India-US Defence Deal 2020: Security Implications for Pakistan - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India-US Defence Deal 2020: Security Implications for Pakistan.

During recent Trump’s visit to India, both the countries signed US 3 billion dollars defence deal involving various sophisticated weapons. The deal consists of the sale of six Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters for the Indian Army and 24 Sikorsky MH-60R Sea Hawk multi-role helicopters for the Indian Navy.

Pakistan has already shown concerns that this deal would result in further destabilizing the already volatile region.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Aisha Farooqui stated that “the sale of such sophisticated weapons to India will disturb the strategic balance in South Asia with security implications for Pakistan and the region.” She also stated that the region could not afford an arms race or conflict and urged the international community to prevent the destabilization of the region.
Since 2007 India’s defence cooperation with the US has reached US 17 billion dollars as it aims to modernize its military to achieve its ultimate goal of becoming the global power. With the recent purchase of the sophisticated weapons, India is increasing its sphere of influence in the region which is quite alarming for its neighboring countries specifically Pakistan. The defence agreement between them clearly marks close collaboration in military, conventional and non-conventional weapons which may pose serious repercussion on geo-strategic scenarios of South Asia.
US being the major power is supporting India to play a larger role of the regional policeman and fulfill its long term hegemonic designs to dominate the smaller states with the help of its military strength. Hence this defence cooperation has accelerated India’s dream of becoming the global power.
Moreover India’s obsession of buying the most sophisticated weapons is a serious concern for Pakistan as it is likely to create conventional asymmetry in the region. The recent deal consist of weapons which Pakistan doesn’t have right now, hence it will disturb the conventional balance between the two states. Maritime security cooperation between India and the US is nothing but an attempt to secure the maritime domain which can cause serious maritime conflict between India and Pakistan in the Indian Ocean and international seas as well.
The Apache attack helicopters are equipped with the hellfire missiles, night vision capabilities, 70 mm rockets and an automatic gun, which makes it the most lethal machine in the world. The Apache would add greater firepower and agility to the Indian ground forces for any quick and intense operations against Pakistan.
This Indo-US deal has the potential to undermine the Pakistan’s strategy of minimum credible deterrence. Hence this cooperation can have disastrous effects on the stability of the region by tilting the strategic balance between in favor of India. Pakistan should convey to the US at the highest level, its security concerns caused by the latest Indo-US defence deal. We must emphasize upon the destabilizing consequences for South Asia caused by the open ended supply of highly advanced weapons to India, creating conventional asymmetry in the region.
Pakistan being the smaller state with a fragile economy cannot afford to indulge in an all-out arms race. However, Pakistan also should not remain oblivious to growing Indo-US cooperation as it can have strong security implications. Enhanced capacity building of Indian armed forces can threaten the deterrent value of Pakistan’s nuclear and conventional weapons. Hence a combination of expedient foreign policy along with credible conventional and nuclear deterrent could meet the desired national interest. In order to counter the conventional imbalance Pakistan has to rely on the indigenous weapon production, superior strategy and training.
Pakistan needs to build anti-weapons and long-range air defense system to detect any aerial threats and reduce the pace of the Indian mechanized forces. Moreover with these capabilities Pakistan can tackle with any advantage of Indian military in the conventional domain. Pakistan should build stronger ties with China while remaining strategically relevant to the US. Pakistan must revive its economy in order to counter the negative impact of the Indo-US strategic convergence.
It cannot be reiterated enough that the Indo-US defence deal raises strong security implication for Pakistan as it further increases the conventional asymmetry between the two states which will ultimately threaten the strategic stability of South Asia.Hence Pakistan needs to improve its overall conventional capabilities in order to fill the gaps and maintain the conventional balance. (Source:defencenews.in)


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India-US Defence Deal 2020: Security Implications for Pakistan.

Neighbourhood challenge - India - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Neighbourhood challenge - India.

Following an infructuous spell of looking east, India’s Act East Policy (AEP) is hobbled by snags in connectivity, continuing insurgencies, agitations, blockades and extortion in the North-east and replication of some of these very problems, especially insurgencies and snarls, in decision-making in Myanmar, the launchpad and fulcrum of AEP. Last month, the visit of Myanmar President, U Win Myint, to India reminded us of AEP anew.

The open-door policy is intended to usher in development in the North-east, which could in turn facilitate the closure of insurgencies. For the Look East Policy to work, it was necessary to press the “pause” button on democracy and, instead, support the ruling military junta. Reversion to democracy, albeit partial, has been achieved as I discovered last month in Yangon through a joint civil military leadership, with the Army having the last word.

At the core of AEP is connectivity — by road, rail, sea, inland waterways and air. The strategic geography in the North-east channelises this outreach through the narrow and sensitive Siliguri corridor, the vulnerable chicken’s neck of the region. Choices for bypassing the Siliguri constriction were to transit through Bangladesh and/or use the sea route to reach insurgency-free Mizoram on the Myanmar border — from Kolkata to Sittwe Port in Myanmar and upto Mizoram.
Earlier, Bangladesh had rejected Indian requests to connect Myanmar through the Port of Chittagong upto Agartala and thence to the Myanmar border. What is being operationalised now is the costly and delayed Kaladan multi-modal access from Sittwe to Myanmar/Mizoram through Rakhine and Chin States, currently beset with insurgencies by the Arakam Army. Therefore, instead of working this project south-north, it has been reversed, starting from Mizoram to Sittwe, which will have a 1,000 km special economic zone (SEZ) and a gas land pipeline from its gasfields to Gaya in Bihar. A number of roads to and through Myanmar to the east are under construction and completion, thus enhancing the AEP connectivity grid.
Unique to Myanmar is the civil-Army joint leadership arrangement under an Army-dictated constitution of 2011, which ensures that 25 per cent of the elected seats in Parliament is reserved for the Army. As the Constitution forbids Myanmar’s popular leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League of Democracy (NLD) from holding office, she is a State Councillor in the improvised system, which allows her the number three position in the State hierarchy after the President and Vice President; whereas the “C” in C Senior General Aung Hlaing, who calls the shots, is at number five. The Constitution reserves the posts of defence, home and border affairs Ministers for the Army.
The NLD wants to change the Constitution, which requires an unachievable two-thirds majority in Parliament. Last week, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi unsuccessfully tried to pass the Constitutional amendment. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is in his second term, which will end in April 2021, and efforts are on to accommodate him as the Vice President. This may introduce a modicum of civilian control over the military. While the Army is popular in the countryside, it is disliked by the urban elite. It disapproves of the overwhelming Chinese presence and meddling in Myanmar’s internal affairs. But others don’t mind them as they have the money to invest and develop the country.
Another historical challenge facing Myanmar is its myriad insurgencies, which like the cluster on the Indian side, is a hurdle for AEP. At the time of independence, many States in the erstwhile Burma had sought self-determination and separation but the Panglong Agreement of 1947 promised to settle Centre-State relations even as the Communists and Karens favoured independence. Today, there are more than two dozen active and dormant insurgencies, the active ones in border States like Shan, Kachin, Chin and Rakhine. The world’s most complex but elaborate peace process is in Myanmar and it consists of unilateral, bilateral and a nationwide cease fire agreements, prone to violations and formal and informal dialogues backed by the international community, prominently by China.
The year 2019 was bad for the peace process. The 21st century Panglong Union Peace Conference with 10 nation-wide ceasefire signatories and the high-level Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting could not be held, though the Union Peace Dialogue took place in July. Both the failed meetings are likely to be held after the national elections later this year, which the Lady — reference to NLD leader Daw Suu Kyi — is expected to win but with a reduced majority. For various reasons, her popularity has waned but there is no alternative leader.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Myanmar this January and signed 33 agreements, of which the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (like the economic corridors with Pakistan and Nepal) was the centre piece. All three strategic corridors seek access to markets but two have an eye on warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Surpassing India’s port potential at Sittwe is Kyakpyu, the deep-water port coupled with SEZ and ultimately road, rail, oil and gas pipelines radiating through Myanmar north of China’s Yunnan province. China’s footprint is enormous: There are hordes of Chinese in the north. Though the controversial $3.6 billion hydel dam at Myitsone has been put on hold, bilateral trade stands at $17 billion and China holds 40 per cent of Myanmar’s foreign debt of $5 billion. Xi signed separate agreements with the Senior General and State Councillor while hailing the new blueprint for comprehensive strategic cooperation and the new 2+2 strategic dialogue, Myanmar’s first with any country.
India, though with good intentions and now sizeable civil and defence cooperation, is no match for China’s deep pockets and outreach to play the role of a regional equaliser. Still, its impressive infrastructure and capacity-building programmes have been appreciated.
Japan will team up in improving quality and quick delivery of projects. While the two million, mostly Indian Tamil, diaspora is no asset, the Buddhism connect has not been tested even as Indian tourists are thronging Myanmar. India has transferred a Russian kilo-class diesel-electric attack submarine and may soon sell Brahmos missiles against the $1.5 billion line of credit, of which $300 million is left. Border trade — within 16 km — is a paltry $25 million, though overall trade is around $2.5 billion, far below potential.
The flowering of bilateral relations is stalled in part by the complexity of joint leadership and the unstoppable rise of China. While Beijing has cast a string of pearls along India’s periphery, it has placed in Myanmar, an arrestor wire system of an aircraft carrier to blunt the take-off of AEP towards Asean, where China is also the dominant influencer. Myanmar’s full transition to democracy depends on progress in ethnic reconciliation and resolving civil-military tensions through Constitutional reform. Till then, AEP will remain constrained.


