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Distribution: weekly

  • Accessible India Campaign

    With its deadline of June 2022 almost up, the status of targets under the Accessible India Campaign (AIC) is likely to be discussed during a meeting of the Central Advisory Board on Disability.

    What is Accessible India Campaign?

    • Accessible India Campaign or Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan is a program that is launched to serve the differently-able community of the country.
    • The flagship program has been launched on 3 December 2015, the International Day of People with Disabilities.
    • The program comes with an index to measure the design of disabled-friendly buildings and human resource policies.
    • The initiative also in line with Article 9 of the (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) which India is a signatory since 2007.
    • The scheme also comes under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 for equal Opportunities and protection of rights which provides non-discrimination in Transport to Persons with Disabilities.

    Recent developments

    • The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) released the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021.
    • Drafted by a team of the IIT-Roorkee and the National Institute of Urban Affairs of the MoHUA, the revised guidelines aim to give a holistic approach.
    • Earlier, the guidelines were for creating a barrier-free environment, but now they are focusing on universal accessibility.

    Key highlights

    • Ramps: The guidelines provide the gradient and length of ramps — for example, for a length of six metres, the gradient should be 1:12. The minimum clear width of a ramp should be 1,200 mm.
    • Beyond PwDs: While making public buildings and transport fully accessible for wheelchair users is covered in the guidelines, other users who may experience temporary problems have also been considered. For instance, a parent pushing a child’s pram while carrying groceries or other bags, and women wearing saris.
    • Women friendly: Built environment needs for accessibility for women should consider diverse age groups, diverse cultural contexts and diverse life situations in which women operate. Diverse forms of clothing (saris, salwar-kameez, etc.) and footwear (heels, kolhapuri chappals, etc.) require a certain orientations.
    • Accessibility symbols: The guidelines call for accessibility symbols for PwD, family-friendly facilities and transgender to be inclusively incorporated among the symbols for other user groups.
    • Targeted authorities: The guidelines are meant for State governments, government departments and the private sector, as well as for reference by architecture and planning institutes.

    Policy measures for PwDs

    • India is a signatory to the UN Convention the Right of Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in 2007.
    • The Union Minister for Social justice and Empowerment has also launched the “Sugamya Bharat App” to complain for ease accessibility for PwDs.
    • India has its dedicated the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which is the principal and comprehensive legislation concerning persons with disabilities.

     

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  • World’s first Fishing Cat Census done in Chilika

    The Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, has 176 fishing cats, according to a census done by the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with the Fishing Cat Project (TFCP).

    About Fishing Cats

    • About twice the size of a typical house cat, the fishing cat is a feline with a powerful build and stocky legs.
    • It is an adept swimmer and enters water frequently to prey on fish as its name suggests.
    • It is known to even dive to catch fish.
    • It is nocturnal and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals.
    • It is capable of breeding all year round but in India its peak breeding season is known to be between March and May.

    Conservation status

    • IUCN Red List: Endangered
    • CITES: Appendix II
    • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

    Various threats

    • One of the major threats facing the fishing cat is the destruction of wetlands, which is its preferred habitat.
    • As a result of human settlement, drainage for agriculture, pollution, and wood-cutting most of the wetlands in India are under threat of destruction.
    • Another threat to the fishing cat is the depletion of its main prey-fish due to unsustainable fishing practices.
    • It is also occasionally poached for its skin.

    Back2Basics: Chilika Lake

    • Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha.
    • It is located at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 km2.
    • It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef.
    • It has been listed Ramsar Site as well as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Its formation

    • The process of the formation of the Chilika might have begun in the latter part of the Pleistocene epoch, around 20,000 years ago.
    • India’s peninsular river Mahanadi carried a heavy load of silt and dumped part of it at its delta.
    • As the sediment-laden river met the Bay of Bengal, sand bars were formed near its mouth.
    • These created a backflow of the seawater into the sluggish fresh water at the estuary, resulting in the huge brackish water lake.
    • Marine archaeological studies on the Odisha coast clearly show that the Chilika once acted as a safe harbor for cargo ships bound for Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.

