Relevance IN - Prelims (about USVI + Palau island (location) + about the chemicals) + Mains ( GS III Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) banned sunscreen products with chemicals known to be harmful to coral reefs and marine life.
• The ban came into effect on March 30, 2020, making USVI territory the first in the United States to implement it.

• Sunscreens containing the 3 Os - oxybenzone, octocrylene and octinoxate - harm the coral reefs that protect the Virgin Islands' shoreline.
• Sunscreens containing mineral alternatives such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have been exempted.
• The concentration of these chemicals is 40 times more than acceptable levels in some of our territorial waters

• The archipelago nation of Palau is set to become the first country to enact a sunscreen ban, which will take effect in 2020.
• Palau officially the Republic of Palau is an island country located in the western Pacific Ocean.
• The Pacific nation of Palau has become the first country to ban sun cream that is harmful to corals and sea life.
• Sun cream that includes common ingredients, including oxybenzone, is not allowed to be worn or sold in the country.

Know! about USVI

• The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States.
• The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles to the east of Puerto Rico and west of the British Virgin Islands.

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the map location of Second Thomas Shoal + about the South china sea dispute + south china sea) + Mains ( GSII India and its neighborhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

What's the NEWS

• The above map representing where a Chinese Coast Guard ship has been patrolling since early March near land features in the South China Sea disputed by the Philippines and China. The inset shows the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and China's so-called nine-dash line.

Know! more about the recent events

• A Chinese Coast Guard ship that was deployed during recent pressure campaigns in the South China Sea in Malaysian and Indonesian waters is now patrolling near land features claimed by the Philippines
• As countries look inward or are distracted [by the COVID-19 pandemic], like the U.S. and Japan, China has taken advantage of that by increasing its activities in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea
• Second Thomas Shoal is the only feature of the three to actually be occupied by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, although the Philippines claims all of them.

Natuna Islands

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the south china sea dispute + about Natunas islands location + about nine dash line) + Mains (GS II India and its neighborhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

What's the NEWS

• Chinese presence growing more aggressive, in the Natunas islands

Know! more about the dispute (china - Indonesia)

• China's illegal fishing near the Natunas carries global consequence, reminding regional governments of Beijing's expanding claim
• On Chinese maps, a line made of nine dashes scoops out most of the South China Sea as China's. One of the dashes slices through waters north of the Natunas.
• In 2016, an international tribunal dismissed the nine-dash line as legally baseless. The Chinese government ignored the ruling.
• Instead, Beijing continued turning contested atolls and islets into military bases from which China can project its power across the South China Sea.
• Indonesia is increasing its military presence in the region and upgrading its forces in the Natuna Islands as it seeks to challenge China and maintain its control over an important sea domain containing abundant marine food and energy resources.
• China and Indonesia have started a new tug-of-war over the latter's declaration of intent to rename its 200-mile exclusive economic zone north of the Natuna Islands the "North Natuna Sea".
• Indonesia believes that China's nine-dash line overlaps with the Indonesian EEZ.
• China's unilateral claim to vast swathes of the South China Sea, as part of its so-called nine-dash line, has created tension and confrontation with almost all littoral nations.
• Last year China lost the legal argument over jurisdiction and rejected the verdict of the international arbitration court which trashed China's nine-dash line and upheld the claims of the Philippines.

Know! about 9 dash line

• It refers to the undefined vaguely located, demarcation line used by People's Republic of China (PRC), for their claims of the major part of the South China Sea
• The contested area in the South China Sea includes the Paracel Islands,[a] the Spratly Islands, and various other areas

Sources - the new York times + ORF + the diplomat

Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Union Agriculture Minister launches new features of e-NAM platform

Relevance IN - Prelims (about e-NAM platform and its new features)
What's the NEWS

• The Agriculture and farmer's welfare ministry has launched new features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform to strengthen agriculture marketing by farmers which will reduce their need to physically come to wholesale mandis for selling their harvested produce

Know! more about the new platforms

• e-NAM is well poised to play a critical role during the period of Covid-19 to decongest mandis while helping the farmers at same time.
• For this purpose following 03 modules have been launched for enhancing the effectiveness of e-NAM.

1.Launch of "Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-NWRs) module in National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) software

• To enable small & marginal famers to directly trade their stored produce from selected WDRA registered warehouses which are declared deemed market by the State.
• Farmers will be able to place their produce in WDRA accredited warehouses.

Benefits of eNWRs integration with e-NAM

• Depositor can save the Logistics expenses and will have better income.
• Farmers can sell the produce across the Nation to get better Price and at the same time can save himself from hassle of mandi.
• Farmers will be able to place their produce in WDRA accredited warehouses avail the benefit of pledge loan if required.
• Price stabilization by matching supply and demand through time and place utility.

2.FPO trading module

• Facility provided to FPO to upload assaying report / photo of their produce from their premise to enable traders to visualise the produce before bidding.
• FPOs have the option for delivery of produce either from their premises or by bringing to mandi premise after successful bidding. This will not only decongest the mandis but also reduce the logistics cost for the FPOs.

Benefits
a. This will help FPOs by reducing transaction costs (Transportation) and enhancing their bargaining power.
b. Facilitates FPOs to avail online payment facility with ease of doing business.

3.Launch of Logistic Module
a. Presently, e-NAM provides a database of individual transporters to the traders. Now provision has been made for linking large logistic aggregator platforms, which will provide choices to users.
b. Traders would be able to use the link to navigate to the logistics provider's website and select appropriate services.
c. With these additions, more than 3,75,000 number of trucks from large logistic providers would be added for logistic purpose.
Benefits
a. This will help in seamless transportation of agri produce.
b. This will promote inter-State trade under e-NAM by providing online transport facilities for distant buyers.

Know! about e-NAM

• e-NAM was launched on 14 April 2016 as a pan-India electronic trade portal linking APMCs across the States.
• Already 585 mandis in 16 States and 02 Union Territories have been integrated on e-NAM portal.
• e-NAM will be soon expanded to cover additional 415 mandis, which will take the total number of e-NAM mandis to 1,000.
• e-NAM provides for contactless remote bidding and mobile-based any time payment for which traders do not need to either visit mandis or banks for the same.
• e-NAM is well poised to play a critical role during the period of Covid-19 to decongest mandis while helping the farmers at same time.
  
  

Source - PIB

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