MLC Daily Current Affairs – 11 March 2025

Today in History (March 11^th,1930)

In Indian history, March 11 is the day when Mahatma Gandhi began the Salt March in 1930. This nonviolent protest against British rule brought Gandhi international attention.

Summary of Today’s News

Mark Carney elected as Canada’s next Prime Minister

• Former central banker Mark Carney will become the next Prime Minister of Canada after being elected as leader of the governing Liberal Party.
• He won with 85.9% of the votes.

Carney replaces Justin Trudeau:

• Carney, 59, replaces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but will remain in office until Carney is sworn in.

Carney’s stance on U.S. trade:

• Carney vows to retain retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. until “the Americans show us respect.”
• He criticizes U.S. President Donald Trump for imposing unjustified tariffs on Canadian goods and attacking Canadian families, workers, and businesses.
• Carney asserts that Canada will not let Trump succeed in his trade war.

Carney’s previous experience:

• Carney has experience navigating crises as the head of the Bank of Canada and later as the first non-citizen to run the Bank of England.
• His leadership in the Bank of Canada helped Canada recover from the 2008 financial crisis faster than many other countries.

Conservative opposition’s focus on Trudeau:

• The opposition Conservative Party aimed to make the election about Prime Minister Trudeau, whose popularity declined due to rising food and housing prices and increased immigration.

Impact of Trump’s actions on Canadians:

• Trump’s trade war and threats of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have angered Canadians.
• Many Canadians have protested by booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games, avoiding American goods, and canceling trips to the U.S.

Surge in Canadian nationalism:

• The rise in Canadian nationalism has strengthened the Liberal Party’s chances in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Carney’s warning about U.S. intentions:

• Carney warns that if the U.S. succeeds in its trade war, it would threaten Canada’s way of life, as the Americans want Canada’s resources.

Flawed Food Regulations Fuel the Obesity Crisis

Introduction

• Dr. Arun Gupta is a pediatrician, public health expert, and convenor of the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest.
• He is a former member of the PM’s Council on India’s Nutritional Challenges.
• Prime Minister Modi’s call to address obesity and the 2025 Economic Survey’s recommendation of a ‘health tax’ on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are commendable but risk being undermined by flawed food regulations in India.
• Obesity and diabetes rates are high in India, with one in four adults being obese, and one in four adults being diabetic or pre-diabetic (National Family Health Survey-5).
• This underlines the urgency for effective action.

Current Food Marketing and Regulations

• Right to Information (RTI) responses reveal that various Ministries and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have not been able to implement 2017 labelling or advertising regulations.
• The regulations still rely on ambiguous and subjective rules.
• As a result, there are numerous advertisements for UPFs and no front-of-pack labels on food products.

Flaws in Indian Nutrition Rating System

• In September 2022, FSSAI proposed the Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) system, based on Australia’s health star model.
• The INR system gives ratings from 0.5 to 5 stars, with 5 stars representing the healthiest foods.
• RTI responses reveal that FSSAI used a study from IIM Ahmedabad to justify this rating system, without critically evaluating it.
• Food industry representatives dominated the stakeholder meetings, sidelining scientific experts.
• FSSAI ignored its own 2021 draft regulations proposing ‘traffic light’ colour-coded and mandatory warning labels.
• Industry lobbying led to the adoption of a flawed rating system that misleads consumers by giving stars to unhealthy foods.
• For example, foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) like biscuits and soft drinks may display misleading star ratings.

International Comparison

• Globally, front-of-pack warning labels like those in Chile have reduced consumption of UPFs by 24%.
• The World Health Organization and the National Institute of Nutrition recommend mandatory ‘high in’ warning labels for HFSS and UPFs in India.

Current Advertising Regulations

• India has four laws aimed at curbing misleading advertising of HFSS/UPFs, but none are effective.
• The National Multisectoral Action Plan (2017) called for amending laws to restrict advertising of HFSS foods, but no action has been taken.
• Existing regulations are vague and subjective. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, defines ‘misleading’ but does not specify nutritional information.
• FSSAI regulations don’t require nutritional information in advertisements, allowing products like sugary drinks to target vulnerable groups without disclosing harmful ingredients.

