Context:
Farmers are expressing dissatisfaction with the Union government’s decision to allow private entities into the production and processing of opium.
About Opium Poppy Plant
- The opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferous) serves as the origin of opium gum, which comprises crucial alkaloids like morphine, codeine, and thebaine.
- Morphine stands out as a highly effective analgesic, particularly in cases of severe and agonizing pain, such as that experienced by terminally ill cancer patients. In such instances, nothing provides relief quite like morphine.
- Codeine is frequently employed in the production of cough syrups.
Opium cultivation in India
- India is one of the few countries that legally grow opium poppy
- India is the only country which legally produces opium gum (Source -department of revenue website).
- Narcotic-Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 empowers the Central Government to permit and regulate cultivation of opium poppy for medical and scientific purposes.
- The Government of India notifies the tracts where opium cultivation can be licensed as well as the General Conditions for issuance of license every year.
- These notifications are commonly referred to as Opium Policies.
- The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) under the Narcotics Commissioner issues licenses to the farmers to cultivate opium poppy.
- Opium cultivation is permitted in the notified tracts in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
- Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh and Chittorgarh and Jhalawar Districts of Rajasthan constitute about 80% of the total area.
Source: The Hindu
Previous year question
In India, which one of the following is responsible for maintaining price stability by controlling inflation? [UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) Department of Consumer Affairs
(b) Expenditure Management Commission
(c) Financial Stability and Development Council
(d) Reserve Bank of India
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
Reserve Bank of India is India’s central bank has key function to keep check on the inflation by use of monetary policy in forms of qualitative and quantitative measures.
In 2016, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was established to enhance transparency and accountability in the decision-making process of monetary policy.
The committee is responsible for determining the policy interest rate required to achieve the inflation target, which is set once in five years by the Government of India in consultation with the Reserve Bank.
The MPC comprises of six members, with three from the RBI and three selected by the government, and is chaired by the Governor of the RBI. The current inflation target is 4% with a tolerance range of -2/+2.
