Do you think that that the Government’s idea to divert rice for the production of ethanol is a rationale decision? Comment (200 Words)
Refer - The Indian Express
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 5 years
KEY POINTS
· National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) chaired by the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas has decided to use “surplus” rice available with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for conversion to ethanol.
· This is ostensibly for making alcohol-based hand-sanitisers and for the blending of ethanol with petrol. This decision is not only audacious but also an affront to the millions of people who are deeply affected by food insecurity.
· The images of exhausted migrants with their families trudging back from cities to villages are still vivid. Some have died on the way for the want of food and water.
· Distribution of food rations and cooked food is still far from adequate. The urgent priority is to transfer grain from godowns to ration shops and NGOs helping in food packet distribution — certainly not diverting rice to ethanol producers.
· Such diversion of food crops to produce biofuel was considered one of the reasons for the rise in food prices globally. Corn and other grain is also used in feedstock for poultry and cattle and is hence part of the food economy.
· This at a time when India’s position in the Global Hunger Index has slipped nine places. India was placed 102 among the 117 countries ranked in the index in 2019.
· The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 2015-16, found that 38.4 per cent of children under five years are “stunted” (height for age), and 21 per cent are “wasted” (low weight for height). In fact, over a period of 10 years, wasting has increased from 19.8 per cent in NFHS-3 to 21 per cent in NFHS-4.
· The NBCC has decided to use sound quality rice, within FSSAI specifications, for ethanol. It is a bad policy in normal times and particularly unethical during a pandemic.
· It potentially deprives food to humans as well as livestock. At a time when there are fears of a steep fall in national income, a rise in unemployment, and an increase in food inflation due to supply bottlenecks, it is imperative that food security and food price stability be given the highest priority.
· Ethanol can be produced from other ingredients such as B and C heavy molasses, sugar, sugar syrup, and sugarcane juice. Ethanol has also been blessed with a low GST and enjoys relaxed conditions for inter-state movement if used for blending with petrol.
· Since the economy faces a bleak prospect due to the impact of COVID-19, the government should first use the food grains to meet the requirement of about 10 to 20 crore people without ration cards.
· It must provide rice to NGOs at PDS prices, for providing cooked food to migrant labour stuck in cities and it should provide an additional five kg food grains to the poor for six months instead of three months.
Pavithra.R 5 years
Please review my answer.
IAS Parliament 5 years
Good answer. Try to stick to word limit. Keep Writing.
