Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Sicke Cell Anaemia
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central idea: The Health Ministry of India set a target to scan one crore people for sickle cell disease in 2022-23. However, with only two weeks left in the fiscal year, the Ministry has completed only 1% of the target.
What is Sickle Cell Anaemia?
- Sickle Cell Anaemia is a genetic blood disorder that affects the haemoglobin molecule in red blood cells.
- People with sickle cell anaemia have abnormal haemoglobin that causes their red blood cells to become sickle-shaped, rigid and sticky.
- These abnormal cells can clog small blood vessels, leading to excruciating pain, organ damage, and a higher risk of infections.
- Sickle cell anaemia is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means that a person must inherit two copies of the mutated gene, one from each parent, to develop the disease.
- There is no cure for sickle cell anaemia, but treatments are available to manage its symptoms and complications.
How widespread is it in India?
- Sickle cell anaemia is prevalent in some parts of India, particularly in tribal and rural areas.
- According to the ICMR, sickle cell trait is present in about 20-22% of the tribal population in central India, and the disease is present in about 3-5% of the same population.
- It is estimated that there are about 30 million carriers of the sickle cell trait in India, and around 1.5-2 lakh sickle cell disease patients.
- The disease is most commonly found in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Gujarat.
Recent discussions
- India aims to eradicate sickle cell anaemia by 2047, Finance Minister announced during her Budget 2023 speech.
- Under the new scheme, 70 million people up to the age of 40 years in affected tribal areas will be screened for the disease.
- The Health Ministry has assigned tentative State-wise screening targets to the States for timely completion of the exercise.
- The Ministry is working to create and maintain a central registry for all screened persons to prevent patients from slipping through the cracks.
Current status of screening
- Only 1,05,954 people have been screened so far, out of which 5959 people, or 5.62% of those screened were found to be carrying sickle cell disease traits.
- Regular and timely screening of the population is important, as in a previous screening exercise of over 1.13 crore people in 2016, up to 9,49,057 (8.75%) tested positive for the sickle cell trait, and up to 47,311 of these ended up with full-blown sickle cell disease.
Way forward
- Increased screening: Achieving the goal of eliminating sickle cell anaemia would involve screening at least seven crore people under the age of 40 years in multiple phases by 2025-26.
- Creating awareness: The Health Ministry is working to create awareness amongst those who carry the sickle cell trait to refrain from marrying another person who also carries the trait.
- Targeted assessment: Pregnant women are a priority group for immediate screening, and in the long-term, screening of targeted population of unmarried adolescents between 10 to 25 years will be undertaken.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fluorescence Microscopy
Mains level: NA
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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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Technology to Tackle Natural Disasters
Mains level: G20, Startups And Technology to tackle 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.
- 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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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: India Sweden Bilateral relation
Central Idea
- This year marks 75 years of bilateral relations between India and Sweden, and it is an occasion to celebrate. Bilateral trade has reached unprecedented levels in the past year, with Swedish companies making significant strides in the Indian market. The latest Indian administration has shown a keen interest in augmenting and broadening the partnership between the two countries.
The Past and Present: Bilateral Relations between India and Sweden
- Sweden and India have come a long way in the past 100 years.
- From limited contacts to a flourishing partnership, both countries have developed national wealth through industry and manufacturing. Swedish companies have been key drivers in both domains, and through their work, Sweden and India have found friends in one another.
- In 2023, Sweden is celebrating the anniversaries of Ericsson, SKF, Alfa Laval, and Volvo, notable Swedish companies in India.
Celebrating 75 Years of Friendship
- Record bilateral trade: India and Sweden celebrated a record year for bilateral trade in 2022, with Swedish companies experiencing strong growth in India.
- Flourishing partnership: Both countries are committed to expanding their partnership and collaborating in innovation, green transition, energy, health, industry policy and more.
Emphasizing the Importance of Industry and Manufacturing
- Key sectors: Industry and manufacturing are key to building long-term economic growth, and Sweden and India have identified these sectors as key areas of collaboration.
- Swedish companies have been key drivers: An active industry policy necessitates partnerships and taking bold steps, and Swedish companies have been key drivers in industry and manufacturing in India for several decades.
Prioritizing Green and Sustainable Practices
- Commitment to green supply chain: The future belongs to green and sustainable practices, and both Sweden and India are committed to socially and environmentally sustainable practices throughout the entire supply chain.
