From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Eklavya Model School
Mains level: Not Much
A Parliamentary panel has refuted that 20,000 ST people, who make up at least 50% of the total population criteria is “impractical” to build new Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS).
What are Eklavya Schools?
EMRS started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to Scheduled Tribes (ST) children in remote areas in order.
It aims to enable them to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get employment in various sectors.
The schools focus not only on academic education but on the all-round development of the students.
Each school has a capacity of 480 students, catering to students from Class VI to XII.
Hitherto, grants were given for construction of schools and recurring expenses to the State Governments under Grants under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution.
Eklavya schools are on par with Navodaya Vidyalaya and have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
Features of Eklavya Schools
Admission to these schools will be through selection/competition with suitable provision for preference to children belonging to Primitive Tribal Groups, first-generation students, etc.
Sufficient land would be given by the State Government for the school, playgrounds, hostels, residential quarters, etc., free of cost.
The number of seats for boys and girls will be equal.
In these schools, education will be entirely free.
What is the population-based criteria?
The Tribal Affairs Ministry plans to build EMRS on 15 acres of land in all sub-districts which have ST communities of more than 20,000 people, who make up at least 50% of their total population.
Wherever density of ST population is higher in identified Sub-Districts (90% or more), it is proposed to set up Eklavya Model Day Boarding School (EMDBS) on an experimental basis.
Issues with this criteria
There are difficulties in identifying and acquiring lands in several tribal districts.
Especially in forested or hilly areas, a contiguous 15-acre plot is hard to find.
This criterion would also deprive scattered ST populations of the benefit of the Eklavya schools.
For most of the places for EMRSs, there is no land available inside the village or the block.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Currency Manipulation
Mains level: Read the attached story
The United States’ Department of Treasury has removed India from its Currency Monitoring List. India had been on the list for the last two years for alleged manipulation of Rupee.
What is Currency Manipulation?
Currency manipulation refers to actions taken by governments to change the value of their currencies relative to other currencies in order to bring about some desirable objective.
It is a designation applied by the US Department of the Treasury, to countries that engage in what is called “unfair currency practices” that give them a trade advantage.
The typical claim – often doubtful – is that countries manipulate their currencies in order to make their exports effectively cheaper on the world market and in turn make imports more expensive.
Why do countries manipulate their currencies?
In general, countries prefer their currency to be weak because it makes them more competitive on the international trade front.
A lower currency makes a country’s exports more attractive because they are cheaper on the international market.
For example, a weak Rupee makes Indian exports less expensive for offshore buyers.
Secondly, by boosting exports, a country can use a lower currency to shrink its trade deficit.
Finally, a weaker currency alleviates pressure on a country’s sovereign debt obligations.
After issuing offshore debt, a country will make payments, and as these payments are denominated in the offshore currency, a weak local currency effectively decreases these debt payments.
US treasury’s criteria for currency monitoring
To be labelled a manipulator by the U.S. Treasury:
Countries must at least have a $20 billion-plus bilateral trade surplus with the US
foreign currency intervention exceeding 2% of GDP and a global current account surplus exceeding 2% of GDP
Which are the countries under this list?
China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan are the seven economies that are a part of the current Currency Monitoring List.
China’s failure to publish foreign exchange intervention and broader lack of transparency around key features of its exchange rate mechanism.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Nadaprabhu Kempegowda
Mains level: Not Much
PM unveiled a 108-feet tall bronze statue of ‘Nadaprabhu’ Kempegowda in Bengaluru, credited to be the city’s founder.
Who was Nadaprabhu Kempegowda?
Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, a 16th century chieftain of the Vijayanagara empire, is credited as the founder of Bengaluru.
It is said that he conceived the idea of a new city while hunting with his minister, and later marked its territory by erecting towers in four corners of the proposed city.
Kempegowda is also known to have developed around 1,000 lakes in the city to cater to drinking and agricultural needs.
He was from the dominant agricultural Vokkaliga community in south Karnataka.
Political motives behind
Kempegowda is an iconic figure among Karnataka’s second most dominant Vokkaliga community after Lingayats.
Political parties plan to woo the Vokkaliga community by honoring Kempegowda.
