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GS Paper: GS3

  • Explained: Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) Crisis

    silicon valley

    Central idea: The shutdown and takeover of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) by US regulators has raised questions on how it impacts India’s startup industry. It was an important partner for the global startup economy.

    Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)

    • It is a financial institution that provides banking services to the technology industry and venture capital firms.
    • Founded in 1983, it has since become the go-to bank for startups and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and beyond.
    • It is unique in that it understands the specific needs and challenges of the tech industry, and provides a range of services that cater to startups, including loans, deposits, and investment management.
    • It has become a critical player in the startup ecosystem, providing funding and financial services to many of the world’s most successful startups, including Tesla, Uber, and LinkedIn.

    What is SVB crisis?

    • SVB Financial Group runs one of the largest American commercial banks – Silicon Valley Bank.
    • Last week, it had announced a $1.75 billion share sale programme to further strengthen its balance sheet.
    • This programme triggered a massive sell-off in the group’s shares.
    • Thereafter, market went severely bearish and bear rampage wiped out over $80 billion of its market value.
    • Alongside, the bond prices of the group collapsed and created a panic in the market.

    Reasons for SVB’s downfall

    • Downturn of tech stocks: The bank was hit hard by the downturn in technology stocks over the past year as well as the Federal Reserve’s aggressive plan to increase interest rates to combat inflation.
    • Lower bond yield due to lower interest rates: SVB bought billions of dollars’ worth of bonds over the past couple of years, using customers’ deposits as a typical bank would normally operate.
    • Mostly startups account holders: SVB’s customers were largely startups and other tech-centric companies that started becoming needier for cash over the past year.
    • Drying VC funding: Venture capital funding was drying up, companies were not able to get additional rounds of funding for unprofitable businesses.
    • Fear over deposit insurance: Since its customers were largely businesses and the wealthy, they likely were more fearful of a bank failure since their deposits were over $250,000, which is the government-imposed limit on deposit insurance.

    Immediate effects of SVB’s failure

    • Startups scramble: Many startups and other companies that relied on the bank’s services were suddenly left without access to their funds, which caused financial strain and uncertainty for these businesses.
    • Ripple effect: They now fear that they might have to pause projects or lay off or furlough employees until they could access their funds.

    Major implications for SVB

    There are two large problems remaining with Silicon Valley Bank-

    • Huge uninsured deposits: The vast majority of these were uninsured due to it’s largely startup and wealthy customer base.
    • No scope for asset reconstruction: There is no potential buyer of Silicon Valley Bank.

    Could this lead to a repeat of what happened in 2008?

    • No probability: At the moment, experts do not expect any issues to spread to the broader banking sector.
    • Diversified customer bases: Other banks are far more diversified across multiple industries, customer bases and geographies.

    Impact on Indian startups

    • Uncertainty over deposits: The failure of SVB is likely to have a ripple effect on Indian startups, many of which have significant amounts of funds deposited with the bank.
    • Hamper the funding: SVB has been a major player in the Indian startup ecosystem, providing banking services and funding to many of the country’s most successful startups, including Flipkart, Ola, and Zomato.
    • Ripple effect: This could lead to a cash crunch for many companies, which may be forced to cut costs, delay projects, or lay off employees.
    • Reduce global footprints: SVB has also been instrumental in helping Indian startups expand into the US market, by providing them with the necessary infrastructure and support to set up operations in Silicon Valley.

    How can Indian startups mitigate the impact of SVB’s failure?

    • Diversify banking relations: Indian startups that have funds deposited with SVB may want to consider diversifying their banking relationships to reduce their exposure to any one bank.
    • Alternative financing: This may involve opening accounts with multiple banks, or exploring alternative banking services such as digital banks or fintech startups.

    Back2Basics: 2008 Financial Crisis

    • The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers was a key event in the 2008 financial crisis.
    • Lehman Brothers was one of the largest investment banks in the world, with assets of around $600 billion.
    • However, the firm had invested heavily in the US housing market, and when the housing market began to decline in 2007, Lehman’s investments began to lose value.
    • In addition, the firm had taken on a large amount of debt to finance its investments and operations.
    • As the value of Lehman’s assets declined and its debt levels increased, the firm became insolvent and was unable to meet its obligations to creditors.
    • In September 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, triggering a financial panic and market turmoil.

