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  • Forex Reserves hit a record high

    India’s foreign exchange reserves touched a lifetime high of $555.12 billion, according to RBI data.

    Aspirants must make a note here:

    1. Authority managing FOREX in India
    2. Components of FOREX
    3. IMF’s SDRs
    4. Emergency use of FOREX

    What are Forex Reserves?

    • Reserve Bank of India Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 set the legal provisions for governing the foreign exchange reserves.
    • RBI accumulates foreign currency reserves by purchasing from authorized dealers in open market operations.
    • The Forex reserves of India consist of below four categories:
    1. Foreign Currency Assets
    2. Gold
    3. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)
    4. Reserve Tranche Position
    • The IMF says official Forex reserves are held in support of a range of objectives like supporting and maintaining confidence in the policies for monetary and exchange rate management including the capacity to intervene in support of the national or union currency.
    • It will also limit external vulnerability by maintaining foreign currency liquidity to absorb shocks during times of crisis or when access to borrowing is curtailed.

    Where are India’s forex reserves kept?

    • The RBI Act, 1934 provides the overarching legal framework for the deployment of reserves in different foreign currency assets and gold within the broad parameters of currencies, instruments, issuers and counterparties.
    • As much as 64 per cent of the foreign currency reserves is held in the securities like Treasury bills of foreign countries, mainly the US.
    • 28 per cent is deposited in foreign central banks and 7.4 per cent is also deposited in commercial banks abroad.
    • In value terms, the share of gold in the total foreign exchange reserves increased from about 6.14 per cent as at end-September 2019 to about 6.40 per cent as at end-March 2020.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. Gold tranche(Reserve tranche) refers to (CSP 2020)-

    (a) A loan system of World bank

    (b) One of the operations of a central bank

    (c) A credit system of WTO granted to its members

    (d) A credit system granted by IMF to its members

    Rising above the 1991 crisis

    • Unlike in 1991, when India had to pledge its gold reserves to stave off a major financial crisis, the country can now depend on its soaring Forex reserves to tackle any crisis on the economic front.
    • The level of Forex reserves has steadily increased by 8,400 per cent from $5.8 billion as of March 1991 to the current level.

  • Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025

    Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get a vulture conservation and breeding centre each, according to the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025.

    Action Plan for Vulture Conservation

    • The action plan was approved by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) October 5, 2020. An earlier one was formulated in 2006 for three years.
    • The new plan has laid out strategies and actions to stem the decline in vulture population, especially of the three Gyps species:
    1. Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
    2. Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
    3. Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus)

    Note: These three vulture species were listed by  IUCN, in 2000 as ‘Critically  Endangered’,  which is the highest category of endangerment.

    • This would be done through both ex-situ and in-situ conservation.
    • The plan has also suggested that new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) be tested on vultures before their commercial release. NSAIDS often poisons cattle whose carcasses the birds pray on.

    Highlights of the new plan

    • A system to automatically remove a drug from veterinary use if it is found to be toxic to vultures, with the help of the Drugs Controller General of India.
    • Conservation breeding of red-Headed vultures and Egyptian vultures and the establishment at least one vulture-safe zone in each state for the conservation of the remnant populations in that state.
    • Coordinated nation-wide vulture counting, involving forest departments, the Bombay Natural History Society, research institutes, non-profits and members of the public.
    • A database on emerging threats to vulture conservation, including collision and electrocution, unintentional poisoning, etc.

    Why protect vultures?

    • Vultures are often overlooked and perceived as lowly scavengers, but they play a crucial role in the environments in which they live.
    • The scavenging lifestyle that gives them a bad reputation is, in fact, that makes them so important for the environment, nature and society.
    • Vultures, also known as nature’s cleanup crew, do the dirty work of cleaning up after death, helping to keep ecosystems healthy as they act as natural carcass recyclers.

  • Promotion of nutri-cereals(Millet crop) in India

    Promotion of millet crops serves the dual purpose of securing health and supporting farmers. This article explains the strategy adopted by the government to achieve the same.

