Daily Prelims Notes 12 December 2022

Daily Prelims Notes

12 December 2022

Table Of Contents

1. End to End Encryption
2. Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act amendment bill introduced in Lok Sabha
3. Designing nanoparticles to fight cancer cells
4. Violation of Representation of Peoples Act 1951
5. Anonymity in rupee transaction
6. Income tax regime
7. Custom hiring center
8. NHA building Health exchange platform
9. Account aggregator transaction
10. Russia India top oil supplier
11. G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative
12. Japanese company’s launches moon lander
13. TIPRA forms panel for ethnic and religious inclusivity
14. PMs’ Museum
15. Private member Bill seeks PM-led panel for selecting Chief Election Commissioner
16. Traditional medicine sector growing and gaining global attention
17. Burdened beast: India’s donkeys are disappearing; here is why
18. First urea, now DAP: High use of subsidised fertilisers raises crop yield fears
19. Focus on commercial use of NaVIC, ISRO’s future satellite to get two additional frequencies
20. GridMats
21. The paradox of the pandemic and its effects on Child immunisation
22. Record issuance of Commercial Pilot Licenses
23. Migration and Development Report
24. GIS based portals for environment scrutiny
25. Features of E-Waste (Management) Rules 2022
26. Koundinya wildlife sanctuary

1. End to End Encryption

Subject: Science and Development

Context:

• Apple, on December 07,2022 announced the introduction of end-to-end encryption for most of the data on iCloud by early 2023.
• Apple announced that it will be increasing the number of data points protected by end-to-end encryption on iCloud from 14 to 23 categories.
• The company claimed that with end-to-end encryption, user data will be protected even in case data is breached in the cloud.
• Similarly, Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter recently pushed for Twitter directing messaging’s (DMs) to be encrypted.
• Many popular messaging service providers use end-to-end encryption, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Zoom.
• However, several government agencies are not happy with the recent development..

What is End to End Encryption

• End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a method of secure communication that prevents third parties from accessing data while it’s transferred from one end system or device to another.
• It prevents third parties like cloud service providers, internet service providers (ISPs) and cybercriminals from accessing data while it is being transferred.
• End-to-end encryption uses an algorithm to convert plain text into an unintelligible format.
• Exclusively individuals having the decryption keys, which are only kept on endpoints and not with any other parties like service providers, can decode and read this format.
• When sending corporate documents, financial information, legal documents, and private discussions, end-to-end encryption has long been employed. Additionally, it may be used to manage user authorization for access to stored data.

Significance

• End-to-end encryption is used to secure communications in instant messaging and also used to secure passwords, protect stored data and safeguard data on cloud storage.
• Extra layer of protection would be valuable to targets of hacking attacks launched by well-funded groups.
• End-to-end encryption promotes data protection and prevents unauthorised access to personal data.
• End-to-end encryption is also viewed as a technology that protects user data from government snooping, making it a desired feature by political opponents, journalists, and activists.

Government agencies standpoint:

• Attempts by government agencies across the globe, in the past, to access encrypted data hosted and stored by tech companies have met with strong resistance.
• Encrypted messages can be used by terrorists and other non state elements that can threaten sovereignty and integrity of nation.
• In 2019, the U. S., the U. K., and Australia planned to pressure Facebook to create a backdoor into its encrypted messaging apps to allow governments to access the contents of private communications.
• In 2018, Australia passed legislation that would force tech companies and service providers to build capabilities allowing law enforcement secret access to messages on platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook.
• It becomes more challenging to censor social media trolls, hate speech, and child pornography.
• End-to-end encryption does not protect metadata, which includes information like when a file was created, the date when a message is sent and the endpoints between which data was shared.

2. Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act amendment bill introduced in Lok Sabha

Subject :Polity

Context:

• The Bill proposes to amend the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002 in light of the 97th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2011 which inserted Part IXB in the Constitution.

Key highlights of the bill:

• Cooperative election authority: The Bill also seeks to establish a “cooperative election authority” to bring “electoral reforms” in the cooperative sector.
• As per the proposed amendment, the authority will consist of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and a maximum of three members to be appointed by the Centre.
• Establishment of a Fund & concurrent audit: The Bill seeks to insert a new Section related to the “establishment of the Cooperative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund” for revival of “sick multi-state cooperative societies”.
• It also proposes to insert Section relating to “concurrent audit” for such multi-state societies with an annual turnover or deposit of more than the amount as determined by the Centre.
• Complaints redress: The government has proposed to insert a Chapter relating to “complaints redress”.
• This proposes to appoint one or more “cooperative ombudsman” with a territorial jurisdiction to inquire into members’ complaints.
• Role of the ombudsman: The ombudsman will complete the process of inquiry and adjudicate within a period of three months from the date of receiving the complaint and may issue necessary directions to the society during the course of inquiry.
• Monetary penalties and imprisonment: The government has also proposed to amend the existing Act to increase monetary penalties on multi-state co-op societies for violating provisions of the law to a maximum Rs 1 lakh.
• The imprisonment term has also been proposed from a maximum six months at present to up to one year in the proposed amendments.
• Cooperative information officer: The Centre has also proposed to make provisions for the “appointment of cooperative information officer” to provide information on affairs and management of the multi-state co-op society concerned to members of such society

About Co-operative societies

• A co-operative society is a voluntary association of individuals having common needs who join hands for the achievement of common economic interest.
• Its aim is to serve the interest of the poorer sections of society through the principle of self-help and mutual help.
• Multi-State cooperatives: Multi-State cooperatives are societies that have operations in more than one State — for instance, a farmer-producers organisation which procures grains from farmers from multiple States.
• The board of directors, which represents all the States where these collectives do business, is in charge of all administrative and financial decisions.
• In India, there are around 1,500 MSCSs registered, with Maharashtra having the most.

