Editorials/Opinions Analysis For UPSC 10 December 2024
Content: 1. Indians Need the Right to Disconnect 2. Interconnection of Food and Energy Security Indians Need the Right to Disconnect Context : An EY employee’s death, allegedly due to work pressure, led MP Shashi Tharoor to propose legislation addressing workplace inhumanity. Relevance: GS 2(Social Issues) Practice question: Evaluate importance of right to disconnect after working hours to maintain a healthy work life balance . Suggest key measures to enhance wellbeing of employees.(250 Words) Work Hours: Indian women in professional jobs (e.g., IT, auditing, media) work over 55 hours a week, negatively impacting mental health. Stress: 49% of Indian workers report workplace stress affecting their mental health (ADP Research Institute). Right to Disconnect Laws France: 2001 ruling states employees are not obligated to work from home or answer calls after hours. Portugal: Law prohibits employer contact outside working hours, except in emergencies. Spain: Article 88 of Organic Law 3/2018 ensures the right to disconnect outside working hours to maintain work-life balance. Australia: Fair Work Legislation Amendment grants employees the right to disconnect from work outside working hours. Ireland: Recognized the right to disconnect to promote work-life balance. India’s Position No Specific Legislation: India has no law guaranteeing the right to disconnect. Constitutional and Judicial Support: Article 38: Mandates the state to promote people’s welfare. Article 39(e): Directs the state to safeguard the health of workers. Vishakha v State of Rajasthan (1997): Recognized the right to dignity at work. Ravindra Kumar Dhariwal and Ors v. Union of India (2021): Stressed inclusive equality for employees with disabilities. Praveen Pradhan v. State of Uttaranchal (2012): Prevented inhumane treatment under administrative control. Legislative Efforts: In 2018, MP Supriya Sule introduced a Private Member Bill proposing penalties for violating the right to disconnect, but no progress was made. Prolonged Working Hours Health Impacts: Prolonged hours cause stress, coronary heart diseases, and negative overall health effects. Research Findings: Studies (e.g., University of Oxford) highlight a strong link between happiness and productivity, countering the belief that overworking enhances efficiency. Interconnection of Food and Energy Security Intro: Food and energy security are intertwined crises shaping global stability. Relevance : GS 3 (Environment) Practice Question: Explain interconnectedness of Food security and energy security ? What is the practical approach to balance both without hampering other . (250 Words ) Climate change, population growth, and inequality strain food production, while energy systems face geopolitical tensions and slow transitions from fossil fuels. Agriculture is both an energy consumer and a contributor to climate change. Dependency on Carbon-Intensive Energy Agriculture consumes 70% of freshwater and emits over 20% of greenhouse gases. Reliance on fossil fuels (mechanization, fertilizers, transportation) leads to environmental degradation. Energy price shocks impact food systems, threatening global stability. Rising temperatures and erratic weather disrupt agriculture, risking 2.5 billion livelihoods. Severe food insecurity affected 11.8% of the global population (2020-2023), projected to rise to 956 million by 2028. Global Energy Landscape Renewable energy investments reached approximately $550 billion in 2023, but fossil fuel use persists. Nations prioritize energy security over climate goals, exacerbating food systems’ vulnerability. Energy poverty highlights global inequities, with low-income countries disproportionately affected. Energy deficits hinder rural agricultural productivity, increasing food prices and poverty. Fossil Fuels and Agriculture Fertilizer production depends heavily on natural gas, making it vulnerable to price volatility. Approximately 33,500 cubic feet of natural gas is required to produce one ton of anhydrous ammonia (Source: MDPI – Price and Volatility Transmissions among Natural Gas, Fertilizer, and Agriculture). Geopolitical actions like China’s phosphate export ban disrupt global agricultural supply chains. India’s reliance on fertilizer imports exposes vulnerabilities during critical cropping seasons. Renewable Energy and Agriculture Renewable solutions like solar irrigation and biomass energy can transform agriculture but face cost and infrastructure challenges. High-income countries dominate renewable energy installations, leaving low-income nations dependent on carbon-intensive systems. Competing Demands on Agriculture Addressing food and energy insecurity requires $90 billion annually until 2030, with additional costs for malnutrition and food system transformation. Consequences of Inaction Food insecurity could cost trillions in lost productivity and health outcomes. The global economic cost of food insecurity, including lost productivity and health care costs, is estimated to be around $3.5 trillion annually (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Report, 2023). Climate-induced energy disruptions may destabilize regions, leading to social unrest and migration. Resource extraction in Africa for renewables often perpetuates poverty without local benefits. Reimagining Agriculture Agriculture must be viewed as essential for both sustenance and sustainable development. Failure to address food and energy insecurity risks worsening hunger and derailing climate goals. Immediate, inclusive actions are needed to secure a resilient future.