[WpProQuiz 153]

THE CONTEXT: The 17th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) ministerial meeting was held on 1 April 2021. Though the grouping is ready to move forward, a number of obstacles stand in the way of this, including regional tensions, uncertainties surrounding SAARC, and China’s involvement in the multilateral.

ABOUT THE RECENT BIMSTEC SUMMIT

The 17th Ministerial virtual Meeting of BIMSTEC leaders was held on April 01, 2021. Here are the major outcomes of the summit;

• India’s commitment to further building the momentum of regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC framework and making the organization stronger, vibrant, more effective, and result-oriented.
• India is the Lead Country to Counter Terrorism & Trans-national Crime, Transport & Communication, Tourism, and Environmental & Disaster management.
• BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity for adoption at the next BIMSTEC Summit and three MoUs / Agreements for signing at the next BIMSTEC Summit.
• Member States to complete their internal procedures for adoption of the BIMSTEC.
• Chair to hold the Fifth BIMSTEC Summit in Sri Lanka.
• BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate, being hosted in India, is fully functional with the state of the art facilities to provide Disaster Early Warnings.

ISSUES FACING BY BIMSTEC IN RECENT TIMES?

BIMSTEC is facing several issues in recent times. Those are posing challenges to the grouping. Major challenges are as follow:

THE ISSUE OF MEETING:

• While most multilateral groupings from G20 to ASEAN and SCO held their deliberations at the highest political level in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, BIMSTEC leaders failed to do so.
• In contrast to a meeting of even SAARC leaders held at India’s initiative a year ago, BIMSTEC could not arrange its ministerial meeting until April 2021.

ISSUES BETWEEN THE MEMBER STATES:

• A strong BIMSTEC presupposes cordial and tension-free bilateral relations among all its member-states.
• This has not been the case, given the trajectory of India-Nepal, India-Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh-Myanmar ties in recent years.

THE ISSUE OF SAARC:

• Uncertainties over SAARC hovers, complicating matters.
• Both Kathmandu and Colombo want the SAARC summit revived, even as they cooperate within BIMSTEC, with diluted zeal.

CHINA PRESENCE IN SOUTH ASIA:

• China’s decisive intrusion in the South-Southeast Asian space has cast dark shadows.
• It is believed that BIMSTEC would make progress if China is accepted as its principal interlocutor and partner. This perspective has hardly any takers in India and its friendly partners in the grouping.

MILITARY COUP IN MYANMAR:

• The military coup in Myanmar, brutal crackdown of protesters, and continuation of popular resistance resulting in a protracted impasse have produced a new set of challenges.

WHY BIMSTEC IS FACING THESE ISSUES?

LACK OF RESOURCES:

• Despite its huge potential, the forum has long suffered from a lack of resources and proper coordination among its member states.
• Many factors have contributed towards the sluggishness of BIMSTEC and it is still beset with difficulties.
• India, its largest member, has often been blamed for not providing strong leadership.
• Consequent to the slow progress of its mandate, Thailand and Myanmar have often seen ignoring BIMSTEC for ASEAN Forum.

LACK OF PROPER MEETINGS:

• The relevance of BIMSTEC as an organization can be gauged from the fact that only four meetings have been held since its inception 21 years back.
• It took seven years for its first summit to take place in 2004 in Thailand; the second one was held four years later in 2008 in India; the third one six years later in Myanmar in 2014 and the fourth summit has just concluded in Nepal on 31 Aug 2018.
• It also took 17 long years for this Forum to establish its permanent secretariat in Dhaka in 2014.

LACK OF ECONOMIC COORDINATION:

• The organization currently faces the challenge of realizing its vision of an integrated economic space and a bridge between South and Southeast Asia that drove its founding members.
• The BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed in 2004, is yet to be implemented.
• The protectionist economies of South Asian countries and so-called national interests are making free trade an unattainable objective.
• Countries like Bangladesh on the other hand, often fear that whenever India discusses connectivity, it means benefits only for India.
• Such fears & apprehensions question the basic fabric of BIMSTEC and foster mistrust, thus blighting any prospect of free movement of goods.

ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES:

• BIMSTEC Secretariat, established in 2014 in Dhaka, has been unable to adequately contribute to the development of the organization, and its negligible budget affects its capacity to perform a basic convening function.

ROHINGYAS FACTOR:

• The Rohingyas factor emerged as a major issue.
• Their refugee crisis has complicated relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar, may affect BIMSTEC’s multilateralism in the future, and completely derail its efforts to foster regional cooperation.

MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN MEMBERS:

• Another challenge lurking in the forum is the impression that it is an India-dominated bloc, a problem that India faced for a long time in SAARC too.
• This perception of Indian hegemony, coupled with the over-dependence of BIMSTEC Countries, on China, seems to be a major impediment to this Forum’s success.
• Nepal’s pulling out of the ongoing BIMSTEC military exercise being conducted in India probably substantiates this point.
• The underlying aspiration of China to be part of BIMSTEC, on the same lines as it harnesses a desire to be a permanent part of SAARC groupings, further aggravates the problem.

PRESENT DYNAMICS & RENEWED INITIATIVE

However, two recent developments have generated renewed hopes for BIMSTEC to forge an effective regional group for broader economic integration.

1. First was the Outreach Summit, held in Goa, India in October 2016, wherein the BRICS-BIMSTEC leaders pledged to work collectively towards making BIMSTEC stronger. This Summit, brokered by India, has certainly reinvigorated BIMSTEC by inviting its members to participate in a larger platform like BRICS, comprising five major emerging economies of the world.
2. The second is the concluded Fourth summit of BIMSTEC at Kathmandu from August 30 to 31, 2018. The theme of the summit was ‘Towards a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region. Representatives of all member nations explicitly showed their renewed desire to forge ahead on mandated objectives with the signing and adoption of the Kathmandu Declaration.

THE ANALYSIS

• The 18-point Declaration is expected to enhance the effectiveness of the BIMSTEC Secretariat by engaging it in various technical and economic activities in the region. Foreign ministers of BIMSTEC countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection.
• The Declaration stresses ending poverty in the region by 2030 & strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It covers issues such as agricultural technology exchange, gradual reduction of the impact of climate change, increased trade and investment, and ease in visa processing for the people of member states. It also highlights the importance of trade and investment as one of the major contributing factors for fostering economic and social development in the region.
• It now remains to be seen as to how all the seven members can take this momentum forward in making BIMSTEC more ‘effective’, ‘visible’ and ‘result-oriented’ as well as draw synergies with other groupings to hasten the process of integration for the benefit of 1.6 billion people in the region.

RELEVANCE OF BIMSTEC FOR INDIA

• For India, BIMSTEC stands at the very important juncture of ‘Neighborhood First’ and ‘Act East Policy. Its relevance to India is driven by two key factors, one, the potential economic rewards of greater regional connectivity it provides. Second, the rapidly changing geostrategic context of Asia and India’s need to look at the Bay of Bengal as a key theatre for containing an increasingly capable and assertive China.
• BIMSTEC, unlike SAARC’s subcontinental focus, is the only forum that brings together India’s strategic peripheries under one single grouping. Regional integration comes more naturally to India through BIMSTEC vis-a-vis SAARC, which is dominated and hamstrung by tensions between India and Pakistan. BIMSTEC also allows India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments.
• Three projects pending with BIMSTEC, when finished, are likely to transform the region, especially India.
• Kaladan Multimodal project linking India and Myanmar: The project envisages connecting Kolkata to Sittwe port in Myanmar, and then Mizoram by river and road. India and Myanmar had signed a framework agreement in 2008 & are yet to be finished.
• Trilateral Highway connecting India and Thailand through Myanmar: The highway will run from Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar thereby establishing connectivity between India and Southeast Asian countries. The project is currently underway.
• The goods and vehicles: were signed in the year 2015 and is, awaiting internal clearances of some members, involves the movement of goods and vehicles. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) have signed this pact. Trial runs are on.
• India has finally realized that the lack of importance given to BIMSTEC can seriously jeopardize its economic and strategic agenda. Consequently, it has committed to re-energising BIMSTEC, which was evident during the BRICS Outreach Summit. This pragmatic step on India’s part lucidly demonstrated its intentions &potential to play the role of a regional leader.

BIMSTEC VS. SAARC: WHICH IS MORE SUITABLE FOR INDIA?

If India wants to prove itself as a regional power, as the largest country in South Asia, India cannot escape its responsibilities under SAARC. The following points explain the differences between SAARC and BIMSTEC. In the end, it can be seen that none of them can substitute for each other. Rather, they can complement each other’s roles.

PARAMETER: VIBRANCY AND DYNAMISM

BIMSTEC:

• BIMSTEC meetings have been held only four times in the last twenty years.
• BIMSTEC meetings are rather considered to be retreats for the leaders of the member nations and there are hardly any talks on policy.
• As of now, BIMSTEC finds vibrancy since India is using it to promote its Act East Policy that aligns with the Look West Policy of Thailand.
• It is argued that India also uses the BIMSTEC platform to substitute SAARC. However, the success of BIMSTEC does not render SAARC pointless; it only adds a new chapter in regional cooperation in South Asia.

SAARC:

• SAARC on the other side is a more active group. Over the last 32 years, ignoring the annual SAARC summits that have been postponed 11 times for political reasons, SAARC has been assiduously nurtured through a multitude of meetings and initiatives, including 18 summits.
• This has seen it evolve a whole set of conventions, organs, and mechanisms and a network of more than a dozen regional centers and other institutions, with a secretariat in Kathmandu.
• Since the SAARC summit has only been postponed, not cancelled, the possibility of revival remains.

PARAMETER: GOALS

BIMSTEC: BIMSTEC’s role is more restricted to the economy and regional integration only.

SAARC: 

• SAARC has broader goals compared to BIMSTEC.
• SAARC is aimed at promoting the welfare of the people; accelerating economic growth, social progress, and cultural development; and strengthening collective self-reliance.
• Other objectives include strengthening cooperation with other developing countries and cooperating with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.

PARAMETER: INTRA-TRADE

BIMSTEC: Trade among the BIMSTEC member countries reached six percent in just a decade.

SAARC: In SAARC, it has remained around five percent since its inception.

PARAMETER: CAPACITY OF THE SECRETARIAT

BIMSTEC: The BIMSTEC secretariat faces a severe resource crunch, both in terms of money and manpower, which has adversely affected its performance.

SAARC: SAARC secretariat has more resources. This can be used when SAARC meetings are held.

PARAMETER: COVERAGE

BIMSTEC:

• BIMSTEC is interregional and connects both South Asia and ASEAN.
• BIMSTEC provides SAARC countries a unique opportunity to connect with ASEAN.

SAARC:

• SAARC is a purely regional organization.
• Thus, it is also possible that both the regional organizations can thrive together and even prove complementary in geographically overlapping regions.

CHALLENGES & IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA

India faces a few challenges which need to be ironed out for the smooth functioning of BIMSTEC. From the strategic perspective, two factors merit as a challenge;

• The first is India’s realization that regional integration in South Asia would work only if Pakistan was not involved. Thus projecting BIMSTEC as more relevant in spite of its overlapping mandate and members with SAARC, appears a daunting task for India.
• The second factor is China’s strategic & economic influence on BIMSTEC members, who can make BIMSTEC hostage to Indo-China regional rivalry. India, therefore, will have to carefully navigate through this emerging regional geopolitics& reassure South Asia that the region can work together to achieve common goals with India playing its due role.
• India is currently the largest contributor to the BIMSTEC secretariat’s budget with an annual contribution of Rs 2 crore (32% of the total budget) for 2017-18. With the secretariat now planning to strengthen its capacity, India may need to consider allocating more resources. India’s generosity would be a key test of its commitment to the subregional grouping.
• Another issue that besets BIMSTEC is that it is an India-dominated bloc. However, due to changing Geo-economics, most of the smaller neighbors today are more willing to engage India due to its economic rise. India needs to proactively engage them and show sensitivity to their concerns.

HOW BIMSTEC CAN REINVENT ITSELF

BIMSTEC as a Forum is well equipped in facilitating this new regionalism. However, its visibility needs to be enhanced for which its member states should:-

• Instill in the organization a vision for a cooperative, multilateral, regional order which is based on principles of liberalism, not on unilateralism.
• Empower the BIMSTEC secretariat with greater financial resources enabling it to proactively drive the organization’s agenda.
• Prioritize sustained physical connectivity and high-quality infrastructure, to facilitate greater regional flows of goods& services.
• India’s role as an informal leader has to be expanded.
• Open BIMSTEC to cooperate with regional powers committed to inclusive regionalism to include Australia, European Union, Japan, and the United States.

CONCLUSION:

BIMSTEC holds the catalytic potential to transform the economies of member states and create a peaceful, prosperous, and integrated neighborhood. The road from potential to reality will be successfully traversed only when all actors and stakeholders come together to play their role well to achieve a shared dream of peace, stability, and prosperity for this dynamic region.