Is Cooperative Society in Concurrent List?

• The item “cooperative society” is a state subject and falls under the Second list in the seventh schedule meaningly that state has right to make law on and related subject matter of “cooperative society”.

97th Constitutional Amendment Act 2011:

• It established the right to form cooperative societies as a fundamental right (Article 19).
• It included a new Directive Principle of State Policy on the Promotion of Cooperative Societies (Article 43-B).
• It added a new Part IX-B to the Constitution titled “The Co-operative Societies” (Articles 243-ZH to 243-ZT).
• It authorizes the Parliament to establish relevant laws in the case of multi-state cooperative societies (MSCS) and state legislatures in the case of other cooperative societies.

Ministry of Cooperation

• The Union Ministry of Cooperation was formed in 2021, its mandate was looked after by the Ministry of Agriculture before.

3. Designing nanoparticles to fight cancer cells

Subject: Science and Technology

Context:

• A team of researchers from IIT-Jodhpur have reported a breakthrough, at the heart of which is the use of specially designed nanoparticles.
• Indeed, this breakthrough is an entirely new pathway of therapy, whose technological underpinnings can be applied in treating several other diseases, too.

About the process

• Cancer cells, like all cells, die if they accumulate oxygen. Accumulation of oxygen happens when any molecule containing oxygen gets into the cell.
• Such oxygen-containing molecules that damage cells are called ‘reactive oxidative species’ or ROS, better known as ‘free radicals’.
• The oxygen in the ROS reacts with the many chemicals in the cells, destroying their functions, effectively killing them. This is called ‘oxidative stress’.
• The team developed a special type of nanomaterial called ‘upconversion nanoparticles’, or UCNP, which is a cocktail of rare metals.
• A useful property of UCNP is that when they absorb light (get energised) they produce so much ROS as to overwhelm the cancer cell’s antioxidant defence mechanism
• A specific feature of lung cancer cells, called ‘epidermal growth factor receptor’, or EGFR is discovered to make entry into the cancer cell.
• These receptors are a sort of entry point into a cell.
• It is similar to the the spike proteins of the SARS CoV-2 virus which bind to the ‘ACE2 receptor’ in human cells to enter them.
• After UCNP is inserted into the cancer cells through anti-EGFR antibody,the UCNP is nourished with Infra Red light too produce copious quantities of ROS, creates oxidative stress in the cancer cells which kills them.

Significance

• The UCNP method can also be used in diagnosis. The nanoparticles glow when lit with IR — they can be a good biomarker to identify bad cells.
• This opens up a completely new field of diagnosis called ‘nano-theranostics’.
• Indeed, this treatment pathway could be extended to many diseases.

Upconversion nano particles

• Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are a unique class of optical nanomaterials doped with lanthanide ions featuring a wealth of electronic transitions within the 4f electron shells.
• These nanoparticles can up-convert two or more lower-energy photons into one high-energy photon.
• Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), have the ability to convert near infrared radiations with lower energy into visible radiations with higher energy via a nonlinear optical process.

4. Violation of Representation of Peoples Act 1951

Subject: Polity

Context:

• A five-member TMC parliamentary delegation will visit the Election Commission of India on Monday to raise the alleged violation of the Representation of People’s Act in connection with party spokesperson Saket Gokhale’s arrest, the party said.

About the Issue

• The TMC has alleged that Gokhale was charged under section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which relates to promoting enmity between classes in connection with an election.
• Gokhale was arrested over a tweet on the prime minister’s visit to Morbi after a bridge collapse there, following which the Press Information Bureau issued a ‘fact check’ calling the information fake.

Section 125 : Promoting enmity between classes in connection with election

• Any person who in connection with an election under this Act promotes or attempts to promote on grounds of religion, race, caste, community or language, feelings of enmity or hatred, between different classes of the citizens of India shall be punishable, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
• Section 125 is one of the corrupt practices mentioned in the Represenatation of people act, 1951.

Other Important Corrupt practices

• Section 123- Corrupt Practices
• All government or non-government officials are included within the scope of corrupt practices.
• Bribery: Any gift/offer/promise or gratification to any person as a motive or reward.
• Undue Influence: Any direct or indirect interference/attempt to interfere on the part of the candidate with the free exercise of any electoral right.
• The publication by a candidate any statement of fact which is false in relation to the personal character/conduct of any candidate
• The hiring or procuring of any vehicle by a candidate of any elector to or from any polling station.
• Section 126 of the RPA, 1951
• Prohibition of public meetings during a period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of the poll.
• Section 126 is not applicable to the print media, news portals and social media
• Section 126A prohibits the conduct of exit poll and dissemination of its results during the period mentioned.

