For nutrition security: On undernourishment. . .

The UN’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report for 2017 has important pointers to achieve nutrition policy reform. At the global level, the five agencies that together produced the assessment found that the gains achieved on food security and better nutrition since the turn of the century may be at risk. Although absolute numbers of people facing hunger and poor nutrition have always been high, there was a reduction in the rate of undernourishment since the year 2000. That has slowed from 2013, registering a worrying increase in 2016. The estimate of 815 million people enduring chronic food deprivation in 2016, compared to 775 million in 2014, is depressing in itself, but more important is the finding that the deprivation is even greater among people who live in regions affected by conflict and the extreme effects of climate change. In a confounding finding, though, the report says that child under-nutrition rates continue to drop, although one in four children is still affected by stunting. These are averages and do not reflect the disparities among regions, within countries and between States. Yet, the impact of the economic downturn, many violent conflicts, fall in commodity export revenues, and failure of agriculture owing to drought and floods are all making food scarce and expensive for many. They represent a setback to all countries trying to meet the Sustainable Development Goal on ending hunger and achieving food security and improved nutrition.

India’s efforts at improving access to food and good nutrition are led by the National Food Security Act. There are special nutritional schemes for women and children operated through the States. In spite of such interventions, 14.5% of the population suffers from undernourishment, going by the UN’s assessment for 2014-16. At the national level, 53% of women are anaemic, Health Ministry data show. What is more, the Centre recently said it had received only 3,888 complaints on the public distribution system (PDS) over a five-year period. All this shows that the Centre and State governments are woefully short on the commitment to end undernourishment. Institutions such as the State Food Commissions have not made a big difference either. Distributing nutritious food as a public health measure is still not a political imperative, while ill-conceived policies are making it difficult for many to do this. The report on nutritional deficiency should serve as an opportunity to evaluate the role played by the PDS in bringing about dietary diversity for those relying on subsidised food. In a report issued two years ago on the role played by rations in shaping household and nutritional security, the NITI Aayog found that families below the poverty line consumed more cereals and less milk compared to the affluent. Complementing rice and wheat with more nutritious food items should be the goal.

Reduce, segregate: On plastic ban

We need substitutes for plastic, incentives to re-use, and better waste disposal.

Maharashtra’s ban on several consumer articles made of plastic, introduced after a three-month notice period to industry and users, is an extreme measure. It is naturally disruptive, and Mumbai, famed for its resilience in the face of urban challenges, is trying to adapt quickly. Today, stemming the plastic tide is a national imperative. India hosted this year’s World Environment Day and Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a high-profile pledge, to international acclaim, that it would do away with all single-use plastics by 2022. This goal is not yet backed by an action plan so that State governments and local bodies can be in sync. Worldwide, the problem has got out of hand, with only 9% of about nine billion tonnes of plastic produced getting recycled. India has an uninspiring record when it comes to handling waste. It has patchy data on volumes, and even less on what it recycles. This lackadaisical approach is at odds with its ambitious goals. Quite simply, if the Centre and the States had got down to dealing with the existing regulations on plastic waste management and municipal solid waste, a ban would not even have become necessary. Specifications for the recycling of different types of plastics were issued two decades ago by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

To address the global concern that the bulk of India’s plastic waste — estimated officially at 26,000 tonnes a day — is being dumped in the oceans, there has to be an effort on a war footing to segregate it at source. The Urban Development Secretary in each State, who heads the monitoring committee under the rules, should be mandated to produce a monthly report on how much plastic waste is collected, including details of the types of chemicals involved, and the disposal methods. Such compulsory disclosure norms will maintain public pressure on the authorities, including the State Pollution Control Boards. But segregation at source has not taken off, as there is little awareness, official support or infrastructure. Even bulk generators such as shopping malls, hotels and offices do not abide by the law. Priority, therefore, should be given to stop the generation of mixed waste, which prevents recovery of plastics. Companies covered by extended producer responsibility provisions must be required to take back their waste. In parallel, incentives to reduce the use of plastic carry bags, single-use cups, plates and cutlery must be in place. Retailers must be required to switch to paper bags. Potentially, carry bag production using cloth can create more jobs than machines using plastic pellets. What needs to be underscored is that plastics became popular because they are inexpensive, can be easily produced and offer great convenience. But, as the UN Environment Programme notes, their wild popularity has turned them into a scourge. Consumers will be ready to make the switch, but they need good alternatives.

