Environment Conservation

Emission levels rising faster in Indian cities than in China

Relevance IN - Prelims(facts regarding the study )+Mains GS III -environment conservation

 

What's the report

• A study that analysed the link between population density and emissions from transport, across India's districts.

• Urbanisation is accelerating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles in India at a faster than in China.
  

• On an average, an Indian emitted about 20 kg per capita while commuting for work, with the highest (140 kg CO2) in Gurugram district (Haryana) and the lowest (1.8 kg CO2) in Shrawasti district (Uttar Pradesh)

Role of urbanisation in reducing emission

• The experience in most developed countries was that urbanisation led to a reduction in emissions - more urbanisation meant shorter distances between the workplace and home and thereby, a preference for public transport. However this didn't effectively apply to developing countries
  

• In China a 1% increase in urbanisation was linked with a 0.12% increase in CO2 emissions whereas, in India, it translated into 0.24% increase in emissions

Know! the finding of the study with context to India

• India's CO2 emission grew by an estimated 4.6% in 2017 and its per-capita emission was about 1.8 tonnes.
  

• In spite of being the 4th largest emitter, India's per capita emissions are much lower than the world average of 4.2 tonnes.
  

• India's transport patterns are very climate friendly, and much better than those of Europe and the United States.
  

• The mean commuting distance (among commuters) is 5.9 km, with the lowest 1.3 km in Longleng district (Nagaland) and the highest 14 km in Dharmapuri district (Tamil Nadu).
  

• Delhi had the highest commuting emissions per capita - a factor that also contributed to its high level of pollution - and the national capital region had 2.5 times higher commuting emissions than Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.
  

• Delhi's higher socio-economic status and heavy reliance on private travel modes led to higher commuting emissions than in other megacities,

What's the way forward

• There were several instances of districts with similar population density but varying per capita emissions, a "simple-minded densification" was an inappropriate policy for reducing commuters' GHG emissions and India would do well to focus on electric vehicles and efficient public transit system.This to however ought to be tailored to a region's geographical context

 

AYUSH

Conservation and Promotion of Medicinal Plants

Relevance IN - Prelims

Know! some important facts

• As per information of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), an organization under Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change estimated more than 8,000 species of medicinal plants are found in India.
  

• The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH is presently implementing following schemes to encourage farming / cultivation, conservation, processing and promotion of medicinal plants throughout the country:
  

• Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM). Under ‘Medicinal Plants' component of the NAM scheme the large scale farming / cultivation of medicinal plants is being supported.
  

• Central Sector Scheme on "Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants
  

• Voluntary Certification Scheme for Medicinal Plants Produce (VCSMPP). The scheme is aimed to encourage Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Good Field Collection Practices (GFCPs) in medicinal plants and enhance quality and safety of their produce.

 

Disaster Management

Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise
EXERCISE RAHAT

Relevance IN - Prelims (about operation RAHAT) +Mains (GS III disaster management)

What's the NEWS

• Jaipur based Sapta Shakti Command will be conducting Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise EXERCISE RAHAT on behalf of Indian Army over a period of two days on 11^thand 12^thFebruary 2019.

Know! more about the joint exercise

• The Joint exercise in coordination with NDMA is being conducted to synergise efforts for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
• Representatives from Armed Forces, National Disaster Management Response Mechanism (NDMRM), SDMA Rajasthan and DLMAs will be participating in the exercise.
  

• The exercise will be conducted simultaneously in three places, beginning at Jaipur in the form of a table top exercise and at Kota and Alwar wherein on-ground capability and coordination amongst various stake holders will be demonstrated.

 

Social Justice

Sentinelese Tribe

Relevance IN - Prelims( about the tribes) + Mains (GS II  welfare schemes for the vulnerable section)

Know! about the various provisions made by the government

• The Government has promulgated various laws/regulations from time to time to ensure that the rights and well being of the Sentinelese are safeguarded.
  

• These are being strictly implemented and enforced by the UT Administration.

These Laws/Regulation include

i)                   A &N Islands (PAT) Regulation 1956,

ii)                Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989,

iii)              Restrictions under Foreigner (Restricted Area) Orders, 1963,

iv)               Visa Manual Conditions/Passport Act 1920, and

v)                Indian Forest Act, 1927 and Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

 

Besides, some major steps taken to ensure the protection of Sentinelese are:

• The entire North Sentinel Island along with 5 km coastal sea from high water mark is notified as tribal reserve
  

• The Sentinelese are still in isolation practicing primordial hunting and gathering way of life. The Government respects their way of life style, therefore, has adopted an ‘eyes-on and hands-off' practice to protect and safeguard the Sentinelese tribe
  

• A protocol of circumnavigation of the North Sentinel Island has been notified. The ships and aircrafts of Coast Guard and boats of Marine Police make sorties around North Sentinel to keep surveillance.
  

