ca nov week 4 (21-27 november) · of oil and natural gas corporation (ongc) and oil india limited...
TRANSCRIPT
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CONTENTSSection - A: Mains Current Affairs
Area of GS Topics in News Page No.
Economy
City Gas Distribution Project 03
Dairy farming-important avenue to boost farm income
06
India Skills Report 2018 10
NITI Aayog’s Conference on Urban Infrastructure 14
Geography Mandatory Packaging Norms in Jute 17
IMD hints at El Nino event from February 2019 and Warmer Summer
21
Polity Shortage of Judges in Indian Courts 23
Social Issues Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018 26
Section - B: Prelims Current Affairs
Area of GS Topics in News Page No.
Environment in News 31
Environment
Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018 32
Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS) 33
BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change 34
Vetiver Grass 36
EconomyAirSewa- 2.0 37
General Consent to CBI 38
Central Board of RBI 40
International Relations INDRA 2018 41
Indian Culture Manipur Sangai Festival-2018 42
PolityGlobal Education Monitoring Report, 2019 43
Sentinelese Tribe 46
Science & Tech. BOT 47
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CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSTWEEK-4 (21-27 NOVEMBER, 2018)
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
SECTION: A (MAINS)
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BACKGROUND
Presently, the share of gas in the country’s energy mix is just over 6% and the aim is to reach the 15%, while the world average is 24%.
India aims to bring down its carbon emission level and number of initiatives has been taken in this direction such as LED bulbs, BS VI fuel, Bio-energy, International Solar Alliance, Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana, and providing clean piped gas supply to more cities.
The Government is also focusing on enhancing the LNG terminal capacity, renegotiating Indo-Qatar Gas deal, and positive Indo-US engagement in this direction.
Efforts are not only being made to increase the use and supply of Gas, but also to produce gas through agro-wastes and other products and including the same into the CGD network.
Government of India has put thrust to promote the usage of environment friendly clean fuel i.e. natural gas as a fuel/feedstock across the country to move towards a gas based economy.
Accordingly, development of CGD networks has been focused to increase the availability of cleaner cooking fuel (i.e. PNG) and transportation fuel (i.e. CNG) to Indian citizens. The expansion of CGD network will also benefi t to industrial and commercial units by ensuring the uninterrupted supply of natural gas.
ABOUT
Gas Based EconomyThe Government of India wants to make India a gas-based economy ‘by boosting domestic production and buying cheap LNG’.
India has set a target to raise the share of gas in its primary energy mix to 15% by 2022.Achieving this would mean that annual gas consumption would increase from about 50 bcm to above 200 bcm in the future.
Keeping the pursuit of gas-based economy in
mind, India has invested heavily in creating LNG import facilities, CGD infrastructure and pipelines to supply the gas across the country to cater to supply of piped cooking gas and for powering vehicles.
ANALYSIS
Signifi cance of a Gas based economyThere is immense scope for use of gas in the Indian economy in a range of areas- from generating power to producing quality steel.
Enhancing the share of gas would help India meet its target of cutting down greenhouse gas emission from petrol, diesel and kerosene under the global climate deal of 2015 commitment.
A gas based-economy would have a positive impact on the environment, when automobiles would be run on CNG and industries would get uninterrupted gas supplies.
An economically-growing India, the third largest energy consumer and fourth biggest LNG importer in the world, is dependent on imports to meet 45 per cent of its gas needs.
The availability of gas will be crucial for the government plans to provide free cooking gas connections to 80 million poor families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
Apart from this, India’s gas demand is expected to be driven by requirements of the fertiliser, power and steel sectors.
Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is also working on a national gas grid that is aimed at connecting the under-served eastern part of the country to the rest of the nation and LNG will play a key role here.
To promote clean energy, 5,000 compressed bio- gas plants would be set up in fi ve years to convert agricultural waste into bio-CNG. This would not only address the problem of agricultural residue but also increase farmers’ income.
Securing energy supplies is also required to ensure country’s military security.
CITY GAS DISTRIBUTION PROJECT
CONTEXTRecently Prime Minister Modi laid the Foundation Stones of City Gas Distribution (CGD) Projects in 65 Geographical Areas (GAs) in 129 Districts under the 9th CGD Bidding Round in New Delhi.
According to the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Government is working to move India towards a Gas-based economy.
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The Government is working to move India towards a Gas-based economy. What is the signi icance of a gas based economy? Discuss the initiatives taken by the Government in this regard so far.
Practice Question
Why Natural Gas?It is a superior fuel as compared with coal and other liquid fuels being an environment friendly, safer and cheaper fuel.
It is supplied through pipelines. There is no need to store cylinders in the kitchen and thus saves space.
As per WHO database released in May 2018, India has 14 out of 15 world’s most polluted cities in terms of PM 2.5 concentration. Large number of industries also consumes polluting fuels like pet coke and furnace oil which emit polluting CO2. Some of the high courts have recently ordered for banning use of pet coke in states within their jurisdiction.
Natural Gas (as CNG) is cheaper by 60% as compared with petrol and 45 % w.r.t. Diesel. Similarly, Natural Gas (as PNG) is cheaper by 40 % as compared with market price LPG and price of PNG almost matches with that of subsidised LPG (based on prices in Delhi). An auto-rickshaw owner can save Rs. 7000-8000 on his monthly fuel bill by conversion from petrol to CNG. Thus, even on cost front as well, natural gas is preferable to petrol, diesel and LPG.
India made a commitment in COP21 Paris Convention in December 2015 that by 2030, it would reduce carbon emission by 33% of 2005 levels. Natural gas, as domestic kitchen fuel, as fuel for transport sector as well as a fuel for industries and commercial units, can play a signifi cant role in reducing carbon emission.
Government initiatives to promote Natural GasThe GoI has adopted a systematic approach to focus on all aspects of the gas sector:
Development of gas sources either through domestic gas exploration & production (E&P) activities or through building up facilities to import natural gas in the form of LNG.
Development of adequate gas pipeline infrastructure including nationwide gas grid and CGD network.
Development of gas consuming markets including fertilizer, power, transport and industries
Some important specifi c initiatives taken to enhance the domestic natural gas production, expand the gas pipelines and secondary infrastructure and develop the gas consuming markets are as under:
100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in many segments of the hydrocarbon sector.
Notifi cation of a new Hydrocarbon and Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP) in March 2016.
Adoption of a Discovered Small Fields (DSF) policy to offer to global investors discovered small fi elds of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL), which had not been put into production by these companies.
Linkage of gas prices to the market/important hub prices under the New Domestic Natural Gas Price Guidelines of 2014.
Marketing and pricing freedom for new gas production from Deep-water, Ultra Deep-water and High Pressure-High Temperature areas, subject to certain conditions.
Marketing and pricing freedom for gas produced from Coal Bed Methane (CBM) fi elds to incentivize CBM operations in the country.
A capital grant of 40% for development of 2,650 km-long Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro-Dhamra natural gas pipeline to ensure supply of natural gas to eastern India.
Reduction of basic customs duty on LNG from 5% to 2.5% in the 2017 budget to boost LNG demand in industrial and commercial sectors, especially power, petrochemical, fertilizer and CGD, and also help in reviving stranded capacity of power and fertilizers plants.
Gas pooling mechanism for fertilizer sector to encourage utilisation of fertilizer units in the country.
Priority for allocation of domestic gas accorded to Piped Natural Gas (PNG)/Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) segments to meet 100% of their demand and faster roll out of PNG connections and CNG stations to promote the use of natural gas in the transport sector, households and small industries.
ConclusionThe world is fast moving towards gas as its primary energy source and this growth is rising due to four key value propositions: Abundance, Availability, Affordability and Acceptability as it has a cleaner footprint than coal or liquid fuels.
A 10% replacement of liquid fuel by gas will reduce India’s import bill by nearly 3 billion dollars every year. This is a signifi cant savings and India has a business case to switch fast to natural gas.
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(for gas produced from Coal Bed Methane (CBM) fields to incentivize
CBM operations in the country)
( to offer to global investors discovered small fields of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL), which had not been put into production
by these companies.)
boost domestic production and buy cheap LNG
will bring down carbon emission levels → help meet target of cutting down GHG emissions
efforts also to produce gas through agro wastes
and other products
City Gas Distribution
Projects
PNG(cleaner cooking
fuel)
CNG(for
transportation)
ensure uninterrupted supply to industrial units
also solve agricultural
residue problem
will also increase farmer’s income
GAIL → working on a national gas grid → aims to connect under-served eastern India
How ?
Advantages of Natural Gas
( Compared to coal and other liquid fuels )environmental friendly and safer Almost half the cost
A 10% replacement of liquid fuel by gas will reduce India’s import bill by nearly 3 billion dollars every year. This is a significant savings and India has a business case to switch fast to natural gas.
The world is fast moving towards gas as its primary energy source and this growth is rising due to four key value propositions:
Abundance, Availability, Affordability and Acceptability as it has a cleaner footprint than coal or liquid fuels.
Some major Government initiatives to promote Natural Gas
Development of gas consuming markets
100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Adoption of a Discovered Small Fields (DSF) policy
Marketing and pricing freedom
(to boost LNG demand in industrial and commercial sectors, especially power, petrochemical,
fertilizer and CGD)
Gas pooling mechanism for fertilizer sector
Reduction of basic customs duty on LNG from 5% to 2.5%
(to encourage utilisation of fertilizer units in the country)
(including fertilizer, power, transport and industries)
(in many segments of the hydrocarbon sector.)
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ABOUT
India is the largest producer of milk followed by United States of America and China.
Within India, largest milk producing state is Uttar Pradesh followed by Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
In 2014, India exceeded the entire European Union in terms of milk production.
At present, the livestock sector contributes to 4 per cent of India’s GDP and the dairy sector comprises a majority share of it.Milk contributes close to the 1/3rd of gross income of rural households.
Production of milk in 2016-17was 165.4 million tonnes and in 2017-18, it was estimated to be 176.35 million tonne, a 6.5% annual jump.
The per capita milk availability in India is 355 grams per day. Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat are among the top states which have the most milk available.
BACKGROUND
Operation Flood, known as the ‘billion liter idea,’ as conceived by DrVergheseKurien is the world’s largest agricultural dairy development programme.
It aimed at making the dairy farming India’s largest self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment provider.
Launched in 1970, Operation Flood gave dairy farmers autonomy over the milk production in the area. Over 700 towns and cities in India were linked by the National Milk Grid, bridging the gap between milk producers and consumer.
Prior to the White revolution, the situation was different in India and the country was dependent on imports to meet its dairy-related needs.
Milk production and distribution was concentrated in hands of few wealthy farmers and rural businessmen which resulted in cartelization and deprived the grassroot farmers and villagers to reap the economic benefi ts of milk production.
The Anand pattern experiment at Amul, a cooperative dairy, was the pioneer behind the success of the program.
This model was replicated nationwide with rigorous efforts by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to give a boost to the co-operative sector in milk production.(
ANALYSIS
Opportunities in dairy sector
The Indian dairy industry is expected to register 15 per cent compounded annual growth till 2020 and emerge as Rs9.4-lakh crore industry.
Dairy products are a major source of cheap and nutritious food to millions of people in India and the only acceptable source of animal protein for a large vegetarian segment of the Indian population.
Increase in income and rising standard of living has led to growing demand for dairy products like butter, cheese, paneer, yoghurt, ice cream, etc.
The growing demand for dairy products also raises the prospects for associated industries like milk processing, packaging, logistics, restaurants and eateries and exports.
Dairy farming is a viable and profi table alternative to crop production in rain fed and drought areas which are a frequent feature in India owing to climate change.
Organised dairies are likely to see spending of Rs 140-billion over the next three fi nancial years according to credit rating agency CRISIL.
DAIRY FARMING-IMPORTANT AVENUE TO BOOST FARM INCOME
CONTEXT26 November is celebrated as ‘National Milk day’ to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, ‘Father of the White Revolution’ in India
Also on June 1, World Milk Day is celebrated globally. It was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in order to mark the importance of milk as a global food. 2018 theme was “Drink Move Be Strong”.
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ChallengesInformal sector: More than 70% of marketable surplus goes through informal channel where quality is a big concern. As a result, middlemen usurp large share of profi t meant for rural farmer and milk producers.
Quality issues: Quality of milk or value-added products is a barrier to entry to the export market, especially the USA and the EU.
Pricing issues: Prices decided by cooperatives are not based on fat measurement, which affects Farmer’s profi tability. In addition, lower prices declared by cooperatives, results in low prices of milk paid by all the players in the industry.
