FactShots

FACTSHOTS
“A Monthly Compilation of vital facts and statistics

for UPSC CSE Mains 2020 that appeared on news
every month”
Month : November 2019
SOURCES: The facts/ stats are collected from various sources like,
The Hindu,
Indian Express,
Business Standard,
Financial Express,
Livemint,
The Tribune,
PIB
International reports,
Government reports,
Official ministry sites and much more.
Features:
🍄 Topicwise compilation of facts/stats
🍄 Mains-Oriented
🍄 Authentic data’s
🍄 Sources added
🍄 Comprehensive Compilation in July 2020 before CSE Mains.
For more details : http://factshots.in/
factshots@gmail.com
https://telegram.me/FactShotsquery
NOTE
1. The compilation of document includes Facts/stats that were in
news during the month of November 2019.
2. We have added Facts/stats whichever could be used in the Mains
Exam (especially in GS-I, GS-II, GS-III, Essay ) in the context and
relevance of the upcoming exam.
3. Some datas might be relevant at the time when the issue was in
news, but you can still use it wherever possible.
4. Please note that facts come in handy anywhere to support your
arguments in a essay, GS, or even in the interview.
2| Enroll from http://FactShots.in Month: November 2019

Contents
1. GS-I
a. Women
b. Population
c. Urbanisation
2. GS-II
a. Legislature
b. Judiciary
c. Constitutional Bodies
d. Welfare Schemes
e. Health
f. Education
g. Poverty
h. Hunger
i. Important aspects of governance
j. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements
k. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries
l. Important International institutions
3. GS-III
a. Economy
b. Employment
c. Agriculture
d. Public Distribution System
e. Infrastructure
i. Energy
ii. ( Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.)
f. Science and Tech
g. Environment
i. Pollution
ii. Water Crisis
iii. Climate Change
h. Disaster and disaster management
i. Cyber Security
4. Miscellaneous

GS-I
Women
🌕 According to India Justice Report (IJR) 2019, only 7% of all police personnel in
the country is women.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/even-best-performing-states-in-india-in-terms-of-
justice-delivery-score-quite-low/1760573/ - Nov 11
🌕 There are 389 districts in the country where the number of pending cases
under POCSO Act exceeds 100.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/justice-delayed-are-fast-track-courts-fast-
enough/1764036/ - Nov 14
🌕 A path-breaking 2010 McKinsey study, “Women Matter”, found out that

companies with a higher proportion of women in leadership positions posted
about 41% higher returns on equity, and 56% better operating results.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/breaking-the-glass-ceiling-systematic-engagement-of-
women-in-enterprise-key-to-achieve-5-tn-target/1765147/ - Nov 15
🌕 As per the 2018 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE), only 11%
of businesses in India are owned by women.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/breaking-the-glass-ceiling-systematic-engagement-of-
women-in-enterprise-key-to-achieve-5-tn-target/1765147/ - Nov 15
🌕 A Harvard Business Review study shows that Companies across the world with
more than one woman on their boards have generated shareholder returns 3.3%
higher each year than companies with no women on the board.
• It shows that companies with women occupying 30% of leadership

positions are 15% more profitable than companies with no women in
leadership positions. Closer home, if Indian women participated in the
workforce to the same extent as women across the world, India’s gross
domestic product (GDP) would be higher by 27% and grow an additional
1.5% each year.
• Yet, women remain unequal when it comes to economic opportunity,

especially in India. Only 18% of India’s GDP is from paid work by women,
compared to 40% in China. Only 27% of India’s workforce is composed of
women, compared to 48% globally.

• India ranks 120 among 131 countries in female labour force participation
rates. Only 14% of India’s elected members of Parliament are women,
compared to, say, 24% of the members of the House of Representatives in
the US.
• India being a very diverse nation, it is difficult to make country-level

analyses and conclusions. For example, in Nagaland, there are eight
women for every 10 men in the labour force, as against just two women for
every 10 men in Delhi.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/the-business-case-for-gender-equality-in-our-
society-11573147376502.html - Nov 8
Population
🌕 The World Bank’s population projection shows that annual population growth
in India was only 1.2 per cent per annum in 2012 and 1.04 per cent in 2018, and
the total population was about 1.34 billion in 2017-18.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/unemployment-jobs-india-plfs-survey-6106758/
- Nov 7
🌕 According to the Economic Survey (2018-19), fertility has been declining

everywhere and in every community, although rates of decline vary. The national
fertility rate is estimated to be 2.2 in 2016, very close to the replacement level and
is projected to reach it around 2021.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/population-explosion-fertility-rate-growth-
india-facts-of-life-6098651/ - Nov 2
🌕 There were 103.4 million elderly in 2011. Some states have more old people
than others, but on an average, they comprise around 10 per cent of the
population. This will reach 15 per cent by 2040 when the bulge in the working
population starts to shrink. [ Ageing Population ]
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/care-missing-this-is-no-country-for-elderly-862344 -
Nov 18
🌕 The elderly population is growing three times faster than the population as a
whole, it is projected that the percentage of elderly people will climb from 8% in
2010 to 19% in 2050.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-rapid-urbanization-has-meant-more-
problems-than-prosperity-11574098881885.html - Nov 19

🌕 India’s population now grows at about 1.02% a year, which is likely to fall
below 1% by the time of the next census in 2021.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/do-not-let-national-statistics-turn-needlessly-
ideological-11574698407971.html - Nov 26
🌕 India’s population is expected to peak around 2060, with a big demographic

bulge set to enter the workforce between now and 2040.
🌕 India will be confronted by an ageing population in two decades, with those

over 60 expected to double to over 15% of the population.
🌕 The government told Parliament that by 2050, there would be 34 crore people
over 60 years of age, about a fifth of the population. The population in the age
group 20-59 is expected to peak by 2041, reaching 59%.
https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-economic-times/20191127/282114933426113 - Nov 27
Urbanization
🌕 India is poised to experience significant urban growth over the coming
decades. Overall, by 2030, 39% of India’s population will reside in urban areas,
totalling 583 million people, according to 2015 projections by the United Nations.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-rapid-urbanization-has-meant-more-
problems-than-prosperity-11574098881885.html - Nov 19

GS-II
Legislature
🌕 According to Association of Democratic Reforms, The State Bank of India has
sold electoral bonds worth Rs 6,128 crore since its introduction in March 2018.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-numbers-electoral-bonds-rs-6128-crore-sold-
so-far-highest-in-mumbai-6098700/ - Nov 2
🌕 Data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms showsthat electoral

bonds with denominations of Rs 1 crore accounted for more than 91 per cent of
the Rs 5,896 crore raised in the first 11 phases over which the bonds were sold.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/electoral-bonds-political-funding-bjp-rbi-
congress-6132541/ - Nov 23
Judiciary
🌕 Fast Track Courts (FTCs) in Bihar completed 6,704 cases in 2017. Of these,
2,507 cases took more than ten years, and 1,655 cases took between five and ten
years. [ Reality of FTCs].
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/justice-delayed-are-fast-track-courts-fast-
enough/1764036/ - Nov 14
🌕 According to a data relased by law ministry, government has made 478

appointments of high court judges in the last five years, yet a 40% gap still exists
between the sanctioned and working strength of HC judges. – E.Times nov 21
🌕 Around 87.5% of pending cases are in the district and subordinate courts.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-a-consensus-on-judicial-reform-would-serve-
the-economy-well-11574788346702.html - Nov 27
Constitutional Bodies
🌕 TN Seshan, who will be best remembered for his 1990-1996 stint as the chief
election commissioner. [ Indeed, during the 1993 general elections, —nearly 1,500
candidates were disqualified for three years for failing to submit expenditure
accounts while nearly 14,000 candidates had been disqualified for submitting
false information. In Uttar Pradesh, incidence of booth capturing fell from 873 in
1991 to 255; the number of those killed in poll-related violence fell, too. ]
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/tn-seshans-legacy-is-making-the-election-commission-a-
force-to-reckon-with/1761726/ - Nov 12
Welfare schemes