    Millet crops in India

    • The three major millet crops currently growing in India are jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet) and ragi (finger millet).
    • India also grows a rich array of bio-genetically diverse and indigenous varieties of “small millets” like kodo, kutki, chenna and sanwa.
    • Major producers include Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.

    Advantages of millet cultivation

    • Millets are good for the soil, have shorter cultivation cycles and require less cost-intensive cultivation.
    • These unique features make millets suited for and resilient to India’s varied agro-climatic conditions.
    • Millets are not water or input-intensive, making them a sustainable strategy for addressing climate change and building resilient agri-food systems.

    Reasons for decline in millet production in India

    • In the 1960s before the Green Revolution, millets were extensively grown and consumed in India.
    • With the Green Revolution, the focus, rightly so, shifted to food security and high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice.
    • An unintended consequence of this policy was the gradual decline in the production of millets.
    • Millets were increasingly seen as “poor person’s food”.
    • The cost incentives provided via MSPs also favoured a handful of staple grains.

    Health issues related to refined food

    • Along with declining millet production, India saw a jump in consumer demand for ultra-processed and ready-to-eat products, which are high in sodium, sugar, trans-fats and even some carcinogens.
    • This demand was again met by highly-refined grains.
    • With the intense marketing of processed foods, even the rural population started perceiving mill-processed rice and wheat as more aspirational.
    • This has lead us to the double burden of mothers and children suffering from micronutrient deficiencies and the astounding prevalence of diabetes and obesity.

    Strategy for promotion of nutri-cereals

    1) Rebranding the cereals as nutri-cereals

    • The first strategy from a consumption and trade point of view was to re-brand coarse cereals/millets as nutri-cereals.
    • As of 2018-19, millet production had been extended to over 112 districts across 14 states.

    2) Incentive through hiking MSP

    • Second, the government hiked the MSP of nutri-cereals, which came as a big price incentive for farmers.
    • From 2014-15 to 2020 MSPs for ragi has jumped by 113 per cent, by 72 per cent for bajra and by 71 per cent for jowar.
    • MSPs have been calculated so that the farmer is ensured at least a 50 per cent return on their cost of production.

    3) Providing steady markets through inclusion in PDS

    • To provide a steady market for the produce, the Modi government included millets in the public distribution system.

    4) Increasing area, production and yield

    • The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare is running a Rs 600-crore scheme to increase the area, production and yield of nutri-cereals.
    • With a goal to match the cultivation of nutri-cereals with local topography and natural resources, the government is encouraging farmers to align their local cropping patterns to India’s diverse 127 agro-climatic zones.
    • Provision of seed kits and inputs to farmers, building value chains through Farmer Producer Organisations and supporting the marketability of nutri-cereals are some of the key interventions that have been put in place.

    5) Intersection of agriculture and nutrition

    • The Ministry of Women and Child Development has been working at the intersection of agriculture and nutrition by -1) setting up nutri-gardens, 2) promoting research on the interlinkages between crop diversity and dietary diversity 3) running a behaviour change campaign to generate consumer demand for nutri-cereals.

    Consider the question “What are the reasons for decline in the millet production in India? What are the steps taken by the government to encourage its production?”

    Conclusion

    As the government sets to achieve its agenda of a malnutrition-free India and doubling of farmers’ incomes, the promotion of the production and consumption of nutri-cereals seems to be a policy shift in the right direction.

  • NASA’s OSIRIS-REx lands on Asteroid Bennu

    NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly touched asteroid Bennu, from where it is meant to collect samples of dust and pebbles and deliver them back to Earth in 2023.

    The OSIRIS-REx mission

    • OSIRIS-REx stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer. This is NASA’s first mission meant to return a sample from the ancient asteroid.
    • The mission is essentially a seven-year-long voyage and will conclude when at least 60 grams of samples are delivered back to the Earth.
    • As per NASA, the mission promises to bring the largest amount of extraterrestrial material back to our planet since the Apollo era.
    • The mission was launched in 2016, it reached its target in 2018 and since then, the spacecraft has been trying to match the velocity of the asteroid using small rocket thrusters to rendezvous it.
    • This week, the spacecraft’s robotic arm called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), made an attempt to “TAG” the asteroid and collected a sample.

