(19 June 2023) Government Data Roundup: Reports by FSSAI, NHAI, NITI Aayog Among Those Released Recently

The 31^st edition of the fortnightly government roundup covers reports released by FSSAI, NHAI, NITI Aayog along with updates from various monthly reports. We also look at two global reports published by international agencies.

In this 31^st edition of the fortnightly roundup of government data, we look at some of the reports released by FSSAI, NHAI, NITI Aayog along with updates from various monthly reports. We also look at two global reports published by international agencies. 

Among the periodical monthly reports, CPI, WPI & IIP were released. Key statistics from these reports are the following.  

• The all-India Year-on-year Inflation rate (%) based on CPI, combined for rural & urban for May 2023 (provisional)  further declined to 4.25 compared to 4.7  for April 2023 (Final). In May 2022, this was 7.04.
• The annual rate of inflation based on all India WPI is (-) 3.48% for May 2023 as against (-)0.92 % recorded in April 2023. The decline is primarily attributed to a fall in prices of –mineral oils, basic metals, food products, textiles, non-food articles, crude petroleum & Natural gas, chemical & chemical products, etc. 
• For the month of April 2023, the Quick Estimates Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 stands at 140.2, compared to 150.5 during March 2023. The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of April 2023 stand at 122.5, 138.1 and 192.3 respectively, the same was at 154.2, 146.0 and 188.0 respectively for March 2023. 

Further details about these reports are available in our earlier updates. 

Here is a look at a few other reports and indices.

NHAI’s Sustainability Report 2021-22

About the report

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) released its first “Sustainability Report” for the year 2021-22. This report underlines the effectiveness of various efforts made by NHAI for environment and energy conservation. The Sustainability Report follows the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines and has been externally assured by a third party adhering to international standards on assurance engagements. Through its sustainable practices, NHAI aims to attract “Green Finance” for infrastructure financing to ensure socially and environmentally responsible projects. 

Key Highlights

• Direct emissions were reduced by 18.44% and 9.49% from 2019-20 to 2021-22, due to less fuel consumption. Green House Gas (GHG) Emissions declined by 9.7% in 2020-21 and 2% in 2021-22. 
• 97% penetration of Electronic Toll Collection through FASTag has contributed to reducing carbon footprint. 
• More than 100 Wildlife Crossings were created in three years across 20 States as a measure of wildlife protection. 
• Increase in usage of recycled materials like fly-ash, plastic waste, etc. for National Highway construction and adopting Recycled Asphalt (RAP) and Recycled Aggregates (RA) in Highway construction. 
• Increase in the number of saplings planted, with 2.74 crores of saplings planted till 2021-22 to offset direct emissions from vehicles. Planted around 1.1 lakh plants in a single day as part of a Nationwide plantation drive. 
• NHAI’s commitment to creating inclusive and responsible work practices has contributed to an increase in the woman workforce by 7.4% over three years. 

5^th State Food Safety Index

About the report

State Food Safety Index (SFSI) was launched in 2018-19 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The latest report is the 5^th edition. The index evaluates the performances of states and UTs across six different aspects of food safety – Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing Infrastructure, Training & Capacity Building, Consumer Empowerment, Improvement in SFSI rank. The index aims to foster healthy competition and bring about positive change in the food security ecosystem. 

To ensure comparability among the States/UTs, they are grouped into three categories – Large States (20 states), Small States (8 States) and Union Territories (8). 

Key Highlights 

• Among large states, Kerala secured top tanking for 2022-23, followed by Punjab and Tamil Nadu. Jharkhand secured the least score with Assam and Bihar performing slightly better. 
• In the case of small states, Goa has the top ranking followed by Manipur and Sikkim. Mizoram secured the least score among the 8 smaller states. 
• Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh secured the top-3 ranks. 

The Energy Progress Report 2023

About the report

Tracking SDG-7: The Energy Progress Report is an annual report developed by 5 custodian agencies – International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

These agencies are responsible for tracking global progress towards SDG 7 i.e., “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.” The report acts as a global reference point for information on the realization of SDG7. 