Lack of adequate breeding and preventive care services: Along with low access to credit and risk-taking ability, this factor makes farmers unable to increase their herd size.
Adulteration: Adulteration and dilution is also a problem with adulterants like vegetable oil, detergents, glucose and urea entering the milk, thus degrading the milk quality and jeopardizing health of consumers.
Inadequate marketing: Due to lack of marketing facilities and extension services, there is poor perception of the farmers towards commercial dairy enterprise as an alternative to other occupation.
Low milk availability: Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), found the daily per-capita milk availability in the country is only 252g, which is below the global average of 279g.
Poor recording: As per 19th Livestock census, there are 88 million In-Milk animals whose records are unavailable on an annual basis. Records of those in breeding stage, their productivity, treatment and vaccination are also not properly maintained by State Animal Husbandry Departments.
Government steps to boost the dairy sector in India:
Pashudhan Sanjivani Nakul Swasth Patra Scheme has been launched for sustaining the health of livestock.
National Programme for Bovine Breeding is being implemented for enhancing productivity of milch animals through extension of Artifi cial Insemination (AI) coverage.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission along with the allocation of Rs. 500 crores has been initiated in December 2014 for the conservation as well promotion of domestic species under National Bovine Genetic and Dairy Development programme.
A National Bovine Genetic Centre has been established for the improvement in domestic species.
Quality mark is a quality and food safety initiative of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to enhance consumer confi dence in Cooperative and allied dairy sector.
Two National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres are being established one in the State of Andhra Pradesh for southern region and other in Madhya Pradesh for northern region of the country with the aim of development and conservation of indigenous breeds in a scientifi c manner and thereby enhancing milk production and productivity.
E-pashuhaat portal aims to connect breeders and farmers regarding availability of bovine germplasm. The portal has been launched under the scheme “National Mission on Bovine Productivity.”
National Dairy Plan-I a World Bank assisted project being implemented in 18 major dairy States with aim of enhancing milk production and productivity in order to meet demand of milk in the country
Central Herd Registration Scheme (CHRS): under the CHRS four units have been established for identifi cation and propagation of indigenous bovine breeds (Gir, Kankrej, Hariana&Ongole cattle breeds and Murrah, Mehsani, Jaffarabadi and Surti).
Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme is implemented by NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) to generating self-employment & providing infrastructure for dairy sector, setting up of modern dairy farms & infrastructure for production of clean milk among other objectives.
Israel is partnering with India to establish a dairy excellence centre in Haryana with Israel’s cost-effective and innovative dairy technologies accustomed to local conditions for achieving an intensive dairy production system of global standards.
Way forward:
Productivity needs to be brought on par with other nations. India’s milk production is a mere 7-8 kg per day compared to a dry nation like Israel which produces 32 kg milk per day.
Extension services and forward and backward linkages should be upgraded to meet demand-supply gap and increase shelf life of milk and milk products.
Skimmed milk powder (SMP) should be included in commodity market and Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) scheme to give profi table return to small and medium milk processing industries.
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States should follow Maharashtra government’s steps in providing minimum support price to milk so as to relieve farmers from market shocks and low prices.
Medium and small industries should be encouraged by the government to engage in milk production and processing industry.
Skill India mission should be aligned with dairy sector to provide trained and skilled individuals in dairy farming and milk processing.
FMD Mukt Bharat is a good initiative by the government to prevent and cure Foot and Mouth disease prevalent in cattle. Further research and development in dairy sector will help in boosting milk production.
The co-operatives sector engaged in dairy activities should be regulated so as to prevent irregularities and improve its functioning.
Conclusion
In India, dairying is recognized as an instrument for social and economic development. The nation’s milk supply comes from millions of small producers, dispersed throughout the rural areas. It becomes essential to secure the farmer and producer incomes to fulfi ll the aim of ‘doubling farmers income by 2022’. Moreover, the market demand of milk and milk products is ever increasing which should be met with increased productivity using modern methods. The successful Indian dairy development programme Operation Flood has shown how food aid can be used as an investment in building the type of institutional infrastructure that can bring about national dairy development. Thus, a time has come to launch Operation fl ood 2.0 with a special emphasis on ensuring milk quality and making justifi ed paybacks to the producers.
India has emerged as the largest producer of milk in the world but still it is grappling with some concerns. Identify the challenges faced by dairy sector and steps taken by government in this direction. Also suggest measures to improve the dairy industry prospects in India.
Practice Question
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but
contributes to
(to meet demand-supply gap and increase shelf life of milk
and milk products.)
(to prevent irregularities and improve its functioning.)
(to relieve farmers from market shocks and low prices.)
( is further poised for a compounded 15% growth till 2020)
Livestock sector contributes 4% to GDP→ Dairy sector comprises majority of it
(esp. in rain fed and drought prone areas)
Context : Celebration of ‘National Milk Day’ on the occasion of birth anniversary (26 Nov) of Dr. Verghese Kurien, Father of White Revolution in India
Whither Dairy Sector in India ?
Status and issues
Operation Flood converted India from a dairy importing country to
largest producer of milk in the world
Milk1/3rd income of rural households
USA
India
v/s
Challenges for the Dairy Sector in India
> 70% informal(> 70% milk goes through informal channels → middlemen usurp large amount of profits instead of farmers)
Adulteration / Quality issues(Low quality acts a barrier to
entry for dairy exports to many countries)
Lack of adequate breeding and preventive care services
Inadequate marketing
Low per capita milk availability
Extension services and forward and backward
linkages should be upgraded
(to give profitablereturn to small and medium milk
processing industries.)
Minimum support price to milk should be adopted by
more states
MSMEs should be actively encouraged by the
government to engage in milk production and processing industry.
(to provide trainedand skilled individuals in dairy farming and milk processing.)
Co-operatives sector engaged in dairy activities should be
regulated
Way ahead
Alignment of Skill India mission with dairy sector
Inclusion of skimmed milk powder(SMP) in commodity market
and MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India Scheme)
Initiatives like ‘FMD Mukt Bharat’ by GoI to prevent and cure Foot and Mouth
disease in cattle
Further R&D in dairy sector is needed to increase milk
production and productivity
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INDIA SKILLS REPORT 2019
CONTEXTIndia Skills report 2019 is released which highlights trends in employment and the outlook of hiring landscape in India while understanding the needs of the job seeker and organizations.
BACKGROUND
In India and other developing nations, youth unemployment and skills gaps are threatening the growth of economies, the stability of societies and the wellbeing and prospects of individuals. Despite improvements in average educational attainment, the youth unemployment situation is common to all nations in the world. Governments and employers all around are working to improve the employability of workers, move young people into productive and decent work, and increase the productivity of enterprises through better quality and relevant training.
India’s demographic dividend is widely one of the biggest economic assets, with more than 54% of its total population below 25 years of age and 62% in the working age group of 15-59 years.
To fully realise the potential of this asset, it is essential that the youth force is equipped with education and contemporary skills and training.
The Ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship is aiming to skill 400 million young Indians by 2022
When compared to the percentage of formally skilled work force globally, India scores the least at 2% against South Korea (96%), Japan (80%), Germany (75%), UK (68%) and China (40%).
Past editions of Economic Survey of India too have recognized above problems and stated India is facing a dual challenge of developing skills and utilizing them in a proper way.
ABOUT:
The fi rst India skills report was released in 2014.
India Skills Report 2018 is a joint initiative of Wheebox, a global talent assessment company; PeopleStrong, an HR tech company; and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The report is backed by information from renowned organisations like United Nations Development Programme, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and various state governments.
The report studies the talent demand and supply in the country, by providing a clear understanding of the requirement of skilled manpower in the various industries.
Key fi ndings of the reportThe report mentions a rise in employability, reaching 47% this year, an increase of 15 percentage points over past 5 years.
Andhra Pradesh tops the chart in most employable workforce followed by Rajasthan and Haryana.
Discipline wise rise in employability:
Engineering graduates is 63.11 per cent as against last year’s 42.08 per cent;
MBA and polytechnic graduates stands low at 47.18 per cent and 45.90 per cent, but has shown a small improvement against last year’s levels (MBA 44.90 per cent; polytechnic 33.85 per cent).
Among cities for the highest number of hiring, Bengaluru topping the chart followed by Chennai and Guntur.
ANALYSIS
Government steps in the direction of skilling India:
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE): It was set up in 2014 to coordinate all skill development efforts across the country.
National skill development mission: It was launched by Government of India in 2015 for creating convergence across various sectors and different States in terms of activities relating to skill training.
National Policy: Ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship formulated a National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in 2015 to meet the challenge of skilling at scale with speed and standard (quality).
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): It is the fl agship scheme of the Ministry of Skill
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Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The objective of this Skill Certifi cation Scheme is to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood.
State efforts: Andhra Pradesh state skill development corporation’s initiatives in providing market-driven training programmes are leading to the creation of a readily available talent pool to meet the skilled manpower needs of various sectors. It was largely responsible for success in India skills report ranking 2019. Similar other state government initiatives are Himachal Pradesh Skill Development Project, ‘Engage’ programme in Odisha along with FICCI.
Expert panel: In 2016, the Government of India formed the Sharada Prasad Committee to rationalise the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), which are employer bodies mostly promoted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Indian Industry and other industry associations, and improve ‘Skill India’.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY): Government has launched this scheme to “transform rural poor youth into an economically independent and globally relevant workforce.”
Skills institute: State of the art center of excellence Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) are being set up across the 5 regions of India on the lines on ITE Singapore.
Market oriented projects: Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) and Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) are outcome focused projects marking a shift in government’s implementation strategy in vocational education and training from inputs.
National Entrepreneurship Awards: In order to reorganize the entrepreneurial spirit of India’s youth and encourage more young Indians to become entrepreneurs, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship have constituted the National Entrepreneurship Awards.
Foreign engagement: Moreover, Government of India has signed various memoranda of understanding related to skills and vocational trainings with Japan, Abu Dhabi, Belarus and African nations.
Failures in India’s skilling roadmapAs per an Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD) survey, 31% of India’s youth (15-29 years) are NEETs or not in employment, education or training.
Of the 30.67 lakh candidates trained under
PMKVY, just 2.9 lakh got jobs which highlight the lacuna in implementation and monitoring of the programme.
The focus of PMKVY has been largely on the short- term skill courses, resulting in low placements.
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2015 had exposed the irregularities and poor performance aspects of the National Skill Development Corporation.
The Sharada Prasad Committee, in 2017, also held the National Skill Development Corporation responsible for poor implementation of the Standard Training Assessment and Reward (STAR) programme.
The committee also stated that no evaluation was conducted of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 2015 (the fi rst version of the scheme) to fi nd out the outcomes of the scheme and whether it was serving the twin purpose of providing employment to youth and meeting the skill needs of the industry before launching such an ambitious scheme
Another reason is said to be bureaucratic redtapism which hinders linkage of skill institutions and industry.
The National Skills Qualifi cations Framework (NSQF) has been not adopted well by the private sector. Majority of the courses developed have not been deployed for training the individuals.
According to a ‘Young India and Work’ survey by the Observer Research Foundation and World Economic Forum (WEF), over 70 percent of the youths in the age group of 15 and 30 are unaware of government-run skill development programs.
Way forwardInterlacing education and skill sector: The curriculum and education system offered should be revamped. According to industry sources, close to 90% of trainees have limited understanding of the business sectors they are entering.
Changing perception towards skilling: Skill training should be viewed as a complementary part of mainstream education, rather than being regarded as an alternative.
Solutions-based approach: Instructors must employ case studies and present relevant problems, this would provide students with a holistic education, allowing them to compete at both the national and international levels.
Private partnership: Facebook is planning to train 5 million rural youth in digital skills in coming 3 years through initiatives like Boost Your Business and She Means Business. Other private companies too should follow this suit.
Reforming NSDC: National Skill Development Corporation needs an overhaul where its fi nancial
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functions and core objectives need to be separated.
Skills upgrading and re-evaluation: Skilling is not a onetime exercise, reskilling and revising according to advancing technology and needs of market should become an important agenda.
India’s demographic dividend provides a great opportunity with regard to economic growth and national development. Solid and co-ordinated efforts by industry and government should be fostered to develop and strengthen youth aspirations. At a time when growing presence of automation and artifi cial intelligence is already
looming over the labour market, students, trainees and workers should be realigned with evolving technology and latest developments. International best practices should be adopted by the government and industry alike from successful players like South Korea and Japan. Moreover, the skill development ecosystem and educational institutions must be restructured for India to realize the opportunity. The success of India’s ambitious programmes for leaping to higher economic advancement levels like Make in India, Digital India and broader goal of inclusive development depend on successfully skilling and training the individuals.