     

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  • UAPA

    The Supreme Court recently put freeze on sedition proceedings under the Section 124A (sedition law) of the IPC for persons who have also been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) of 1967 in the same case or separately.

    What is the news?

    • This freeze has rejected bails for some journalist and JNU activists who also face charges under the UAPA (for anti-India sloganeering and activites).
    • Now they have been accused of making anti-national activities during the Delhi Riots.

    Why is UAPA significant?

    • An amendment made in 2019 has made the Act even more powerful.
    • Now it can designate individuals, and not just associations, as ‘terrorists’.

    Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act (UAPA)

    • The UAPA is aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India.
    • Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India
    • It is an upgrade on the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act TADA, which was allowed to lapse in 1995 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was repealed in 2004.
    • It was originally passed in 1967 under the then Congress government led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
    • Till 2004, “unlawful” activities referred to actions related to secession and cession of territory. Following the 2004 amendment, “terrorist act” was added to the list of offences.

    Major feature: Designation of Terrorists

    • The Centre had amended UAPA, 1967, in August 2019 to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist.
    • Before this amendment, only organisations could be designated as terrorist outfits.
    • Section 15 of the UAPA defines a “terrorist act” as any act committed with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security, economic security, or sovereignty of India or with intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country.
    • The original Act dealt with “unlawful” acts related to secession; anti-terror provisions were introduced in 2004.

    Who makes such designation?

    • The UAPA (after 2019 amendment)seeks to empower the central government to designate an individual a “terrorist” if they are found committing, preparing for, promoting, or involved in an act of terror.
    • A similar provision already exists in Part 4 and 6 of the legislation for organizations that can be designated as a “terrorist organisations”.

    How individuals are declared terrorists?

    • The central government may designate an individual as a terrorist through a notification in the official gazette, and add his name to the schedule supplemented to the UAPA Bill.
    • The government is not required to give an individual an opportunity to be heard before such a designation.
    • At present, in line with the legal presumption of an individual being innocent until proven guilty, an individual who is convicted in a terror case is legally referred to as a terrorist.
    • While those suspected of being involved in terrorist activities are referred to as terror accused.

    What happens when an individual is declared a terrorist?

    • The designation of an individual as a global terrorist by the United Nations is associated with sanctions including travel bans, freezing of assets and an embargo against procuring arms.
    • The UAPA, however, does not provide any such detail.
    • It also does not require the filing of cases or arresting individuals while designating them as terrorists.

    Removing the terrorist tag

    • The UAPA gives the central government the power to remove a name from the schedule when an individual makes an application.
    • The procedure for such an application and the process of decision-making will is decided by the central government.
    • If an application filed by an individual declared a terrorist is rejected by the government, the UAPA gives him the right to seek a review within one month after the application is rejected.
    • The central government will set up the review committee consisting of a chairperson (a retired or sitting judge of a High Court) and three other members.
    • The review committee is empowered to order the government to delete the name of the individual from the schedule that lists “terrorists” if it considers the order to be flawed.
    • Apart from these two avenues, the individual can also move the courts to challenge the government’s order.

     

     

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  • What are PM Shri Schools?

    Union Education Ministry is planning to set up “PM Shri Schools”.

    PM Shri Schools

    • PM Shri Schools will be the laboratory of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
    • They will be fully equipped to prepare students for the future.

    Likely features of these schools

    • It could imbibe 5+3+3+4 (to replace the 10+2 schooling system) approach of NEP covering pre-school to secondary, emphasis on ECCE, teacher training & adult education.
    • There will be an integration of skill development with school education and prioritising learning in mother tongue which are steps for preparing global citizens of the 21st century.
    • Since the NEP 2020 also increases the span of the Right to Education Act, it will now cover ages 3 to 18.