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Neighbourhood challenge - India.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is transforming the living conditions in villages - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is transforming the living conditions in villages.

The main objectives of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) are as under:
i. To engage the faculty and students of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in identifying development issues in rural areas and finding sustainable solutions for the same.
ii. Identify & select existing innovative technologies, enable customisation of technologies, or devise implementation method for innovative solutions, as required by the people.
iii. To allow HEIs to contribute to devising systems for smooth implementation of various Government programmes.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 is the upgraded version of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 1.0.The scheme is extended to all educational institutes; however under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 Participating institutes are selected based on the fulfillment of certain criteria.
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is inspired by the vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an Inclusive India. Currently under the scheme UBA, 13072 villages have been adopted by 2474 Institutes. The technology interventions under the scheme Unnat Bharat Abhiyan has been able to transform the living conditions in villages. The technological interventions under the UBA cover different subjects broadly categorized like in the area of sustainable agriculture; water resource management; artisans, industries and livelihood; basic amenities (infrastructure & services) and rural energy system. With the interventions in the abovementioned areas, various new and old technologies has been developed which have transformed the living conditionsin villages and has been beneficial for rural India.
Some technological interventions done under scheme UBA are; i)Mushroom Cultivation done in Gendikata cluster by IIT Delhi; ii) Environment Controlled Automated Green House For High Valued Agro Produce by HVPM College of Engineering and Technology (Amravati); iii) Safe Drinking Water by NIT Manipur and IIT Jodhpur; iv)Paper bag making by BITS Mesra; v)Pattal crockery making by NIT Hamirpur; vi) Cloth Bag making by Fatima College, Madurai; vii) Revamping of Govt. schools in Vrindavan Cluster by IIT Delhi; viii) Improved Pottery Kiln in farrukhnagar cluster by IIT Delhi; ix)Thread winding machine for weavers by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Etcherla; x) Agriculture drone system by Santhiram Engineering College, Nandyal (A.P) etc।


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Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is transforming the living conditions in villages.

Entrepreneurship Among Women - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Entrepreneurship Among Women.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is implementing a pilot scheme, Pradhan Mantri YUVA (PM YUVA) Yojana towards creating an enabling ecosystem through entrepreneurship education, training, advocacy and easy access to entrepreneurship network.

The scheme focuses on students/trainees and alumni coming out from skilling ecosystem {i.e. Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Polytechnics, Pradhan Mantri Kuashal Kendras (PMKKs) and Jan Sikshan Sansthans (JSS)}. The scheme is being implemented in 10 States and 2 Union Territories {viz. i.e. Uttar Pradesh (6 districts), Uttarakhand (4 districts), Bihar (10 districts), West Bengal (12 districts), Assam (11 districts), Meghalaya (2 districts), Maharashtra (5 districts), Tamil Nadu (17 districts), Telangana (8 districts), Kerala (4 districts), Delhi (1 district) and Puducherry (1 district)}. The scheme envisages creation of 600 new and 1000 scale-up enterprises. Under the scheme, mobilisation campaigns are being organized to spread awareness about entrepreneurship as a career option among various potential target groups. Further, orientation workshops are being conducted on entrepreneurship in the project institutes for aspiring/potential entrepreneurs.

Further, MSDE in collaboration with GIZ, Germany has launched a pilot project called ‘Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups by Women’ to support aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs in India. Presently, this pilot programme is being implemented in the North Eastern Region (Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur), Rajasthan and Telangana where 147 women have been given incubation and acceleration support as part of its first cohorts.
Furthermore, with an aim to promote a culture of entrepreneurship among India’s youth and inspire them to set-up their own enterprise and create employment opportunities for others, National Entrepreneurship Awards Scheme (NEAS) has been instituted in 2016. Under the scheme, awards are conferred to the aspiring first generation entrepreneurs including women and those individuals/ organizations who are working as eco-system builder in the field of entrepreneurship development. The awards also seek to highlight model of excellence for others to emulate and improve upon. So far, out of a total of 95 awards conferred (including 8 awards to the entrepreneurs and two awards to the eco-system builders from Karnataka) during last 4 years (2016 to 2019), 39 women have received National Entrepreneurship Awards including 1 women awardee (Healthcare Sector in Year 2018) from Karnataka.
In addition to the above, Government is providing financial assistance in form of loan to entrepreneurs under various schemes viz Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (exclusively for women) implemented through Ministry of Women and Child Development, Stand Up India Scheme implemented through Department of Financial Services (Ministry of Finance), Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme implemented through Ministry of Rural Development and Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) implemented by Department of Financial Services (Ministry of Finance).
This information was given by the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri R.K. Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.


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Entrepreneurship Among Women.

Tamil Nadu moved to guard Cauvery delta. So why are farmers still worried? - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Tamil Nadu moved to guard Cauvery delta. So why are farmers still worried?.

The Act aims to prohibit hydrocarbon projects in the delta region. But it doesn't cover all districts, a major concern among farmers

When the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed the Protected Agricultural Zone Development Bill, 2020 on February 19, 2020, farmers heaved a sigh of relief.
The new Act declared the Cauvery delta region a Protected Special Agriculture Zone (PSAZ). It proposed to protect agriculture and prohibit Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs) and hydrocarbon projects in the delta region.
However, activists and farmer associations flagged a major gap in the Act — it did not cover all districts of the Cauvery delta.
The proposed PSAZ comprises Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts and some blocks in Cuddalore and Pudukkottai districts. It, however, excluded Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur and Karur districts and other parts of Cuddalore and Pudukottai, though they also fall in the delta zone.
Farmers in these parts cultivate rice as their primary crop and pulses such as blackgram and greengram as their secondary crop. They also cultivate seasonal vegetables and fruits.
In August 2018, the Central government approved unconventional hydrocarbons policy that permitted exploration and exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbons such as shale oil/gas, coal bed methane (CBM), etc.
This was a major concern in the Cauvery delta, a sight for gas exploration activities since 1985 that has adversely affecting farming and livelihood. Several farmer associations condemned the Union government order and staged protests.
According to activists, the Bill also did not address issues regarding existing industrial and oil extraction projects in the delta region.
According to G Sundar Rajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal, a Tamil Nadu environment group, more than 400 projects were already underway in parts of the now protected zone.
Additionally, Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd was set to invest Rs 50,000 crore in a Nagarjuna Oil project in Cuddalore’s Kayalpattu village. Some parts of Cuddalore falls out of the protected zone ambit.
“At first, the state government planned to make nine districts of Cauvery Delta as Protected Special Agricultural Zone (PSAZ). But they did not do so. We want the entire Cauvery delta region to be declared as PSAZ,” Professor T Jayaraman, coordinator of Tamil Nadu-based welfare group Anti-Methane Project Federation, said.
He added that according to the current Bill, ports, pipelines and telecommunications projects in the PSAZ would not be affected, which was a problem.
“Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said ongoing projects would not be affected. These are the disadvantages of the Bill. These issues should be addressed some way or the other. I consider this is a starting point. Many political parties openly opposed these hydrocarbon projects. However, no party was interested to stop them,” he added.
“Even when the Bill was passed, hydrocarbon exploration was underway in Ariyalur district, because it wasn't included in PSAZ. There was no mention of soil mining in the Bill. These are the gaps that need to be addressed,” Rajan said.
PR Pandian, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers Association, said farmers were happy with the recent developments: “But we want these plans to be implemented effectively. We have already lost our water resources to industrial mess. We cannot lose them anymore.”
Tamil Nadu environment minister KC Karuppannan did not respond to Down to Earth’s queries.
Another issue plaguing Cauvery Delta is water scarcity.
According to Jayaraman, Tamil Nadu had been facing water scarcity since 1970s. Earlier, farmers used Cauvery water for agriculture purposes. However, when the dispute on Cauvery water sharing came up, farmers started to rely on groundwater.
"At the same time, industries boomed in the delta. This drastically impacted agriculture and livelihood of farmers. Agriculture cannot be done only depending on groundwater,” Jayaraman added.
He added that the delta region had nearly 28 lakh acres of cultivable land, which has now come down to 15 lakh acres. He attributed “Central government's partiality towards Tamil Nadu and lack of enough Cauvery water” for the same.
He claimed: “This Central government approach can't be allowed at any cost. We are only demanding what is our right. But their approach towards water dispute is affecting our needs and agriculture.” (Source: downtoearth)