The recently released ‘India Skills Report 2019’ shows stark realities of skills and employment scenario in India. In this context, enumerate the reasons behind India’s lagging performance in skilling the youth and suggest measures to overcome it.
Practice Question
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Employability score has touched a new
high of 45.60%.
Hiring intent for Year 2018 is positive with an increase of 10-15%as compared to last year.
The report presents before us the talent demand and supply
in the country,by providing a clear
understanding of the requirement of skilled manpower
in the various industries.
Highlights trends in employment and the outlook of hiring landscape in India while understanding the needs of the jobseeker and organizations.
India Skills Report’ 2018
Importance of Skills
( A joint initiative of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Wheebox and PeopleStrong)
Skill gaps threaten growth of economies and stability of societies
Demographic dividend of India
54% population below 25 years of age
62% population in working age
But we score poorly on formally worked skilled force at 2%( China : 40% ; S.Korea : 96% )
To utilise this dividend, it’s essential to equip the youth with education and skills
Way forward
Interlacing education and skill sector
The curriculum and educationsystem offered should be revamped.
According to industry sources, close to90% of trainees have limited understanding of the business sectors they are entering.
Changing perception towards skilling
Skill training should be viewed as a complementary part of mainstream
education, rather than being regarded as an alternative.
Solutions-based approach
Private partnership
Reforming National Skill Development Corporation
Skills upgrading and re-evaluation
Instructors must employ case studies and present relevant problems. This would provide students
with a holistic education.
Facebook is planning to train 5 million rural youth in digital
skills in coming 3 years. Other private companies too
should follow suit.
Skilling is not a one time exercise.Reskilling and revising according to
advancing technology and needs of market should become an important agenda.
NSDC needs anoverhaul where its financial
functions and core objectives need to be separated.
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BACKGROUND
The South Asian regional conference is a fi rst of its kind, with participation of leaders from the government, industry, research organizations, academia, think tanks and civil society.
In recent decades, cities in South and South West Asia have seen continuous and rapid urbanization, from 28 per cent of the region’s population living in urban areas in 1990 to 36.6 per cent in 2017.
The urban population in this region is expected to further grow by almost 250 million people by 2030.
There are an estimated 130 million people who reside in the slums of South Asia’s cities, and are disproportionately deprived of access to basic services and infrastructure.
These gaps must be addressed, so that the cities can grow in an equitably and environmentally responsible way.
ABOUT
Urban InfrastructureAccording to the Ministry of Urban Development, ‘Urban Infrastructure’ should be equipped with all the necessary facilities.
It should give a decent quality of life to its residents, promising clean and sustainable environment by applying smart solutions in the domain of sanitation, waste management, public transport and governance.
ANALYSIS
Why does India need improvement in Urban Infrastructure?
Nearly 31% of India’s current population lives in urban areas contributing 63% of India’s GDP (Census 2011) and with increasing urbanisation,
urban areas are expected to house 40% of India’s population and contribute to 75% of India’s GDP by 2030.
There exist large infrastructure gaps which are holding back growth and opportunities to reduce poverty and contributing to environmental degradation and inequality in the country.
With an aim to improve the quality of life and attract investments to the city, the Government of India has launched various urban development schemes such as Smart City Mission, AMRUT, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Housing for all (Urban), Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban etc.
Smart Cities Mission: It is an urban renewal and retrofi tting program by the Government of India with a mission to develop 100 cities that will provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens. The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and creating a replicable model which will be an example for other aspiring cities.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): Its aims to:
Ensure that every household has access to a tap with assured supply of water and a sewerage connection.
Increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well maintained open spaces (e.g. parks).
Reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport (e.g. walking and cycling).
The total outlay for AMRUT is USD 7.77 billion for fi ve years from FY 2015-16 to FY 2019-204 and 500 towns will receive benefi ts. The scheme based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model will be integrated with Housing for All by 2022.
NITI AAYOG’S CONFERENCE ON URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
CONTEXTNITI Aayog hosted South Asian regional conference in New Delhi to discuss the key issues, perspectives and the way forward in the Urban Infrastructure.
Conference was partnered with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacifi c (UNESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
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Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Housing For All (Urban): To be implemented during 2015-2022, it will provide central assistance to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and other implementing agencies through States/UTs for:
In-situ rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers using land as a resource through private participation.
Credit-linked subsidy
Affordable housing in partnership
Subsidy for benefi ciary-led individual house construction/enhancement.
Swacch Bharat Mission-Urban: Mission Objectives:
Modern and scientifi c Municipal Solid Waste Management
To affect behavioural change regarding healthy sanitation practices
Generate awareness about sanitation and its linkage with public health Capacity augmentation for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
To create an enabling environment for private sector participation in Capex (capital expenditure) and Opex (operation and maintenance).
ChallengesFinancing: Infrastructure projects are highly capital intensive and funding is considered as a major impediment in achieving the infrastructure goals. Since resource constraints will continue to limit public investment in infrastructure, PPP-based development needs to be encouraged wherever feasible.
Land Acquisition: One of the signifi cant challenges in achieving the infrastructure goal is the way land acquisition done for infrastructure projects. There is always a substantial difference between the compensation offered and the actual value of the land. The land owners always feel aggrieved which results in dispute and litigation.
Need for clearances from numerous agencies: Most of the infrastructure projects in India suffer from delays in completion. This is mainly due to an inadequate regulatory framework and ineffi ciency in the approval process. Infrastructure projects require multiple sequential clearances at various levels of government which delay the infrastructure projects.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Environmental safeguards and guidelines have proven to be one of the major reasons for delay in infrastructure projects, especially in the power sector. While new projects need to comply with these regulations, even a project under construction may need to comply with revised standards midway through the execution stage.
Poor pre-construction planning: Due to adverse effect of various impediments like land acquisition, statutory approvals, delayed fi nancial closure, etc. the pre-construction phase of infrastructure projects is pretty long. Therefore, there is delayed commissioning and completion of projects.
Way Forward
Considering the quantum defi cit in infrastructure implementation today vis-à-vis the demand, it is imperative to focus on newer means of implementing and fi nancing urban infrastructure. In India alone, until 2040, estimated investments of around $4.5 trillion are required in the infrastructure space.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) has been one such option, which enables governments to optimally share the risks associated with a project during its life-cycle and in the process, extend the reach and the scope of the public delivery systems.
Further, to implement urban infrastructure in India, a deeper deliberation is required on the means of democratising the governance at the city level with a view towards providing greater operational and fi scal autonomy to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
Migration of large population to urban centres is causing new cities to emerge and existing ones to expand. This is causing rapid urbanization. Therefore, India needs to develop satellite cities for which the need is of mass-transport systems.
There must be a “single window statutory clearance”, including Environmental clearance to projects.
While fi scal support is the dominant factor for infrastructure development, equally important will been abling policies from the government’s side.
What is the importance of urban infrastructure for the development of India? Enumerate the impeding factors affecting growth of urban infrastructure in India.
Practice Question
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y aheadaywa
aheadway
Swachch Bharat Mission (Urban)
(marred by disputes and litigation)
Context : South Asian Regional Conference organised by NITI Aayog with UNESCAP and ADB to discuss key issues in Urban Infrastructure
Urban Infrastructure
(public funding alone is not sufficient)
► Various feasible models of PPP needs to be explored and encouraged
(multiple required clearances delay the infrastructure projects)
► single window statutory clearance (along with environmental clearance)
This poor pre-construction planning takes a lot of time → resulting into delayed commissioning and completion of projects
Financing
Multi window clearance and EIA
Land Acquisition
► more fiscal autonomy to urban local bodies
► development of ‘satellite cities’ with good connectivity
Way ahead
Impediments
The problem in India
Urban population expected to grow from current 31% to
40% by 2030
Need of the hour : urban infrastructure needs to grow qualitatively and sustainably
rising infrastructure
gaps
holds back growth and opportunities to reduce povertycontribute to rising
environmental degradation and
inequality
Various urban development schemes of GoI
Smart Cities Mission AMRUTPradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)
• Modern and scientific Municipal Solid Waste Management• Generate awareness about sanitation and its linkage with public health• Capacity augmentation for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
Urban renewal and retrofitting program to develop 100 cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘smart’ solutions.
• Ensure that every household has access to a tap with assured supply of water and a sewerage connection.• Increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well maintained open spaces (e.g. parks)• Reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport (e.g. walking and cycling)
Provides central assistance to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and other implementing agencies through States/UTs for:• In-situ rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers using land as a resource through private participation.• Credit-linked subsidy• Affordable housing in partnership
Issues related to development of Urban Infrastructure and way forward
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MANDATORY PACKAGING NORMS IN JUTE
CONTEXTThe CCEA approved mandatory packaging of 100% of the food grains and 20% of the sugar in diversifi ed jute bags.
Initially 10% of the indents of jute bags for packing food grains would be placed through reverse auction on the Gem portal. This will gradually usher in a regime of price discovery.
BACKGROUND
Jute farmingThe suitable climate for growing jute is a warm and wet climate.
Temperatures ranging from 25-30 °C and relative humidity of 70%–90% are favorable for successful cultivation.
Minimum rainfall required for jute cultivation is 1000 mm. It requires 160-200 cm of rainfall weekly with extra needed during the sowing period.
Soil type : New grey alluvial soil of good depth receiving silt from annual fl oods is most suitable for jute growth. However, jute is grown widely in sandy looms and clay loams specially river basins.
PH range between 4.8-5.8 is best for its cultivation so Jute cultivation in red soils may require high dose of manure.
Plain land or gentle slope or low land is ideal for jute cultivation. In India, Ganga delta region is excellent for jute cultivation as this region has fertile alluvium soil and favorable temperature along with suffi cient rainfall. This fertile geographic region is shared by both Bangladesh and India (mainly West Bengal).
Main jute producing states- The jute crop is grown in nearly 83 districts of seven states - West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya. West Bengal alone accounts for over 50 percent raw jute production.
Main jute producing countries- The leading world’s jute producing countries are India, Bangladesh, China and Thailand. India is the world’s largest producer of raw jute and jute goods, contributing to over 50 percent and 40 percent respectively of global production.
Uses of JuteOriginally raw jute was used as a raw material for packaging industries only, later it has emerged as a source of paper industries, textile industries, building and automotive industries, soil saver,
decorative and furnishing materials.
The basic jute products manufactured in jute mills are: Hessian Cloths, Sacking Cloths, Jute Yarn, Carpet Backing Cloths, Bags, Twines, D.W. Tarpaulin/ P.W. canvas, Shopping bags, Geotextiles and Gaps, Jute Mats and fl oor coverings, Tobacco sheets, Carpets etc.
Analysis of Indian jute industry
Strength: Labour intensive industry: It engages approx.4.35 million people.
Balancing regional development: Jute industry has lot of potential of providing employment especially in East Indian region. The industry offers employment opportunity to 7,500 persons per year, besides more opportunity lie ahead in expansion of existing capacity in new mills.
Environmental benefi ts: Jute fi bre is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly. A hectare of jute plants consumes about 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide and releases 11 tonnes of oxygen.
Fertility of soil: Cultivating jute in crop rotations enriches the fertility of the soil for the next crop. Jute also does not generate toxic gases when burnt.
Weakness:Frequent revision of guidelines (to add or dilute items for jute packing) leaves the industry in confusion whether to invest further on the Jute technology development/product development/market expansion or wait for new policies etc.
Multi unionism is one of the major problems faced by jute industry and engages major concentration of routine management in resolving labour dispute.
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The machinery used in jute industry is old and obsolete with age of machinery ranging between 40 - 150 years. The 150 years old industry with 75% obsolete machinery is tagged as “Sunset industry” with “Vintage machinery”.
Poor Research & Development (R&D) initiation, invention/reverse engineering effort has been grossly neglected in this sector. The reasons for this are lack of farsightedness & forward planning on the part of government and industry.
Marketing: It has been maintaining a very slow pace in coming out of traditional way of marketing. Indian jute has not been able to build brand image for jute that goes with the quality.
ANALYSIS:
Possible impacts of this decision.Development of jute sector by increasing the quality and productivity of raw jute, diversifi cation of jute sector and also boosting and sustaining demand for jute product.
Provide livelihood as nearly 3.7 lakh workers and several lakh farm families are dependent for their livelihood on the jute sectors.
The jute industry is predominantly dependent on Government sector which purchases jute bags of value of more than Rs. 6,500 crore every year for packing foodgrains.
Benefi t farmers and workers located in the Eastern and North Eastern regions of the country particularly in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura.