    Explained: 5+3+3+4 Schooling System

    • As per the new school education system of 5+3+3+4 outlined in NEP 2020, children will spend 5 years in the Foundational stage, 3 years in the Preparatory stage, 3 years in the Middle stage, and 4 years in the Secondary stage.
    • The division of stages has been made in line with the kind of cognitive development stages that a child goes through early childhood, school years, and secondary stage.
    • Here is the age-wise breakdown of the different levels of the new school education system:

    (1) 5 years of Foundational stage:

    For ages: 3 to 8, For classes: Anganwadi/pre-school, class 1, class 2

    • The foundational stage of education as per the national education policy will comprise 3 years or preschool or anganwadi education followed by two years of primary classes (classes 1 and 2).
    • This stage will focus on teaching in play-based or activity-based methods and on the development of language skills.

    (2) 3 years of Preparatory stage:

    For ages: 8 to 11, For classes: 3 to 5

    • The focus in the preparatory stage will remain on language development and numeracy skills.
    • Here, the method of teaching and learning would be play and activity-based, and also include classroom interactions and the element of discovery.

    (3) 3 years of Middle stage:

    For ages: 11 to 14, For classes: 6 to 8

    • As per NEP 2020, this stage of school education will focus on critical learning objectives, which is a big shift from the rote learning methods used in our education system for years.
    • This stage will work on experiential learning in the sciences, mathematics, arts, social sciences and humanities.

    (4) 4 years of Secondary stage:

    For ages: 14 to 18, For classes: 9 to 12

    • This stage will cover two phases classes 9 and 10, and classes 11 and 12.
    • The main change in these classes is the shift to a multidisciplinary system where students will have access to a variety of subject combinations that they can choose as per their skills and interest areas instead of being strictly divided into Arts, Science and Commerce categories.
    • This stage will again push for greater critical thinking and flexibility in the thought process.

     

     

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  • Posidonia Australis: World’s Largest Plant

    The world’s largest plant has recently been discovered off the West Coast of Australia: a seagrass 180 km in length.

    Posidonia australis

    • The ribbon weed, or Posidonia australis, has been discovered in Shark Bay by a group of researchers from Flinders University and The University of Western Australia.
    • These researchers have also found that the plant is 4,500 years old, is sterile, has double the number of chromosomes than other similar plants.
    • It has managed to survive the volatile atmosphere of the shallow Shark Bay.

    So how remarkable is this plant’s size?

    • The ribbon weed covers an area of 20,000 hectares.
    • The next on the podium, the second largest plant, is the clonal colony of a quaking Aspen tree in Utah, which covers 43.6 hectares.
    • The largest tree in India, the Great Banyan in Howrah’s Botanical Garden, covers 1.41 hectares.

    If it is so large, how come it has just been discovered?

    • The existence of the seagrass was known, that it is one single plant was not.
    • Researchers were interested in what they then thought was a meadow because they wanted to study its genetic diversity, and collect some parts for seagrass restoration.

    How did it grow, and survive for, so long?

    • Sometime in the Harappan era, a plant took root in the Shark Bay.
    • Then it kept spreading through its rhizomes, overcoming everything in its way, and here we are today.
    • Ribbon weed rhizomes can usually grow to around 35cm per year, which is how the scientists arrived at its lifespan of 4,5000 years.
    • The researchers found that the ribbon weed cannot spread its seeds, something that helps plants overcome environmental threats.
    • Also, Shark Bay sees fluctuations in temperature and salinity and gets a lot of light, conditions challenging for any plant.

    Ecological significance

    • Because seagrass performs a vital role in the environment, and if some of it is hardy, it is good news for everyone in a world threatened by climate change.
    • In India, seagrass is found in many coastal areas, most notably in Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait.
    • Apart from being home to a variety of small organisms, seagrass trap sediments and prevent water from getting muddy, absorb carbon from the atmosphere, and prevent coastal erosion.

     

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  • Species in news: Eublepharis pictus

    A gecko found in Visakhapatnam in 2017, then thought to belong to a known species, has now been identified as a member of a new species.