The statue would be known as the ‘Statue of Prosperity’.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Chancellor
Mains level: States vs Governor at crossroads
In the latest escalation of its running battle with Governor, the Kerala government has decided to remove him as Chancellor of State universities, seeking to replace him with “renowned academic experts”.
Who is a Chancellor of a University?
In India, almost all universities have a chancellor as their titular head whose function is largely ceremonial.
The governor of the state, appointed as the union’s representative of state by the president, is the honorary chancellor of all State owned universities.
The de facto head of any government university is the vice-chancellor.
In private non-profit universities, normally the head of the foundation who has established the university is the chancellor of the university and is the head of the university.
Role of Governors in State Universities
In most cases, the Governor of the state is the ex-officio chancellor of the universities in that state.
Its powers and functions as the Chancellor are laid out in the statutes that govern the universities under a particular state government.
Their role in appointing the Vice-Chancellors has often triggered disputes with the political executive.
What about Central Universities?
Under the Central Universities Act, 2009, and other statutes, the President of India shall be the Visitor of a central university.
With their role limited to presiding over convocations, Chancellors in central universities are titular heads, who are appointed by the President in his capacity as Visitor.
The VCs too are appointed by the Visitor from panels of names picked by search and selection committees formed by the Union government.
The Act adds that the President, as Visitor, shall have the right to authorize inspections of academic and non-academic aspects of the universities and also to institute inquiries.
What is Kerala attempting to do?
Education comes under the Concurrent List.
In an official statement, the Kerala Cabinet noted the M.M. Punchhi Commission had vouched against granting Governors the power of Chancellors.
In many states, the elected governments have repeatedly accused the Governors of acting at the behest of the Centre on various subjects, including education.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Pashmina Wool
Mains level: Not Much
Traders of Pashmina shawls are complaining that “obsolete testing methods” have resulted in many of their export consignments being flagged for the presence of ‘Shahtoosh’ guard hair, which is obtained from endangered Tibetan antelopes.
Shahtoosh, on the other hand, is the fine undercoat fibre obtained from the Tibetan Antelope, known locally as ‘Chiru’, a species living mainly in the northern parts of the Changthang Plateau in Tibet.
What is Pashmina?
Pashmina is a fine type of cashmere wool. The textiles made from it were first woven in Kashmir.
The wool comes from a number of different breeds of the cashmere goat; such as the changthangi or Kashmir pashmina goat from the Changthang Plateau in Tibet and part of the Ladakh region and few parts of Himachal Pradesh.
Often shawls called shahmina are made from this material in Kashmir and Nepal; these shawls are hand spun and woven from the very fine cashmere fibre.
Traditional producers of pashmina wool are people known as the Changpa.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published an Indian Standard for identification, marking and labelling of the already GI tagged Pashmina products to certify its purity.
About Pashmina goat
The Changthangi or Pashmina goat is a special breed of goat indigenous to the high altitude regions of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.
They are raised for ultra-fine cashmere wool, known as Pashmina once woven. The Textiles are handspun and were first woven in Kashmir.
The Changthangi goat grows a thick warn undercoat which is the source of Kashmir Pashmina wool – the world’s finest cashmere measuring between 12-15 microns in fiber thickness.
These goats are generally domesticated and reared by nomadic communities called the Changpa in the Changthang region of Greater Ladakh.
The Changthangi goats have revitalized the economy of Changthang, Leh and Ladakh region.
Try this PYQ:
Q.With reference to ‘Changpa’ community of India, consider the following statement:
They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand.
They rear the Pashmina goats that yield fine wool.
They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Snow Leopard
Mains level: Not Much
The first-ever recording of the snow leopard from the Baltal-Zojila region has renewed the hope for the elusive predator in the higher altitudes of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Why in news?
Not much is known about the number of snow leopards in J&K and Ladakh.
The Snow Leopard Population Assessment of India (SPAI) has been concluded so far in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The estimated population of the great cat is 50 and 100 in these two States respectively.
Snow Leopard
Snow leopards live in the mountainous regions of Central and Southern Asia.
In India, their geographical range encompasses a large part of the western Himalayas, including the UTs of J&K and Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas.
Project Snow Leopard was launched in 2009 for strengthening wildlife conservation in the Himalayan high altitudes.
