Topic 1 : On the upside
Introduction: The Indian economy is estimated to grow at a healthy 7.3 per cent in the ongoing financial year, up from 7.2 per cent last year, as per the first advance estimates released by the National Statistical Office.
What is the National Statistics Office (NSO)?
- The National Statistics Office (NSO) is the premier agency in India responsible for collecting, compiling, and disseminating official statistics on various aspects of the nation's economy and society.
- Established in 2019 through the merger of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), NSO plays a crucial role in informing policy decisions, monitoring progress towards development goals, and providing valuable data for research and analysis.
Key Functions of NSO:
- Conducting large-scale surveys: NSO undertakes a variety of surveys, including the quinquennial Census of India, the annual Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS), and various socio-economic surveys on topics like education, health, and agriculture. These surveys provide comprehensive data on various population groups and geographical areas.
- Maintaining vital statistics: NSO collects and maintains data on births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events through a network of registrars across the country. This information is crucial for understanding population dynamics and planning social welfare programs.
- Publishing reports and databases: NSO regularly publishes reports and databases on various statistical topics, providing valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and the general public. Some of the key publications include the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), the National Accounts Statistics (NAS), and the India Human Development Report.
- Data dissemination and collaboration: NSO actively collaborates with other government agencies, research institutions, and international organizations to ensure the efficient dissemination and utilization of statistical data. They also provide access to data through their website and online data portals.
NSO’s growth estimate of Indian GDP for FY2023-24
- The NSO’s growth estimate for this year is considerably higher than what most independent analysts had projected.
- In fact, it is even higher than the 7 per cent growth projected by the Reserve Bank of India in the December monetary policy committee.
- The estimate implies that the economy, after growing at 7.7 per cent in the first half, will likely grow at 7 per cent in the second half of the year.
- However, as the full year growth estimate is based only on data for the first seven to eight months of the year, it is possible that these numbers will be subsequently revised, especially considering the intimations of the economic momentum slowing down more sharply towards the end of the year.
Sector-wise GDP growth rate
- The sector-wise data shows that the agricultural sector is expected to slow down significantly.
- Growth for the full year has been pegged at 1.8 per cent, down from 4 per cent last year.
- However, in an El Nino year, this growth is better than expected.
- Alongside, the industrial sector is estimated to grow at 7.9 per cent this year, up from 4.4 per cent last year, driven by stronger manufacturing and construction activities.
- Manufacturing companies have reported healthy profits and steel and cement production has been fairly healthy so far.
- On the flip side, the services sector is likely to slow down from 9.5 per cent last year to 7.7 per cent this year, with trade, hotels, transport, and communication dragging down the performance.
GDP data on private consumption and investment
- The latest data also points to a continuing weakness in consumption.
- Private consumption is expected to grow at a mere 4.4 per cent this year, reflecting perhaps subdued wage/income growth.
- Investment activity, though, is expected to remain healthy, with the latest estimates pegging growth at 10.3 per cent.
- However, investment activity driven by higher government spending might slow down in the months ahead as the national elections approach.
- In fact, recent data from the Controller General of Accounts shows that central government capex was down 8.8 per cent during October-November.
NSO’s estimate in nominal GDP growth rate
- The NSO also estimates nominal GDP to grow at 8.9 per cent this year.
- This is considerably lower than the 10.5 per cent factored in the Union budget’s estimates.
- Slower nominal GDP growth would suggest that even if the government meets its fiscal deficit target in absolute terms, it is possible that the fiscal deficit ratio edges to around 6 per cent of GDP, marginally higher than the budget estimate.
Conclusion: The estimates surpass expectations. Continuing weakness in private consumption remains a worry for Indian economy.
Topic 2 : The revival of the tiger
Introduction: India has had a long and varied history of forest and wildlife conservation. The management of tiger reserves is based on the Tiger Conservation Plan which includes a detailed plan for core and buffer zones. Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) is showing healthy growth in the tiger population because of the combined efforts of forest staff, and local populations.
Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) and tiger population
- CTR has a richly forested, highly biodiverse landscape.
- The variety of birds and wildlife at the reserve, attract bird-specialists, environmentalists, wildlife enthusiasts, researchers, conservation biologists and tourists in large numbers.
- Many a veteran visitor would vouch for the eco-spiritual experience of the wilderness.
- Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR), both these zones, together span large swathes of land, 1288.31 sq.km to be precise, covering three districts of Uttarakhand.
- Just four years ago, CTR recorded 231 tigers.
- According to the 2022 report, the reserve now records the highest density of wild tigers in the world, with a figure of 260 tigers. This indicates a healthy forest and ecology.
Efforts made by forest staff and the local population to support the tiger population
- While global narratives often focus on the awe-inspiring wildlife, the story emphasizes the unsung heroes – villagers and forest staff – who live alongside and protect the wilderness.
