Environment
All 8 beaches recommended by government gets International Blue Flag Certification

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about blue flag + about SICOM +BEAMS + ICZM) + Mains ( GS III Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• All the 8 beaches of India, spread across five states and two union territories, have been awarded the "BLUE FLAG" by an International Jury comprising of eminent members viz UNEP, UNWTO, FEE, IUCN.

The beaches that have been awarded the ‘BLUE FLAG" are

1. Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat)
2. Ghoghla (Diu)
3. Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka)
4. Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (AP)
5. Golden (Puri-Odisha)
6. and Radhanagar (A&N Islands).

Other achievements

• India has also been awarded a 3rd Prize by the International Jury under the "International Best Practices" for pollution control in coastal regions.
• India is also the first country in "Asia-Pacific" region which has achieved this feat in just about 2 years' time.
• Japan, South Korea and UAE are the only other Asian nations who have been conferred with a couple of Blue Flag beaches
• India is now in the league of 50 "BLUE FLAG" and planning to taking this journey forward to 100 such beaches in the country in the next five years.

Know! the inception

• India began its journey in 2018 for development of pilot beaches (one each in coastal states/UTs) and presented the first set of 08 beaches for the certification for the ensuing tourist season 2020.
• SICOM, MoEFCC, in its pursuit of "Sustainable Development" of the coastal regions of India embarked upon a highly acclaimed & flagship program "BEAMS" (Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services) under its ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) project.
• This was aimed at striving for the coveted International eco-label "Blue flag", accorded by The Foundation of Environment Education, FEE Denmark.
• The objective of the BEAMS program is to abate pollution in coastal waters & beaches, promote sustainable development of beach amenities/ facilities, protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural resources and encourage local authorities & stakeholders to strive and maintain high standards of cleanliness, hygiene, safety and security for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment norms & regulations.
• This program promotes beach tourism and recreation in absolute harmony with nature; and is unique in that sense.

Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM)

• It has been established under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change, Government of India with a vision for vibrant, healthy and resilient Coastal and Marine Environment for continuous and enhanced outflow of benefits to the Country and the Coastal Community.

Objective and Functions of SICOM

• To support the implementation of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management of India.
• To promote Research & Development (R&D)
• To support to check violations to CRZ
• SICOM is the National Project Management Unit (NPMU) of India in strategic planning, management, execution, monitoring and successful implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project and Enhancing Coastal and Ocean Resource Efficiency (ENCORE Project) in all 13 Coastal States /UTs of India. (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Island, Lakshadweep)
• SICOM has also embarked upon the Pilot Blue Flag programme first time in India under Beach Environment & Aesthetic Management Services (BEAMS) for Pilot Beaches.

Prelims Factoids
World Food Programme

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about World Food Programme )
What's the NEWS

• The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP), which won the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and promote peace, was founded in 1961 at the request of U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower.

Know! all about WFP

• The WFP began as an experiment to see if the United Nations system could deliver food aid.
• Its first disaster relief operation was to help after an earthquake hit in Iran in 1962.
• It gained permanent status in 1965 and calls itself the world's largest humanitarian organisation, dedicated to "saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change".
• During the coronavirus pandemic, the WFP's logistics service dispatched medical cargoes to over 120 countries.
• The WFP is funded by voluntary donations, mainly from governments but also from companies and private donors.
• The WFP is one of three U.N. food aid organisations based in Rome. Its sister bodies are the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
• It is currently dealing with six food emergencies besides COVID. These are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, northeastern Nigeria, Sahel, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
• In 1989, the WFP staged the biggest humanitarian airdrop in history as part of 'Operation Lifeline Sudan', in which U.N. agencies and non-governmental organisations cooperated to alleviate a famine caused by civil war.

Prelims Factoids
Bangalore Rose' onion
Relevance IN - Prelims ( all about Bangalore Rose onions)
What's the NEWS

• The Government of India recently allowed export of Bangalore Rose onions.
• Earlier the union government had banned the export of all varieties of onions.

Know! all about Bangalore Rose onions.