Make or break?: On BJP’s Bihar allies

It makes no sense to save the worst for last. The allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar, the Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti Party, have their own reasons for pushing for an early agreement on seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha election next year. Unless the BJP is willing to sacrifice some of the seats it won in 2014, it is unlikely to be able to accommodate the JD(U). The LJP does not want to be squeezed out of its six seats, and the JD(U) will not be happy if it is given seats solely on the basis of its performance in the last Lok Sabha election, when it won from just two of the 40 constituencies. For the BJP to retain all its current allies, it must consider contesting fewer seats than the 22 seats it won in the last election. That is not easy to do, and there is a real possibility of the alliance breaking on the seat-sharing issue. After frequently switching electoral partners, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar does not enjoy high political credibility despite his efforts to couch opportunism in idealistic garb. If he is unable to tie up the alliance issue, Mr. Kumar may well become isolated in Bihar. The BJP’s hand will only be strengthened the closer it gets to the Lok Sabha election, as the JD(U) will have fewer options. The national party may actually fancy its chances in a triangular fight as in 2014: leaving the JD(U) in the lurch might not be bad as a political tactic.

The JD(U) was the senior partner of the alliance in Bihar until Mr. Kumar broke away on the issue of Narendra Modi being named the prime ministerial candidate in 2014. But after its spectacular victory in 2014, the BJP feels it is on the ascendant in Bihar. Only a mahagathbandhan with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress allowed the JD(U) to make a comeback in 2015. Political manoeuvres have allowed Mr. Kumar to continue as Chief Minister as he alternately took sides against communalism and corruption, but the JD(U) is no longer the largest party in Bihar. The demand that the alliance fight the Lok Sabha election under Mr. Kumar is but a faint stab at regaining the JD(U)’s pre-2014 primacy in relation to the BJP. But while the JD(U) wants an understanding to be reached without loss of time, the BJP would like to put it off to the extent possible. BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi sought to downplay the differences, saying “when hearts have met” sharing seats was no big deal. But if there is one lesson in politics, it is that cold calculations of the mind always trump spontaneous emotions of the heart. Even if the JD(U) forces a decision in the short term, the seat-sharing may not be to its satisfaction.

The groundwater contamination across India must be probed, and safe sources identified

Reports of widespread uranium contamination in groundwater across India demand an urgent response. A study, published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, has found over 30 micrograms per litre (mcg/l) of the heavy metal in parts of northwestern, southern and southeastern India. Drinking such water can damage one’s kidneys, and the World Health Organization prescribes 30 mcg/l as an upper limit. Unfortunately, the residents of the regions surveyed were using the contaminated wells as their main source of drinking water. These findings highlight a major gap in India’s water-quality monitoring. As the Bureau of Indian Standards does not specify a norm for uranium level, water is not tested regularly for it. This is despite the fact that evidence of uranium contamination has accumulated from across India over the last decade. A 2015 Bangalore study, for example, found uranium levels of over 2000 mcg/l in the southern part of the city. Other studies found levels of over 500 mcg/l in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Environmental Science paper adds new data to this body of evidence by sampling wells in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The health effects of drinking uranium-tainted water merit special attention. A few small animal and human studies have found that the heavy metal damages the kidneys. The studies indicate that this is a chemical effect, rather than a radiological one, even though uranium is radioactive. But the chronic effects of uranium consumption are still unknown. Could there be, for example, a link between the high rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in India and uranium exposure? In a survey conducted between 2005 and 2010, an Indian registry found 8,385 CKD cases with no known cause. One cluster of mystery disease, located in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, has stumped epidemiologists for years. It is impossible to say if these clusters have anything to do with groundwater contamination, unless researchers look at it systematically. Another critical area of research is the mechanism by which uranium enters groundwater. The Environmental Science paper identified two types of terrains with heavy contamination. In Rajasthan and other northwestern regions, uranium occurs mostly in alluvial aquifers; while in southern regions such as Telangana, crystalline rocks such as granite seem to be the source. When groundwater is over-extracted from such soils, the researchers suggest, the uranium is exposed to air, triggering its release. These hypotheses must be explored, because they will help determine where to find safer water. This is what happened in West Bengal, where a decade of research revealed why the contaminant arsenic mainly occurred in shallow aquifers. Researchers found that a combination of geological and chemical triggers brought arsenic to the Ganga delta in the Holocene era, and then released it into the sediments from that period. Similar research across India’s uranium hotspots can uncover who is at risk, and how to protect them.

‘Dictator’ Narendra Modi is more cruel than Aurangzeb: Congress

Blaming Indira Gandhi will not revive economy, Congress says responding to the Prime Minister’s stinging attack on the party and its first family.

The Congress equated Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, saying he is far more cruel and has “enslaved democracy” for the past 49 months.

Countering Mr. Modi’s attack on the party on the 43rd anniversary of the Emergency, Congress media in-charge Randeep Surjewala said that while the BJP was talking about the 21-month Emergency imposed 43 years ago, it had forgotten that “we are living under undeclared emergency for the past 49 months.”

‘Emergency talk to divert attention’

The Congress said the BJP was harping on the Emergency to divert attention from all its failed promises over the past 49 months. “Will talking about the Emergency get farmers the right price for their crops, or bridge the communal divide, or reduce crimes against women, or end atrocities against Dalits? Can blaming Indira Gandhi alone help in correcting the course of our economy,” asked Mr. Surjewala.

Also read: What’s so special about this anniversary of the Emergency?