    Its impact

    • The Lehman crisis had far-reaching consequences, including the collapse of other financial institutions, a global recession, and widespread economic and social hardship.
    • The crisis highlighted the risks of excessive leverage and the interconnectedness of financial institutions, and led to significant reforms in financial regulation and risk management practices.

     

     

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  • Rural-Urban Dichotomy And The Continuum

    Rural-Urban

    Central Idea

    • The traditional dichotomy of rural and urban, and the accordingly mandated governance structure, seems inadequate to understand and act upon poverty, undernourishment, education, health, environmental management or even development. There is a need to adopt the notion of urban catchment areas delineated along an urban-rural continuum to understand urban-rural interconnections and address issues related to environment and natural resources management.

    What is Rural-Urban Dichotomy?

    • Distinct Division: It is the perception of a clear and distinct division between rural and urban areas, which are seen as two distinct and separate entities.
    • Significant Differences: This dichotomy is based on the assumption that there are significant differences between rural and urban areas in terms of social, economic, and cultural characteristics.
    • Traditional vs modern values: It suggests that rural areas are primarily agricultural, less developed, and have traditional social and cultural values, while urban areas are more developed, industrialized, and have modern values.

    Rural-Urban

    The Rural-Urban Continuum

    • The Rural-Urban Continuum is an alternative perspective that acknowledges the existence of intermediate areas that blur the distinction between rural and urban.
    • An intermediate settlement formation exists between the two extremes where rural and urban functions coexist without distinguishable boundaries.
    • Such formations evolve due to interactions of a complex set of geographical, cultural, economic, and historical processes.
    • The transition from rural to urban follows a graded curve of development, and opportunities for social and economic development depend on one’s location along this curve.

    Importance of the Rural-Urban Continuum

    • Identification of urban catchment areas delineated along an urban-rural continuum would help understand urban-rural interconnections, which is important for making policy decisions across development sectors and for addressing issues related to environment and natural resources management.

    Studies and examples of Rural-Urban Continuum

    • The Desakota Study report:
    • A 2008 report of the Desakota Study Team, Re-imagining the Rural Urban Continuum, was based on studies in eight countries around the world including India.
    • Team’s report in 2008 emphasized understanding the changing relationship between ecosystems and livelihoods under diversified economic systems across the rural-urban continuum as it has important policy implications at all levels.
    • In India, Kerala for instance:
    • Kerala is well known for the rural-urban continuum in the coastal plain. This was noted even by Moroccan traveller Ibn Batuta in the 14th century. The trend further spread over the lowlands and adjoining midlands and highlands.
    • Geographical factors supported by affirmative public policy promoting distributive justice and decentralisation have increased rural-urban linkages and reduced rural-urban differences in major parts of Kerala.
    • The urban industrial interaction in India is spreading rapidly: The urban industrial interaction fields in India are spreading by linking rural areas and also small towns around the mega cities and urban corridors penetrating rural hinterlands.

    Rural-Urban

    Dissolving the boundaries and barriers

    • Technology and globalization led connectivity: Technology and economic globalization have increased mobility of resources and people and enhanced inter- and intra-country connectivity, promoting the rural-urban continuum.
    • Physical distance barriers are melting: The barriers due to physical distance are melting as increasing rural-urban linkages have given rise to diffused network regions.
    • Movement of goods, people and information is rising: Rural hinterlands are connected to multiple urban centers, and the movement of goods, people, information, and finance between sites of production and consumption has strengthened linkages between production and labour markets.

    Changing Ecosystems of the Rural-Urban Continuum

    • Land Use Changes: Agriculturally productive lands are being given for other uses, food security zones are being reconfigured, and areas for pollutant filtering are declining.
    • Impacts on Ecosystem Services and Local Livelihoods: There is an increase in waste dump, enhanced disaster risk, and elevated vulnerability, reducing the access of local people to water, food, fuel, fodder, and fiber from ecosystems.
    • Emergence of Intermediary Market Institutions: At the same time, intermediary market institutions are emerging to provide these goods, which has significant implications for the local people.
    • Escalating Market Value of Land and Marginalization: There is also escalation of market value of land, which further marginalizes them.

