The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 for the month of September 2019stands at 123.3, which is 4.3 percent lower as compared to the level in the month of September 2018. The cumulative growth for the period April-September 2019 over the corresponding period of the previous year stands at 1.3 percent.

2. The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of September 2019 stand at 86.5, 126.5 and 158.7 respectively, with the corresponding growth rates of (-) 8.5 percent, (-) 3.9 percent and (-) 2.6 percent as compared to September 2018 (Statement I). The cumulative growth in these three sectors during April-September 2019 over the corresponding period of 2018 has been 1.0 percent, 1.0 percent and 3.8 percent respectively.

3. In terms of industries, seventeen out of the twenty three industry groups (as per 2-digit NIC-2008) in the manufacturing sector have shown negative growth during the month of September 2019 as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year (Statement II). The industry group ‘Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers’ has shown the highest negative growth of (-) 24.8 percent followed by (-) 23.6 percent in ‘Manufacture of furniture’ and (-) 22.0 percent in‘Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment’.On the other hand, the industry group ‘Manufacture of wood and products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials’ has shown the highest positive growth of 15.5 percent followed by 9.2 percent in ‘Manufacture of basic metals’.

4. As per Use-based classification, the growth rates in September 2019 over September 2018 are (-) 5.1 percent in Primary goods, (-) 20.7 percent in Capital goods, 7.0 percent in Intermediate goods and (-) 6.4 percent in Infrastructure/ Construction Goods (Statement III). The Consumer durables and Consumer non-durables have recorded growth of (-) 9.9 percent and (-) 0.4 percent respectively.

5. Details of item groups exhibiting larger variations in production in absolute terms and weighted terms are at Statement IV.

6. Along with the Quick Estimates of IIP for the month of September 2019, the indices for August 2019 have undergone the first revision and those for June 2019 have undergone the final revision in the light of the updated data received from the source agencies.

7. Statements giving Quick Estimates of the Index of Industrial Production at Sectoral, 2-digit level of National Industrial Classification (NIC-2008) and by Use-based classification for the month of September 2019, along with the growth rates over the corresponding month of the previous year including the cumulative indices are enclosed.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi greeted everyone on the occasion of the 550th Prakash Parv of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. “This is a day to rededicate ourselves to fulfilling Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s dream of a just, inclusive and harmonious society.”, the PM said.

Background: Odisha produces over 7 lakh tonnes maize every year. The coverage of maize has increased to 2.40 lakh hectares in 2019-20 from 2.28 lakh ha a year ago.

What is FAW? It is a native of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas. First detected in the African continent in 2016. Since then, it has spread to other countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

The pest can attack at least 80 types of crops including bajra, jawar, ragi, paddy, wheat and vegetables.

In India: It was reported in India for the first-time in Karnataka. Within a span of only six months, almost 50 per cent of the country, including Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal, has reported FAW infestations.

What makes FAW dangerous? It is the polyphagous (ability to feed on different kinds of food) nature of the caterpillar and the ability of the adult moth to fly more than 100 km per night.

Given its ability to feed on multiple crops — nearly 80 different crops ranging from maize to sugarcane — FAW can attack multiple crops. Similarly, it can spread across large tracts of land as it can fly over large distances. This explains the quick spread of the pest across India.

How FAW affects output? Till date, India has reported FAW infestation on maize, sorghum (jowar) and sugarcane crops. Maize has been the worst affected as most maize-growing states in southern India have been affected by the pest.

FAW infestation and drought has led to a shortfall of nearly 5 lakh tonnes in output, prompting the central government to allow import of maize under concessional duty. Maize is the third most important cereal crop grown in the country and the infestation, if not checked in time, can wreck havoc.

This is the largest number of scientists to explicitly support a publication calling for climate action.

Key facts: Globally, greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, with increasingly damaging effects. However, there’s more to climate change than global temperature.

Scientists have developed a broader set of indicators to convey the effects of human activities on greenhouse gas emissions, and the consequent impacts on climate, our environment and society.

The indicators include human population growth, tree cover loss, fertility rates, fossil fuel subsidies, glacier thickness, and frequency of extreme weather events. All are linked to climate change.