1. Be self-aware and empathetic: These qualities are the markers of high emotional intelligence READ MORE
2. Being alive to the present is enlightenment READ MORE
3. Face Critics Gracefully READ MORE

1. Explained: What are Ramsar Sites, and what is the significance of this listing? READ MORE
2. Climate and Us | Budget shows great promise, but needs greater scrutiny READ MORE
3. Reimagining Indian federalism in the climate crisis READ MORE
4. Plastic Pollution Affects 88% of Marine Species: WWF READ MORE

1. In India, the dangers of a homogenous public culture READ MORE
2. Domicile quota is not a remedy READ MORE

1. Upsetting the Centre-state balance READ MORE
2. Elections can’t ignore Constitution’s spirit READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Parvatmala-An efficient and safe alternate transport network READ MORE
2. PRADHAN MANTRI KRISHI SINCHAYEE YOJANA (PMKSY) READ MORE
3. Explained | When will new Vande Bharat trains be launched? READ MORE
4. Better habitat management helps tigers flourish in Sariska READ MORE
5. RPF launches nationwide operation to curb human trafficking READ MORE
6. Earth’s shrinking glaciers contain less ice than scientists thought, study shows READ MORE
7. E-fasting can minimise e-waste READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. In India, the dangers of a homogenous public culture READ MORE
2. The history and legacy of Netaji READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Upsetting the Centre-state balance READ MORE
2. Elections can’t ignore Constitution’s spirit READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUE

1. Domicile quota is not a remedy READ MORE

 INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. India and the Great Power rivalry READ MORE
2. Economic diplomacy READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. What the economy needed from this year’s budget READ MORE  
2. Is disruption ahead for the gig economy? READ MORE
3. India’s plan to launch a digital rupee needs more thought, less haste READ MORE

 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Explained: What are Ramsar Sites, and what is the significance of this listing? READ MORE
2. Climate and Us | Budget shows great promise, but needs greater scrutiny READ MORE
3. Reimagining Indian federalism in the climate crisis READ MORE
4. Plastic Pollution Affects 88% of Marine Species: WWF READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Be self-aware and empathetic: These qualities are the markers of high emotional intelligence READ MORE
2. Being alive to the present is enlightenment READ MORE
3. Face Critics Gracefully READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI)? Can they be learned? Discuss.
2. ‘The proposed amendment to the IAS cadre rules portends ill for Sardar Patel’s vision of the All-India Services as a unifying link between the Centre and the states’. Do you agree with this view? Justify your case.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• While high grades and skillsets are definitely important, the importance of someone with a high EI can in no way be overemphasised.
• Expenditure on social welfare, agriculture and rural infrastructure is the best strategy in an economy struggling with low demand and investment.
• Delhi has its own interests to keep in mind. It will struggle to tread the middle ground as Russia-China and US-led blocs consolidate their global coalitions.
• The proposed amendment to the IAS cadre rules portends ill for Sardar Patel’s vision of the All-India Services as a unifying link between the Centre and the states.
• Instead of taking on the larger challenge of delivering sustained growth and enough (and quality) jobs, states bringing such laws are trying to mislead restless, unemployed voters by suggesting that their employment woes are a result of people from other states.
• While the government has shown seriousness in its approach to the climate crisis, but scrutiny in implementation needs serious attention.
• The way in which you handle criticism is an important indicator of your maturity and poise as a human being.
• The Indian voter needs to take responsibility for all his constitutional duties, which include carefully electing representatives to legislatures.
• A digital rupee will be like banknotes, minus the ATMs. Users will be able to transfer purchasing power from their deposit accounts into their smartphone wallets in the form of online tokens.
• Expenditure should have increased to reduce the rural distress induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the trend prevailing in budgets of subsequent years does not support this expectation.

50-WORD TALK

• Imran Khan’s upcoming trip to Moscow—the first by a Pakistani Prime Minister in over two decades—shows the three-way partnership between China, Russia and Pakistan is deepening. Indian sentimentality about Russia, clearly, isn’t shared in Moscow. The rise of this Asian “Anti-Quad” will be a big challenge.

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 the news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby, including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price 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 occur 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 to your writing.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. RPF LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE OPERATION TO CURB HUMAN TRAFFIC

THE CONTEXT: Railway Protection Force has launched a nationwide operation to curb human trafficking. As a part of “Operation AAHT”, special teams will be deployed on all long-distance trains/routes with focus on rescuing victims, particularly women and children, from the clutches of traffickers. The Railways, which operate about 21,000 trains across the country daily, is the most reliable mode of transportation for the traffickers who often moved their victims on long-distance trains.

THE EXPLANATION:

The RPF that rescued more than 2,000 women and children between 2017 to 21 from the clutches of traffickers intensified the crackdown on human trafficking with the increasing number of cases. The National Crime Records Bureau registers about 2,200 cases of Human Trafficking cases on an average each year.

Human Trafficking, especially of women and children, for sexual exploitation, forced marriage, domestic servitude, organ transplant; drug peddling etc is an organised crime and the most abominable violation of human rights. Thousands of Indians and persons from neighboring countries were trafficked every day to some destinations where they were forced to live like slaves.

The Indian Railways which transported over 23 million passengers each day (pre-pandemic), is the largest, fastest and most reliable carrier for suspects who trafficked scores of women and children. The RPF personnel had a pan-India presence and were deployed in escorting trains to provide security to railway assets and passengers.

Analysis of the operation –

As part of “Operation AAHT”, the infrastructure and intelligence network of the force could be utilised to collect, collate and analyse clues on victims, source, route, destination, popular trains used by suspects, identity of carriers/agents, kingpins etc and shared with other law-enforcing agencies. The RPF could act as a bridge cutting across States to assist the local police in the mission to curb the menace.

Explaining the need to strengthen the intelligence machinery and the action plan to identify, investigate, rescue and rehabilitate victims of the offence, the cyber cells would start patrolling the web/social media to look for digital footprints of Human Trafficking and added that the focus should be more on trains originating from districts bordering Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

2. J&K BECOMES FIRST UT TO BE INTEGRATED WITH NATIONAL SINGLE-WINDOW SYSTEM

THE CONTEXT: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha launched the single-window portal for Jammu and Kashmir, making it the first Union territory to be integrated with the national single-window system.While 130 industrial services have been made online on the single-window system, over 160 more services will be integrated this year.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Terming the system a “historic move” to facilitate investment. Now global investors can apply for all their business approvals in Jammu and Kashmir through the national single-window system.
• Government is linking the Union territory into a web of partnerships with domestic and foreign companies and ensuring global best practices in our regulatory institutions and systems.
• Since the launch of the new industrial development scheme, policies have evolved to make the Union territory more competitive and lucrative for industries and service enterprises.
• In January last year, the UT administration announced a new industrial developmental scheme (IDS) with a total outlay of Rs 28,400 crore to encourage new investment and to take industrial development to the block level.
• The administration was strengthening the Union territory’s power and road infrastructure, improving connectivity and the law and order situation.
• The integrated single-window system will facilitate new investments locally and globally, e through the national single-window system or through J&K single-window system with user-friendly interfaces and timely approvals.

THE ECONOMY

3. VANDE BHARAT TRAIN

THE CONTEXT: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has in the Union Budget for 2022-2023 proposed the development and manufacture of 400 new Vande Bharat trains in the next three years. In her speech, Ms. Sitharaman said these would be “new generation” trains with better energy efficiency and passenger riding experience.

WHAT IS VANDE BHARAT TRAIN?

• The Vande Bharat train is an indigenously designed and manufactured semi high speed, self-propelled train that is touted as the next major leap for the Indian Railways in terms of speed and passenger convenience since the introduction of Rajdhani trains.
• These trains, dubbed as Train 18 during the development phase.
• The Vande Bharat coaches incorporate passenger amenities.
• The first Vande Bharat was manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, in about 18 months as part of the ‘Make in India’ programme.
• It can achieve a maximum speed of 160 kmph due to faster acceleration and deceleration.
• It has an intelligent braking system with power regeneration for better energy efficiency thereby making it cost, energy and environment efficient.
• The Vande Bharat was India’s first attempt at adaptation of the train set technology compared with conventional systems of passenger coaches hauled by separate locomotives.

HOW MANY VANDE BHARAT TRAINS DO THE RAILWAYS CURRENTLY OPERATE?

• Currently, two Vande Bharat Expresses are operational —one between New Delhi and Varanasi and the other from New Delhi to Katra.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROGRAMME?

• On the 400 new trains, Railway minister said the announcement had given the Railways a target of coming out with an even better version.
• The design updates in the upcoming trains would focus on safety and comfort of the passengers, including reduced noise and vibration levels.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. BETTER HABITAT MANAGEMENT FOR TIGERS, FLOURISH IN SARISKA

THE CONTEXT: The measurement for habitat management for tigers launched about six months ago at the famous Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan’s Alwar district has started bearing fruit. The tiger population in the wildlife sanctuary has gone up to 25, while the resources are being provided to create water supply and develop grasslands for ungulates as a prey base.

THE EXPLANATION:

New route for tourist –

The forest administration has already opened a new route in the tiger reserve’s buffer zone, adjacent to Alwar town, for tourists to facilitate better sightings of the big cats. The new Bara-Liwari route, located in the region where a tigress gave birth to two cubs recently, will reduce pressure on the core area and increase livelihood opportunities for the rural population.

A foundation established by a private bank has started delivering goods and resources which the Forest Department could not arrange because of a variety of handicaps. As part of its corporate social responsibility expenditure, the foundation is funding development of grasslands, earthen bunds and water holes for wild animals at 10 different locations and making livelihood intervention for the villagers being relocated from the sanctuary.

The tiger reserve, spread across 1,216 sq. km area, witnessed the first-of-its-kind tiger relocation from the Ranthambore National Park by helicopter in 2008 after the felines became extinct in the sanctuary. Since then, the animal has taken some time in multiplying at its own ease, unlike the Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh, where a similar aerial translocation was carried out in 2009.

Facility for guards –

The foundation has already distributed 23 motorcycles with helmets to the forest guards in Sariska for monitoring the tiger movement with the pledge that one new motorcycle per new tiger will be given in the future.

 The grassland habitats developed in dry patches of land have helped ungulates to feed better and breed in the areas such as Naya Pani, Dabli and Bhagani, leading to an enhanced feed for tigers.

The forest administration, assisted by the foundation, has created new water sources at 10 diverse habitats within the forest, where solar pump-based tubewells were being sunk. This will facilitate the supply of water to far-off areas, even in the elevated zones without any diesel pump noise as faced in the past.

Amid the efforts being made for relocation of villages, about 1,000 families are still staying in the forest area, with some of them residing within the core area of 881 sq. km, such as in Madhopur, Indala, Kundalka and Haripura. According to the forest officials, the rehabilitated villagers’ needs, including thekhatedarirights on the land allotted to them, have been met on priority to act as a catalyst for the remaining villages to be shifted out of the reserve areas.

5. WHAT ARE RAMSAR SITES, AND WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS LISTING?

THE CONTEXT: On the eve of the World Wetlands Day, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands designated Khijadia Bird Sanctuary near Jamnagar in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as wetlands of international importance.

WHAT IS RAMSAR CONVENTION?

The Ramsar Convention, which came into existence in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

With the addition of these two wetlands, the number of Ramsar Sites in India has gone up to 49, the highest for any country in South Asia.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF WETLANDS?

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands defines wetlands as “areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.”

As per US Fish and Wildlife services-

• at least periodically, the land supports predominantly hydrophytes
• the substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil
• the substrate is non-soil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing season of each year.

However, the Indian government’s definition of wetland excludes river channels, paddy fields and other areas where commercial activity takes place.

The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 notified by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change define wetlands as “area of marsh, fen, peatland or water; whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters, but does not include river channels, paddy fields, human-made water bodies/ tanks specifically constructed for drinking water purposes and structures specifically constructed for aquaculture, salt production, recreation and irrigation purposes.”

WETLANDS IN INDIA

• Globally, wetlands cover 6.4 per cent of the geographical area of the world.
• In India, according to the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment compiled by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), wetlands are spread over 1,52,600 square kilometres (sq km) which is 4.63 per cent of the total geographical area of the country.

Ramsar Sites in India

• India’s tally of 49 designated wetlands spread over 10,936 sq km in 18 states and two Union Territories is the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia.
• Of the 49 sites, 10 are in UP, 6 in Punjab, 4 each in Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir, 3 each in Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, 2 each in Haryana, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Ladakh, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RAMSAR LISTING

Not every Ramsar Site is a notified protected area under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, hence systematic protection and conservation regimes might not be in place there. But a Ramsar tag makes it incumbent upon authority to strengthen the protection regime there and also creates defences against encroachment etc on wetlands.