    Way ahead

    • Acknowledge the rural-urban continuum in discussions on social and economic development and environmental issues.
    • Identify challenges and opportunities for improving both urban and rural governance and enhancing access to employment, services, institutional resources, and environmental management.
    • Build rural-urban partnership by taking a systems approach, where the city and surroundings form a city region for which a perspective plan is prepared integrating rural and urban plans within a common frame.
    • Move towards a post-urban world where the rural-urban dichotomy will no longer exist.
    • Better map rural-urban linkages by using satellite-based settlement data and integrating it with Census data.

    Conclusion

    • Recognizing and addressing the interconnections between rural and urban areas along a continuum is crucial for effective policy-making and environmental management in India.

    Mains Question

    Q. The rural-urban continuum has drawn wide attention in recent years. In this light discuss the importance of Recognizing and addressing the interconnections between rural and urban areas.

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  • States demand that ‘Lightning’ be declared a Natural Disaster

    Central idea: A few states have requested lightning to be declared a natural disaster due to the high number of deaths caused by it in the country.

    Why discuss this?

    • Around 2,500 people die every year due to lightning.
    • Present norms consider cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, fires, floods, tsunamis, hailstorms, landslides, avalanches, cloudbursts, pest attacks, frost, and cold waves as disasters covered under the State Disaster Response Fund.
    • Deliberations are necessary as it is a policy issue.

    What is lightning?

    • Scientifically, lightning is a rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere some of which is directed towards earth.
    • The discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall.
    • The base of these clouds typically lie within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface, while the top is 12-13 km away.
    • Temperatures in the top of these clouds are in the range of –35° to –45°C.

    Its formation

    • As water vapour moves upward in the cloud, the falling temperature causes it to condense.
    • As they move to temperatures below 0°C, the water droplets change into small ice crystals.
    • They continue to move up, gathering mass until they are so heavy that they start to fall to Earth.
    • This leads to a system in which, simultaneously, smaller ice crystals are moving up and bigger crystals are coming down.
    • Collisions follow and trigger the release of electrons, a process that is very similar to the generation of sparks of electricity.
    • As the moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons, a chain reaction ensues.
    • This process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged, while the middle layer is negatively charged.
    • The electrical potential difference between the two layers is huge, of the order of a billion to 10 billion volts.
    • In very little time, a massive current, of the order of 100,000 to a million amperes, starts to flow between the layers.

    Types of lightning

    • Broadly, there are three forms of lightning:
    1. Inter-cloud
    2. Intra-cloud
    3. Cloud-to-ground
    • It is the cloud-to-ground form of lightning that kills humans, as well as animals and livestock, and can substantially damage property.
    • While the Earth is a good conductor of electricity, it is electrically neutral.
    • However, in comparison to the middle layer of the cloud, it becomes positively charged.
    • As a result, about 15%-20% of the current gets directed towards the Earth as well.
    • It is this flow of current that results in damage to life and property on Earth.

    How intensely does it strike?

    • A typical lightning flash is about 300 million volts and30,000 amps.
    • To put it in perspective, household current is 120 volts and 15 amps.
    • A flash of lightning is enough to light a 100-watt incandescent bulb for about three months.

    Why does lightning kill so many people in India?

    • The reason for the high number of deaths is due to people being caught unawares and more than 70% of fatalities happened due to people standing under isolated tall trees.
    • About 25 per cent of the people were struck in the open.
    • Also, lightning is the direct promulgation of climate change extremities.

    Mitigating lightning incidents

    • Lightning is not classified as a natural disaster in India.
    • But recent efforts have resulted in the setting up of an early warning system that is already saving many lives.
    • More than 96% of lightning deaths happen in rural areas.
    • As such, most of the mitigation and public awareness programmes need to focus on these communities.
    • Lightning protection devices are fairly unsophisticated and low-cost. Yet, their deployment in the rural areas, as of now, is extremely low.
    • States are being encouraged to prepare and implement lightning action plans, on the lines of heat action plans.
    • An international centre for excellence on lightning research to boost detection and early warning systems is also in the process of being set up.

  • Scientists devise ‘Glowscope’ to bring fluorescent microscopy to schools

    microscope

    Central idea: Researchers at Winona State University, Minnesota, have created a design for a rudimentary fluorescence microscope.

    Why in news?

    • The development can be put together at a cost of $30-50 (Rs 2,500-4,100) using products purchased on online marketplaces.
    • The device aims to democratize access to fluorescence microscopy.

    What is Fluorescence Microscopy?