Advantages of using Jute fabrics over Polypropylene/Plastic:
Jute is environment friendly and completely biodegradable, while synthetics possess a number of hazards.
The toxic effects of synthetics are so serious - both the production and disposal aspects of it - that many western countries have banned it for use in packing of food products.
Jute bags are indigenously processed products while synthetic bags are manufactured from polyester granules whose manufacture poses a number of hazards.
The obnoxious gases, particles and volatile organic compounds emitted creates pollution and slow
poisons the earth during its disposals.
Jute bags have porosity, easily withstand the high temperature and are much stronger than poly sacks.
Jute bags can be recycled,re-used and can be easily repaired.
Reasons behind reducing single use plastics:
Plastic bags can block waterways and exacerbate natural disasters.
By clogging sewers and providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes and pests, plastic bags can increase the transmission of vector-borne diseases like malaria.
High concentrations of plastic materials, particularly plastic bags, have been found blocking the airways and stomachs of hundreds of species.
Plastic bags are often ingested by turtles and dolphins who mistake them for food. There is evidence that the toxic chemicals added during the manufacture of plastic transfer to animal tissue, eventually entering the human food chain.
Styrofoam products, which contain carcinogenic chemicals like styrene and benzene, are highly toxic if ingested, damaging the nervous systems, lungs and reproductive organs.
In poor countries, plastic waste is often burned for heat or cooking, exposing people to toxic emissions. Disposing of plastic waste by burning it in open-air pits releases harmful gases like furan and dioxin.
Economic damage: Plastic litter in the Asia-Pacifi c region alone costs its tourism, fi shing and shipping industries $1.3 billion per year. Studies suggest that the total economic damage to the world’s marine ecosystem caused by plastic amounts to at least $13 billion every year.
UN Environment has drawn up a 10-step roadmap for governments that are looking for measures to reduce single plastic use:
Targeting the most problematic single-use plastics by conducting a baseline assessment to identify them, as well as the current causes, extent and impacts of their mismanagement.
Considering the best actions to tackle the problem, given the country’s socio-economic standing and considering their appropriateness in addressing the specifi c problems identifi ed.
Assessing the potential social, economic and environmental impacts of the preferred short-listed instruments/actions.
Identifying and engaging key stakeholder groups – retailers, consumers, industry representatives, local government, manufacturers, civil society,
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environmental groups, and tourism associations – to ensure broad buy-in.
Raising public awareness about the harm caused by single-used plastics by explaining the decision and any punitive measures that will follow.
Promoting alternatives. Before the ban or levy comes into force, assess the availability of alternatives. Provide economic incentives to encourage the uptake of eco-friendly and fi t-for-purpose alternatives that do not cause more harm.
Providing incentives to industry by introducing tax rebates orother conditions to support its transition.
Using revenues collected from taxes or levies on single-use plasticsto maximize the public good.
Enforcing the measure chosen effectively, by making clear allocation of roles and responsibilities.
Monitor and adjust the chosen measure if necessary and updatethe public on progress.
Government measures to support jute sector
Jute ICARE supports close to one lakh jute farmers by disseminating improved agronomic practices such as line sowing using seed drills, weed management by using wheel-hoeing and nail-weeders, distribution of quality certifi ed seeds and also providing microbial assisted retting. These interventions have resulted in enhancing the quality and productivity of raw jute and increasing income of jute farmers by Rs. 10,000 per hectare.
Jute Corporation of India (JCI) has been given a grant of Rs. 100 crore for 2 years starting from 2018-19 to enable JCI to conduct MSP operations and ensure price stabilization in the jute sector.
With a view to support diversifi cation of jute sector, the National Jute Board has collaborated with
National Institute of Design and a Jute Design Cell has been opened at Gandhinagar.
Promotion of Jute Geo Textiles and Agro- Textiles has been taken up with the State Governments particularly those in the North Eastern region and also with departments such as Ministry of Road Transport and Ministry of Water Resources.
Government of India has imposed Defi nitive Anti-Dumping Duty on import of jute goods from Bangladesh and Nepal.
Jute SMART, an e-governance initiative was launched to promote transparency in jute sector providing an integrated platform for procurement of B-Twill sacking by Government agencies.
The JCI is transferring 100% funds to jute farmers online for jute procurement under MSP and commercial operations.
Way ForwardThere are many opportunities in jute sector
In many areas Indian Jute industry is ahead of other jute producing and manufacturing countries viz.
It has learned how to upgrade a lower grade fi bre in the batch mix.
It also leads in diversifi ed value added products.
Brazil is one of the major importers of Indian Jute, and few of Indian jute bag producers have been awarded zero duty which opens new doors to other industry producers.
Both, Central and respective state governments have pro-jute mindset. They have plans for taking jute industry to new horizon. This is evident from the recent initiative of mandatory packaging.
Industry should accomplish Total Quality Management so as to build quality in the products.
Jute is called the golden fi ber for its color and high cash value. Critically analyse the rising importance of jute in context of increasing environmental problems and its advantages for India.
Practice Question
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Jute Industry
CCEA has approvedmandatory packing
in jute bags of
100% food grains
20% sugar
Impetus to jute industry
Development of jute sector
Provide livelihood
by increasing the quality and
productivity of raw jute, diversification of jute sector and also
boosting and sustaining demand
for jute product.
as nearly 3.7 lakh workers and
several lakh farm families are
dependent for their livelihood on the
jute sector.
Government measures to support jute sector
Jute ICARE
Jute Corporation of India (JCI) has been given a grant of Rs. 100 crore for 2 years starting from 2018-19 to enable JCI to conduct MSP operations and ensure price stabilization in the jute sector.
National Jute Board hascollaborated with National Institute of Design and a Jute Design Cell has
been opened at Gandhinagar. Promotion of Jute Geo Textiles and Agro-Textiles
has been taken up
Imposition of Anti-Dumping Duty
Jute SMART
An e-govt initiative to promote
transparency in jute sector
procurement
with the StateGovts and various
govt deptts
supports close to one lakh jute
farmers by disseminating
improved agronomicpractices.
Aim : diversification of jute sector
on import of jute goods from
Bangladesh and Nepal.
India is world’s largest producer of raw jute and
jute goodsJute is utilised in many industries like packing , paper , textile , etc
Has a huge potential to enhance employment in East India and
contribute to balancing of scales of regional development
is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable
does not generate toxic gases when burnt
improves fertility of soil under crop rotation
old and obsolete machinery poor R&D outdated marketing
The industry suffers from
Environmentally friendly
Importance of Jute Industry
better alternative to plastics in packing and wherever possible
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IMD HINTS AT EL NINO EVENT FROM FEBRUARY 2019 AND WARMER SUMMER
CONTEXTThe India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated an increased probability of El Nino conditions from February 2019, probably resulting in above-normal summer temperatures.
Experts have cautioned that an El Nino event occurring early next year could have some impact on the monsoon of 2019 for India.
BACKGROUND
According to the scientists, since October 2018 sea surface temperatures across the east-central tropical Pacifi c have reached weak El Nino levels.
However, the atmosphere has failed to respond to this additional warmth, and hence has not yet coupled to the ocean in a manner typically associated with an El Nino event. For example, the upper level winds, cloud and sea level pressure patterns in the tropical Pacifi c do not yet refl ect El Nino features.
Since October, trade winds in the eastern tropical Pacifi c Ocean have briefl y weakened to El Nino levels, but have not been consistently weaker than normal.
ABOUT
What are El Nino and La Nina events?El Nino is the name given to a slight warming of the surface waters of the Pacifi c. It is opposite of La Nina, which is a cooling. As the ocean is one of the biggest infl uences in our weather, both of the phenomena have a dramatic effect on the weather around the globe.
El Nino was discovered far earlier than La Nino, as it had a direct impact on the Peruvian fi shermen. They noticed that every three to seven years, in the months of December and January, there would be virtually no fi sh in the seas. As it was noticed around Christmas time, they named this phenomenon El Nino (Spanish for ‘the baby boy’).
The strength of the El Nino conditions and its impacts on the weather can vary dramatically.
Partly due to its earlier discovery, much more is known and understood about El Nino than La Nina.
El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an
irregularly periodical variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacifi c Ocean. It has a major infl uence on weather patterns over many parts of the world. The warming phase, which is thought to impact India’s southwest monsoon, is known as El Nino, while the cooling phase is La Nina.
ANALYSIS
What happens ‘normally’ at the time when there is no El Nino or La Nina:
The warmest part of the Pacifi c Ocean is the region near the equator. Due to the spinning of the earth, the prevailing winds fl ow from east to west. This pushes the warm waters westwards, towards Indonesia.
In the east, around the coast of South America, cool waters would normally well up. These waters are rich in nutrients and fi sh, and provide plenty of food for the Peruvian Fisherman.
During El Nino and La NinaDuring an El Nino event, the prevailing winds across the Pacifi c weaken, and sometimes they can even reverse and blow the other way. This allows some of the warmer waters to move eastwards, away from Indonesia and towards South America.
La Nina has some different effects; for instance, as the waters near the coast of South America are warmer than usual, it makes sense that the weather in the region is also warmer than usual. This will increase evaporation and therefore the region will also see more rain than in a typical year. It also is intuitive that because the warmer waters are moving away from Indonesia, the weather here is drier than usual.
However, there are far more wider-reaching impacts of El Nino that are not at all instinctive and affect the weather across many parts of the globe. For example, El Nino usually decreases the hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
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The strongest El Nino event that has ever been recorded occurred in 1997- 1998. Its impact was felt in many parts of the world. Droughts hit Indonesia and other islands in the western Pacifi c, triggering uncontrollable forest fi res. Peru suffered deadly fl ooding. Record-breaking rainfall hit the US state of California, causing mudslides and fl ooding. Kenya too, was hit by severe fl ooding.
El Nino 2018The temperature of waters below the surface of the tropical Pacifi c, from the west-central Pacifi c eastward and extending to several hundred meters below the surface, have been above average since April 2018, and more strongly so since October.
This deeper warm water now extends to the surface, and is likely to sustain surface waters at El Nino-level temperatures in the coming months. El Nino-level sea surface temperatures currently observed could persist through the remainder of 2018 and into the fi rst quarter of 2019.
Propensity towards a defi cient monsoon is more during El Nino conditions. But, El Nino is only one of the parameters governing Indian monsoon variability.
IMD prediction for 2019A recent probability forecast for El Nino and La Nina (ENSO) by the IMD indicated maximum probability for ENSO neutral conditions (neither an El Nino event nor a La Nina event) from October to February next year. Thereafter, increased probability for El Nino conditions is seen from February to July.
As on October 2018, international models are showing Nino 3.4 index temperature values crossing the El Nino threshold level of 0.5°C. While IMD model forecasts are showing the index value to be slightly less than 0.5°C, other international forecasting centres are indicating that by the end
of this year or early next year, weak or moderate El Nino might occur and may continue up to next spring i.e. March or April 2019.
While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) offi cials stressed that it might be too early to say, experts have cautioned that an El Nino event occurring early next year could have some impact on the monsoon of 2019. However some other experts view that El Nino might start weakening by spring next year and might not impact monsoon, except the beginning of the season.
An event is considered to be weak El Nino if the sea surface temperatures over the equatorial Pacifi c Ocean increase by more than 0.5°C above normal.
There could also be a chance of an increase in summer temperatures next year because of the El Nino event. Scientists are of the view that whenever there is an El Nino during summer; temperatures tend to rise, with increased chances of stronger or more severe heat waves.
The observed sea surface temperature anomalies are showing warming over the central and eastern Pacifi c, indicating an imminent El Nino event. If an El Nino develops in February next year, it may exist for a long time or several months, which may not be too favourable for monsoon 2019.
CONCLUSION
La Nina and El Nino conditions are detected by looking at data from various sources, including satellites and buoys. However, it’s very diffi cult to forecast the conditions of the ocean more than three months in advance.
With impacts on such an enormous scale, improved forecasts of these events would be invaluable. Countries would be able to prepare for fl ooding or droughts and this could undoubtedly save many lives.
IMD has predicted an El Nino event from February 2019 and warmer summer for India. What do you understand by El Nino? Discuss its impact over Indian Monsoons.
Practice Question
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BACKGROUND:
According to the Constitution, district judges are appointed by the Governor in consultation with the High Court.
Other subordinate judicial offi cers are appointed as per rules framed by the Governor in consultation with the High Court and the State Public Service Commission.
There is not much change since 1987 when the Law Commission had recommended increase in the number of judges from 10 judges per 10 lakh people to 50.
The Supreme Court had laid down guidelines in 2007 for making appointments in the lower judiciary within a set time frame.