- Green transition and digitalisation: There is a clear commitment to this vision from governments and businesses alike, with a focus on digitalisation, the green transition, and the industry of the future.
Way ahead: Opportunities for Even Closer Ties
- There are opportunities for even closer ties between India and Sweden, including a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and India.
- The European Union presidency offers a chance to explore this possibility, which would have a positive impact on economic and industrial exchange, particularly in cities like Pune where Swedish companies have a strong presence.
Conclusion
- The partnership between India and Sweden has come a long way in the past 75 years. Both nations have identified industry and manufacturing as key to building long-term economic growth, and there is a need to deepen work towards socially and environmentally sustainable practices.
Mains Question
Q. Discuss the key areas of collaboration between India and Sweden in the context of their 75-year bilateral relationship?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PMLA, PEPs, FATF
Mains level: Recent changes in PMLA
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-
- Individuals who have been entrusted with prominent public functions by a foreign country
- 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.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Landslide Atlas of Indi
Mains level: Heavt rain induced disasters
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.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Megha Tropiques Satellite, Controlled re-entry
Mains level: Space junk clearing
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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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Tourism Sector and Economic Growth
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.
- 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.
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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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Cheetah- characteristics and conservation status
Mains level: Reintroduction of species and Its Overall Impact
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?
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.
- 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.
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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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM Gati Shakti
Mains level: PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, Challenges and solutions for hustle free logistics transport
“Efficient logistics is the backbone of a successful economy, enabling businesses to access markets, reduce costs, and increase productivity, ultimately leading to sustainable economic growth.” – Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways.
Central Idea
- The Union Budget 2023 has increased the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan’s budget from ₹5,000 crore to ₹10,000 crore and allocated ₹2.4 lakh crore to the Indian Railways. This plan aims to improve India’s logistics competitiveness by increasing the railways’ share in freight movement from 27% to 45% and addressing infrastructural challenges. However, several challenges such as operational and connectivity issues, infrastructural challenges, and lack of integration need to be addressed to achieve these targets.
What is PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan?
- Comprehensive development: It is a comprehensive infrastructure development plan announced by the Government of India in November 2021.
- Aim: The plan aims to improve economic growth and sustainable development by focusing on infrastructure such as roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, and logistics.
- Increased Budget: The Union Budget 2023 has increased the budget for the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan
- The plan includes the development of five main corridors:
- East-West Corridor: It will connect the east and west coasts of India, stretching from Silchar in Assam to Porbandar in Gujarat.
- North-South Corridor: It will connect the northern and southern parts of India, stretching from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
- North-East Corridor: It will connect the northeastern states to the rest of India, stretching from Imphal in Manipur to Kohima in Nagaland.
- South-West Corridor: It will connect the southwestern states to the rest of India, stretching from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
- East Coast Corridor: It will connect the east coast states to the rest of India, stretching from Kolkata in West Bengal to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
- The railways have a pan-India network and offer an efficient and economic mode of logistics movement, making them an essential component of the plan.
The Freight Movement at Present
- Freight movement Impact: Currently, 65% of freight movement is done by road transport, leading to congestion, pollution, and increased logistics costs.
- convenience over cost: Although the cost of rail transportation is less than road transportation, convenience has taken precedence over cost, and the railways have lost their share in freight movement to more flexible modes.
- For instance: In 2020-21, coal constituted 44% of the total freight movement of 1.2 billion tonnes, followed by iron ore (13%), cement (10%), food grains (5%), fertilizers (4%), iron and steel (4%), etc.
- Non-bulk commodities: Transportation of non-bulk commodities accounts for a very small share in the rail freight movement
- Rise in Container Traffic: The convenience of moving non-bulk commodities in containers has led to an increase in containerized traffic. Globally, railway systems are heavily investing in advanced rail infrastructure for quick and low-cost container movement.
- The national transporter faces several challenges, leading to a shift of freight traffic to roads.
- Infrastructure: Increased transit time by rail, pre-movement and post-movement procedural delays, lack of necessary terminal infrastructure, maintenance of good sheds and warehouses, and uncertain supply of wagons are some of the infrastructural challenges that customers face.
- Connectivity: The lack of integrated first and last-mile connectivity by rail increases the chances of damage due to multiple handling and also increases the inventory holding cost.
Strategies to Improve Efficiency in Rail Cargo Movement in India
- Overall improvement: The Indian Railways need to improve infrastructure and encourage private participation in the operation and management of terminals, containers, and warehouses to efficiently utilize resources.
