• According to the Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISC), an adequate level of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) falls between 0.50% and 0.75%. However, renowned soil scientist and World Food Prize Laureate Dr. Rattan Lal suggests that soils should ideally contain 1.5% to 2% carbon to ensure optimal health.
• Indian soils are also found lacking in essential elements such as sulphur and key micronutrients like zinc, iron, and boron, with deficiencies ranging from moderate to severe.
• The current condition of several regions’ soils is so degraded that they could be likened to patients requiring critical care, underscoring the urgency of restoring their fertility to enable sustainable production of nutrient-rich food.
• In light of these concerns, the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) has partnered with OCP Nutricrops to tackle soil degradation both within India and internationally. OCP Nutricrops specializes in innovative solutions for soil health and fertilization, with a focus on promoting sustainable agriculture. The partnership is aimed at crafting and scaling data-backed, region-specific soil nutrition strategies to boost both crop yield and nutritional quality.
• In the fiscal year 2024–25, India exported 20.2 million tonnes of rice out of a global total of 61 million tonnes. At the same time, it operates the largest food distribution scheme in the world — the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) — which offers 5 kilograms of free rice or wheat per person every month to over 800 million citizens.
• Despite this, the Food Corporation of India is holding 57 million tonnes of rice as of July 1, 2025 — the largest stockpile in two decades and nearly four times the required buffer stock of 13.54 million tonnes.
• Poverty has also seen a dramatic decline. The share of the population living in extreme poverty (earning less than $3 a day at 2021 PPP rates) dropped from 27.1% in 2011 to just 5.3% in 2022.
• Nonetheless, challenges remain. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21) revealed that 35.5% of children under five are stunted, 32.1% are underweight, and 19.3% are wasted. India's approach to food security must therefore shift from merely addressing hunger to ensuring proper nutrition.
• An often-underestimated factor in this context is soil health. Deficiencies in micronutrients not only reduce agricultural productivity but also compromise the nutrient content of the food grown.
• For instance, when soil is low in zinc, crops like rice and wheat also end up deficient in it. This leads to a nutritional gap in human diets and contributes to problems such as childhood stunting, which negatively impacts a person’s physical development, mental capacity, and long-term productivity.
• SOC plays a crucial role in determining the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil — including its water retention and nutrient efficiency. The question of what level of SOC is sufficient continues to be debated among experts

How gender remains a primary barrier to women’s workforce participation?

For Prelims Examination: Current events of national and international significance

For Mains Examination: GS III - Economy

Context:

As India celebrates the 79th Independence Day this week, it is also a moment to reflect on the country’s journey towards inclusive growth. Over the years, women’s participation in the workforce has evolved

Read about:

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Key takeaways:

Women’s Participation in the Workforce

• Beyond factors such as ageing, disability, or other circumstances that prevent working-age adults from entering the labour market, India’s workforce participation clearly reflects a gender gap.
• As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2022–2023 by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, around 80% of men are part of the labour force, compared to only about 40% of women.
• The female labour force participation rate in India continues to trail behind that of many countries with similar income levels and stages of development. This means women remain significantly underrepresented in economic activity.
• While many women do work, their contributions often go unrecognised in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The disparity is not limited to rural areas or women with limited education—urban women, including those with higher education degrees, are also absent from the workforce.

Structural Barriers

• Although women enjoy equal rights under the law, practical challenges continue to hinder their workforce participation, most of which are structural. Inflexible work hours, unequal pay, limited access to training and skill-building, poor digital literacy, inadequate safety measures, and the responsibility of domestic and childcare duties restrict women’s employment opportunities—particularly in blue- and grey-collar sectors.
• These jobs often demand long, fixed shifts, leading families to discourage women from pursuing them. The double load of household work and paid employment further disadvantages them.
• Pay inequality remains another major challenge, prompting some women to leave the labour force entirely. The global gender pay gap reflects this entrenched imbalance: according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, in 2024, women earned roughly $0.83 for every dollar earned by men, indicating a 17% wage gap.

Impact of the Gig Economy

• The rapid growth of the gig-platform economy has also reinforced gender imbalances. Jobs such as delivery driving are largely male-dominated and are often perceived as unsafe or socially unsuitable for women, further reinforced by societal stigma.
• Research by economists like Uma Rani shows that, despite promoting themselves as flexible and empowering, many gig platforms replicate existing gender biases. Women tend to be concentrated in lower-paying roles such as domestic work or beauty services, while men dominate better-paid segments like delivery or transport.

Addressing the Challenges

• Overcoming these issues demands a multi-dimensional strategy targeting cultural, structural, and economic barriers. Stronger enforcement of minimum wage laws could help narrow pay disparities. Employment policies should also incorporate childcare and maternity-related costs to encourage female participation.
• Workplace safety must be prioritised by ensuring basic infrastructure such as CCTV surveillance, adequate lighting, clean sanitation facilities, and childcare services. Providing transport and accommodation options could further improve retention rates.
• From a policy standpoint, greater investment in vocational and skill-based training for women—particularly in rural areas—combined with efficient job-matching systems would enhance opportunities. The establishment of formal grievance redressal mechanisms across sectors is essential to give women the confidence to report workplace issues.
• Additionally, making recruitment processes more transparent, instead of depending on referrals or word-of-mouth, would encourage more women to apply. Expanding and enforcing labour laws to ensure formal contracts and social security coverage would further strengthen these measures

Follow Up Question