2018 set to be fourth warmest in 138-yrs of climate record keeping: Report - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

2018 set to be fourth warmest in 138-yrs of climate record keeping: Report.

If the current trend continues we may see temperature increases 3-5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, says report.

2018 is set to be the fourth warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which found that extreme weather this year due to climate change left a trail of devastation across the globe, including in India.
The long-term warming trend has continued in 2018, with the past four years being the warmest in 138-years of climate record keeping.
Other tell-tale signs of climate change, including sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification and sea-ice and glacier melt continue, whilst extreme weather caused devastation on all continents, according to a WMO statement.
For example, in August, Kerala suffered the worst flooding since the 1920s, displacing more than 1.4 million people from their homes and affecting more than 5.4 million.
Major wildfires affected Athens (Greece) on 23 July, with many fatalities. British Columbia in Canada broke its record for the most area burned in a fire season for the second successive year.
California suffered devastating wildfires, with November's Camp Fire being the deadliest fire in over a century for the US.
The WMO report shows that the global average temperature for the first ten months of the year was nearly 1 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline (1850-1900).
This is based on five independently maintained global temperature data sets.
"We are not on track to meet climate change targets and rein in temperature increases," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
"Greenhouse gas concentrations are once again at record levels and if the current trend continues we may see temperature increases 3-5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. If we exploit all known fossil fuel resources, the temperature rise will be considerably higher," he said.
"It is worth repeating once again that we are the first generation to fully understand climate change and the last generation to be able to do something about it," said Taalas.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius reported that the average global temperature for the decade 2006-2015 was 0.86 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline.
The average increase above the same baseline for the most recent decade 2009-2018 was about 0.93 degrees Celsius and for the past five years, 2014-2018, was 1.04 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline.
"Every fraction of a degree of warming makes a difference to human health and access to food and fresh water, to the extinction of animals and plants, to the survival of coral reefs and marine life," said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Elena Manaenkova.
"It makes a difference to economic productivity, food security, and to the resilience of our infrastructure and cities," said Manaenkova.
"It makes a difference to the speed of glacier melt and water supplies, and the future of low-lying islands and coastal communities. Every extra bit matters," said Manaenkova.
The WMO report adds to the authoritative scientific evidence that will inform UN climate change negotiations from December 2-14 in Katowice, Poland.
The key objective of the meeting is to adopt the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which aims to hold the global average temperature increase to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius. (Source:The Business Standard)


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2018 set to be fourth warmest in 138-yrs of climate record keeping: Report.

ISRO launches earth monitoring satellite HysIS - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO launches earth monitoring satellite HysIS.

The data from ISRO’s HysIS satellite can be used in wide-ranging areas including agriculture.

India on Thursday successfully launched its latest earth observation satellite HysIS, the data from which can be used in wide-ranging areas including agriculture, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here onboard ISRO’s trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The rocket, PSLV-C43, successfully injected state of the art HysIS and 30 other co-passenger satellites from eight countries into their designated orbits.
The rocket lifted off majestically into cloudy skies in a burst of orange flames at 9.57 am from the first launch pad at this spaceport at the end of the 28-hour countdown.
The Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS) was placed in its orbit 17 minutes and 27 seconds after lift-off while the 30 co-passenger satellites were dropped into the designated orbit one by one after an hour.
HysIS, the latest earth observation satellite developed by ISRO, has several uses.
The satellite’s data will be useful in many fields including agriculture, forestry, soil survey, geology, coastal zone studies, inland water studies, environmental monitoring and pollution detection from industries.
ISRO chief K Sivan and the space agency’s scientists broke into cheers as the earth observation satellite was injected into sun-synchronous polar orbit.
Thursday’s launch is significant as scientists restarted the fourth stage engine twice to place the 30 co-passenger satellites into their orbit.
According to an official, the fourth stage engine was cut off after the earth observation satellite separated at an altitude of 636.3 kilometers exactly 17.27 minutes after the rocket lifted off.
After the earth observation satellite was placed in its orbit, the scientists undertook an operation to restart the fourth stage engine twice. They reduced the altitude from 636 kilometers to around 504 kilometres to place the 30 satellites in the sun-synchronous polar orbit one by one.
The mission was one of the longest for ISRO.
A similar campaign was undertaken when scientists injected eight different satellites including the country’s weather satellite SCATSAT-1 and five from other nations in two different orbits on September 25, 2016.
The primary mission of the HysIS, whose mission life is five years, is to study the earth’s surface in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
It is the primary satellite of the PSLV-C43 mission, which is on its 45th flight.
The mass of the spacecraft is about 380 kilograms, ISRO said.
The co-passenger satellites have been contracted for launch through ISRO’s commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited.
PSLV-C43 is the ‘Core Alone’ version of PSLV. It is the lightest version of the launch vehicle.
Sivan congratulated the team on the successful launch and said Indian scientists have shown their excellent work yet again, just 15 days after the spectacular dual mission of GSLV MkIII D2 and GSAT29.
“Today our PSLV has injected hyperspectral imaging satellite and subsequently after two manoeuvres, once again PSLV has injected 30 customer satellites into their designated home,” he said.
Speaking about the high-tech hyperspectral satellite, Sivan said it came with state-of-the-art technology.
“The heart of the system required for the HysIS satellite is basically an optical imaging detector chip,” he said.
The chip was indigenously designed and developed by the space application centre of ISRO and fabricated indigenously at the semiconductor lab in Chandigarh, he added.
“I am sure that team ISRO can be proud that they are really giving excellent space assets to India. Let me thank the entire team ISRO for this wonderful satellite (launch),” Sivan said.
He said the international customers will be very happy to see their “babies” delivered home “safely and precisely”, one by one.
The space body chief said the success was a result of team ISRO’s hard work along with excellent mechanisms and the quality system in place.
“Looking forward, our journey ahead, road ahead, is full of traffic,” Sivan said. The next mission will be GSAT11, which is India’s heaviest satellite. It is set to be launched from French Guiana on December 5 at 2.08 am.
The long-awaited launch of GSAT-7A is also planned for December.
Sivan said several missions including Chandrayaan-II are lined up for next year.
“I am sure this team will rise to the occasion and will achieve (in) the missions whatever we want, not for ISRO, it is for India. I am sure that our team will do (a) very good job in future also,” he said. (Source:Livemint)


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ISRO launches earth monitoring satellite HysIS.

Europe aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Europe aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.

The European Commission has today adopted a strategic long-term vision for a "prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy" by 2050.

The strategy - referred to as A Clean Planet for All - shows how Europe can lead the way to climate neutrality by investing into "realistic technological solutions, empowering citizens, and aligning action in key areas such as industrial policy, finance, or research", according to the Commission. This transition can be made, it suggests, "while ensuring social fairness".