🌕 An analysis of government data on the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
(PMMVY), which supports lactating mothers and pregnant women via cash
transfers of Rs 6,000, revealed through RTI, shows that, between April 2018 and
July 2019, around 61% of beneficiaries received the total amount.
• However, it was found that PMMVY failed to reach around 49% of all
women who would have had their first delivery—researchers estimated a
total of 123 lakh for 2017.
• The scheme, then, ended up benefiting only 31% of the originally intended
beneficiaries.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/missing-mothers-large-chunk-of-intended-
beneficiaries-falling-through-the-scheme-for-pregnant-women/1774015/ - Nov 25
Health
🌕 The National Family Health Survey 2015-16 shows that there has been a
phenomenal decline in the total fertility rate (the number of children born to
women in the reproductive age group of 15-49), reaching a near replacement rate
of 2.2 per woman, from 2.7 in 2005-06.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/unemployment-jobs-india-plfs-survey-6106758/
- Nov 7
🌕 According to National Health Profile (NHP) 2019, Between 2009-10 and 2018-
19, India’s public health spend as a percentage of GDP went up by just 0.16
percentage points from 1.12% to 1.28% of GDP, and remains a far cry from the
2.5% GDP health spend that has been India’s target for some years now.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/national-health-profile-nhp-report-2019-healthcare-
india-6096911/ - Nov 1
🌕 According to National Health Profile (NHP) 2019, India spends only 1.28% of its
GDP (2017-18 BE) as public expenditure on health. Per capita public expenditure
on health in nominal terms has gone up from Rs 621 in 2009-10 to Rs 1,657 in
2017-18.
india-6096911/ - Nov 1
🌕 According to report of ICMR, titled India: Health of the Nation’s States: The
India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative (2017), it is observed that the disease
burden due to communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases, as
measured using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), dropped from 61% to 33%

between 1990 and 2016. In the same period, disease burden from non-
communicable diseases increased from 30% to 55%.
india-6096911/ - Nov 1
🌕 According to National Health Profile (NHP) 2019, There are wide disparities in
the health spend of states. The Northeastern states had the highest and the
Empowered Action Group (EAG) states plus Assam had the lowest average per
capita public expenditure on health in 2015-16. Even states seen as better
performers on health parameters, such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, fare poorly on
the health finance index. Tamil Nadu spent 0.74% of its GSDP and Kerala 0.93% of
its GSDP on healthcare.
india-6096911/ - Nov 1
🌕 There was increase in the proportion of institutional births, which have nearly
doubled from 38.7% in 2005-2006 to 78.9% in 2015- 2016.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/indias-global-hunger-index-conundrum/1751263/ - Nov
1
🌕 India currently imports 80-90% of medical devices, of which the vast majority is
unregulated for quality and safety. The medical devices market in India is over
$15 billion (`105,000 crore) and projected to grow to $50 billion by 2025, and is
the fourth-largest in Asia.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/medical-devices-need-their-own-law/1753349/ - Nov 4
🌕 According to report released by the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey

(CNNS) — conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, UNICEF and
Population Council — which found that 10 per cent of children and adolescents
up to the age of 19 are pre-diabetic (at risk of developing diabetes.)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/why-india-should-
seriously-give-attention-to-overweight-diabetes-problems/articleshow/71985695.cms - Nov 10
🌕 In 2016, diabetes was directly responsible for 1.6 million deaths around the
world, according to the World Health Organization. The new data comes even as
India is struggling with a diabetic population of over 72 million.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/why-india-should-
seriously-give-attention-to-overweight-diabetes-problems/articleshow/71985695.cms - Nov 10

🌕 A recent study published in The Lancet Global Health, which looked at anaemia
among men in India, found that nearly a quarter of them (23.2% in a sample of 1
lakh men) in the age group 15-54 had some form of anaemia.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-numbers-anaemia-among-men-how-it-varies-
among-age-groups-states-6113449/ - Nov 11
🌕 Among OECD countries, the US spent the most on healthcare in 2018,

equivalent to 16.9% of GDP. OECD’s average health spending is expected to reach
10.2% of GDP by 2030, up from 8.8% now. This is much higher than health
expenditure levels in India.
https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-economic-times/20191112/282260962283052 - Nov 12
🌕 An analysis published in The Lancet Global Health, which looked at about 9.7
million deaths in India in 2017, found that every condition that was common in
one part of India was uncommon elsewhere.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/premature-deaths-in-india-different-causes-different-
states-6116747/ - Nov 13
🌕 As per a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science,

Technology, and Environment, the country recorded 20% higher mortality than
countries placed high on the Human Development Index. The report notes
around two-thirds are treated in the private sector, and the out-of-pocket
expenditure on treatment forces nearly six crore people below the poverty line.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/parliamentary-panel-report-spells-out-how-woefully-
inadequate-indias-cancer-treatment-infrastructure-is/1764041/ - Nov 14
🌕 The World Bank reports that the annual cost of malnutrition in India is at least
$10 billion and is driven by loss of productivity, illness and death.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-jan-aandolan-for-nutrition-6124546/ - Nov 18
🌕 A new survey, called the Jaccha-Baccha Survey (JABS), conducted in six states
of India to map the state of pregnant and nursing women has found that a high
proportion of women do not eat enough during pregnancy.
• In access to basic healthcare facilities, the survey found that 36% women in
UP did not get a single check-up at a primary health centre across different
schemes.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-numbers-pregnant-nursing-womens-health-
himachal-best-up-worst-in-survey-6126303/ - Nov 19
🌕 According to GHI ‘child wasting’ (that is, children having low weight for their
height) — which essentially shows the extent of acute malnutrition — had gone

up over the past decade. At almost 21%, India’s child wasting level is the highest
in the world. Combined with almost 38% of child stunting (that is, children who
have low height for their age), India has the highest number of undernourished
children in the world.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-numbers-pregnant-nursing-womens-health-
himachal-best-up-worst-in-survey-6126303/ - Nov 19
🌕 Today, 22.5% of adult Indians are underweight, and 38% are stunted.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-commentary/interventions-in-food-systems-can-
help-push-up-indias-nutritional-figures-to-higher-levels/ - Nov 23
🌕 While the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends an average

daily intake of 300 gm per day of milk to deliver the requisite macro-micro
nutrients, the national average of per-capita consumption is about 185 gm and
146 gm a day respectively in urban and rural India.
🌕 National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data shows that while 50 gm of lentils
and 25 gm of soy foods are recommended per day, Indians consume just half the
amount of lentils and almost no soy foods.
🌕 64% of health expenditure incurred by households in India is borne out-of-

pocket (OOP).
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/what-niti-ayog-report-suggests-to-improve-health-
systems-for-the-future/1772811/ - Nov 23
🌕 98% of the healthcare facilities in India employ 10 or fewer persons, dragging

down the efficiency of delivery.
🌕 Government’s spending on health in India is just 1.13% of the GDP, compared

to the overall healthcare spending of 4% of the GDP.
🌕 India’s burden of disease as measured by disability adjusted life years (DALY)

per 100,000 population stood at 34,000 – China’s was 26,300 and Sri Lanka’s
24,000.