5. Anonymity in rupee transaction

Subject: Economy

Context:

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said the e-Rupee transactions are anonymous, on-ground implementation is not clear on this front.

E Rupee and anonymity

• The person making the payment and the one receiving it will get an SMS from the respective banks whose e-Re apps are used for the transaction.
• Issuing such messages is presently mandatory under the law for any digital transaction and e-Re is no exception and the bank which is issuing the message has the transaction trail. 
• While the wallet-to-wallet transactions are said to be anonymous.
• But when a user is transfering money into the wallet or removes money from the wallet to his/her bank account, these transactions reflect on the bank statement of the user.

Anonymity in cash holdings: 

• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in 2022 by amending the Income Tax Rules, 1962 made PAN or Aadhaar mandatory:
  • Cash deposit or withdrawal exceeding ₹20 lakh in one or more bank accounts or the post office in a financial year.
  • This requirement also covers deposits and withdrawals from cooperative banks.
  • The ₹20 lakh threshold is for the aggregate of all deposits or aggregate of all withdrawals in a year. 
  • Opening of a current account or cash credit account with a bank or post office.
  • The permanent account number or Aadhaar number along with demographic information or biometric information of an individual shall be submitted to the  Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or the person authorised by the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems) with the approval of the Board, for authentication referred to in section 139A.
• PAN is also mandatorily required in case of cash deposit exceeding Rs 50,000 in a single day.

6. Income tax regime

Subject: Economy

Context:

Budget may tweak the new I-T regime-bring new ITR form.

Details:

The Budget is also likely to lay the roadmap for a common Income Tax Return Form.

Concept

• FY21 Budget laid a new personal income tax regime wherein income tax rates will be significantly reduced for individual taxpayers who forgo certain deductions and exemptions. 
• It gave taxpayers the option to choose between the old regime and the new tax regime.
• A similar tax regime for corporate taxpayers was introduced in September 2019 by significantly lowering rates and removing exemptions.
  • It reduced the base corporate tax for existing companies to 22 percent from 30 per cent
  • new manufacturing firms, incorporated after October 1, 2019, and starting operations before March 31, 2024, to 15 per cent from 25 per cent.
  • Companies opting for these new tax rates will have to forego all exemptions and incentives.
• Old Tax regime– is a tax regime with various deductions and exemptions.
• Concessional (new) Tax Regime-It requires the taxpayer to forego certain specified deductions.
  • These include standard deduction of Rs 50,000, deduction under section 80C of Rs 1.50 lakh and interest on self-occupied property of Rs 2 lakh, deductions which are availed by most taxpayers.

Resent IT returns;

• Income Tax Return (ITR) is a form which a person is supposed to submit to the Income Tax Department of India.
• It contains information about the person’s income and the taxes to be paid on it during the year.
• Information filed in ITR should pertain to a particular financial year, i.e. starting on 1st April and ending on 31st March of the next year.
• The Income Tax Department has prescribed 7 types of ITR forms – ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5, ITR-6, ITR-7 and the applicability of the form will depend on the nature and amount of income and the type of taxpayer. ITR Form 1 (Sahaj) and ITR Form 4 (Sugam) are simpler forms, for small and medium taxpayers.
  • ITR-1 SAHAJ-For individuals being a resident (other than not ordinarily resident) having total income upto Rs.50 lakh, having Income from Salaries, one house property, other sources (Interest etc.), and agricultural income upto Rs.5 thousand
  • ITR-2 is filed by people with income from residential property i.e. For Individuals and HUFs not having income from profits and gains of business or profession
  • ITR-3 For individuals and HUFs having income from profits and gains of business or profession
  • ITR-4 Sugam–For Individuals, HUFs and Firms (other than LLP) being a resident having total income upto Rs.50 lakh and having income from business and profession
  • ITR-5-by Limited Liability Partnerships i.e. for persons other than- (i) individual, (ii) HUF, (iii) company and (iv) person filing Form ITR-7
  • ITR-6–by the businesses
  • ITR-7 is filed by trusts.

7. Custom hiring center

Subject: Economy

Context:

In Madhya Pradesh, farmers are given subsidies by the government for setting up Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs) up to Rs.25 lakhs.

Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM):

• The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) was launched in 2014-15 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, GOI.
• It is aimed at enhancing the reach of farm mechanization to marginal and small farmers and also to areas where power availability is low.
• Components:
  • Promotion and Strengthening of Agricultural Mechanization throughTraining,Testing and Demonstration
  • Demonstration,Training and Distribution of Post Harvest Technology and Management (PHTM)
  • Financial Assistance for Procurement of Agriculture Machinery and Equipment
  • Establish Farm Machinery Banks for Custom Hiring
  • Establish Hi-Tech, High Productive Equipment Hub for Custom
  • Hiring
  • Promotion of Farm Mechanization in Selected Villages
  • Financial Assistance for Promotion of Mechanized Operations/hectare Carried out Through Custom Hiring Centres
  • Promotion of Farm Machinery and Equipment in North-Eastern Region.