Following the invitation by the European Council in March this year, the Commission said its vision for a climate neutral future covers nearly all EU policies and is in line with the Paris Agreement objective to keep temperature increase to well below 2°C, and pursue efforts to keep it to 1.5°C.
The Commission said the purpose of the long-term strategy "is not to set targets, but to create a vision and sense of direction, plan for it, and inspire as well as enable stakeholders, researchers, entrepreneurs and citizens alike to develop new and innovative industries, businesses and associated jobs". It added, "With the vision we are presenting today, the EU can inform others how we can deliver collectively a clean planet and show that transforming our economy is possible and beneficial."
In order to become a climate neutral economy, the European Commission said joint action would be required in seven strategic areas. These are: energy efficiency; deployment of renewables; clean, safe and connected mobility; competitive industry and circular economy; infrastructure and interconnections; bio-economy and natural carbon sinks; and carbon capture and storage to address remaining emissions.
The Commission said it invites the European Council, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee to consider the strategy. It said ministers in all relevant Council formations should hold extensive policy debates on the contribution of their respective policy areas to the overall vision ahead of a meeting of the European Council in Sibiu, Romania, in May 2019. The EU should aim to adopt and submit an ambitious strategy by early 2020 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as requested under the Paris Agreement.
Nuclear's role
Launching the strategy today, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said the European energy system will need to decarbonise.
"By 2050, 80% of electricity will be coming from renewable energy sources. Together with nuclear power, this will be the backbone of a carbon-free European power system."
The 128 nuclear power reactors (with a combined capacity of 119 GWe) operating in 14 of the 28 EU member states currently account for over one-quarter of the electricity generated in the whole of the EU. Nuclear now accounts for 53% of the EU's carbon-free electricity.
Cañete said, "With this plan, Europe will be the world's first major economy to go for net-zero emissions by 2050." He added, "Our strategic vision is the result of extensive scientific and economic analysis, as well as feedback and contributions from stakeholders and citizens.
"Going climate neutral is necessary, possible and in Europe's interest. It is necessary to meet the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. It is possible with current technologies and those close to deployment. And it is in Europe's interest to stop spending on fossil fuel imports and invest in meaningful improvements to the daily lives of all Europeans."
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) yesterday published a report saying global carbon dioxide emissions increased in 2017, after a three-year period of stabilisation.
In its Emissions Gap Report 2018, UNEP said it is still possible to keep global warming below 2°C, but the technical feasibility of bridging the 1.5°C gap is dwindling. It added, if the emissions gap is not closed by 2030, it is extremely unlikely that the 2°C temperature goal can still be reached.


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Europe aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Fragile climate puts food security at risk, UN report - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Fragile climate puts food security at risk, UN report.

‘Increasing farm output is hard given the fragility of the natural resource base’.

Feeding a hungry planet is growing increasingly difficult as climate change and depletion of land and other resources undermine food systems, the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization said on Wednesday as it renewed appeals for better policies and technologies to reach “zero hunger.”

Population growth requires supplies of more nutritious food at affordable prices, but increasing farm output is hard given the “fragility of the natural resource base” since humans have outstripped Earth’s carrying capacity in terms of land, water and climate change, the report said.
About 820 million people are malnourished. The FAO and International Food Policy Research Institute released the report at the outset of a global conference aimed at speeding up efforts to achieve zero hunger around the world.
“The call for action is very clear. It is possible in our lifetime and it is also realistic to end hunger and malnutrition,” Inonge Wina, Vice-President of Zambia, told the gathering.
Civil strife, conflicts
Food security remains tenuous for many millions of people who lack access to affordable, adequately nourishing diets for a variety of reasons, the most common being poverty. But it’s also endangered by civil strife and other conflicts. In Yemen, where thousands of civilians have died in airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition, the aid group Save the Children says 85,000 children under 5 may have died of hunger or disease in the civil war.
In Afghanistan, severe drought and conflict have displaced more than 2,50,000 people, according to UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency.
FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva noted that the number of hungry and malnourished people in the world has risen to levels last seen a decade ago.
“After decades of gains in fighting hunger, this is a serious setback and FAO and the U.N. sister agencies, together with member governments and other partners, are all very concerned,” Mr. Graziano da Silva said in a videotaped address to the conference.
The FAO estimates that global demand for food will jump by half from 2013 to 2050. Farmers can expand land use to help make up some of the difference, but that option is constrained in places like Asia and the Pacific and urbanisation is eating up still more land that once may have been used for agriculture.
Increasing farm output beyond sustainable levels can cause permanent damage to ecosystems, the report said, noting that it often causes soil erosion, pollution with plastic mulching, pesticides and fertilizers, and a loss of biodiversity.
China destroys 12 million tons of tainted grain each year, at a loss of nearly $2.6 billion, the report said. (Source: The Hindu)


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Fragile climate puts food security at risk, UN report.

How farmers in India are adapting to climate change in India - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

How farmers in India are adapting to climate change in India.

Farmers in India are using both intra-crop and inter-crop adaptations to tide over the grave impact of climate change on agriculture in India.

Climate change has the potential to hurt everyone, but one particularly vulnerable group is farmers. Agriculture, especially in India, depends on favourable weather conditions; so climate change-induced temperature rises can significantly hurt farm productivity. Consequently, a farmer’s ability to adapt to temperature changes becomes crucial.
In a new paper presented at the North East Universities Development Consortium, Vis Taraz of Smith College quantifies the effect of climate change on Indian agriculture and analyses the ability of Indian farmers to adapt to temperature changes.

Combining data on agricultural yields from 286 Indian districts from 1979 to 2011 with daily district-level weather data, Taraz shows that higher temperatures hurt farm yields significantly. She reveals that having one additional day where temperature averages 27-30 degrees reduces yields by around 1% compared to days with temperatures of 12-15 degrees.
She also finds that yield losses are about 50% lower in hotter districts than colder districts, suggesting that farmers in hotter districts are better at adapting to temperature changes.
Farmers can adapt to temperature changes in two ways. They can practise intra-crop adaptation, where they adjust their agriculture practices to make their crops more heat-resistant. One example of this would be investments in irrigation which protect against both excessive heat and droughts.
Or farmers could practise inter-crop adaptation where they simply plant more heat-resistant crops, such as sorghum or maize, or switch to crops that grow in the cooler parts of the year (such as wheat). Taraz finds evidence of both types of adaptation in India. However, this adaptation occurs only up to a certain extent.
When temperatures rise above 30 degrees, they inflict significant damage to crops and adaptation becomes very expensive, even in areas that experience high temperatures regularly.
According to Taraz, the immediate policy implication for both the Indian government and the private sector is to implement the policies and develop the technology that allow farmers to better adapt to higher temperatures. (Source:Livemint)


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How farmers in India are adapting to climate change in India.

G20 Summit 2018 begins in Argentina - What to watch for at G20 summit in Argentina - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

G20 Summit 2018 begins in Argentina - What to watch for at G20 summit in Argentina.

While leaders will try to build consensus on key issues at G20 summit, the talks will be overshadowed by trade tensions between the United States and China.

Global leaders will gather in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires this week for the Group of 20 summit, a meeting of the world’s largest economies responsible for 85% of global economic output and two-thirds of the world’s population.
While leaders will try to build consensus on key issues, the talks will be overshadowed by trade tensions between the United States and China.
Below is a breakdown of what to expect from the two-day summit, taking place Friday and Saturday:
What are the key issues at the summit?
Leaders will discuss the global economy, the future of labour markets and gender equality issues. They will also talk about macroeconomic policy, the digital economy, reform of the World Trade Organization, financial regulation, taxation and trade issues.
US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from major trading partners, particularly China, will likely dominate the conversation.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet for the first time since Washington imposed tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports and China retaliated with its own measures.
China hopes to convince Washington to hold off on hiking tariffs to 25% from 10% on 1 January. But officials from both countries are skeptical of any major breakthroughs that could lead to a resolution in the trade war.
Delegates will also discuss climate change, another contentious issue after Trump last year announced his intent to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord.
In addition, leaders will discuss issues related to:
• the future of work
• women's empowerment
• the taxation of the digital economy
Global challenges are also on the agenda. Leaders will focus on the fight against climate change and the implementation of the Paris Agreement, ahead of next month's COP24 meeting. They will also discuss sustainable development, including the 2030 agenda and sustainable development goals.
Will leaders sign a communique?
This month’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit failed to reach consensus on a communique, so there is a question over whether world leaders will be able to reach an agreement at the G20, particularly around trade and climate change.
Officials from some member countries helping to prepare for the meeting say they are hopeful it will end with a communique, but they have acknowledged that progress has been slow, and the final document will likely be watered down to avoid contentious issues. The officials, known as “sherpas”, convened on Monday in Buenos Aires to begin final negotiations on the communique.
Which are the meetings to watch?
The summit’s most closely watched meetingwill be between Trump and Xi, which White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said would take place over dinner on Saturday night. The outcome could determine whether the US-China trade disputewill de-escalate, or intensify. Trump is also expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two are expected to discuss the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty after Trump said in October the United States would quit the agreement because Russia was not honouring it.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may meet Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time. It follows the Saudi killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, which sparked global outrage.
Trump is also expected to meet with the crown prince. The president has defended US ties with Saudi Arabia, although sources say the CIA believes the crown prince ordered the journalist’s murder.
The United States, Mexico and Canada are expected to sign a revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Friday, which has been dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). (Source:Livemint)


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G20 Summit 2018 begins in Argentina - What to watch for at G20 summit in Argentina.