Key Highlights 

• By 2021, 91% of the world’s population has access to electricity. While this is an increase from 84% in 2010, the pace of growth has slowed down, especially during 2019-21. 
• 567 million people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity. 
• The world remains off track to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030. About 2.3 billion people still use polluting fuels and technologies for cooking. 
• WHO estimates that 3.2 premature deaths each year are due to household air pollution created by polluting fuels and technologies used for cooking. 
• The use of renewable electricity in global consumption has grown from 26.3% in 2019 to 28.2% in 2020. This is the largest single-year increase since the beginning of tracking progress for the SDGs.
• International public financial flows in support of clean energy in developing countries are at USD 10.8 billion. This is 35% less than the 2010-2019 average. 

Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity | June-November 2023 Outlook

About the report

Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity reports published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Food Programme (WTP) provides the outlook on food security for the period June to November 2023. 

This report provides an early warning by FAO & WFP highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian action in 18 hunger hotspots. These hotspots were identified through forward-looking analysis. This report is part of anticipatory actions, which are short-term disaster risk management interventions implemented during the critical time window. It includes recommendations for anticipatory actions and emergency responses tailored for the flagged risks. 

Process 

The selection of Hunger hotspots is based on consensus among food security experts and conflict, economic and natural hazards analysts from FAO and WFP. A set of quantitative and qualitative indicators are used to identify the hotspots – latest absolute figures, forward-looking risk analysis, ongoing or planned agricultural activities for the outlook period, existing or likely disruptions, aggravating factors, and constraints, etc. 

Key Highlights 

• 18 hunger hotspots – comprising a total of 22 countries – were identified during the outlook period from June to November 2023 
• Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen remain at the highest concern level 
• Haiti, the Sahel (Burkina Faso and Mali) and Sudan have been elevated to the highest concern levels; this is due to severe movement restrictions of people and goods in Haiti, as well as in Burkina Faso and Mali, and the recent eruption of conflict in Sudan. 
• Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Syrian Arab Republic are hotspots with very high concern, and the warning is also extended to Myanmar 
• Lebanon, El Salvador, and Nicaragua have been added to the list of hunger hotspot countries since the September 2022 edition. 
• Malawi, Guatemala, and Honduras remain hunger hotspot countries. 

NITI Aayog’s reports related to LiFE campaign 

Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in Glasgow, calling upon the global community of individuals and institutions to drive LiFE as an international mass movement towards mindful and deliberate utilization, instead of mindless and destructive consumption to protect and preserve the environment. 

Recently NITI Aayog has published three reports related to LiFE. Here is a quick summary of these three reports. 

1. Thought Leadership for LiFE: This publication by NITI Aayog was developed with the core philosophy that small actions by individuals can eventually add up and make a big dent in the climate crisis. This is a compendium and is published as part of LiFE Global Call for Ideas and papers, launched by Narendra Modi on 05 June 2022. This call was launched to invite ideas and suggestions from academics, universities, research institutions, etc. to contribute scientific and measurable solutions to the LiFE movement. This compendium consists of messages and quotes from several heads of nations. Submissions were invited from experts and academics across the world related to the field of sustainability. Submissions were received from authors from five countries – USA, Japan, Australia, UK, and France, with their expertise in the domains of healthcare, energy, waste, and technology. 

2. Mindful Living – Compendium of LiFE Practices Around the World: This report was developed as part of LiFE movement to showcase case studies that embody the idea of behavioural change facilitating sustainable consumption and addressing climate change. The report compiles case studies across seven thematic areas: Water Saving, Waste Management, Sustainable Food Systems, Energy Conservation, Plastic Waste Management, Sustainable Lifestyles and E-Waste Management.

3. Thinking For Our Planet 75 Ideas to Promote LiFE: LiFE Global Call for Ideas and Papers (GCIP) was announced by PM Narendra Modi on 05 June 2022. By December 2022, a total of 2,538 participants from 67 countries had submitted ideas for Phase I of LiFE GCIP. Out of these, 2264 submissions were from Asia. In Phase II, 674 participants from 42 countries submitted their detailed proposals by 09 March 2023. NITI Aayog constituted an Evaluation Committee of leading experts to review and select winning innovations for LiFE that can be tested in India. This compendium is a repository of the best ideas and proposals for behavioural interventions needed for a sustainable lifestyle in the current times.