    Eublepharis pictus

    • The species, Eublepharis pictus, also known as the Painted Leopard Gecko, has been described in the journal Evolutionary Systematics.
    • Phylogenetic study and morphological comparisons have distinguished it as a new species.
    • It is endemic to the forests of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
    • The gecko genus Eublepharis now has 7 species.

    Conservation status

    • The species occurs outside protected areas.
    • Most leopard geckos are killed when encountered.
    • Activists have called for raising awareness about the fact that the species is actually harmless.

     

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  • Gig Workers’ Rights

    The Union Labour Ministry is organizing a program aimed at sharing information and good experiences on policies and global practices relating to gig and platform workers and their social security.

    What is the Gig Economy?

    • In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees.
    • A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who rarely change positions and instead focus on a lifetime career. e.g Employee models of Uber, Ola, Swiggy etc
    • In this economy, tech-enabled platforms connect the consumer to the gig worker to hire services on a short-term basis.
    • Gig workers include self-employed, freelancers, independent contributors and part-time workers.

    Where does gig culture exist in Indian Economy?

    • Sectors such as media, real estate, legal, hospitality, technology-help, management, medicine, allied and education are already operating in gig culture.
    • The gig economy can benefit workers, businesses, and consumers by making work more adaptable to the needs of the moment and demand for flexible lifestyles.

    Key Drivers for Gig Economy

    • Unconventional work approach by millennials: Hectic lifestyles of employees in private sectors have created a negative perception of full-time employment among millennials.
    • Emergence of a start-up culture: The start-up ecosystem in India has been developing rapidly. For start-ups, hiring full-time employees leads to high fixed costs and therefore, contractual freelancers are hired for non-core activities.
    • MNCs are hiring contractual employees: MNCs are adopting flexi-hiring options, especially for niche projects, to reduce operational expenses after the pandemic.
    • Rise in freelancing platforms: Rise in freelancing platforms has also aided in the development of the gig economy.
    • Business Models: Gig employees work on various compensation models such as fixed-fee (decided during contract initiation), time & effort, actual unit of work delivered and quality of outcome.
    • Impact of Covid-19: Many laid-off employees are focusing on developing skills to avail freelance job opportunities and become a part of this burgeoning economy.

    Why is Gig Economy preferred by workers?

    • Profit through multiple work: One can work on freelancing as well as work full-time somewhere else.
    • Women empowerment: It is very beneficial for womenwho work on this concept when they cannot continue their work or take a break from career due to marriage or child birth.
    • Leisure and dependency: Retired peoplecan stay active after retirement as this will keep them engaged away from loneliness and depression and can earn as well on their own.
    • Flexibility and diversity to the workers: It offers flexibility when workers can work according to their convenience and schedule rather than routine like in full-time jobs.
    • Work from home: The travel costs and energy to travel to the workplace is reduced.

    Why is Gig Economy preferred by Employers?

    • Efficiency, efficacy and productivity of workers in the gig economy are much more than that of a stable full-time job.
    • More rconomical for employers-when employment givers can’t afford to hire full-time workers, they hire people for specific projects and pay them.
    • Start-up companies and entrepreneurs – who do not have big financial space – can grow only if they can leverage the services of contract employees or freelancers.
    • In a gig economy, businesses save resources in terms of benefits, office space and training.
    • Competition and efficiency among workers is improved.

    Challenges faced in Gig economy

    • No perks and benefits: There are no labour welfare emoluments like pension, gratuity, etc. for the workers.
    • Job insecurity: Gig workers may face unfair termination. They may also attain minimum wages and less paid leave.
    • No legal protection: Workers do not have the bargaining power to negotiate a fair deal with their employers.
    • Unionization of workers will be difficult.
    • Confidentiality of documents etc. of the workplace is not guaranteed
    • Urban nature: The gig economy is not accessible for people in many rural areas where internet connectivity and electricity is unavailable.

    Way Forward

    • The gig economy has been on the rise and is expected to beat the pre-pandemic estimates due the expected influx of gig workers transitioning from full-time employment.
    • While the government has taken the initial steps to ensure social security of gig workers, the ‘Code on Social Security’ needs to be fine-tuned.