🌕 The combined government expenditure on healthcare was around 1.4% of

India’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017-18. Private expenditure is three
times as much, which means individuals and families bear an overwhelming share
of the costs.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/mapping-indian-genes-could-work-wonders-for-our-
health-11574599033231.html - Nov 25
🌕 By some estimates, as many as 39 million people are pushed into poverty by

healthcare expenses.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/mapping-indian-genes-could-work-wonders-for-our-
health-11574599033231.html - Nov 25
🌕 Less than 15 per cent of the population in India today has any kind of
healthcare cover, be it community insurance, employers’ expenditure and social
insurance etc.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/medical-debt-a-major-cause-of-poverty-in-india-
866182 - Nov 26
🌕 India’s life expectancy is estimated at 67.4 years for males and 70.2 for females,
according to the latest National Health Profile (NHP 2019).
🌕 While the infant mortality rate, measured as deaths per 1,000 live births, has
fallen to a quarter of that at independence; it is still at about 33, placing India in
the bottom-quartile of all countries.
🌕 A recent first-ever comprehensive national nutrition survey reveals that nearly

450 million women and children have anaemia, 72 million adults have diabetes
and 170 million adults are either overweight or obese.
🌕 As per the National Health Profile 2019, sex ratio (number of females per 1,000
males) in the country has improved from 933 in 2001 to 943 in 2011.
• As per the report, the total fertility rate (average number of children that
will be born to a woman during her lifetime) in 12 States has fallen below

two children per woman and nine States have reached replacement levels
of 2.1 and above.
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/sex-ratio-improves-in-country-birth-and-death-rates-
dip/article29846222.ece - Nov 1
🌕 India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has seen a decline from 130 per 1 lakh
live births in 2014-2016 to 122 per 1 lakh live births in 2015-2017, according to
the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) 2015-2017.
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/maternal-death-rate-declining-
report/article29925365.ece - Nov 9
🌕 According to the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),

the global target is to bring down the MMR to fewer than 70 maternal deaths per
100,000 live births by 2030.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-maternal-mortality-rate-in-the-states-assam-
229-kerala-42-6110729/ - Nov 9
🌕 Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) accounted for 69.47% of morbidity last year
which was the highest in the communicable disease category leading to 27.21%
mortality as per the National Health Profile-2019.
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/indian-lungs-under-extreme-stress/article29891563.ece
- Nov 6
🌕 The “systematic failure” to address the needs of patients contributes to a 20%

higher mortality among Indian cancer patients, says a report by the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Science, Technology and Environment.
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/indias-cancer-care-facilities-highly-inadequate-says-
parliamentary-panel/article29956045.ece - Nov 13
🌕 Reports from organisations like Save the Children and UNICEF have noted that,
in 2017, the highest risk factors for child pneumonia death in India were: 53%
caused by child wasting, 27% by outdoor air pollution, and 22% caused by indoor
air pollution from solid fuels.
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/falling-prey-to-pneumonia-
diarrhoea/article29956072.ece - Nov 13
Education
🌕 Women’s enrollment in higher education has increased drastically—from 1.2
million in 2010-11, female enrollment increased 15-fold to 18.2 million in 2018-
19.

https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/smriti-irani-right-about-need-for-introduction-of-skill-
education-early-in-schools/1755532/ - Nov 7
🌕 Data from the ASER 2017 shows that nearly a quarter of the 14-18 year-olds—
over 98% of whom had completed elementary education surveyed in Andhra
Pradesh couldn’t read an easy sentence in English.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/andhra-right-in-making-govt-schools-english-
medium/1765260/ - Nov 15
🌕 ASER 2016 data shows that nearly 30% of Class VIII students in the state who
were surveyed couldn’t read simple English sentences and, worse, 20% of those
who could read couldn’t tell the meaning of the sentences.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/andhra-right-in-making-govt-schools-english-
medium/1765260/ - Nov 15
🌕 Literacy rate in India has risen to about 73%, but is still well behind most large
countries. Female literacy, at just 65%, is a cause for concern.
🌕 The Delhi government spends 26% of its budget on education versus an

average of 15% in all Indian states—and healthcare, where it spends 12% of its
annual budget (5% is the average state number).
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/aap-has-arrived-delhi-govt-has-been-delivering-the-
goods-over-last-5-years/1754337/ - Nov 6
🌕 In the latest QS World University Rankings for Asia, 96 Indian institutions rank
among 550 for the continent including eight among the top 100. While Mainland
China has four in the top 10 this year, India does not yet have a university among
the top 30.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/qs-rankings-8-india-universities-in-asia-top-100-iit-
bombay-34th-6140356/ - Nov 28
🌕 According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, the country faces a big
demand-supply gap, with an estimated shortfall of 200,000 schools, 35,000
colleges, 700 universities and 40 million seats in vocational training centres.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-jnu-has-a-funds-crunch-and-india-an-
education-crisis-11574876604897.html - Nov 28
🌕 According to an Economic Times report, the country’s higher education

sector—central, state, and private universities—is facing a shortfall of more than
500,000 teachers.

Poverty
🌕 According to PRS India report, the expenditure on food subsidy is increasing
while the ratio of people below the poverty line is falling. The ratio was 21.9% and
the number of poor 26.9 crore in 2011-12. “A similar trend can also be seen in the
proportion of undernourished person in India, which reduced from 24% in 1990
to 15% in 2014.”
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/what-govt-needs-to-do-to-clear-fci-mess/1752229/ -
Nov 2
🌕 During the last full census in 2011, India’s extreme poverty rate was reported
to be 21.9%, or 265 million people.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/india-is-making-dramatic-strides-in-addressing-
extreme-poverty-11573494674626.html - Nov 12
🌕 China, has seen the largest reduction in global poverty in the last 30 years with
over 800 million people coming out of extreme poverty.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/why-the-bottom-up-approach-to-
eradicating-poverty-might-not-work/articleshow/71975754.cms - Nov 9
🌕 Since the 1991 reforms, the proportion of people below the poverty line has
gone down from almost 50% to 20%, using the World Banks $1.90-aday poverty
line.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/why-india-needs-to-rethink-its-
decision-to-opt-out-of-rcep/articleshow/72061734.cms - Nov 15
🌕 About 55 million Indians were pushed into poverty in a single year due to
patient- care costs, as per a study by the Public Health Foundation of India.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/medical-debt-a-major-cause-of-poverty-in-india-
866182 - Nov 26
Hunger
🌕 The Global Hunger Index Report 2019 ranks India 102 among 117 countries.
From securing a score of 38.8 back in 2000 (alarming category), the score has
gradually improved to 30.3 (serious category).
india-6096911/ - Nov 1

🌕 Analyses have shown that in order to achieve zero hunger in India by 2030,
India will have to liberate nearly 50,000 people from hunger, every day.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-jan-aandolan-for-nutrition-6124546/ - Nov 18
Governance
🌕 According to India Justice Report 2019, only 1 of the 22 states for which data
were available, was able to fully utilise its police modernisation fund. The report
also found that on average there were more than 20% vacancies in the police.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/indian-police-feeble-capacity-high-vacancies-and-low-
diversity-6115086/ - Nov 12
🌕 The India Justice Report (IJR): The crisis of human resources in the police
presented in this report is also of importance. At the constabulary level, only
Kerala, Nagaland and Tamil Nadu reached the sanctioned strength.
• All states and UTs had some shortfall at the officer level. UP had a shortfall
of 63 per cent and Jharkhand 44 per cent. Between 2011 and 2017,
constabulary vacancies increased in 10 of the 25 states.
• The data also indicates that women in police comprise a meagre seven per
cent of the police force. At the current rate, Madhya Pradesh requires 294
years to fulfil its target of 33 per cent women in the police force.
• As of January 2017, the average all-India per capita spend on policing was
Rs 820; Rs 598 and Rs 591 per capita were spent by Madhya Pradesh and
Uttar Pradesh, respectively, and Rs 498 per capita in Bihar, which was the
lowest in this cluster.
• The report confirms that the state of prisons in India is largely pathetic.
Nineteen states and UTs spent between Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000 per inmate
annually. This is less than Rs 100 per day on a prisoner. Only seven states
and UTs utilised their entire prison budget, including Sikkim, Himachal
Pradesh and Chandigarh.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/demystifying-our-criminal-justice-system-partly-
861396 - Nov 16
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements

involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
RCEP
🌕 If India had joined the pact, the RCEP would have encompassed half of the
world’s population and 35 per cent of the global GDP.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/pulling-out-of-rcep-not-just-an-economic-
decision-119111901647_1.html - Nov 20
🌕 The 16 RCEP countries account for nearly 40 per cent of global GDP, almost
half the world’s population and a third of the global trade in goods and services.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/lessons-from-rcep-negotiations-
119111401825_1.html - Nov 15
🌕 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) account for one-half of