- The dedication and skills of forest staff are crucial for patrolling, managing, and maintaining the reserve, despite the constant risks posed by wild animals.
- Recent measures like timely wages, rations, weapons, and medical support are essential for ensuring the safety and well-being of staff.
- Open communication and experience-sharing between staff and senior officials are critical for improving management practices and adapting policies effectively.
Forest and wildlife management
- Forest and wildlife management are multi-faceted and inter-linked areas.
- A healthy forest ecology entails a delicate balance of forest flora and fauna.
- Tigers can only breed if they and their habitat are well-protected.
- At CTR, there are 27 different kinds of grasslands.
- Grassland management and protection are vital for the breeding of cheetal, sambhar and other ungulates, which constitute the chief prey-base for the apex predator.
- Thus, a multi-pronged and integrated approach towards grassland and water management, is followed.
- Palatable grasses are developed and restored for the consumption of wildlife, while invasive weed species are eradicated.
- To serve the vital water requirement of wild animals, particularly during the pinch period, landscape management practices like strategically placed solar-pump fed interlinked water-holes, are followed.
Importance of strategic wildlife corridors
- Strategic wildlife corridors are vital for the gene pool exchange of tigers and they are prescribed in consonance with the provisions, aspirations and recommendations of the Tiger Conservation Plan.
- Tigers and elephants, flagship species of the reserve, are long-ranging terrestrial animals.
- Their movement is crucial for the sustainable management of existing forest patches.
- These corridors are also pivotal to a healthy gene pool exchange for both tigers and elephants, reducing the chances of inbreeding amongst these animals.
- Moreover, when tiger numbers rise, the risk and scope of human-tiger conflict increases.
- In the absence of a sufficient number of corridors due to habitat fragmentation, a growing number of tigers, now also breeding in buffer zones, soon starts moving to fringe forest areas, which are situated close to villages.
The significance of privately owned lands around reserves
- Privately owned land and construction activities limit the movement of animals, especially tigers and elephants.
- Therefore, underpasses, overbridges, elevated roads and corridors, and proper urban planning are key to ensuring an unhindered movement of these wild animals.
- The rising incidence of human-elephant and tiger-human conflict poses a formidable challenge to park management.
- Milch and domestic animals, from villages and fringe forest areas tend to stray into forest areas and become “easy prey” for the tiger, whose population is on the rise.
- This behavioural conditioning of the tiger towards “easy prey” often snowballs into tiger attacks on unsuspecting village women, who may, on occasion, forage too deep into the buffer forest area, for their everyday material needs.
- The forest department has taken robust steps towards the protection of wildlife at the reserve.
- As a result, poaching activities have been completely obliterated, especially in the highly sensitive-southern boundary of the reserve.
- Intensive patrolling is carried out by foot soldiers. Digital patrolling has been instituted in the form of the electronic-eye under the aegis of the project E-eye.
The human-wildlife conflicts and possible solution
- Over the years, the human-wildlife conflict problem has proved to be a “wicked problem”.
- Given its nature and scope, every wildlife-human problem is unique, every attempt at a solution is significant and there is no easy or final solution.
- The only way ahead is by enjoining forest conservation upon all local stakeholders, a concern voiced by the legendary ornithologist Salim Ali when he championed a realistic, grassroots strategy involving “willing cooperation” from the villagers.
- Arguably, community benefit must accrue to villagers with houses in fringe forest areas, whose lives and livelihoods are affected by the tiger.
- Ramnagar, a district outlying the reserve, is largely dependent on the tiger for its economy.
- Hundreds of resorts and local homestays cater to ecotourism around the tiger’s habitat and generate employment for villagers as nature-guides-cum-naturalists, Gypsy guides, cooks, hotel staff, etc.
- Paradoxically, their lives are risked and crops raided by wild animals.
- This means that for the forest department, any attempt at garnering “willing cooperation” from villagers, starts from its role recognised not only as advisory, managerial and regulatory, but also collaborative, engaging and socio-culturally-sensitive.
Initiative for local public cooperation in wildlife conservation
- Public initiatives by the department are an attempt towards mutual support and cooperation.
- The beehive-fencing project involves the strategic placing of beehives along the interface of village-forest border areas, to guard crops against wild elephants; the outcome, the brand “Corbee Honey” is managed by local Eco Development Committees (EDCs), aimed at creating an economic hook based on cooptation and cooperation by and for local stakeholders.
- Started as a pilot project, and it is hoped to be scaled in the future.
- Similarly, there is the “Living with Tigers” initiative in villages and schools around the peripheral area of the reserve.
- This involves activism around behavioural and response awareness amongst school children and villagers around human-wildlife conflict issues and the patterns of behaviour they must cultivate, practice and propagate in order to stay safe.
Conclusion: Today, CTR is part of our spatial imaginary, straddling across several discourses — historical, cultural, political, anthropological, sociological, legal and democratic. The future of CTR, its wildlife and its people are inextricably interlinked.