     

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  • Back in news: Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)

    A national helpline for women deserted in Non-Resident Indian (NRI) marriages and the need for a dedicated fund to provide assistance to them are among the recommendations made at a consultation organized by the National Commission for Women (NCW).

    What are the issues faced by NRI wives?

    • Abandon after marriage
    • Inconclusive divorces filed abroad
    • Child custody disputes

    Classification of Overseas Indians

    Overseas Indians, officially known as Non-resident Indians (NRIs) or Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), are people of Indian birth, descent or origin who live outside the Republic of India:

    (A) Non-Resident Indian (NRI)

    • Strictly asserting non-resident refers only to the tax status of a person who, as per section 6 of the Income-tax Act of 1961, has not resided in India for a specified period for the purposes of the Act.
    • The rates of income tax are different for persons who are “resident in India” and for NRIs.

    (B) Person of Indian Origin (PIO)

    Person of Indian Origin (PIO) means a foreign citizen (except a national of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and/or Nepal), who:

    • at any time held an Indian passport OR
    • either of their parents/grandparents/great-grandparents were born and permanently resident in India as defined in GoI Act, 1935 and other territories that became part of India thereafter provided neither was at any time a citizen of any of the aforesaid countries OR
    • is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO.

    (C) Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

    • After multiple efforts by leaders across the Indian political spectrum, a pseudo-citizenship scheme was established, the “Overseas Citizenship of India”, commonly referred to as the OCI card.
    • The Constitution of India does not permit full dual citizenship.
    • The OCI card is effectively a long-term visa, with restrictions on voting rights and government jobs.

     

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  • Questioning the Safety of Aadhaar

    Two days after issuing an advisory asking people to refrain from sharing photocopies of their Aadhaar Card, the Unique Identification Development Authority of India (UIDAI) opted to withdraw the notification.

    UIDAI Advisory

    • The withdrawn notice had suggested holders use a masked Aadhaar card instead of the conventional photocopy.
    • It added that the document must not be downloaded from a cybercafe or public computer and if done for some reason, must be permanently deleted from the system.
    • Private entities like hotels or film halls cannot collect or keep copies of the identification document.

    What is Masked Aadhaar?

    • ‘Masked Aadhaar’ veils the first eight digits of the twelve-digit ID with ‘XXXX’ characters.
    • The notice informed that only entities possessing a ‘User Licence’ are permitted to seek Aadhaar for authentication purposes.

    Why in news now?

    • In July 2018, Telecom Regulatory of India’s Chairman tweeted his Aadhaar number challenging users to “cause him any harm”.
    • In response, users dug up his mobile number, PAN number, photographs, residential address and date of birth.
    • UIDAI dismissed assertions of any data leak, arguing that most of the data was publicly available.
    • It did however caution users from publicly sharing their Aadhaar numbers.

    Security of Aadhaar: What does the law say?

    • The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 makes it clear.
    • Aadhaar authentication is necessary for availing subsidies, benefits and services that are financed from the Consolidated Fund of India.
    • In the absence of Aadhaar, the individual is to be offered an alternate and viable means of identification to ensure she/he is not deprived of the same.
    • Separately, Aadhaar has been described as a preferred KYC (Know Your Customer) document but not mandatory for opening bank accounts, acquiring a new SIM or school admissions.
    • The requesting entity would have to obtain the consent of the individual before collecting his/her identity.
    • The entity must ensure that the information is only used for authentication purposes on the Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR).

    What is CIDR?

    • This centralised database contains all Aadhaar numbers and holder’s corresponding demographic and biometric information.
    • UIDAI responds to authentication queries with a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
    • In some cases, basic KYC details (as name, address, photograph etc.) accompany the verification answer ‘Yes’.
    • The regulator does not receive or collect the holder’s bank, investment or insurance details.

    Protection of confidentiality

    • The Act makes it clear that confidentiality needs to be maintained and the authenticated information cannot be used for anything other than the specified purpose.
    • More importantly, no Aadhaar number (or enclosed personal information) collected from the holder can be published, displayed or posted publicly.
    • Identity information or authentication records would only be liable to be produced pursuant to an order of the High Court or Supreme Court, or by someone of the Secretary rank or above in the interest of national security.