Concerns and challenges: Profoundly troubling signs linked to human activities include sustained increases in human and ruminant populations, global tree cover loss, fossil fuel consumption, number of plane passengers, and carbon dioxide emissions.

The concurrent trends on the actual impacts of climate change are equally troubling. Sea ice is rapidly disappearing, and ocean heat, ocean acidity, sea level, and extreme weather events are all trending upwards.

These trends need to be closely monitored to assess how we are responding to the climate emergency. Any one of them could hit a point of no return, creating a catastrophic feedback loop that could make more regions of Earth uninhabitable.

Six critical and interrelated steps that governments, and the rest of humanity, can take to lessen the worst effects of climate change:

Prioritise energy efficiency, and replace fossil fuels with low-carbon renewable energy sources, Reduce emissions of short-lived pollutants like methane and soot,

Protect and restore the Earth’s ecosystems by curbing land clearing, Reduce our meat consumption, Move away from unsustainable ideas of ever-increasing economic and resource consumption.

Stabilise and ideally, gradually reduce human populations while improving human well-being.

2019 may be the record-breaking cyclone year for India. We are already on a par with 2018 when a record of seven Cyclones was made.

The latest cyclone- bulbul, is the seventh to be formed in the Indian Ocean this year. It is the highest in the last 34 years — a record held jointly with 2018. It will also be the second storm to form in the Bay of Bengal this year after extremely severe Cyclone Fani in April-May.

Previously there was Cyclone Maha formed in the Arabian Ocean. In the Indian Ocean region, cyclones Bulbul and Maha came in quick succession after super cyclone Kyarr — a first in the region after the Odisha super cyclone of 1999.

The Arabian sea, usually not known to be prone to cyclones, has had four major cyclones this year — very severe cyclone Vayu, very severe cyclone Hikaa, super cyclone Kyarr and extremely severe cyclone Maha. This equals the record for the highest number of severe cyclones in the Arabian sea in the last 117 years.

Therehave been two extremely severe cyclones and one super cyclone in the Indian Ocean region in 2019, taking the total number of severe cyclones to five.

Elsewhere: Super typhoon Halong in the western north Pacific Ocean. Hurricane Dorian– Bahamas. Nakri– West Philippine’s Sea.

They are the largest aquatic carnivorous reptiles that have ever lived. They are often dubbed “sea monsters”. Scientifically, they are placed in the suborder

New Zealand- Zero Carbon Law: The country has passed Zero Carbon bill which aims to make New Zealand reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to the point the country becomes mostly carbon neutral by 2050.

It gives some leeway to farmers, who bring in much of the country’s foreign income.

The bill requires all greenhouse gases except methane from animals to be reduced to net zero by 2050. Methane emissions would be reduced by 10% by 2030 and by between about one-quarter and one-half by 2050.

A Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2015-2017 from the Sample Registration System has been released.

Key facts: Maternal mortality ratio is measured as the number of maternal deaths per lakh live births. It varies among the Indian states from a high of 229 per lakh in Assam to a low of 42 in Kerala.

Across the country, the maternal mortality ratio has declined from 130 during 2014-2016 to 122 during 2015-17. There is a 26.9% decrease since 2013 (from 167 in 2011-13 to 122 in the latest bulletin).

For Assam,which recorded the highest maternal mortality ratio, or MMR, the 229 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births is still an improvement from the 2014-16 MMR of 237. Uttar Pradesh (216), Madhya Pradesh (188), Rajasthan (186), Odisha (168), Bihar (165) and Chhattisgarh (141) follow.

Among these states,the maternal mortality rate is the highest in Uttar Pradesh, at 20.1. Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Assam follow with maternal mortality rates at 17.5, 16.9, 16.8 and 15.2 respectively.

Kerala has the lowest MMR, at 42. It is followed by Maharashtra (55), Tamil Nadu (63), Andhra Pradesh (74), Jharkhand (76) and Telangana (76). Kerala also has the lowest maternal mortality rate, at 1.9, followed by Maharashtra at 3.3.

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.