- Special Entity Needed: Establishing a special entity under the railways to handle intermodal logistics in partnership with the private sector could address the first and last-mile issue faced by the railways.
- For instance: An integrated logistics infrastructure with first and last-mile connectivity is essential to make rail movement competitive with roads, and facilitate exports by rail to neighbouring countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh.
- An Uber like model: An Uber-like model for one of the two cargo wagons, wherein the customer can book the wagon using an online application, could help in increasing the utilization rate of these wagons.
Way ahead
- The adoption of railways for cargo movement is crucial to improve India’s logistics competitiveness.
- The Indian Railways are upgrading their infrastructure with PM Gati Shakti, but a continuous monitoring of existing projects and identification of new priority areas are required to achieve the targets of rail freight movement.
Conclusion
- The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan has the potential to transform India’s logistics infrastructure and increase the railways’ share in freight movement. However, several challenges such as operational and connectivity issues, infrastructural challenges, and lack of integration need to be addressed. The upcoming Dedicated Freight Corridors, multimodal logistics parks, and establishment of a special entity under the railways could address these challenges.
Mains Question
Q. Explain the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and its significance in improving India’s logistics competitiveness.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Digital India Act, 2003
The Union government has formally outlined the Digital India Act, 2023 which is a broad overhaul of the decades-old Information Technology Act, 2000.
Central idea: Reconsideration of Safe Harbour
- The government is reconsidering a key aspect of cyberspace — ‘safe harbour’.
- Safe harbour is the principle that so-called ‘intermediaries’ on the internet are not responsible for what third parties post on their website.
- This is the principle that allows social media platforms to avoid liability for posts made by users.
- Safe harbour has been reined in in recent years by regulations like the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which require platforms to take down posts when ordered to do so by the government, or when required by law.
What is the Digital India Act, 2023?
- The act is a new legislation that aims to overhaul the decades-old Information Technology Act, 2000.
- The Act covers a range of topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybercrime, data protection, deepfakes, competition issues among internet platforms, and online safety.
- The Act also aims to address “new complex forms of user harms” that have emerged in the years since the IT Act’s enactment, such as catfishing, doxxing, trolling, and phishing.
Why was this act enacted?
- Data privacy: The Digital India Act will be implemented alongside the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022, which focuses solely on processing personal data in India.
- Lawful use of data: It seeks to address the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognizes both the right of the individuals to protect their personal data and the need to process personal data for lawful purposes.
- Comprehensive regulation: This Act and the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill will work in tandem with each other.
Key features of the Digital India Act
- Creating new regulations around newer technology, including 5G, IoT devices, cloud computing, metaverse, blockchain, and cryptocurrency.
- Reclassifying online intermediaries to separate categories instead of one general intermediary label, each one with its own set of regulations.
- Removing “safe harbour” immunity for online intermediaries for purposeful misinformation or other content violations from third parties.
- Creating digital standards and laws regarding artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology.
- Criminalizing cyberbullying, identity theft, and unauthorized sharing of personal information without consent.
Significance
- The Digital India Act provides a legal framework for promoting the growth of the digital economy in India.
- It aims to create a conducive environment for the development and deployment of digital technologies across different sectors.
- The Act also addresses various challenges associated with cybersecurity and data privacy, which are critical issues in the digital age.
Conclusion
- The Digital India Act is expected to promote digital literacy and increase access to digital services for all citizens.
- It will help in creating a digital infrastructure that is secure, reliable, and accessible to everyone.
- The Act will also encourage the adoption of digital technologies in various sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture, leading to increased efficiency and productivity
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IBEX
Mains level: Not much
NASA has announced that its Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft is fully operational after the mission team successfully reset it.
Edge of Solar System: Heliopause
The edge of the Solar System, also known as the heliopause, is the point where the solar wind from the Sun meets the interstellar medium. Here are some key points about the edge of the Solar System:
- The heliopause is the boundary where the Sun’s solar wind is stopped by the interstellar medium.
- The Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed the heliopause in 2012, becoming the first man-made object to leave the Solar System.
- The exact location of the heliopause is not well defined and varies based on the strength of the solar wind and the density of the interstellar medium.
- The interstellar medium beyond the heliopause is composed of plasma, magnetic fields, and cosmic rays from other stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
- The edge of the Solar System is being studied by NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission, which is mapping the boundary region where the solar wind meets the interstellar medium.