    Is identity theft via Aadhaar possible?

    • As per the National Payment Corporation of India’s (NCPI) data, ₹6.48 crore worth of financial frauds through 8,739 transactions involving 2,391 unique users took place in FY 2021-22.
    • Since the inception of the UID project, institutions and organisations have endowed greater focus on linking their databases with Aadhaar numbers.
    • This include bank accounts especially in light of the compulsory linkage for direct benefit transfer schemes.

    Structural problems with UIDAI

    • The Aadhaar Data Vault is where all numbers collected by authentication agencies are centrally stored.
    • Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) latest report stipulated that UIDAI has not specified any encryption algorithm (as of October 2020) to secure the same.
    • There is no mechanism to illustrate that the entities were adhering to appropriate procedures.
    • Further, UIDAI’s unstable record with biometric authentication has not helped it with de-duplication efforts, the process that ensures that each Aadhaar Number generated is unique.
    • The CAG’s reported stated that apart from the issue of multiple Aadhaars to the same resident, there have been instances of the same biometric data being accorded to multiple residents.

    Conclusion

    • The CAG concluded it was “not effective enough” in detecting the leakages and plugging them.
    • Biometric authentications can be a cause of worry, especially for disabled and senior citizens with both the iris and fingerprints dilapidating.
    • Though the UIDAI has assured that no one would be deprived of any benefits due to biometric authentication failures.
    • The absence of an efficient technology could serve as poignant premise for frauds to make use of their ‘databases’.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Aadhaar metadata cannot be stored for more than three months.
    2. State cannot enter into any contract with private corporations for sharing of Aadhaar data.
    3. Aadhaar is mandatory for obtaining insurance products.
    4. Aadhaar is mandatory for getting benefits funded out of the Consolidated Fund of India.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 4 only

    (b) 2 and 4 only

    (c) 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3 only

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”m9l8xajnd2″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • What is Liquid Nano Urea?

    During his visit to Gujarat, Prime Minister inaugurated the country’s first liquid nano urea plant at Kalol.

    Liquid Nano Urea (LNU)

    • Urea is chemical nitrogen fertiliser, white in colour, which artificially provides nitrogen, a major nutrient required by plants.
    • LNU is essentially urea in the form of a nanoparticle.
    • It is sprayed directly on the leaves and gets absorbed by the plant.
    • Fertilisers in nano form provide a targeted supply of nutrients to crops, as they are absorbed by the stomata, pores found on the epidermis of leaves.
    • According to IFFCO, liquid nano urea contains 4 per cent total nitrogen (w/v) evenly dispersed in water.
    • The size of a nano nitrogen particle varies from 20-50 nm. (A nanometre is equal to a billionth of a metre.)

    Significance of LNU

    • This patented product is expected to not only substitute imported urea, but to also produce better results in farms.
    • Apart from reducing the country’s subsidy bill, it is aimed at reducing the unbalanced and indiscriminate use of conventional urea.
    • It will help increase crop productivity, and reduce soil, water, and air pollution.

    Using LNU

    • The liquid nano urea produced by Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) Limited comes in a half-litre bottle priced at Rs 240, and carries no burden of subsidy currently.
    • By contrast, a farmer pays around Rs 300 for a 50-kg bag of heavily subsidised urea.
    • According to IFFCO, a bottle of the nano urea can effectively replace at least one bag of urea.

    How efficient is LNU?

    • While conventional urea has an efficiency of about 25 per cent, the efficiency of liquid nano urea can be as high as 85-90 per cent.
    • Conventional urea fails to have the desired impact on crops as it is often applied incorrectly, and the nitrogen in it is vaporized or lost as a gas.
    • A lot of nitrogen is also washed away during irrigation.
    • Liquid nano urea has a shelf life of a year, and farmers need not be worried about “caking” when it comes in contact with moisture.

     

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