the world’s population and account for about 40% of the world’s gross domestic
product (GDP) and trade.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/shut-the-door-on-rcep-but-let-s-get-our-act-
together-at-home-11573146884133.html - Nov 8
🌕 India ran a merchandise trade deficit with 11 out of the 15 other members of
RCEP in 2018-19, totaling $107.28 billion. India’s overall merchandise trade deficit
was $184.00 billion in 2018-19. In 2018-19, 34 per cent of India’s imports were
from this region, while only 21 per cent of India’s exports went to this region.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/rcep-agreement-india-withdrawal-modi-
6103246/ - Nov 5
🌕 India has over $105-billion trade deficit with the member nations negotiating
the agreement, including more than half ($54 billion) with China alone.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/india-holds-its-ground-856859 - Nov 6
🌕 The 15 countries of RCEP together account for 3 billion people and 20 percent
of the global GDP.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/rcep-and-india-119111301835_1.html - Nov 14
🌕 The fact that, between 1990 and 2018, Vietnam’s overall exports grew 102
times versus just 18 for India.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/if-you-cant-do-rcep-cant-do-us-eu-either/1760577/ -
Nov 11
🌕 “If India remains out of RCEP, it will be left isolated from this large trading bloc.
The trade among RCEP countries is about $2.8 trillion.”
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/with-rcep-act-east-policy-is-at-the-crossroads-859170
- Nov 11
🌕 Between FY10 and FY19, India’s global exports rose 1.9 times while those to
Asean rose 2.1 times; India’s imports from the world rose 1.8 times while those

from Asean rose 2.3 times. Yet, in relative terms, India’s trade deficit hasn’t risen
discernibly.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/if-you-cant-do-rcep-cant-do-us-eu-either/1760577/ -
Nov 11
🌕 There are 70 million households dependent on dairy in India, the

corresponding number is just 10,000 in New Zealand and 6,300 in Australia.
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-victory-for-the-dairy-sector/article29891203.ece - Nov
6
🌕 India is one of the largest milk producing nations with over 186 million metric
tons of milk production a year.
• Interestingly, 77% of milk production comes from small, marginal and

landless farmers. Milk is the key source of liquidity and supplementary
income for over 100 million farmers.
• India has about 100 million farmers dependent on dairy compared to

merely 10,000 in New Zealand and 6,300 in Australia.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/modis-decision-to-opt-out-of-rcep-reflects-indias-
prudence-on-dairy-trade/1756735/ - Nov 7
🌕 RCEP countries account for almost 27% of India’s total trade. Exports to RCEP
account for about 15% of India’s total exports, and imports from RCEP comprise
35% of India’s total imports.
🌕 India’s trade deficit with the RCEP bloc of over $100 billion is almost 64% of its
total trade deficit, of which China alone accounts for over 60%.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/rcep-pull-out-india-right-in-sticking-to-its-terms-and-
conditions/1756730/ - Nov 7
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing

countries on India’s interests
🌕 According to recent report of the UNCTAD on “Trade and trade diversion
effects of United States tariffs on China” out of an estimated $35 billion loss in
Chinese exports due to the trade war, about $21 billion (63%) were diverted to
other countries, while India gaining about $755 million in additional exports. [
Effects of Trade war ]
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/global-supply-chain-eyeing-an-indian-iphone/1764032/ -
Nov 14

Important International Institutions
🌕 BRICS accounts for 42% of the world’s population, 23% of the global GDP and
an around 17% share of world trade.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-brics-matters-for-india-6116737/ - Nov
13
🌕 BRICS member countries will account for nearly 50 per cent of the world’s
economic growth in 2020.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/the-economic-agenda-of-brics-868065 - Nov 30

GS-III
Economy
🌕 Demonetization, sucked out 86% currency from Indian markets.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-power-of-the-narrative-in-economic-belief-
systems-11573409522868.html - Nov 11
🌕 Only 56.5 million people filed their income tax returns in 2019, which is a
meagre 4% of India’s 1.37 billion population. Any tax break for this 4%, no matter
how sharp, is unlikely to jump-start the growth process.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-power-of-the-narrative-in-economic-belief-
systems-11573409522868.html - Nov 11
🌕 In nominal terms, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rose from $41.9 bn in FY09
to $62 bn in FY19, but as a share of GDP-it fell a third, from 3.4% of GDP to 2.3%.
– FE Nov 14
🌕 China’s GDP is nearly $15 trillion; india’s $ 3 trillion.

https://www.pressreader.com/india/business-standard/20191115/281943134710245 - Nov 15
🌕 Since the beginning of India’s big trade reforms in 1991, economic growth has
been 6% a year in 17 of the last 28 years. In 12 of those years, growth has been
close to 8% or higher. This is impressive by any standards, but especially by the
standards of the 1960s-70s when growth was in the range of1-3%.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/why-india-needs-to-rethink-its-
decision-to-opt-out-of-rcep/articleshow/72061734.cms - Nov 15
🌕 According to reports, the latest consumption expenditure survey shows that

real household consumption fell by 3.7 per cent, to Rs 1,446 in 2017-18, from Rs
1,501 in 2011-12.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/indian-economy-consumption-expenditure-
6127705/ - Nov 20
🌕 SBI data shows, while just 0.2% of bank deposits are of more than Rs 1 crore,
these comprise a third of the value of all bank deposits. [ Deposit coverage ]
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/fixing-deposit-insurance-charge-different-premium-
depending-on-bank-quality/1769613/ - Nov
🌕 The economy needs $1.4 trillion as infrastructure investment to reach $5

trillion by 2024.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/green-economy-to-the-economy-s-rescue-
119112600002_1.html - Nov 26
🌕 Consumer spending has dropped 6.5 per cent between Q1 and Q2 of 2019-20.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/green-economy-to-the-economy-s-rescue-
119112600002_1.html - Nov 26
🌕 Gross fixed capital formation as a share of GDP peaked in 2007-08 at 36% — it

has since declined to about 28.5% — with private investment peaking at around
27.5% of GDP in 2007-08, and now slumping to 21.5%.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/view-as-growth-tapers-heres-what-
can-be-done-to-revive-the-economy/articleshow/72230297.cms - Nov 26
🌕 The first quarter that ended in June saw the Indian economy expand at 5%, its
slowest pace in six years.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/what-mild-signs-of-an-economic-recovery-imply-for-
indian-policy-11572971723502.html - Nov 6
🌕 RBI over the last year, lowered the repo rate by 135 basis points to 5.15%. But
only a third of this cut has translated into lower lending rates by commercial
banks.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/view-as-growth-tapers-heres-what-
can-be-done-to-revive-the-economy/articleshow/72230297.cms - Nov 26
🌕 GDP growth in the July-September quarter hit a 25-quarter low of 4.5%, lowest
since 2012.
https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/gdp-shrinks-to-45-in-july-september-
quarter/article30116549.ece - Nov 30
🌕 International Monetary Fund has projected India’s GDP growth at 6.1% in

financial year 2019-20 and 7% in 2020-21 in its October 2019 report.
https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/gdp-shrinks-to-45-in-july-september-
quarter/article30116549.ece - Nov 30
🌕 Sustained structural reform efforts, including successfully harnessing its young

and large workforce alongside substantial trade and FDI liberalisation, could bring
India’s real GDP per capita to nearly 50 per cent that of the United States by 2040.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/is-south-asia-ready-for-take-off-
119110501870_1.html - Nov 6
Employment

🌕 A Deloitte report shows that female participation in the labour force has fallen
to 26% in 2018 against 36.7% in 2005.
🌕 As automation increases, WEF estimates 42% tasks will be automated in 2022,

a sharp rise from 29% in 2018.
🌕 Currently, 95% of employment in India is generated by agriculture, businesses

in the informal economy, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/let-us-prioritize-employment-over-labour-
protection-11574271731572.html - Nov 21
🌕 The drop in unemployment rates was revealed by the labour force indicators
for urban areas released by the National Statistical Office. The unemployment
rate was 9.3% in January-March 2019 quarter, the lowest in four quarters, and
there was also marginal drop in unemployment among the 15-29-year olds, who
account for a third of the population, to 22.5% from 23.7% in the preceding
quarter.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-editorials/unreliably-variable-employment-
numbers/ - Nov 25
🌕 India’s unemployment rate in October rose to 8.5%, the highest level since
August 2016, according to data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy (CMIE). The urban unemployment rate for October 2019 stood at 8.9%,
slightly higher than the rural unemployment rate of 8.3%.
https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/india-unemployment-rate-3-year-high-cmie-
data/article29855098.ece - Nov 2
Agriculture
🌕 Reliance on agricultural-based employment has fallen from a 71.4% share of
total rural employment to 55% in FY18.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/rural-india-can-t-recover-until-nbfcs-do-
119110701637_1.html - Nov 8
🌕 About 52 per cent of the total cropland is unirrigated and relies primarily on
rainfall for farming. Over 60 per cent farmers cultivate crops without irrigation.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/revamp-rainfed-farming-
119120201507_1.html - Nov 3