It aims at promoting a knowledge-based and adaptive conservation framework that fully involves the local communities, who share the snow leopard’s range, in conservation efforts.
Conservation status
In the IUCN- Red List, the snow leopard is listed as Vulnerable.
In addition, the snow leopard, like all big cats, is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
In India, the snow leopard is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, giving it the highest protection status under the country’s laws.
Conservation Efforts by India
The Government of India has identified the snow leopard as a flagship species for the high altitude Himalayas.
India is also party to the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme since 2013.
HimalSanrakshak: It is a community volunteer programme, to protect snow leopards, launched in October 2020.
In 2019, First National Protocol was also launched on Snow Leopard Population Assessment which has been very useful for monitoring populations.
SECURE Himalaya: Global Environment Facility (GEF)-United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded the project on conservation of high altitude biodiversity and reducing the dependency of local communities on the natural ecosystem.
Project Snow Leopard (PSL): It was launched in 2009 to promote an inclusive and participatory approach to conserve snow leopards and their habitat.
Snow Leopard is on the list of 21 critically endangered species for the recovery programme of the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change.
Snow Leopard conservation breeding programme is undertaken at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal.
Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme
The GSLEP is a high-level inter-governmental alliance of all the 12 snow leopard range countries.
The snow leopard countries namely, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
It majorly focuses on the need for awareness and understanding of the value of Snow Leopard for the ecosystem.
Living Himalaya Network Initiative
Living Himalayas Initiative (LHI) is established as one of WWF’s global initiatives to bring about transformational conservation impact across the three Eastern Himalayan countries of Bhutan, India (North-East) and Nepal.
Objectives of LHI include adapting to climate change, connecting to habitat and saving iconic species.
Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Make-II Project
Mains level: Make in India in defense
The Army has approved sanction orders for the development of niche technology by the Indian industry under the Make-II route of defence procurement.
What are Make-Category Projects?
The provision of ‘Make’ category of capital acquisition in Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) is a vital pillar for realising the vision behind the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
It aims to foster indigenous capabilities through design & development of required defence equipment/product/systems or upgrades/ sub-systems/components /parts by both public and private sector in a faster time frame.
‘Make’ Procedure has following two sub-categories:
Make-I (Government Funded): Projects under ‘Make-I’ sub-category will involve Government funding of 90%, released in a phased manner and based on the progress of the scheme, as per terms agreed between MoD and the vendor.
Make-II (Industry Funded): Projects under ‘Make-II’ category will involve prototype development of equipment/ system/ platform or their upgrades or their sub-systems/ sub-assembly/assemblies/ components. They aim primarily for import substitution/innovative solutions, for which no Government funding will be provided for prototype development purposes.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Dadabhai Naoroji
Mains level: Not Much
This year, 2022, marks the 130th anniversary of the election, in 1892, of the first person of Indian origin, Dadabhai Naoroji to the House of Commons.
Why in news?
Election of Rishi Sunak as British PM with a narrow majority has brought to focus Naoroji.
He too had won Finsbury seat as a MP with a three vote’s majority.
Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917)
Dadabhai Naoroji is well known as the “Grand Old Man of India” and “Unofficial Ambassador of India”.
He was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons, represnting Finsbury Central between 1892 and 1895.
He was the second person of Asian descent to be a British MP, the first being Anglo-Indian MP David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre.
He was an Indian political leader, merchant, scholar and writer who was served as 2nd, 9th, and 22nd President of the Indian National Congress from 1886 to 1887, 1893 to 1894 & 1906 to 1907.
His book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India brought attention to his theory of the Indian “wealth drain” into Britain.
He was also a member of the Second Communist International (1889).
Other works
Started the Rast Goftar Anglo-Gujarati Newspaper in 1854.
The manners and customs of the Parsees (Bombay, 1864)
The European and Asiatic races (London, 1866)
Admission of educated natives into the Indian Civil Service (London, 1868)
The wants and means of India (London, 1876)
Condition of India (Madras, 1882)
Influence on Gandhi and Jinnah
Before his Finsbury win, Naoroji met a young student of law in Inner Temple, 23-year-old Mohandas K Gandhi, and left an everlasting impact on the future leader.
He also met another aspiring lawyer then enrolled at Lincoln’s Inn — 16-year-old Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who was to serve for a while as Naoroji’s secretary.