6. E-FASTING CAN MINIMISE E-WASTE

THE CONTEXT: Electronic (e-waste) is emerging as a serious public health and environmental issue globally in this century.

STATUS OF E-WASTE AROUND THE WORLD

• The United States is the world leader in producing electronic waste, generating about three million tonnes each year.
• China already produces about 2.3 million tonnes (2010 estimate) domestically, second only to the United States.
• India is the ‘fifth-largest electronic waste producer in the world’. Approximately 1.2 million tonnes of e-waste is generated annually in India according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
• Annually, computer devices account for nearly 70 per cent of e-waste; 12 per cent comes from the telecom sector, eight per cent from medical equipment and seven per cent from electric equipment.
• The government, public sector companies and private sector companies, generate nearly 75 per cent of electronic waste, with the contribution of individual households being only 16 per cent. Unorganised processing and recycling of e-waste is also not safe from the environmental point of view.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PROCESSING DIFFERENT ELECTRONIC WASTE COMPONENTS

HOW E-WASTE IS HARMFUL AND HAZARDOUS ?

• E-waste is already a major catastrophe due to its harmful and hazardous effects. It will continue to create more problems if not handled or processed properly.
• Children and adults, who are especially vulnerable to the effects of e-waste, often work, live and play in or near e-waste recycling centres. E-waste can pose several health hazards which include damage of kidney, immune system, reproductive system and central nervous system.
• Electronics waste contains hazardous but also simultaneously valuable and scarce materials which can be extracted. Up to 60 elements are generally found in complex electronics. In the United States, an estimated 70 per cent of heavy metals in landfills come from discarded electronics.

HOW CAN E-FASTING MINIMISE E-WASTE ?

• A digital fasting or e-fasting is usually referred to as reducing technology use such as turning off notifications, turning our phone off while working and setting limits for time we spend on technology daily can not only be helpful for us but also minimise e-waste.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 8TH FEB 2022

Q. Which of the following is the first state in India to present a separate agriculture budget?

1. Telangana
2. Rajasthan
3. West Bengal
4. Tamil Nadu

Q2. Ramappa temple, which received world heritage tag recently, is located in which of the following states of India?

a. Andhra Pradesh

b. Telangana

c. Karnataka

d. Tamil Nadu

ANSWER FOR 7^TH FEB 2022

Answer:  C

Explanation:

1. Satkosia Tiger reserve – Odisha
2. Valmiki Tiger reserve – Bihar
3. Mukundara Hills Tiger reserve – Rajasthan

[WpProQuiz 151]

THE CONTEXT: During the COVID-19 second wave, the government’s efforts to tackle this unprecedented crisis have all but collapsed. Only a proper institutional design will ensure that we are equipped better to tackle future similar disasters.

PRESENT INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

• The Disaster Management Act, 2005, and Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 are used to tackle the Covid-19 Pandemic.
• As public health is a state subject under the Indian Constitution, State Governments have issued orders under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 (EDA)
• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued guidelines considering the “coronavirus pandemic” as a “disaster” within the meaning of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DMA).
• The Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides those powers which the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 does not provide and allows the Central Government to take the necessary steps for a functional response.
• On the health advice side, there are bodies like the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

 NEED FOR A SEPARATE AUTHORITY

Limitations of Epidemics Disease Act, 1897:

• The EDA was enacted in the wake of the bubonic plague epidemic in 1896, in Bombay and it has just four sections. It doesn’t define “epidemic disease”. Its concise nature gives wide powers to the executive.
• The Central government’s power under this law only seems to be restricted to controlling the movement and detention of vessels at ports.

Disaster Management Act: 

• Disasters are normally geographically-localized catastrophic events, disrupting normal life for a few hours or days, but unlike a public health epidemic, do not last over a long period of time.
• While the DMA offers effective and aggressive measures to combat any kind of disaster, including epidemics, it may be inadequate due to two issues.

1. While the definition of a “disaster” under the DMA may be wide enough to include an epidemic, it does not contain any specific provisions or the graded approach to deal with the unique problems created by an epidemic.
2. Even the aggressive measures provided for in the DMA may be inadequate due to the exponential growth rate of the pandemic.

Others:

• The use of such an ad-hoc institutional architecture with a multiplicity of statues has resulted in a patchwork response against the epidemic in several areas.
• As the frequency of pandemics is expected to increase in the future due to factors like climate change and global warming, an empowered Central authority may be constituted with a clear mandate to control pandemics.

EXAMPLE OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• Looking at a parallel example, India has done well in its institutional design for tackling natural disasters other than pandemics.
• Through the Disaster Management Act 2005, the Union government set up multi-disciplinary Disaster Management authorities from the national to the state, district, and local levels.
• These authorities were assigned clear functions and responsibilities. A separate fiscal window was carved out to deal with natural disasters.
• The purpose of such a design was to create a rapid response structure free of bureaucratization.
• The success of this approach has been seen in the way India has since handled natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, and earthquakes.

DESIGNING AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM FOR PANDEMICS

Basic Rules:

• First, functions ought to be carefully allocated to different levels as exclusively as possible. Some concurrency of action is inevitable, but too much overlap between the functions of different levels can create confusion and dilute accountability.
• Second, finance must follow function. No mandates must be given to institutions without giving them recourse to adequate resources for execution; if unfunded mandates exist, sooner than later, they will not be carried out.
• Third, every institution that is given a mandate must be given command and control over the staff and other capacities required to deliver that mandate effectively.

Pandemic Response Authority:

• There is a need to establish a high-powered Pandemic Response Authority at the national level and mimic the structure of the Disaster Management System.
• A Pandemic Response Unit should be established on the lines of NDMA like authority or body, having representation from both the Centre and states, responsible for designing and implementing well-coordinated surveillance, identification, contact-tracing, quarantine, isolation, testing strategy, and treatment.
• While establishing a new Pandemic Response Unit, care must be taken to avoid the danger of over-centralization. It is quite possible that a Pandemic Response Unit becomes a super-ministry, exercising unnecessary discretion and hampering effective response rather than aiding it.
• Ideally, what can be done at a lower level ought not to move upward. Only those residual matters that cannot be handled at a state or local government level need to be handled by an apex unit.
• Matters that have wide repercussions across jurisdictions are best centralized. So also are matters that enjoy scales of economy.

Functions:

• Four important matters in which a Pandemic Response Unit would add value would be in strategic medium-term and long-term planning, promoting research, international cooperation, and capacity-building.
• Develop, exercise, and periodically revise national and state pandemic preparedness and response plans in close collaboration with human and animal health sectors and other relevant public and private partners with reference to current WHO guidance.
• Anticipate and address the resources required to implement proposed interventions at national and sub-national levels, including working with humanitarian, community-based, and non-governmental organizations.
• Develop national surveillance systems to collect up-to-date clinical, virological, and epidemiological information on trends in human infection with seasonal influenza viruses, which will also help to estimate additional needs during a pandemic.
• Identify, regularly brief, and train key personnel to be mobilized as part of a multisectoral expert response team for animal or human influenza outbreaks of pandemic potential.

CONCLUSION:

Public health planning should have been strengthened, taking into account the experiences and lessons learned from the current crisis. Handling of the Covid pandemic in Indian states, in spite of scientific and public health advances, demands honest and critical reflections by policymakers and health experts alike. Political accountability has to be fixed and there is a need to get the management response right. It is priorities to set up systems that can work are set up, and they work right. If that is not done, we will continue to suffer far into the future.

[WpProQuiz 150]

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. THE PHILOSOPHER-SAINT RAMANUJACHARYA

THE CONTEXT: The Prime Minister unveiled the ‘Statue of Equality’ to commemorate the 11th-century Bhakti saint Sri Ramanujacharya in Hyderabad and said the statue will encourage youth and will be a symbol of knowledge, detachment, and ideals.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Prime Minister, India had a strong traditional base which drew strength from the preaching of great men like Sri Ramanujacharya. There was, however, no conflict between tradition and development. Even B. R. Ambedkar subscribed to the teachings of Sri Ramanujacharya.
• He also praised the recognition of the Ramappa temple in the erstwhile Warangal district as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and of Pochampalli as a world tourism village by the World Tourism Organization, was an extension of the rich cultural heritage left behind by the Satavahana and Kakatiya dynasties.

Statue of Equality’:

• The ‘Statue of Equality’ has been built at Muchintal, a village in Telangana. The statue is said to be made of ‘panchaloha’, which is a combination of five metals including gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc.
• This statue is one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting positions in the world. The statue has been mounted on a 54-feet high base building named ‘Bhadra Vedi’. The building has floors dedicated to a Vedic digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, and an educational gallery to explore the works of Sri Ramanujacharya.

ABOUT RAMANUJACHARYA

• Ramanujacharya was born in 1017 in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, Ramanujacharya is revered as a Vedic philosopher and social reformer.
• He was the chief proponent of Vishishtadvaita and stood for the importance of bhakti (devotion) as a means to spiritual enlightenment. He worked tirelessly for the upliftment of people with the spirit of every human being equal regardless of nationality, gender, race, caste or creed.
• He revived the Bhakti movement, and his preachings inspired other Bhakti schools of thought. He is considered to be the inspiration for poets like Annamacharya, Bhakta Ramdas, Thyagaraja, Kabir, and Meerabai.
• The inauguration of the ‘Statue of Equality’ which is a part of a 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samarohan, is the ongoing 1000th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Ramanujacharya.
• The Indian tradition of its scholars that views knowledge above rebuttal and acceptance-rejection. “If we have ‘advait’ then we have ‘dvait’ too and we also have Sri Ramanujacharya’s ‘Vishishtadvaita’ that encompasses both ‘davit-advait’”,

What is Vishishtadvaita?

• It is a non-dualistic school of Vedanta philosophy. It is non-dualism of the qualified whole, in which Brahman alone exists, but is characterized by multiplicity.
• It can be described as qualified monism or qualified non-dualism or attributive monism.
• It is a school of Vedanta philosophy which believes in all diversity subsuming to an underlying unity.

3. CENTRE LIFTS 100-METRE CAP ON CONSTRUCTION NEAR ASI PROTECTED MONUMENTS

THE CONTEXT: The Union Culture Ministry was working on amendments to “The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958” to lift the 100-meter cap on construction near Archeological Protected Area monuments.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The ongoing Budget session (2022) of the parliament, the Lok Sabha passed the amendments to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, to pave the way for several stalled developmental projects, including expansion of Metro and roads and building bridges.
• The proposed amendment allows construction of public infrastructure such as highways, bridges and airports within 100 metres of monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The original Act prohibited any construction around 100 metres of a historical building or place.
• According to the Ministry of Culture, “the Projects like the 112-years-old bridge in Kolhapur, which is 40 metres away from a monument, Metro rail projects in Kolkata and Pune, proposed bridges on the Yamuna, etc, had been stuck for a long time due to restrictions. The new Bill would pave the way for these projects which are coming up in the interest and the safety of the people.”
• The lok sabha panel also recommended a constitutional amendment to enable the Centre to enforce some protective provisions with regard to monuments and sites that are not under the Central or State governments’ protection. To allow the Archaeological Survey of India to act against encroachment of monuments, the committee recommended that the AMASR Act should grant the ASI the power to seal the illegal construction till it could be demolished.

Value Addition:

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958

• The AMASR Act provides for preservation of ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance. It also provides for the regulation of archaeological excavations and for protection of sculptures, carvings and other like objects.
• The Archaeological Survey of India functions under the provisions of this act.
• The Act prohibits construction in ‘prohibited area’, an area of 100 meters around protected monument. was amended in 2010 to declare the 100-metre radius of protected monuments as prohibited areas and the next 300-metre radius as regulated areas.
• It does not permit construction in such prohibited areas even if it is for public purposes, except under certain conditions. The iconic monuments in India, Taj Mahal, Ajanta Caves, The Great Stupa at Sanchi and the Sun Temple of Konark, among others are designated as “ancient monuments of national importance” and protected under the AMASR Act.
• The Archaeological Survey of India is the custodian of these monuments.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

3. THE PROBLEMS WITHIN THE UDAN SCHEME

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation Parliamentary Panel, only one out of four routes under the low-cost flying scheme called UDAN have survived after completing the government’s subsidy period of three years.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The MoS stated that this was because of the failure to set up airports due to lack of availability of land, airlines finding the routes difficult to sustain, and the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The poor financial health of much smaller, regional carriers has been a bane for the scheme.

What is UDAN Scheme:

• The scheme is aimed at enhancing connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country and making air travel affordable.
• It is a key component of the Centre’s National Civil Aviation Policy in 2016.
• Under the scheme, nearly half of the seats in Udan flights are offered at subsidized fares, and the participating carriers are provided a certain amount of viability gap funding (VGF) – an amount shared between the Centre and the concerned states.
• The scheme will be jointly funded by the central government and state governments.
• The scheme will run for 10 years and can be extended thereafter.