    About Bennu

    • Bennu is a B-type asteroid, implying that it contains significant amounts of carbon and various other minerals.
    • It was discovered by a team from the NASA-funded Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research team in 1999.
    • Because of its high carbon content, the asteroid reflects about four per cent of the light that hits it, which is very low when compared with a planet like Venus, which reflects about 65 per cent of the light. Earth reflects about 30 per cent.
    • Around 20-40 per cent of Bennu’s interior is empty space and scientists believe that it was formed in the first 10 million years of the solar system’s formation, implying that it is roughly 4.5 billion years old.

    Why are scientists studying asteroid Bennu?

    • Bennu is an asteroid about as tall as the Empire State Building and located at a distance of about 200 million miles away from the Earth.
    • Scientists study asteroids to look for information about the formation and history of planets and the sun since asteroids were formed at the same time as other objects in the solar system.
    • Another reason for tracking them is to look for asteroids that might be potentially hazardous. It is also relatively close to the Earth.
    • It is for these reasons that scientists are interested in gathering information about this particular asteroid.
    • Significantly, Bennu hasn’t undergone drastic changes since its formation over billions of years ago and therefore it contains chemicals and rocks dating back to the birth of the solar system.

    How do chemicals and rocks offer scientists clues about the solar system?

    • Because of Bennu’s age, it is likely to contain material that contains molecules that were present when life first formed on Earth, where life forms are based on carbon atom chains.
    • Even so organic material like the kind scientists hope to find in a sample from Bennu doesn’t necessarily always come from biology.
    • It would, though, further scientists’ search to uncover the role asteroids rich in organics played in catalyzing life on Earth.

    Back2Basics: Asteroid

    • Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the Sun, much smaller than planets. They are also called minor planets.
    • According to NASA, 994,383 is the count of known asteroids, the remnants from the formation of the solar system over 4.6 billion years ago.
    • Asteroids are divided into three classes. First, those found in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, which is estimated to contain somewhere between 1.1-1.9 million asteroids.
    • The second group is that of Trojans, which are asteroids that share an orbit with a larger planet.
    • The third classification is Near-Earth Asteroids (NEA), which have orbits that pass close by the Earth. Those that cross the Earth’s orbit are called Earth-crossers.
    • More than 10,000 such asteroids are known, out of which over 1,400 are classified as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs).

  • Discovering the Tubarial Glands

    Researchers from the Netherlands have discovered a new location of salivary glands.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.With references to the scientific progress of ancient India, which of the statements given below are correct?

    1. Different kinds of specialized surgical instruments were in common use by 1st century AD.
    2. Transplant of internal organs in the human body had begun by the beginning of 3rd century AD.
    3. The concept of sine of an angle was known in 5th century AD.
    4. The concept of cyclic quadrilaterals was known in 7th century AD.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1, 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Tubarial Glands

    • The salivary gland system in the human body has three paired major glands and over 1,000 minor glands that are spread throughout the mucosa.
    • These glands produce saliva necessary for swallowing, digestion, tasting, mastication and dental hygiene.
    • When researchers were studying scans from about 100 people, they found a bilateral structure at the back of the nasopharynx and these glands had characteristics of salivary glands.
    • Researchers have proposed the name “tubarial glands” for their discovery.
    • The researchers believe that these glands would qualify as the fourth pair of major salivary glands.
    • The proposed name is based on their anatomical location; the other three glands are called parotid, submandibular and sublingual.

    Why are these glands being discovered only now?

    • The location of these glands is at a poorly accessible anatomical location under the base of the skull, which is an area that can only be visualized using nasal endoscopy.
    • Further, conventional imaging techniques such as a CT scan, MRI and ultrasound have not allowed the visualization of these glands.
    • For the scans done on the 100 patients, a new type of scan called the PSMA PET/CT scan was used, which was able to provide the high sensitivity and specificity required to detect these glands.

    What is the purpose of these glands?

    • So far, researchers suspect that the physiological function of the glands is to moisten and lubricate the nasopharynx and the oropharynx.
    • However, this interpretation needs to be confirmed with additional research.