    • An optical microscope views an object by studying how it absorbs, reflects or scatters visible light.
    • A fluorescence microscope views an object by studying how it reemits light that it has absorbed, i.e. how it fluoresces.
    • The object is illuminated with light of a specific wavelength.
    • Particles in the object absorb this light and reemit it at a higher wavelength.
    • These particles are called fluorophores; the object is infused with them before being placed under the microscope.

    How does it work?

    • The setup consists of two plexiglass surfaces, an LED flashlight, three theatre stage-lighting filters, a clip-on macro lens, and a smartphone.
    • The smartphone (with the lens attached) is placed on one surface that is suspended at a height (say, a foot above).
    • The second sheet is placed below and holds the object.
    • One of the stage-lighting filters is held between the flashlight and the object and the other two were held between the object and the smartphone.
    • The sources of illumination were also LED flashlights emitting light of correspondingly different wavelengths.

    Key observations

    • With this setup, the researchers were able to image the creatures’ brain, spinal cord, heart, and head and jaw bones.
    • They were able to zoom in and out using the smartphone camera and the clip-on lens.

    How accessible is this?

    • Using a ‘glowscope’ still requires access to fluorophores, suitable biological samples, the know-how to combine the two, and some knowledge of physics to work out which LED flashlight to buy.
    • The Foldscope was truly remarkable because all its required components were simple to understand.
    • However, the fact that a simple fluorescent microscope can be set up with a few thousand rupees means researchers can prepare samples and take them to schools, where students can observe them.
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  • G20: SUMups To Tackle Global Natural Disasters

    Central Idea

    • The concept of SUMups, a hypothetical bundling of complementary start-ups globally that work on some aspect of managing natural disasters. There are some of the innovative technologies developed by these start-ups and how they can be combined to develop more effective disaster management solutions.

    Background: The Rising Frequency and Impact of Natural Disasters Globally

    • Increasing Frequency and Severity of Natural Disasters: Globally, natural disasters have become increasingly common and the severity of their impact is worsening.
    • FAO Report: According to the FAO’s report, there were 360 natural disasters per year in the 2010s that resulted in at least 10 deaths, affected 100 or more people, led to homelessness or injury, and required a declaration of a state of countrywide emergency and an appeal for international assistance.
    • Comparison of Natural Disasters: This number is significantly higher than the 100 events recorded in the 1980s and the 90 events recorded in the 1970s.
    • Frequency of Climate, Weather, and Hydrology-related Disasters: Furthermore, climate, weather, and hydrology-related disasters are becoming more frequent, while geophysical and biological emergencies are not, with the exception of Covid-19.
    • Global Impact of Natural Disasters: The impact of these natural disasters is global, affecting countries across the world in various ways, including forest fires, heat and dust storms, and floods.
    • The Need to Improve Disaster Response and Mitigation Efforts: As a society, it is important to recognize that natural disasters will continue to pose a threat and we need to improve our ability to respond and mitigate their effects.
    • Measures Being Taken to Address the Issue of Natural Disasters: Fortunately, there are measures being taken to address this issue, including research into improving disaster response systems and the development of new technologies to aid in disaster preparedness and relief efforts.

    Disaster Prevention Technologies

    • The disaster prevention technologies developed by start-up
    • CERD-AR: CERD-AR developed an Augmented Reality (AR) application that gamifies the animations of disasters and provides disaster prevention drills to prepare people for evacuation and reaction in ultra-realistic settings.
    • A Palo Alto-based start-up One Concern: One Concern built a digital twin of the world by analyzing satellite images to predict natural disasters. The platform combines Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (AI/ML), and supercomputers to develop seismic and flood technology for real-time prediction of flooding and assess the risk associated with various events.

    Emergency Response and Reconstruction Technologies

    • Garuda Aerospace: Garuda Aerospace deployed drones in Turkey for surveillance in the affected earthquake areas to identify trapped victims.
    • HW Design Labs: HW Design Labs developed IoT innovations that support disaster response teams in planning their operations effectively through deep penetrating ground sensing radars, wireless connectivity solutions, advanced tracking, and navigation services.

    Emergency Communication Technologies

    • MyResQR: This start-up provides emergency communication between victims and stakeholders. The smart QR code manages information and triggers SOS during emergencies by enabling first responders like ambulance services, hospital staff, and other emergency response teams.