Another feat for ISRO! For the first time, India to launch Colombian satellite from PSLV-C43 on November 29 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Another feat for ISRO! For the first time, India to launch Colombian satellite from PSLV-C43 on November 29.

For the first time ever, a Colombian satellite will be launched from Sriharikota by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) along with other countries onboard PSLV-C43 on Nov 29.

The workhorse of ISRO will be carrying India’s earth observation satellite HysIS and 30 satellites from other countries out of which almost 23 belong to the US.
Sources confirmed to FE that “Colombia has chosen to get its satellite launched by ISRO for the first time. This launch has been commercially contracted through Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO. ”
Earlier this year, FE was the first to break the news of South American nation Colombia being in touch with ISRO to launch the nano-satellite belonging to Colombian air force, ‘Facsat1’, which is 30 cm long and 10 metres high, and will be used for that country’s national security, as well as monitor the effects of climate change and prevent emergencies.
According to ISRO, PSLV’s 45th flight will be launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota and the satellite will be placed in 636 km polar sun synchronous orbit (SSO) with an inclination of 97.957 deg. The mission life of the satellite is 5 years.
The main aim of India’s HysIS is to study the earth’s surface in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The other satellites which will be onboard are micro and nano satellites from other countries including the US, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Finland, Malaysia, Netherlands and Spain, will be put in a 504 km orbit by the work horse.
It was after India’s successful Mars mission some years ago that which was proved that ISRO has the capability of achieving inter-planetary missions in a cost-effective manner, that several countries from across the globe have started looking at the agency for launching their satellites.
As reported earlier by FE, countries including Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua are reaching out to the space agency for launching or developing satellites.
In 2017, for launching its first homemade palm-sized satellite, the University of Chile got a ride onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C38 rocket. The faculty of the university is already working with professors at IIT-Madras for doing joint missions.
Launch, of SUCHAI, the nano-satellite of the University of Chile, was successfully accomplished by ISRO at the end of June 2017. The SUCHAI project was a standardised satellite of Cubesat type of 1 litre of volume and 1 kg of weight. Also, it was the first ever satellite built in Chile by students at the university.
The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), which already has long-standing space cooperation with China, has been in touch with ISRO and the ground stations in Brazil (Alcantara and Cuiaba) which have been providing tracking support for Indian satellites (Chandrayaan-I, Megha Tropiques, MOM, and ASTROSAT) on a commercial basis.
Even Bolivian Space Agency (ABE) has concluded a MoU on space cooperation with ISRO, which will help to conduct preliminary studies of establishing a ground station in Bolivia for supporting India’s space agency’ s space operations.(Source:Livemint)


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Another feat for ISRO! For the first time, India to launch Colombian satellite from PSLV-C43 on November 29.

INDIA, RUSSIA ATTENDS FIRST-EVER STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DIALOGUE - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

INDIA, RUSSIA ATTENDS FIRST-EVER STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DIALOGUE.

Highlights
• The delegations participating in the Strategic Economic Dialogue from India and Russia discussed the development of bilateral ties in trade, investment, and industry at the platform provided by the two-day forum.
• The two-day forum aimed to bring together key business figures from both the countries while focusing on Transport, agriculture, and agro-processing, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), digital transformation and frontier technologies and industrial cooperation.

India and Russia attended first-ever Strategic Economic Dialogue held at St. Petersburg in Russia. The Vice-Chairman of the NITI Aayog Rajiv Kumar led the Indian side while Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin headed Russian delegation.
Highlights
• The delegations from both of the countries discussed the development of bilateral ties in trade, investment, and industry at the platform provided by the two-day forum.
• The two-day forum aimed to bring together key business figures from both the countries while focusing on Transport, agriculture, and agro-processing, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), digital transformation and frontier technologies and industrial cooperation.
• Indo-Russian Strategic Economic Dialogue was created by PM Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin in their informal summit held at Sochi in May 2018.
• The main objective of this forum is to improve the economic partnership between both countries which has begun to gain momentum since 2017.
• The forum also aims to improve economic partnership and also explore partnership and joint ventures in the service and IT sectors.
• To improve bilateral trade to $ 30 billion by 2025, India and Russia have agreed to alienate of obstacles to trade. Both the countries are aiming to improve bilateral trade which was recorded with 21.5 percent growth last year.


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INDIA, RUSSIA ATTENDS FIRST-EVER STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DIALOGUE

Andaman & Nicobar Islands: home to a tenth of India’s fauna species - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands: home to a tenth of India’s fauna species.

The islands, comprising only 0.25% of country’s geographical area, has 11,009 species, according to a publication by the Zoological Survey of India.

The Narcondam hornbill, its habitat restricted to a lone island; the Nicobar megapode, a bird that builds nests on the ground; the Nicobar treeshrew, a small mole-like mammal; the Long-tailed Nicobar macaque, and the Andaman day gecko, are among the 1,067 endemic faunal species found only on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and nowhere else.
A recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) titled Faunal Diversity of Biogeographic Zones: Islands of India has for the first time come up with a database of all faunal species found on the island, putting the number at 11,009. The documentation proves that the islands, comprising only 0.25% of India’s geographical area, are home to more than 10% of the country’s fauna species.
Note of caution
The publication, however, also cautions that tourism, illegal construction and mining are posing a threat to the islands’ biodiversity, which is already vulnerable to volatile climatic factors.
“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. Some of the species in A&N Islands are restricted to a very small area and thus more vulnerable to any anthropogenic threat,” Kailash Chandra, Director-ZSI, and one of the authors of the publication, said.
The total area of the A&N Islands, which comprises of 572 islands, islets and rocky outcrops, is about 8,249 sq. km. The population of the islands, which includes six particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) — Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese, Nicobarese and Shompens — is not more than 4 lakh. The number of tourists visiting the islands has crossed the number of people residing in them, with latest data showing 4.87 lakh tourists visiting the islands annually.
In a recent development, the Government of India relaxed the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) norms for some foreign nationalities notified under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963, to visit 29 of its inhabited islands, till December 31, 2022. This has triggered further concerns of increased anthropogenic pressures over the islands’ ecosystem.
Pankaj Sekhsaria, Senior Project Scientist, DST-Centre for Policy Research, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi, who has written extensively about the islands, said that some of the islands opened up for tourists are very difficult to access for a day visit.
Restricted Area Permit
Some of the islands removed from the RAP list have no habitation except PVTG like Sentinelese in case of North Sentinel Island, and there is nothing other than a police outpost on the Narcondam Island, Dr. Sekhsaria pointed out.
“The development paradigm that we are pushing for this place at the macro level, such as tourism, construction and development of military, are not taking in account three factors — ecological fragility of the area (the endemism), geological volatility (earthquakes and tsunamis), and the impact they will have on local communities,” he said.
The publication, running across 49 chapters and 500 pages, not only prepares a database of species found in particular category of animals, but also highlights the most vulnerable among them. Of the ten species of marine fauna found on the islands, the dugong/sea cow, and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, are both classified as Vulnerable under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.
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). Five species are listed as Endangered, nine species as Vulnerable, and one species as Near Threatened, according to the IUCN.
Among birds, endemism is quite high, with 36 among 344 species of birds found only on the islands. Many of these bird species are placed in the IUCN Red List of threatened species under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA).
Marine diversity
Similarly, eight species of amphibians and 23 species of reptiles are endemic to the islands, and thus are at high risk of being threatened.
Another unique feature of the islands’ ecosystem is its marine faunal diversity, which includes coral reefs and its associated fauna. 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 WPA. Similarly, all species of gorgonian (sea fans) and calcerous sponge are listed under different schedules of the WPA.
While highlighting that a long period of isolation from the mainland made the islands hotspots for speciation (the formation of new and distinct species) resulting in hundreds of endemic species and subspecies, the authors of the publication have underlined that any stress can have a long-lasting impact on the islands’ biodiversity, devastating the population size of any endemic fauna, followed by extinction within a limited span of time.(Source: The Hindu)


