ART AND CULTURE

1. 150 YEARS OF ICONIC ARTIST ABANINDRANATH TAGORE

THE CONTEXT: Year-long celebrations marking 150 years of Abanindranath Tagore started with a host of online workshops and talks paying tributes to the leading light of the Bengal School of Art.

Analysis:

• Abanindranath, a nephew of Rabindranath Tagore and a decade younger to the poet, helped shape modern Indian art and was the creator of the iconic ‘Bharat Mata’ painting.

CONTRIBUTION DURING SWADESHI MOVMENT

• Abanindranath Tagore was arguably first major exponent of an artistic idiom that sought to modernise the
• Mughal and Rajput styles in order to counter the influence of Western models of art under colonial regime.
• His unique interpretation of swadeshi themes created a new awakening and heralded a revival of Indian art.
• Tagore advocated in favour of a nationalistic Indian art derived from Indian art history, drawing inspiration from the Ajanta Caves.
• The Indian Society of Oriental Art was founded in Calcutta in 1907 with his initiative.

Source: The Hindu

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2. POSHAN TRACKER APPLICATION

THE CONTEXT: Poshan Tracker management application provides a 360-degree view of the activities of the Anganwadi Centre (AWC), service deliveries of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and complete beneficiary management for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children. Simultaneously, the mobile application also digitizes and automates physical registers used by AWWs that helps improving their quality of work.

Analysis:

• The AWWs are being provided Smart phones procured through Government e-Market (GeM) for efficient service delivery.
• A total of 8.66 lakhs Smart phones have been procured by 32 States/UTs. Further, AWW and Lady Supervisor (LS) are being provided ₹200/- per month for recharging of smart phones.
• Government has organised training of AWWs to facilitate use of Poshan Tracker by them and till date, more than 6.5 lakhs AWWs have been trained.

POSHAN ABHIYAAN

• POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to reduce malnutrition in the country in a phased manner, through a life cycle approach, by adopting a synergised and result oriented approach.
• The Programme strives to induce behavioural change through nutrition centric Jan Andolans in the form of Poshan Pakhwadas and Poshan Maahs.

The target for reducing the prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years is by 2% per annum and anemia among children under 5 years is by 3% per annum.

Source: PIB

3. SANKALP PROGRAMME

THE CONTEXT: The Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has provided information on Sankalp Programme to parliament.

Analysis:

• The implementation period of SANKALP is till March, 2023, and the positive outcome so far is seen in the following areas:

1. 1. 1. Strengthening of the District Skill Committees leading to demand-driven approach for the implementation of the PradhanMantriKaushalVikasYojana (PMKVY).
      2. District-level skill planning through District Skill Development Plans.

• Focus on improving access to skill training for Women, SC/ST and other marginalized weaker sections of the society.

The institutions strengthened so far under SANKALP are as under:

• State Skill Development Missions through State Incentive Grants.
• District Skill Committees through Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) program and capacity building training.
• Gram Panchayats by bringing skill training and certification within their ambit.
• Sector Skill Councils by linking them up with opportunities for industry-skilled manpower connection indistricts.
• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) being an important implementing partner of pilot projects.
• National Instructional Media Institute (NIMI) by augmenting resources through their management of the MGNF Program.
• SANKALP is a supporting programme to skill training schemes which focuses inter-alia on improvement of quality, strengthening of institutions and inclusion of weaker sections in skill training.
• SANKALP has undertaken several initiatives to contribute to improvement in employability, some of which are asunder:

1. 1. 1. Strengthening of District Skill Committees for improved access to and demand driven skill trainings foremployment.
      2. Emphasis on skill certification in Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) at Gram Panchayat level for improving employmentqualitatively.

• Funded development of an IT system namely “Skill India Portal” to capture the data for skilling related activities across thecountry.

1. 1. 1. Global Skill Gap study was conducted to identify the global gaps in demand and supply of skilled manpower as well as overseas employment opportunities for skilled workers from India. The Report helped in identifying important countries of interest as destination and job roles ofinterest.
      2. Released Rs. 273.49 Crore as State Incentive Grants to 30 States/ UTs and Rs. 13.91 Crore to aspirational districts for implementation of SANKALP Scheme in the States/UTs.
      3. Improving quality of trainers in Auto sector in collaboration with Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Maharashtra State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) at Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

• A Gender Action Plan (GAP) has been prepared for promoting inclusion of women in Short term skilling and livelihood opportunities.