🌕 Between 55 and 60 per cent of the gross domestic product of the ‘agriculture
and allied activities’ (agri-GDP) comes from rainfed lands. Nearly 90 per cent
millets (jowar, bajra, ragi and others), 85 per cent pulses, 70 per cent oilseeds and
40 per cent rice is grown in unirrigated fields.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/revamp-rainfed-farming-
119120201507_1.html - Nov 3
🌕 The 28-member EU provides $65 billion in farm subsidies, three times of what
the US gives.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/india-holds-its-own-860892 - Nov 15
🌕 600 million people are engaged in agriculture, directly or indirectly in India.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/india-holds-its-own-860892 - Nov 15
🌕 There has been a fall of 8.8% in per capita rural spend between 2011-12 and
2017-18 as per a leaked NSO Consumption Expenditure Survey.
🌕 https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/tackling-slowdown-ignite-rural-demand-for-quicker-
economic-recovery/1771770/ - Nov 22
🌕 An Azim Premji University paper shows agricultural jobs have fallen by 27

million, or 11.9%, during 2011-12 and 2017-18.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/tackling-slowdown-ignite-rural-demand-for-quicker-
🌕 In 2018-19, agriculture growth had declined to a measly 2%. This impacts the
well-being of two-thirds of Indians, who live in rural areas.
🌕 The average rate of growth of agricultural wages for males was 16 per cent
between 2007-08 and 2014-15. in 2015-16 and 2017-18, it dropped to 5 per cent.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/boost-labour-income-to-revive-growth-
119112400886_1.html - Nov 25
🌕 All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) of 2015-16 by NABARD reported

that 30.3 per cent of all agriculture households availed credit from institutional
sources.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-farmers-distress-farm-loans-rural-income-
national-statistical-office-6135268/ - Nov 25
🌕 The fact that almost 70 per cent of agri-households did not avail institutional
credit shows that there is much scope for the banking sector to extend its reach.

🌕 Only 61% of farmers have accessed institutional loans according to NAFIS

2016-17).
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/transforming-farm-loans-the-digital-and-retail-
route/1778803/ - Nov 29
🌕 Kisan Credit Cards: The 2017-18 Economic Survey reported that 150 million
such cards had been issued by March 2016. But the NAFIS survey reported that
only 10 per cent of farmers used such cards in the agricultural year 2015-16.
🌕 An OECD-ICRIER study has shown that Indian farmers have been suffering a
loss of 14 per cent every year in farm incomes for almost two decades, between
2000-01 and 2016-17.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/farm-tech-being-pushed-to-benefit-corporates-
868064 - Nov 30
🌕 The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has informed the
Supreme Court that incidents of stubble burning in the three States neighbouring
Delhi and the National Capital Region have come down by 41% since 2016.
• The Centre claimed that stubble burning has seen a reduction of 11%,
29.5% and 24.5% in 2018 in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,
respectively, when compared to 2017.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/burning-of-stubble-down-40-sc-
told/article29858666.ece - Nov 2
🌕 Incredibly, as much as 70 per cent of the farmers’ investment in fertilisers

normally goes waste. The reason is outmoded fertiliser products and their
inefficient use (generally lost due to leaching, volatilisation and other causes.)
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/reduce-cost-restore-profitability-
119110401593_1.html - Nov 5
🌕 According to a report by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the

cumulative loss to farmers in fertilisers usage comes around $7 billion.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/reduce-cost-restore-profitability-
119110401593_1.html - Nov 5
Public Distribution System (PDS)

🌕 According to a 2011 report, leakages in PDS were estimated to be 46.7%.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/what-govt-needs-to-do-to-clear-fci-mess/1752229/ -
Nov 2
🌕 The Commission of Agricultutal costs and Prices (CACP), in its latest report for
rabi 2020-21 season highlights that foodgrain stocks, till october 1, in the central
pool were 109% more than the buffer requirement.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/cacp-is-right-open-ended-procurement-must-
go/1753357/ - Nov 2
🌕 As on October 1, 2019, the foodgrain stocks are estimated at 64.23 million

tonnes, more than double the required buffer and strategic reserve norms.
🌕 Against a requirement of around 50-56 million tonnes of foodgrain to run the

National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes, the Centre ends up
buying almost 80 million tonnes of wheat and rice.
🌕 Subsidised foodgrains are given to all 23 crore ration-card holders through a

network of 5.4 lakh fair price shops.
🌕 In India, over the last five decades, total production of food grains has
increased fivefold: from 51 million tonnes in 1950-51 to about 290 million tonnes
in 2018-19.
Energy
🌕 While capacity addition in Renewable Energy was impressive during FY 17
(11.3 GW) and FY 18 (11.8 GW), there has been a decline in capacity installation at
~8.5 GW during FY 19.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/return-to-growth-given-the-mismatch-between-tariffs-
and-risks-few-new-renewable-ipps-being-created/1764024/ - Nov 14
🌕 India has set ambitious targets for renewable energy (RE) capacity, with the
MNRE upscaling the 175 GW target of 2022 to 227GW.

🌕 A recent report by CRISIL has concluded that the country is likely to miss the
lowest renewable energy target of 175 GW by 2022 by a wide margin of 42 per
cent due to regulatory challenges, policy flip-flops and also a steep fall in tariffs.
The report also notes that 26 per cent of the 64 GW of projects auctioned have
received no or lukewarm bids, while another 31 per cent are facing delays in
allocation after being tendered.
🌕 The drone attack on the Khurais oil field and Abqaiq refinery in Saudi Arabia
had led to loss of 5.7 million barrels of daily oil output, or about 5% of the world’s
total.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/the-mystery-of-an-aerial-attack-on-saudi-oil-supplies-
11573748807231.html - Nov 15
🌕 According to Government’s Energy Statistics 2019 publication, industrial sector

accounted for about 56 per cent of the total energy consumption in 2017-18.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/making-sense-of-energy-data-
119112101672_1.html - Nov 22
Infrastructure: Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

🌕 The cost of frieght movement by road is ₹2.58 per ton-kilometre, compared
with ₹1.41 per ton-kilometre for rail and ₹1.06 per ton-kilometre for waterways.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/water-transport-still-missing-the-link-
119111401842_1.html - Nov 15
🌕 Road transport counts for the bulk of indian freight transport – close to 60 per
cent. coastal shipping and inland waterways account for barely 7 per cent of
freight transport in india, compared with 24 per cent in china and 11 per cent in
germany.
119111401842_1.html - Nov 15
🌕 The over-reliance on roads has meant that the cost of logistics as a share of
the price of final goods is around 18 per cent in india, compared with just 9-10
per cent in developed countries.
119111401842_1.html - Nov 15
🌕 A road accident occurs almost every minute in India. With over 1.5 lakh deaths
recorded last year, India is the most unsafe country across the globe for road

users, way ahead of China and the US according to World Road Statistics-2018. [
Motor Vehicles (Amendement) Act 2019 ]
• Speeding accounts for about 65 per cent of the road deaths countrywide,
underscoring the impunity with which traffic rules are violated
• India is a signatory to the 2015 Brasilia declaration, under which it vowed
to reduce the number of road accidents and deaths to half by 2020.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/the-road-to-safety-866177 - Nov 26
🌕 The Economic Survey 2016-17, stated the logistics cost per kilometre of road
transport was $7 in India, versus $3.9 in Bangladesh, $3 in Sri Lanka, and $2.4-2.5
in China.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-india-s-real-trade-battle-begins-now-that-
rcep-is-behind-us-11572975345932.html - Nov 6
Science and Tech