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Tamil Nadu moved to guard Cauvery delta. So why are farmers still worried?.

ExoMars mission delayed, rover will now take off in 2022 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

ExoMars mission delayed, rover will now take off in 2022.

European Space Agency cited software problems with the spacecraft as a reason for the delay

The European Space Agency (ESA) and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos State Corp have delayed the launch of their second ExoMars mission by two years to 2022.
The mission aims to determine if there is any life on Mars and to better understand the history of water on the planet.
In a press release, ESA cited software problems with the spacecraft that would carry the rover as well as the main parachute testing as reasons for the delay. According to journal Nature, space agencies also cited coronavirus pandemic as a reason for the same.

According to an ESA press note:
Due to consideration of the recommendations provided by European and Russian inspectors general, ExoMars experts have concluded that tests necessary to make all components of the spacecraft fit for the Mars adventure need more time to complete.
The rover, Rosalind Franklin, was expected to take off to Mars in July 2020 and arrive at the planet’s surface in March 2021. It includes a drill to access the sub-surface of Mars.
According to ESA press note, Director-General Jan Wörner on March 12 said:
“Although we are really close to launch readiness, we cannot cut corners. We have together accepted the advice that launching this year would mean sacrificing essential remaining tests.”
He added: “This is a tough decision but I’m sure it’s the right one.”
According to Roscosmos Director-General Dmitry Rogozin, the need to maximise robustness of all ExoMars systems prompted the decision.
“We have made a difficult but weighed decision to postpone the launch. It is driven primarily force majeure circumstances related to exacerbation of the epidemiological situation in Europe. I am confident that the steps that we and our European colleagues are taking to ensure mission success will be justified,” he added.
The Rosalind Franklin rover is the second part of the two space agencies’ ExoMars mission. The first part of the mission — the Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft — was launched successfully in 2016. (Source: downtoearth)


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ExoMars mission delayed, rover will now take off in 2022.

How does soap use help in tackling COVID-19? - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

How does soap use help in tackling COVID-19?.

Is there a difference between using soap and water and alcohol-based hand sanitisers?

Ever since the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak began in China in end-December 2019, various measures have been mentioned to reduce the risk of infection. Guidelines by the World Health Organization specify that one of the ways to reduce the risk of infection is by regularly and thoroughly cleaning one’s hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water. Regular washing becomes important as the virus tends to be viable from hours to more than a day on different surfaces that are regularly touched with hands.
How does washing with soap help get rid of the coronavirus?
The grime on our hands contains innumerable viruses and bacteria. Washing with water without using soap helps reduce the amount of microbes but does not remove most of the virus and bacteria completely. Using soap, therefore, becomes far more effective in removing microbes.
Viruses such as coronavirus, influenza-causing viruses, Ebola, Zika have their genetic material encased in a layer of fat called the lipid envelop. Soap molecules are pin-shaped with a head that is water-loving (hydrophilic) and a tail that is oil-loving (oleophilic). Being oleophilic, the tail portion of the molecule tends to have an affinity for and ‘competes’ with the lipids in the virus envelope. Since the chemical bonds holding the virus together are not very strong, the long oleophilic tail gets inserted into the envelope and tends to have a ‘crowbar’ effect that breaks the lipid envelope of the virus. The tail also competes with the bond that binds the RNA and the lipid envelop thus dissolving the virus into its components which are then removed by water.
Do all viruses have the lipid layer?
No, certain viruses do not have the lipid envelop and are called the non-enveloped viruses. Rotavirus which causes severe diarrhoea, poliovirus, adenovirus that cause pneumonia and even human papillomavirus (HPV) do not contain the lipid envelop.
The oil-loving tail of the soap molecule also disrupts the bond that binds dirt and non-enveloped viruses to the hand. The dirt and viruses are surrounded by several tails making them remain as suspended particles. Rinsing with water washes away the suspended particles leading to clean hands.
How do alcohol-based hand sanitisers help get rid of coronavirus?
Like soap, the alcohol present in hand sanitisers dissolve the lipid envelop, thus inactivating the virus. In addition, the alcohol also tends to change the shape or denature the mushroom-shaped protein structures that stick out of the lipid envelop. The mushroom-shaped protein structures help the virus to bind to special structures found on human cells and enter the cells. To be effective, the sanitisers should contain at least 60% alcohol.
Unlike soap lather, the alcohol does not come in contact with all parts of the hand. So care needs to be taken to use sufficient amount of sanitiser to increase the coverage. Unlike water, alcohol run does not remove the dead viruses from the hand. While a sanitiser can quickly reduce the number of microbes, it does not get rid of all types of germs, and is “not as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy”.
Should healthy people who are not taking care of COVID-19 patients use a mask?
Medical masks help prevent the spread of coronavirus infection. If worn properly, masks may be effective in preventing transmission of coronavirus. An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) says there is no evidence to suggest that masks worn by healthy individuals can help prevent infection.
But a 2010 study says: “Mask wearing was associated with reduced secondary transmission and should be encouraged during outbreak situations.”

Even the World Health Organization (WHO) says wearing a medical mask is “one of the prevention measures to limit spread of certain respiratory diseases, including novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), in affected areas”.
Transmission through droplets from coughing and sneezing is one of the major routes of virus spread. When worn correctly, a mask can reduce the risk of inhaling droplets containing the virus.
With many studies showing that people infected with novel coronavirus transmit the virus even before symptoms show up, it may be prudent to wear a mask especially when the virus is spreading in the community.
In a country like India, maintaining at least one metre distance can be a challenge, especially when there is no way of knowing who is infected till such time the person starts showing visible symptoms.
What other precautions should be taken when a mask is used?
WHO cautions that using a mask alone will be insufficient to provide an “adequate level of protection”. It should be combined with hand hygiene to prevent human-to-human transmission. Wearing medical masks can give a person a “false sense of security that can lead to neglecting other essential measures such as hand hygiene practices”. So if an individual decides to wear a mask, care must be taken to regularly wash hands with soap or alcohol rub, and avoid touching the face with hands.
Incorrect mask wearing might otherwise reduce the effectiveness in cutting the risk of transmission. It should be discarded once it gets wet or dirty, and care should be taken to safely dispose of used masks. The same mask should not used for more than a couple of hours. (Source: The Hindu)


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How does soap use help in tackling COVID-19?.

Centre notifies new POCSO rules making law for sexual offences against children more stringent - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Centre notifies new POCSO rules making law for sexual offences against children more stringent.

Some of the significant additions in the new rules include provision of mandatory police verification of staff in schools and care homes, procedures to report sexual abuse material (pornography), imparting age-appropriate child rights education among others.

The Union government has notified the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Rules, 2020 which enables implementation of recent amendments to the Act under which provisions of punishment for child abuse has been made more stringent.

