What to Read in Indian Express Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

EDITORIAL 1: The thali index

Context

Measuring poverty through a thali index rather than calorie counts reveals deeper food insecurity, as seen in 2023–24 when up to 40% of rural and 10% of urban Indians couldn’t afford two basic meals a day.

Estimates of poverty

• The publication of the survey of household consumption expenditure for 2023-24 by the National Statistics Office has been followed by a flurry of estimates of poverty in India. Of these, two have received the most attention.
• The first off the block was a report from SBI in January, which was followed by one from the World Bank. They report more or less similar findings.
• The former flags a remarkable decline in rural poverty,estimated at 4.86 per cent in FY24 urban poverty estimated at 4.09 per cent.
• The World Bank’s report is far more optimistic, pegging extreme poverty at 2.8 per cent for rural India and 1.1 per cent for urban India in 2022-23.
• If poverty in India is what these estimates show, it would be a matter for rejoicing, as it would have been virtually eradicated.

The Responses

• India’s official poverty measurement relies on calorie-based consumption, a narrow, physiological approachthat misses broader aspects of well-being.
• An alternative is the thali index, based on the cost and affordability of a complete, balanced meal commonly consumed across the country.
• A thali typically includes staples like rice or roti, lentils, vegetables, and occasionally dairy, meat, or fish.It reflects not just energy intake but also nutrition, cultural norms, and satisfaction.
• Measuring poverty through the thali index offers a more relatable and realistic picture of deprivation, revealing the actual affordability of basic nutrition and helping shape more effective welfare policies.

Treated as metric

• Given the centrality of the thali in Indian life, it would be appropriate to treat it as the metric by which to measure the standard of living.
• This implies measuring the standard of living in terms of food,but then we believe that the level of food consumption should be treated as its most important constituent.
• It has been suggested that a more meaningful way to assess food consumption is to consider how many thalis a person’s daily food expenditure can buy.
• The cost of a basic vegetarian thali was reported by Crisil to be ₹30, based on ingredient prices across different regions of India.
• It was noted that the 2023–24 consumption survey had expanded the value of food consumption to include items obtained through the public distribution system and those received free under welfare schemes.
• It was argued that using the thali as a measure could offer a clearer picture of food affordability and nutrition.

Issues

• It is found out that up to 40 per cent of the rural populationcould not afford two thalis a day.
• In urban India, up to 10 per cent of the population could not afford two thalis a day. These findings indicate that levels of food deprivation are much higher than what are implied by the poverty estimates using the same data, which we recounted at the outset.
• The difference from SBI and World Bank poverty estimates arises because food expenditure, not total consumption, is used to assess living standards.
• Since essentials like housing, health, and education are non-negotiable, food becomes the residual.
• The thali index offers a realistic, goods-based measure, aligned with both nutrition and affordability.
• Some have questioned whether subsidies should continue based on recent poverty estimates.
• While this debate is important, the thali index suggests subsidies should be rationalized, not removed.
• In rural India, higher-income groups receive similar subsidies as lower-income ones despite greater affordability. Optimally, subsidies should be reduced for wealthier households and increased for the poorest to better target support.

Conclusion

Rationalizing subsidies using the thali index can ensure food security for the needy while making welfare policies more efficient and equitable.

 

EDITORIAL  2: India’s outreach to the Global South

Context

Why PM Modi’s 9-day, 5-nation trip — one of his longest visits overseas — beginning tomorrow matters.

The 5-nation trip

• GHANA:This will be PM’s first bilateral visit to Ghana, and the first Indian Prime Ministerial visit to the country in three decades. John Mahama, who was elected President in January, visited India in 2015 for the India-Africa Forum Summit.
• Ghana is one of West Africa’s fastest-growing economies; its relationship with India is marked by robust and expanding trade and investment.
• India is the largest destination for Ghanaian exports; gold accounts for more than 70% of India’s imports from Ghana.
• PM will hold talks with President Mahama to review the bilateral partnership and discuss ways to enhance it through economic, energy, defence, and development cooperation.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

• 40-45% of the Indian diasporain the Caribbean lives in Trinidad and Tobago; both Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and President Christine Carla Kangaloo are of Indian origin.
• This will be PM’s first visit to T&T as Prime Minister and the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM after 1999.
• The PM visited Guyana in November 2024; his second visit to the Caribbean in eight months indicates the importance India accords to the region. The visit will mark 180 years of the arrival of Indian immigrants in T&T.
• The bilateral economic relationship has witnessed steady growth, with total trade reaching $ 341.61 million in FY 2024-25.

ARGENTINA

• PM will meet Javier Milei —during the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM in 57 years.
• They will review ongoing cooperation and discuss ways to enhance defence, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, energy, etc. partnerships.
• The two leaders met earlier on the margins of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.
• India and Argentina have significantly advanced bilateral cooperation in the mineral resources sector,particularly in lithium, a critical input for India’s green energy transition.
• Argentina is a major supplier of soybean and sunflower oil to India. In 2024, India was Argentina’s fifth-largest trading partner and export destination.

BRAZIL

• PM will meet President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which will be followed by a State Visit.
• At BRICS, the PM will discuss the reform of global governance, peace and security, strengthening multilateralism, responsible use of AI, climate action, global health,
• For the State Visit, the PM will travel to Brasilia where he will hold bilateral discussions with President Lula on broadening the Strategic Partnership in areas of mutual interest, including trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, and health.
• Brazil is India’s largest trading partner in South America.

NAMIBIA

• During his first visit to Namibia (the third Indian Prime Ministerial visit to the country), PM will meet President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, pay homage to the Founding Father of Namibia, Dr Sam Nujoma, and address the country’s Parliament.
• Bilateral trade has grown from less than $3 million in 2000 to almost $600 million now. Indian companies have invested in mining, manufacturing, diamond processing and services in Namibia.
• Eight cheetahs from Namibia were released by the PM at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in September 2022, the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a major carnivore species.

Conclusion

Prime Minister Modi’s 9-day, 5-nation visit highlights India’s growing focus on deepening ties with countries across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. With key engagements in trade, energy, defence, and development cooperation, the trip aims to boost India’s global partnerships and strategic presence.