🌕 According to Ericsson, a telecom equipment maker the business potential of
5G-enabled digitalization in India by 2026 is estimated at $27 billion, as the
country adds every fourth new subscriber in the world.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/opinion-all-hope-is-not-lost-yet-for-the-telecom-
sector-11574183161274.html - Nov 20
🌕 A government appointed committee estimates $1 trillion economic impact of

5G by 2035
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/opinion-all-hope-is-not-lost-yet-for-the-telecom-
sector-11574183161274.html - Nov 20
Environment
Pollution
🌕 Toxic air is India’s fifth largest killer, taking a toll of about 1.5 million lives
annually. The World Health Organisation reckons India has the world’s highest
death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/smog-is-crippling-the-next-generation-
119110801715_1.html - Nov 9
🌕 In Punjab, there is a high monetary penalty for farmers who burn crop stubble,
but it is rarely enforced, partly due to limited state capacity. Even now, when the
government claims to be vigilant, less than 10% of CRB cases are penalized.

https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/ronald-coase-has-a-solution-for-delhi-s-air-pollution-
11573491626858.html _ Nov 12
🌕 Punjab had reported the season’s highest farm fire count at 6,668. The State
had recorded stubble burning incidents of 165 and 2,983 on November 6 in 2017
and 2018, respectively. Between September 23 and November 6, Punjab reported
42,676 incidents of farm fire, which was almost 41% higher than stubble burning
incidents in the corresponding period last year.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/farmers-defy-ban-4741-farm-fires-in-
punjab-on-wednesday/article29902538.ece - Nov 7
🌕 A study expected to appear in the International Journal Of Epidemiology finds

that eliminating crop residue burning could save 14.9 million disability-adjusted
life-years lost per year, valued at about ₹2 trillion ($30.58 billion) annually.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/ronald-coase-has-a-solution-for-delhi-s-air-pollution-
11573491626858.html - Nov 12
🌕 Worsening air pollution and PM 2.5 have contributed to 5,29,500 premature

deaths in 2016.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/doomed-failure-to-act-on-climate-will-mean-
debilitating-health-consequences-for-children-born-today/1765254/ - Nov 15
🌕 In punjab where 75 per cent of the net sown area in kharif is under paddy,
about 78 per cent of paddy biomass is disposed through burning. This amounts
to burning about 20 million tonne of biomass which has high moisture and low
combustibility.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/dealing-with-crop-residue-burning-
119112101660_1.html - Nov 22
🌕 Stubble burning leads to only 8 per cent pollution.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/fine-for-farm-fires-866472 - Nov 27
🌕 According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), on november 3

pollution levels in Delhi peaked to a three-year high, the highest since 2016.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhi-chokes-as-pollution-levels-hit-three-year-
high/article29869822.ece - Nov 3
🌕 Delhi has the largest number of air quality monitors in the country—47
monitoring stations.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/the-truth-about-air-pollution-in-delhi/1755543/ - Nov 7

🌕 Recently, the Centre for Science and Environment reported that air pollution
kills an average 8.5 out of every 10,000 children in India before they turn five.
Similarly, the WHO in 2016 reported that pollution has led to the deaths of over 1
lakh children in India. Overall, several internationally acclaimed studies have
affirmed that life expectancy in India has declined anywhere between two to three
years.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/delhis-air-air-quality-pollution-index-6101616/ -
Nov 4
🌕 According to Greenpeace, 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India

and Delhi has yet again bagged the position of the world’s most polluted capital.
These are grim figures, especially when compared to India’s neighbours: Five in
China, two in Pakistan and one in Bangladesh. In 2018, India was placed in the
bottom five countries on the Environmental Performance Index, ranking 177th
out of 180 countries
Nov 4
🌕 Currently, breathing in Delhi’s air is similar to smoking 22 cigarettes in a day.

Nov 4
🌕 The aggregate national emissions of the six common pollutants in the USA
dropped an average of 73 per cent from 1970 to 2017. Through one piece of
legislation, the US has challenged multiple sources of pollution, airborne or motor
vehicle-led. Similarly, after declaring a war on pollution, Chinese cities reduced
particulate concentration by 32 per cent in 2018.
Nov 4
Plastic Pollution
🌕 India generates 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day.

https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/why-you-need-to-stop-hoarding-plastic-bags-
11572612099394.html - Nov 2
🌕 According to Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s

study, India’s plastic packaging industry produced 13.4 million tonnes in 2015. It
will grow to 22 million tonnes in 2020.
https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/why-you-need-to-stop-hoarding-plastic-bags-
11572612099394.html - Nov 2

🌕 Doctors of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS)
are reported to have operated upon a cow to remove 52 kg of plastic from its
stomach. (use as example to quote plastic menace)
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/proactive-steps-a-must-to-manage-plastic-waste-
855953 - Nov 4
🌕 As per a report of the Union Ministry of Environment, 25,940 tonnes of plastic

waste is produced in the country everyday.
855953 - Nov 4
🌕 As per a report of the Tata Management Study Group (2018), plastic

consumption in India is rising at about 16 per cent, while it is 10 per cent in China
and 2.5 per cent in the UK.
855953 - Nov 4
🌕 The plastic industry occupies a substantial space in India’s industrial sector

with an investment of over $25 billion in over 30,000 plastic manufacturing and
processing units. It is providing employment to over 4 million people. The growth
of plastic industries is almost double the growth rate of the national GDP.
855953 - Nov 4
🌕 About 70% of plastic emerges as waste on highways, in rivers and oceans,

posing a challenge to animals, marine life and future generations of humans
855953 - Nov 4
Water Pollution
🌕 Brandon and Homman (1995) estimate the impact of domestic water pollution
on a broader swathe of illnesses. They find that providing clean water supply and
sanitation to the whole of India would save $3-8 billion by way of forgone
earnings.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-antibiotics-are-contaminating-rivers-and-
posing-health-risks-11574878217623.html - Nov 28
Water Crisis
🌕 India extracts half the groundwater used in the entire world, which is plain
unsustainable against the backdrop of rising water demand. Already,

groundwater resources, which account for nearly two-thirds of irrigation water,
are known to be declining in over half the aquifers.
• It is a fact that about 74% of the area under wheat cultivation and 65% of
the rice-growing areas face significant levels of water stress and declining
groundwater tables.
• One recent estimate suggests that the water demand-supply gap in

agriculture alone could be as high as 570 billion cubic metres (bcm) by
2030, which is over half of India’s availability, without sustained reforms in
agriculture, which now produces mountains of grain for costly storage and
eventual wastage.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-editorials/water-finally-gets-priority-it-deserves/ -
Nov 9
🌕 While nearly 70 per cent of the world is covered by water, only 2.5 per cent is
fresh water. The rest is saline and ocean-based. Even then, just 1 per cent of our
freshwater is easily accessible, with much of it trapped in glaciers and snowfields.
In essence, only 0.007 per cent of the planet’s water is available to fuel and feed
its 6.8 billion people.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/green-revolution-india-farmers-crops-climate-
change-6118363/ - Nov 14
🌕 Paddy consumes between 3,000 to 5,000 litres of water to produce just 1 kg of

rice. Other water-guzzling but cash-rich crops like rice, cotton, soybean, wheat
and sugarcane need between 500 litres to 5,000 litres for 1 kg. On the other hand,
crops like millets, lentils and pulses take half or less than half the amount of water
for the same output.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/green-revolution-india-farmers-crops-climate-
change-6118363/ - Nov 14
🌕 The data from NSS 76th round (July 2018 to December 2018) conducted by
National Statistical Office (NSO) shows that 78.6% households in the country do
not have access to piped water in their house.
• In rural areas, only 11.3% households have access to piped water in their
households. About 51% households in rural areas used improved source of
drinking water located in the household premises.
• While the Centre has set a target of providing clean drinking water to all by
2024, the latest National Sample Survey (NSS) shows that about 42%

people in rural areas have to venture outside of their house every day—
from 0.2 km to 1.5 km—to fetch drinking water. In urban areas, about 19%
households have to go out of the house to fetch drinking water.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/explained-indias-water-crisis-and-what-states-need-to-
do-to-solve-it/1780001/ - Nov 30
🌕 Delhi’s tap water is the most unsafe among 21 State capitals. It is among 13
cities, including Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Lucknow, where all tested
samples failed to meet the BIS norms for piped drinking water.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/only-mumbai-meets-drinking-water-quality-
standards/article29992150.ece - Nov 17
🌕 India is facing an imminent water crisis. As per a study, the way water
resources are depleting ,by year 2030 India can meet only 50% of its current
water demand.
Of the total demand for water, around 80-85% is required by agriculture.