    Significance of this discovery

    • The discovery is potentially good news for some cancer patients with head and neck cancers.
    • Patients with head and neck cancers and tumours in the tongue or the throat are treated with radiation therapy that can damage the new salivary glands, whose location was not previously known.
    • Oncologists will be able to circumvent these areas and protect them from the side effects of radiation which can lead to complications such as trouble speaking, swallowing and speaking.
    • Some patients may even face an increased risk of caries and oral infections that can significantly impact their life.

  • The NEP 2020 must look beyond just data science and AI

    The article deals with the issues with the emphasis on the coding instead of understanding the basic algorithmic process.

    Issues with focusing on coding in NEP 2020

    • The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) envisages putting greater emphasis on mathematical and computational thinking throughout the school years.
    • The framing in the NEP appears to put it at the same level of distinction as the more instrumental ‘coding’, and almost as a mere tool towards the utilitarian goals of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science.
    • An overemphasis on learning the nitty-gritty of specific programming languages prematurely — even from middle school — may distract from focusing on the development of algorithmic creativity.

    What is coding?

    Coding is basically the computer language used to develop apps, websites, and software. Without it, we’d have none of the most popular technology we’ve come to rely on such as Facebook, our smartphones, the browser we choose to view our favorite blogs, or even the blogs themselves. It all runs on code.

    About computation and algorithms

    • Algorithmics is the abstract process of arriving at a post-condition through a sequential process of state changes.
    • It is among the earliest human intellectual endeavours that has become imperative for almost all organised thinking.
    • All early learning of counting and arithmetic is method-based, and hence algorithmic in nature, and all calculations involve computational processes encoded in algorithms.
    • The core algorithmic ideas of modern AI and machine learning are based on some seminal algorithmic ideas of Newton and Gauss, which date back a few hundred years.
    • Though the form of expressions of algorithms — the coding — have been different, the fundamental principles of classical algorithm design have remained invariant.

    Algorithms in modern world

    • In the modern world, the use of algorithmic ideas is not limited only to computations with numbers, or even to digitisation, communication or AI and data science.
    • They play a crucial role in modelling and expressing ideas in diverse areas of human thinking, including the basic sciences of biology, physics and chemistry, all branches of engineering, in understanding disease spread, in modelling social interactions and social graphs, in transportation networks, supply chains, commerce, banking and other business processes, and even in economic and political strategies and design of social processes.
    • Hence, learning algorithmic thinking early in the education process is indeed crucial.

    So, how coding is different from arithmetics?

    • Coding is merely the act of encoding an algorithmic method in a particular programming language which provides an interface.
    • AS computational process can be invoked in a modern digital computer.
    • Thus, it is less fundamental.
    • While coding certainly can provide excellent opportunities for experimentation with algorithmic ideas, they are not central or indispensable to algorithmic thinking.
    • After all, coding is merely one vehicle to achieve experiential learning of a computational process.

    Way forward

    • Instead of focusing on the intricacies of specific programming languages, it is more important at an early stage of education to develop an understanding of the basic algorithmic processes behind manipulating geometric figures.
    • Indeed, this is a common outcome of the overly utilitarian skills training-based approaches evidenced throughout the country.

    Conclusion

    The NEP guideline of introducing algorithmic thinking early is a welcome step, it must be ensured that it does not degenerate and get bogged down with mundane coding tricks at a budding stage in the education process.

  • Analysing the success of NPCI

    The article tracks the evolution of digital payments system in India and the transformational role played by the NPCI in it.

    Adoption of digital payments in India

    • Digital payments have found strong ground in India reducing all other modes of payments to the background.
    • Through a faster system of simultaneous debits and credits, the money value is transferred from one account to the other across banks.
    • With such versatility and ease of settling financial transactions, the growth of digital payments is going to be phenomenal, supported by banks and Fin-Tech companies.