A study released last year by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy revealed that the recruitment cycle in most States far exceeded the time limit prescribed by the Supreme Court. This time limit is 153 days for a two-tier recruitment process and 273 days for a three-tier process.
ANALYSIS:
Reasons behind vacancyPoor infrastructure is available for judiciary from courtrooms to residences for judges which is used to facilitate judicial proceedings.
State Public Service Commission (SPSC) do not recruit enough staff to assist the judges.
Tardiness in the process of SPSCs like calling for applications, holding recruitment examinations and declaring the results.
Lack of funds to pay and accommodate the newly appointed judges and magistrates.
State governments do not employ enough efforts to build courts or identify space for them. There are procedural delays on their part. The MoP gives six weeks to state governments to approve the recommendations and send its suggestions to the Law Ministry.
Slow motion on part of judiciary. The provision of MoP outlines that when a permanent vacancy is expected to arise in any year in the offi ce of a Judges, the Chief Justice will as early as possible but
SHORTAGE OF JUDGES IN INDIAN COURTS
CONTEXTThe Supreme Court pulled up various State governments and the administrative side of the High Courts for delay in fi lling vacancies in subordinate judicial services.
India has 19 judges per 10 lakh people on an average, according to a Law Ministry data which also states that the judiciary faces a combined shortage of over 6,000 judges, including over 5,000 in the lower courts itself.
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at least six months before the date of occurrence of the vacancy communicate to the Chief Minister of the State his views as to the persons to be selected for appointment. But this provision remains only on paper.
Alot of rejections are there of the names the collegium(s) sends to fi ll vacancies. Normally, there are at least 33% rejections by the Apex Court collegium.
Close coordination between the High Courts and the State Public Service Commission is missing which is required for smooth and time-bound process of making appointments.
Coordination between 2 organs of state, that is, judiciary and executive is also a problem. For example long standoff between the government and the judiciary over setting up of National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), a constitutional body proposed by the government to replace the present Collegium system of appointing judges and a continuing debate on Memorandum of Procedure (MoP).
Judiciary is unable to attract best talent. The brighter law students do not join the state judicial services because they have less career progression and lawyers with a respectable Bar practice sometimes do not want to become an additional district judge and deal with the hassles of transfers and postings.
Consequences:Subordinate courts perform the most critical judicial functions: It affect the life of a common man- conducting trials, settling civil disputes, and implementing the bare bones of the law.
Large pendency of cases: Of the total 3 crore cases pending at different courts, 27.8 lakh cases are piled up in subordinate courts and 4.3 lakh in 10 high courts of India. The pendency in lower courts with 22.57 lakh cases pending for more than 10 years and about 25% of cases pending for over 5 years is a matter of concern.
The Quality of the subordinate judiciary: It is average and by extension at least one-third of high court judges elevated from the subordinate judiciary are also mostly average. As a result, the litigants are left to suffer.
Huge workload: Judges in high courts hear between 20 and 150 cases every day, or an average of 70 hearings daily. The average time that the judges have for each hearing could be as little as 2 minutes.
Vulnerable population: They suffer as more than 10% of these pending cases are fi led by women and about 5% by senior citizens. Poor litigants and under trials stand to suffer the most due to judicial delay.
Violation of Fundamental right: The backlog violates the spirit of Article 14 (right to equality before law) and Article 21 of the Constitution (right to life and liberty) that too by the protectors of the constitution.
Economic Cost:
It hampers dispute resolution, contract enforcement, discourage investment, stall projects, hamper tax collection, stress tax payers and escalate legal costs.
Economic Survey said that although India jumped to 100th rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report 2018, the country continues to lag on the indicator on enforcing contracts which marginally improved to 164 from 172 in the previous report.
This leads to poor economic activity and hence lower per capita income.
Social Impacts: A slow and tardy judiciary may lead to higher expenditure for people, higher poverty rates, poor public infrastructure and higher crime rates and more industrial riots.
Reforms Needed
The Economic survey 2017-18 suggested that the government could consider including efforts and progress made in alleviating pendency in the lower judiciary as a performance-based incentive for states.
All India Judicial Service (AIJS) - In a recent speech commemorating 50 years of the Delhi High Court, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revisited the possibility of recruiting judges through an AIJS.
All India Judicial Service
Background: The Constitution drafting committees discussed Article 312, conferring power on the Parliament to create All India Services.
Based on the Swaran Singh Committee’s recommendations in 1976, Article 312 was modifi ed to include the judicial services, but it excluded anyone below the rank of district judge. Therefore, the trial courts are completely eliminated.
The First Law Commission of India (LCI) came out with its comprehensive, and legendary, 14th Report on Reforms on the Judicial Administration, which recommended an AIJS in the interests of effi ciency of the judiciary.
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In Favour of All India Judicial Service: Direct recruitment of judges from the entry level onwards would be handled by an independent and impartial agency.
The process of recruitment would be through open competition, and if designed with the right incentives of pay, promotion and career progression, it could potentially become an attractive employment avenue for bright and capable young law graduates.
The persons eventually selected into the judiciary would be of proven competence. Simultaneously, the quality of adjudication and the dispensation of justice would undergo transformative changes across the judicial system, from the lowest to the highest levels.
A career judicial service will make the judiciary more accountable, more professional, and also more equitable.
The Supreme Court has itself said that an AIJS should be set up, and has directed the Union of India to take appropriate steps in this regard.
Against All India Judicial Service: First that lack of knowledge of regional languages would affect judicial effi ciency;
Second, that avenues for promotion would be curtailed for those who had already entered through the state services; and
Third, that this would lead to an erosion of the control of the high courts over the subordinate judiciary, which would, in turn, affect the judiciary’s independence.
In a longer-term perspective, uniformity in selection processes and standards, as offered by an AIJS, has many advantages.
Reducing the length of summer/winter vacations when the courts shut down en masse as has been put in petition in Supreme Court. The vacation benches, hearing urgent matters during the period does not suffi ce. In 230th Law Commission in its report “reform in Judiciary” in 2009 recommended that there must be full utilization of the court working hours and Grant of adjournment must be guided strictly by the provisions of Order 17 of the Civil Procedure Code.Courts must make use of innovative tools such as Lok Adalats, Gram Nyayalays and Fast Track Courts for speedy justice disbursal.Endless possibilities of Information Technology should also be fully exploited to make procedures more transparent and less cumbersome.The situation demands a massive infusion of both manpower and resources.
Positive changes in Judiciary:World Bank lauds creation of National Judicial Data Grid in Ease of Doing Business report, the report states that the introduction of the Grid “made it possible to generate case management reports on local courts, thereby making it easier to enforce contracts”.Gram Nyayalaya – mobile village courts in India established under Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 for speedy and easy access to justice system in the rural areas of India.
Conclusion:While improving judicial strength is a necessity—the 120th report of the Law Commission had talked of the need to bring this to 50 per million but making courts function for more number of days in a year than at present, and for more number of hours every day is also essential to clear the backlog.Economic Survey 2017-18 called for coordinated action between government and judiciary to reduce pendency of commercial litigation for improving ease of doing business (EODB) and boost economic activities.
One of the underlying reasons behind the high pendency is the inordinate delay in fi lling up the vacancies of judicial offi cers. Critically analyse the statement in the light of the Supreme Court pulling up various state governments and High Courts for delay in fi lling vacancies in subordinate judicial services.
Practice Question
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BACKGROUND
In the current state of healthcare system, many allied and healthcare professionals remain unidentifi ed, unregulated and under-utilised.
India’s health system is highly focused on efforts towards strengthening limited categories of professionals such as doctors, nurses and frontline workers (like Accredited Social Health Activist or ASHAs, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife or ANMs).
However, numerous others have been identifi ed over the years, whose potential can be utilised to improve and increase the access to quality driven services in the rural and hard to reach areas.
ABOUT
The Bill provides for structure, constitution, composition and functions of the Central Council and State Councils, e.g. framing policies and standards, regulation of professional conduct, creation and maintenance of live registers, provisions for common entry and exit examinations, etc.
The Central Council will comprise 47 members, of which 14 members shall be ex-offi cio representing diverse and related roles and functions and remaining 33 shall be non-ex-offi cio members who mainly represent the 15 professional categories.
The State Councils are also envisioned to mirror the Central Council, comprising 7 ex-offi cio and 21 non-ex offi cio members and Chairperson to be elected from amongst the non-ex offi cio members.
Professional Advisory Bodies under Central and State Councils will examine issues independently and provide recommendations relating to specifi c recognised categories.
The Bill will also have an overriding effect on any other existing law for any of the covered
professions.
The State Council will undertake recognition of allied and healthcare institutions.
Offences and Penalties clause have been included in the Bill to check mal practices.
The Bill also empowers the Central and State Governments to make rules.
Central Govt. also has the power to issue directions to the Council, to make regulations and to add or amend the schedule.
An Interim Council will be constituted within six months of passing of the Act, holding charge for a period of two years until the establishment of the Central Council.
The Council at the Centre and the States are to be established as body corporate with a provision to receive funds from various sources.
Councils will also be supported by Central and State Governments respectively through Grant-in-aid as needed. However, if the State Government expresses inability, the Central Government may release some grant for initial years to the State Council.
Allied and Healthcare Professionals
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Allied health personnel are personnel who have specifi c connections with the art and science of health care and are recognised as members of the health team in the national health system.
They are educated with different levels of professional qualifi cations, in a recognised or accredited health or health-related or academic Institution.
ALLIED AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONS BILL, 2018
CONTEXTThe Union Cabinet has approved the Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018 that aims to regulate and standardize the education and services by allied and healthcare professionals.
The Bill provides for setting up of an Allied and Healthcare Council of India and corresponding State Allied and Healthcare Councils which will play the role of a standard-setter and facilitator for professions of Allied and Healthcare such as physiotherapists, nutritionists and workers in laboratories etc.
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The allied and healthcare professionals include individuals involved with the delivery of health or related services, with expertise in therapeutic, diagnostic, curative, preventive and rehabilitative interventions.
They work in interdisciplinary health teams including physicians, nurses and public health offi cials to promote, protect, treat or manage a person’s physical, mental, social, emotional and environmental health and holistic well-being.
ANALYSIS
Need for such legislationAllied and Healthcare Professionals (A&HPs) constitute an important element of the health human resource network, and the skilled and effi cient Allied and Healthcare Professionals (A&HPs) can reduce the cost of care and dramatically improve the accessibility to quality driven healthcare services.
Globally, Allied and Healthcare Professionals typically attend undergraduate degree programme of a minimum of three to four years to begin with and may attain up to PhD level qualifi cation in their respective streams. However, most of Indian institutions offering such courses lack standardisation.
Majority of the countries worldwide, have a statutory licensing or regulatory body that is authorised to license and certify the qualifi cations and competence of such professionals, particularly those involved in direct patient care (such as physiotherapist, nutritionist etc.) or those whose occupation impact patient care directly (such as lab technologists, dosimetrists etc.).
Though such professionals have existed in the Indian healthcare system for many decades, a considerable gap in the allied and healthcare space is because of a lack of a comprehensive regulatory framework and absence of standards for education and training of A&HPs.
The Bill thus seeks to establish a robust regulatory framework which will play the role of a standard-setter and regulator for Allied and Healthcare professions.
Signifi canceThe allied health professionals in India are not covered by medical or nursing councils. Lab technicians, X-ray technicians, ICU technicians or people who are not covered by any other council and are currently unregulated, the bill aims to bring all the existing allied and healthcare professionals
on board during the fi rst few of years from the date of establishment of the Council.
The Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill will provide an opportunity to create qualifi ed, highly skilled and competent jobs in healthcare by enabling professionalism of the allied and healthcare workforce.
High quality, multi-disciplinary care in line with the vision of Ayushman Bharat, moving away from a ‘doctor led’ model to a ‘care accessible and team based’ model.
There’s an opportunity to cater to the global demand (shortage) of healthcare workforce which is projected to be about 15 million by the year 2030, as per the WHO Global Workforce, 2030 report.
It is estimated that the Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018 will directly benefi t around 8-9 Lakh existing Allied and Healthcare related professionals in the country and several other graduating professionals joining workforce annually and contributing to the health system.
However, since this Bill is directed to strengthen the healthcare delivery system at large, it may be said that the entire population of the country and the health sector as a whole will be benefi ted by this Bill.
ChallengesThe biggest challenge lies in effective implementation of the bill. The act should not be good only on paper and well drafted piece of regulation but be one that is effectively implemented.
Institution teaching the allied healthcare professionals will need to be accredited. However, given the history of healthcare regulation in India, there could be scope for manipulation. Also, what if the training provided to the allied professionals does not match the standards.