    Way Ahead

    • The SUMups represent an opportunity to combine innovative disaster management technologies from start-ups globally to address the Sustainable Development Goals for the whole world, such as building resilient infrastructure and zero hunger.

    Conclusion

    • The Startup20 Engagement Group of G20 can enable many such SUMups that can help deal with the increasing frequency, intensity, and complexity of natural disasters in the future. Sharing ideas and collaborating globally can help us all become better prepared and equipped to tackle these events. The article emphasizes that the sharing of ideas can be a powerful tool for solving complex problems, and the development of SUMups is a step in the right direction for improving disaster management worldwide.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is the concept of SUMups? Discuss the innovative technologies developed by start-ups in the areas of disaster prevention.

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  • Government amends KYC to add non-profit organisations, ‘politically exposed persons’

    political

    Central idea: The Finance Ministry has amended the Prevention of Money Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules for widening the scope of Know your Customer (KYC) norms to include Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), non-profit organisations (NPOs) and those dealing in virtual digital assets (VDA) as reporting entities.

    Who are Politically Exposed Persons (PEP)?

    • According to the modified PML Rules, the Finance Ministry has defined PEPs as-
    1. Individuals who have been entrusted with prominent public functions by a foreign country
    2. Includes heads of states or governments, senior politicians, senior government or judicial or military officers, senior executives of state-owned corporations, and important political party officials.
    • Banks and financial institutions must maintain records of financial transactions of PEPs and share them with the Enforcement Directorate as and when sought.

    Other key changes introduced

    Recording of financial transactions of NPOs/NGOs

    • The financial institutions must register the details of their NGO clients on the Darpan portal of the Niti Aayog.
    • They are required to maintain the record for five years after the business relationship between a client and a reporting entity has ended or the account has been closed, whichever is later.

    Tightening of the definition of beneficial owners

    • The amendment to the PMLA rules includes the tightening of the definition of beneficial owners under the anti-money laundering law.
    • As per the amendments, any individual or group holding 10 per cent ownership in the client of a ‘reporting entity’ will now be considered a beneficial owner against the ownership threshold of 25 per cent applicable earlier.
    • The reporting entities include banks and financial institutions, firms engaged in real estate and jewellery sectors, intermediaries in casinos and crypto or virtual digital assets.

    Collection of information from clients

    • Reporting entities such as banks and crypto platforms are mandated to collect information from their clients under the anti-money laundering law.
    • So far, these entities were required to maintain KYC details or records of documents evidencing the identity of their clients, as well as account files and business correspondence relating to clients.
    • They will now have to also collect the details of the registered office address and principal place of business of their clients.
    • Additionally, they are required to maintain a record of all transactions, including the record of all cash transactions of more than Rs 10 lakh.

    Why such move?

    • FATF assessment: The amendments assume significance ahead of India’s proposed FATF assessment, which is expected to be undertaken later this year.
    • Risk-management: In one of its 40 recommendations, FATF recommends that financial institutions have risk-management systems to identify domestic and international PEPs.
    • Remove ambiguities: The broader objective is to bring in legal uniformity and remove ambiguities before the FATF assessment.

     

     

  • ISRO releases Landslide Atlas of India

    landslide

    The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently released the Landslide Atlas of India to identify landslide hotspots in the country.

    What are Landslides?

    • Landslides are natural disasters that occur in mountainous terrains where soil, rock, geology, and slope conditions are conducive.
    • A landslide is the sudden movement of rock, boulders, earth, or debris down a slope.
    • They can be triggered by natural causes such as heavy rainfall, earthquakes, snowmelting, and undercutting of slopes due to flooding.
    • They are extremely hazardous, posing a threat to human and animal lives, damaging property, roads, and bridges, disrupting communication lines, and snapping power lines.
    • Landslides are broadly classified based on the type of materials involved, the type of movement of the material, and the type of flow of the material.

    Why do they occur?

    • Landslides are natural disasters that occur mainly in mountainous terrains due to conducive conditions of soil, rock, geology, and slope.
    • Heavy rainfall, earthquakes, snow-melting, and undercutting of slopes due to flooding can trigger landslides.
    • Anthropogenic activities such as excavation, cutting of hills and trees, excessive infrastructure development, and overgrazing by cattle can also cause landslides.