    Evolution of digital payments in India

    • A major thrust toward large value payments was effected through the Real Time Gross Settlement System, or RTGS, launched by the RBI in March 2004.
    • The large value payments on stock trading, government bond trading and other customer payments were covered under the RTGS.
    • It substantially reduced the time taken for settlements.
    • Around the same time, the RBI introduced National Electronic Funds Transfer, or NEFT to support retail payments.
    • Now, NEFT is available round the clock and RTGS will follow from December 2020 — only a few countries have achieved this.
    • These systems were seeded and reinforced with the setting up of the umbrella retail payments institution: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
    • NPCI was set up by 10 lead banks at the instance of the RBI in 2009.
    •  The NPCI as a not-for-profit company

    How NPCI transformed retail payment systems in India

    • The NPCI’s success against deeply entranced formidable international players, supported by innovative technology, viz. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), is well recognised by central banks in many other countries.
    • The Bank for International Settlements’s endorsement of the NPCI model in 2019 is a major accolade.
    • With digital payment being a public good like currency notes, it was necessary that the corporation was fully supported by the RBI and the government as an extended arm of the sovereign.
    • It was also necessary to contain expectations on profits, avoiding direct or indirect control by powerful private interests could dilute the public good character of the outfit.

    Issue of converting NPCI into for-profit

    • Converting NPCI intro for-profit company will be a retrograde step with huge potential for loss of consumer surplus along with other strategic implications.
    • Instead the strategy should be to assist the NPCI financially, either by the RBI or the government, to provide retail payment services at reduced price (in certain priority areas).
    • This may also help support expansion of the payment system network and infrastructure in rural and semi-urban areas in partnership with Fin-Tech companies and banks.

    Issue fo MDR

    • In Budget 2020-21, the government prescribed zero Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for RuPay and UPI, both NPCI products.
    • Zero MDR on UPI and RuPay will help to popularise digital payments benefiting both customers and merchants.
    • There is justification in this zero MDR prescription by the government.
    • It is justified because depositors implicitly pay around 3% to banks as net interest margin, being the difference between saving and risk free bond rate, for enjoying certain payments services traditionally.
    • When banks enjoy such a huge amount of current account savings account (CASA) deposits, in return, is it not incumbent on them to provide such payment services?
    • The government left out other providers of digital payment products from this MDR prescription.
    • Taking advantage of this dichotomy, many issuing banks switched to mainly Visa and Master cards for monetary gains.
    • As customers were induced by such supplier banks, it created a kind of indirect market segmentation and cartel formation, though there is hardly any quality difference in payment products.
    • It may be noted that even the European Central Bank imposed a ceiling on MDR for all, protecting consumer interest.
    • It is hoped that the government will take corrective action in the next Budget to ensure a level playing field and to relieve the NPCI from such policy-induced market imperfection.

    Pricing for digital payments

    • The ideal pricing for digital payments products should be based on an analysis of-(i) producer surplus (ii) consumer surplus (i.e. gain or loss of utility due to pricing) (iii) social welfare for which we need cost-volume-price data.
    • A factor which needs to be reckoned is the float funds digital payments allow (cash withdrawal is a drain on the banking system), which is a source of sizeable income for banks.
    • The RBI will do well to study and arrive at a rational structure of pricing including MDR (possibly also penalty on default by customer).

    Consider the question “Elaborate on how the NPCI has been successful in transforming the digital payment landscape in the country through innovations? What are the challenges facing retail payments infrastructures?”

    Conclusion

    Given that the digital payment system is like a national superhighway, for which the government has a crucial role to play in protecting consumers against exploitation.

    Back2Basics: RTGS and NEFT

    • With NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer)
      you can transfer any amount to the recipient’s account in a one-on-one transfer basis.
    • NEFT transactions don’t have a maximum limit for funds that can be transferred in a single day.
    • The NEFT system is available round the clock throughout the year on all days (24x7x365).
    • Funds are transferred in batches that are settled in 48 half-hourly time slots throughout the day.
    • There is no maximum or minimum limit on the amount of funds that could be transferred through NEFT.

    RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement)

    • Business owners can use RTGS when they need to transfer large amounts instantly.
    • One advantage that RTGS has over the other methods is the transaction speed, since the entire amount is transferred in real time.
    • The available hours for RTGS transactions vary based on the individual banks and their branches.
    • There’s a minimum limit of Rs. 2 lakhs for RTGS transactions, and there’s no maximum limit as such.