Jinnah had the distinction of hearing Naoroji’s maiden speech in the House of Commons from the Visitors’ Gallery.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Gold Nanoparticle
Mains level: Not Much
Cordy gold nanoparticles (Cor-AuNPs), the outcome of a collaborative experiment by scientists from four Indian institutions, has earned an international patent from Germany.
What is Cordy gold nanoparticles ?
Cordy gold nanoparticles (Cor-AuNPs) are derived from the synthesis of the extracts of Cordyceps militaris and gold salts.
They could make drug delivery in the human body faster and surer.
Cordyceps militaris is a high-value parasitic fungus, lab-grown at the Department of Biotechnology’s Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) in Bodoland University.
Gold salts are ionic chemical compounds of gold generally used in medicine.
Benefits offered by this nanoparticle
Penetration in the cells is more when the drug particles are smaller.
Cordyceps militaris adds bioactive components to the synthesis of gold nanoparticles for better penetration.
It can be delivered as ointments, tablets, capsules, and in other forms.
Back2Basics: Gold Nanoparticles for Medicines
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are small gold particles with a diameter of 1 to 100 nm which, once dispersed in water, are also known as colloidal gold.
Functionalized gold nanoparticles with controlled geometrical and optical properties are the subject of intensive studies and biomedical applications.
They find applications in genomics, biosensorics, immunoassays, clinical chemistry, laser phototherapy of cancer cells and tumors, the targeted delivery of drugs etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: 2022 AP7 Asteroid
Mains level: NA
A team of astronomers have spotted a massive near-Earth asteroid called 2022 AP7 believed to be the largest planet killer-sized asteroid to be spotted in nearly a decade.
2022 AP7 Asteroid
An asteroid is a relatively small chunk of rocky minerals that orbits the Sun, often described as a minor planet.
2022 AP7 is among the three asteroids hiding in the glare of the Sun.
It is 1.5-kilometre-wide and has an orbit that may someday put it on a collision course with our planet.
At present, researchers have little information about the asteroid, including further details on its possible trajectory and its composition.
It was found using the Dark Energy Camera at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.
What about the other two?
The two — 2021 LJ4 and 2021 PH27 — have orbits that are safely constrained inside the limits of Earth’s orbit.
At less than a kilometer in diameter, 2021 LJ4 is the smallest in size.
The asteroid, 2021 PH27, is the closest known asteroid to the Sun.
Due to this, its surface gets hot enough to melt lead.
Is there an immediate threat to Earth?
At present, the asteroid only crosses the Earth’s orbit while it is on the opposite side of the Sun i.e., when the Sun comes between the Earth and the asteroid.
This will continue for several centuries as it takes the asteroid about five years to orbit the sun.
If impacted, Earth’s atmosphere would be inundated with dust and pollutants for years, preventing sunlight from entering.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Coronal Holes
Mains level: Not Much
Recently, NASA tweeted an image of the sun seemingly ‘smiling’. NASA explained that the patches are called coronal holes, which can be seen in ultraviolet light but are typically invisible to our eyes.
What are Coronal Holes?
Coronal holes are regions on the sun’s surface from where fast solar wind gushes out into space.
Because they contain little solar material, they have lower temperatures and thus appear much darker than their surroundings.
Here, the magnetic field is open to interplanetary space, sending solar material out in a high-speed stream of solar wind.
They can last between a few weeks to months.
The holes are not a unique phenomenon, appearing throughout the sun’s approximately 11-year solar cycle.
They can last much longer during solar minimum – a period of time when activity on the Sun is substantially diminished.
How are they formed?
It is unclear what causes coronal holes.
They correlate to areas on the sun where magnetic fields soar up and away, without looping back down to the surface as they do elsewhere.
What do they tell us?
These ‘coronal holes’ are important to understanding the space environment around the earth through which our technology and astronauts travel.
In 2016 coronal holes covering “six-eight per cent of the total solar surface” were spotted.
Scientists study these fast solar wind streams because they sometimes interact with earth’s magnetic field, creating what’s called a geomagnetic storm.
These storms can expose satellites to radiation and interfere with communications signals.