Custom Hiring Centre (CHC)

• It is a unit comprising a set of farm machinery, implements and equipment meant for custom hiring by farmers.
• The main objective of CHC is to supply farm implements to small, marginal and poor farmers at subsidized rates on hire which enables the small and marginal farmers to take up farm operation on time.
• Custom hiring centers (CHCs) for farm implements were established in 100 NICRA villages.
•  A committee of farmers’ nominated by the gram sabha manages the custom hiring centre.
• The rates for hiring the machines/ implements is decided by the Village Climate Risk Management Committee (VCRMC).
• This committee also uses the revenue generated from hiring charges for repair and maintenance of the implements and remaining amount goes into the revolving fund.
• Each centre was established at a capital cost of Rs 6.25 lakhs funded by the NICRA project

8. NHA building Health exchange platform

Subject: Economy

Context:

The National Health Authority (NHA) is setting up a health exchange platform that will digitize and simplify the process of filing health insurance claims.

The Health Exchange Platform

• It  is a digital public good that aims to digitize the health insurance industry. 
• It is a simplified workflow with standardized communication protocol between payer and provider to enable digitization of claims processing for health insurance, in accordance with IRDAI guidelines.
• This will make PM-JAY the first insurance scheme in the world to implement this digital solution.
• NHA has published the sandbox for this gateway to encourage the players in the market to develop digital solutions for health claims exchange.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

• It was launched in September 2021 by the Prime Minister through a video conference
• It aims to provide digital health IDs for all Indian citizens to help hospitals, insurance firms, and citizens access health records electronically when required.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be the implementing Agency.
• The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), which was earlier known as Ayushman Bharat Health ID aimed at providing a digital health ID to the population.
• ABHA is a unique health ID that uses a 14-digit identification number and can be generated using an Aadhaar card or your mobile number.

What are the Features of the Mission?

• Health ID will be issued for every citizen that will also work as their health account.
• This health account will contain details of every test, every disease, the doctors visited, the medicines taken and the diagnosis.
• Health ID is free of cost, voluntary.
• The other major component of the programme is creating a Healthcare Professionals’ Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registry (HFR), allowing easy electronic access to medical professionals and health infrastructure.

9. Account aggregator transaction

Subject: Economy

Context:

A year after its official release, India’s Account Aggregator (AA) ecosystem boasts of 1.1 billion.

Account Aggregator (AA) ecosystem 

• Account Aggregator (AA) network is a financial data-sharing system.
• The AA ecosystem was conceived in 2016 but was officially launched in September 2021.
• It already has 23 banks and three life insurers as financial information providers (FIPs) on its platform and 78 entities registered as financial information users (FIUs).There are six operational AAs and another nine in-principle AAs waiting to get their operating licence from RBI.
• The AA platform was created through an inter-regulatory decision by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI), and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) through the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC).
• RBI issues licenses to AAs.
• The AA framework was designed by the Reserve Bank Information Technology Pvt. Ltd (ReBIT)—a wholly-owned unit of RBI.
• It is based on the Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) frame, which is also known as the ‘Consent Layer of India Stack’.
• Registering with an AA is fully voluntary for consumers and a customer can reject a consent to share request at any time.
• Account Aggregator empowers the individual with control over their personal financial data.
• An Account Aggregator (AA) is a type of RBI regulated entity (with an NBFC-AA license) that helps an individual securely and digitally access and share information from one financial institution they have an account with to any other regulated financial institution in the AA network.
• Data cannot be shared without the consent of the individual.
• Account Aggregator replaces the long terms and conditions form of ‘blank cheque’ acceptance with a granular, step by step permission and control for each use of your data.

10. Russia India top oil supplier

Subject: Economy

Context:

Russia is reported to have become India’s largest supplier of crude oil since October 2022 as refiners stepped up the purchase of discounted seaborne oil.

Concept

• Traditionally, India has met the bulk of its crude oil needs from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

• Bilateral trade with Russia is now larger than trade with countries such as Indonesia, Iraq, Singapore, South Korea and Australia.
• Intensifying the trade and economic relations has been identified as a priority area and India-Russia targets of increasing bilateral investment to $50 billion and bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2025.
• As per figures of the Department of Commerce, bilateral trade during FY 2021-22 amounted to $13.2 billion. 
  • Indian exports amounted to $3.26 billion, while imports from Russia amounted to $9.86 billion.
  • In April-August 2022, the bilateral trade soared to an all-time high of $18.23 billion with India’s imports of $17.23 billion, while India’s exports to Russia amounted to $992.73 million.
• India’s exports to that country have been small.
  • Major items of export from India include electrical machinery, pharmaceuticals, machinery and mechanical appliances, organic chemicals, iron & steel.
  • Major items of import from Russia include oil and petroleum products, fertilizers, mineral resources, precious stones and metals, vegetable oils, etc.
• Bilateral trade in services has remained stable during the last 5 years with trade balance in Russia’s favor. It amounted to $1.021 billion for the year 2021.
• Bilateral investments between the two countries remain strong and surpassed the previous target of $30 billion in 2018.
  • The major bilateral investments by Russia in India are in the oil and gas, petrochemicals, banking, railways and steel sectors, whileIndian investments in Russia are mainly in oil and gas and pharmaceuticals sectors.
• Russia was the seventh largest trade partner during April-August 2022.
  • The rise in oil imports from Russia also made that country India’s fifth largest trade partner in September. 

11. G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative

Subject: Economy

Context:

The International Monetary Fund Chief has called on China to speed up restructuring of debt in Sri Lanka and Zambia following a meeting with the leaders of the country.