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Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)
- IBEX is a small NASA spacecraft designed to map the boundary where winds from the Sun interact with winds from other stars.
- The spacecraft is about the size of a bus tire and its instruments look towards the interstellar boundary while it is on its nine-day orbit around our planet.
- It was launched in 2008 and has spent nearly 15 years in space already.
Purpose
- The purpose of IBEX is to study the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium and to map the boundary of the solar system.
Technology
- IBEX uses two neutral atom imaging cameras to detect energetic neutral atoms that are created at the boundary of the heliosphere.
- The cameras are mounted on a spinning spacecraft, allowing them to scan the sky and build up a map of the boundary.
Discoveries
Since its launch, IBEX has made several important discoveries, including:
- The first direct measurements of the interstellar wind, which flows into the solar system from the direction of the constellation Scorpius.
- The discovery of a “ribbon” of energetic neutral atoms that stretches across the sky, which may be caused by the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium.
Current Status
- IBEX is still in operation and continues to gather data about the interstellar boundary.
- Its mission has been extended several times, with the most recent extension running until 2023.
Significance
- IBEX’s findings have increased our understanding of the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium.
- It has helped to refine models of the heliosphere and the solar system’s place in the galaxy.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kodaikanal solar observatory
Mains level: NA
The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) has been observing the Sun for over a century.
Why in news?
- Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) has been observing the Sun for over a century
- KoSO has captured images of sunspots and recorded changes in the Sun’s behavior
- Solar physicists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) have digitized 1.48 lakh solar images captured since 1904
A Brief History of Kodaikanal Solar Observatory
- KoSO is one of the world’s oldest observatories studying the Sun.
- Norman Pogson, astronomer and Government Astronomer of the Madras Observatory, proposed the idea of taking pictures of the Sun using a 20-inch telescope.
- The Madras Observatory was set up as the private effort of an official of the British East India Company in 1786.
- The decision to establish a solar observatory was taken in 1893, and Kodaikanal in present-day Tamil Nadu was chosen for its high altitude and dust-free environment.
- The Solar Physics Observatory opened on April 1, 1899, and was later named KoSO.
- The Bhavnagar Telescope, named after the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, was one of the more famous instruments at KoSO during the early decades of its operation.
- A 15cm telescope was used to capture solar images onto a photographic film or plate.
- Solar magnetic plages and prominences were recorded since 1911, taken on photographic films and plates.
Solar Observations, One Every Day: How They Are Taken
- White light images of the Sun have been captured every day since 1904 using a 6-inch telescope
- Visible light images reveal sunspots on the surface of the Sun.
- One image is taken daily around 8 am, which has been a fixed routine for over a century now
- Each observation accompanies the corresponding date and time, which is key for calibration purposes later.
- These plates or films are sent to the darkroom and developed either the same day or the next day
- Once the film has been developed, the date and time of observation are written on the plate and entered in the logbook.
- These plates or films are kept in an envelope with the handwritten date and time of observation and stored carefully in humidity-controlled rooms.
Arrival of New Technology and the Process of Digitization
- Between 1904 and 2017, all solar observations were traced onto photographic films and plates
- A new telescope mounted with CCD cameras has taken over and, since 2017, continued to observe the Sun.
- Digitization of the records was initiated in 1984 by Prof J C Bhattacharyya, and others continued the effort.
- In 2018, digitized solar observations for the period 1921-2011 were made available to the scientific community.
- Raw and calibrated data for the period of 1904 to 2017 were added, and the digitization process is nearly complete.
- KoSO is now home to a digital repository of a whopping 1.48 lakh solar images adding up to 10 terabyte of data.
- These include 33,500 white-light images (showing sunspots), 45,000 images of the Ca II K spectral line (which reveals plages), and 70,000 H-alpha photographic plates that show prominences.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Yaoshang Festival
Mains level: NA
The Yaoshang festival, which is Manipur’s version of Holi, has begun.
Yaoshang Festival
- Yaoshang festival is celebrated every year on the full moon of Lamta (February-March) of the Meitei lunar calendar.
- It begins just after sunset followed by Yaosang Mei thaba, also known as Burning of the Straw Hut.
- Children visit neighbours to ask for monetary donations, called nakatheng.
- Yaoshang, unlike Holi, is celebrated with a traditional twist in Manipur.
- During these five days, Manipur comes alive with sporting events during the day and traditional “thabal chongba” dance in the night.
Key feature: Thabal Chongba Dance
- The thabal chongba is a traditional dance of the Meitei, where boys and girls gathered in an open ground and dance in a circle.