Some of the significant additions in the new rules include provision of mandatory police verification of staff in schools and care homes, procedures to report sexual abuse material (pornography), imparting age-appropriate child rights education among ot hers.
For crackdown on child pornography, the rules state that "any person who has received any pornographic material involving a child or any information regarding such pornographic material being stored, possessed, distributed, circulated, transmitted, facilitated, propagated or displayed, or is likely to be distributed, facilitated or transmitted in any manner shall report the contents to the special juvenile police unit (SJPU) or police, or the cybercrime portal".
"The report shall include the details of the device in which such pornographic content was noticed and the suspected device from which such content was received including the platform on which the content was displayed," the rules said.
Under the rules, the state governments have been asked to formulate a child protection policy based on the principle of "zero-tolerance" to violence against children, which shall be adopted by all institutions, organisations, or any other agency working with, or coming in contact with children.
"The central government and every state government shall provide periodic training including orientation programmes, sensitisation workshops and refresher courses to all persons, whether regular or contractual, coming in contact with the children, to sensitise them about child safety and protection and educate them regarding their responsibility under the Act," the rules said.
The Centre and state governments have been asked to prepare age-appropriate educational material and curriculum for children, informing them about various aspects of personal safety, including measures to protect their physical and virtual identity; and to safeguard their emotional and mental wellbeing, prevention and protection from sexual offences and reporting mechanisms, including Childline helpline services through toll free number - 1098.
"Orientation programme and intensive courses may also be organised for police personnel and forensic experts for building their capacities in their respective roles on a regular basis," it said.
Under the new rules, any institution housing children or coming in regular contact with children, including schools, creches, sports academies or any other facility for children must ensure a police verification and background check on periodic basis of every staff.
The new POCSO rules became effective from March 9.
The POCSO Act was enacted in 2012 to provide a robust legal framework for the protection of children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography, while safeguarding the interests of children at every stage of the judicial process. (Source: The Economic Times)


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Centre notifies new POCSO rules making law for sexual offences against children more stringent.

Does globalization affect monetary policy? - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Does globalization affect monetary policy?.

Researchers argue that in an open economy, policymakers can simultaneously achieve only two of three key objectives: financial stability, independent national financial policies, and cross-border financial integration

The rapid spread of Covid-19 has predictably stirred fears around greater globalization and created ripple effects on financial markets globally, complicating the task of central bankers and policymakers across the world.
Such risks are par for the course in a globalized world, making it tougher for central banks to maintain financial stability, wrote economists Simone Arrigoni, Roland Beck, Michele Ca’ Zorzi, and Livio Stracca in VoxEu, a research portal run by the Centre of Economic Policy Research (CEPR).

The researchers argue that in an open economy, policymakers can simultaneously achieve only two of three key objectives: financial stability, independent national financial policies, and cross-border financial integration.
This “financial trilemma" means that unless policymakers are prepared to tame globalization, preserving financial stability would require compromising the independence of monetary policy.
The researchers find that both real economy indicators, such as output and physical investments, and financial indicators, such as bank credit and stock prices, tend to move together across countries.
This “co-movement" is much stronger in reality than suggested by economic theory. Given the growing financial linkages in a globalized world, this means that the real sector of different countries are much more intertwined than ever before.
The researchers show that in the high globalization period (post-2003) such cross-country linkages were higher for most economic variables compared to the period of relatively low globalization (pre-2003). Better use of macro-prudential policy tools, such as limits on debt exposure and flexible reserve requirements, can help policymakers combat global headwinds better, the researchers write. (Source: Livemint)


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Does globalization affect monetary policy?.

Coronavirus outbreak can now be classified as a pandemic, says WHO - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Coronavirus outbreak can now be classified as a pandemic, says WHO.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was troubled by the spread and severity of the outbreak, along with a lack of action taken to combat it.

The new coronavirus outbreak can now be described as a pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization announced Wednesday.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was troubled by the spread and severity of the outbreak, along with a lack of action taken to combat it.
"WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we're deeply concerned, both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction," he told a news conference in Geneva.
"We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic."
The number of cases in over 100 countries around the world has risen to more than 124,000, with over 4,500 deaths, including a jump in fatalities in Iran and Italy in particular, according to an AFP tally.
China remains the worst-affected country with more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 3,000 deaths.
Tedros said that over the past two weeks, the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold and the number of affected countries had tripled.
He said he expected the number of cases and deaths would grow in the coming days and weeks.
"Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly," he told reporters, but he stressed that "describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO's assessment of the threat posed by the virus."
It should not be taken by countries as a signal to give up on efforts to contain the virus with methods like contact-tracing, he said.

Tedros pointed out that over 90 percent of cases had been registered in just four countries, and that countries with no or only a few cases could still halt the virus in its tracks.
"We should double down, and we should be more aggressive," Tedros said, adding: "We are not saying the world should move from containment to mitigation... the blended approach should continue.
"It will be a mistake to abandon the containment strategy," he said.
He acknowledged that the world had "never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus," but emphasised that "we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time." Countries can still change the course of the outbreak, he said.
Michael Ryan, who heads WHO's emergencies programme, insisted on the need to slow the outbreak to give time to hospitals to prepare for more cases, warning that many countries' health systems were showing a lack of resilience.
"If you do not try to suppress this virus it can overwhelm your health system," he said.
Tedros said the WHO was grateful for the measures being taken in countries around the globe and was aware that they were taking a "heavy toll" on societies.
He also said hard-hit Iran was trying its best to control the outbreak but needed more supplies.
Iran is suffering from a shortage of ventilators, oxygen and protective gear for health workers, reporters were told.


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Coronavirus outbreak can now be classified as a pandemic, says WHO.

Flight to Safety: The case for drones in spraying agrochemicals - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Flight to Safety: The case for drones in spraying agrochemicals.

India can learn from China, Japan in use of UAVs for improved pest management and crop productivity.

Indian farmers are yet to reap the full benefits of the economic reforms initiated in 1991. Besides, they face structural challenges that include fragmented landholdings, lack of adequate market access, rising costs (especially of human labor), poor/below par yields in most crops and — not the least — low usage of modern technology relative to their counterparts in the US, Europe, Brazil, Argentina or China.
Satellite-driven technology, big data analytics, and digital solutions are helping farmers in many countries today make more informed cropping decisions with regard to weather, soil nutrient application, and pest and disease control. Many of these technologies are likely to be introduced in India over the next few years.