    What is MDR?

    • The merchant discount rate (MDR) is charged to merchants for processing debit and credit card transactions.
    • To accept debit and credit cards, merchants must set up this service and agree to the rate.
    • The merchant discount rate is a fee, typically between 1%-3%, that merchants must consider when managing business costs

  • State of Global Air Report, 2020

    Air pollution now biggest health risk in India, says the State of Global Air 2020 Report.

    State of Global Air Report

    • The State of Global Air report brings into one place the latest information on air quality and health for countries around the globe.
    • It is produced annually by the Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease project.

    India’s exposure to pollution

    • Long-term exposure to outdoor and household air pollution contributed to over 1.67 million annual deaths from stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic lung diseases and neonatal diseases in India in 2019.
    • Overall, air pollution was now the largest risk factor for death among all health risks, the report noted.
    • Outdoor and household particulate matter pollution also contributed to the deaths of more than 1,16,000 Indian infants in their first month of life last year.
    • For the youngest infants, most deaths were related to complications from low birth weight and preterm birth.

    A comparison with peers

    • India faced the highest per capita pollution exposure — or 83.2 ÎŒg/cubic metre — in the world.
    • It is followed by Nepal at 83.1 ÎŒg/cubic metre and Niger at 80.1.
    • Countries with the least population exposure are below 8 micrograms (ÎŒg) per cubic metre.

    Back2Basics: Particulate Matter

    • PM is the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye.
    • Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope.
    • Particle pollution includes:
    1. PM10 : inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometres and smaller; and
    2. PM2.5: fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometres and smaller.

    Sources of PM

    • These particles come in many sizes and shapes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals.
    • Some are emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires.
    • Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles.

    Harmful effects of PM

    • Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems.
    • Some particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream.
    • Of these, particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, also known as fine particles or PM2.5, pose the greatest risk to health.

  • Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation System (KLIS)

    The National Green Tribunal (NGT) wants a relook at Kaleshwaram Project since the Telangana government subsequently changed the design of the project.

    Try this question from our AWE initiative:

    The Kaleshwaram Project

    • The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation System is considered to be one of the world’s largest multi-purpose projects.
    • It is designed to provide water for irrigation and drinking purposes to about 45 lakh acres in 20 of the 31 districts in Telangana, apart from Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
    • This project is unique because Telangana will harness water at the confluence of two rivers with the Godavari by constructing a barrage at Medigadda in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.
    • It would reverse pump the water into the main Godavari River and divert it through lifts and pumps into a huge and complex system of reservoirs, water tunnels, pipelines and canals.

    Records to its glory

    • The project has set many records with the world’s longest water tunnels, aqueducts, underground surge pools, and biggest pumps.
    • By the time the water reaches Kondapochamma Sagar, the last reservoir in the system, the water would have been lifted to a height of 618 metres from its source at Medigadda.
    • The total length of the entire Kaleshwaram project is approximately 1,832 km of which 1,531 km is gravity canals and 203 km comprises water tunnels.

    How important is KLIS to Telangana?

    • The project will enable farmers in Telangana to reap multiple crops with a year-round supply of water wherein earlier they were dependent on rains resulting in frequent crop failures.
    • This year, Telangana farmers have already delivered bumper rabi crops of paddy and maize due to better irrigation facilities and an extended monsoon.
    • KLIS covers several districts which used to face rainfall deficit and the groundwater is fluoride-contaminated.
    • Apart from irrigation, a main component of the project is the supply of drinking water to several towns and villages and also to twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
    • Mission Bhagiratha, the Rs 43,000-crore project to supply drinking water to every household in villages, draws a large quantity of water from the KLIS and some quantity from projects on River Krishna.
    • There is a burgeoning freshwater fishing industry in the state.

    Issues raised by NGT

    • The NGT has observed that the Telangana government subsequently changed the design of the project to increase its capacity.
    • By increasing its capacity to pump 3 TMC water from 2 TMC, large tracts of forest land and other land was taken over and massive infrastructure was built causing adverse impact on the environment.
    • Extraction of more water certainly requires more storage capacity and also affects hydrology and riverine ecology of Godavari River.
    • Such issues have to be examined by the statutory authorities concerned.