https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/turning-the-tables-effective-utilisation-of-water-for-
agriculture-will-act-as-insurance-against-water-scarcity/1761702/ - Nov 12
Climate change
🌕 The Global Commission on Adaptation estimates that investing just $1.8 trillion
to build climate resilience over the next decade would yield more than $7 trillion
in net benefits.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/opinion/paris-climate-change-trump.html - Nov 9
🌕 The study, ‘Climate Change and Heat-Induced Mortality in India’, was

conducted by the Climate Impact Lab has projected that 1.5 million more Indians
may die per year from extreme heat due to climate change by 2100, and that
India’s energy use will more than double in the next 20 years, driven largely by
fossil fuels.
It says the average annual temperature in India is expected to increase from 24°C
to 28°C.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-numbers-excess-deaths-due-to-climate-change-
projected-state-by-state-6108688/ - Nov 8
🌕 In 2019, more than 54 lakh hectares of agricultural produce has been wiped
out in Maharashtra because of unseasonal rains.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/six-farmers-end-lives-as-rains-take-away-
livelihood/article29877178.ece - Nov 4

🌕 According to a report by The Lancet on the public health states that “A child
born today,” “will experience a world that is more than four degrees warmer than
the pre-industrial average, with climate change impacting human health from
infancy and adolescence to adulthood and old age.”
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/doomed-failure-to-act-on-climate-will-mean-
debilitating-health-consequences-for-children-born-today/1765254/ - Nov 15
🌕 The UN in its annual assessment on greenhouse gases, said that Global

emissions need to fall by 7.6% every year until 2030 to limit global temperature
rises to 1.5° C.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/daily-chart-data-wise/inactive-
children/slideshow/72266498.cms - Nov 27
🌕 According to Emissions Gap Report 2019, The 2° C goal will require

greenhouse gas emissions by 2.7% every year from 2020 to 2030.
children/slideshow/72266498.cms - Nov 27
🌕 A new study says that carbon impacts from the loss of intact tropical forests
has been grossly underreported. Published in Science Advances, the study has
calculated new figures relating to intact forest lost between 2000-2013. It has
found that the long-term net carbon impacts, through 2050, are six times the
current estimates. The revised total equals two years’ worth of all global land-use
change emissions, the World Conservation Society (WCS).
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-numbers-carbon-emission-from-tropical-
forests-jumps-in-new-calculation-6096916/ - Nov 1
🌕 A report by the International Energy Emissions Agency said India’s per capita
emissions were about 40% of the global average and contributed 7% to the
global carbon dioxide burden.
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/economic-slowdown-will-lighten-
indias-carbon-burden/article29891612.ece - Nov 6
🌕 According to a new study by climate central, even with moderate reductions in

greenhouse gases’ emissions, six Asian nations, including India, could face annual
coastal flooding by 2050; 36 million Indians risk loss of home and livelihood by
2050, compared with 5 million estimated earlier.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/climate-change-why-lawmakers-must-pay-heed-to-
nicholas-sterns-warning/1752272/ - Nov 2
Disaster and Disaster Management

Floods
🌕 The overall loss to property for the state of kerala in 2018 floods was ₹4,0000
crore.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/manmade-crisis-in-god-s-own-
country-119110700071_1.html - Nov 7
🌕 Floods during the southwest monsoon this year claimed 2,391 human lives in
24 states.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/monsoon-toll-2400-human-lives-highest-in-madhya-
pradesh-6129285/ - Nov 21
🌕 India is one of the most flood-affected nations in the world, after Bangladesh.
Floods constitute 52% of all natural disasters in India, and the costliest as well,
with over 63% of all damages attributed to it.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/long-term-flood-mgmt-requires-healthy-coordination-
between-centre-and-states/1776217/ - Nov 27
🌕 Between 1980 and 2017, 70,901 people were killed, 1,395 million affected, and
56 million houses damaged due to floods. The economic losses due to this
translates to 0.43% of GDP. The damages translate to 2.68% of the Centre’s total
expenditure every year.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/long-term-flood-mgmt-requires-healthy-coordination-
between-centre-and-states/1776217/ - Nov 27
Cyber Security
🌕 Data breaches of Indian users have increased over the last few years. The latest
leak pertains to the information of 1.3 million bank cards that is available for sale
on the dark web. Reports indicate 98% pertain to Indian banks—of this, 18% is of
one banking entity.
🌕 In October 2016, 3.2 million cards getting compromised in a similar breach had
been reported.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/card-check-latest-data-leak-episode-exposes-
vulnerability-of-indian-system/1752264/ - Nov 2

Miscellaneous
🌕 More than two-thirds of the country resides in 6 lakh villages.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/reviving-growth-focus-on-rural-india/1761713/ - Nov 12
🌕 India is a large economy (7th largest in 2018) with a relatively low global rank
as merchandise exporter (19th largest in 2018).
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/indias-rcep-dilemma-to-be-in-or-not-to-be-in/1759188/
- Nov 9
🌕 A KPMG report last year highlighted that the number of Indian start-ups
increased tenfold, to 50,000, between 2008 and 2018. India added 1,200 new
start-ups in 2018 alone.
🌕 In 2018-19, India’s trade deficit with China was $53.56 billion, or about 3.2
times India’s merchandise exports to China. The ratio of India’s merchandise
imports from China to its exports to China was about 4.2
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/indias-rcep-dilemma-to-be-in-or-not-to-be-in/1759188/
- Nov 9
🌕 According to a report High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) India’s rank has fallen
in global exports, from 10 in 2003-11 (when global exports rose 11.5% a year and
India’s by 20.5%) to 33 in 2012-17 (global exports grew just 0.3% and India’s
exports 1.5%);
🌕 The collapse in India’s rank makes it clear that the current slowdown is more
India-related than driven by the global slowdown. ( India also has a target of
doubling exports by 2025 )
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/sweeping-reforms-to-boost-exports/1754352/ - Nov 6
🌕 Artificial Intelligence will add $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/ai-will-add-15-7-trillion-to-the-global-economy-by-
2030/1760554/ - Nov 11
🌕 According to technology research firm IDC, global AI spending is about $36

billion this year, up 45% from 2018.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/made-in-india-ai-119110900077_1.html - Nov
9

🌕 65% of global and 62% of Indian CXOs have implemented AI in some form.
This growing popularity is only going to see an uptake, with companies looking
to become fit for future.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/ai-will-add-15-7-trillion-to-the-global-economy-by-
2030/1760554/ - Nov 11
🌕 More than 500 districts in India suffer from low levels of investments in
physical and human infrastructure.
• Compared to other countries, India’s debt is substantially low as a

percentage of world GDP. In India, private debt was 54.5 % of GDP and the
general government debt was 70.4% of GDP, with a total debt of about
125% of GDP in 2017. In comparison, China’s debt was 247% of GDP.
India’s debt is well below the average of most advanced economies and
emerging economies.
• India’s physical infrastructure financing gap is huge, and it is growing

exponentially. It is estimated that India’s infrastructure financing gap is $1
billion a day. The biggest infrastructure financing gap is in the rural areas,
where 60% of the population lives.
• In the past, domestic banks and NBFIs have met 85% of infrastructure debt
financing needs in India. In the future, India will need to also tap into the
global markets.
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/growth-strategy-can-fiscal-stimulus-revive-
growth/1756738/ - Nov 7
🌕 According to the Credit Suisse annual Global Wealth Report 2019, the share of
wealth of the top 1%, 5% and 10% has come down from 2018 levels. Especially,
the top 1%, which had 51.5% of the country’s wealth, as per the 2018 report had
dropped to 44.6%. The total wealth in India appears to have increased from
around $12 trillion 2018 to $12.6 trillion.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/blogs/oecd-tax-proposals-may-strike-at-the-heart-of-global-
inequality-11573491057125.html - Nov 12
🌕 Facebook and Twitter, with 2.12 billion and 250.8 million users, respectively.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/fix-accountability-of-social-media-platforms-857434 -
Nov 7