Back2Basics: Geomagnetic Storms
Geomagnetic storms relate to earth’s magnetosphere – the space around a planet that is influenced by its magnetic field.
When a high-speed solar stream arrives at the earth, in certain circumstances it can allow energetic solar wind particles to hit the atmosphere over the poles.
Such geomagnetic storms cause a major disturbance of the magnetosphere as there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding earth.
In cases of a strong solar wind reaching the earth, the resulting geomagnetic storm can cause changes in the ionosphere, part of the earth’s upper atmosphere.
Radio and GPS signals travel through this layer of the atmosphere, and so communications can get disrupted.
Prelims Only | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Indian Constitution - historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Paharai tribes
Mains level: Not Much
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has now cleared the way for the inclusion of the ‘Pahari ethnic group’ on the Scheduled Tribes list of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Who are the Scheduled Tribes?
The term ‘Scheduled Tribes’ first appeared in the Constitution of India.
Article 366 (25) defined scheduled tribes as “such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this constitution”.
Article 342 prescribes procedure to be followed in the matter of specification of scheduled tribes.
Among the tribal groups, several have adapted to modern life but there are tribal groups who are more vulnerable.
The Dhebar Commission (1973) created a separate category “Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs)” which was renamed in 2006 as “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)”.
How are STs notified?
The first specification of Scheduled Tribes in relation to a particular State/ Union Territory is by a notified order of the President, after consultation with the State governments concerned.
These orders can be modified subsequently only through an Act of Parliament.
Status of STs in India
The Census 2011 has revealed that there are said to be 705 ethnic groups notified as Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Over 10 crore Indians are notified as STs, of which 1.04 crore live in urban areas.
The STs constitute 8.6% of the population and 11.3% of the rural population.
Who are the Paharis referred to in this article?
The proposal called for the inclusion of the “Paddari tribe”, “Koli” and “Gadda Brahman” communities to be included on the ST list of J&K.
The suggestion for the inclusion had come from the commission set up for socially and educationally backward classes in the UT.
The J&K delimitation commission has reserved six of the nine Assembly segments in the Pir Panjal Valley for STs.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: C-295
Mains level: Aerospace industry in India
Recently, PM laid the foundation stone for the C-295 transport aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara to be set up by Airbus Defence and Space and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).
Why is it making headlines?
This is the first time a private sector company would be manufacturing a full aircraft in the country.
This is a huge step forward for India in the global aircraft manufacturing domain.
What is the C-295MW transporter?
The C-295MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity which will replace the legacy Avro aircraft in the Indian Air Force (IAF) procured in the 1960s.
It was originally produced by a Spanish aircraft manufacturer.
This company is now part of Airbus and the aircraft’s manufacturing takes place at Airbus’s plant in Spain.
Why c-295MW?
The C-295 has very good fuel efficiency and can take off and land from short as well as unprepared runways.
As a tactical transport aircraft, the C295 can carry troops and logistical supplies from main airfields to forward operating airfields of the country.
It can operate from short airstrips just 2,200 feet long and can fly low-level operations for tactical missions flying at a low speed of 110 knots.
The aircraft can additionally be used for casualty or medical evacuation, performing special missions, disaster response and maritime patrol duties.
A boost to domestic aircraft manufacturing
Over the last two decades, Indian companies, both public and private, have steadily expanded their footprint in the global supply chains of major defence and aerospace manufacturers.
They do supply a range of components, systems and sub-systems.
India’s collaboration with top firm
Boeing’s sourcing from India stands at $1 billion annually, of which over 60% is in manufacturing, through a growing network of 300+ supplier partners of which over 25% are MSME.
Tata in a joint venture (JV) with Boeing, manufactures aero-structures for its AH-64 Apache helicopter, including fuselages, etc.
It also makes Crown and Tail-cones for Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
Similarly, Lockheed Martin has joint ventures with TASL in Hyderabad which has manufactured crucial components for the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft.
How this has become possible?
The US is simplifying its export regulations for India, through a series of measures.
As US and India together pursue the Indo-Pacific strategy and are enhancing technology prowess.
Boost to India’s civil aviation sector
India has a much bigger footprint in civil aviation manufacturing than defence, in addition to being a major market itself.
Both Airbus and Boeing do significant sourcing from India for their civil programmes.