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Andaman & Nicobar Islands: home to a tenth of India’s fauna species.

India-China amends double taxation avoidance treaty - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India-China amends double taxation avoidance treaty.

India and China have amended the bilateral tax treaty which will help prevent tax evasion by allowing the exchange of information, the Finance Ministry said Monday.

The Government of India and the People's Republic of China have signed a protocol on 26 November, 2018, to amend the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
"The Protocol updates the existing provisions for exchange of information to the latest international standards," the ministry said in a statement.
Further, the Protocol incorporates changes required to implement treaty related minimum standards under the Action reports of Base Erosion & Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project.
Besides minimum standards, the Protocol brings in changes as per BEPS Action reports as agreed upon by the two sides, the ministry added.
Under Section 90 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, India can enter into an agreement with a foreign country or specified territory for the avoidance of double taxation of income, for the exchange of information for the prevention of evasion.


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India-China amends double taxation avoidance treaty.

NITI Aayog Organises Capacity Building Programme for Urban Water Management - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

NITI Aayog Organises Capacity Building Programme for Urban Water Management.

Organised in collaboration with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise & TF International.

NITI Aayog organized todaythe Second Phase of Urban Management Programme on ‘Water Recycling and Reuse’.in collaboration with the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise & TF Internationalat India Habitat Centre in the capital today. CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant,Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation,ParameswaranIyer, along with High Commissioner of Singapore to India Lim ThuanKuan, CEO, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, Kong WyMun, and CE of Temasek Foundation International,Benedict Cheong were present on this occasion.
Highlighting the importance of this capacity building programme on management of water,particularly its recycling & reuse, as crucial for future urban planning and policy, Amitabh Kant said that attaining high rates of economic growth for India will directly be a function of the sustainable use of water. He mentioned that NITI’s Composite Water Management Index, launched earlier this year, is a step toward increasing awareness and promoting best practises in water management throughout the country.
Delivering the Inaugural Address, ParameswaranIyer hailed the workshop as timely and spoke of the need for effective cooperation between the centre and state in water management. He emphasised need for all stakeholders to take ownership of water as a natural resource to ensure sustainable use of water. He emphasised the need to take steps to address solid and liquid waste management in 4000 Census Towns and peri-urban areas.
In order to develop recycled water as part of sustainable and diverse water portfolio, NITI Aayog has enteredinto a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise - Temasek Foundation International to launch the Second Phase of Urban Management Programme on ‘Water Recycling and Reuse’.
Eight States/UTs -Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Puducherry and West Bengalwere selected for the capacity building workshops through a Challenge Method. The participants of the workshops included the senior officials from Municipal and parastatal bodies of these eight States/UTs.
The programme launch was also attended by senior officials from the Central and State Governments, and representatives from the academia and think-tanks. The programme launch also showcased the best practices in the urban water sector in India besides discussing the challenges.
The capacity building programme featured experience sharing by consultants from Singapore, who were associated in the successful transformation of the urban waterscape over the last four decades. The broader capacity building engagement with SCE also includes a series of interactive workshops, advisory sessions and an expository visit to Singapore.
Background:
India is experiencing rapid urbanisation. The urban population has gone up from 29 crore in 2001 to 37.7 crore in 2011. Due to rapid urbanisation, water demand in urban areas is increasing rapidly.The water situation in metropolitan cities is particularly exacerbating, where the people in such cities face acute water shortage. Changing climate and its impact on temporal and spatial variability of rainfall, is a further deterrent to timely and sufficient availability of water resources.
In this backdrop, concerted efforts have been made by the Government of India to implement rainwater harnessing schemes for groundwater improvement, however, there is an urgent need for water portfolio diversification through introducing alternate sustainable water sources.
The recycle and reuse of water presents itself as a potential solution for ensuring assured water supply in the Cities, on a sustainable basis. Recycling and reuse has been widely practised in Singapore, where every drop of water is recycled for reuse. Such an approach not only reduces pressure on other water sources, but also offers a sustainable solution for water resources management.
While the AMRUT scheme drives the cities to undertake water supplies on a business model, yet the water source augmentation remains a challenge for ensuring assured water supply through the future. Nearly 30% of urban water supply and 70% of rural water supply in the country comes from groundwater, which is depleting day by day. (Source:pib)


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NITI Aayog Organises Capacity Building Programme for Urban Water Management.

Indians lose over four years of their lives to air pollution: Study - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Indians lose over four years of their lives to air pollution: Study.

The AQLI establishes particulate pollution as the single greatest threat to human health globally.

People in India would live an average 4.3 years longer if the country met the global guidelines for particulate pollution, according to a study which found that effect of pollution on life expectancy is worse than HIV/AIDS, cigarette smoking, and even terrorism.
According to the new Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), developed by researchers at University of Chicago in the US, particulate air pollution cuts global average life expectancy by 1.8 years per person.
The AQLI establishes particulate pollution as the single greatest threat to human health globally, with its effect on life expectancy exceeding that of devastating communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, behavioural killers like cigarette smoking, and even war.
Critically, the AQLI reports these results in tangible terms that are relatable for most people.
“Around the world today, people are breathing air that represents a serious risk to their health. But the way this risk is communicated is very often opaque and confusing, translating air pollution concentrations into colors, like red, brown, orange and green,” said Michael Greenstone, a professor at Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).
“My colleagues and I developed the AQLI, where the ‘L’ stands for ‘life,’ to address these shortcomings. It takes particulate air pollution concentrations and converts them into perhaps the most important metric that exists: life expectancy,” he said.
The AQLI is based on a pair of studies that quantify the causal relationship between long-term human exposure to particulate pollution and life expectancy.
Seventy-five percent of the global population, or 5.5 billion people, live in areas where particulate pollution exceeds the WHO guideline.
The AQLI reveals that India and China, which make up 36 per cent of the world’s population, account for 73 per cent of all years of life lost due to particulate pollution.
On average, people in India would live 4.3 years longer if the country met the WHO guideline -- expanding the average life expectancy at birth there from 69 to 73 years.
In the US, about a third of the population lives in areas not in compliance with the WHO guideline. Those living in the country’s most polluted counties could expect to live up to one year longer if pollution met the WHO guideline.
Globally, the AQLI reveals that particulate pollution reduces average life expectancy by 1.8 years, making it the greatest global threat to human health.
By comparison, first-hand cigarette smoke leads to a reduction in global average life expectancy of about 1.6 years. Other risks to human health have even smaller effects: Alcohol and drugs reduce life expectancy by 11 months; unsafe water and sanitation take off 7 months; and HIV/AIDS, 4 months.
Conflict and terrorism take off 22 days. So, the impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy is comparable to that of smoking, twice that of alcohol and drug use, three times that of unsafe water, five times that of HIV/AIDS, and more than 25 times that of conflict and terrorism.
“While people can stop smoking and take steps to protect themselves from diseases, there is little they can individually do to protect themselves from the air they breathe,” Greenstone said.
“The AQLI tells citizens and policymakers how particulate pollution is affecting them and their communities and reveals the benefits of policies to reduce particulate pollution,” he said. (Source:Livemint)


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Indians lose over four years of their lives to air pollution: Study.