    Factors contributing

    • The main factors that influence landslides include lithology, geological structures like faults, hill slopes, drainage, geomorphology, land use and land cover, soil texture and depth, and weathering of rocks.
    • Rainfall variability pattern is the single biggest cause for landslides in India, with the Himalayas and the Western Ghats remaining highly vulnerable.

    India’s vulnerability to landslides

    • India is considered among the top five landslide-prone countries globally, where at least one death per 100 sq. km is reported in a year due to a landslide event.
    • Approximately 12.6% of the country’s geographical land area (0.42 million sq km) is prone to landslides, with 66.5% of landslides reported from the North-western Himalayas, 18.8% from the North-eastern Himalayas, and 14.7% from the Western Ghats.

    Risks in specific states          

    • Mizoram recorded the highest number of landslide events in the past 25 years, with 12,385 events, of which 8,926 were recorded in 2017 alone.
    • Nagaland and Manipur also reported a high number of landslide events during the 2017 monsoon season.
    • Uttarakhand and Kerala reported the highest number of landslides, with Uttarakhand experiencing 11,219 events since 1998, and Kerala making inhabitants significantly vulnerable to fatalities, despite fewer events.

    Classification and Mapping of Landslides

    • Landslides are broadly classified based on the type of materials involved, type of movement, type of flow of the material, and whether they spread laterally.
    • The Landslide Atlas of India maps landslides mainly based on events and seasons.
    • The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) used a landslide database created from 1998 to 2022 using aerial and high-resolution satellite images.

     

  • In news: Megha Tropiques Satellite

    sat

    ISRO attempted a controlled re-entry of the Megha Tropiques-1 satellite with leftover fuel to lower the orbit and reduce space debris.

    Megha Tropiques Satellite

    • The weather satellite Megha Tropiques-1 was developed as a joint mission by Indian and French space agencies.
    • It was launched aboard a PSLV by the space agency in 2011.
    • And, although the planned mission life of the satellite was only three years, it continued providing data on water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropics for nearly a decade.

    How was the satellite brought down?

    • With over 120kgs of fuel remaining in the satellite even after being decommissioned.
    • ISRO determined that there was enough to attempt a controlled re-entry.
    • When the satellites re-enter the atmosphere, the friction causes it to heat up to extreme high temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius.
    • Without a heat shield, 99% of a satellite gets burnt up whether in a controlled re-entry or an uncontrolled one.

    Significance of the move

    • This was the first time that ISRO attempted such a manoeuvre to clear out space debris despite the satellite not being built to do so.
    • Usually, satellites are left in their orbit and because of the gravitational pull of the earth, they come down to the atmosphere over years and years.

    Why did ISRO attempt a controlled re-entry?

    • ISRO attempted the control re-entry to demonstrate and understand the process of doing so.
    • Keeping space clean is crucial with multiple spacefaring nations and private entities launching satellites.
    • Thousands of objects are flying around in low earth orbits, including old satellites, parts, and rocket stages.
    • Even small debris can destroy active satellites due to high speeds.
    • Kessler syndrome is a scary scenario where space debris collisions create more debris.

    What happens to satellites usually?

    • A controlled re-entry like the one attempted by Isro earlier this week is possible only for satellites in the low-earth orbit – at about 1,000 kms over the surface of the earth.
    • These manoeuvres, however, are not usually attempted because fuel reserves have to be maintained in the satellite after mission life is over.
    • And, this is impossible for satellites placed in geo-stationary or geosynchronous orbit – where time taken by the satellite to orbit the earth matches Earth’s rotation.
    • Such satellites are at altitudes of nearly 36,000 kms.
    • For attempting to bring down a satellite from such as orbit, a huge fuel reserve would be needed. This will only make the satellite heavier and costlier at launch.

    Also read-

    [Sansad TV] Perspective: Cluttered Space

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  • Boosting India’s Tourism Sector

    Tourism Sector

    Central Idea

    • India’s travel and tourism sector is one of the fastest-emerging tourist destinations in the world, and it is poised to be the key axis of development in the coming years. Budget 2023, which marks the beginning of Amrit Kaal, the period of intense robust growth, has outlined the path to developing tourism in mission mode.