According to Airbus every commercial aircraft manufactured by them today is partly designed and made in India.
India now has world’s fastest-growing aviation sector and it is about to reach the top three countries in the world in terms of air traffic.
Another major growing area is Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for which India can emerge as the regional hub.
Conclusion
The private defence sector is still nascent and a conducive and stable regulatory and policy environment will be an important enabler.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Glyphosate
Mains level: Not Much
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has restricted the use of glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, citing health hazards for humans and animals.
What is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is an herbicide. It is applied to the leaves of plants to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses.
The sodium salt form of glyphosate is used to regulate plant growth and ripen specific crops.
Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicide.
In India, glyphosate has been approved for use only in tea plantations and non-plantation areas accompanying the tea crop.
Use of the substance anywhere else is illegal.
How does glyphosate work?
Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it will kill most plants.
It prevents the plants from making certain proteins that are needed for plant growth.
Glyphosate stops a specific enzyme pathway, the shikimic acid
The shikimic acid pathway is necessary for plants and some microorganisms.
What is the recent ban?
Only authorized Pest Control Operators are allowed to use it.
Earlier, state governments of Maharashtra, Telangana, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh have tried similar steps but failed.
The ban notification was based on a 2019 report by the Government of Kerala on prohibiting the distribution, sale and use of glyphosate and its derivatives.
Is it banned elsewhere?
Some 35 countries have banned or restricted the use of glyphosate.
These include Sri Lanka, Netherlands, France, Colombia, Canada, Israel and Argentina.
Hazards of Glyphosate
Health impacts of glyphosate range from cancer, and reproductive and developmental toxicity to neurotoxicity and immune toxicity.
Symptoms include irritation, swelling, burning of the skin, oral and nasal discomfort, unpleasant taste and blurred vision.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kashmir Saffron
Mains level: Not Much
The Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir has organised a saffron festival in the Karewa of Pampore.
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the “saffron crocus”.
The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food.
Kashmir Saffron
It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) in some regions of Kashmir, including Pulwama, Budgam, Kishtwar and Srinagar.
It has been associated with traditional Kashmiri cuisine and represents the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Its cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around 1st Century BCE. In ancient Sanskrit literature, saffron is referred to as ‘bahukam’.
In 2020, the Centre issued a certificate of Geographical Indication (GI) registration for Saffron grown in the Kashmir Valley.
Major types
The saffron available in Kashmir is of three types —
‘Lachha Saffron’, with stigmas just separated from the flowers and dried without further processing;
‘Mongra Saffron’, in which stigmas are detached from the flower, dried in the sun and processed traditionally; and
‘Guchhi Saffron’, which is the same as Lachha, except that the latter’s dried stigmas are packed loosely in air-tight containers while the former has stigmas joined together in a bundle tied with a cloth thread
Whats’ so special about Kashmir Saffron?
The unique characteristics of Kashmir saffron are its longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep-red colour, high aroma, bitter flavour, chemical-free processing, and high quantity of crocin (colouring strength), safranal (flavour) and picrocrocin (bitterness).
It is the only saffron in the world grown at an altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m AMSL (above mean sea level), which adds to its uniqueness and differentiates it from other saffron varieties available the world over.
Policy moves
The National Saffron Mission (launched as a part of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) was sanctioned by the central government in the year 2010 in order to extend support for creation of irrigation facilities.
It seeks to facilitate farmers with tube wells and sprinkler sets which would help in production of better crops in the area of saffron production.
North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) under Saffron Bowl Project has identified few locations in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya for saffron cultivation.
Prelims Only | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Indian Constitution - historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Doctrine of Pleasure
Mains level: Not Much
The Kerala Governor has sought dismissal of a minister from the Cabinet, declaring that he has withdrawn the pleasure of having him in the Council of Ministers.
Doctrine of Pleasure: The concept behind
The pleasure doctrine is a concept derived from English common law.
It says is that a civil servant of the Crown holds office during the pleasure of the Crown.
This means his services can be terminated at any time by the Crown, without assigning any reason.
How is it practised in India?
In India, Article 310 of the Constitution says every person in the defence or civil service of the Union holds office during the pleasure of the President.
Similarly, every member of the civil service in the States holds office during the pleasure of the Governor.