ABOUT SANKALP PROGRAM

• Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Scheme is a World Bank loan assisted programme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) with three key Result Areas (RA), namely (i) Institutional Strengthening at Central,State, and District level; (ii) Quality Assurance of skill development programmes; and (iii) Inclusion of marginalized population in skill development programmes.

Source: PIB

4. IMPLEMENTATION OF SVAMITVA AND E-PANCHAYAT PROGRAMMES

THE CONTEXT:  Drone flying has been completed in 52,970 villages and Property Cards distributed in 7440 villages to property owners.

ABOUT SVAMITVA SCHEME

• SVAMITVA Scheme aims to provide the ‘Record of Rights’ to village household owners possessing houses in inhabited areas in villages with issuance of legal ownership rights (Property cards/Title deeds).
• The pilot phase of the Scheme was launched on 24^th April 2020 for implementation during 2020-21 in 6 states namely Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Later on, villages of one border district of Punjab and Rajasthan and few villages of Andhra Pradesh were also added in the pilot phase of implementation.
• During 2021-2025, the Scheme is to be implemented across the country in phased manner and would eventually cover all the villages of the country.
• States/Union Territories need to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Survey of India (SoI) for implementation of the scheme. In addition to 9 pilot phase States, 17 more States have signed MoU with SoI since national roll out of scheme on 24^thApril 2021.

ABOUT E-PANCHAYAT PROGRAMMES

• With the aim to transform functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Ministry is implementing e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) under Digital India Programme.
• This is expected to make them more transparent, accountable and effective organs of local self-governing institutions.
• eGramSwaraj (egramswaraj.gov.in), a Simplified Work Based Accounting Application for Panchayati Raj has been developed amalgamating functionalities of planning, monitoring, accounting and online payments.
• The Panchayats have been encouraged to adopt the e-GramSwaraj-PFMS (Public Finance Management System) interface to make payments to vendors through PFMS and not through cheques.

Source: PIB

5. INDIA’S ELDERLY POPULATION TO RISE 41% OVER NEXT DECADE TO TOUCH 194 MN IN 2031: GOVT REPORT

THE CONTEXT: India’s elderly population (aged 60 and above) is projected to touch 194 million in 2031 from 138 million in 2021, a 41 per cent increase over a decade, according to the National Statistical Office (NSO)’s Elderly in India 2021 report.

Analysis:

• The report said there will be 93 million males and 101 million females in 2031 — up from 67 million males and 71 million females in 2021.
• The NSO, which falls under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), sought to provide insights about the problems and status of elderly persons in the country, and help in policymaking.
• The report stressed the 2017 United Nations Report on World Population Ageing, which claimed that by 2030 the people aged 60 years or above are expected to outnumber children under age 10.
• According to the report, Kerala currently has the highest elderly population (16.5 per cent), followed by Tamil Nadu (13.6 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (13.1 per cent), Punjab (12.6 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (12.4 per cent) in 2021. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam have the least proportion with 7.7 per cent, 8.1 per cent and 8.2 per cent, respectively.

Source: The Print

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

6. ARABIAN SEA CYCLONES MORE FREQUENT IN RECENT YEARS

THE CONTEXT: Studies using a 50-year (1970-2019) extreme weather events dataset of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have shown that in recent decades, there has been increased occurrences of extreme weather events, including extremely severe cyclonic storms.

Analysis:

• An analysis of past data of cyclones over the North Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea) during the period 1891–2020 indicates that the frequency of extremely severe cyclonic storms has increased in recent few years over the Arabian Sea since 1990, and remained the same over the Bay of Bengal.
• These events had significant impacts over various regions of the Indian subcontinent leading to loss of lives and property as well as adversely affecting the livelihood of the vulnerable community, he said.
• The highest loss of lives occurred during Cyclones Tautkae, 2021, 118 deaths), Amphan(2020, 98 deaths), Titli (2018, 78 deaths) and Nilam (2012, 75 deaths), the data showed.

Source: The Indian Express

 

7. IN BHUTAN, THE WORLD’S RAREST HERON IS ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

THE CONTEXT: In March, the annual white-bellied heron population survey by the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, Bhutan, a civil society organisation, recorded 22 herons. This was a decline by five compared to 27 birds in 2020.