While the act lay down strict regulations, what happens when the supply of professionals is less than the demand? How will stipulation on higher qualifi cations help if supply of talent is not matched? These questions need to be addressed.
Many hospitals today do not publicly declare their rates and are not transparent about their pricing.
The reason some experts are sceptical is because there is so much money involved that there is always the danger of abuse. That also needs to be minimised.
The healthcare regulation in India certainly has room for improvement and therefore what is being done to ensure that the new councils will not go down the same path? Also, what will be done to ensure that this will not be used by the big
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and powerful healthcare providers for eliminating smaller players under the garb of enforcing quality?
High quality delivery in tier II and tier III cities and towns needs to be ensure, where even doctors are in short supply, let alone high quality allied healthcare professionals. How all these questions will get addressed is yet to be seen.
Way ForwardState government and medical community must all be on board and young people joining training courses to be such professionals must see the need for standards - laying down the curriculum, syllabus and laying down the period of training.
Regulation works best when the regulators as well as those to be regulated understand the need to be disciplined.
“In the current state of healthcare system, there exist many allied and healthcare professionals, who remain unidentifi ed, unregulated and under-utilised.” In the light of the given statement, critically analyse the Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018.
Practice Question
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largely neglectsfocus more on
by
(which is projected to be about 15 million by the year 2030, as per the WHOGlobal Workforce, 2030 report.)
( Lab technicians, physiotherapists, etc)
Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill’ 2018
The need ?
Healthcare system in India
Allied Healthcare ProfessionalsDoctors and Nurses
no std educational curriculum
lack of regulatory mechanism
std curriculum
regulation of services
Major proposals in the bill
Aim : Regulation and standardisation of education and services by allied and healthcare professionals
Modernise healthcare system and improve quality of services
set up
Allied & Healthcare Council of India
State Allied & Healthcare Councils
provision for penalties to check malpractices
regulate, frame policies and standards, provisions for common
entrance exams, etc
covers 15 major professional categories
granting of recognitions to institutions
bring all existing A&HPs on board
(A&HPs)
Will create qualified and skilled jobs in healthcare
sector
Cater to the global shortage of healthcare workforce
High quality, multi-disciplinary care in line with the vision of Ayushman Bharat,moving away from a 'doctor led' model to a 'care accessible and team based’ model.
Will help improve and increase the access to quality
driven services in the rural and hard to
reach areas
These will be established as body corporate with a provision to receive funds from various sources. Will also be supported via grants-in-aid by central and state govts.
How will it benefit ?
Major Challenges The high standards may not match the adequate supply of workforce. This needs to
be kept in mind while framing policies.
Despite regulation, many higher education bodies don’t match the quality standards. This
could happen here also. Effective implementation will be the key to such issues.
Regulation works best when the regulators as well as those to be regulated
understand the need to be disciplined.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
SECTION: B (PRELIMS)
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ENVIRONMENT IN NEWS
Largest Bird Discovered(A) Vorambe titan, which literally means “the big bird” in Greek, has been designated as the world’s largest winged creature that ever existed, by Zoological Society of London. It went extinct 1000 years ago. It existed in modern day Madagascar .It weighed on an average of 860 kg and was three meter high.
Cyclone Gaja(B) Cyclone Gaja hit Tamil Nadu coast on November 5. It was result of a low pressure system which had developed in Gulf of Thailand which later crossed Malay Peninsula and then to the Andaman sea. It fi nally took form of a Cyclone and hit Coromandal coast and vanished soon after few days, causing damage to life and property.
Sinking Chain of Atolls of India(C) Due to constant rising sea level, many small atolls of Indian archipelago is sinking. Parali I Island of Lakshadweep has already sunk and Parali II has sunk almost 80% of its total area. Thinkara(14.38%) and Parali III (11.42%) are eroding at fast pace. UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UNIPCC) in its fi fth report has already stated rise in sea level and accelerating coastal erosion. It has stated that sea level in Lakshadweep has risen up to 0.6 m in last 20 years. This will not only cause loss in livelihood to the native people but also loss of biodiversity as large number of fl ora and fauna inhibit these Islands along with Particularly Vulnerable Tribal groups (PVTGs). El-Nino event has also weakened coral colonies to a larger extent.
New Carbon-di-Oxide Fuel(D) Canadian based clean energy company Carbon Engineering has constructed a prototype plant, which is equipped with large fans for extracting carbon-di-oxide, every day. It has recently synthesized a mixture of petrol and diesel using the captured carbon-di-oxide and hydrogen split from water with clean electricity, a process they call Air to fuels (A2F).This could revolutionize the transport industry, which is considered as major polluter.
Cloud brightening Project(E) The Marine cloud brightening project has been initiated which will spray fi ne mist of sea water into cloud to brighten them so that they can refl ect maximum sunlight back into the space. This will be done by spraying sea water through nozzle that is being designed by University of Washington.
**********
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ASIA ENVIRONMENT ENFORCEMENT AWARDS, 2018
CONTEXT United Nation Environment has awarded Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) with Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018 for excellent work done by the Bureau in combating trans-boundary environmental crimes.
India has been conferred this award second time in a row.
ABOUT Why WCCB?
It has been awarded under innovation category. Innovative enforcement techniques were adopted by WCCB which dramatically increased enforcement of trans-boundary environmental crimes in India. An online Wildlife Crime Database Management System (WCDMS) was developed to get real time data in order to help analyze trends in crime and devise effective measures to detect and protect wildlife crimes across India.
WCCB:It is a statutory multi-disciplinary body under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.
Headquartered in New Delhi, it has fi ve regional offi ces at Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Jabalpur; three sub-regional offi ces at Guwahati, Amritsar and Cochin; and fi ve border units at Ramanathapuram, Gorakhpur, Motihari, Nathula and Moreh.
Under Section 38 (Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities and to disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies.
It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of fl ora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES and EXIM policy governing such an item.
WCDMSThis system has been successfully used to analyse trends, helping put in preventive measures as well as for successfully carrying out operations such as Operation SAVE KURMA, THUNDERBIRD, WILDNET, LESKNOW, BIRBIL, THUNDERSTORM, LESKNOW-II along with other enforcement agencies resulting in the arrest of 350 wildlife criminals and huge seizures of animal species.
Asia Environment Enforcement AwardsThese are given to outstanding individuals and/or government organizations/teams that demonstrate excellence and leadership in enforcement of national laws to combat trans-boundary environmental crime in one of the following eligibility criteria areas:
Collaboration
Impact
Innovation
Integrity
Gender leadership.
2018 Awards theme: fi ghting trans-boundary environmental crimeThe third edition of the awards (2018)is given by UN Environment in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Offi ce on Drugs and Crime, INTERPOL, USAID, Freeland Foundation, and the Government of Sweden.
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Trans-boundary environmental crimeIt is a serious and growing problem in Asia.
Illegal trade in wildlife is the fourth largest illegal trade globally (after drugs, counterfeiting and human traffi cking).
Asiaremains one of the world’s largest dumping grounds for illegally traded chemicals and waste.
Millions of tonnes of hazardous waste and harmful chemicals are transported to and within Asia, having disastrous effects for human health and the environment. Public offi cialsand institutions/teams working on environmental enforcement issues are on the front-line of efforts to combat trans-boundary environmental crime.
ATMOSPHERE & CLIMATE RESEARCH-MODELLING OBSERVING SYSTEMS & SERVICES (ACROSS)
CONTEXT The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), has approved continuation of the nine sub-schemes related to weather, climate and natural hazard phenomena under the umbrella scheme “Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS) till 2020 at an estimated cost of Rs. 1450 crore.
The CCEA also approved establishment of National Facility for Airborne Research (NFAR) with a fi nancial commitment of Rs 130 crore for 2020-21 and beyond.
ABOUT (a) ACROSS
Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) has taken several initiatives to formulate specifi c schemes like weather and climate modelling, monsoon-research, climate change science & climate services and more.
These schemes involve multi-institutes wherein each unit has a designated role for accomplishing the aforesaid tasks.
As a result, all these schemes with specifi c objectives and budget are implemented in an integrated manner and are put together under the umbrella scheme “ACROSS”.
Objective It aims to provide a reliable weather and climate forecast for betterment of society.
It will aim at improving skill of weather and climate forecast through sustained observations, intensive research & development.
It will enhance effective dissemination and communication strategies to ensure its timely reach to the end-user of all services like Agro-meteorological services, Aviation services, Environmental monitoring services, climate services, tourism and more
It will integrate with number of agencies like the Krishi Vigyana Kendras of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Universities and local municipalities for seamless and last mile connectivity in dissemination of information related to climate and weather.
ImplementationIt will be implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences through its institutes namely India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS).
(b) National Facility for Airborne Research (NFAR)The airborne platform is projected as national facility which will cater the scientifi c need of several national research and educational institutions in the country. The project would be
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under Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), an autonomous body Ministry of Earth Sciences. Following research problems will be addressed at local/regional/national level:
Cloud Aerosol Interaction studies
Direct -Indirect aerosol effect
Air Pollution studies- Mega cities/Urban
Radiation studies
Coastal pollution studies
Urban visibility studies
Flood/ Forestry/ City modelling
Cloud microphysics and precipitation process studies
Utilization of aircraft:The research aircraft will be utilized throughout the year for different tasks such as
June- September: During Monsoon season over Indian land mass region and adjacent seasOctober- November: Bay of Bengal for cyclone research December– May: Himalayan, North India for aerosol measurement
Some important institutions under Ministry of Earth Sciences
India Meteorological Department (IMD): Established in 1975 as an autonomous body, it is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principle government agency in all matters relating to meteorology, seismology and allied subjects.
The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF):It is a Centre of Excellence in Weather and Climate Modelling. The mission of the Centre is to continuously develop advanced numerical weather prediction systems, with increased reliability and accuracy over India and neighbouring regions through research, development and demonstration of new and novel applications, maintaining highest level of knowledge, skills and technical bases.
System Science Organization Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (ESSO-INCOIS):
Established as an autonomous body in 1999, it is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO).
It is mandated to provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services to society, industry, government agencies and the scientifi c community through sustained ocean observations and constant improvements through systematic and focussed research.
BASIC MINISTERIAL MEETING ON CLIMATE CHANGE
CONTEXT Recently 27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in New Delhi.
The joint statement brought out at the conclusion of the BASIC summit reiterated:
Political commitment to the effective implementation of UN Climate Convention and its treaties- Kyoto-Protocol (pre-2020) and COP 21 Paris Agreement (post-2020).
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Full support for upcoming Conference of Parties (COP)24 in Polish Presidency for a successful outcome.
ABOUT Important takeaways of the meeting
On global climate change:
To promote a global green and low carbon transition.
To work together with all parties in an open, transparent, inclusive and party-driven manner to achieve a balanced and comprehensive outcome to fi nalize the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) at COP 24.
On fi nance and technology transfer
It underlined that the developed countries need to step up their action on climate technology transfer which are part of the pre-2020 actions before the Paris Climate Agreement (2015) comes into effect.
It urged developed countries to fulfi ll their climate fi nance commitments of mobilizing USD 100 billion per annum by 2020. It called on developed countries to scale up resources pledged to the GCF for mitigation and adaptation actions in developing countries.
It urged developed countries to take urgent actions to close the pre-2020 implementation gaps by 2023 which can be a useful input for the fi rst Global Stocktake (GST).
Other commitments
Unequivocal commitment to support Egypt, as the Chair of the Group of 77 and China, with a view to advance the common interests of developing countries.
They stressed that the GST process should be comprehensive, considering mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation.
That global climate action should promote Climate Justice and a just transition by recognizing the fundamental equality of all people in accessing economic growth and sustainable development.
BASIC
It is a bloc of four developing countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) formed in the year 2009 by an agreement to act jointly at the COP15-Copenhagen Climate Summit (CCS).
The alliance was formed to negotiate with developed countries regarding the further course of action to be taken on climate change after the end of fi rst mandate of Kyoto Protocol.
Subsequently, the CCS resulted in Copenhagen Accord between US and BASIC countries. Since then, the BASIC countries have met regularly and address the common concerns and interests of the developing countries vis-a-vis developed countries regarding climate change.
Terms and organisations Kyoto Protocol: it is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol was extended (2012-2020) after the completion of its fi rst period (2005-2012).
Paris Agreement: it is an agreement within the UNFCCC, dealing with greenhouse gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation and fi nance, coming into effect 2020.
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Global Stocktake: It refers to a proposed fi ve-yearly review of the impact of countries’ climate change actions. Under the Paris Agreement, every country must present a climate action plan in fi ve-yearly cycles. The fi rst global stocktake will happen in 2023.