Responding to the Prime Minister’s stinging attack on the party and its first family, Mr. Surjewala said, “Delhi Sultanate’s ‘dictator’ Modi, who is crueller than Aurangzeb, today gave lessons to the country on the Emergency. By taking out his anger on the Congress, can a lid be put on Modiji’s jumlas?”

Through his 2014 election campaign, Mr. Modi had referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as Shehzada (crown prince) and the UPA government under Dr. Manmohan Singh as Delhi Sultanate. “Aurangzeb never took lessons from anybody... Dictators don’t take lessons, only history teaches them lessons and I am sure Modiji will also have the same fate,” Mr Surjewala said.

Mr Surjewala said all the name-calling by the BJP is an indication that things are looking up for Congress. “Let me quote Mahatma Gandhi — till about a year ago, Modiji used to mock the Congress. Now he is attacking the Congress. Mahatma Gandhi used to say — first they will mock you, then they will attack you and then they will be defeated by you. So, Modiji is already in second phase which is ending and in 2019, democracy and people of India along with the Congress Party will win when he will be decimated,” he said.

What’s New in Science #11 | Human beings destroying the planet

Three interesting pieces of news from the world of science that should make you rethink the way we live as the dominant species on planet earth.

Day or night, do not disturb

Make way for Naughty Homo Sapiens… He’s here to steal your time and space, if you’re a non-human mammal, shows a study published in the journal Science. We know that human beings are an apex super-predator capable of driving other animal species to extinction by encroaching on and destroying their wild habitat space. Now, a new dataset from studying 62 species across 6 continents shows that because of human daytime disturbances like hiking, mining, urban development, agriculture, etc., animals are increasingly being forced to shift their waking and foraging hours into the night, the time of day when ‘do not disturb’ signs hang ironically on our doors.

Making light of darkness

Unlike homo sapiens, plants don’t ask for much. Just give them some sunlight, water and carbon dioxide and they’re happy. But now, researchers are finding that they can make do with even less. Plants have generally been known to use chlorophyl A to absorb visible red light (680-700nm) for photosynthesis. But scientists studied cyanobacteria called Acaryochloris, and understood that they are able to photosynthesise using light (760 nm wavelength) that is so weak we can’t even see it, called infra-red. Scientists say this opens up new possibilities of plant life on other planets that thankfully may be too dark for humans to colonise.

Imagine the extinction of human beings

We better hope that there won’t be a superhuman species in the future. They could wipe us Homo sapiens out. Because that’s what humans do to close members of their ape family, a study has shown, after examining the 2,300-year-old skull of a gibbon that went extinct in the 18th Century. Junzi imperialis was likely the pet of Lady Xia, grandmother of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Historical records show that the ancient Chinese thought of gibbons as noble and gentlemanly and blessed with spiritual powers. Today, due to deforestation, destruction of habitat, and hunting, Gibbons have become the rarest primates on earth. Hmm.

Novel packaging extends shelf-life of chicken

Peels from four different mango varieties were used for the study

Now, chicken kept in the chiller of the fridge may remain fresh and without any bacterial contamination for up to two weeks thanks to researchers from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai. The researchers have developed a new eco-friendly food-packaging material using mango peel extracts and three other biodegradable polymers to extend the shelf-life of chicken. The packaging film showed good antimicrobial properties against common food microbes and also exhibited high antioxidant characteristics.

Peels from four different mango varieties were used for the study — Alphonso, Kesar, Langra and Badami. The peel content was extracted using different techniques and the bioactive properties, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts were studied.

Amongst the four mango peel varieties studied, the Langra variety extract exhibited the highest inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas fluorescens. It was also rich in bioactive compounds like phenolics and carotenoids and thus had high degree of antioxidant capacity.

The packaging films were then made using the Langra extract (5%), polyvinyl alcohol, gelatin and cyclodextrin. “All the ingredients are biodegradable, and the new film can be a viable option for developing new eco-friendly packaging material. Also, India is one of the highest producers of mango, and the peel, which is usually thrown away, has higher phenolic content than the pulp and can serve as a good antioxidant,” explains Dr. Sweetie R. Kanatt, Senior Scientific Officer from the Food Technology Division of the Centre and first author of the paper published in Journal of Food Safety.

The packaging film was 150 microns in thickness and exhibited good tensile and puncture strength. The package was then tested for storing minced chicken meat.

The meat was stored at 2–4˚C and tested every three days. The meat packed using the mango peel film was able to keep the meat fresh and without spoilage for up to 12 days whereas the ones packed in normal polythene bag got spoilt within three days.

“Meat has high lipid content that is prone to oxidation on storage/processing. We wanted to check how the film preserved the meat from both microbial spoilage and oxidative rancidity,” adds Dr. Kanatt. “Increase in shelf life as well as safety of the meat will be a boon to the food processer as they can store this meat in chilled rather than frozen state. Film preparation methods are being fine-tuned for possible commercial applications.”