growth is to pick up slightly to 2.0 % in 2026 with some offset from private demand cooling faster than expected and weaker immigration.

Reference

The Economic Times| Indian Economic Growth Projections 2025 & 26

Biofortified Potatoes

Why in news?

India is set to introduce iron-rich bio-fortified potatoes, developed by the International Potato Center (CIP).

Biofortification is a process of enhancing the nutritional quality of edible plant parts and animal products.

• Bio-fortified potatoes are an improved variety with increased iron content, developed through conventional breeding and biotechnology.
• Aim - To help combat iron deficiency and hidden hunger.
• Developed by - Peru-based International Potato Centre (CIP).
• Biofortified sweet potatoes enriched with vitamin A were developed using technology created by the CIP.
• They are already available in Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha.
• Agreement –CIP and the Agriculture Ministry signed an agreement to set up the South Asia regional centre of the CIP in Agra.
• The focus was on iron fortification of potatoes, and the germplasm was shared with ICAR's Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla.

Other biofortified Crops in India  were Rice CR Dhan 310, Sweet potato (Bhu sana), Pearl millet (HHB 229).

Quick facts

References

1. The Hindu| Bio-fortified potatoes
2. International Potato centre

UPSC Daily Current Affairs| Prelimbits 06-08-2025

Buoyancy Flux in Tropical Water

Why in News?

Recently, a new study by researchers at the University of Washington revealed the complicated process of tropical ocean waters.

• Scientists have long assumed so because rainwater is fresh and freshwater is lighter than seawater.
• Recent Findings - A recent study revealed that rain sometimes makes the surface heavier and more stable.
• Reason - Rain in the tropics often comes with large clouds and cold, dry air called cold pools.
• These cold pools can actually cool the ocean’s surface by blocking sunlight and increasing the transfer of heat from the water to the air.
• Data taken from - The researchers used data from 22 buoys across the equatorial oceans that measure rainfall, sea surface temperature, wind speed, and heat transfer.
• They analysed more than 31,000 hours of rainfall events from this data, focusing on the buoyancy flux, which combines the effects of heat and freshwater.

Buoyancy flux is the rate at which buoyancy is transported through a given area, typically per unit mass. It represents the vertical transport of potential energy due to density differences in a fluid.

• Key findings – The study also found that at night, rainfall was more likely to cause instability than during the day.
• The researchers found two rain zones
  • Cold rain zone – In the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, where rain was associated with more heat loss.
  • Hot rain zone – In the central Pacific where heat loss was less intense.
• Significance – Ocean mixing plays a key role in regulating the climate by transporting heat, carbon, and nutrients.

Quick facts

Reference

The Hindu| Buoyancy Flux in Tropical Water

Grant -in-aid to National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

Why in news?

Recently, Cabinet approves central sector scheme, Grant in aid to National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).

• Duration - 4 years from 2025-26 to 2028- 29.
• Funds will be utilised by - NCDC for granting loans to Cooperatives for setting up new projects / expansion of plants and loan for meeting the working capital requirements.
• Implemented by - National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
• Features - NCDC will provide loans to cooperatives either through state government or directly, as per NCDC guidelines.
• Criteria for Cooperatives, which are meeting the criteria of direct funding guidelines of NCDC would be considered for financial assistance directly against admissible security or state government guarantee.

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

• Established in - 1963 as a statutory corporation.
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Cooperation.
• Headquarters– New Delhi.
  • NCDC functions through 18 Regional/State Directorates.
• Management – It is overseen by a General Council and a Board of Management.
• Functions – Planning, promoting and financing programmes for production, Processing, marketing, Storage, export and import of agricultural produce, food stuffs.
• Supply of consumer goods and collection, export of minor forest products through cooperatives, besides income generating stream of activities such as poultry, dairy, fishery, sericulture, handloom.
• The NCDC Act has been amended to support a broader range of cooperatives and strengthen its financial resources.
• Support for Rural projects – It is also empowered to fund rural industrial cooperative projects and essential rural services.
• Loans and grants are given to State Governments to help fund primary and secondary level cooperative societies.
• They also given loan directly to national-level and other cooperative societies which operates in more than one State.
• It can also directly fund projects under its various assistance schemes upon fulfilment of the specified conditions.

References

1. PIB| Cabinet approves Grant in aid
2. The National Cooperative Development Corporation

India’s Economic Growth Projections 2025 & 26

Why in News?

Recently, the IMF forecasted India's growth at 6.4% for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, driven by reforms, strong consumption, and public investment.

The International Monetary Fund is an organization that works to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, promote sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

• India's growth projections – 6.7 % for 2025 & 6.4 % for 2026 (India’s growth rate was 6.5 % in 2024).
• Driving factors – Robust consumption growth and reforms in momentum and a push for public investment.
• Priority sectors – Fostering job creation,
  • Absorbing excess labour from the agricultural sectors by reskilling labour,
  • Allowing more labour market flexibility,
  • Continuing to invest in infrastructure,
  • Removing trade restrictions.
• Measures needed –Invest in education, Land reforms, Expand social safety nets, and reduce red tape to allow businesses perform better.
• IMF’s Global forecasts – Emerging market and developing economies, growth is expected to be 4.1 % in 2025 and 4.0 % in 2026.
  • For China growth is revised upward by 0.8 % to 4.8 % in 2025 showcasing significant reduction in US-China tariffs.
  • Global growth – Projected at 3 % for 2025 and 3.1 % in 2026.
  • Growth in advanced economies – Growth to be 1.5 % in 2025 and 1.6 % in 2026.
  • In the United States, expand at the rate of 1.9 % in 2025, with tariff rates settling at lower levels than those announced and looser financial conditions.
  • Growth is to pick up slightly to 2.0 % in 2026 with some offset from private demand cooling faster than expected and weaker immigration.

Reference

The Economic Times| Indian Economic Growth Projections 2025 & 26

Biofortified Potatoes

Why in news?

India is set to introduce iron-rich bio-fortified potatoes, developed by the International Potato Center (CIP).

Biofortification is a process of enhancing the nutritional quality of edible plant parts and animal products.

• Bio-fortified potatoes are an improved variety with increased iron content, developed through conventional breeding and biotechnology.
• Aim - To help combat iron deficiency and hidden hunger.
• Developed by - Peru-based International Potato Centre (CIP).
• Biofortified sweet potatoes enriched with vitamin A were developed using technology created by the CIP.
• They are already available in Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha.
• Agreement –CIP and the Agriculture Ministry signed an agreement to set up the South Asia regional centre of the CIP in Agra.
• The focus was on iron fortification of potatoes, and the germplasm was shared with ICAR's Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla.

Other biofortified Crops in India  were Rice CR Dhan 310, Sweet potato (Bhu sana), Pearl millet (HHB 229).

Quick facts

References

1. The Hindu| Bio-fortified potatoes
2. International Potato centre