Impact of Ineffective Regulations

• Weak regulations continue to allow the advertising of unhealthy food products, contributing to obesity and diabetes.
• Studies suggest that stricter regulations would significantly reduce childhood obesity rates.

Path Forward

• The Economic Survey calls for stronger front-of-pack labels and stricter marketing restrictions.
• Recommended steps to tackle the issue:

1. Scrap the Indian Nutrition Rating system and adopt warning labels.
2. Set clear sugar, salt, and fat limits for HFSS foods, using guidelines from the World Health Organization (SEARO) and the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition.
3. Close advertising loopholes by amending existing laws or enacting a new law to ban UPF/HFSS advertising.
4. Launch a nationwide campaign educating people about the risks of UPFs.

Conclusion

• India’s obesity crisis is a result of policy failure, not public failure.
• The Economic Survey offers a roadmap to address the crisis.
• Without urgent action, the 2025 obesity targets will fail.
• India needs a regulatory approach that prioritizes public health over corporate profits, especially for children.
• Policy makers must act with urgency to implement these solutions.

India Second-Largest Arms Importer (2020-24), Says SIPRI

Global Arms Imports:

• • Ukraine became the largest arms importer during 2020-24, with nearly a 100-fold increase in imports compared to 2015-2019.
  • India ranked as the second-largest arms importer, though its imports decreased by 9.3% between 2015-2019 and 2020-2024.
• Arms Imports from Russia:
  • The largest share (36%) of Indian arms imports came from Russia.
  • The share from Russia decreased significantly from 55% in 2015-19 and 72% in 2010-14.
• Arms Imports from France:
  • India was the largest recipient of French arms exports, receiving 28% of France’s arms exports during 2020-24.
  • This share was nearly double that received by all European countries combined (15%).
  • France’s arms exports to European countries grew by 187% between 2015-19 and 2020-24, largely due to deliveries of combat aircraft and arms supplies to Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
• China’s Decline:
  • China dropped out of the top 10 arms importers list for the first time since 1990-94, reflecting its expanding domestic arms manufacturing capabilities.
• Pakistan’s Arms Imports:
  • Pakistan’s arms imports grew by 61% between 2015-19 and 2020-24, with China becoming the dominant supplier (81% of Pakistan’s arms imports in 2020-24).
• Global Arms Exports:
  • U.S. share of global arms exports increased to 43%.
  • Russia’s global arms exports fell by 64%, accounting for just 7.8% of global arms exports, falling behind France (9.6%).
  • France emerged as the second-largest arms exporter globally in 2020-24.
• Russia’s Arms Exports:
  • Russia delivered major arms to 33 countries in 2020-24, with two-thirds of the exports going to India (38%), China (17%), and Kazakhstan (11%).
• France’s Export Destinations:
  • France exported arms to 65 countries, with the largest share (28%) going to India.
  • Other major recipients of French arms included Qatar (9.7%).
  • India has received major military platforms from France, including 36 Rafale fighter jets, six Scorpene-class submarines, and is expected to finalize deals for 26 Rafale-M jets and three submarines.
• Global Arms Transfer Volume:
  • Global arms transfer volumes remained relatively constant compared to 2015-19 and 2010-14 but were 18% higher than in 2005-09.
• Italy’s Position:
  • Italy, with a 4.8% share of global arms sales, rose from 10th to 6th place on the list of arms exporters.
• Arms Transfers to Ukraine:
  • At least 35 countries sent weapons to Ukraine since the war began in 2022, and many more deliveries are expected.
  • Ukraine received 8.8% of global arms imports during 2020-24.
• Conclusion by SIPRI:
  • The rearmament in Europe is a clear response to the threat from Russia.
  • Some major arms importers, including Saudi Arabia, India, and China, saw significant declines in import volumes for various reasons.