UN selects Noida to participate in Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

UN selects Noida to participate in Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative.

The twin-cities of Noida, Greater Noida have been selected in the 'University City' category ahead of Mumbai and Bengaluru, which were also under UN consideration.

The United Nations on Sunday selected Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh to participate in its Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative.
The twin-cities in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, adjoining the national capital, have been selected in the "University City" category as the only invitee from India, a senior UN official said.
Twenty-five cities from across the world have been selected in five categories by the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) cities initiative, senior UN advisor and CEO, UN Global Sustainability Index Institute (UNGSII), Roland Schatz told reporters.
Schatz formally extended the invitation to Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh in the presence of Shubhro Sen, the principal advisor, India, SDG Initiative.
The SDGs are a collection of 17 global social and economic goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, including poverty reduction, elimination of hunger, greater gender equality and social justice, and environment-friendly practices to promote peace and prosperity.
"This is a proud moment for Noida and Greater Noida to be selected for this exciting global showcase. Now I will forward this invitation to the Uttar Pradesh government, which is very positive about development works," Singh said.
In the "University City" category, Noida-Greater Noida will be competing with elite university cities such as Cambridge, Palo Alto and Heidelberg.
The Organisation for International Economic Relations and UNGSII, in cooperation with the UN Office for Project Services and the UN Office for Partnerships are uniting 25 leading cities and five indigenous communities from around the world to prove that full SDG implementation by 2025 is possible when people come together and focus their efforts and resources on creating a sustainable future.
The "Race to 2025" will start in July in New York City when the programme is officially launched. The platform is formatted as a friendly competition with multiple activities, initiatives supported by SDG experts and industry partners with the common goal of illustrating that SDG implementation results in prosperity and quality-of-life for area citizens and business, while having no negative impact on the environment and reducing city operating expenses.


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UN selects Noida to participate in Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative.

India gets UN Environment award for combating trans boundary environmental crime - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India gets UN Environment award for combating transboundary environmental crime

United Nation Environment has awarded Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India with Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018 for excellent work done by the Bureau in combating transboundary environmental crime.

Congratulating the Bureau Union Environment Minister said that the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award, recognizes the excellent work done by Government officials and teams from the bureau who are diligently involved in combating trans boundary environmental crime.
The Asia Environment Enforcement Awards publicly recognize and celebrate excellence in enforcement by government officials and institutions/teams combating transboundary environmental crime in Asia. The awards are given to outstanding individuals and/or government organizations/teams that demonstrate excellence and leadership in enforcement of national laws to combat transboundary environmental crime in one of the following eligibility criteria areas: collaboration; impact; innovation; integrity and gender leadership.
WCCB has been conferred this award in Innovation category. WCCB has adopted innovative enforcement techniques that have dramatically increased enforcement of transboundary environmental crimes in India. Notably it has developed an online Wildlife Crime Database Management System to get real time data in order to help analyze trends in crime and devise effective measures to prevent and detect wildlife crimes across India.
This 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 Tiger/Leopard Skin/bones and other trophies, Rhino Horn, Elephant Ivory, turtles/tortoises, Mongoose raw hairs as well as Mangoose hair bruses, protected birds, Marine products, live Pangolin as well as its scales, deer antlers etc. across all the states.
In order to involve the public in the fight against wildlife crime, WCCB has also developed a scheme to enroll willing persons as WCCB Volunteers.
The award was decided upon by a selection panel set up by the UN Environment and this is the second time in a row the awards are being given by UN Environment to India.(Source:pib)


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India gets UN Environment award for combating transboundary environmental crime.

India to bypass US Dollars, will make payment in rupees for Russian Air Defence System - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India to bypass US Dollars, will make payment in rupees for Russian Air Defence System.

India is planning to pay in rupees for Very-Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) systems from Russia; the deal is likely to be concluded next year, a government official told Sputnik.

The decision to pay the rupee equivalent of around US $1.5 billion for the defence systems was made to circumvent US sanctions against Russia which were launched under the Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
However, the two countries are hopeful that some other arrangement will also be available by the time the first instalment of the contract money would be made.
Sources confirmed with Sputnik that the procurement of the Very-Short-Range Air Defence system was discussed during the 19th annual summit, held on October 5 in New Delhi.
On Monday, Russia's Rosoboronexport was declared the winner of the restricted tender, which was floated in 2010 for the procurement of 5,185 missiles and associated equipment under the Indian Army's VSHORAD program.
MBDA of France and Saab of Sweden were also in the competition, but the Russian state company quoted the lowest price.
Sources told Sputnik that half of the acquisition will be supplied in ready-to-use form, while another 2,260 missiles will be supplied in complete or semi-knocked-down condition. Around 1,276 single and multi-launchers will be manufactured at India's state-owned defence unit as part of a technology transfer arrangement. Eventually, as many as 15,000 units may be procured at a later stage.
The IGLA-S (SA-24) Very-Short-Range Air Defence unit is Russia's latest MANPADS weapon; it was offered to the Indian Army and ensures better performance than SA-18 missiles. The IGLA-S system is designed for use against visible targets as tactical aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, head-on or receding, and can be used despite the presence of natural (background) clutter and countermeasures.(source:defencenews.in)


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India to bypass US Dollars, will make payment in rupees for Russian Air Defence System.

Two Made In India Fast Patrol Vessel launched by GRSE in Kolkata - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Two Made In India Fast Patrol Vessel launched by GRSE in Kolkata

Two Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ships for Indian Coast Guard were simultaneously launched on Thursday at the defence PSU and warship builder – Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. at Kolkata.