    Vision to develop 50 destinations

    • G20 provided Economic Boost: India’s presidency of the G20 and Prime Minister’s vision to develop 50 tourist destinations across the country have provided a significant boost to the tourism sector.
    • Global ranking: This initiative is expected to improve India’s global ranking on the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index.
    • Employment opportunities: The development of these destinations will create more employment opportunities and contribute to the overall GDP growth of the country.

    The central government’s push on tourism

    • Various policies and initiatives: The central government is committed to supporting the travel and tourism sector by implementing various policies and initiatives.
    • Six themes for the development in Union budget: The Union budget has identified six themes for the development of the sector, including convergence, public-private participation, creativity, innovation, digitization, and development of destinations.

    Power of collaboration

    • Collaboration is essential: Collaboration between the government, private sector, and local communities is essential for the development and promotion of tourism in India. This collaborative approach stimulates creativity, enhances competitiveness, and achieves visionary results.
    • For example: The Prime Minister has cited examples of successful collaborations, such as Kashi, Kedarnath, the Statue of Unity, and Pavagadh, to demonstrate how a unified approach can boost tourism in a region.

    Role of Technology in Tourism

    • Interdependence: Technology and tourism are becoming increasingly interdependent, and a coordinated approach that adopts technology can boost the tourism sector in India.
    • Employing Augmented and virtual reality: Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) can provide travellers with virtual tours and simulations of famous landmarks and cultural experiences.
    • Artificial intelligence: Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots and digital assistants can assist travellers in planning their trips and provide real-time assistance while travelling.

    “6P” approach to unlocking India’s tourism potential

    • 6P: Planning, Place, People, Policy, Process, and Promotion
    • Unlocking India’s tourism potential requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses the six key pillars 6Ps.
    • The government’s Budget Session addressed all these 6Ps effectively by covering destination planning and management, infrastructure development, sustainability and safety, development of human capital, policy and process interventions to align the Centre and states as well as promoting the narrative of Indian tourism.

    Tourism: A state subject

    • Tourism is constitutionally a state subject, and the central tourism department has been advocating for it to be moved to the Concurrent List to allow policy-making at both the central and state levels.
    • Granting tourism infrastructure status will provide further impetus to the growth of the sector.
    • The government is also considering the establishment of a National Tourism Board.

    Tourism Sector

    Conclusion

    • With the right policies and initiatives in place, it’s the ideal time for India to turbo-charge efforts to be among the top three travel and tourism economies globally.

    Mains Question

    Q. What are the six themes identified by the Union Budget for the development of India’s travel and tourism sector? How India can boost its economic growth through robust tourism sector? Discuss

     

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  • Reintroduction of Cheetahs and Its Potential Impact

    Cheetahs

    Central Idea

    • India has embarked on a conservation plan to reintroduce the cheetah into the country, with the aim of establishing a self-sustaining population at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park. The initiative has translocated eight African cheetahs from Namibia and 12 from South Africa since September 2022. Can this initiative succeed in helping India’s grasslands?

    Cheetahs

    Know about Cheetahs

    • Appearance: Cheetahs have a distinctive appearance, with a slender, muscular body, long legs, and a spotted coat. They have black tear marks on their faces that help to protect their eyes from the sun’s glare.
    • Speed: Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world, capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 miles per hour in short bursts.
    • Diet: Cheetahs are obligate carnivores and typically hunt during the day.
    • Conservation status: Cheetahs are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an estimated population of less than 7,000 individuals in the wild. Their numbers have declined due to habitat loss, hunting, and other threats, and they are at risk of extinction in many parts of their range.
    • Reproduction: Cheetahs have a relatively low genetic diversity, which makes them more vulnerable to disease and other threats.

    Cheetah reintroduction plan

    • The plan is to introduce roughly 20 cheetahs annually for the next 8-10 years, and the goal is to establish a population of 21 adults in Kuno National Park in 15 years.
    • The larger habitat of 3,000-5,000 sq km, which is larger than the 748 sq km where the cheetahs are based, could accommodate up to 40 cheetahs.