What is the status of the scheme?

• A total of nine rounds of bidding have taken place since January 2017. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has set a target of operationalizing as many as 100 unserved and underserved airports and starting at least 1,000 RCS routes by 2024.
• So far, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has awarded 948 routes under UDAN, of which 403 routes have taken off that connect 65 airports, which include eight heliports. Out of the total 28 seaplane routes connecting 14 water aerodromes, only two have commenced.
• While the Ministry of Civil Aviation undertook interesting initiatives within the scheme to provide improved connectivity to hilly regions and islands through helicopters and seaplanes, as well as linking Assam with certain international destinations in South Asia and Southeast Asia, these mostly remain on paper.

What have been the challenges?

• The poor financial health of much smaller, regional carriers has been a bane for the scheme. Financial crunch for maintenance.
• According to the Government, they also have problems with the availability of pilots and are forced to hire foreign pilots which costs them a lot of money and makes the business unviable. So far, only those routes that have been bagged by bigger domestic players such as IndiGo and SpiceJet have seen a better success rate”.
• Similarly, the only seaplane flight launched remains suspended. SpiceJet’s seaplane flight from Statue of Unity in Kevadiya to Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad was launched in October 2020, by the Prime Minister and saw a few flights till April but has since been suspended “due to rise in COVID cases, travel restrictions and keeping passenger safety in mind”.

What lies ahead for the scheme?

The Government offers subsidies for a route for a period of three years and expects the airline to develop the route during this time so that it becomes self-sufficient.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. SATKOSIA MAKING FRESH ATTEMPTS TO BE SUITED FOR TIGER HABITAT

THE CONTEXT: Fifteen years after declaration as a tiger reserve and failure of revival of big cat population through India’s first inter-State tiger relocation programme, the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha has started making efforts afresh to re-establish it as a tiger habitat.

THE EXPLANATION:

• At the time of declaration Satkosia as a tiger reserve, it had about 12 tigers. Over the years, the big cat population dwindled. The STR is left with only one tigress.
• To revive tiger population in the STR, India’s first inter- State tiger relocation programme was launched by way of import of a pair of tiger and tigress from Kanha Tiger Reserve and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (MP) in 2018. But, the programme had failed primarily due to hostility of local communities and their intensive use of the tiger reserve resources for livelihoods.

Satkosia Tiger Reserve

• Satkosia was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1976. It is spread along the magnificent gorge over the mighty river Mahanadi in Odisha.
• The area was declared as Satkosia Tiger Reserve in 2007, comprising two adjoining wildlife sanctuaries; the Satkosia Gorge sanctuary and Baisipalli sanctuary. The Reserve is spread over 4 districts like; Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh.
• The Core area of the reserve is also a part of the Mahanadi elephant reserve.
• Satkosia is the meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of India; the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing immense biodiversity.
• Species found: The area of Satkosia Tiger Reserve supports moist deciduous forest, dry deciduous forest and moist peninsular Sal forest.
• This area is the home for Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Gaur, Sambar, Spotted deer, Mouse deer, Nilgai, Chousingha, Sloth bear, Wild dog etc.
• The Forest Department of the Government of Orissa with technical support from the UNDP and FAO decided to start a breeding programme of crocodiles during March 1974. As a part of this joint conservation initiative, the Gharial Research and Conservation Unit (GRACU) was started during March 1975.

5. THE RARE INSECT SIGHTED IN SESHACHALAM

THE CONTEXT: A Tirupati-based wildlife photographer Black percher or black ground skimmer (Diplacodes lefebvrii), a species of dragon fly, was sighted for the first time in the Seshachalam Hill ranges . It belongs to the phylum arthropoda, class insecta and order odonata.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of threatened species, Black Ground Skimmer was labelled in 2016 as of ‘least concern’ in view of its wide prevalence in southern Eurasia and the whole of Africa.
• The insect has been sighted in forest locations of Karnataka and coastal Andhra Pradesh, but this appears to be its maiden appearance in the Seshachalam ranges. It is known to move near forest streams.

Seshachalam biosphere Reserve:

• The Seshachalam Hills are hilly ranges part of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh.
• In 2010 it was designated as Biosphere Reserve. Seshachalam biosphere is spread over Chittoor and Kadapa districts.
• Tirupati, a major Hindu pilgrimage town and the Srivenkateshwara National Park are located in these ranges.
• It is home to a number of endemic species including the famous Red Sanders and Slender Loris.
• The native population of the reserve includes the tribes of Yanadis.

6. THE STRIPES OF SUCCESS: SARISKA TIGER RESERVE

THE CONTEXT: The measures for habitat management for tigers launched in June 2021 at the famous Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan’s Alwar district have started bearing fruit.

THE EXPLANATION:

The tiger population in the wildlife sanctuary has gone up to 25, while the resources are being provided to create water holes and develop grasslands for ungulates as a prey base.

New tourist route

The forest administration has opened a new route in the tiger reserve’s buffer zone, adjacent to Alwar town, for tourists to facilitate better sightings of the big cats. The new Bara-Liwari route, located in the region where a tigress gave birth to two cubs recently, will reduce pressure on the core area and increase livelihood opportunities for the rural population.

ABOUT SARISKA TIGER RESERVE

• Sariska Tiger Reserve is located in Alwar District of Rajasthan in lap of Aravali hills. Sariska Tiger Reserve or Sariska National Park was a hunting reserve area for Alwar state. It got a status of wildlife reserve in year 1955 and in year 1978 it became Sariska Tiger Reserve.
• It covers area of 866 sq kms. The Wild life 0f Sariska Park includes Royal Bengal Tiger, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Caracal, Striped Hyena, Golden Jackal, Chital, Sambhar, Blue Bull, Chinkara, Four Horned antelope.
• Flora of Sariska is found as Dhok tree, Salar, Kadaya, Dhak, Gol, Ber, Khair, Bargad, Arjun, Gugal and Bamboo etc.
• The topography of Sariska supports scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and grasses.
• The park is home to numerous carnivores including Leopard, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Civets Hyena, Jackal, and Tiger.

 THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 7TH FEB 2022

1. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

1. Satkosia Tiger reserve – Odisha
2. Valmiki Tiger reserve – West Bengal
3. Mukundara Hills Tiger reserve – Rajasthan

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only                         b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only              d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 5^TH FEB 2022

Answer: b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: They found the semi-evergreen and mixed-deciduous forests of India
• and Bhutan.
• Statement 2 is correct: In India, they are found only in Assam.
• Statement 3 is correct: Conservation status – Endangered. Also, Schedule-I species under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

THE CONTEXT: The government has set its sights on an aggressive plan to sell its equity holdings in State-owned enterprises from which it hopes to rake in Rs 1.75 trillion. In order to do so, the govt has significantly widened the scope of its privatization plan by unveiling a new policy for strategic disinvestment of public sector enterprises that will provide a clear roadmap for disinvestment in all non-strategic and strategic sectors.

THE PRESENT PRIVATISATION POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT

Fulfilling the governments’ commitment under the AtmaNirbhar Package of coming up with a policy of strategic disinvestment of public sector enterprises, with the following feature

• Strategic Sector: Bare minimum presence of the public sector enterprises and remaining to be privatized or merged or subsidiaries with other CPSEs or closed.
• Strategic sector: industries considered strategic if it has large innovative spillovers and if it provides a substantial infrastructure for another forum in the same or related industry

• Following 4 sectors to come under it:

• • • Atomic energy, Space and Defense
    • Transport and Telecommunications
    • Power, Petroleum, Coal, and other minerals
    • Banking, Insurance, and financial services

• Non-Strategic Sector: In this sector, CPSEs will be privatized, otherwise shall be closed.

Non-strategic sector

• will include hotel and tourist services, transportation vehicle and equipment industry and consumer goods trading and marketing and transport and logistics

The policy of the government on the 18 strategic sectors other sectors

18 strategic sectors under 3 different classificatory types are

• mining and exploration
• processing and generation and
• the service sector

Policy regarding PSU by the govt

• Govt will completely exit the non-strategic sector
• in the strategic sector govt will keep a maximum of 1-4 PSU and subsequently opt for strategic disinvestment

 PRIVATISATION OF PSU SINCE 2014 INCLUDING BANKS

The increase of supply of PSU stocks and the constrained investor appetite had started affecting the prices. The trade-off between the political objective to privatize and revenue maximization was witnessed the most in this period. Resultantly, the government resorts to Strategic Sales.

However, in a departure from past govt is also disinvesting profit-making ventures with a rationale that disinvestment of profit-making enterprises by a public offering of shares is desirable as it leads to dispersed shareholding and avoids concentration of economic power.

However, in the case of banks, an amalgamation policy was followed, which reduced the number of national banks from 28 to 12 by merging various banks.

• But even after this, there was no meaningful resolution of the NPA crisis.
  • In fact, post the covid crisis this problem will increase as small banks are facing the problem of balancing credit growth and risk.
  • With the specter of insolvencies looming at the start of pandemic-led lockdown, there was a flight of deposits from small banks to bigger ones.
• In view of this, the govt has focused on taking PSBs out of government control

Overall approach

Since 2014, the Modi government’s strategic disinvestment approach was to sell minority stakes in public companies to raise revenue, while retaining management control. During the 2014-2019 period, the government raised Rs. 2,79,622 crore from the disinvestment of public sector enterprises (PSEs), compared to Rs 1,07,833 crore collected during 2004-14. However, this has changed now. Recently, five companies were up for 100 percent disinvestment, including three large, profitable companies such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), the Container Corporation of India, and the Shipping Corporation.

THE EVOLUTION OF PSU FROM 1956 TO 1999

Historical antecedents Industrial Policy in India:

• National Economic Planning Committee set up by the All India Congress Committee in 1937: suggested vigorous efforts for India’s industrial development through a mixed economy with a dominant role for the public sector.
• Peoples Plan’ prepared by Mr. M N Roy: all-in-all role to public sector and financing of the industrial plan through internal resources
• Bombay Plan (Tata-Birla plan) recommended government support for industrialization, including a direct role in the production of capital goods. It had called for a substantial role of the private sector in the industrial development
• Defense of India Rules (interim rule): The plan suggested by the interim government for industrial development categorized industries into four divisions, of which two were exclusively reserved for the public sector and these related to core and heavy industrial sectors. Of the remaining two, public and private sectors were allowed access to intermediate industries forming the third sector, while the consumer goods industry was reserved for the private sector [Trivia: first Industrial Policy Statement of 1948 was a restatement of the 1945 categorization as adopted by the interim government.]

Industrial Policy Statement – 1948: 

Industries were divided into four broad categories

• Exclusive State: Monopoly included the manufacture of arms and ammunition, production and control of atomic energy, and the ownership and management of railway transport
• State Monopoly for New Units
• State Regulated category
• Unregulated private enterprises

Industrial Policy Resolution – 1956: 

• It was shaped by the Mahalanobis Model of growth, which suggested that emphasis on heavy industries would lead the economy towards a long-term higher growth path. The Resolution widened the scope of the public sector. The objective was to accelerate:
• Bombay Plan prepared by leading Indian industrialists in 1944-45 had recommended government support for industrialization, including a direct role in the production of capital goods.
• Economic growth and boost the process of industrialization as a means to achieving a socialistic pattern of society.
• The Industrial Policy Resolution – 1956 classified industries into three categories
• The first category comprised 17 industries exclusively under the domain of the Government. These include, inter alia, railways, air transport, arms and ammunition, iron and steel, and atomic energy.
• The second category comprised 12 industries, which were envisaged to be progressively State-owned but the private sector was expected to supplement the efforts of the State.
• The third category contained all the remaining industries and it was expected that the private sector would initiate the development of these industries, but they would remain open for the State as well
• Despite the demarcation of industries into separate categories, the Resolution was flexible enough to allow the required adjustments and modifications in the national interest.

Industrial Policy Measures in the 1960s and 1970s: 

• Industrial Licensing Policy Inquiry Committee (Dutt Committee), constituted in 1967, recommended that larger industrial houses should be given licenses only for setting up industry in core and heavy investment sectors, thereby necessitating reorientation of industrial licensing policy.
• The new Industrial Licensing Policy of 1970 classified industries into four categories.
• The first category, termed as ‘Core Sector’, consisted of basic, critical, and strategic industries.
• The second category termed as ‘Heavy Investment Sector’, comprised projects involving an investment of more than Rs.50 million.
• The third category, the ‘Middle Sector’ consisted of projects with investment in the range of Rs.10 million to Rs.50 million.
• The fourth category was ‘De- licensed Sector’, in which investment was less than Rs.10 million and was exempted from licensing requirements.