Analysis:

• According to the conservation NGO Birdlife International, the white-bellied heron is already extinct in Nepal and possibly in Bangladesh too, with the entire global population now restricted to northern Myanmar, northeast India and Bhutan. But a recent study gives cause for concern for the species in Bhutan too.
• Locally known as Chubja, Bhutan is home to around 45%-50% of the total global population of white-bellied heron, and the largest known number of breeding pairs.
• The white-bellied heron, found in the freshwater ecosystems of the Himalayas, is the most endangered heron species in the world.
• Listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List since 2007, its total global population is estimated to be only 50 adult birds-249 adult birds, and numbers are declining even further.

Source:  SCROLL

8. NO PROVISION TO DECLARE ANY NATURAL DISASTER AS A ‘NATIONAL CALAMITY’: PANEL REPORT

THE CONTEXT: Standing Committee report to the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) confirmed that there is no provision to declare any natural calamity as a ‘National Calamity’.

Analysis:

• Under the existing Scheme of State Disaster Response Fund / National Response Fund of the Ministry of Home Affairs, there is no provision to declare any disaster including flood as a National Calamity.The answer was in response to a query by the committee as to when and under what circumstances, can floods in an area be declared as a national calamity.
• the department added that whenever a calamity of ‘severe nature’ occurred, financial assistance was provided. It is not practical and economically feasible to provide complete protection to all flood-affected areas. Therefore, reasonable economic security is given to reduce the damage caused by floods.
• The committee also observed that in view of the existing constitutional and administrative classification, it appeared that the responsibility of flood management lay with everyone and hence no one paid attention to it.
• This administrative approach needed to be changed. Hence, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti should take up this important responsibility of flood control.
• It also recommended the central government should take the responsibility of flood control and coordination, keeping in view the loss of life and property due to floods.
• To this end, it suggested setting up a permanent National Integrated Flood Management Group under the chairmanship of the Minister of Jal Shakti, with respective state ministers to be part of the group. The committee suggested meeting once a year.

Source: Down to Earth

9. FLOODS, HEAVY RAINS KILLED A LAKH PEOPLE IN 65 YEARS, CAUSED LOSS OF RS 4 LAKH CRORE

THE CONTEXT: Flooding has affected approximately 40 million hectares of India’s land area. From 1953-2018, 109,374 people died as a result of floods and heavy rains in the country, while 6,109,628 animals died. During these 65 years, the country is estimated to have lost Rs 400,097 crore. This information is contained in the report of the Standing Committee of Parliament (Water Resources).

Analysis:

• According to the Standing Committee, the frequency of floods was increasing annually. As a result of this, the central and state governments could no longer blame each other, as the committee had discovered.
• All stakeholders needed to understand that managing floods was their collective responsibility. The committee stated that the attitude of blaming each other had to be abandoned. The committee recommended that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (Water Resources) be in charge of flood management throughout the country.
• The Standing Committee also requested the Centre to form a permanent National Integrated Flood Management Group chaired by the Minister of Jal Shakti, with participation from the concerned ministers of each state and at least one meeting be held each year. The committee recommended that the first meeting of this group be held within three months of the report being tabled in Parliament.
• The committee proposed developing an Integrated River Basin Management Plan involving all flood-affected states as well as neighbouring countries, in order to manage the water of neighbouring countries.
• The Standing Committee also requested that the Dam Safety Bill and the River Basin Management Bill be passed as soon as possible and that the existing Disaster Management Act of 2005 be properly implemented.
• The report noted that flood plain zoning was yet to be implemented in many states. The central government had sent the Model Bill of Flood Plain Zoning Act to the states, but work had only been done in Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir so far.
• However, the work of marking the flood plain had not been completed completely here. No progress had been made in making this law in the flood-affected states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha.

Source: Down to Earth

INDIAN ECONOMY

10. RBI HOLDS RATES STEADY, INFLATION FORECAST NOW CLOSE TO 6% LIMIT

THE CONTEXT: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the key policy rate unchanged at four per cent for the seventh time in a row, and reverse repo rate at 3.35 per cent. The panel has also raised the inflation target for fiscal 2001-22 but maintained the growth forecast at 9.5 per cent.