    B2Basics

    National Green tribunal

    • It is a specialised body set up under the National Green Tribunal Act (2010) for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
    • With the establishment of the NGT, India became the third country in the world to set up a specialised environmental tribunal, only after Australia and New Zealand, and the first developing country to do so.
    • NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.
    • The NGT has five places of sittings, New Delhi is the Principal place of sitting and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai are the other four.

    Structure of NGT

    • The Tribunal comprises of the Chairperson, the Judicial Members and Expert Members. They shall hold office for term of five years and are not eligible for reappointment.
    • The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with Chief Justice of India (CJI).
    • A Selection Committee shall be formed by central government to appoint the Judicial Members and Expert Members.
    • There are to be least 10 and maximum 20 full time Judicial members and Expert Members in the tribunal.

  • Medicinal plants in news

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in DownToEarth.

    Explained below are the medicinal properties of 10 valuable plants known to boost natural immunity:

    (1) Abrusprecatorius (Indian liquorice, Ratti)

    • The bright red ovoid seeds with a black spot weigh 1/10th of a gram, and were hence used as weighing unit called ‘Ratti’ in ancient India by goldsmiths.
    • Its seeds are said to have immune-modulating properties.

    (2) Artemisia scoparia (Redstem Wormwood)

    • These plants have excellent clinical anti-malarial properties due to the presence of artemisinin.
    • They possess potent anti-inflammatory properties and help regulate both innate and adaptive immunity.

    (3) Azadirachtaindica (Neem)

    • It is a well-known tree used in various systems of traditional medicine since time immemorial. In Sanskrit, it is known as Arishtha, which means ‘reliever of sicknesses’.
    • Neem bark is known to have strong immunostimulant Neem oil has been shown to possess activity by selectively activating cell-mediated immune mechanisms.

    (4) Boerhaviadiffusa (Punarnava)

    • In Ayurveda, Punarnava is included in the category of rasayana herbs that possess anti-ageing properties. It helps prevent diseases.
    • This means they increase resistance by providing hepatoprotection (the ability of a substance to prevent damage to the liver) and immune-modulation.

    (5) Cardaminehirsuta (Hairy Bitter Cress)

    • The plants contain vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, beta carotene, antioxidants and sulfur-containing compounds that boost immunity.

    (6) Clerodendrumphlomidis (Sage Glory Bower, Arni, Agnimantha)

    • It is an essential medicinal plant that is also mentioned in texts since the Vedic period. It is known to boost the immune system, purify the blood and cure urinary tract infection.
    • The decoction made from the whole plant is useful in improving strength and immunity following a bout of fever or other ailments.

    (7) Phyllanthus tenellus (Mascarene Island leaf-flower)

    • It is an annual herb commonly found near wetlands, ditches, wet places, edges of drains and disturbed places. It is known for immune-modulatory properties.
    • Physalis peruviana (Cape Gooseberry, Rasbhari) (Family: Solanaceae): It is used in traditional folk medicines as an immunomodulatory drug. It is rich in vitamin C and helps enhance body immunity.

    (8) Portulaca oleracea (Purslane)

    • Purslane has been used in folk medicine since ancient times and is included in the World Health Organization’s list of most widely used medicinal plants.
    • The leaves of the plant are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is important in preventing heart attacks and strengthening the immune system.

    (9) Withaniasomnifera (Indian Winter Cherry, Indian Ginseng, Aswagandha)

    • Ashwagandha is an important ancient herb and has been used in the indigenous medical system for over 3,000 years.
    • It is considered to be one of the best rejuvenating agents in Ayurveda that helps to maintain proper nourishment of the tissues. It possesses antioxidant, mind-boosting and immune-enhancing properties.

    Now try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. The Taxus tree is naturally found in the Himalayas
    2. The Taxus tree is listed in the Red Data Book.
    3. A drug called “taxol” is obtained from Taxus tree is effective against Parkinson’s disease

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 3 only