Group of 77 and China: It is a coalition of 134 developing nations, designed to promote its member’s collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. Since China participates in G77 but does not consider itself to be a member, all offi cial statements are issued in the name of the Group of 77 and China.
VETIVER GRASS
CONTEXT Vetiver, ‘the wonder grass’ of Tamil Nadu is being grown by the inland farmers in last few decades due to its high returns despite low yield.
ABOUT Vetiver grass
Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver is a perennial bunchgrass of the Poaceae family, native to India.
Vetiver grows to 150 centimetres (5 ft) high and form clumps as wide. Under favourable conditions, the erect culms can reach 3m in height.
The stems are tall and the leaves are long, thin, and rather rigid. The fl owers are brownish-purple.
Unlike most grasses, which form horizontally spreading, mat-like root systems, Vetiver’s roots grow downward, 2 metres (7 ft) to 4 metres (13 ft) in depth.
Shoots growing from the underground crown make the plant frost and wildfi re resistant, and allow it to survive heavy grazing pressure.
Though it originates in India, it is widely cultivated in tropical regions. The major vetiver producers include Haiti, India, Indonesia, and Réunion islands.
The most commonly used commercial genotypes of vetiver are sterile.
Vetiver propagates itself by small offsets instead of underground stolons, these genotypes are non-invasive and can easily be controlled by cultivation of the soil at the boundary of the hedge.
Uses of vetiver grass
Soil conservation The downward growth of roots makes it an excellent stabilizing hedge for stream banks, terraces and rice paddies, and protects soil from sheet erosion.
It has been used to stabilize railway cuttings/embankments in geologically challenging situations in an attempt to prevent mudslides and rock falls, such as the Konkan railway in western India.
It penetrates and loosens compacted soils.
Vetiver mulch increases water infi ltration and reduces evaporation, thus protects soil moisture under hot and dry conditions. It also protects against splash erosion.
Crop protection and pest repellent It attracts the stem borer (Chilo partellus), which lay their eggs preferentially on vetiver. Due to the hairy architecture of vetiver, the larvae cannot move on the leaves, fall to the ground and die.
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Vetiver’s essential oil has anti-fungal properties against Rhizoctonia solani
As mulch, it is used for weed control in coffee, cocoa and tea plantations.
The leaves of vetiver are a useful by-product to feed cattle, goats, sheep and horses.
Vetiver (Khus) is also used as a fl avoring agent, usually as khus syrup.
Perfumery and aromatherapy Due to its excellent fi xative properties, it is used widely in perfumes.
It is contained in 90% of all western perfumes and is more common ingredient in fragrances for men.
Medicine It is used for nerve and circulation problems.
It is sometimes applied directly to the skin for relieving stress, as well as emotional traumas and shock; treating lice; and repelling insects.
It is sometimes inhaled as “aromatherapy” for nervousness, trouble sleeping (insomnia), and joint and muscle pain (rheumatism).
Traps pollutants This plant is capable of absorbing heavy metals from contaminated soil. It absorbs nitrate and phosphate from water bodies where algal growth is common.
Its proponents say preliminary tests suggest it traps carbon dioxide so effectively that it could reduce Delhi’s annual carbon dioxide emissions.
Other usesIt is used as roof thatch (it lasts longer than other materials) and in mud brick-making for housing construction (such bricks have lower thermal conductivity).It is also made into strings and ropes, and grown as an ornamental plant (for the light purple fl owers).Garlands made of vetiver grass are used to adorn the murti of Lord Nataraja (Shiva) in Hindu temples. It is a favourite offering to Ganesha.It has been used in an effort to track where mosquitoes live during dry seasons in Sub- Saharan Africa.
AIRSEWA-2.0
CONTEXT Ministry of civil aviation recently launched the upgraded version of AirSewa- 2.0 web portal and mobile app.
ABOUT AirSewa portal AirSewa Portal was launched in 2016 as one stop solution for hassle free air travel. It operates through an interactive web portal as well as through a mobile app for both android and iOS platforms. It includes a mechanism for grievance redressal, back offi ce operations for grievance handling, fl ight status/schedule information, airport Information and FAQs.The web portal and application will help to capture air travellers’ feedback for policy interventions.
AirSewa-2.0: Improvements over AirSewa 1.0Secure sign-up and log-in with social media Chatbot for travelers support
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Improved grievance management including social media grievances Real-time fl ight status and details fl ight schedule.
Aviation Sector in India
Market Size The civil aviation industry in the country has emerged as one of the fastest growing industries in the last three years.
India is currently considered the third largest domestic civil aviation market in the world and expected to become the world’s largest domestic civil aviation market in the next 10 to 15 years.
India is also expected to displace the UK to become the third largest air passenger market by 2025.
India’s passenger traffi c grew at 16.52 per cent year on year to reach 308.75 million. It grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 12.72 per cent during FY06-FY18.
Investment The government has 100 per cent FDI under automatic route in scheduled air transport service, regional air transport service and domestic scheduled passenger airline. However, FDI over 49 per cent would require government approval.
Recent Developments/initiatives In June 2018, India has signed an open sky agreement with Australia allowing airlines on either side to offer unlimited seats to six Indian metro cities and various Australian cities.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh is to develop Greenfi eld airports in six cities- Nizamabad, Nellore, Kurnool, Ramagundam, Tadepalligudem and Kothagudem under the PPP model.
Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) launched in October 2016, it provides regional air connectivity to unserved and underserved airports at a subsidized fare of Rs. 2,500 per hour.
First ever comprehensive National Civil Aviation Policy-2016.
New Airports Under the New Greenfi eld Airport Policy: Noida International Airport (Jewar), Mopa (Goa), Purandar Airport (Pune), Bhogapuram Airport (Visakhapatnam), Dholera Airport (Ahmedabad), Hirasar Airport (Rajkot).
e-Visa is granted to a foreigner whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, attending a short term yoga programme, medical treatment including treatment under Indian systems of medicine and business purpose.
GENERAL CONSENT IN CONTEXT OF CBI POWERS
CONTEXT Andhra Pradesh & West Bengal withdrew the “general consent” granted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), effectively curtailing the agency’s powers in the State without prior permission.
ABOUT What is general consent? CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act that makes consent of a state government mandatory for conducting investigation in that state.
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There are two kinds of consent:
Case-specifi c and general. Given that the CBI has jurisdiction only over central government departments and employees, it can investigate a case involving state government employees or a violent crime in a given state only after that state government gives its consent.
Can States bar the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from functioning in their territory?
Yes. The CBI is a national agency with police powers. Its primary jurisdiction is confi ned to Delhi and Union Territories.
As policing (detecting crime and maintaining law and order) is a State subject, the law allows the agency to function outside only with the consent of the States.
Section 6 of Delhi Special Police Establishment Act the Act says, “Nothing contained in Section 5 (which deals with jurisdiction of CBI) shall be deemed to enable any member of the Delhi Special Police Establishment to exercise powers and jurisdiction in any area in a State, not being a Union Territory or Railway, area, without the consent of the Government of that State.”
Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have withdrawn their general consent to the CBI to operate within their territories.
Has it happened before? And why?There are several instances of State governments withdrawing their consent. There was even an instance in Sikkim, when the State withdrew its consent after the CBI registered a case against former Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari, and before it could fi le a charge sheet.
The most common reason for withdrawal of consent is a strain in Centre-State relations, and the oft-repeated allegation that the agency is being misused against Opposition parties.
The decision by Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal has come amid concerns being voiced by Opposition parties that Central agencies such as the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department are being used against them.
Under what law is it done?The CBI draws its power from the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act. The Home Ministry, through a resolution, set up the agency in April 1963.
Under Section 5 of the Act, the Central government can extend its powers and jurisdiction to the States, for investigation of specifi ed offences.
However, this power is restricted by Section 6, which says its powers and jurisdiction cannot be extended to any State without the consent of the government of that State.
What is the impact of States taking back their consent?The withdrawal of general consent restricts the CBI from instituting new cases in the State concerned.
Supreme Court in Kazi Lhendup Dorji (1994), the withdrawal of consent applies prospectively and therefore, existing cases will be allowed to reach their logical conclusion.
The CBI can also seek or get specifi c consent in individual cases from the State government.
How has the consent issue played out?In most cases, States have given consent for a CBI probe against only Central government employees. The agency can also investigate a Member of Parliament.
Apart from Mizoram, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, the agency has consent in one form or the other for carrying out investigations across the country.
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What happens to cases in which there is a demand for a CBI probe?The Supreme Court has made it clear that when it or a High Court directs that a particular investigation be handed over to the CBI, there is no need for any consent under the DSPE Act.
A landmark judgment in this regard was the 2010 Supreme Court decision by which the killing of 11 Trinamool Congress workers in West Bengal in 2001 was handed over to the CBI.
CENTRAL BOARD OF RBI
CONTEXT A meeting of the board of directors of the Reserve Bank of India was convened by Governor Urjit Patel to discuss issues related to liquidity for NBFCs, credit for MSMEs and new economic capital framework
ABOUT Who appoints the board and what is the maximum strength of the board?
The government appoints the Board in accordance with the RBI Act of 1934. The full strength of the Board is 21, including the Governor and a maximum of four deputy governors.
The Board is required to meet at least six times a year and at least once every quarter.
Besides Delhi and Mumbai, the Board generally meets in various state capitals.
What is its current composition?
At present, the Central Board has 18 members, including fi ve offi cial directors —Governor Urjit Patel and four deputy governors.
The RBI Act allows for a fi ve-year term for the Governor and the deputy governors, but it can also be less for example, Raghuram Rajan was given a three-year term, and did not get an extension. Patel has been given a three-year term, which can be extended by another two years.
The four regional directors representing the Local Boards (one for each region)
Seven independent directors appointed by the government (Maximum limit 10).These non-offi cial part-time directors were appointed between March 2016 and August 2018. They enjoy a term of four years.
Who are appointed, and how?
There is no particular checklist the government has to tick in deciding nominations to the Board. Part-time, non-offi cial directors are chosen by the political executive.
The proposal for appointment to the Central Board is moved by the Department of Financial Services under the Finance Ministry and needs to be approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Given that RBI plays a much larger role than just that of a banking regulator, and that it is an apolitical institution, the government generally avoids appointing individuals with strong ideological or political views to the Central Board.
Does the Governor have a say in Board appointment?
The government is not obliged to seek the Governor’s views or his concurrence on directors it seeks to appoint.
But traditionally, Finance Ministers informally speak with the Governor on their choice before taking the proposal to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
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What are the functions of the Board?The Committee of the Central Board meets every week. Generally, Board members who are in Mumbai attend it. It basically reviews the statistics in RBI’s weekly bulletin.
Two key sub-committees that are chaired by the Governor are Board for Financial Supervision (BFS) and Board for Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS).
The BFS meets every month and includes deputy governors as ex-offi cio members and four other directors. It undertakes supervision of banks, fi nancial institutions and NBFCs.
The BPSS takes care of paper-based and electronic systems such as NEFT and RTGS.
There are other sub-committees on information technology, building, audit and risk management, and HR management.
Do all directors have voting rights?The RBI Act specifi es that the deputy governors and the government nominees may attend any or all meetings of the Central Board, but are not entitled to vote.
This means that in the current Board, the four deputy governors and the two secretaries from the Ministry of Finance cannot vote.
In the event of equality of votes, the Act states that the Governor has a second or casting vote.
Can the Board prevail upon the Governor on contentious issues?Under the Reserve Bank Act, in Section 7, there are two sub-sections. One sub-section says that the Board has the responsibility to superintend and generally look after the affairs of the bank.
There is a second sub-section which says that subject to regulations which the Board may provide, the Governor or in his absence any deputy governor which he nominates has the same powers. So, in effect, therefore, both have the powers to superintend and look after the affairs of the bank.
Now if the Board has to give some directions to the Governor, it can only do so on the basis of the fi rst part of that sub-section which says subject to the regulations which the Board makes in accordance with the Act. Those regulations which are there in Section 58 of the Act, have a process.
It says that the Board can make regulations with the prior approval of the government by notifi cation in the offi cial gazette and then after this notifi cation is done, within 30 days or so, that notifi cation has to be placed before parliament and both houses of Parliament have to approve that or can modify that. So, this is the whole process which has been laid down.
Therefore, the Board cannot suo motu direct the Governor to do something. If it wants to do it, it would have to go through this whole process.
INDRA 2018
CONTEXT The 10th in the series of joint military exercise between Indian and Russia, INDRA 2018 was conducted at Babina Field Ranges in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.