Analysis:

• The six-member MPC panel, headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, voted in favour keeping key policy rates unchanged and decided to continue with an accommodative stance as long as necessary to revive and sustain growth on a durable basis and continue to mitigate the impact of Covid-19on the economy, while ensuring that inflation remains within the target going forward.
• The RBI panel says the nascent and hesitant recovery in the economy needs to be nurtured through fiscal, monetary and sectoral policy levers.
• Elevated inflation level and delayed recovery in the economy would have prompted the panel to keep rates steady. Interest rates in the banking system are expected to remain stable in the next couple of months.
• The RBI panel has hiked the inflation target for fiscal 2021-22 to 5.7 per cent from 5.1 per cent projected earlier. Although the target is below the RBI’s upper band of inflation target of six per cent, input prices are rising across manufacturing and services sectors and weak demand and efforts towards cost cutting are tempering the pass-through to output prices.
• With crude oil prices at elevated levels, a calibrated reduction of the indirect tax component of pump prices by the Centre and states can help to substantially lessen cost pressures.

Source: The Indian Express

 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

11. INDIA & CHINA FINALLY DISENGAGE IN GOGRA, TEMPORARY STRUCTURES REMOVED, ‘BUFFER ZONE MADE’

THE CONTEXT: India and China have completed troop disengagement from the Gogra area of eastern Ladakh, after 15 months of a “sensitive face-off”.

Analysis:

• The disengagement process, which includes removal of all temporary structures and other allied infrastructure by both sides, and restoration of landform to “pre-stand-off period”, was carried out over two days that is 4 and 5 August.
• The development comes days after the 12th round of corps-commander-level talks between India and China, which were held on 31 July at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• India and China had been locked in a stand-off at the LAC since April-May last year.Efforts have been underway at multiple levels since last year to resolve the tensions.
• While Gogra disengagement has been finalised now, disengagement has also been completed at two other points of friction, Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley.
• The next focus of India-China talks will be the Hot Springs area, which is Patrolling Point 17A.The remaining friction points — like Depsang Plains and Demchok — will take time.

Source: The Print

MISCELLANEOUS

12. KHEL RATNA NAMED AFTER DHYAN CHAND

THE CONTEXT: The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna stands renamed as the “Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna”.

Analysis:

• The announcement came a day after the men’s hockey team ended a 41-year wait for an Olympic medal by taking the third spot, and on a day when the women’s team finished fourth after some heart-winning performances, including a stunning victory over Australia.
• Dhyan Chand, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, is considered India’s greatest hockey player.
• His birthday, on August 29, marks the National Sports Day, when the National Sports Awards are presented each year.

Source: The Hindu

August 07, 2021 Prelim Practice Questions

Q 1. Consider the following statements:

1. UN Security Council has total 15 members.
2. India is a member of UNSC at present.
3. Coffee club is group of countries which advocate for UNSC expansion.

Which of the above given statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Consider the following statements regarding targets under POSHAN Abhiyaan.

1. Reducing stunting among children under 5 years is by 2% per annum
2. Reducing anaemia among children under 5 years is by 4% per annum.

Which of the above given statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both
4. None

1. Seven lessons to be learnt from sports READ MORE  
2. Caste, ethnicity, religion – United colours of Indian hockey prove the game thrives in inclusivity READ MORE
3. Gandhi and the Re-enactment of Racism READ MORE

1. Telling Numbers: Arabian Sea cyclones more frequent in recent years READ MORE
2. Floods, heavy rains killed a lakh people in 65 years, caused loss of Rs 4 lakh crore READ MORE
3. Widen met station network in Himalayas to better predict extreme weather: Panel READ MORE

1. How do we address the complicated claims of backwardness by various politically powerful castes? READ MORE
2. Sustainable livelihoods and resilience through community forest management READ MORE

1. Rewind to fast forward: Delayed reset on retrospective tax is onlythe first step to regaining investor confidence READ MORE
2. India’s schoolchildren need their childhood back READ MORE
3. Towards a Political Etymology of Sedition READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelims and Mains

1. Sankalp Programme READ MORE
2. Celebrations begin to mark 150 years of iconic artist Abanindranath Tagore READ MORE
3. RBI holds rates steady, inflation forecast now close to 6% limit READ MORE
4. In Bhutan, the world’s rarest heron is on the brink of extinction READ MORE
5. India & China finally disengage in Gogra, temporary structures removed, ‘buffer zone made’ READ MORE
6. India’s elderly population to rise 41% over next decade to touch 194 mn in 2031: Govt report READ MORE
7. No provision to declare any natural disaster as a ‘National Calamity’: Panel report READ MORE