Industrial Policy Statement – 1980: 

The Industrial Policy Statement of 1980 placed the accent on the promotion of competition in the domestic market, technological up-gradation, and modernization of industries A number of measures were initiated towards technological and managerial modernization to improve productivity, quality and to reduce the cost of production. The public sector was freed from a number of constraints and was provided with greater autonomy. There was some progress in the process of deregulation during the 1980s. In 1988, all industries, excepting 26 industries specified in the negative list, were exempted from licensing. The exemption was, however, subject to investment and locational limitations. The automotive industry, cement, cotton spinning, food processing, and polyester filament yarn industries witnessed modernization and expanded scales of production during the 1980s.

PRIVATISATION FROM 1991 TO 2014 AND PROS AND CONS

Phases of Disinvestment Policy in India

Phase 1 91 to 99: Disinvestment was mainly through the Sale of Minority Shareholding in CPSEs. Mostly, the auction method was adopted for the sale of a minority shareholding, though Global Depository Receipts issues have been reported to as well in the last two years of that phase. There were no Strategic Sales in this period. The ideological focus was on gradual privatization. Further, the focus was also on the modernization of PSUs, in order to increase their ‘efficiency’ while protecting the interests of employees. But, the main aim was to mitigate the fiscal deficits of the government. It never focused on revenue maximization. However, with Rangarajan Committee a shift from public offerings to strategic / trade sales was witnessed in the field of core and non-core.

Phase 2 99 to 03: The ambit of disinvestment was widened the most during the second phase. Targets higher than ever before were set, a Department of Disinvestment was constituted on 10th December 1999 and later a full-fledged ministry was set up, an aggressive disinvestment policy was pursued and the government exited several PSUs completely. Consequently, with a higher supply of  PSUs’ shares in the still-developing market, prices of equity sold were low, subsequently destroying the value of PSUs, resulting in the government failing to achieve the disinvestment targets.

Phase 3 03 to 009: The government adopted the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) and the following are the aspects of the program that related to the public sector5:

• The government was to retain the existing “Navratna” companies.
• The program stated that profit-making PSUs will not be privatized and in line with this disinvestment through strategic sale of profit-making CPSEs was called off.
• Public Sector companies and nationalized banks were encouraged to enter the capital market to raise resources and offer new investment avenues to retail investors.

There were no targets fixed and the total receipts. Disinvestment was majorly done through the Offer for Sale or Sale route. It was in this phase that the National Investment Fund (NIF) was constituted. All the proceeds from the disinvestment of central PSUs were transferred into this fund and 75% of the annual collections of the fund had to be invested in social sectors. The management of it was assigned to public sector mutual funds.

Phase 5 09-14: The disinvestment process restarted with full vigor, but the government didn’t resort to the Strategic Sale route. In most years, the sale of minority shares was done through an offer for sale.

How not disinvest?

A model is followed in India, which neither qualifies as disinvestment nor privatization. In such a transaction—where one PSU is buying out another take place. This resulted in a transfer of resources already with the public sector to the government and did not lead to any change in the stake of the public sector or government in disinvested PSUs. It can be seen as merely money-making exercise merely moneymaking measures. (ONGC-LIC, HPCL-ONGC) Further, the government is not exiting completely in many of the PSU thus creating contrived confusion in the policy framework (Air India)

THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PRIVATISATION POLICY BY THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT

Is privatization of bank panacea for success

• Private players in the financial sector are prone to failure: this fact gave the world economic shock of astronomical proportion, which was overreachingly created by private bank
• Private banks fail all the time the 20 years from 2001 to 2020, as many as 559 private banks with assets of $721 billion failed in the US
• The principle followed by private banks is when they make profits, it goes to shareholders: When they make losses, it gets socialized and falls in the lap of the government to make good the deposits either through insurance or taxpayer bailout. (Yes Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), bailed out the above bank.)
• Big private banks can fail any time: There is a myth that if a bank gets large enough, it will not fail. While one can agree that the larger the bank, the greater its ability to absorb losses, this does not mean it cannot fail. The axiom “Higher you go, harder the fall” applies best to private banks. Yes, Bank, Citi Bank, Washington Mutual Bank are all such examples.

Looking at the larger interest

• The move towards divesting ownership in strategic sectors will have long-term consequences. A diluted public sector would possibly mean that India missing out on the opportunity to capitalize on the global distrust against Chinese supply lines in the wake of the current crisis.
• Moreover, the valuation of PSU is at an all-time low. At the start of NDA-2, the valuation of PSU at the BSE was 22% which has reduced to 9.4% in Oct 2020.
• At present, because of the crisis presented by the pandemic, it is highly unlikely that more than 10 percent of the shares of the LIC are subscribed, as the market may not be able to absorb more.

 whether privatization is the only option for PSUs

PSU models in different countries

PSUs exist virtually everywhere. In, Asia, where PSUs have played an important role in shaping the economy. According to an OECD report, PSUs pulls plenty of economic might-

• in China, they account for 30% of GDP,
• in Vietnam 38%,
• And they account for roughly a fourth of GDP in India and Thailand.
• PSUs are also big employers in many of these countries — 15% in China, 5% in Malaysia.
• PSUs play an important role in BRICS economies.
  • According to a recent KPMG report, of the 2,000 largest companies globally, 260 are from BRICS economies.
  • About 123 or 47% of the largest BRICS enterprises are PSU. The market value of PSU amounts to 32% of GNIs (gross national income) among all BRICS countries.

All the above example shows that privatization is not the only panacea for bringing efficiency, improving productivity, and building productive assets.

THE GLOBAL PRACTICES

Reshaping the PSU buy other countries

Three former planned economies have set up centralized holding entities — SASAC in China in 2003, SCIC in Vietnam in 2007, and Druk Holdings and Investments in Bhutan. In 2006, the Philippines pioneered the development of a PSU governance scorecard which has become an important tool for pushing PSU reforms. Since 2004, Malaysia has rolled out a comprehensive ‘transformation program” to overhaul its PSUs.

An incorporated holding company Temasek to better manage its assets on a commercial basis was launched in Singapore. This allowed its Ministry of Finance to focus on policymaking. At inception, Temasek’s initial portfolio was S$354 million, spanning 35 companies. Thereafter began the process of restructuring SOEs. Some were corporatized and privatized, others were allowed to go for big global expansions.

THE CHINA EXAMPLE: 

In 2003, a holding company, the State-Owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission (SASAC) was created to manage the SoEs. The agency, which controls nearly 100 of the largest SOEs, lies “at the heart of China’s industrial deep state.

WAY FORWARD: WHAT INDIA CAN LEARN?

Negative bids: The government should permit negative bids: a bid where the government pays someone to take the company off its hands. Negative bids were an important part of the massive privatization, which took place in Germany after the end of socialism and helped to get productive assets rapidly into the hands of efficient managers in the private sector.

MOU models: In South Korea PSUs with high social obligation operate with private sectors with the help Of MOUs. But one of the most important things, that is forgotten in the outright privatization of CPSUs is that it is unaccompanied by the necessary reforms in the overall regulatory framework in which they operate. Reforms of the regulatory frameworks and the markets are crucial for the performance of both PSUs and private companies, ensuring a rule-based competitive structure covering entry, exit, bankruptcy, and competition among existing companies, as manifested by the British privatization of the 1980s and 90s.

CONCLUSION:

While the experience of other countries is available to India by way of guidance, it would have to evolve its own techniques, best suited to its level of development. The historic, cultural, and institutional context influences the way in which and the pace at which privatization is implemented. Where the market economy is not fully developed, ways would have to be found to safeguard the interests of consumers and investors, which would ensure a fuller play to the wealth-creating role of the entrepreneurs.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND ATTIRE

THE CONTEXT: The controversy surrounding the wearing of ‘hijab’ in a college in Karnataka’s Udupi district has spread to more colleges in the state, causing concerns within the Education department as well as parents and students.

THE EXPLANATION:

The amid Karnataka school’s denial of entry to six girls in hijab throws the spotlight on freedom of religion. The issue throws up legal questions on reading the freedom of religion and whether the right to wear a hijab is constitutionally protected.

How is religious freedom protected under the Constitution?

• Article 25(1) of the Constitution guarantees the “freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion”. It is a right that guarantees a negative liberty — which means that the state shall ensure that there is no interference or obstacle to exercise this freedom.
• However, like all fundamental rights, the state can restrict the right for grounds of public order, decency, morality, health and other state interests.
• Over the years, the Supreme Court has evolved a practical test of sorts to determine what religious practices can be constitutionally protected and what can be ignored.
• In 1954, the Supreme Court held in the Shirur Mutt case that the term ‘religion’ will cover all rituals and practices ‘integral’ to a religion. The test to determine what is integral is termed the ‘essential religious practices’ test.

What is Essential Practice of Religion?

• It was held that a practice is considered essential to a religion if it is essential to the community following the religion. Furthermore, Article 25(1) and 26(b) offers protection to religious practices. Affairs which are purely secular may be regulated by statute without infringing the aforesaid articles.
• In order that the practices in question should be treated as a part of religion they must be regarded by the said religion as its essential and integral part; otherwise even purely secular practices which are not an essential or an integral part of religion are apt to be clothed with a religious form and may make a claim for being treated as religious practices within the meaning of Article 26.

2. THE STATUS OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST LEGISLATORS

THE CONTEXT: According to the Supreme Court, a total of 4,984 criminal cases against former and sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are awaiting trial before various sessions and magistrate courts across the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

This marks an increase of 862 such cases in the last three years – up from 4,122 in December 2018 to 4,984 in December 2021.

According to the report, “Even after disposal of 2,775 cases after 04.12.2018, the cases against MPs/MLAs have increased from 4,122 to 4,984. This shows that more and more persons with criminal antecedents are occupying the seats in the Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies,” adding that “it is of utmost necessity that urgent and stringent steps are taken for expeditious disposal of pending criminal cases”.

Reasons for delayed trial:

• Stays granted by various high courts,
• Insufficient special courts to exclusively try cases against MPs/MLAs,
• Shortage of prosecutors and latches in prosecution,
• Delayed investigation.

CRIMINALIZATION OF POLITICS

The criminalization of politics means the participation of criminals in politics. Means that persons with criminal background contest in the election and get selected as a member of parliament or state legislature. It is said that the politics had reached a stage where the lawmakers became the lawbreakers. In a democratic country like India, the increasing nexus between criminals and politics threatens the survival of true democracy.

The increasing percentage of members of parliament who have a criminal background:

• 2004- 24%
• 2009-30%
• 2014-34%
• 2019-43%

The law commission in its 179th report recommended an amendment to the Representation of people act 1951. It suggested the people with criminal backgrounds should be disqualified for five years or until acquittal. It also recommended that the person who wants to contest the election must furnish details regarding any pending case, with the copy of the FIR/complaint, and also furnish details of all assets. But no action was taken on the recommendation by the government due to a lack of consensus amongst the political parties.

Suggested measures:

• There should be an amendment in the RP act to debar those persons from contesting elections against whom any serious Nature of crimes is pending.
• A kind of awareness program should be started for voters to make them aware of their right to know the criminal background of the person to whom they are going to cast their votes.
• The election commission should be given more rights to prevent the criminalization of politics. A penalty should be inflicted on those political parties who give tickets to those persons who have a criminal background.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. ASSAM’S FIRST LEOPARD CENSUS

THE CONTEXT: A forest division in Assam has initiated the State’s first leopard census to map the habitat and routes of the spotted cat and establish standards to be followed for urban planning.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the forest officials, mapping the leopard’s territories was necessary in view of the increasing man-animal conflicts due to rapid infrastructure development. The division covers urban, semi-urban and rural areas on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river facing Guwahati, once a leopard domain.
• “Leopards have been the most neglected of the greater cats in Assam. The census will help understand their habitat and occupancy area leading to better management in an area which is a mosaic of suburban, rural and forest areas.
• Leopards prefer the fringe areas of jungles and often raid human settlements for food. The objective of this exercise was to map their population, habitat and movement routes for better planning of human settlements.
• In 2014, a national census of leopards around tiger habitats was carried out in India except the northeast. 7,910 individuals were estimated in surveyed areas and a national total of 12,000-14,000 speculated

About Leopard:

• Scientific Name- Panthera pardus.
• The Indian leopard is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
• Nine subspecies of the leopard have been recognized, and they are distributed across Africa and Asia.

Habitat & Protection: In India, the leopard is found in all forest types, from tropical rain forests to temperate deciduous and alpine coniferous forests. It is also found in dry scrubs and grasslands, the only exception being desert and the mangroves of Sundarbans.

Threats: Hunting & Poaching, Human-Leopard Conflict.