One area that we believe can have a major impact on our farms, and needs quick government intervention, is the use of drones for spraying of agrochemical products.
The main benefits of drones are increased efficiency and precision of agrochemical applications, in turn, leading to improved pest management and crop productivity as well as a significant reduction in operator exposure during spray operations. The field capacity of drone-assisted spraying is about 20 times higher than that of manual spraying. The other benefits are lower water consumption (as the material is sprayed in concentrated formulations) and the development of licensed applicators. These include community spraying professionals who may provide application services to farmers similar to combine harvester operators, thereby creating new skilled employment potential in rural India.
The investment banker Goldman Sachs has forecast the agriculture sector to be the second-largest global commercial/civil user of drones, after construction, by the end of this year. Drones in agrochemical application have, in just a few years, grown in sophistication and scale, boosting the ease and affordability of use. The good news is that this innovation is being driven largely by Asia. The adoption of drones in farms is the highest in countries such as China, Korea, and Japan, which are also confronting growing labour shortage challenges from urbanisation and ageing populations.
In China, the world’s biggest civilian drones manufacturer, the number of these machines deployed in agriculture is estimated to have doubled to around 13,000 between 2016 and 2017, with the total unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)-treated acreage, too, trebling to reach roughly 7 million hectares. The economies of scale in usage have meant that the per-hectare operating costs in China are now equivalent to just Rs 100-150 for field crops (rice, wheat and maize) and Rs 250-400 in orchards.
Our farmers, too, can immensely benefit through swift adoption of this nascent technology by taking a leaf from China’s book. However, for this, the government, both at the Centre and states, must respond in a timely manner through a sound regulatory framework, so as to prevent uncontrolled and inappropriate use. The focus should be to minimise the potential risks that come with the unfamiliarity and rapid adoption of an emerging technology.
The first step in establishing a robust policy framework is to identify the various risks associated with drone application and the processes to deal with them. These cover the specifications for the drones/UAVs and the agrochemical formulations being used, the capabilities of the spray operators and training standards, and environmental variables. Based on these, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) should be put in place for spray operators, drone manufacturers and agrochemical companies to comply with.
Here, it is worth looking at Japan and borrowing from the requirements — both for the licensing of UAVs and operators, as well as product registration for drone spraying — stipulated in the country’s most recent revised 2019 guidance document. Having a long history in the use of UAVs — especially remote-controlled helicopters or RCHs — for spraying of agrochemicals and with over 30 years of data generation, Japan provides the strongest point of reference for framing the appropriate rules and SOPs. As an industry association representing around 70% of India’s crop protection market, we recommend that the government develops a regulatory framework for deploying drones in agrochemical spraying based on the experience and best practices of a country such as Japan.
The necessary regulations should take into consideration (1) civil aviation laws (both local and umbrella) and the setting of vehicle specifications, (2) SOPs and piloting requirements for safe use, and (3) product approvals and permissions for spray operations. In addition to the general regulations, we would recommend at least four other criteria to be met for obtaining permission: (1) approval of vehicle needs, (2) licensing of pilots/operators and training for agrochemical application by drones, (3) registration of agrochemical products sought to be sprayed, and (4) strict adherence to label instructions on products.
More specifically, we propose the setting up a system for certification or licensing of drone operators to ensure their capability for piloting the UAV machines safely. Such certification/licensing should be subject to regular renewals and conducting of refresher courses. The authorities should also accredit training facilities to put in place a standardised programme for all agricultural drone operations.
The product registration process must be simplified and not duplicated from scratch, more so if the drone use is just an extension for a formulation that is already approved for conventional manual spraying. The idea is to reduce registration timelines and make available the same crop protection products to farmers through a new spraying technology, without compromising on safety. The Japanese guidelines stipulate that the bio-efficacy and maximum residue limits (MRL) data for drone/UAV applications be considered equivalent to that of conventional spraying, so long as the critical parameters (active ingredient dose per hectare, pre-harvest intervals and number of applications/sprayings) are within a determined range. There is no need, therefore, for any separate UAV bio-efficacy and MRL trials, even if additional crop safety studies might be required in some cases.
It would be in the interest of farmers and even the industry if UAV/drone technology can be deployed for agrochemical applications. This should be supported by a robust and pragmatic science-based policy framework, with Japan’s revised guidance document serving as the most suitable point of reference for drafting our regulations. (Source: The Indian Express)


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Flight to Safety: The case for drones in spraying agrochemicals.

Kerala-based startup is set to launch world’s first blockchain-powered satellite - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Kerala-based startup is set to launch world’s first blockchain-powered satellite.

Blockchain technology, which is being used extensively in safe transactions, data security, and a few other applications, is now being deployed in space. And Accubits, a startup based in Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala, has taken the lead. The developers claim that they are all set to launch the world’s first blockchain satellite, called Chainsat.

On the concept of blockchain-powered satellites, Aharsh MS, Chief Marketing Officer, Accubits, tells YourStory, “Chainsat will serve two purposes. One, it will act as one of the nodes of a private blockchain network or consortium blockchain. Second, it will enable a communication channel between different nodes of the blockchain network.”
The startup aims to send a low earth orbit satellite, weighing 12 kg, to space for establishing an enterprise blockchain ledger that can enable a secure transactional network for next-generation financial and IoT systems. It wishes to send it to the orbit by Q1 2021.
Besides, the startup will develop the software and firmware for the satellite while the hardware part will be collaboratively built by Accubits and a vendor. For this, the startup is in talks with multiple firms for collaboration.
One-of-its-kind solution :
Not all businesses are established in well-connected areas like Tier-I or Tier-II cities, but are set up across Tier-III cities. Today, companies have sprung in remote areas as well with dire connectivity issues.
Here, Chainsat will enable a secure communication channel for enterprises to use a blockchain network. According to Aharsh, Chainsat will enable businesses across the world to meet the specific requirements, as it acts as a blockchain node, or a point of contact for the enterprises.
For instance, for agro-related businesses, the production farms are remotely located and most of these places do not have internet accessibility. Here, Chainsat can help in establishing communication to access a blockchain ledger for applications like supply chain traceability and other crucial operations.
Besides, the satellites will be no different from the rest in the orbit in terms of its orbital presence, launch and operation. What differs is the software architecture and the internal hardware that is designed to host a blockchain node. (Source:defencenews.in)


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Kerala-based startup is set to launch world’s first blockchain-powered satellite.

In a first, India figures on arms exporters list - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

In a first, India figures on arms exporters list.

In a first, India has figured on a list of global arms exporters, making a modest entry at number 23 but the ranking is likely to rise sharply over the coming years with the government’s focus on encouraging weapons sales abroad.

The latest data on global arms transfer by SIPRI shows that Indian arms imports have come down significantly (by 32%) since 2015, indicating that the ‘Make in India’ initiative is gaining ground but the country is still ranked as the world’s second biggest weapons buyers, just behind Saudi Arabia.
Interestingly, imports from the US have taken a huge dip in the past five years, with the data showing that Russia now accounts for 56% of arms supplies. In fact, the US no longer figures among the top three suppliers of arms to India. After Russia, Israel at 14% and France at 12% are the major sources of weapons for India.
Even though India has ordered systems like the Apache and Chinook helicopters and additional P8I maritime aircraft from the US, orders to Russia – from the S 400 anti-air system to additional T 90 Tanks & helicopters have been significantly higher. The recent $3 billion deal for Apache and MH 60 'Romeo' choppers has not been taken into account in the data set.
“The USA became the second-largest arms supplier to India in 2010–14 as the security relationship between the two countries developed into a strategic partnership. However, in 2015–19 India continued with its policy of supplier diversification, and imports of arms from the USA were 51% lower than in 2010–14,” the report says.
The silver lining for India, along with the 32% dip in imports has been the entry into the exporters list. At present, the exports shown are modest – they account for only 0.2% of the global arms market – but the start is significant. India’s biggest clients are Myanmar, which accounts for 46% of exports, Sri Lanka at 25% and Mauritius at 14%.
As reported by ET, India has a target to increase its defence exports to $ 5 billion within five years. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also shared at the ET Global Business Summit that the government will be extending additional Lines of Credit and grants for friendly foreign countries over the next five years.
The SIPRI data also shows the Pakistan has not become completely dependent on China for its weapon systems. Since 2015, China accounts for 73% of arms imports by Pakistan. (Source: defencenews.in)


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In a first, India figures on arms exporters list

Explained: How Yes Bank ran into crisis - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Explained: How Yes Bank ran into crisis.

How did Yes Bank go from being one of the buzziest banks to among the most stressed? To which sectors was it lending? Why have the RBI’s decisions triggered concern among depositors and bond owners?

On March 5, the Reserve Bank of India announced that it was superseding the Yes Bank Board of Directors for a period of 30 days “owing to serious deterioration in the financial position of the Bank”. But what created panic among the general public, and in particular the deposit holders in Yes Bank, was the RBI’s decision to cap withdrawals at Rs 50,000. The RBI said it had “no alternative but to” place the Bank under moratorium “in the absence of a credible revival plan, and in public interest and the interest of the bank’s depositors…”
Between 2004, when it was launched, and 2015, Yes Bank was one of the buzziest banks. In 2015, UBS, a global financial services company, raised the first red flag about its asset quality. The UBS report stated that Yes Bank had loaned more than its net worth to companies that were unlikely to pay back. However, Yes Bank continued to extend loans to several big firms and became the fifth-largest private sector lender (see Chart 1).