• Apart from the land territory the coastal sea up to fixed extent of 1 Km to 5 Km abutting the tribal territory has also been notified as tribal reserve so that marine resources like fish, turtle etc are available exclusively for the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

 

Know! more about the tribes

There are 6 aboriginal tribes in Andaman & Nicobar islands. 

• On the basis of features, they can be divided into Negrito and Mongoloid.
  

• Great Andamanes Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese are negrito while Nicobarese and Shompen are mongoloid.
  

• Shompens and Nicobarese seem to be descendents of primitive Malay
  

• These tribes still keep a separate entity and don;t cover their bodies. The tribal groups in the two respective regions have very little in common in n the ethnic, linguistic or cultural sense. Their life styles are also very different.

 

Factoids

Safe City Project

Relevance IN - Prelims

Know! about the project

• Empowered Committee of Officers for Nirbhaya funds scheme has approved pilot Safe City projects in eight selected metropolitan cities, namely, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow with a view to provide safety to women in public places
  

• The cost of the projects is shared between the Central Government and the concerned States in 60:40 ratio. The Safe City Project in Delhi is fully funded by the Central Government.

 

Economic Developments

NFDC declared winner under Miniratna Category by Ministry of MSME

Relevance IN - Prelims( about NFDC) + Mains (GS III economic development + GS II welfare schemes for the vulnerable section)

What's the NEWS

• National Film Development Corporation of India has been selected as Winner under the Miniratna Category (Category II) by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
  

• This has been done as part of endeavour by Ministry of MSME to felicitate select CPSEs to recognize their exemplary work towards promotion of SC/ST entrepreneurs.
  

• The performance parameters for the same were procurement from SC/ST entrepreneurs, number of vendor development programmes for SC/ST and number of SC/ST entrepreneurs benefitted as per data uploaded on Sambandh Portal.

 

Know! about NFDC

• National Film Development Corporation Ltd. (NFDC), incorporated in the year 1975, was formed by the Government of India with the primary objective of planning and promoting an organized, efficient, and integrated development of the Indian film industry.
  

• NFDC has so far funded / produced over 300 films. These films, in various Indian languages, have been widely acclaimed and have won many national and international awards.
  

• Ministry of I&B has taken the lead with a long-term objective of positioning and promoting India as a preferred destination for filmmakers across the world, by setting up the Film Facilitation Office (FFO), which is housed under the aegis of NFDC.
  

 

National affairs

53rd Edition of "Know India Programme"

Relevance IN - Prelims( about KIP) + Mains (GS II Indian diaspora)

What's the NEWS

• The 53^rdedition of Know India Programme for Young Indian Diaspora involves 40 participants (24 female and 16 males) from Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Portugal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.
• The partner states of this edition are Maharashtra and Daman & Diu.

Know! about the programme

• The Know India Programme is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India with the objective of familiarizing the India Diaspora Youth, in the age group of 18-30 years, with developments and achievements made by the country and bringing them closer to the land of their ancestors.
  

• The programme provides a unique forum for students and young professionals of India origin to visit India, share their views, expectations and experiences and to bond closely with the contemporary India.
  

• KIP helps them understand the Indian traditions, heritage and their family connections.

 

 Social Justice & Empowerment

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana

Relevance IN - Prelims( about the yojana) + Mains (GS II welfare scheme by the government + government intervention and policies)

Know! all about the yojana

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has introduced a scheme for providing physical aids and Assisted Living Devices for Senior Citizens belonging to BPL category named "Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)" on 1^stApril, 2017 with the objective of providing Senior Citizens, belonging to BPL category and suffering from age related disabilities/ infirmities, with such physical aids and assisted living devices which can restore near normalcy in their bodily functions.
  

• Under the Scheme, assisted living devices such as Walking Sticks, Elbow Crutches, Walkers/ Crutches, Tripods/ Quadpods, Hearing Aids, Wheelchairs, Artificial Dentures and Spectacles are provided free of cost to the beneficiary senior citizens.
  

• The Scheme is being implemented through the "Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO)", a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of SJ&E, as the sole Implementing Agency.
  

• The devices are distributed in the camp mode. The beneficiaries are identified through Assessment Camps organised in collaboration with the respective State Government/District Administration and the devices are distributed in Distribution Camps organised in the selected districts.
  

• For the senior citizens aged 80 years or more, the devices are provided at their doorsteps.

 

Prelims Practise Question

Consider the following statements

There are 6 aboriginal tribes in Andaman & Nicobar islands divided into Negrito and Mongoloid in which Great Andamanes Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese are negrito while Nicobarese and Shompen are mongoloid.

The Know India Programme is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India with the objective of familiarizing the India Diaspora Youth, in the age group of 18-30 years

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has introduced a scheme for providing physical aids and Assisted Living Devices for Senior Citizens belonging to BPL category named "Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)"

 

Find the correct statement from the option given below

a.     1 and 3

b.     1, 2 and 3

c.      1 and 2

d.     None

 

 

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Team CL IAS