Protection Status:

• Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Included in Appendix I of CITES.
• Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

4. ASSAM VILLAGERS OPPOSE SANCTUARY TAG FOR GOLDEN LANGUR HABITAT

THE CONTEXT: Villagers staying adjacent to Kakoijana reserve forest in Assam’s Bongaigaon district have opposed the state government’s decision to earmark the area as a wildlife sanctuary as they believe it will take away their rights.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The forest is home to the golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), characterised by its striking golden orange pelage and found only in Assam and Bhutan,which is listed in the “world’s 25 most-endangered primates”.
• The Assam forest department had recently issued a preliminary notification for 19.85 sq km Kakoijana Bamuni Hill Wildlife Sanctuary under Aie Valley Division.
• A total of 34 villages with a population of around 2,000 households stay adjacent to the reserve forest. The people are mostly from Koch Rajbongshi, Boro, Garo, Rabha and Gorkha communities.
• According to the villagers the imposition of rigid laws under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 by upgrading the Kakoijana reserve forest as a wildlife sanctuary would tinker with the customary and traditional practices, and consequently result in them losing the community ownership over the forest.
• The villagers pointed out that the conservation efforts of the locals had helped the authorities concerned to restore the forest canopy from less than 5% to more than 70%, and the golden langur population from less than 100 to more than 600 over almost three decades.

ABOUT GOLDEN LANGUR

• The golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), characterised by its striking golden orange pelage and found only in Assam and Bhutan, is found in the forest reserve area.
• Golden langur is an endangered primate, endemic to the semi-evergreen and mixed-deciduous forests along India-Bhutan border.
• It was found in 1953 by naturalist E.P. Gee. Kakoijana is one of the prime habitats of the golden langur. It has already been listed as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List and is in the Schedule-I species of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) and it was Listed in Appendix I of CITES.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 5^th FEBRUARY 2022

Q. Consider the following statements about Golden langur:

1. It is endemic to India.
2. It is found only in state of Assam in India.
3. It is an endangered species.

Which of the above given statements is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 4^th FEB 2022

Answer: c)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The State of Forest Report was published by every two years.

Statement 2 is incorrect: According to the report, Northeastern states shows decreased in the forest cover.

THE BUDGET PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS 2022

1. DEFINITION UNDER THE STATE OF FOREST REPORT

THE CONTEXT: In January 2022, the Environment & Forest Ministry released India State Forest Report 2021 (ISFR-2021), the forest cover figures are divided as ‘Inside Recorded Forest Area’ and ‘Outside Recorded Forest Area.’

THE EXPLANATION:

As per decision 19/Conference of Parties (CP) 9-Kyoto Protocol, the forest can be defined by any country depending upon the capacities and capabilities of the country as follows:-

Forest- Forest is defined structurally on the basis of

• Crown cover percentage: Tree crown cover- 10 to 30% (India 10%)
• Minimum area of stand: area between 0.05 and 1 hectare (India 1.0 hectare) and
• Minimum height of trees: Potential to reach a minimum height at maturity in situ of 2 to 5 m (India 2m).

India’s definition of forest has been taken on the basis of above three criteria only and  accepted by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their reporting/communications.

The forest cover is defined as ‘all land, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10 percent irrespective of ownership and legal status.Such land may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm’. The definition of forest cover has clearly been defined in all the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) and in all the International communications of India.

The Interpretation of satellite data for classifying Very Dense Forest (VDF) is also supported by the ancillary data like field inventory data of FSI, ground truthing data and high resolution satellite imagery wherever required.

2. CHANDRAYAAN-3 IS SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH IN AUGUST 2022

THE CONTEXT: According to the Budget Parliamentary proceedings of 2022, Minister for Science and Technology informed in the parliament that India plans to execute the Chandrayaan-3 mission by August 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up of Chandrayaan-2 of July 2019, which aimed to land a rover on the lunar South Pole. It was sent aboard the country’s most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle, the GSLV-Mk 3.
• However, lander Vikram, instead of a controlled landing, ended up crash-landing on September 7, 2019, and prevented rover Pragyaan from successfully travelling on the surface of the moon. Had the mission been successful, it would have been the first time a country landed its rover on the moon in its maiden attempt.
• The ISRO has planned 19 missions until December consisting of eight launch vehicle missions, seven spacecraft missions and four technology demonstrator missions.
• The ISRO has been allotted ₹13,700 crore for this financial year, nearly ₹1,000 crore more than it spent last year. Despite the several missions planned this year, the budgeted outlay this year is less than the ₹13,949 crore allotted in the year 2021.

Decoding Chandrayaan-3

• Chandrayaan-3 is a lander-and rover-specific mission, which will demonstrate India’s capability of soft landing on a celestial body, with the rover then communicating with Earth via the existing orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 and taking images 100 km from Moon’s orbit. The orbiter has an estimated lifespan of seven years.
• The unique exploration of Chandrayaan-3 aims at studying not just one area of the Moon but all the areas combining the exosphere, the surface as well as the sub-surface in a single mission.
• With Chandrayaan-1, ISRO achieved immense success as the ‘Moon Impact Probe’ by Chandrayaan-1 lunar remote sensing orbiter detected water in vapor form in trace amounts. The discovery was done along with JPL-Brown University payload Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) that confirmed that the formation of Hydroxyl ions and water molecules on the lunar surface is an ongoing process.
• With Chandrayaan-3, India aims to further the study of the lunar surface, focusing on the dark side of the Moon that has not seen sunlight in billions of years, which is believed to have ice and vast mineral reserves.

3. KHADI PRAKRITIK PAINT

THE CONTEXT: Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI), Jaipur, a unit of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the administrative control of the Ministry of MSME, developed Khadi Prakratik Paint has been developed from cow dung.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It is envisaged that manufacture of Khadi Prakritik Paint will promote local manufacturing, create sustainable employment and generate additional revenue for farmers and cow shelter homes and will also generate employment in the rural areas, which will improve the rural economy and help in controlling the migration from rural to urban areas, in the country.
• Cow dung is a major constituent used in the manufacture of Prakritik Paint. 100 kgs. of cow dung is utilized for making 500 liters of paint. Therefore, setting up of paint units would be helpful in utilization of cow dung and thereby help in cleaning the environment.
• KNHPI imparts training in manufacture of Khadi Prakritik Paint. Prakritik Paint manufacturing units are being set up under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) scheme of Ministry of MSME.

4. NATIONAL ADAPTATION FUND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (NAFCC)

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and climate change, the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) was established to support adaptation activities in the States and Union Territories (UTs) of India that are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. NAFCC is implemented in project mode and till date, 30 projects are sanctioned in 27 States and UTs.

THE EXPLANATION:  

The Ministry has demarcated the Hazard Line for the entire mainland coast of India under its Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project. Further, Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2019 has been notified to conserve and protect the unique environment of coastal stretches and marine areas to promote sustainable development.

The NAFCC projects implemented in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh include activities relating to coastal areas and these projects are-

• Promotion of integrated farming system of Kaipad in coastal wetlands of North Kerala
• Management and rehabilitation of coastal habitats and biodiversity for climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Livelihood in Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu and
• Climate Resilient interventions in Dairy Sector in coastal and Arid areas in Andhra Pradesh. Till date, a sum of Rs. 6,35,68,108/- has been released to the State of Andhra Pradesh under NAFCC

Definition of Integrated Coastal Zone Management:

• Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is a resource management system following an integrative, holistic approach and an interactive planning process in addressing the complex management issues in the coastal area
• The concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management was borne in 1992 during the Earth Summit of Rio de Janeiro. The policy regarding ICZM is set out in the proceedings of the summit within Agenda 21.

 5. HELI BORNE SURVEY TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has taken up Heli-borne survey for generation of aquifer related information and its management in certain Arid/Semi-Arid areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana.

THE EXPLANATION:

Under Ground Water Management & Regulation scheme, a Central Sector Scheme, with an estimated cost of Rs 54.00 Cr and likely date of completion as 31 March 2022.

Heli Survey Technology

• The state-of-the-art technology, Heli Survey Technology, will be used to map the groundwater sources in arid regions. Survey will help in utilizing groundwater for drinking purposes.
• Heli-borne geophysical mapping technique will provide high-resolution 3D image for sub-surface up to a depth of 500 meters below the ground level.

Aim of the project

This project has been developed with the aim of mapping potential groundwater sources and its management in providing safe drinking water to people in the water scarce arid regions of India.

Two Phases of the project

The mega project worth Rs. 150 crores will be implemented in two phases. To implement the project, CSIR has collaborated with the Ministry of Jal Shakti under the “National Aquifer Mapping Project”.  This project will bring high visibility to CSIR to implement the Jal Jeevan Mission project.

Significance of the technology

Water technologies of CSIR from source finding to water treatment will positively contribute towards “Har Ghar Hal se Jal” scheme as well as “doubling farmer’s income goals”.

Arid areas in India

Arid areas in northwestern India are spread across the States of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab. The area covers about 12% of the total geographical area in India and is home to about 8 crore people. Annual rainfall in arid areas is in the range of 100 to 400 mm. Thus, there is an acute shortage of water throughout the year.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. NASA’S RETIREMENT PLAN FROM SPACE STATION

THE CONTEXT: According to a NASA’s press release, NASA plans to retire the International Space Station at the end of 2030 and crash it into the Pacific Ocean in an area called Point Nemo.

THE EXPLANATION:

For over two decades, the International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting Earth at a speed of about eight kilometres per second, while an international crew of astronauts and cosmonauts onboard conducted ground-breaking scientific investigations that have thrown open the doors for deep space exploration.

What is International Space Station?

• The International Space Station is a large spacecraft in orbit around Earth. It serves as a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live. The space station is also a unique science laboratory. Several nations worked together to build and use the space station. The space station is made of parts that were assembled in space by astronauts.
• It orbits Earth at an average altitude of approximately 250 miles. It travels at 17,500 mph. This means it orbits Earth every 90 minutes. NASA is using the space station to learn more about living and working in space. These lessons will make it possible to send humans farther into space than ever before.

What’s next for the ISS?

According to NASA, once it retires, the ISS will be replaced by “one or more commercially-owned and -operated” space platforms. “The private sector is technically and financially capable of developing and operating commercial low-Earth orbit destinations, with NASA’s assistance.

What about India’s Space Station?

According to the ISRO, India will launch its first indigenously made space station by 2030, just a few years after the ‘Gaganyaan’ mission which will kick off starting 2022.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 4^th FEBRUARY 2022

Q. Consider the following statements about the recently published India State Forest Report 2021.

1. India’s forest and tree cover published every year by the Forest Survey of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
2. According to the report, Northeastern states shows consistently increased in the forest cover.
3. For the first time, the report assessed forest cover in tiger reserves, tiger corridors and the Gir forest which houses the Asiatic lion.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b)2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 3^rd FEB 2022

Answer: c

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Contracting Parties are expected (but not mandated) to manage their Ramsar Sites so as to maintain their ecological character and retain their essential functions and values for future generations.
• Statement 2 is correct: The convention specifies that “Contracting Parties shall (not may) formulate and implement their planning so as to promote the conservation of the wetlands included in the List”.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Many important wetlands extend as one ecologically coherent whole across national borders. In these cases, COP can agree to establish Ramsar Sites on their territory as parts of a bigger Trans boundary Ramsar Site.

THE CONTEXT: Recently the Government of India has passed three farm bills that are being widely criticized by many farmer organizations. The farm bills are criticized for being pro-market reforms that have the potential of harming farmers’ interests in the long run.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Since 1991, economic liberalization and reforms by successive governments across the political spectrum – except during the lost decade of 2004-14 – have enabled a return to these core economic principles.
• That these timeless principles – advocated in as disparate Indian literature as the Arthashastra and the Thirukural – work is seen in the enormous prosperity well-regulated markets have delivered since 1991. Even the Chinese economic miracle is testimony to the role of markets in enabling economic prosperity for citizens.

WHAT IS FARM BILL 2020?

• In September 2020, the Indian government passed three agricultural bills, which are – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bil, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance, Farm Services Bill, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
• The new farmers’ bill allows the farmers to sell their products directly to private buyers breaking the monopoly of man is regulated by the government. The people get empowered to get into a legal deal with the companies and produce agro-products for them. The farmers’ bill India also allows stocking of food articles by the agri-businesses removing the ability of the government to impose arbitrarily.

The three farm acts:

1. Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020

• This act allows farmers to engage in trade of their agricultural produce outside the physical markets notified under various state Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee laws (APMC acts). Also known as the ‘APMC Bypass Bill’, it will override all the state-level APMC acts.
• Promotes barrier-free intra-state and inter-state trade of farmer’s produce.
• Proposes an electronic trading platform for direct and online trading of produce. Entities that can establish such platforms include companies, partnership firms, or societies.
• Allows farmers the freedom to trade anywhere outside state-notified APMC markets, and this includes allowing trade at farm gates, warehouses, cold storages, and so on.
• Prohibits state governments or APMCs from levying fees, cess, or any other charge on farmer’s produce.
• The three farm acts are likely to have a significant impact on farmers and agriculture in the country.

2. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020

• The act seeks to provide farmers with a framework to engage in contract farming, where farmers can enter into a direct agreement with a buyer (before sowing season) to sell the product to them at pre-determined prices.
• Entities that may strike agreements with farmers to buy agricultural produce are defined as “sponsors’’ and can include individuals, companies, partnership firms, limited liability groups, and societies.
• The act provides for setting up farming agreements between farmers and sponsors. Any third parties involved in the transaction (like aggregators) will have to be explicitly mentioned in the agreement. Registration authorities can be established by state governments to provide for an electronic registry of farming agreements.
• Agreements can cover mutually agreed terms between farmers and sponsors, and the terms can cover supply, quality, standards, price, as well as farm services. These include supply of seeds, feed, fodder, Agrochemicals, machinery and technology, non-chemical agro-inputs, and other farming inputs.
• Agreements must have a minimum duration of one cropping season or one production cycle of livestock. The maximum duration can be five years. For production cycles beyond five years, the period of agreement can be mutually decided by the farmer and sponsor.
• The purchase price of the farming produce—including the methods of determining the price—may be added to the agreement. In case the price is subject to variations, the agreement must include a guaranteed price to be paid as well as clear references for any additional amounts the farmer may receive, like bonus or premium.
• There is no mention of minimum support price (MSP) that buyers need to offer to farmers.
• Delivery of farmers’ produce may be undertaken by either party within the agreed time frame. Sponsors are liable to inspect the quality of products as per the agreement, otherwise, they will be deemed to have inspected the product and have to accept the delivery within the agreed time frame.
• In the case of seed production, sponsors are required to pay at least two-thirds of the agreed amount at the time of delivery, and the remaining amount is to be paid after due certification within 30 days of the date of delivery. Regarding all other cases, the entire amount must be paid at the time of delivery, and a receipt, the slip must be issued with the details of the sale.
• Produce generated under farming agreements are exempt from any state acts aimed at regulating the sale and purchase of farming produce, therefore leaving no room for states to impose MSPs on such produce. Such agreements also exempt the sponsor from any stock-limit obligations applicable under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Stock limits are a method of preventing hoarding of agricultural produce.
• Provides for a three-level dispute settlement mechanism: the conciliation board—comprising representatives of parties to the agreement, the sub-divisional magistrate, and appellate authority.

2. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020

• An amendment to the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, this act seeks to restrict the powers of the government with respect to the production, supply, and distribution of certain key commodities.
• The act removes cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion, and potatoes from the list of essential commodities.
• Government can impose stock holding limits and regulate the prices for the above commodities—under the Essential Commodities, 1955—only under exceptional circumstances. These include war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and the natural calamity of grave nature.
• Stock limits on farming produce to be based on price rise in the market.  They may be imposed only if there is: (i) a 100 percent increase in the retail price of horticultural produce, and (ii) a 50 percent increase in the retail price of non-perishable agricultural food items. The increase is to be calculated over the price prevailing during the preceding twelve months, or the average retail price over the last five years, whichever is lower.
• The act aims at removing fears of private investors of regulatory influence in their business operations.
• Gives freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute, and supply products, leading to harnessing private sector/foreign direct investment in agricultural infrastructure.

ARGUMENTS SUPPORTING THE FARM LAWS

The purpose of the new farm laws is to end the historic exploitation of farmers at the APMC markets and free them from the clutches of the middlemen. Farmers who sell their produce to mandi merchants, or ‘arhatiyas’, at agricultural produce market committee (APMC) markets still receive informal white slips with the transaction amount scribbled on them, making the record non-transparent. The purpose of the new farm laws is to end the historic exploitation of farmers at the APMC markets and free them from the clutches of the middlemen.

Economic history of exploitation at mandis:

• Fifty-five years since the APMCs were introduced, the country’s farmers are still receiving a low share of the consumer’s rupee as indicated by a Reserve Bank of India study covering mandis in 16 states, 16 food crops, and 9,400 farmers, traders, retailers.
• The farmers’ shares were 28 percent for potato, 33 percent for onion, 49 percent for rice, a crop with minimum support price (MSP) guarantee.
• The provision of MSP alone will not ensure farmers draw a greater share of the consumer’s rupee because supply is greater than demand.
• The demand is also influenced by schemes such as the national food security mission, where food grains are offered free or at low prices. When rice and wheat are offered virtually free of cost, why will the consumer buy Ragi, Jowar, Bajra at a higher price?
• Injecting competition by widening farm markets will benefit farmers, which the three farm laws aim at.

Inefficiencies in APMCs:

• The APMCs still don’t issue formal receipts which are supposed to mention the price, quantity, or quality of the produce.
• Further, due to interlocked markets, farmers are forced to sell to those middlemen who they have borrowed money from, starting off a vicious circle of exploitation in times of distress sales.
• Buyers make a large income from informal lending. Such illegal paired with unfair deductions, undercover sales, cartels, and collusions at APMCs have continued denying remunerative prices to the farmers.

Widened markets benefit farmers:

• Due to green revolution technologies, supply has increased but is limited to APMCs for handling. This causes the prices to be capped at a lower value. Permission to buy or sell outside APMCs will benefit farmers by creating new supply or value chains.
• The nominal protection coefficient (domestic price divided by international price) for agriculture is 0.87. This implies that farmers can get at least 13 percent higher prices in international markets by exporting.

Infringement of rights: 

• Farmers’ right to sell their produce to whomever, wherever, whenever, and in whichever quantity cannot be infringed upon. The elasticity of price transmission between that at APMCs and farmgate price (market value minus selling cost) is impressive. Thus, buyers outside APMC will have to compete with APMC prices and vice versa to attract farmers’ produce.

No interference with the state:

• Entry 26 of the state list enables states to regulate trade in agricultural commodities within their boundary. But this is subject to entry 33 in the concurrent list, which allows both the Centre and the states to frame these regulations.
• Such market reforms can double farmer incomes. Also, with Article 249, the Centre can enact the law in the national interest of saving farmers from exploitation by middlemen.

Multiple markets and competition:

• Allowing buyers outside APMC mandis promotes competition and halts exploitation. At present, while consumers are paying a higher price, farmers are still receiving lower returns due to inefficiencies and imperfections. Thus, setting the markets right is crucial through the new laws.
• Unified market platform (UMP) in Karnataka resulted in an increase of prices by 38 percent. This implies that current market prices are depressed by 38 percent due to a lack of adequate competition. Opening up the markets can push the APMCs to offer competitive prices.
• Competition in procurement and distribution costs can also reduce from 30 percent to 15 percent.

Bihar’s impressive performance:

• Economic reforms in Bihar in 2005 that removed the APMC act resulted in impressive agricultural and overall performance.
• Before 2005, Bihar’s economy grew at a rate of 5.3 percent while India’s economy grew at 6.8 percent. After the reforms, Bihar’s economy grew at 11.7 percent with a 4.7 percent agriculture boost, while India’s economy grew at 8.3 percent with agricultural growth at 3.6 percent.
• Between the pre and post-reform period, the average wholesale price of paddy increased by 126 percent, maize by 81 percent, and wheat by 66 percent.
• Considering the impact of reforms on crop output, in the pre-reforms (2000 to 2007) and post-reforms (2008 to 2015) period, the growth rates of the output of field crops (1.53 percent, 4.29 percent) were higher than that of horticulture crops (-3.51 percent, 2.85 percent), with an impressive growth rate of the overall output of agriculture and allied sectors (2.57 percent, 4.66 percent).

Contract farming:

• Contract farming enabled farmers to offer products at a predetermined price. When the market price is above the contractual price, farmers have the liberty to sell at a higher price.
• Small farmers have benefitted more than large farmers in contract farming as income derived per acre was the highest for small farmers.

Agriculture markets starved of 3Cs: 

• Agricultural markets are starved of capital, competition, and commitment. Capital injection postpones the operation of the law of diminishing marginal returns.
• The gross private capital formation in agriculture is 75 percent. Investment in marketing infrastructure, processing, logistics benefits society, where the private sector has potential. For these, political will is crucial and hence, the Union government should not repeal the three laws.
• New provisions of the Essential Commodities Act enable scale economies in agricultural marketing to attract private sector investment.

National overseeing authority: 

• Farmers cannot be left to the free will of competitive markets due to skewed asset distribution. A national body, a national agricultural marketing board similar to TRAI and SEBI, needs to be created to enhance the bargaining power of farmers and protect them, along with purchasers, sellers, and consumers from possibilities of exploitation.

WHY ARE THE FARMERS PROTESTING AGAINST THE FARM BILLS?

• More than half of all government procurement of wheat and paddy in the last five years has taken place in Punjab and Haryana, according to Agriculture Ministry data. More than 85% of wheat and paddy are grown in Punjab, and 75% in Haryana, is bought by the government at MSP rates. Farmers in these States fear that without MSPs, market prices will fall.
• These States are also most invested in the APMC system, with a strong mandi network, a well-oiled system of arthritis or commission agents facilitating procurement, and link roads connecting most villages to the notified markets and allowing farmers to easily bring their produce for procurement. The Punjab government charges a 6% mandi tax (along with a 2.5% fee for handling central procurement) and earns annual revenue of about ₹3,500 crores from these charges.
• The very right of the Centre to enact legislation on agricultural marketing. Article 246 of the Constitution places “agriculture” in entry 14 and “markets and fairs” in entry 28 of the State List. But entry 42 of the Union List empowers the Centre to regulate “inter-State trade and commerce”. While trade and commerce “within the State” are under entry 26 of the State List, it is subject to the provisions of entry 33 of the Concurrent List – under which the Centre can make laws that would prevail over those enacted by the states.
• Entry 33 of the Concurrent List covers trade and commerce in “foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils”, fodder, cotton and jute. The Centre, in other words, can very pass any law that removes all impediments to both inter-and intra-state trade in farm produce, while also overriding the existing state APMC Acts.

ISSUE REGARDING THE BILL

• Yes, there were many flaws in the decades-old APMC Act, but critics believe that the need was to plug the loopholes instead of introducing a new system altogether. A similar system has already been introduced in America and some European countries where it has failed miserably, we can only hope this does not happen in India and government will not repeat those mistakes.
• From the attitude of the government, the stand of the government is very clear that it is not going to change anything because already it has been termed as Masterstroke. Right now, it is just an Act both are results are possible; farmers income becomes double as said by the government, or their conditions worsen as feared by farmers. History is the best judge. While the intent of the Government is laudable, we will be able to see the results of these new Acts after a few years only. Right now, everything is just speculation.
• The bill has triggered strong protests all over the country. Let’s have a look at the issues that are triggering so many protests across the nation.
• These new farmers’ bills might end MSP or minimum support prices and this bothers the farmers.
• Another concern is the lack of bargaining capability with big companies. The people involved in farming might get the freedom to deal with the biggest of the companies but due to the lack of knowledge, he/ she might not be able to negotiate the best possible terms.
• Outside the mandis or government-regulated markets, there is hardly any regulation, and a grievance redressal system is also not present there.
• The new farmers’ bill may weaken the APMC system which is considered to be very helpful for small farmers.
• As per the suggestions of agricultural economists, the focus should be given to strengthening APMCs rather than transferring everything to private entities.
• Many are fearing that the people involved in agriculture might be turned into slaves due to contractual farming.
• Due to the removal of restrictions on food storage, big companies may store agro products in huge quantities and create artificial hikes in price.

WAY FORWARD

Three fundamental reforms are necessary to make India’s growth more just and more inclusive.

• The first is, policymakers must listen to the less powerful people in markets. Therefore, institutions that represent small people — associations and unions of farmers, informal workers and small enterprises — must be strengthened, not repressed. When reforms are supposedly in their interests, they have a right to be heard.
• The second is the formation of cooperatives of producers and workers. By aggregating the small into larger-scale enterprises owned by themselves, not only do the producers have more power in negotiations with their buyers, suppliers, and with government, they are also able to retain a larger part of the value they generate and increase their own incomes and wealth. Government regulations must encourage the formation of strong cooperatives, and improve their ease of doing business.
• The third is, market reformers must clean up their ideological lenses and see the reality of where power lies in markets. As Barbara Harriss-White, a scholar of India’s agricultural markets once observed, “deregulated imperfect markets may become more, not less, imperfect than regulated imperfect markets.”

CONCLUSION:

• Farmers are debt-ridden, starved of funding and of assured price mechanism. The three legislations if taken together accentuate the crisis even further. In the absence of a guaranteed support price mechanism, the legislations even fail to mention very strong support for the MSP as a benchmark price as a fundamental condition for open agriculture trade and winding up of mandis. For years farmers have demanded statutory support prices for their produce from the government.
• There is a need to restore the shaken confidence of the agrarian sector. In order for that to happen the government of India needs to give an iron-clad guarantee on holding the price line 100% over and above the inflation-linked cost of production to the primary producer and not allowing any players to offer a price below that line to them. Only such a guarantee will ensure the confidence of the farmers in the system.
• We need to understand that if the country has to come out of its grave economic crisis, the answer does not lie in the economies of the urban or of the extractive economies of the capital. The answer decisively lies in the revival of the rural with dignity and respect. The country, it must be understood, cannot survive if the rural falls and chances of such an event happening today can only be averted with a considered policy response initiated with empathy and care.