Details:

• China will implement the G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) in all respects.
• China has given infrastructural loans and cover up loans.

Concept:

Cover up loans or bridge finance

• These are monetary instability linked borrowings that are not linked to infrastructure or economic reforms
• It was given to Sri Lanka to cover the forex shortages under ‘flexible inflation targeting/output gap targeting’ compound borrowings from sovereign bond investors.
• The World Bank and Asian Development Bank does not give such ‘bridging finance’ or budget support loans without reforms to expand economic activities.

G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative 

• G20 set up the Debt Service Suspension Initiative in 2020 and later, the Common Framework to address unsustainable debts faced by countries, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic.
• Other debt reduction initiatives –the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, Paris Club, London Club, Brady Plan, and the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC).
• The Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) means that bilateral official creditors suspend debt service payments from the poorest countries on request.
• The DSSI is part of a broader package to support low-income countries, including the provision of further concessional financing, debt relief under the CCRT support for capacity development and a new general SDR allocation.
• DSSI eligible countries that need debt relief beyond the DSSI, are encouraged to seek such relief under the G20 Common Framework.
• In order to apply for the DSSI, a country either needs to be in an IMF financing arrangement, or it needs to have requested financing (including emergency financing) from the IMF.

12. Japanese company’s launches moon lander

Subject :Science and Technology

Context:

• A Japanese space startup has launched its own private lander to the Moon aboard a SpaceX rocket.

More about the news:

• Tokyo-based space tech startup Ispace’s lunar lander hitched a ride to the Moon on a SpaceX rocket along with a lunar rover from the United Arab Emirates.
• The ispace mission is called Hakuto, Japanese for white rabbit.
• The company Ispace designed its craft to use minimal fuel to save money and leave more room for cargo
• TheIspace lander will aim for Atlas crater in the northeastern section of the moon’s near side, more than 50 miles (87 kilometers) across and just over 1 mile (2 kilometers) deep.
• With its four legs extended, the lander is more than 7 feet (2.3 meters) tall.
• The lander is carrying an orange-sized sphere from the Japanese Space Agency that will transform into a wheeled robot on the moon.

More about UAE Rover’s:

• The rover, named Rashid after Dubai’s royal family, weighs just 22 pounds (10 kilograms) and will operate on the surface for about 10 days,

13. TIPRA forms panel for ethnic and religious inclusivity

Subject:Polity

Context:

• The TIPRA Motha had formed panels for ethnic and religious inclusivity.

What is TIPRA Motha Movement:

• The TIPRA Motha is a regional tribal party formed for the movement for Greater Tipraland
• The parties are demanding a separate state of ‘Greater Tipraland’ for the indigenous communities of the north-eastern state.
• Among the 19 notified Scheduled Tribes in Tripura,Tripuris (aka Tipra and Tiprasas) are the largest.
• According to the 2011 census, there are at least 5.92 lakh Tripuris in the state, followed by Bru or Reang (1.88 lakh) and Jamatias (83,000).
• Under ‘Greater Tipraland’ envisages a situation in which the entire TTADC area will be a separate state. It also proposes dedicated bodies to secure the rights of the Tripuris and other aboriginal communities living outside Tripura.

Historical Background of the issues:

• Tripura was a kingdom ruled by the Manikya dynasty from the late 13th century until the signing of the Instrument of Accession with the Indian government in 1949.
• The demand stems from the anxiety of the indigenous communities in connection with the change in the demographics of the state, which has reduced them to a minority.
• It happened due to the displacement of Bengalis from the erstwhile East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971.
• From 63.77% in 1881, the population of the tribals in Tripura was down to 31.80% by 2011.
• In the intervening decades, ethnic conflict and insurgency gripped the state, which shares a nearly 860-km long boundary with Bangladesh.
• The joint forum had also pointed out that the indigenous people have not only been reduced to a minority, but have also been dislodged from land reserved for them by the penultimate king of the Manikya dynasty Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman.

What are the initiatives to Address the Issue:

• The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) was formed under the sixth schedule of the Constitution in 1985 to ensure development and secure the rights and cultural heritage of the tribal communities.
• The TTADC, which has legislative and executive powers, covers nearly two-third of the state’s geographical area.
• The council comprises 30 members of which 28 are elected while two are nominated by the Governor.
• Also, out of the 60 Assembly seats in the state, 20 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

14. PMs’ Museum

Subject :History

Context:

• The light-and sound show at PM Museum gives a peek into India’s space journey, ancient knowledge.

More about PM Museum:

• PradhanmantriSangrahalaya (Prime Minister Museum) is dedicated to the former PMs of the country.
• It was inaugurated as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, a 75-week celebration launched to mark 75 years of Independence.
• It  is located at the iconic Teen Murti complex, New Delhi
• The Prime Minister museum building integrates the Teen Murti Bhawan in New Delhi, designated as Block I, with the newly-constructed Block II. The total area of the two blocks is over 15,600 square metres.
• There are 43 galleries in the PradhanmantriSangrahalaya.
• The logo of the Sangrahalaya shows hands holding the dharma chakra, symbolizing the nation and democracy.
• The Prime Minister Museum has a capacity of about 4,000.