- But these days thabal chongba is performed throughout the month of Lamta.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Space debries
Mains level: Space updates
Central Idea
- Space debris, particularly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), is becoming an increasingly urgent problem due to the rising number of rocket launches and payloads, as well as anti-satellite missile tests and collisions. On March 7, 2023, ISRO successfully carried out a controlled re-entry for the decommissioned Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT1).
ISRO’s controlled re-entry of the decommission
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out a controlled re-entry of the decommissioned Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT1) satellite.
- MT1 was launched over a decade ago with the objective of studying clouds in the tropical regions of the world.
- As the satellite had reached the end of its operational life, ISRO brought it down in a controlled manner to reduce space debris in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and limit the potential risks associated with it.
Space debris
- Space debris refers to any human-made object that is in orbit around the Earth but no longer serves any useful purpose. This can include pieces of spacecraft, rocket stages, and other materials that have been left in space after they have completed their missions or have been discarded.
- Space debris can vary in size, from small paint flecks and bolts to larger objects like satellites and old rocket bodies.
- There are currently more than 26,000 objects larger than 10 cm in orbit around the Earth, and many smaller objects that are too small to be tracked.
- Increasing number of payloads: The surging number of rocket launches and the increasing number of payloads carried in recent years have made the space junk problem acute, especially after private companies such as SpaceX launched thousands of satellites to provide Internet access.
- For instance: In 2022, over 2,160 objects were launched into space, about 300 more than 2021 and 900 more than 2020.
- Data on fragmented debris: The number of satellites in space has crossed the 10,000 mark, including active and defunct ones still orbiting Earth, and the number of fragmentation debris is hurtling towards the 14,000-mark.
- Smaller debris poses a bigger challenge: While satellite launches are the reason for the rise in rocket bodies orbiting Earth, fragmented debris are mostly a consequence of collisions and Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile tests. The fragmented junk poses a bigger challenge as tracking debris smaller than 10 centimetres is tough.
Countries responsible
- Russia: Close to 35% originated from the Soviet Union/Russia,
- US: 31% from the U.S.,
- China: 29% from China, over 2,700 pieces of debris from a Chinese anti-satellite test in 2007, marked as the single worst contamination of space in history, are still in orbit.
- India: India’s contribution is 0.5%.
- India added to the problem in 2019 by testing an ASAT missile which targeted a live satellite in LEO which resulted in 400 pieces of orbital debris
- While all the trackable debris from India’s test have re-entered Earth in subsequent years, over 50 pieces from a break-up event of the 4th stage of PSLV-C3 in 2001 are still in orbit.
The cost of avoiding collision
- High cost: While debris has the potential to cause serious accidents, the cost of manoeuvres to avoid collisions is high.
- For instance: In 2022, ISS had to conduct two such collision avoidance manoeuvres due to threats posted by debris from Russia’s ASAT test in 2021.
- Challenges: Such manoeuvres are costly as they require hours of monitoring, fuel for movement, and also result in loss of data as instruments are turned off during such operations.
- India’s honest efforts:
- India conducted 21 such corrections for its satellites in 2022, the highest ever for the country.
- Also, in 2021, ISRO monitored 4,382 events in LEO and 3,148 events in geostationary orbit (GEO) in which debris or other space objects came close to India’s space assets.
Conclusion
- Small debris orbiting Earth pose threats to space assets, the immediate need is that the countries must acknowledge the responsibility. India’s continues efforts towards controlled decommission set the bar high.
Mains Question
Q. Discuss the challenges posed by increasing space debris and the potential risks associated with it.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Economic survey and Budget, Various Schemes
Mains level: Union Budget 2023, Read the attached article
Central Idea
- The Union Budget 2023 has made nominal increases in the allocation for education, which will not suffice to improve the education sector’s current situation.
Government Expenditure on Education
- As per the Economic Survey 2023, the combined expenditure on education by the Centre and States (as a percentage of GDP), has remained stagnant at 2.9% during 2019-20 to 2022-23 (BE).
- As a percentage of total government expenditure, it slid from 10.7% in 2019-20 to 9.5% in 2022-23 (BE), while the share of education in social services nosedived from 42.5% to 35.5% during the same period.
Budgetary allocation for School sector
- Allocation for School Education increases due to new scheme: The school sector has been allocated ₹68,804.85 crores, as against ₹63,449.37 crore last year, largely due to a fresh allocation of ₹4,000 crore for the PM ScHools for Rising India), or PM-SHRI alone.