Two Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ships for Indian Coast Guard were simultaneously launched on Thursday at the defence PSU and warship builder – Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. at Kolkata. These FPV ships are each 50M long, 7.5M wide with a displacement of around 308 tons and are designed for a maximum speed of 34 knots with an endurance of more than 1500 nautical miles.
According to Rear Admiral VK Saxena, Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, “The FPV designs, exclusive to GRSE, are an improvisation on the Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPV) built by the Shipyard for the Indian Coast Guard, few years ago.”
“The vessels come with an efficient hull form developed in-house and proved after extensive model testing. These are fuel efficient and the powerful platforms are well suited for patrolling, anti-smuggling, and anti-poaching and rescue operations.”
These come fitted with state-of-the-art Main Engines with Advanced Control Systems and Water Jet Units and an ‘Integrated Bridge System’ assimilating all Communication and Navigation Systems.
The key armament of a 40/60 Gun and improved habitability features with fully air conditioned modular accommodation for 35 personnel are the other salient features of the ships.
With the launch now over the company is gearing up for the post launch activities which include balance fitting out of the ship, readiness of ship systems and setting to work of equipment / systems. Once over, the ships would be put to sea for trials before final delivery, the CMD added.
These Vessels, ICGS Amrit Kaur and ICGS Kamla Devi are third and fourth in the series of five FPVs built by GRSE for the Indian Coast Guard.
Upholding the best of maritime traditions, the ships were “Launched” by Veena Naravane, wife of Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane, General Officer Commanding-In-Chief; Eastern Command, Indian Army. The ceremony was held in the presence of Rear Admiral VK Saxena, CMD, GRSE, and other Senior Officials of GRSE, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, and Indian Army.
As part of Make in India initiatives, through indigenisation efforts, GRSE has made commendable progress by successfully incorporating a high percentage of indigenous content in the ships made in shipyard.
INS Kamorta and INS Kadmatt, the first two of Class of 4 ASW Corvettes became the first warships built in the country with indigenously developed warship grade steel, thus having the distinction of achieving over 90 % indigenous content and hence a major step towards achieving self reliance in state of the art warship design and construction space.
On the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) class of ships delivered so far, almost 90% indigenous equipment fit has been achieved. Also, 70 % indigenous content in construction of four follow on WJFACs and 72 % indigenisation of the Railless Helo Traversing System on board 3rd ASW Corvette, INS Kiltan, have been achieved at the shipyard.
To its credit in over five decades the shipyard has successfully developed an array of world-class platforms including frigates, missile corvettes, anti submarine warfare corvettes and LCU ships for the Indian Navy, all of them armed with high-tech infrastructure.
It has the capacity to construct 20 ships in tandem. With the keel-laying of the 1st Advanced Stealth Frigate of P17A Project, it has once again touched a key milestone. It has also bagged orders for four Survey Vessels (Large) for Indian Navy on competitive basis and emerged a successful bidder through competition for 8 ASWSWCs, with private players active in the fray.(Source:defencenews.in)


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Two Made In India Fast Patrol Vessel launched by GRSE in Kolkata.

Kartarpur corridor green lit, India and Pakistan to begin construction soon - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Kartarpur corridor green lit, India and Pakistan to begin construction soon

India today announced that it will start construction of the Kartarpur corridor up to the international border.

The corridor will begin from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab and will end at the international border, on the Indian side. The government says it will ask Pakistan government to build a similar corridor stretch on its land up to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
The corridor is being built to facilitate the visit by Indian pilgrims to the holy Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak spent his last 18 years.
The Kartarpur corridor will be built as an integrated development project with funding from the Indian government.
Pakistan, on its part, too has decided to begin building the Kartarpur corridor later this month, with Prime Minister Imran Khan likely to lay the foundation stone of the project.
According to officials, while a date for beginning the construction has not been set, the Pakistan government wants the announcement to coincide with the arrival of Sikh pilgrims, who are currently in the country to observe the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith.
They said that a survey in this regard has already been conducted, and the government plans to complete the corridor's construction by next year.
The Kartarpur Sahib corridor was first proposed in 1999 when the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a bus ride to Lahore. The Sikhs had been demanding that the two countries should revoke restrictions on movement of pilgrims to the holy shrine.
Currently, there is no restriction on an Indian pilgrim going to Pakistan on a regular visa. So, anyone can visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib without requiring any special permission from Pakistani authorities.
Sikh jathas are known to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib on four occasions every year -- Guru Nanak's birth anniversary, Baisakhi, Guru Arjan Dev's martyrdom day and Maharaja Ranjit Singh's death anniversary.(Source:defencenews.in)


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Kartarpur corridor green lit, India and Pakistan to begin construction soon.

Karnataka nuclear power plant second best in world for continuous operation - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

Karnataka nuclear power plant second best in world for continuous operation

The Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka has achieved a historic feat.

The Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka has achieved a historic feat. The Unit 1 of the plant, run by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, has the best record of continuous operation among Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) and second among all nuclear power stations across the globe. The announcement was made by state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals LImited which provided the hardware of steam turbine generator for the utility unit.
BHEL, in a statement on Tuesday, said that the unit had been functional since May 13, 2016, and crossed the record of 894 days held by Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS) in Canada. The unit 1 is an indigenous PHWR and is also fuelled by domestic fuel. Earlier in June, the same unit had set a new record of operating for 766 days continuously, beating Unit 5 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (2014). Another 28 units have surpassed the mark of running continuously for one year.
The Kaiga plant had started commercial operations in November 2000, after being commissioned in 1989 and currently supplies power not only to the state but also to neighbouring states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. In all, the plant set up 56 km away from Karwar, currently has four functional units generating 220 MW of power. 33% of the power generated is reserved for Karnataka.
However, the expansion of the plant adding two more units has been opposed by a section of locals and environmentalists owing to environmental and immediate health concerns.
In a study, the Tata Memorial Centre found that in the years 2010 to 2013, the number of cancer patients shot up by 300% in the vicinity of the plant. A compilation of data of 30 plants showed that while there were only 70-80 cancer patients in Karwar prior to 2010, the numbers increased to 316 during 2010-2013. The study was commissioned after the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and the state government gave in to the demands of a public pressure group to conduct population-based cancer registries.(Source:defencenews.in)

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SC to hear plea on govt delays over appointment of judges in higher judiciary after 8 weeks.

Proposed Ganga bill bans ports, jetties - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

Proposed Ganga bill bans ports, jetties

Centre’s efforts have been on cleaning the river, while neglecting steps to ensure its natural flow: activists

The government has banned the construction of jetties, ports or “permanent hydraulic structures” in the Ganga, unless permitted by the National Ganga Rejuvenation Authority, according to a proposed ‘Ganga Act’

The legislation, formally called the National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Conservation and Management) Bill, 2018, proposes to create a management structure that will supervise the health of the 2,500-kilometre long Ganga which, the draft Bill defines, as ‘India’s national river.’

In Winter session

The Bill is now being circulated for comments among several Ministries, and proposed to be tabled in Parliament during the Winter session, according to sources.

The Bill lays down a host of restrictions to ensure the “uninterrupted, ecological flow” of the river. Currently, a host of dams in the upper stretches of the river lead to the river’s flow being obstructed, say several activists and researchers, and persistent campaigns — notably led by the late G.D. Agrawal — led to the government finally recognising the need for proposed and existing hydropower projects to change their design plans to ensure minimum flows all through the year.

The legislation looms even as the government is developing a National Waterways Project-1 (River Ganga) from Haldia to Varanasi (1,390 km), with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank, at an estimated cost of ₹5,369 crore. Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has dispatched 16 containers from Haldia containing packaged food and assorted goods, and — in a ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — they are expected to dock in Varanasi on November 12, according to a statement from the Union Shipping Ministry. This is the first container movement aboard an inland vessel in independent India, according to that Ministry.

The waterways project involves creating permanent and movable terminals that require dredging and frequent de-silting to ensure that minimum river depths — for the smooth movement of the vessels — are maintained. However, the proposed legislation specifies that “unauthorised” activities that cause “…obstruction or discontinuity of water in the River Ganga…due to engineered diversion of water or stoppage of water…could be liable to a prison term of 3 years or fines upto ₹50 crore, or both.”