Main exam  

GS Paper- 1

1. Telling Numbers: Arabian Sea cyclones more frequent in recent years READ MORE
2. Sustainable livelihoods and resilience through community forest management READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Rewind to fast forward: Delayed reset on retrospective tax is onlythe first step to regaining investor confidence READ MORE
2. India’s schoolchildren need their childhood back READ MORE
3. Towards a Political Etymology of Sedition READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. How do we address the complicated claims of backwardness by various politically powerful castes? READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Why US posturing is yet to convince India READ MORE
2. Afghan turmoil READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Explained: What does RBI move to keep rates steady, hike inflation target mean? READ MORE
2. Retrospective tax: New legislation expected to allay investors’ fears READ MORE
3. Need to cut fuel tax to rein in inflation demon READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Floods, heavy rains killed a lakh people in 65 years, caused loss of Rs 4 lakh crore READ MORE
2. Widen met station network in Himalayas to better predict extreme weather: Panel READ MORE

SECURITY

1. An opportunity for India to pitch for holistic maritime security READ MORE
2. N-proliferation and regional security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Seven lessons to be learnt from sports READ MORE  
2. Caste, ethnicity, religion – United colours of Indian hockey prove the game thrives in inclusivity READ MORE
3. Gandhi and the Re-enactment of Racism READ MORE

Questions for MAIN exam

1. Discuss the need and challenges of reopening of schools in India. What measures required to be in place before such re-opening?
2. ‘DNA is very sensitive information and creating DNA databases is a perilous venture’. Examine the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Answers determined by the social division of labour become truth as such.
• There is evidence that the region’s post-pandemic adoption to digital life will shape its future prosperity.
• Be it fluctuating trade tariffs or shifting GST rates and rules, India needs to demonstrate greater clarity and consistency in policy across the board to fix its broken credibility.
• Education, like oxygen and medicines during the second novel coronavirus wave, is becoming the responsibility but also a privilege of private citizens.
• Instead of getting caught up in vaccine nationalism, India needs to get all the vaccines it can to enhance supplies and achieve its target of universal vaccination.
• India must stand with the world to ensure that peace returns to the violence-ravaged Afghanistan.
• Criminalisation of sedition is normatively inconsistent with the value framework of demo­cracy, an argument which is equally applicable to other laws passed by democratic governments in India.
• The meaning of sedition needs to be liberated from its legal definition to focus on the form of politics that the act of sedition has characterised to understand the normative relationship bet­ween sedition and democracy.
• DNA is very sensitive information and creating DNA databases is a perilous venture.

50-WORD TALK

• The Supreme Court verdict on the Amazon vs Future case proves, once again, that legal processes work and rule of law prevails. Indian courts are non-partisan, and do not distinguish between foreign and swadeshi. It’s especially a good signal, coming a day after the repeal of the dreaded retrospective tax.
• India has had low fungibility so far by hitching its anti-China wagon to the US. The Trump administration’s forthright opposition appeared promising, but the Biden team needs to spell out its China policy in bigger fine print. It also needs to be seen as acting on it, before New Delhi is convinced that its appeal for security partnership is for posterity.
• As Pakistan, China, the US and Russia begin their moves to see who influences Afghanistan the most, India needs to decide on what its role will be. Others seem to think that India must have communication links open with the Taliban to be able to closely monitor the intra-Afghan affairs. India needs to decide if it prefers a direct involvement or a distant one.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do a map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers etc. same applies for the national places.)
• For economy related news (banking, agriculture etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related with various economic aspects, for examples if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing prices rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates etc.
• For main exam related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occurs frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment in your writing.

THE CONTEXT: Amidst all the claims of making Ganga clean and clean, a Delhi-based NGO Toxics Link has found that the river Ganga has rapidly degraded due to human activities. In the study, the presence of Micro-Plastics has been studied along the banks of river Ganga. This article analyses the issue in detail.

What are Microplastics and Where do they come from?

Micro-plastics are very small (generally less than 5 millimeters in size) plastic particles that can originate from a variety of sources, such as ingredients in cigarette filters, textile fibers and cleaning or personal care products, and dust from car and truck tires, as well as from larger plastic products broken down by the effects of the sun, wind and ocean waves.

There are two types of micro-plastics: “primary” and “secondary” micro-plastics.

• Primary micro-plastics are manufactured to be tiny in order to serve a specific function for example, as an abrasive in a consumer product.
• Secondary micro-plastics come from the breakdown of larger plastic items.