- Existing schools suffer due to allocation for new initiatives: This combined with the newly announced Eklavya model residential schools to be opened in every district of India actually brings down the provisions for already existing schools and their activities, leaving them high and dry to deal with rising prices and the pressure of increasing enrolment in government schools.
- Majority of Indian students attend government schools: Government and government-aided schools are still where the deprived and have-nots go to. Out of about 15 lakh schools, 10 lakh schools are owned and managed by the government, employing about 97 lakh teachers and catering to over 26 crore students.
- Allocation for higher education has increased: The allocation for higher education has increased from ₹40,828 crore to ₹44,094 crore, with autonomous bodies receiving an average increase of 13.60%. The central universities have benefitted the most with a 22.39% increase.
- Reduction in Budgetary Support to Indian Institutes of Management: The budgetary support for Indian Institutes of Management has been drastically reduced with most of the allocation meant for loan repayment. The reduction in funding for IIM was expected due to their increased fees. The impact of this on equity in these institutions is uncertain.
- No provision for HEFA and reduced allocations: There is no provision for Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) in this year’s Budget, which means no new loans for infrastructure development in centrally funded institutions. The allocation for world class universities has also been reduced. The allocation for Prime Minister’s Girls’ hostels has been reduced by half.
Allocation for Research and Innovation Initiatives
- Reduction in Startup India and Design Innovation Initiatives: The Startup India initiative for higher educational institutions has been reduced and also provisions for the national initiative for design innovation have been reduced.
- Drastic Reduction in IMPRINT and SPARC Allocations: The allocations for IMPacting Research, INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT) and the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) have also been drastically reduced.
- No Allocation for IMPRESS: The Budget does not provide any allocation for Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS).
- National Research Foundation awaits Cabinet Approval: The proposed National Research Foundation has been allotted ₹2,000 crore through the Department of Science and Technology, but this awaits approval from the Union cabinet.
Conclusion
- In today’s time, everyone wants to benefit and improve their lives. However, not investing enough in education could harm the growth and improvement of education. Unfortunately, the 2023 budget doesn’t offer anything new to make the sector ultimately effective. The education sector needs more investment to improve the quality of education and provide equal opportunities for all students.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Vibrant Villages Programme
Mains level: Border Areas tourism
Central Idea
- India has tremendous tourism potential in its border states, which remains largely untapped due to the remoteness of locations and difficulty of access. The government has made unprecedented efforts to build border infrastructure and announced plans to open villages along the northern border for tourists under the Vibrant Villages Programme. However, encouraging tourism in these areas requires promoting hubs of civilian presence, building necessary infrastructure, and conducting feasibility studies to ensure sustainable development.
- Improve infrastructure in villages along India’s border with China: The Vibrant Villages program is a government initiative aimed at improving infrastructure and creating job opportunities in villages situated along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
- Overview: The program involves a significant allocation of funds, i.e., Rs 4,800 crore, to upgrade 633 villages situated in five states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Under the programme, residential and tourist centres will be constructed.
- Objectives of the program: The program aims to enhance the living conditions of the people residing in the border areas and improve the security situation along the LAC with China.
- Expected Benefits: The Vibrant Villages program aims to provide better facilities like schools, 24×7 electricity, and more 4G telecommunication towers in the border areas to match what is available in settlements across the LAC.
- Strategy to enhance security: The Vibrant Villages program is part of the broader Indian government strategy to enhance security along the border with China. The investment in developing infrastructure and creating job opportunities is a crucial step towards improving the living conditions of the people in the border areas and enhancing the security situation along the LAC with China.
- Program is modelled after Chinese actions on LAC: The program is modelled after the Chinese military and civilian authorities’ actions on their side of the LAC to build permanent population settlements along the border.
Tourism potential in Border areas
- Karakoram:
- Regular motorcycle expeditions should be organised for civilians in cooperation with India’s major motorcycle manufacturers. Areas such as the Saser Kangri massif could be explored for mountaineering expeditions by small experienced teams in tandem with the armed forces and the Indian Mountaineering Federation.
- Areas around Pangong Lake:
- The area around Pangong Lake and Chushul is a delight for photographers and birdwatchers. In the Changthang wildlife sanctuary, there are wetlands and a thriving population of the Kiang, a wild ass.
- Lhari Peak is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.
- The Demchok area is home to several hot springs that are popular for naturopathy cures.