🌕 With data being the ‘new oil’ and the rapidly growing technological
advancements, a 27.5 per cent increase in social media users is anticipated
between 2019 and 2023.
Nov 7
🌕 There are just about 5,100 IAS officers for a country of over 1.3 billion people. [
no need to memorize, just for an idea, think through it ]
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/there-are-thickets-of-red-tape-to-be-cleared-
11573579089222.html - Nov 13
🌕 India’s trade deficit with China is around $59 billion.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/the-way-around-china-860440 - Nov 14
🌕 India’s trade deficit with ASEAN has increased from virtually nil to $14 billion
over the past decade.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/the-way-around-china-860440 - Nov 14
🌕 China is the largest trading partner of asean countries. China’s trade with asean
stands at $288 billion; india’s at $142 billion.
🌕 China’s defence spending is around $250 billion. india’s $66 billion.

🌕 Whatsapp has over 1.5 billion users worldwide including 400 million users in
India. [ cant be used directly, but can be used if asked about how to protect data
of Indians ]
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/how-secure-are-social-media-messaging-apps-
119111700017_1.html - Nov 17
🌕 Allocation for rural development programmes has gone up considerably from

Rs 50,162 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 1.18 lakh crore in 2019-20.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/rural-poor-agriculture-inflation-agrarian-crisis-
6127696/ - Nov 20
🌕 China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), spans 68 countries, including 65 per cent
of the world’s population and 40 per cent of global GDP.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/bri-china-s-social-governance-of-the-
world-119112001727_1.html - Nov 21

🌕 More than 19,500 languages and dialects are spoken in India as mother
tongues, according to the Language Census. There are 121 languages which are
spoken by 10,000 or more people in the country.
196 languages in India are classified as endangered.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/mother-tongue-english-medium-regional-
language-6130916/ - Nov 22
🌕 Nasscom’s report on startups in India: More than 1,300 startups have been set
up thus far in 2019 and that their number has been growing at a healthy clip of
12-15% over the past five years.
• The report also counts 60,000 new jobs directly added by these startups,
with a knock-on effect of twice-to-thrice that number of indirect jobs
getting created.
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/indian-tech-firms-must-catch-up-on-engaging-
startups-11574699130986.html - Nov 26
🌕 According to Global Terrorism Index 2019, The global economic impact of

terrorism in 2018 amounted to $33 billion. Afghanistan was most affected in
terms of economic cost, equivalent to 19.4% of its GDP.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/daily-chart-data-wise/cost-of-
terror/slideshow/72230632.cms - Nov 26
🌕 According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in 2018, US-

based applicants filed 56,142 Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications,
followed by 53,345 applicants from China. By contrast, there were a mere 2,013
applications from India.
🌕 According to WHO, There is a prevalence of insufficient physical activity

among 76.6% of boys and 76.3% of girls in India.
children/slideshow/72266498.cms - NOv 28
🌕 In their report, The Future of Jobs, World Economic Forum said by 2022, as
much as 62 percent of an organisation’s information and data processing and
information search and transmission tasks will be performed by machines
compared to 46 percent in 2018. [ Impact of AI ]
https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/why-job-losses-are-inevitable-in-it-
119112801434_1.html - Nov 29

🌕 India continues to be the largest country of origin of international migrants
(17.5 million) according to the World Migration Report.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/daily-chart-data-wise/migrant-
diary/slideshow/72283647.cms - Nov 29
🌕 As per The Global Migration Report 2020, International remittances in 2018

reached $689 billion, out of which India received $78.6 billion from the 17.5
million living abroad.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-indians-living-abroad-have-been-sending-home-
over-the-years-6143378/ - Nov 30
🌕 According to the report, titled ‘India Internet 2019,’ Kerala’s Internet

penetration rate is second highest in the country (54%), next only to Delhi NCR
with 69% penetration.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/where-does-kerala-internet-access-stand-compared-to-
other-states/article29910398.ece - Nov 8
🌕 Out of 82 Secretaries to the Government of India, only four are from

Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/only-4-out-of-82-secretaries-from-scst-
communities/article30041448.ece - Nov 22
🌕 Data released by FSSAI on enforcement of norms has noted that 3.7% of the
samples collected and analysed were found unsafe, 15.8% substandard.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/37-food-samples-found-unsafe-158-sub-standard-says-
regulator/article30079347.ece - Nov 26
🌕 Ahead of the General Election, as per a survey conducted by Social Media

Matters and Institute for Governance, Policies and Politics, over 53 per cent of the
respondents claimed that they had received fake news over various social media
platforms in the past 30 days due to the elections. It went on to state that
approximately one in two persons received fake news via Facebook and
WhatsApp.
Nov 7
🌕 The fact is that India is already quite isolated — its share of global
merchandise exports is minuscule, at around 1.8 per cent (China’s is around 13
per cent) and for all the talk about competitiveness in services its global share is
just 3.5 per cent, lower than China’s 4 per cent.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/india-s-challenge-is-competitiveness-
119110601834_1.html - Nov 7
Rankings
🌕 India is the largest producer of milk globally, producing 176 million metric
tonnes in 2017.
___________________________________________________ End of Document
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“A Monthly Compilation of vital facts and statistics

Month : November 2019

For more details : http://factshots.in/

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🌕 A path-breaking 2010 McKinsey study, “Women Matter”, found out that

• It shows that companies with women occupying 30% of leadership

• Yet, women remain unequal when it comes to economic opportunity,

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• India being a very diverse nation, it is difficult to make country-level

🌕 According to the Economic Survey (2018-19), fertility has been declining

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🌕 India’s population is expected to peak around 2060, with a big demographic

🌕 India will be confronted by an ageing population in two decades, with those

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🌕 Data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms showsthat electoral

🌕 According to a data relased by law ministry, government has made 478

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🌕 According to report released by the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey

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🌕 Among OECD countries, the US spent the most on healthcare in 2018,

🌕 As per a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science,

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🌕 While the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends an average

🌕 64% of health expenditure incurred by households in India is borne out-of-

🌕 98% of the healthcare facilities in India employ 10 or fewer persons, dragging

🌕 Government’s spending on health in India is just 1.13% of the GDP, compared

🌕 India’s burden of disease as measured by disability adjusted life years (DALY)

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🌕 The combined government expenditure on healthcare was around 1.4% of

🌕 By some estimates, as many as 39 million people are pushed into poverty by

🌕 A recent first-ever comprehensive national nutrition survey reveals that nearly

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🌕 According to the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),

🌕 The “systematic failure” to address the needs of patients contributes to a 20%

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🌕 The Delhi government spends 26% of its budget on education versus an

🌕 According to an Economic Times report, the country’s higher education

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Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements

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🌕 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) account for one-half of

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🌕 There are 70 million households dependent on dairy in India, the

• Interestingly, 77% of milk production comes from small, marginal and

• India has about 100 million farmers dependent on dairy compared to

Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing

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🌕 China’s GDP is nearly $15 trillion; india’s $ 3 trillion.

🌕 According to reports, the latest consumption expenditure survey shows that

🌕 The economy needs $1.4 trillion as infrastructure investment to reach $5

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🌕 Gross fixed capital formation as a share of GDP peaked in 2007-08 at 36% — it

🌕 International Monetary Fund has projected India’s GDP growth at 6.1% in

🌕 Sustained structural reform efforts, including successfully harnessing its young

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🌕 As automation increases, WEF estimates 42% tasks will be automated in 2022,

🌕 Currently, 95% of employment in India is generated by agriculture, businesses

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