Daily Current Capsules - 30^th January 2020

Environment Conservation
10 more wetlands from India get the Ramsar site tag

Relevance IN - Prelims (about RAMSAR sites and convention + about Montreux Record + about Wetlands) +Mains (GS III Environment Conservation)

What's the NEWS

• Ramsar has declared 10 more wetland sites from India as sites of international importance.
• The total number Ramsar sites in India are now 37 & the surface area covered by these sites is 1,067,939 hectares

The new Indian sites include

• Nandur Madhameshwar bird sanctuary (Maharashtra)
• Beas conservation reserve, Keshopur-Miani community reserve and Nangal wildlife sanctuary (Punjab)
• Nawabganj bird sanctuary, Parvati Arga bird sanctuary, Saman bird sanctuary, Sarsai Nawar lake, Samaspur bird sanctuary and Sandi bird sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh).
• India's list of 37 includes Sambhar lake of Rajasthan which had last year seen mass mortality of migratory birds due to avian botulism caused by a bacteria.
• This saline lake had entered the global list in 1990. Globally, there are over 2,300 Ramsar sites around the world, covering over 2.1 million sq km.

Ramsar Convention

• The Ramsar Convention signed on February 2, 1971, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord signed by members countries to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
• The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits.
• Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention.
• Under the Ramsar (Iran) Convention of 1971, the member countries identify those sites which are recognised as being of significant value not only for the country or the countries in which they are located, but for humanity as a whole.

The Ramsar Convention works closely with six other organisations known as International Organization Partners (IOPs). These are:

• Birdlife International
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
• Wetlands International
• WWF International
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT)

Montreux Record

• The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.

There are two Indian sites on the Montreux Record

• Loktak Lake, Manipur and Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan
• Chilika Lake, Odisha was the first Indian site to be placed on Montreux Record in 1993 due to siltation, which was choking the mouth of the lake but after a range of interventions, primarily the successful dredging of lake-mouth, opening it to the Bay of Bengal, it was removed from the list in 2002.

Know! about Wetlands

• The convention uses a broad definition including all areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metre
• Wetlands play a key role in flood control, water supply and providing food, fibre and raw materials, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation.
• Besides, such land areas also support migratory birds from colder regions of the world in summers, apart from mangroves that protect coastlines and filter pollutants.
• They are, in fact, are a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater.

Steps taken by the government for the conservation of Wetlands

• Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has prepared a four pronged strategy for the restoration of wetlands which includes preparing a baseline data, wetland health cards, enlisting wetland mitras and preparing targeted Integrated Management Plans.
• The ministry had on January 6 notified new guidelines for implementing Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 which prohibit setting up or expansion of industries, and disposal of construction and demolition waste within the wetlands.

Governance
Gadkari gives ‘GATI' to monitor Rs 3 lakh crore road projects
Relevance IN - Prelims(about GATI) + Mains (GS II e-governance, accountability and transparency)
What's the NEWS

• Giving more teeth to the digital monitoring the union ministry of road transport and highways has launched an online portal ‘GATI'.

Know! more about the portal and its benefits

• The new portal created by NHAI on the lines of PRAGATI portal used by PMO can be accessed from NHAI website and contractors, concessionaires can raise any project related issues on it.
• All the issues brought to the notice through the new portal will be immediately taken up by the top NHAI officials
• One can reach the GATI portal via NHAI website or it can be directly used.
• People can raise projects or construction-related issued on this portal. Not only this, the problem raised will be monitored daily by a team of officers in NHAI.
• Issues raised on GATI portal will be monitored daily by a team of officers in NHAI and will be constantly reviewed by the senior officers of NHAI and the ministry of road transport and highways.
• This will bring transparency and speed up the decision making giving real GATI to highway construction

Defence
Indian Navy Launches 'Operation Vanilla' to Provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief at Madagascar
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Operation Vanilla)
What's the NEWS

• Indian Navy Ship Airavat, has been diverted to Antsiranana based on request recieved from Madagascar.
• INS Airavat built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata is the third Shardul-class amphibious warfare vessel of the Indian Navy.
• The ship will undertake Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief mission as part of 'Operation Vanilla' which has been launched to provide assistance to the affected population of Madagascar post devastation caused by Cyclone Diane.