However, Article 311imposes restrictions on the removal of a civil servant.
How arbitrary is this doctrine?
It provides for civil servants being given a reasonable opportunity for a hearing on the charges against them.
There is also a provision to dispense with the inquiry if it is not practicable to hold one, or if it is not expedient to do so in the interest of national security.
In practical terms, the pleasure of the President referred to here is that of the Union government, and the Governor’s pleasure is that of the State government.
Is the governor entitled to exercise his/her displeasure?
Under Article 164, the Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor; and the other Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the CM’s advice.
It adds that Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.
In a constitutional scheme in which they are appointed solely on the CM’s advice, the ‘pleasure’ referred to is also taken to mean the right of the CM to dismiss a Minister, and not that of the Governor.
Why in news now?
Ans. Issue over appointment of Vice-Chancellor
The latest controversy has arisen after the Governor sought the resignation of several vice-chancellors following a Supreme Court judgment.
The V-C’s appointment of a technical university was contrary to the regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The appointment Committee had identified only one candidate and recommended the name to the Chancellor for appointment.
However, under UGC regulations, a panel of three to five names should be recommended so that the Chancellor has a number of options to choose from.
How is Governor involved in this?
The Governor, in his capacity as Chancellor of universities, responded by directing the V-Cs of nine universities to resign the very next day.
He contended that the infirmities pointed out by the Supreme Court in one case also vitiated their appointments.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kalanamak Rice
Mains level: NA
Kalanamak, a traditional variety of paddy is all set to get a new look and name.
Kalanamak Rice
Kalanamak rice is a paddy with black husk and strong fragrance, which is considered a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of Sravasti when he visited the region after enlightenment,
It is grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal.
It’s recorded in the GI application that Lord Budhha gifted Kalanamak paddy to the people of Sravasti so that they remembered him by its fragrance.
What is the upgrade?
The traditional paddy has been prone to ‘lodging’, a reason for its low yield.
Lodging is a condition in which the top of the plant becomes heavy because of grain formation, the stem becomes weak, and the plant falls on the ground.
Addressing the problem, the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) has successfully developed two dwarf varieties of Kalanamak rice.
They have been named Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652.
Back2Basics: Geographical Indication
A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
GI is granted for a term of 10 years in India. As of today, more than 300 GI tags has been allocated so far in India (*Wikipedia).
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Air Quality Index
Mains level: Not Much
Air Quality Index (AQI)
AQI measures how safe the air around you is for breathing. Organizations that report AQI measure the density of various pollutants in the air (such as PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, etc) at different monitoring stations.
The widely-used National Air Quality Index (NAQI) given by the Central Pollution Control Board is a 24-hour average.
Its unit is micrograms per cubic meter.
A particular amount of one pollutant may not be as harmful as the same amount of another pollutant.
So, each pollutant’s quantity in the air is adjusted to a common scale (say, 0 to 500) that works for all pollutants.
Finally, the pollutant with the worst sub-index determines the AQI for that time and location.
What are NAAQ standards?
The mandate provided to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act empowers it to set standards for the quality of air.
Hence the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards were notified in November 2009 by the CPCB.
Prior to this, India had set Air Quality standards in 1994, and this was later revised in 1998.
The 2009 standards further lowered the maximum permissible limits for pollutants and made the standards uniform across the nation.
Earlier, less stringent standards were prescribed for industrial zones as compared to residential areas.
Pollutants covered:
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2),
Particulate Matter (size less than 10 µm) or PM 10
Particulate Matter (size less than 2.5 µm) or PM2.5
Ozone (O3)
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Ammonia (NH3)
(Air Pollutants that most of us NEVER heard of)
Lead
Benzene (C6H6)
Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP)
Arsenic(As)
Nickel (Ni)
What are Initiatives taken by India for Controlling Air Pollution?
System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) Portal
Air Quality Index: AQI has been developed for eight pollutants viz. PM2.5, PM10, Ammonia, Lead, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide.
Graded Response Action Plan
For Reducing Vehicular Pollution: BS-VI Vehicles, Push for Electric Vehicles (EVs),Odd-Even Policy as an emergency measure
New Commission for Air Quality Management
Subsidy to farmers for buying Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) Machine