But, the type of firms and sectors to which Yes Bank was lending resulted in the start of the crisis. According to one estimate, as much as 25% of all Yes Bank loans were extended to Non-Banking Financial Companies, real estate firms, and the construction sector. These were the three sectors of the Indian economy that have struggled the most over the past few years. As Charts 2 and 3 show, Yes Bank was overexposed to these toxic assets. It was only a matter of time that non-performing assets (NPAs) started rising in Yes Bank.
Still, as Chart 4 shows, Yes Bank’s NPAs were not as alarmingly high as some of the other banks in the country. But what made it more susceptible to bankruptcy was its inability to honestly recognise its NPAs — on three different occasions, the last being in November 2019, the RBI pulled it up for under-reporting NPAs — and adequately provide for such bad loans. Chart 5 shows how Yes Bank fared poorly on provision coverage ratio, which essentially maps the ability of a bank to deal with NPAs.
While debtors failing to pay back was the central problem, what further compounded Yes Bank’s financial problems was the reaction of its depositors. As Yes Bank faltered on NPAs, its share price went down and public confidence in it fell. This reflected not only in depositors shying away from opening fresh accounts but also in massive withdrawals by existing depositors, who pulled out over Rs 18,000 crore between April and September last year. It is estimated that up to 20% more withdrawals could have happened between October and February.
So essentially, Yes Bank lost out on capital (money) from both depositors and debtors.
Will Yes Bank’s fall affect other private sector banks?
The banking system runs on trust. The Yes Bank episode could likely push depositors away from private sector banks. An analysis by AnandRathi Equities tries to evaluate the contagion impact on other private banks.
It states: “With these developments, we expect deposit growth for select private banks to slow, leading to lower credit growth”. The table above shows the calculated risk-based scores of 11 private banks.
What is RBI’s solution to Yes Bank’s revival; why has it triggered a controversy?
On March 6, the RBI released its “draft” revival plan for Yes Bank. Accordingly, State Bank of India could pick up 49% stake, and hold on to at least 26% for the next three years.
While this issue is still to be settled, another decision by the RBI created consternation among investors of Yes Bank.
The RBI stated that the so-called Additional Tier 1 (or AT1) capital that was raised by Yes Bank would be completely written off. In other words, those who lent money to Yes Bank under the AT1 category of bonds would lose all their money.
As much as Rs 10,800 crore fall under this category, and many popular mutual funds like Franklin Templeton, UTI Mutual Fund, SBI Pension Fund Trust, etc. stand to lose out. Indirectly, a lot of common investors too will lose out on their investments.
Yes Bank crisis: What is AT1 capital?
In a bank, there are different tiers (hierarchies) of capital (money). The top tier or T1 has the “equity” capital — that is, money put in by the owners and shareholders. It is the riskiest category of capital. Then there are different types of bonds (such as AT1 and AT2), which a bank floats to raise money from the market. Last is the depositor — the one who parks her money in the bank’s savings account.
The depositor’s money is the safest type of capital. When something goes wrong, the depositor is paid back first and the equity owner the last. When the going is good, the depositor earns the lowest reward (rate of return) while the equity owners earn the most profits.
What has created a problem is that RBI has said that capital raised via AT1 bonds, which is in the same tier of capital as equity (i.e., Tier 1), will be written off even though equity will not be.
Bond owners, that is the mutual funds who loaned the money to Yes Bank, argue that they are being unfairly written off. They argue that equity capital should be written off before AT1. But the RBI has thrown the rule book at them. In all likelihood, this matter will be only be decided in court. (Source: The Indian Express)


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Explained: How Yes Bank ran into crisis.

‘67% of donations to national parties by unknown sources’ - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

‘67% of donations to national parties by unknown sources’.

ADR analyses income tax returns and donation statements

As much as 67% of donations to national parties in 2018-19 came from “unknown sources,” an increase from 53% in the previous financial year, said a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms on Monday.
The ADR analysed the income tax returns and donation statements submitted to the Election Commission by the BJP, the Congress, the Trinamool, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Nationalist Congress Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The BSP declared zero voluntary contributions, the report said.
Total income
The total income of the parties was ₹3,749.37 crore, of which ₹951.66 crore was from known donors.

Electoral bonds accounted for 78% of the ₹2,512.98 crore, or 67%, income from unknown sources.
While parties are required to give details of all donations above ₹20,000, donations under ₹20,000 and those via electoral bonds remain anonymous.
Out of the total income from unknown sources, 64% went to the BJP and 29% to the Congress.
“Since a very large percentage of the income of political parties cannot be traced to the original donor, full details of all donors should be made available for public scrutiny under the RTI [Right to Information Act],” the ADR said in a statement.
In its report on national parties’ funds in 2017-2018 released in 2019, the ADR had analysed six parties, except the CPI(M) as details were not available. The report had said 53% of the income of the six parties came from unknown sources. (Source: The Hindu)


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‘67% of donations to national parties by unknown sources’.

How agroforestry could solve climate crisis - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

How agroforestry could solve climate crisis.

With agroforestry, degraded land can be transformed into food-growing carbon sinks

Agriculture and climate change are deeply intertwined. Agriculture is responsible for almost 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is the root cause of 80 per cent of tropical deforestation.
Intensive agriculture — characterised by monocultures and aimed at feeding farm animals — is one of the sectors that generates the highest amount of CO2 emissions.
Agroforestry, an agricultural method that nurtures natural ecosystems, could reverse these disturbing trends, according to researchers.
It is a resilient and future-proof sustainable agricultural method that could effectively mitigate the climate crisis.

This climate-smart farming system enables economically-viable production while significantly restoring land, mitigating climate change, safeguarding local biodiversity and strengthening food and nutritional securities for the growing population.
It is important to note that agroforestry considerably sequesters more carbon than industrial agriculture and can help restore degraded land.
Restoring 900 million hectares could stabilise global GHG emissions for 15-20 years, according to United Nations scientists.
With agroforestry, degraded land can be transformed into food-growing carbon sinks.
“In recent years we have seen increasing interest in agroforestry as an important component of sustainable land use and development,” said Douglas McGuire, a forest resource management team leader at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
“Trees grown through agroforestry are easily processed and therefore value is added,” said Zac Tchounjeu, a coordinator at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in central Africa. “The basic difference between cash crop production and agroforestry is that the cash crop farmer is not part of the value chain,” he added.
In the United States, agroforestry is mostly considered from an environmental point of view, often making economic benefits secondary. In the tropics, however, economic benefits are critical to encourage farmers.
Most farmers only have an acre or two of land on an average and they need all these products for their families to survive, so trees become vital.
Farmers — thanks to government programmes in tropical countries like Brazil, Indonesia, and Kenya — are paid to grow trees on their land to mitigate climate change.
Farming systems are more integrated and widely replicated in the tropics where farmers are poorer and economic benefits are desperately needed.
Cameroon is a weak emitter of GHG, emitting only 40,000 tonnes carbon dioxide yearly. The emissions level is however expected to more than double to 100,000 tonnes by 2035.
Environmentalists blame the country’s planned ambitious transformational projects for this.
The government, however, pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 11 per cent in line with Intended Nationally Determined Commitments.
Tchounjeu believes adopting agroforestry will assist Cameroon's government in obtaining such results.
He dismissed arguments that said strict commitments cutting GHG emissions would compromise economic growth.
“Agroforestry will actually improve farmers’ yields while at the same stabilise the climate,” he said.
“Governments, development agencies and companies exercising corporate social responsibility need to shift from talking about ‘planting’ to planning for ‘growing’ trees if they really want to achieve their goals,” said Lalisa Duguma, a sustainable landscapes and integrated climate action scientist with ICRAF.
“Species that match not only biophysical but also socio-economic conditions should be selected,” said Judith Nzyoka, a water engineer and expert on landscape restoration with ICRAF, adding that farmers were likely to care for trees if they were useful to them.
“Trees are not organisms that can grow anywhere,” said Peter Minang, principle science advisor with ICRAF. “They need proper soil and watering during dry seasons. Pests and diseases need to be controlled and the trees need protection against fire and damage by livestock,” he said.
Prospects for agroforestry in REDD+
Agroforestry can be a part of the UN's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD+) mechanism, according to the current definition of forests within the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Agroforestry offers a set of conservation and production technologies that help integrate forestry and agriculture efforts beyond carbon cycles, including water quality and biological diversity, according to Michael Jacobson, professor of forest resources at Penn State University in the US.
“Unfortunately, there is a tendency to treat agriculture and forestry separately when addressing natural-resource concerns,” he said.
Evidence for the many benefits from agroforestry is growing.
In practice, agroforestry has been deployed in the last 20 years as a strategy for addressing deforestation with integrated conservation and development projects as well as in emerging REDD+ sub-national projects.
Close to half of the REDD+ strategies in African countries identify agroforestry as a strategic option for effective, efficient and equitable REDD+ delivery, according to a study.
However, technical, policy and economic challenges remain largely unaddressed. If overcome, they would further enhance the potential contribution of agroforestry to REDD+.
Key technical challenges include getting good quality planting material for desired species, limited agronomical understanding of optimal shade management in sustainably intensive and diversified agroforestry systems and processing of products.
Similarly, economic and policy challenges include unclear rights to land, trees and carbon, poor market infrastructure, labour shortage and long-waiting periods for recovery of investments. Recovery of investments can sometimes take up to three years.
In order to enhance the contribution of agroforestry to REDD+ at the landscape level, it is critical to understand demand dimensions and employ better planning approaches in which land is shared between agroforestry, protected forests and other land uses, with clear and agreed rules for management.
It is also equally important to promote demand-driven, participatory and inclusive research, especially studying the socio-economic aspects and addressing impacts at larger spatial and longer temporal scales.
The Paris Agreement set a clear objective: “Limiting the global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius and to do everything in our power to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees”.
The silver lining here is that we cannot protect environment without changing our eating habits.
Small-scale farmers with less than five hectares of land, produce around half of the world’s food. However, a majority of them are living in poverty and suffering from food insecurity and malnutrition.
They are in the front-line of climate change, especially in the tropics.
If executed properly, agroforestry can play a vital role in both climate change mitigation and adaption.
It is one of the key strategies to empower small-scale farmers through strengthening their food, nutritional and livelihood securities amid an ever-changing climate.