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Activists say that while the government’s efforts have been largely on cleaning the Ganga — namely, by installing sewage plants in riverine cities such as Allahabad and Varanasi and Kanpur — but neglecting to take steps to ensure the river’s natural flow is maintained through the stretch. “The government’s draft does not keep the interest of the Ganga as prime focus. The intent seems to be to maintain a flow, whereas we have been insisting on achieving natural flow,” said Mallika Bhanot of the Uttarakhand-based NGO Ganga Ahwaan. The NGO was associated with G.D. Agrawal, and his call for a ban on hydropower projects on the Ganga. (Source: The Hindu)

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Proposed Ganga bill bans ports, jetties

Indians most positive about teaching as a career for their kids: Study - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

Indians most positive about teaching as a career for their kids: Study

Indians are the most positive about their children taking up a career in teaching

Indians are the most positive about their children taking up a career in teaching, a new global study has revealed.
The UK-based Varkey Foundation's Global Teacher Status Index (GTSI) 2018' was released on Thursday and is described as the most comprehensive study of how society views teachers across 35 countries around the world.
It revealed that over half (54 per cent) of Indian people polled said they encourage their children to become teachers more than in any other country surveyed, including China (50 per cent).
By comparison, under a quarter of British people (23 per cent) would encourage their child to become a teacher, while only 6 per cent would encourage their child to become a teacher in Russia, the lowest of any country surveyed.
Overall, India ranks eighth among the 35 countries surveyed in the 'Global Teacher Status Index 2018', in which China is the highest-ranked country and Brazil the lowest.
The index reveals, for the very first time, that there is a direct link between teacher status and pupil performance as measured by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores.
"When we conducted the 'Global Teacher Status Index' five years ago we were alarmed by the weight of evidence pointing to the low status of teachers around the world. It was this that inspired us to create the Global Teacher Prize, which shines a light on the extraordinary work that teachers do around the world," said Indian-origin entrepreneur and philanthropist Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation.
The survey is based on in-depth opinion polling and analysis by Professor Peter Dolton and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research of over 35,000 adults aged 16-64 and over 5,500 additional serving teachers across 35 countries. The 2018 index expands upon the first GTSI, which surveyed 21 countries back in 2013 and inspired the Varkey Foundation's annual USD 1-million Global Teacher Prize.
The survey also found that over three-quarters (77 per cent) of Indian respondents think that pupils respect their teachers the third-highest of any country surveyed after Uganda (79 per cent) and China (81 per cent).
By contrast, only 9 per cent of people in Brazil think pupils respect their teachers, lower than any other country polled.
Indians believe strongly in their country's education system rating it 7.11 out of 10 the fourth-highest of any country polled, with only Finland (8), Switzerland (7.2), and Singapore (7.1) higher. By contrast, Egyptians rated their country's education system lower than any other surveyed at 3.8.
When asked to rank 14 professions in order of respect (including headteachers, primary and secondary teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, and librarians), Indian respondents ranked headteachers the fourth-highest of all the countries surveyed after Malaysia, Indonesia, and China.
Indians ranked secondary school teachers the seventh-highest of all the countries surveyed, with China ranking them the highest.
The latest index found that teacher status was rising globally and of the 35 countries polled, Asian nations of India, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Korea rank higher in terms of teacher status than every European country and every Western nation including the US, New Zealand and Canada.
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Indians most positive about teaching as a career for their kids: Study

SC to hear plea on govt delays over appointment of judges in higher judiciary after 8 weeks - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

SC to hear plea on govt delays over appointment of judges in higher judiciary after 8 weeks.

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear after eight weeks a plea which has alleged that the Centre has been “indefinitely sitting” on the names recommended by the apex court collegium for appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.

The plea, stating that the government cannot “frustrate” the process of appointment of judges in the apex court and high courts in “an oblique way” by sitting on collegium’s recommendations and not responding to names reiterated by it, came up for hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
Senior lawyer Dushyant Dave and advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), told the bench that the Centre has been sitting on several names for appointment as judges in the higher judiciary.
The bench, also comprising Justices K.M. Joseph and Hemant Gupta, asked Mr. Dave whether he knew the number of names which the collegium has reiterated to the Centre.
Mr. Dave said, “As far as I know, there are 13 names”.
To this, the CJI told Mr. Dave, “It is three times more. Papers are lying on my table.”
Mr. Dave requested the court to issue notice to the Centre on the plea but the bench said it would hear the matter after eight weeks.
During the hearing, the CJI told Mr. Dave that the apex court collegium has sent names to the government for appointment of judges in the Karnataka High Court.
The petitioner has claimed that “stone-walling” of judicial appointments by the executive for “oblique and vested interests” amounts to interference in the due process of law and the independence and integrity of the judiciary.
The plea has sought a direction to the Centre to notify the appointment of judges for the apex court and different high courts whose names have already been unanimously reiterated by the collegium and are pending with the government.
It has also sought a direction to the government to notify the recommendations for appointments of judges to various high court that have been sent by the collegium and the Centre has not responded even though six weeks have passed since the recommendations were received.
“An independent and transparent system of judicial appointments that is free from political and partisan considerations has an important bearing on the independence and impartiality of the judges,” the plea has said.
The petitioner has also alleged that important constitutional positions cannot be left vacant merely because of “inaction” of the government and its “politically motivated interference in the judicial appointment process”.
It has claimed that such an act not only show “complete disregard” of the law declared by the top court but “also a virtual breakdown of the consultative process thereby diminishing if not destroying the primacy of the Chief Justice of India with regard to appointment in the manner laid down in the judgement”.
Referring to the July 1 this year official figure available on the website of the Ministry of Law and Justice, the plea has said that strength of judges across high courts is 668 against the sanctioned strength of 1,079 judges. (Source: The Hindu)


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SC to hear plea on govt delays over appointment of judges in higher judiciary after 8 weeks.

PM launches historic Support and Outreach Initiative for MSME Sector - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

PM launches historic Support and Outreach Initiative for MSME Sector.

• PM unveils 12 key initiatives
•59 minute loan portal to enable easy access to credit for MSMEs
•Mandatory 25 percent procurement from MSMEs by CPSEs
•Ordinance for simplifying procedures for minor offences under Companies Act
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today launched a historic support and outreach programme for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. As part of this programme, the Prime Minister unveiled 12 key initiatives which will help the growth, expansion and facilitation of MSMEs across the country.