• This special variety is exclusively grown in some parts of the Karnataka state mainly for export to Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan as it doesn't have much demand in the domestic market.
• The order issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 14 September specifically mentions that both Bangalore Rose onion and Krishnapuram onions (similar to Bangalore Rose) in cut, broken or powdered form are prohibited from export with immediate effect.
• This variety of onion is mostly grown in Chikkaballapur, Doddaballapur, Kolar and Bengaluru Rural.
• Some pockets in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, also grow this variety, but in Karnataka, close to 5,000 acres of land cultivate it.
• Its scarlet red bulb is shaped like a rose bud and its pungent smell adds to its uniqueness.
• It is often used to make pickled onions and also sold in pickled forms in supermarkets.
• Since it is not very popular in the domestic market, it is grown almost exclusively for export.
• Bangalore Rose onion received the Geographical Indication tag in 2015 and is popular in Southeast Asian countries where it is either used to make pickled onions or is dehydrated to make onion powder.

Defence
Rustom-2 drone

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Rustom-2 and other drones mentioned)
What's the NEWS

• The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) flight tested the Rustom-2 medium altitude long endurance indigenous prototype drone and achieved eight hours of flying at an altitude of 16000 feet at Chitradurga, Karnataka.
• The prototype is expected to achieve a height of 26000 feet and endurance of 18 hours by 2020 end.

Know! more about Rustom-2

• Rustom-2 is capable of carrying different combinations of payloads depending on the mission objectives including synthetic aperture radar, electronic intelligence systems and situational awareness systems.
• It has a satellite communication link to relay situation in the battle theatre on real time basis.
• Rustom-2 will have to undergo test and user trials before inducted in the Indian military

Israeli Heron

• The DRDO has been working on Rustom-2 surveillance drone to match its specifications with the Israeli Heron unmanned aerial vehicle used by the Indian Air Force and Navy
• The Ministry of Defence is currently negotiating with Israeli Aerospace Industry (IAI) to not only upgrade the existing fleet of Heron drone but also arm them with air to surface missile and laser guided bombs.

Wing Loong II

• The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has Wing Loong II armed drones in its arsenal and has even given four of them to Pakistan to protect the CPEC corridor and Gwadar port.

American MQ 9B

• India has also decided to go in for American MQ 9B armed drone instead of Sea Guardian surveillance drone with cost and numbers being worked out.
• The three services are expected to get the MQ-9 Reaper or Predator-B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones, which have already been approved by the US President Donald Trump's administration.
• The US administration's approval includes the sale of armed drones to India and will come equipped with missiles and other systems.

Environment
Tree Transplantation Policy

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Tree Transplantation Policy)
What's the NEWS

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the Tree Transplantation Policy under the ‘Yuddh, Pradushan Ke Viruddh' campaign, which requires a minimum of 80 per cent of the trees affected by construction or development projects to be transplanted.
• The implementation of this policy will be in addition to the policy of the compulsory afforestation of 10 saplings.

Know! about the Tree Transplantation Policy

• A dedicated Tree Transplantation Cell and local committees will be formed which will include government officials, citizens, RWAs to monitor the transplanted trees and to monitor the transplantation task.Delhi is the first state in the country where this policy has been passed
• Along with retaining the policy of planting 10 saplings in place of one tree being cut down, we can transplant the tree additionally, due to the scientific advancements which allow uprooting the tree from a particular spot, lifting it, and planting it at another spot.
• A minimum of 80 per cent of trees affected by a project, over and above compensatory afforestation of planting of 10 saplings, will be transplanted.
• Also, a minimum of 80 per cent of the transplanted trees should survive and ensuring this would be the responsibility of the agencies
• It is the responsibility of the agencies which are responsible for transplantation, to ensure that 80 per cent of the transplanted trees survive after a year.
• The payment of the agencies will be made only if 80 per cent of the trees continue to survive after a year."

Smog-tower

• A smog-tower will also be installed in Delhi, which will be the second smog-tower in the world.
• The first smog-tower in the world was set up in China.
• Two smog-towers are being installed in Delhi, out of which one will be
• The technology used in the smog-tower installed by the Delhi government is different from the technology used in China.
• In China, the smog-tower sucks the polluted air from down below and releases clean air from above.
• Delhi's smog tower will suck the polluted air from above, and release the clean air from the bottom.

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