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AGRICULTURE Role of research and innovation in transforming food systems in South Asia

Food systems are at the heart of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, the current food system in South Asia is dysfunctional and needs transformation to deliver benefits to people and the planet. Achieving this requires both an evidence base for radical new policies and the adoption of innovations across the food value chain at scale.

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AGRICULTURE Export specialisation and India's agricultural transformation

This paper examines whether export specialisation is a catalyst for agricultural transformation in India. Analysis has shown that India’s export of agricultural products has increased from 1.35 per cent in 2001 to 2.61 in 2019 and there is a significant agricultural trade surplus generated over time. Two products—rice and crustaceans accounted for nearly one-third of export value in 2017-2019 with a little change in export composition. Export specialisation indices broadly confirm these patterns. Results indicate that agricultural transformation led by export specialisation will remain stunted in the near future. The policy should aim at diversification of agricultural export basket through product-specific focus, based on export demand and exploration of new markets.

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HEALTH Pause and Reboot: Reflections on Economy, Society and Polity during Covid-19 Global Pandemic and Lessons for India

The current global crisis arising out of Covid-19 pandemic that has already consumed hundred of lives worldwide, has once again exposed glaring weaknesses of the economic, social and political order presided over globally by the neoliberal architecture. This article attempts to understand not just the current global and national/regional crises from the perspective of the Covid-19 pandemic, but to take a look at the historical processes of widening inequalities in the context of the overarching phenomenon of neoliberal socio-economic and political programmes. I propose that world capitalism, especially after the growth of sea-based trades, which eventually translated into creation of worldwide imperialism that captured and controlled natural and productive resources in more than half of the world geographical area, has been continuously reinventing itself to remain in the privileged position of power. The ever rising scope and intensity of global capitalism and its current avatar—neoliberalism, is closely associated and responsible for widening economic inequality, socio-spatial concentration of wealth, extensive and irreversible environmental degradation, climate change, political disenfranchisement, accumulation by dispossession and deepening of social class and ethnic divisions and conflicts within national boundaries as well as between and among countries. The current crisis is a culmination of greed based trade and unnecessary competition. It is imperative now to redefine global priorities and in the light of insightful recent innovations in the field.

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SCIENCE Ocean Science to Services

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SCIENCE Ocean State Forecast Services for the Maritime Community

India is the only country in the northern Indian Ocean that has a fully operational ocean state forecast (OSF) services. This supports millions of users for smooth operations at sea, for both offshore and nearshore activities. The OSF services from ESSO-INCOIS are of a high global standard with accurate, timely forecasts and advisories. They are supported by a robust in-situ and satellite observations as well as state-of-the-art computational facilities with multi-model simulations. The services incorporate the latest information and communication technology (ICT) tools for building a well-defined dissemination system. ESSO-INCOIS has modulated its general forecasts to build impact-based forecasts based on user feedback. Its recent service caters to fishing boats far out at sea with systems enabled through NAVigation with Indian Constellation (NAVIC) and the Gagan Enabled Mariner's Instrument for Navigation and Information (GEMINI). ESSO-INCOIS also plays an active role in supporting the rising needs of ushering in the blue economy of the region.

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OCEANS Indian Tsunami Early Warning System: Future Developments

The Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake on December 26, 2004, caused approximately 2,30,000 casualties and widespread damage to infrastructure in several Indian Ocean rim countries. In fact, the 2004 tsunami was one of the strongest and deadliest ever recorded in terms of magnitude, which put into perspective the need to set up an early warning system for tsunamis in India. Following the 2004 tsunami, the Indian Tsunami Early Warning System (ITEWS) was established to provide early warnings on impending tsunamis triggered due to earthquakes in the Indian Ocean. This article describes various components of ITEWS, the decision support system and the bulletins. It also discusses issues, challenges and future developments.

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DISASTER MANAGEMENT Forecasting Tropical Cyclones in the Indian Ocean: A HYCOM-HWRF Coupled System

Tropical storm forecast models conventionally use static sea surface temperature (SST), assuming its temporal changes are not significant in forecast. However, oceanic processes such as upwelling, currents and eddies, significantly modulate SST even at short time scales. Such changes have the potential to influence the planetary boundary layer. Eminent climate scientists, Morris A Bender and Issac Ginis have shown that inclusion of initial conditions with oceanic mesoscale features can improve hurricane/cyclone intensity forecasts. Scientific evidence thus supports better forecasts with coupled forecast systems and several forecast centres across the globe depend on such systems. In line with the international efforts, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and two of its institutes, ESSO-INCOIS and ESSO-IMD, established a state-of-the-art coupled forecasting system for cyclones arising in the Indian Ocean in collaboration with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of USA. In the present article, we explore the relevance of the system and its performance in achieving this goal.

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FOR PEOPLE Empowering Seafarers of India

ESSO-The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (ESSO-INCOIS)provides a host of economic and environmental benefits to the coastal populace through a wide variety of services—ocean state forecast, potential fishing zone advisory and the tsunami early warning system. Ground surveys conducted by various agencies among the beneficiaries corroborate the efficacy of ESSO-INCOIS’ services.

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AGRICULTURE The unblurred lines of antiquity

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CASTE AND CLASS Caste and Class in India: Perspectives from the past and recent

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