THE BUDGET PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS 2022

DEFINITION UNDER THE STATE OF FOREST REPORT

THE CONTEXT:  In January 2022, the Environment & Forest Ministry released India State Forest Report 2021 (ISFR-2021), the forest cover figures are divided as ‘Inside Recorded Forest Area’ and ‘Outside Recorded Forest Area.’

THE EXPLANATION:

As per decision 19/Conference of Parties (CP) 9-Kyoto Protocol, the forest can be defined by any country depending upon the capacities and capabilities of the country as follows:-

Forest- Forest is defined structurally on the basis of

• Crown cover percentage: Tree crown cover- 10 to 30% (India 10%)
• The minimum area of stand: the area between 0.05 and 1 hectare (India 1.0 hectare) and
• Minimum height of trees: Potential to reach a minimum height at maturity in situ of 2 to 5 m (India 2m).

India’s definition of the forest has been taken on the basis of the above three criteria only and accepted by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their reporting/communications.

The forest cover is defined as ‘all land, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10 per cent irrespective of ownership and legal status. Such land may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm’. The definition of forest cover has clearly been defined in all the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) and in all the International communications of India.

The Interpretation of satellite data for classifying Very Dense Forest (VDF) is also supported by the ancillary data like field inventory data of FSI, ground-truthing data and high-resolution satellite imagery wherever required.

CHANDRAYAAN-3 IS SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH IN AUGUST 2022

THE CONTEXT: According to the Budget Parliamentary proceedings of 2022, Minister for Science and Technology informed the parliament that India plans to execute the Chandrayaan-3 mission by August 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up of Chandrayaan-2 of July 2019, which aimed to land a rover on the lunar South Pole. It was sent aboard the country’s most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle, the GSLV-Mk 3.
• However, lander Vikram, instead of a controlled landing, ended up crash-landing on September 7, 2019, and prevented rover Pragyaan from successfully travelling on the surface of the moon. Had the mission been successful, it would have been the first time a country landed its rover on the moon in its maiden attempt.
• The ISRO has planned 19 missions until December consisting of eight launch vehicle missions, seven spacecraft missions and four technology demonstrator missions.
• The ISRO has been allotted ₹13,700 crores for this financial year, nearly ₹1,000 crores more than it spent last year. Despite the several missions planned this year, the budgeted outlay this year is less than the ₹13,949 crores allotted in the year 2021.

Decoding Chandrayaan-3

• Chandrayaan-3 is a lander-and rover-specific mission, which will demonstrate India’s capability of soft landing on a celestial body, with the rover then communicating with Earth via the existing orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 and taking images 100 km from Moon’s orbit. The orbiter has an estimated lifespan of seven years.
• The unique exploration of Chandrayaan-3 aims at studying not just one area of the Moon but all the areas combining the exosphere, the surface as well as the sub-surface in a single mission.
• With Chandrayaan-1, ISRO achieved immense success as the ‘Moon Impact Probe’ by Chandrayaan-1 lunar remote sensing orbiter detected water in vapour form in trace amounts. The discovery was done along with JPL-Brown University payload Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) that confirmed that the formation of Hydroxyl ions and water molecules on the lunar surface is an ongoing process.
• With Chandrayaan-3, India aims to further study the lunar surface, focusing on the dark side of the Moon that has not seen sunlight in billions of years, which is believed to have ice and vast mineral reserves.

KHADI PRAKRITIK PAINT

THE CONTEXT: Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI), Jaipur, a unit of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the administrative control of the Ministry of MSME, developed Khadi Prakratik Paint has been developed from cow dung.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It is envisaged that the manufacture of Khadi Prakratik Paint will promote local manufacturing, create sustainable employment and generate additional revenue for farmers and cow shelter homes and will also generate employment in the rural areas, which will improve the rural economy and help in controlling the migration from rural to urban areas, in the country.
• Cow dung is a major constituent used in the manufacture of Prakritik Paint. 100 kgs. of cow dung is utilized for making 500 litres of paint. Therefore, setting up paint units would be helpful in the utilization of cow dung and thereby help in cleaning the environment.
• KNHPI imparts training in manufacture of Khadi Prakritik Paint. Prakritik Paint manufacturing units are being set up under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) scheme of the Ministry of MSME.

NATIONAL ADAPTATION FUND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (NAFCC)

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and climate change, the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) was established to support adaptation activities in the States and Union Territories (UTs) of India that are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. NAFCC is implemented in project mode and to date, 30 projects are sanctioned in 27 States and UTs.

THE EXPLANATION:  

The Ministry has demarcated the Hazard Line for the entire mainland coast of India under its Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project. Further, Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2019 has been notified to conserve and protect the unique environment of coastal stretches and marine areas to promote sustainable development.

The NAFCC projects implemented in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh include activities relating to coastal areas and these projects are-

• Promotion of integrated farming system of Kaipad in coastal wetlands of North Kerala
• Management and rehabilitation of coastal habitats and biodiversity for Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Livelihood in Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu and
• Climate Resilient interventions in Dairy Sector in coastal and Arid areas in Andhra Pradesh. To date, a sum of Rs. 6,35,68,108/- has been released to the State of Andhra Pradesh under NAFCC

Definition of Integrated Coastal Zone Management:

• Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is a resource management system following an integrative, holistic approach and an interactive planning process in addressing the complex management issues in the coastal area
• The concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management was borne in 1992 during the Earth Summit of Rio de Janeiro. The policy regarding ICZM is set out in the proceedings of the summit within Agenda 21.

HELI BORNE SURVEY TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has taken up a Heli-borne survey for the generation of aquifer related information and its management in certain Arid/Semi-Arid areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana.

THE EXPLANATION:

Under Ground Water Management & Regulation scheme, a Central Sector Scheme, with an estimated cost of Rs 54.00 Cr and likely date of completion as 31 March 2022.

Heli Survey Technology

• The state-of-the-art technology, Heli Survey Technology, will be used to map the groundwater sources in arid regions. The survey will help in utilizing groundwater for drinking purposes.
• Heli-borne geophysical mapping technique will provide a high-resolution 3D images for sub-surface up to a depth of 500 meters below the ground level.

Aim of the project

This project has been developed with the aim of mapping potential groundwater sources and its management in providing safe drinking water to people in the water-scarce arid regions of India.

Two Phases of the project

The mega project worth Rs. 150 crores will be implemented in two phases. To implement the project, CSIR has collaborated with the Ministry of Jal Shakti under the “National Aquifer Mapping Project”.  This project will bring high visibility to CSIR to implement the Jal Jeevan Mission project.

Significance of the technology

Water technologies of CSIR from source finding to water treatment will positively contribute towards “Har Ghar Hal se Jal” scheme as well as “doubling farmer’s income goals”.

Arid areas in India

Arid areas in northwestern India are spread across the States of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab. The area covers about 12% of the total geographical area in India and is home to about 8 crore people. Annual rainfall in arid areas is in the range of 100 to 400 mm. Thus, there is an acute shortage of water throughout the year.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NASA’S RETIREMENT PLAN FROM SPACE STATION

THE CONTEXT: According to NASA’s press release, NASA plans to retire the International Space Station at the end of 2030 and crash it into the Pacific Ocean in an area called Point Nemo.

THE EXPLANATION:

For over two decades, the International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting Earth at a speed of about eight kilometres per second, while an international crew of astronauts and cosmonauts onboard conducted ground-breaking scientific investigations that have thrown open the doors for deep space exploration.

What is International Space Station?

• The International Space Station is a large spacecraft in orbit around Earth. It serves as a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live. The space station is also a unique science laboratory. Several nations worked together to build and use the space station. The space station is made of parts that were assembled in space by astronauts.
• It orbits Earth at an average altitude of approximately 250 miles. It travels at 17,500 mph. This means it orbits Earth every 90 minutes. NASA is using the space station to learn more about living and working in space. These lessons will make it possible to send humans farther into space than ever before.

What’s next for the ISS?

According to NASA, once it retires, the ISS will be replaced by “one or more commercially-owned and -operated” space platforms. “The private sector is technically and financially capable of developing and operating commercial low-Earth orbit destinations, with NASA’s assistance.

What about India’s Space Station?

According to the ISRO, India will launch its first indigenously made space station by 2030, just a few years after the ‘Gaganyaan’ mission which will kick off starting 2022.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 4^th FEBRUARY  2022

Consider the following statements about the recently published India State Forest Report 2021.

1. India’s forest and tree cover is published every year by the Forest Survey of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
2. According to the report, Northeastern states shows consistently increased in the forest cover.
3. For the first time, the report assessed forest cover in tiger reserves, tiger corridors and the Gir forest which houses the Asiatic lion.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 3^rd FEB 2022

Answer: c)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Contracting Parties are expected (but not mandated) to manage their Ramsar Sites so as to maintain their ecological character and retain their essential functions and values for future generations.
• Statement 2 is correct: The convention specifies that “Contracting Parties shall (not may) formulate and implement their planning so as to promote the conservation of the wetlands included in the List”.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Many important wetlands extend as one ecologically coherent whole across national borders. In these cases, COP can agree to establish Ramsar Sites on their territory as parts of a bigger Transboundary Ramsar Site.

1. SCHEME FOR GOOD SAMARITAN READ MORE
2. Uncover the inner strength to overcome problems READ MORE
3. For today’s India, lessons from Gandhi READ MORE

1. Why India values wetland conservation READ MORE
2. Biodiversity Act: Do recent changes consider climate concerns, commitments? READ MORE

1. India needs to check population growth READ MORE
2. India’s compensatory afforestation push is cutting off Adivasi women from forests and livelihoods READ MORE

1. A disjointed response: Regulatory clarity on crypto assets should have accompanied the tax on traders’ profits READ MORE
2. How to step clear of the IAS quagmire READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Definition under State of Forest Report READ MORE
2. FLOOD MANAGEMENT SCHEME READ MORE
3. Chandrayaan-3 set for August launch READ MORE
4. Indian diplomats to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics READ MORE
5. Asteroid Sharing Earth’s Orbit Discovered – Could It Help Future Space Missions? READ MORE
6. New Research on Ring-Shaped Molecules Advances Clean Energy Solutions READ MORE
7. Explained: How NASA plans to retire International Space Station by late 2030 READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. National afforestation programmes to improve the forest cover READ MORE
2. India needs to check population growth READ MORE
3. India’s compensatory afforestation push is cutting off Adivasi women from forests and livelihoods READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A disjointed response: Regulatory clarity on crypto assets should have accompanied the tax on traders’ profits READ MORE
2. How to step clear of the IAS quagmire READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Need to boost labour income and consumption expenditure READ MORE
2. Fiscal management during a pandemic READ MORE
3. Digital rupee: Can help India make the most of virtual finance ecosystem READ MORE
4. Does Economic Inequality Matter? Indian policymakers must know markets cannot solve all problems. Without state intervention, India cannot reduce inequality, poverty or malnourishment. READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Why India values wetland conservation READ MORE
2. Biodiversity Act: Do recent changes consider climate concerns, commitments? READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. SCHEME FOR GOOD SAMARITAN READ MORE
2. Uncover the inner strength to overcome problems READ MORE
3. For today’s India, lessons from Gandhi READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘It is imperative to make national population control laws for the unity and integrity of the entire country and implement these equally’. Analyse the statement.
2. “A combination of a distorted tax regime, declining social sector expenditure and unbridled privatisation policy have deepened inequality in India” Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• A vote is like a rifle: Its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.
• Indian policymakers must know markets cannot solve all problems. Without state intervention, India cannot reduce inequality, poverty, or malnourishment.
• Regulatory clarity on crypto assets should have accompanied the tax on traders’ profits.
• There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. The direction of consolidation rather than a specific quantified path in an unprecedented time is the most appropriate consideration.
• We will uncover the inner strength to overcome our difficulties and stay happy and peaceful despite the turmoil surrounding us.
• The Government of India accords high significance to wetlands conservation and seeks to mainstream its full range of values at all levels of developmental planning and decision-making.
• Making the most of the virtual finance ecosystem can bring Indian economy closer to the $5-trillion dream.
• The Govt should begin by replacing those who are in non-bureaucratic assignments, with people of appropriate professional qualifications.
• The forest restoration drive is affecting the communities that rely on firewood and other natural products they gather and sell.

50-WORD TALK

• India rejected calls to boycott the Winter Olympics in China. China has responded with an event where a PLA officer injured in Galwan carried the Olympic torch. India hoped to overcome the toxic nationalism caused by the clash. Beijing seems determined never to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

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 map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price 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 occur 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 to your writing.