    The impact of cheetahs on India’s grasslands: Illustration

    • Regulate herbivore populations: Cheetahs are predators that primarily hunt herbivores such as antelopes, gazelles, and other small to medium-sized ungulates. By preying on these herbivores, cheetahs can help regulate their populations, preventing them from overgrazing and causing damage to the grasslands.
    • Increase biodiversity: The presence of cheetahs in the grasslands is expected to increase biodiversity by creating a more balanced ecosystem. By regulating the populations of herbivores, cheetahs can prevent certain species from dominating the ecosystem, allowing other species to thrive.
    • Promote grassland health: Overgrazing by herbivores can damage the grasslands, leading to soil erosion and other ecological problems. By regulating herbivore populations, cheetahs can help maintain the health of the grasslands, ensuring that they continue to provide important ecosystem services.
    • Ecotourism: The presence of cheetahs in India’s grasslands could also boost ecotourism in the region, providing economic benefits to local communities.
    • Challenges: However, there are also potential challenges associated with the reintroduction of cheetahs to India’s grasslands, such as competition with other predators and potential conflicts with human activities.

    The impact of cheetahs on India’s grasslands: Opinion

    • Reintroduction programme can improve India’s grasslands: Cheetahs indicate the overall wellness of open areas, meadows, and grasslands because they need these habitats to survive. The health of the cheetah population can, therefore, be an indicator of the health of the grasslands.
    • Opinion in contrast: Some expert disagrees and argues that restoring open natural ecosystems, including grasslands, should begin by addressing the problems that led to their degradation and decline. The arrival of the cheetahs will not save India’s grasslands, and there are already issues, such as large tracts of open natural ecosystems being categorised as wasteland and granted to renewable energy projects, including solar panels.

    Example: Reintroduction of species contributing to the development of a larger ecosystem:

    • Project Tiger in India: The project started with nine reserves and now has 53 reserves making up 2.3% of the country’s geographical area. Scientists worked to establish source and sink dynamics and the concept of how exclusively investing in an umbrella can bring in a compelling, inclusive engagement with people and areas beyond.
    • Wolves in Yellowstone national park, US: The reintroduction of wolves and beavers in the Yellowstone ecosystem in the US as a global example based on solid science. The presence of wolves helped to control the population of elk, which had been overgrazing and damaging the park’s vegetation. As a result, the vegetation began to recover, which in turn led to increases in other species such as beavers, songbirds, and fish.

    FYI: Impact of the Project Tiger

    • Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in 1973, has made a significant impact on tiger conservation and the ecosystem in India.
    • Increase in tiger population: Project Tiger has been successful in increasing the tiger population in India. The latest tiger census conducted in 2018 estimated that there were around 2,967 tigers in India, an increase from the previous census in 2014 which estimated the population to be around 2,226.
    • Restoration of degraded ecosystems: The conservation efforts under Project Tiger have also helped to restore degraded ecosystems. For example, in the Sariska Tiger Reserve, efforts have been made to restore degraded grasslands and create water sources, which has resulted in the return of several species that were previously absent.
    • Expansion of tiger habitat: The project has also helped to expand the habitat available to tigers in India. The creation of new protected areas and improved management of existing ones has resulted in an increase in the area of tiger reserves from 9 to 51, covering an area of more than 71,000 square kilometers.
    • Protection of other species: The conservation efforts under Project Tiger have had a positive impact on other species in the ecosystem as well. The protection of tiger habitats has helped to conserve a wide range of flora and fauna, including elephants, leopards, and various bird species.
    • Reduction in human-wildlife conflict: The conservation efforts under Project Tiger have helped to reduce human-wildlife conflict by providing alternative livelihoods and increasing awareness about conservation among local communities. This has helped to reduce retaliatory killings of tigers and other wildlife
    • Challenges: Despite the success of Project Tiger, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed. Poaching, habitat loss, and human-tiger conflict remain significant threats to tiger populations in India.

    Remarks: The success of the translocation exercise

    • According to the experts it took two and a half to three years for tigers to acclimate to Indian conditions in Sariska.
    • In cheetah project, they expect it to take longer since cheetahs are coursers that require large tracts of terrain.
    • While others believes that a clear picture of success will emerge when the animals not only survive but start reproducing, leading to a self-sustaining population.

    Cheetahs

    Conclusion

    • The reintroduction of cheetahs to India can help establish a self-sustaining population and contribute to the global survival of the species. However, it remains to be seen if they can successfully acclimate to Indian conditions and if they will have a significant impact on India’s grasslands. Nevertheless, the initiative highlights the importance of conservation efforts and the need to address the root causes of environmental degradation.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is the significance of India’s cheetah reintroduction plan, and can it help improve the country’s grasslands? Illustrate

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