- The nearby villages of Tsaga, Koyul and Hanle can also be further developed.
- Tourism can be promoted in the Tso Moriri lake area, with a particular focus on home stays.
- Mana Pass and Niti Valley in Uttarakhand:
- It is one of the world’s highest vehicle-accessible passes.
- The village of Mana is rich in mythology, believed to be the gateway to heaven, and is situated near popular destinations like Hemkund and the Valley of Flowers and the revered Badrinath shrine is located nearby.
- Tourists can enjoy sailing on the Deo Tal Lake near Mana, while skiing enthusiasts can make use of the nearby slopes. Mount Kamet and other peaks in the Nilang-Jadang valley are also ideal for mountaineering expeditions.
- Tourism Potential in Sikkim:
- In Sikkim, the region around Doka La is ripe for tourism.
- Pedong, Nathang Valley, Zuluk, Kupup, Baba Harbhajan Mandir and the Yak Gold Course, the highest golf course in the world, are nearby.
- Conducted tours, including trekking expeditions up to Batang La, could be a start.
- Bum La Pass in Arunachal Pradesh
- In the eastern sector, the Bum La Pass in Arunachal Pradesh is already a well-established tourism hub.
- There is scope to bring in more tourists all the way up to Zero Point, the site of border personnel meetings with China.
- Publicity should be given to the memorial built there in honour of Subedar (Baba) Joginder Singh, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for outstanding bravery in the battle near Tongpen La during the India-China war in 1962.
- Nearby, the Pangateng and Sangetsar lakes are picturesque.
- Expeditions on the lines of NIMAS’s Winter Bailey Trekking Expedition could attract international tourists to Tawang and the interiors of the State
What measures should be taken to promote commercial activity in India’s remote border areas?
- Transition from Military to Tourism in Remote Areas:
- Encourage Commercial Activity:
- Prioritize Tourism
- Build Infrastructure for Tourism
- Developing Border Areas for Sustainable Growth:
- Establish Civilian Hubs and Home Stays
- Allocate Border Area Development Programme Funds
- Install Vital Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy Sources
Conclusion
- While developing border areas for security is crucial, conducting feasibility studies before implementing tourism projects is equally important to ensure sustainability. Unplanned construction violates norms and harms the Himalayan belt, so promoting sustainable infrastructure that benefits the local economy is necessary.
Mains Question
Q. India’s Border Areas have Tremendous Tourism Potential, but it remains largely untapped due to remoteness and accessibility. What measures should be taken to promote commercial activity in India’s remote border areas?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Carbon capture and storage techniques
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central idea: India’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions and increase its carbon sink as part of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Agreement is a legally binding international treaty signed by 196 parties, including India, to limit global warming to well below 2°C.
What is a carbon sink?
- A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that absorbs and stores carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
- It can be a natural ecosystem such as forests, oceans, or soil, or it can be an artificial system like carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
- Carbon sinks help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and mitigate the negative effects of climate change.
Methods of Carbon Sinks
There are two types of carbon sinks:
(A) Natural Carbon Sinks: These are ecosystems that naturally absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere. The most common natural carbon sinks are:
- Forests: Trees absorb CO2 through photosynthesis and store it in their trunks, branches, and roots.
- Oceans: The Ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, where it dissolves and forms carbonic acid.
- Soil: Carbon can be stored in soil in the form of organic matter, such as dead plant and animal material, which is broken down by microorganisms.
(B) Artificial Carbon Sinks: These are human-made technologies that capture and store carbon from the atmosphere. The most common artificial carbon sinks are:
- Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): CCS technology captures CO2 emissions from industrial processes, such as power plants, and stores it underground.
- Direct Air Capture (DAC): DAC technology captures CO2 directly from the air and stores it underground or repurposes it for other uses.
India’s carbon sink target
- India has pledged to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.
- This will be achieved through afforestation, reforestation, and other land-use changes.
India’s progress towards its carbon sink target
- India has already achieved 24.6% of its carbon sink target as of 2017.
- This was primarily due to afforestation and tree plantation programs, such as the Green India Mission and the National Afforestation Programme.
Challenges in meeting India’s carbon sink target
- Unavailability of accurate data: There is a lack of accurate data on the extent and health of India’s forests, which makes it difficult to measure the effectiveness of afforestation and reforestation programs.
- Conversion of natural forests: The conversion of natural forests to monoculture plantations that have lower carbon sequestration potential can reduce the effectiveness of carbon sinks.