What are on display in PradhanmantriSangrahalaya:

• Personal items, gifts and memorabilia like medals, commemorative stamps, speeches of PMs and anecdotal representations of ideologies are on display at the PM museum.
• The museum  uses holograms, virtual reality, augmented reality, multi-touch, multimedia, interactive kiosks, computerized kinetic sculptures, smartphone applications, interactive screens, experiential installations etc, to make the exhibition content interactive.

15. Private member Bill seeks PM-led panel for selecting Chief Election Commissioner

Subject :Polity

Context:

• A private member’s bill in Lok Sabha has been introduced, which seeks the formation of a high-level committee, in order to bring transparency to the functioning of political parties.

What is Private members’ Bill:

• The Bills introduced by private members are referred to as Private Member’s Bills.
• A member of parliament (MP) who is not a minister is a private member.

What is the procedure:

• The MP who wants to move a Private Member’s Bill has to give at least a month’s notice, for the House Secretariat to examine it for compliance with constitutional provisions and rules on legislation.
• In case of multiple Bills, a ballot system is used to decide the sequence of bills for introduction.
• The Parliamentary Committee on Private Member’s Bills and Resolutions goes through all such Bills and classifies them based on their urgency and importance.
• The drafting of the bill is the responsibility of the member concerned
• The government bills can be introduced and discussed on any day, private member’s bills can be introduced and discussed only on Fridays.
• Its rejection by the House has no implication on the parliamentary confidence in the government or its resignation.
• Upon conclusion of the discussion, the member piloting the bill can either withdraw it on the request of the minister concerned, or he may choose to press ahead with its passage.
• Up to 1997, private members could introduce up to three Bills in a week.This led to a piling up of Bills that were introduced but never discussed.
• Therefore, the number of private member’s Bills was later capped to three per session.

What is the history of private member bills 

• No Private Member’s Bill has been passed by the Parliament since 1970.
• The last private member bill which was passed was the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill, 1968.
• So far, the Parliament has passed 14 such Bills  of which six of them in 1956. 
• Out of the 14 of the private member’s bills five of which were introduced in Rajya Sabha — have become law so far. Some other private member bills that have become laws include-
  • Proceedings of Legislature (Protection of Publication) Bill, 1956, in the Lok Sabha;
  • The Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 1964, introduced by in the Lok Sabha and
  • The Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 1967 introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
• The 16th Lok Sabha (2014-19) witnessed the highest number of Private Member Bills introduced (999) since 2000.
• As many as 142 members have introduced Bills in the 16th Lok Sabha, of which 34 members have introduced 10 or more Bills.

16. Traditional medicine sector growing and gaining global attention

Subject :Science and Technology

Context:

• Underlining that the sector of traditional medicine is expanding continuously, Prime Minister Modi recently urged the stakeholders to take full advantage of every possibility unfolding in the sector.

More about the news:

• At the valedictory function of the 9th World Ayurveda Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three national Ayush institutes —
  • All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa,
  • National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Ghaziabad.
  • National Institute of Homeopathy (NIH) in Delhi and Panaji.
• The Prime Minister said more than 30 countries of the world have given recognition to Ayurveda as a traditional system of medicine.

What is World Ayurveda Congress:

• The World Ayurveda Congress is a platform established by the World Ayurveda Foundation to propagate Ayurveda globally in its true sense.
• The theme of the 9th edition of WAC is “Ayurveda for One Health”. 
• It was held at Panjim, Goa.
• The first World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) was held in 2002 at Kochi as an outreach
• The subsequent Congresses organized at Pune, Jaipur, Bangalore, Bhopal, Delhi, Kolkata & Ahmedabad
• Previous themes at the Congress have included “Ayurveda and World Health”, “Globalization of Ayurveda”, “Mainstreaming Ayurveda”, “Ayurveda for All”, “Enriching Public Health Through Ayurveda”, “Health Challenges and Ayurveda”, “Strengthening the Ayurveda Ecosystem” and “Re-aligning the Focus on Health”.

What is World Ayurveda Foundation:

• The World Ayurveda Foundation was founded in 2011 as an initiative by Vijnana Bharati aimed at global propagation of Ayurveda.
• As part of a larger intellectual movement under the aegis of the Swadeshi Science Movement undertaken by Vijnana Bharati, WAF is a platform that would take Ayurveda to the world for all the benefits mankind can draw from traditional health sciences.

What is  Traditional Medicines:

• According to the WHO, traditional medicine is the total sum of the “knowledge, skills and practices indigenous and different cultures have used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness”.
• Traditional Indian medicine is one of the oldest medical sciences in the world. India has been known to be a rich repository of medicinal plants.
• About 8,000 herbal remedies have been codified in AYUSH systems in India.
• Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Folk medicines are the major systems of indigenous medicines

What are the steps taken by Central government to promote Traditional Medicine sector:

• In 2014, the Union government established the Ministry of AYUSH, a separate ministry dedicated to traditional medicine and treatment.
• The Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had launched the National AYUSH Mission (NAM)during the 12th Plan.
• The basic objective of NAM is to promote:-
  • AYUSH medical systems through cost effective AYUSH services, strengthening of educational systems,
  • Facilitate the enforcement of quality control of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy (ASU &H) drugs.
  • Sustainable availability of ASU & H raw-materials.
  • The new category ‘AYUSH Aahar’ introduced by the FSSAI in its regulations will help the producers of herbal nutritional supplements.
  • The AYUSH Export Promotion Council has been set up recently to encourage exports and help find foreign markets.
  • The government is going to create a network of AYUSH Parks to encourage research and provide a new direction to AYUSH manufacturing.
  • An incubation center developed by the All-India Institute of Ayurveda was inaugurated by the Ministry of AYUSH. This will encourage start-up culture in the field of traditional medicine.
  • The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) was established in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

What is WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine(GCTM)

• GCTM will be the first and only global outpostcentre for traditional medicine across the world.
• It will emerge as an international hub of global wellness.
• The New Centre will focus on data, innovation, and sustainability and will optimize the use of traditional medications.
• The GCTM will support efforts to implement the WHO’s Traditional Medicine Strategy (2014-23).
• The centersfive main areas will be:
  • Research and leadership
  • Evidence and learning
  • Data and analytics
  • Sustainability
  • Equity and innovation and technology

17. Burdened beast: India’s donkeys are disappearing; here is why

Subject :Environment

Rapid disappearance of donkey population-

• According to the “20th Livestock Census” released in 2019, India has 0.12 million donkeys — 62 per cent lower than the 0.32 million recorded in 2012.
• Other equines — mules, horses and ponies — also saw a decrease in numbers, while the populations of cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats rose in 2012-19.
• The rate of decline in the donkey population is also increasing exponentially.

Reasons for their decline-

• One of the main reason for the decline in donkey population may be the significant demand for its meat and hide.
• Although trade of donkey’s meat is illegal, there is rampant smuggling both inside the country and abroad.
• Donkey meat is consumed in southern states, particularly Andhra Pradesh and parts of Telangana.
• In traditional Chinese medicine, boiling donkey skin produces a gelatin called ejiao, which can be consumed or mixed with cosmetic products to treat conditions such as insomnia, dry cough and poor blood circulation.
• A study by the non-profit in 2021 records illegal export of live donkeys, hide and meat from states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
• Other reasons include:
  • Mechanisation in industries
  • Communities moving to other occupations due to better education,
  • Lack of government support or policy
  • Increase in the cost of maintaining the animal.

Importance-

• Donkey milk is nutritious and has less fat content compared to bovine milk. But there is not much awareness and market for it.
• Maldhari community of Gujarat that rearsHalari donkeys (a breed native to the state), also consume their milk to treat health ailments.
• ICAR-NRCE is studying the properties of the milk and working on improving the yield.

18. First urea, now DAP: High use of subsidised fertilisers raises crop yield fears

Subject: Economy

Context-

• After Urea, another fertilizer is seeing a similer phenomenon of over-application due to underpricing- Di-Ammonium Phospate (DAP).

More in the news-

• This could have implications for soil health, ultimately affecting crop yields.
• The use of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) in the country has over the last few years sharply deviated from the ideal NPK use ratio of 4:2:1. According to Fertilizer Association of India (FAI), the N:P:K ratio was 8.2:3.2:1 in 2011-2012.
• Data shows a 3.7% increase in the sale of urea, while increase in the sale of DAP is 16.94%, while sale of other fertilizers have declined.
• The maximum retail price (MRP) of urea is currently fixed at Rs 5,628 per tonne.
• The other fertilisers are technically “decontrolled” since April 2010, with the Centre only paying a fixed per-tonne subsidy to ensure “reasonable levels” of prices.

What is Diammonium Phosphate (DAP)?

• DAP is the second most commonly used fertiliser in India after urea.
• Farmers normally apply this fertiliser just before or at the beginning of sowing, as it is high in phosphorus (P) that stimulates root development.
• DAP (46% P, 18% Nitrogen) is the preferred source of Phosphorus for farmers. This is similar to urea, which is their preferred nitrogenous fertiliser containing 46% N.

Status of fertilizer industry in India-

• Fertilizer as an industry is under the control of the Union Government (being in the First Schedule of the IDR (Industries (Development and Regulation)) Act, 1951 vide Entry 52 of List I and also Entry 33 of List III. 
• GoI has declared fertilizers as an essential commodity.GoI issued the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) under the Essential Commodities Act, 1957.
• No subsidy was paid on Fertilizers till 1977 except Potash for which subsidy was paid only for a year in 1977.
• Retention Pricing Scheme (RPS):
  • Introduced for nitrogenous fertilizers in 1977.
  • Later, it was extended to phosphatic and potassic fertilizers (Including Imported fertilizers).
  • In this, the difference between retention price (cost of production as assessed by the government plus 12% post-tax return on net worth) and the statutorily notified sale price was paid as a subsidy to each manufacturing unit.
  • This was the beginning of the “Product-based subsidy”

19. Focus on commercial use of NaVIC, ISRO’s future satellite to get two additional frequencies

Subject: Science and Development

Recent development in NaVIC-

• ISRO is introducing the L1 frequency in all its future satellites.
• The next satellites starting from NVS-01 onwards will have L1 frequency.
• Aim- To promote civilian use of NAVigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC).
• L1 frequency-
  • Most commonly used frequency in the Global Positioning System (GPS).
  • It will increase the use of the regional navigational system in wearable devices and personal trackers that use low power, single frequency chips.
• At present the satellite operates on two freequencies– L5 and S band.
• The NVS-01 satellite is set to replace one of ISRO’s seven satellite currently in space.
• Two of these satellites- IRNSS-1B and IRNSS-1C– will complete their 10 year mission life in 2024.