The Prime Minister said that the 12 decisions that he is announcing today, will mark a new chapter for the MSME sector. Noting that MSMEs are one of the principal employment generators in India, the Prime Minister recalled the glorious Indian traditions of small scale industry, including Ludhiana’s hosiery, and Varanasi’s sarees.
The Prime Minister said that the success of economic reforms launched by the Union Government, can be gauged from the rise in India's “Ease of Doing Business Rankings,” from 142 to 77 in four years.
The Prime Minister said that there are five key aspects for facilitating the MSME sector. These include access to credit, access to market, technology upgradation, ease of doing business, and a sense of security for employees. He said that as a Diwali gift for the sector, the 12 announcements he is making, will address each of these five categories.
Access to Credit
As the first announcement, the Prime Minister announced the launch of the 59 minute loan portal to enable easy access to credit for MSMEs. He said that loans upto Rs. 1 crore can be granted in-principle approval through this portal, in just 59 minutes. He said a link to this portal will be made available through the GST portal. The Prime Minister asserted that in New India, no one should be compelled to visit a bank branch repeatedly.
The Prime Minister mentioned the second announcement as a 2 percent interest subvention for all GST registered MSMEs, on fresh or incremental loans. For exporters who receive loans in the pre-shipment and post-shipment period, the Prime Minister announced an increase in interest rebate from 3 percent to 5 percent.
The third announcement made by the Prime Minister was that all companies with a turnover more than Rs. 500 crore, must now compulsorily be brought on the Trade Receivables e-Discounting System (TReDS). He said that joining this portal will enable entrepreneurs to access credit from banks, based on their upcoming receivables. This will resolve their problems of cash cycle.
Access to Markets
The Prime Minister said that on access to markets for entrepreneurs, the Union Government has taken a number of steps already. In this context, he made his fourth announcement, that public sector companies have now been asked to compulsorily procure 25 percent, instead of 20 percent of their total purchases, from MSMEs.
The Prime Minister said his fifth announcement is related to women entrepreneurs. He said that out of the 25 percent procurement mandated from MSMEs, 3 percent must now be reserved for women entrepreneurs.
The Prime Minister said that more than 1.5 lakh suppliers have now registered with GeM, out of which 40,000 are MSMEs. He said transactions worth more than Rs. 14,000 crore have been made so far through GeM. He said the sixth announcement is that all public sector undertakings of the Union Government must now compulsorily be a part of GeM. He said they should also get all their vendors registered on GeM.
Technology Upgradation
Coming to technological upgradation, the Prime Minister said that tool rooms across the country are a vital part of product design. His seventh announcement was that 20 hubs will be formed across the country, and 100 spokes in the form of tool rooms will be established.
Ease of Doing Business
On Ease of Doing Business, the Prime Minister said his eighth announcement is related to pharma companies. He said clusters will be formed of pharma MSMEs. He said 70 percent cost of establishing these clusters will be borne by the Union Government.
The Prime Minister said that the ninth announcement is on simplification of government procedures. He said the ninth announcement is that the return under 8 labour laws and 10 Union regulations must now be filed only once a year.
The Prime Minister said that the tenth announcement is that now the establishments to be visited by an Inspector will be decided through a computerised random allotment.
The Prime Minister noted that as part of establishing a unit, an entrepreneur needs two clearances namely, environmental clearance and consent to establish. He said that the eleventh announcement is that under air pollution and water pollution laws, now both these have been merged as a single consent. He further said that the return will be accepted through self-certification.
As the twelfth announcement, the Prime Minister mentioned that an Ordinance has been brought, under which, for minor violations under the Companies Act, the entrepreneur will no longer have to approach the Courts, but can correct them through simple procedures.
Social Security for MSME Sector Employees
The Prime Minister also spoke of social security for the MSME sector employees. He said that a mission will be launched to ensure that they have Jan Dhan Accounts, provident fund and insurance.
The Prime Minister said that these decisions would go a long way in strengthening the MSME sector in India. He said the implementation of this outreach programme will be intensively monitored over the next 100 days.
The Union Minisyter of Finance and CorporateAffairs, Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of State (I/C) for MSME, Shri Giriraj Singh, MOS(Finance) Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla, MOS(Finance & Shipping), Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan, Secretary, DFS, Shri Rajiv Kumar, Secretary, MSME, Shri Panda and senior officials of different Departments/Ministries, Banks and Financial Institutions were also present on the occasion.


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PM launches historic Support and Outreach Initiative for MSME Sector.

India tops list of countries which faced internet shutdowns: Report - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India tops list of countries which faced internet shutdowns: Report.

Out of the 65 countries assessed, 26 are said to have experienced a deterioration.

India leads the world in the number of internet shutdowns, with over 100 reported incidents in 2018 alone according to a report titled 'Freedom on the Net' by a US think tank. Delhi-based Software Freedom Law Centre, a legal services organisation, puts the number at 121 as of October 10, 2018.

An earlier report by IndiaSpend claimed that nearly 16,315 hours of internet shutdowns over six years till 2017 cost India $3.04 billion (Rs 213.36 billion).
Aggregated data collated by SFLC shows that there have been 233 reported instances of suspension of internet services in India in the last seven years. However, 73 per cent of these shutdowns have happened only in the last year and a half.
The SLFC report further stated that internet shutdowns go against the human rights of citizens and should call for further questioning on their purpose in the interest of transparency.
There are largely three different laws under which such orders are given by the governments. First is Section 144, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which allows the authorities to lay down guidelines to impose “temporary measures to maintain public tranquility.”
The 'Freedom on the Net' report offers a bleak perspective on the state of internet freedom across the world.
Out of the 65 countries assessed, 26 are said to have experienced a deterioration. Almost half of all declines were related to elections.
The Indian government has been referred to as a poor custodian of privacy on the basis of several alleged breaches of the Aadhaar database.


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India tops list of countries which faced internet shutdowns: Report.

What India can do to better its ease of doing business rank - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

What India can do to better its ease of doing business rank.

An analysis of what India did right and where it needs to do better to improve its ease of doing business rank in future World Bank Doing Business reports.

India has jumped 23 places to rank 77 in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2019 report. While improvement on quite a few parameters has pushed up its overall ranking, there are some in which it is lagging. Mintanalyses what India did right and where it needs to do better to improve its ease of doing business rank.
What led to the jump in India’s ease of doing business ranking?
While India’s score on all 10 parameters except “paying taxes” improved, its ranking went up only in six. The jump in overall ranking was driven by the “dealing with construction permits” (from 181 to 52) and “trading across borders” (from 146 to 80) parameters. Enforcement of the single-window clearance system in Delhi and the online building permit approval system in Mumbai helped streamline and centralize the construction-permitting process. Letting exporters seal their containers electronically at their own facilities, limiting physical inspections to 5% of shipments helped in trade facilitation.
Did GST and IBC have any role in this?
The World Bank could not fully account for GST implementation in its ranking for this year as its deadline for tax-related reforms was 31 December 2017 and GST was only six months old then. Glitches in GST filing may have led to a rise in the number of hours taken in a year to file taxes to 275.4 this year from 214 last year. India’s “paying taxes” ranking declined to 121 from 119 last year. IBC is taken into account under the parameter “resolving insolvency” where India’s rank dropped to 108 from 103 last year, though its score was almost unchanged. This could be due to other nations undertaking more reforms in this segment.
How will the ranking help?
As the World Bank ranks 190 countries, investors have a comparable template to make cross-border investment decisions. The ranking provides a significant input to their decision-making process.
India needs to improve on which parameters?
India’s rank is below 100 on five parameters: “starting a business” (137), “enforcing contracts” (163), “registering property” (166), “paying taxes” (121) and “resolving insolvency” (108). By amending the Commercial Courts Act, the government facilitated the establishment of commercial courts in 250 districts. If these courts dispose of cases faster, India may rank higher on this parameter next year. To improve on the other parameters, ownership and titles need to be online. This comes under the local government.
Why does India rank low on “starting a business”?
India did make starting a business easier by integrating multiple application forms into a general incorporation form. It enforced GST, for which the registration process is faster. As many nations have cut down on procedures to improve their rankings, India needs to make drastic changes to rank higher. World Bank factors in cost of starting a business as a percentage of income per capita. India’s low income per capita makes the cost look higher.


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What India can do to better its ease of doing business rank.

INS Viraat to be turned into maritime museum - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

INS Viraat to be turned into maritime museum.

New life for INS Viraat

The Maharashtra state cabinet on Thursday cleared the decks for the Navy's longest-serving aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, now retired, to be converted into India’s first-ever moored maritime museum-cum-marine adventure centre.
Conversion to museum
As per the Maharashtra government's Rs 852-crore plan for Viraat, the ship's conversion will be on publicprivate-partnership (PPP) basis. It will be grouted (grounded, sealed to the seabed with concrete and moored) seven nautical miles off the Malvan coast at Nivati rocks in Sindhudurg. Officials said that the world over, only seven aircraft carriers have been converted into museums, theme parks and luxury hotels.

World's oldest aircraft carrier
The ship is the World's oldest aircraft carrier, according to the Indian Navy, which bought it in 1986 and recommissioned it a year later. At present, Viraat is at Mumbai’s Naval dockyard after its decommissioning in 2017.
INS Viraat was commissioned by Navy in 1987 and had taken part in all major military operations such as Operation Jupiter (1988, Sri Lanka peacekeeping mission), Operation Vijay (1999, post-Kargil), and Operation Parakram (2001, after Parliament attack). It was made in 1959 for the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy as HMS Hermes and was instrumental in the Falklands War victory. From the time Viraat was inducted to the Indian Navy, she underwent 14 refits to ensure longevity. It is 743-foot long and 160-foot wide with a height of 29 feet.


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INS Viraat to be turned into maritime museum.