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How agroforestry could solve climate crisis.

Coronavirus may eat into global FDI flow, predicts UNCTAD - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Coronavirus may eat into global FDI flow, predicts UNCTAD.

FDI flows across the world will witness a sharp decline of 5-15 per cent.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows across the world will witness a sharp decline of five to 15 per cent because of the global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a report. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) — in its assessment published on March 4, 2020 — said the decline would be restricted to five per cent if the outbreak was controlled.

However, the fallout would be much more if the outbreak was not reigned in, according to the report.
The severity of the outbreak in a country would determine the impact on its FDI flows, the report said. FDI inflows would be impacted because of supply chain disruptions.
More than 109 nations were affected by the outbreak as of March 9, 2020, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. South Korea, Italy and Iran were the worst hit after China.
The number of infected went up to 40 in India, after one more case was reported in Kerala on March 9.
The impact on business because of the COVID-19 outbreak would also be felt by more than two-thirds of the top 100 multinational enterprises (MNEs), who issued statements to this effect, according to the report.
The average earning revisions for MNEs would be minus 16 per cent in the developed world and minus six per cent in the developing world, according to the report.
Asia would bear the brunt of this because global value chains centred around China, South Korea and Japan would cause the biggest disruptions, the report said.
Energy, technology, telecommunication services sectors will also be affected by the outbreak, according to the report.
The impact on ongoing greenfield projects (those starting from scratch) would be limited, according to the report. However, announcements of new projects would be delayed.
Mergers and acquisitions will also witness slowdowns, according to the report.
“Market-seeking investment and FDI projects in extractive industries could be delayed worldwide as a result of negative demand shocks,” the report said, giving the example of carmaker Toyota, which reported a 70 per cent drop in sales in China.
The impact was already visible in major markets beyond China, especially in industries such as tourism and retail, the report said.
Major disruptions were earlier reported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other consultancy groups.
China’s economic growth would be affected in the first three months of 2020 even if disruptions from the outbreak end, Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of IMF, wrote in her blog on February 2020.
Global gross domestic product growth would decline by 2.3 per cent from 2.5 per cent, according to an estimate by consultancy group Oxford Economics in February 2020.


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Coronavirus may eat into global FDI flow, predicts UNCTAD.

India saw largest area-wise forest fires in South Asia from 2003-17, finds ISRO study - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India saw largest area-wise forest fires in South Asia from 2003-17, finds ISRO study.

The study found that most fires in India were surface fires emerging during hot and dry weather conditions in March and April, and the most common cause of fires in South Asia was deforestation surface fires burn down small vegetation, debris and spread rapidly, destroying the forest floor.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) researchers have found that India saw the largest area-wise forest fires across a region comprising seven South Asian countries, over a 15-year period between 2003 and 2017.
The study found that most fires in India were surface fires emerging during hot and dry weather conditions in March and April, and the most common cause of fires in South Asia was deforestation surface fires burn down small vegetation, debris and spread rapidly, destroying the forest floor. The study found that fire hotspots are increasing in Bangladesh (34.2 percent) and India (32.2 percent).
An Indian Forest Service official said on condition of anonymity, “The season of forest fire in India is about to begin. This time, there is higher ground load the presence of dried-up grass and leaves, which can easily go up in flames in case of fire.”
According to the latest Forest Survey of India (FSI) report, 36 percent of forests in India are prone to fires, of which 95 percent were caused by anthropogenic activities. The study found that the largest area-wise forest fires in India emerged from Central India, though fires were more frequent in Northeast India due to the shifting of cultivation. The FSI report of 2019 lists out the electric spark, cigarette smoking or naked flame besides natural fire, as some of the common causes for fire in Indian forests.
“The ill-effects of forest burning is directly on the ecology and economy, as there is an imbalance created in the atmospheric chemistry. Due to forest burning, there is an increase in emissions of greenhouse gases,” the study stated.
A team of researchers from ISRO’s Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) conducted the study over an area of 51,23,270 sq km across Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Bangladesh from 2003 to 2017. The results were published in Springer Nature in February.
Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, and Meghalaya were ranked at the top among Indian states where the highest number of forest fire incidents were reported during the study period. But the concentration of emerging hotspots was reportedly growing over Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.
Forest officials blamed human activity as the main cause of most forest fires in India.
Over 15 years, the researchers recorded a total of 5,22,348 fire incidents of varying intensities and different types. Like India, most fires emerged during March and April in the other countries in the study, mainly owing to the region’s hot and dry weather conditions besides the land’s topography, the experts said.
Of the total landmass in South Asia, only 14.7 percent is under forest cover, while agriculture has the largest share at 43 percent. The rest 19.9 percent is a barren land.
According to the NRSC team’s analysis, the maximum number of fire incidents are reported from tropical moist deciduous and tropical dry deciduous forests. “The…common causes for fires in South Asian countries are deforestation, controlled burning, promotion of new flush of grasses, collection of minor forest produce and firewood burning,” the study stated.
Recently, there has been a spate of wildfires in Australia, California, and Brazil. Australia, despite having advanced equipment to tackle fires, could not bring them under control until the maximum damage was already done.
The forest official, explaining the challenges India faces, said, “Tackling and controlling forest fires is extremely difficult as the fire progresses in the direction along with the wind and towards higher altitudes. Besides, with limited access and to carry heavy water extinguishers into forests here, dousing fires often forces forest staffers to risk their lives and get closer to fire. They mostly use hand-held blowers. Besides, limited ground staff makes it more difficult to take timely action, particularly during the peak forest fire season.”
Indicating a direct link between the variation in temperatures and forests coming under fire, the NRSC study explained the maximum fires (9.9 percent) recorded in 2009. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 2009 was the warmest ever year recorded (till then), when India’s annual mean temperature was 25.6 degrees Celsius. Notably, 2009 was a year that saw a strong influence of El Nino. The scientists observed a similar surge in the forest fire events in 2012 (8.7 percent). (Source: The Indian Express)


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India saw largest area-wise forest fires in South Asia from 2003-17, finds ISRO study.

Over 40% govt. schools don’t have power, playgrounds: parliamentary panel - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Over 40% govt. schools don’t have power, playgrounds: parliamentary panel.