Microbeads as a part of microplastice pollution • Microbeads are a sub-category of microplastics, commonly manufactured for domestic use in cosmetic scrubs, toothpaste, and cleaning products. • Cosmetics companies added them to their personal care product portfolios, including cosmetics, lotions, face washes, toothpaste, shampoos, sunscreens, shaving creams, and exfoliators. • These microbeads can get stuck in the eyes and also get lodged in the eyelid, thereby injuring the cornea. • The abrasive material used in toothpaste can get stuck in the gums and bone holding the teeth, trapping bacteria and leading to gingivitis, bleeding from the gums, and weakening of teeth.

What does the Recent Study about the Levels of Pollution in River Ganga tell us?

• Samples of Ganga’s water were collected from Haridwar, Kanpur, and Varanasi. Micro-plastics were found in all of them.
• Five samples of water from the river at Haridwar, Kanpur, and Varanasi were sent to the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa for examination. 40 different types of polymers of microplastics are present in the water of river Ganga.
• Resins such as EVOH, polyacetylene, PIP, PVC, and PVL were found in abundance at all three sites.
• Apart from micro-plastics, there were other kinds of plastics as well such as single-use plastic and secondary plastic products.
• Of the samples, those taken at Varanasi had the highest concentration of plastic pollution.
• Untreated sewage from densely populated cities across the river’s course, along with industrial waste and religious offerings that are wrapped in non-degradable plastic add a significant amount of pollutants into the river.
• As the river flows, these waste and plastic materials are carried into the Bay of Bengal and then into the ocean which is the “ultimate sink “of all plastics that are used by humans.

The reasons for Microplastics in Ganga

• Dumping of plastic items and waste into the river, which over time turns into small pieces and the river eventually takes this waste into the sea in large numbers. This chain is the last stop for the plastic being used by humans.
• The poor condition of both solid and liquid waste management. It is necessary to take steps to fix it.
• In comparison to Kanpur and Haridwar, Varanasi has the highest number of microplastics found in the Ganga river.
• It is clear from the microplastics found in the Ganga river that plastic waste management rules are in force in the country, but they are not being implemented properly. There is a need to ban single-use plastic.

The Impacts of Microplastics Pollution

Among the range of plastic debris that is found in water bodies, micro-plastics are the most notorious because of their small size, on average micro-plastics are less than 5 mm in length or roughly equal to five pinheads.

River and Ecosystem	• Micro-plastics have effects on animals living in rivers. • Most plastic pollution starts on land before traveling, via rivers, to the ocean. During this MPs affect the river ecosystem badly. • There are higher concentrations of microplastics in rivers than there are in the sea. • In the UK, a recent sample of the river Mersey near Liverpool found that there was an average of 84,030 particles of microplastics in each square meter of water. • Microplastics have been found in fish and other animals. There is evidence that they can cause physical harm to small creatures in a variety of ways, such as directly damaging their mouths or by filling their stomachs and impairing their ability to feed. • Microplastics act as a vehicle for transporting harmful chemicals into humans and other animals.
Impact on Marine Species	• Micro-plastics are harmful to marine species. • More than 663 marine species are affected by marine debris and 11 percent of them are related to micro-plastic ingestion. • Because micro-plastics are so small, they are ingested by marine habitants including fish, corals, planktons, and sea mammals and are then carried further into the food chain.
Impacts on Human	• In the case of humans, most of the micro-plastics can be found in food, water and food containers and their ingestion can cause health problems. • The results of this study are a matter of grave concern from the public health perspective. • The Ganga is a source of water for not just drinking and bathing purposes but also for irrigation to a large extent. • A study conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature last year revealed that an average person consumed 5 grams of plastic, which is equivalent to a credit card. • Another study published by Environmental Science and Technology revealed that humans might be consuming 39,000 to 52,000 micro-plastic particles a year. • Micro-plastics might contain toxic chemicals that cause obesity, diabetes, and some types of cancers. As the problem continues to mount and plastic continues to remain an integral part of human life, a solution must be sought at the earliest.
Impact on Environment	• Micro-plastics are being impacted the environment from north to south. • The river is acting as a carrier of plastics and micro-plastics and transporting significantly large quantities into the ocean. • In 2020, alarm bells went ringing after scientists found micro-plastic pollution in the snow near the peak of Mount Everest. Tiny plastic fibers within a few hundred meters of the world’s highest mountain, at a spot called the balcony, located at 27,500 feet, just a few hours climb from Everest’s summit.
Bioaccumulation Bio and Magnification	• Micro-plastics holds the potential for both bioaccumulation and biomagnification. • Bioaccumulation refers to the entry of a pollutant or toxic substance into the food chain whereas bio-magnification refers to the increase in the concentration of a toxic substance at each successive trophic level after entering into the food chain. • In bioaccumulation, the concentration of the toxic substance increases in the organism of the same type as the toxic substance is retained in the body of the organism while in biomagnification, the toxic substance gets accumulated in the body of organisms at successive trophic levels at a higher concentration than the previous trophic level.