- Pressure on land: The pressure on land for agriculture and other forms of development can lead to deforestation and the loss of carbon sinks.
- Lack of funding: Afforestation and reforestation programs require significant funding, which can be a challenge for India.
- Lack of awareness: Lack of awareness among the public and policymakers about the importance of carbon sinks and the need for their conservation and restoration can hinder efforts to meet India’s carbon sink targets.
Conclusion
- India’s commitment to increasing its carbon sink is crucial in mitigating the impacts of climate change.
- More efforts are needed to ensure the success of afforestation and reforestation programs and to address the challenges facing India’s forests.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PMLA , Cryptocurrencies
Mains level: Regulation of illicit crypto trade
The government has imposed the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 on cryptocurrencies or virtual assets as it looks to tighten oversight of digital assets.
Central idea: The Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002, now covers various financial activities related to virtual digital assets, including exchanges between fiat currencies and digital assets, transfer and storage of digital assets, and provision of financial services related to the sale of digital assets by an issuer.
What are Cryptocurrencies?
- Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies that use encryption techniques to secure and verify transactions and control the creation of new units.
- They operate independently of central banks and financial institutions and use a decentralized ledger technology called blockchain to record transactions.
- They can be used to make purchases, transfer funds, or as a store of value, and some are designed to facilitate specific use cases, such as smart contracts.
- Bitcoin is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, but there are thousands of others, including Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin.
- Cryptocurrencies can be purchased on cryptocurrency exchanges or obtained through mining, a process in which computers solve complex mathematical problems to validate transactions and earn new cryptocurrency units as a reward.
Why regulate cryptocurrencies?
- Consumer protection: Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and can be subject to fraud, scams, and other forms of financial crime.
- Preventing money laundering and terrorist financing: Cryptocurrencies can be used to anonymously transfer funds, making them potentially attractive to criminals and terrorists.
- Systemic risk: Cryptocurrencies are not currently part of the traditional financial system, but they could potentially have an impact on it if they were to become more widely adopted.
- Taxation: Cryptocurrencies can be used to evade taxes or hide assets. Regulation can help ensure that cryptocurrency transactions are properly taxed and that tax evasion is prevented.
- Market stability: being highly volatile, regulation can help promote market stability and prevent excessive speculation or manipulation of cryptocurrency markets.
What is the recent move?
- Indian crypto exchanges will have to report suspicious activity to the Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIU-IND).
- The move is in line with the global trend of requiring digital-asset platforms to follow anti-money laundering standards similar to those followed by other regulated entities like banks or stock brokers.
Recent regulatory moves
- In the Budget for 2022-23, finance ministry had brought a 30% tax on income from transactions in such assets.
- Also, to bring such assets under the tax net, it introduced a 1% TDS (tax deducted at source) on transactions in such asset classes above a certain threshold.
- Gifts in crypto and digital assets were also taxed.
Back2Basics: Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)
- PMLA, 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted by the NDA government to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from money laundering.
- It was enacted in response to India’s global commitment (including the Vienna Convention) to combat the menace of money laundering.
- PMLA and the Rules notified there under came into force with effect from July 1, 2005.
- The act was amended in the year 2005, 2009 and 2012.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NISAR
Mains level: NA
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has received the NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) satellite.
What is NISAR?
- NISAR has been built by space agencies of the US and India under a partnership agreement signed in 2014.
- The 2,800 kilograms satellite consists of both L-band and S-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instruments, which makes it a dual-frequency imaging radar satellite.
- While NASA has provided the L-band radar, GPS, a high-capacity solid-state recorder to store data, and a payload data subsystem, ISRO has provided the S-band radar, the GSLV launch system and spacecraft.
- Another important component of the satellite is its large 39-foot stationary antenna reflector.
- Made of a gold-plated wire mesh, the reflector will be used to focus the radar signals emitted and received by the upward-facing feed on the instrument structure.
Objectives of NISAR
- Once launched into space, NISAR will observe subtle changes in Earth’s surfaces, helping researchers better understand the causes and consequences of such phenomena.
- It will spot warning signs of natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides.
- The satellite will also measure groundwater levels, track flow rates of glaciers and ice sheets, and monitor the planet’s forest and agricultural regions, which can improve our understanding of carbon exchange.
- By using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), NISAR will produce high-resolution images.
- SAR is capable of penetrating clouds and can collect data day and night regardless of the weather conditions.
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