Parliamentary panel identifies shortfalls in budgetary funding and utilisation, resulting in critical infrastructure gaps

Almost half of government schools in the country don’t have any electricity or playgrounds, according to a parliamentary panel on education. It identified shortfalls in both budgetary funding and utilisation, resulting in critical infrastructure gaps.
In its report on the 2020-2021 demand for grants for school education submitted to the Rajya Sabha last week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development (HRD) expressed concern that budgetary allocations saw a 27% cut from proposals made by the School Education department. Despite proposals for ₹82,570 crore, only ₹59,845 crore was allocated. Noting similar 27% reductions for the Central and Centrally Sponsored Schemes as well, the panel recommended that these core schemes get additional funds at the revised estimates stage.
Stark deficits
The panel “expressed dismay” at the stark deficits in government school infrastructure, citing the latest survey data.
Only 56% of schools have electricity, with the lowest rates in Manipur and Madhya Pradesh, where less than 20% have access to power. Less than 57% of schools have playgrounds, including less than 30% of schools in Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2017-18 survey. Almost 40% of schools did not have a boundary wall, endangering the safety of students and school property.
The panel recommended that the HRD Ministry collaborate with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to construct boundary walls, and work with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to provide solar energy and other renewable energy sources so that schools have access to power.
'Dismal progress’
The parliamentary panel also slammed the government for its “dismal” rate of progress in building classrooms, labs and libraries to strengthen government higher secondary schools. Out of 2,613 sanctioned projects for 2019-20, only three had been completed in the first nine months of the financial year, said the panel, warning that such delays would alienate students from government schools.
In government higher secondary schools, not a single additional classroom had been built by December 31, 2019, although 1,021 had been sanctioned for the financial year 2019-20. Only three laboratories had been built — one each for physics, chemistry and biology — despite sanctioned funds for 1,343 labs. Although 135 libraries and 74 art/craft/culture rooms had been sanctioned, none had been built with just three months left in the financial year.
The record is better at secondary schools, where 70-75% of such facilities had been finished by December, although less than 5% of the facilities aimed at disabled students — ramps and special toilets — had been completed. At primary schools, there was a 90-95% record of infrastructure completion.
Samagra Shiksha Scheme
Overall, for the core Samagra Shiksha Scheme, the department had only spent 71% of revised estimates by December 31, 2019.
“The committee would like to impress upon the department to look into the factors impeding the infrastructure development and resolve them at the earliest so as to ensure that the students get the best possible facilities,” said the report, recommending that the Centre replicate the model of States which have done well in creating and maintaining such facilities.
“The committee is aware of the fact that delay in completion of infrastructure not only leads to students getting alienated from the government schools but also leads to cost overruns and cause an additional strain on the financial resources of the country,” the report said. (Source: The Hindu),


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Over 40% govt. schools don’t have power, playgrounds: parliamentary panel.

Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1 can keep a 24/7 watch on Indian subcontinent, say ISRO veterans - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1 can keep a 24/7 watch on Indian subcontinent, say ISRO veterans.

Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) latest earth observation satellite GISAT-1, the launch of which was postponed by the space agency due to technical reasons on March 4, 2020, can keep a 24/7 watch on Indian subcontinent.

Though the launch was postponed for some time, ISRO veterans claimed that the the geo-imaging satellite GISAT-1, which is one of the first-of-its-kind satellites, is equipped with a very powerful telescope and very sensitive imaging sensors which have been developed indigenously.
Explaining reasons for placing the earth-observation satellites in GEO, Padma Shri Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, Programme Director Chandrayaan 1 and Mangalyaan, Vice President TN State Council for Science and Technology, said, ‘’Satellites in Low earth orbit can only click an image of a particular spot only 2-3 times a day, when they make a pass, but satellites in geostationary orbit (In sync with the movement of the earth) can constantly monitor a vast area. When a satellite is placed in GEO, it can click pictures of a particular spot in India or any spot that is visible to it, almost 24/7.’’
When asked if the image quality will not be adversely affected due to its distance of nearly 36000 km from earth, Annadurai said, ‘’It is true that the resolution and quality of an image would be affected due to the 36,000 km orbit at which the satellite is placed, but besides optical cameras, we can also use other infrared-based imaging sensors that are part of the satellite.’’
Replying to a question if there were other Indian satellites apart from communication satellites which have been placed in GEO, Annadurai said, ‘’Some of our earlier satellites such as Kalpana, INSAT 3D and INSAT 3DR can click images 24/7. INSAT 3D and 3DR are utilized for communication, monitoring climate, environment and for disaster management system and are placed in GSO.’’
‘’These are the satellites that help us track changing weather patterns every 15 minutes. While the earlier ones were multi-purpose satellites, the current satellite GISAT-1 is a more advanced version dedicated mainly to earth observation and can give higher resolution images and incorporates a different kind of technology,’’ he added.
Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai also explained how the new technology will change the functionality of the satellite and said, ‘’Some of our earlier generations of satellites like INSAT series had a scanning mirror in them, that moved east-west in a sweeping motion as a part of the image capturing process. However, since the satellites were also used for communications purposes(and are required to move in such a way that it appears fixed over a particular spot above the equator), the satellite was only moving on its GEO (in sync with the angular velocity of the earth). But since the GISAT is dedicated mainly for different kinds of earth observation, the satellite itself can rotate on an east-west, north-south axis to enable imaging of a specific region. In layman’s terms, its like tilting a handheld camera and moving it for getting the best shot.’’
Meanwhile, Padma Vibhushan Dr G Madhavan Nair, former Chairman, ISRO, said revealed some of the real world applications of the GISAT -1.
Nair said, ‘’If we have a natural calamity in a particular region or a region that has to be monitored, we can issue commands for the satellite to point towards that specific region, or a weather pattern such as a cyclone and look at it in more detail. Low earth orbit satellites can give us better quality pictures, but they can make a pass only every 110minutes or so. But in the case of GISAT, we can continuously observe the area. So if a region is affected by forest fires or floods, we will know it near-real time and (if required) can deploy the satellites in Low Earth Orbit to click high-resolution pictures to improve our awareness of the situation.’’
Explaining why ISRO calls it the first state-of-the-art agile earth observation satellite from Geostationary orbit, Nair said, ‘’As far as India is concerned this is the first-of-its-kind satellite. Basically this is a technology breakthrough as it requires a very powerful telescope and very sensitive imaging sensors which we have developed indigenously. We have been working on this technology for sometime.’’
The launch of ISRO’s GSLV-F10 rocket carrying the geo-imaging satellite GISAT-1, that was scheduled for 5:43 pm on Thursday, was postponed by the ISRO due to technical reasons. ISRO has said that a revised launch date would be announced in due course.
The GSLV rocket will be carrying what ISRO calls a state-of-the-art agile Earth Observation Satellite into Geo Stationary Transfer Orbit(GTO), which is 36,000 km at its farthest point from earth and 170km at its nearest point to earth.
After it is placed in GTO, the satellite would be issued a series of commands to fire its Liquid Apogee Motor(LAM) for a few sequential burns, until it is placed in Geostationary orbit (GEO) of 36000km circular from where the satellite would be seen stationary to all the points from the earth.
According to ISRO, the satellite is meant to provide near real time imaging of large regions of interest at frequent intervals, quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events and also obtain spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow & glaciers and oceanography.
While conventionally, earth-observation satellites are placed in Low-Earth orbit (between 500 and 2000kms), to ensure high resolution imagery, better capabilities, it is pertinent to note that ISRO’s latest agile earth-observation satellite is to be placed in 36,000kms away. The GEO orbit is generally meant for Communication Satellites that are required to relay signals across a vast landmass. Being placed in the 36,000km circular orbit would also mean that the 2268kg GISAT-1 is beyond the range of Anti-satellite missiles. (Source: pib)

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Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1 can keep a 24/7 watch on Indian subcontinent, say ISRO veterans.

Subsidy to Artisans under Solar Charkha Mission - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Subsidy to Artisans under Solar Charkha Mission.

The scheme Mission Solar Charkha is enterprise driven scheme and envisages setting up of ‘Solar Charkha Clusters’ which will have 200 to 2042 beneficiaries (Spinners, Weavers, Stitchers and other skilled artisans). Each spinner will be given two charkhas of 10 spindles each.

As part of the scheme no subsidy is given, however subsidy to the tune of Rs.9.60 crore is provided for procurement of charkha and looms to the Implementing or Promoting Agency for a full-scale Solar Charkha Cluster involving a total investment of about Rs.38.625 crore.
Based on the success of a pilot project on Solar Charkha, set up at Khanwa village, Nawada District, Bihar in 2016 which benefitted about 1180 artisans, Government of India accorded approval to set up 50 such clusters. As part of the scheme based on the Expression of Interest (EOI), a total of 10 proposals have been approved under Mission Solar Charkha till date which is expected to benefit about 13784 artisans/workers.
These solar charkhas are to be operated using solar power which is a renewable energy source. It will help in development of Green Economy as it is an environment friendly programme. It will also generate sustainable employment for the artisans. (Source: pib)


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Subsidy to Artisans under Solar Charkha Mission.