What are the Solutions?

Recycling	• The most natural response to microplastic pollution is recycling. • While recycling is not a permanent solution that will remove plastic from the face of the earth. It is, however, a smart solution to prevent microplastic pollution.
Reducing Plastic Consumption	• It is an important step that can be taken to ensure that the level of microplastic pollution in the country is removed. • From regulating the use of single-use plastic to ensuring proper waste management, several steps can be taken by the government and local bodies to prevent microplastic pollution. • The fact that India today produces 20 times more plastic than it did in 1964, is proof of the fact that a change is needed and it is needed immediately.
Public Engagement	• Taking personal initiatives such as zero-waste trips, shunning disposal food, using your own utensils, quitting the use of bottled water and giving up plastic packaging, here are some of the steps that every citizen can take to curb microplastic pollution.
Strengthening EPR	• The strengthening of the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Plastic Waste Management Rules since a lot of pollution in the Ganga was due to industrial waste. • EPR put the onus of plastic waste management on the producers or the company’s manufacturing the products. It also pushes the argument that rivers should be declared as ‘no plastic zones’.
Industrial Engagement	• Before a phase-out or ban is announced by the Union government, the industry must voluntarily start putting a label on the personal care and cosmetic products (PCCPs) that mentions that their products contain intentionally added micro-plastics. • This will enable the consumer to take responsibility for keeping the environment free from the impacts of micro-plastics. • The Central Drugs and Standards Control Organisation must recognise the products that use intentionally added primary micro-plastics and equip themselves to restrict the use of prohibited raw materials.
International Experience to Reduce the Microbeads	• Microbeads are not captured by most wastewater treatment systems. If washed down the drain after use, they can end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. • The best way to reduce the impact of microbeads is to prevent them from entering the environment in the first place. What is Australia doing about microbeads? • In 2016, agreed to support a voluntary industry phase-out of plastic microbeads found in rinse-off personal care, cosmetic, and cleaning products. • Consistent with the intention of protecting the marine environment, the phase-out targets rinse-off products which are reasonably capable of entering the marine environment through normal use. • The 2019 National Waste Policy Action Plan includes a commitment from the business sector and governments to phase out 100 percent of microbeads from the targeted rinse-off products. • Plastic microbeads in these products can be substituted with natural abrasive ingredients, such as pumice, salt, and crushed seed kernels.

Conclusion: As micro-plastics have become a severe danger for marine life and human health, the government should regulate the micro-plastics contains products and should focus to reduce the use of micro plastics and plastic as well. Apart, from it, a mass movement for the active engagement of all sections of society is vital to get positive results in reducing micro-plastics.

Additional Information

Microplastics and Nanoplastics

• Plastic particles below 5 mm in length are called micro-plastics. The smaller ones, with a size equal to or less than 100 nm (1/10 000 mm) are called Nano-plastics. They are so tiny that one cannot see them with the naked eye or even with an ordinary optical microscope.
• Micro-plastic particles are accidentally consumed by marine organisms, which are then consumed by predator fish. Nano-plastic particles are even more toxic to living organisms as they are more likely to be absorbed through the walls of digestive tracts and thereby transported into the tissues and organs. Consequently, such plastic particles can interfere with various physiological processes, from neurotransmission to oxidative stress and immunity levels of freshwater and marine organisms.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): It is initiated by National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency in 2013. It is defined as an environmental protection strategy that makes the manufacturer of the product responsible for the entire life cycle of the product and especially for the take-back, recycling and final disposal of the product.

Particle category	Diameter range
Nano-plastics	<0.0001 mm
Small micro-plastics	0.0001 mm- 1 mm
Large micro-plastics	4.75 mm
Meso-plastics	4.76- 200 mm
Macro-plastics	>200mm

Questions to Ponder

1. Discuss the impacts of micro-plastics on human health and marine life.
2. What are sources of micro-plastics? How they can be contained?