ABOUT INDRA Exercise 2018 Army contingents of the two nations participated in the training exercise spanning for 11 days which included induction and de-induction of the Russian contingent.
The training is being supervised by a joint directing panel comprising of senior offi cials of both the national contingents.
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The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct to enhance interoperability of the two Armies in the peace keeping/ enforcement environment under the aegis of the UN.
It focuses upon training on enhancing team building, special tactical level operations such as Cordon and Search, house intervention, handling and neutralisation of Improvised Explosive Devices and integrated employment of force multipliers.
The primary focus of the tactical fi eld exercise is to share best practices amongst the militaries and hone existing skills of the troops.
History As a joint, bi-annual military naval exercise, it was started in 2003.
The exercise was tasked to boost cooperation and interoperability between the Russian and Indian navies.
The year 2017 marked a major milestone for the Exercise as it was upgraded to involve all the three Services of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy & Air Force).
SIGNIFICANCE The scope of the Exercise includes professional interactions, establishment of joint command and control structures between the Indian & Russian forces and elimination of terrorist threat in a multinational environment under the UN mandate.
MANIPUR SANGAI FESTIVAL-2018
CONTEXT State of Manipur celebrated its annual “Manipur Sangai” festival from 21st to 30th November.
ABOUT Sangai festival The festival is named after the State animal, Sangai, the brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur.
It started in 2010 and has grown over the years into a big platform for Manipur to showcase its rich tradition and culture to the world.
Every edition of the festival showcases the tourism potential of the state in the fi eld of arts & culture, handloom, handicrafts, indigenous sports, cuisine, music and adventure sports.
It is labelled as the grandest festival of the State and promotes Manipur as a world class tourism destination.
Various features of festival
Dance The State’s classical dance form, ‘Ras Leela’ forms an important part of the dance performances during the festival. It is quite famous all over the world for its distinctiveness from any other dance forms in India.
Other folk dance performances like the Kabui Naga dance, Bamboo dance, Maibi dance, Lai Haraoba dance, Khamba Thoibi dance are showcased at the festival.
Handicraft The festival brings to light an array of Manipur’s best indigenous handlooms and handicrafts products which are otherwise not widely available in the market.
The themed huts of the variety of tribes at the heritage park represented the living- style of these tribes and exhibit their indigenous products.
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Sports Indigenous sports were a major highlight of the festival this year.
Manipur’s famous martial arts- Thang Ta (a combination Spear & Sword skills), Yubi- Lakpi (a game played with greased coconut like rugby), Mukna Kangjei (a game that combines hockey and wrestling), and Sagol Kangjei- Modern Polo (believed to have evolved in Manipur) all formed part of the festival.
Adventure sports activities like trekking, white water rafting and parasailing etc. also formed a major part of the festival.
Cuisines The festival introduced visitors to the best of the State’s cuisines.
Manipur’s popular dishes include Nga-thongba (fi sh curry), Eromba (a dish prepared with boiled vegetables and fermented fi sh), Ooti (mustard beans), Bora (pakoda), Paknam (a baked cake of gram fl our mixed with other ingredients), Singju (a spicy hot traditional salad), and Brown-rice Kheer etc.
Unlike the previous editions of the festival, the 2018 edition of the Manipur Sangai Festival has been organized at different locations in Imphal and Bishnupur District. The decision has been made keeping in view, the increasing number of visitors to the state during the festival.
Some of the important tourist destination in Manipur Bheigyachandra Open Air Theatre (BOAT) Loktak Lake: Located in Bishnupur District which is 48 km from Imphal City, it is the largest fresh water lake in the North–East India. Fishermen living in fl oating islands called Phumdis in fl oating huts known as Phumsangs are unique sights of this lake.
Keibul Lamjao National Park: The only fl oating National Park in the world, it is located on the Loktak Lake. It is the last natural habitat of the “Sangai” (Rucervus eldii eldii), the dancing deer of Manipur.
INA Memorial at Moirang: This town in Bishnupur District of Moirang has a special place in the history of India’s Freedom Struggle. It was here that the fl ag of the Indian National Army was fi rst unfurled on April 14, 1944.
GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING, 2019
CONTEXT The 2019 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report on Migration, Displacement and Education: Building bridges not walls, was launched by UNESCO New Delhi.
The current edition is the fi rst in-depth study of its kind to explore issue of migration, displacement and education in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s commitment of leaving no one behind.
ABOUT Highlights of the report
Global trends While major rural to urban migration accompanied the economic growth of the 19th to mid-20th century in high income countries, the largest internal population movements today occur in middle income countries, particularly China and India.
In sub-Saharan Africa, rural to urban migration has also made urban development planning challenging.
Seasonal migration, which is a survival strategy for the poor, can disrupt education and expose children to child labour and workplace hazards.
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Main fi ndings about India 80% of migrant children across seven Indian cities did not have access to education near worksites
Among youth aged 15 to 19 who have grown up in a rural household with a seasonal migrant, 28% identifi ed as illiterate or had an incomplete primary education.
The report shows that up to 40% of children from seasonal migrant households are likely to end up in work, rather than school, facing exploitation and abuse.
There will be an additional 80 million children living in slums by 2030, which would be greater
The report also acknowledges the initiatives that India has taken to respond to the migrants’ education need:
The Right to Education Act in 2009 made it mandatory for local authorities to admit migrant children.
National-level guidelines were issued, allowing for fl exible admission of children, providing transport and volunteers to support with mobile education.
Gujarat introduced seasonal boarding schools to provide migrant children with education and collaborated with non-government organizations (NGOs) to begin online tracking of the children on the move
In Maharashtra, village authorities called upon local volunteers to provide after- school psychosocial support to children who had been left behind by seasonal migrating parents
Tamil Nadu provides textbooks in other languages to migrant children.
Odisha assumed responsibility of seasonal hostels run by NGOs and works with Andhra Pradesh to improve migrant well-being
Challenges for India Teacher and student absenteeism are rampant due to:
Poor teaching mechanism
Students of migrant workers go along with their parents to work.
Large scale internal migration led to the growth of slums and informal settlements, where schools are often scarce.
Global Education Monitoring Report Formerly known as the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, it is an editorially independent, authoritative and evidence-based annual report published by UNESCO.
Its mandate is to monitor progress towards the education targets in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework.
It also addresses the concerns of the Incheon Declaration- representing the fi rm commitment of countries and the global education community to a single, universal education agenda.
It has also developed the World Inequality Database on Education (WIDE) to draw attention to the extremely high levels of education inequality across countries and between groups within countries, with the aim of helping to inform policy design and public debate.
SENTINELESE TRIBE
CONTEXT Recently, the Sentinelese, an aboriginal tribe of hunter-gatherers killed an American man who landed on the Sentinel Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
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ABOUT More on newsAs per government offi cials, American national did not get the permission of Indian government and got killed due to misplaced adventure in highly restricted area.
Survival International, a global movement for tribal people’s rights has blamed Indian government for excluding the Island from Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
Government in the recent past has excluded the North Sentinel Island and 28 others in the union territory Andaman and Nicobar from the RAP regime till December 31, 2022.
Restricted Area Permit:It requires foreigners to obtain a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for visiting certain areas in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar. This requirement is in addition to getting visa for visiting India.
Restrictions for protected/restricted areas are in place for security reasons and to protect the culture of native people from outside infl uence.
Who are Sentineleses?They belong to Negrito tribe who live on the North Sentinel Island of the Andaman (50 km west of Port Blair). They are assumed to be direct descendants of the earliest humans who emerged from Africa.
Their language is incomprehensible to even other tribes in the region.
They have made little to no advancement in the last 60,000 years and still live very primitive lives, surviving mainly on fi sh and coconuts.
They are very vulnerable to germs since they have not had contact with the outside (their isolation from) world. Even a common fl u virus carried by a visitor could wipe out the entire tribe.
They have not faced incursions and remain hostile to outsiders.
They are connected the Jarawas, another tribe in the Andamans on the basis of physical, as well as linguistic similarities.
Anthropological research reveals that the tribe inhabits the island at least for the past 200 years.
Genome studies indicate that the Andaman tribes could have been on the islands even 30,000 years ago.
Contact with outside worldThey have been fi ercely hostile to outside contact. All efforts to reach out to Sentinelese since 1960s have largely failed.
They have been left alone even from the colonial times as the land occupied by them has little commercial value.
In 2006, the tribe killed two fi shermen who strayed on to island. They even rejected outside help after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, throwing spears and arrows at a rescue helicopter that fl ew above.
Demography From 1901 to 2001, the population of Sentinelese has come down from 117 to 39 persons as per the census of Government of India.
Safeguards provided by the government
The Government of India issued the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aborignal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 to declare the traditional areas occupied by the tribes as reserves, and prohibited entry of all persons except those with authorisation.
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Photographing or fi lming the tribe members has been an offense and penalties for
entering into the reserved areas were made more severe through later amendments to
the regulations.
Other tribes of Andaman and Nicobar
Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar can be split into two broad tribal groups mainly based on
their place of origin.
The Andaman Islands are home to four ‘Negrito’ tribes namely the Great Andamanese,
Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese.
Nicobar Islands are home to two ‘Mongoloid’ tribes – the Shompen and Nicobarese.
Andaman and Nicobar
GeographyBoth the Andaman and Nicobar groups are part of a great island arc, formed by the above-sea extensions of submarine ridges of the Rakhine Mountains and the Patkai Range to the north and the Mentawai Ridge (the peaks of which form the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia) to the south.
The highest elevation is 2,418 feet (737 metres) at Saddle Peak on North Andaman, followed by Mount Thullier at 2,106 feet (642 metres) on Great Nicobar and Mount Harriet at 1,197 feet (365 metres) on South Andaman.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, there were volcanic eruptions on Barren Island in the northern Andamans.
The islands, comprising only 0.25% of India’s geographical area, but has 11,009 species, according to a publication by the Zoological Survey of India
The presence of a large number of species in such a small area makes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands one of the richest ecosystems and biodiversity hot spots in India
Among the 46 terrestrial mammalian species found, three species have been categorised as Critically Endangered — Andaman shrew (Crocidura andamanensis), Jenkin’s shrew (C. jenkinsi) and Nicobar shrew (C. nicobarica).
In all, 555 species of scleractinian corals (hard or stony corals) are found in the island ecosystem, all which are placed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
HistoryGenetic and cultural studies suggest that the indigenous Andaman people may have been isolated from other populations since the middle Paleolithic (Old Stone Age).
Rajendra Chola one of the Chola dynasty kings, conquered the islands to use it as its strategical navy base against the Sriwijaya Empire (located in Indonesia). They called the islands Tinmaittivu or the impure islands.
The fi rst empire to list the islands under its territory was the Maratha Empire.
Danish settlers of the Danish east India Company arrived at the Nicobar Islands on 12 December 1755. On 1 January 1756, the Nicobar Islands were made a Danish colony, fi rst named New Denmark.
Battle of Aberdeen in 1859 consolidated the British rule in Andaman and Nicobar. The battle resulted in the defeat of major tribes of the region. British established cellular jails in Andaman and Nicobar and named the region Kalapani.
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BOT
ABOUT What is a bot?A bot is an application that performs an automated task, such as setting an alarm, telling you the weather or searching online.
Bots are often associated with sites like Twitter, but there are many other types.
Andre Gray invented the world’s very fi rst Internet bot named “inkling” —a crawler bot.
Today, Internet bots are extremely crucial to the creation and functionality of the web and search engines. They make up to 65% of all Internet activity.
What can bots do?Bots perform simple, structurally repetitive tasks much more quickly, effi ciently, and accurately than is humanly possible.
It can help order food, shop for clothes, save money and fi nd restaurants.
Many bots are programmed to act like humans and so when one talks to them, it feels like asking a person for help instead of just typing in a search engine.
For example, the Hi Poncho chatbot available in Facebook Messenger tells the weather around us.
A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate human conversation.
How smart are these bots?While artifi cial intelligence keeps getting better, there is still long way to go and make bots like Siri or Cortana more effective.
Presently, these bots cannot respond for anything which is not been simulated. Chatbots aren’t doing too much better either.
Where can one fi nd bots?It can be found on many messaging apps, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Kik, and Telegram.
Twitter has bots which will reply to anyone, but usually not offer any assistance.
Are bots the future?Some developers and companies believe that people are tired of apps and would rather use bots.
Instead of having many different apps in a phone, one could have single app with multiple bots that can help with different tasks.
In future there will be smarter bots at home (like Amazon’s Alexa), on our phones and in our car that will help automate our lives.
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