TITBITS:
1.
The ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook study (September) has
definitively linked declining trends in labour’s income share of total income
within nations to technological advances — mainly automation and artificial
intelligence. In an analysis of the past two decades, it mentions a 1.6% drop
in the global labour income share between 2004-24. More ominously, almost 40%
of this decline was in the pandemic years of 2019-22 — a drop that has not been
recouped in the past couple of years.
2.
During the discussion on the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, there was
nervousness about guaranteeing food security through the Public Distribution
System (PDS). The nervousness stemmed from the poor record of the PDS —
according to National Sample Survey (NSS) data, in 2011-12, at the all-India
level, leakages were at 41.7%.
3.
As large steel producers push for protectionist measures citing a rise in
Chinese steel imports, number of micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs)
have flagged concerns over any hike in duties on steel inputs, which, they say,
might potentially drive them out of business.
4.
In India's federal structure, a notable issue is the Vertical Fiscal Imbalance
(VFI), where States spend more money than they can raise through their own
revenues. This imbalance occurs because the responsibility for spending is
decentralized to the States, but the ability to collect taxes and generate
revenue is largely controlled by the Union government.
5.
Saturn’s rings will briefly “disappear” from Earth’s view in March 2025 due to
an optical illusion.This occurs when Saturn’s rings align edge-on with Earth,
making them appear invisible due to their thinness (tens of meters thick),
reflecting minimal light.