Madagascar

• Madagascar previously known as the Malagasy Republic, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) off the coast of East Africa.
  
  

Additional Information
Naming of tropical cyclones (North Indian Ocean)

• For tropical cyclones developing in the North Indian Ocean, countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan and Thailand send their names to the regional tropical cyclone committee.
• At present, all eight countries have submitted eight names each for naming future cyclones.
  
  

Centre- State Relations
Tribal Affairs Ministry proposes 6^th Schedule Area status to Ladakh
Relevance IN - Prelims (about sixth schedule and its provisions) + Mains (GS II Centre-State relations + Social Justice)
What's the NEWS

• Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has proposed 6^th Schedule Area status to Union Territory of Ladakh.
• A proposal has been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide sixth schedule status to the Ladakh.
• It was said in the proposal that the Tribal Ministry will look after all requirements to enrich and preserve the legacy of Ladakh.

Know! more about Sixth Schedule

• The Four states of North East India got tribal status under the sixth schedule.
• They come under the Ministry of State Home Affairs. However, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram have been declared as tribal areas under the Fifth Schedule. These states come under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution makes separate arrangements for the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura. Article 244A was added to the constitution through the 22^nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1969.
• It was passed by the Constituent Assembly in 1949 and it empowers Parliament to establish an autonomous State comprising certain tribal areas of Assam and for local Legislature or Council of Ministers or both can create.
• It provides the power of the enactment of autonomous district councils (ADCs) to protect the rights of tribal populations. ADCs are those bodies representing the district. These bodies have been given autonomy within the state assembly.
• The Sixth Schedule grants considerable autonomy to tribal communities.
• The District Council and the Regional Council gets the real power to make laws. These bodies can sanction funds from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet the costs of schemes for development, health care, education, roads and regulatory powers in the area.
• The people of Ladakh want to get tribal status so that people from other parts of the country do not come and settle there. It will also protect their demographic recognition. The sixth schedule will also protect the natives' privilege on the land.

Environment Conservation
SC allows introduction of African cheetah in India
Relevance IN - Prelims (about African and Asian cheetah + about NTCA) + Mains (GS III Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• The Supreme Court allowed the Centre to introduce the African cheetah to a suitable habitat in India.

Know! more about it (the genesis)

• Stating that the rare Indian cheetah is almost extinct in the country, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had filed an application seeking permission for the introduction of the African cheetah from Namibia.
• The top court said the animal could be brought to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary or any other part of India after a detailed study.
• The apex court set up a three-member committee to guide the NTCA in taking a decision on the issue.
• The apex court will monitor the project and the committee will submit its report every four months.
• The decision for relocation of the African cheetah will be taken after a proper survey and the action of introduction of the animal will be left to the NTCA's discretion.
• It was submitted before the apex court that the African cheetah will be introduced on an experimental basis in the best suitable habitat to see whether it can adapt to Indian conditions.
• The NTCA had earlier also filed an application before the apex court, seeking permission to introduce the mighty cat, but the application was rejected by the SC in 2013
• ‘Reintroduction' of a species means releasing it in an area where it is capable of surviving.

Cheetah/African Cheetah

• The cheetah is a large cat that occurs in North, Southern and East Africa, and a few localities in Iran.
• It inhabits a variety of mostly arid habitats like dry forests, scrub forests, and savannahs.
• The species is IUCN Red Listed as Vulnerable

Asiatic cheetah

• The Asiatic cheetah is classified as a "critically endangered" species by the IUCN Red List, and is believed to survive only in Iran.
  
• Critically endangered' means that the species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
• In 1952, the cheetah was officially declared extinct from India.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA)

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it under the said Act.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority has been fulfilling its mandate within the ambit of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 for strengthening tiger conservation in the country
• ‘Project Tiger' is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Environment, Forests and Climate Change, providing funding support to tiger range States, for in-situ conservation of tigers in designated tiger reserves

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