Uses of NavIC in India-

• It find utilisation in national projects like public vehicle safety
• Power grid synchroniztion
• Real-time train information system
• Fisherman safety
• Soon it will come with common alert protocol-based emergency warnings, time dissemination, geodetic network and Unmanned Aerial vehicles.

About NavIC-

• NavIC or the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is designed with a constellation of 7 satellites and a network of ground stations operating 24×7.
• There are a total of eight satellites however only seven remain active.
• Three satellites in geostationary orbit and four satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
• The constellations’ first satellite (IRNSS-1A) was launched on 1st July 2013 and the eighth satellite IRNSS-1I was launched in April 2018.
• With the seventh launch of the constellation’s satellite (IRNSS-1G), IRNSS was renamed NavIC by India’s Prime Minister in 2016.
• It was recognised by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a part of the World-Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean Region in 2020.

20. GridMats

Context: PotHoleRaja, officially known as Ground Reality Enterprises Pvt Ltd, have innovated and patented GridMats

Concept:

• The GridMats have taken their honeycomb design from nature, are 40mm in thickness, reduce consumption of concrete by 85 per cent and carbon emissions by 80 per cent. Besides, they give the road effective drainage with no possibility of puddles or slush.
• They are manufactured from recycled polypropylene.
• These are placed on the ground and interlocked together to create a road surface on which potholes cannot develop.
• The grids are filled with a specially mixed green concrete made from industrial waste a mix that has been formulated in partnership with cement company Ultra Tech.
• The roads of GridMats and concrete take half the time to construct compared to regular roads.
• They are also 20 to 25 per cent cheaper to construct and have been validated by Smarter Dharma, a social enterprise that evaluates environment impact of projects
• Around 10,000 potholes have already been filled across the country using this new technology.

21. The paradox of the pandemic and its effects on Child immunisation

Subject : Science and Technology

Concept:

The paradox of the pandemic is that while vaccines against Covid-19 were developed in record time and deployed in the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine immunisation programmes were badly disrupted, and millions of kids missed out on life-saving vaccinations against deadly diseases like measles

Global status on Child immunisation

• The World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated, a staggering 40 million children had missed a measles vaccine dose, globally, in 2021
• The first four months of 2020, showed a substantial drop in the number of children completing three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3). “This is the first time in 28 years that the world could see a reduction in DTP3 coverage – the marker for immunization coverage within and across countries
• In 2021, there were an estimated 9 million cases and 128 000 deaths from measles worldwide.
• India has a high incidence of measles, given that it has the highest birth numbers
• The measles cases (and deaths) are reported from India, in states including Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat and Jharkhand, due to pandemic-linked lockdowns and realignment of resources to roll-out Covid-19 vaccines and support.

Threat of Measles:

• The measles outbreak is a “tracer” (or “early warning” of sorts) on other vaccine-preventable diseases
• Measles is an air-borne virus, and occurs largely in infants. The mortality risk was high in those less than nine months. Measles is more contagious than COVID 19

Refer:

https://optimizeias.com/measles-outbreak-hits-mumbai-and-nearby-areas-13-deaths-in-a-month/ Measles is more contagious than Covid-19

https://optimizeias.com/mumbai-measles-outbreak-what-is-the-role-played-by-lack-of-vaccination/

22. Record issuance of Commercial Pilot Licenses

Subject: National organisation

Context: A senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday said that 1,081 CPLs had been issued in 2022 till December 6 and the number was likely to cross 1,100 by the year-end.

Concept:

The record issuance of Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPLs) comes at a time when the country’s civil aviation sector is recovering at a fast pace after being hit by the coronavirus pandemic, and the domestic air traffic is inching towards the pre-pandemic level

This was also the highest for any year since 2011, as per the data. In 2014, the number of CPLs issued stood at 896 while the count was at 862 in 2021.

Procedure of license: 

• An individual could apply for CPL after completing at least 200 hours of flying and fulfilling other conditions.
• The individual would have to clear theory papers and once successful, the CPL would be given for a period of five years subject to complying with various requirements.
• The license application process is online through the regulator’s eGCA platform
• DGCA issues three types of licenses — CPL, Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL) and Private Pilot License (PPL).
• While CPL allows a pilot to start flying as a co-pilot, ATPL permits a pilot to be the commander. PPL is issued for operating private planes.
• Mostly two and four-seater Cessna aircraft are used for flying training activities.The training of a pilot, including flying training is estimated to cost up to ₹50 lakh.
• DGCA has issued more than 25,000 pilot licenses till now and there are estimated to be 11,000-12,000 active pilots. Out of them, 9,000-10,000 pilots are operating commercial planes.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation 

• Directorate General of Civil Aviation is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation primarily dealing with safety issues.
• It is responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards.
• It also co-ordinates all regulatory functions with International Civil Aviation Organisation.

23. Migration and Development Report

Subject :Economy

Context: World Bank’s latest Migration and Development Brief titled, ‘Remittances Brave Global Headwinds’.

Concept:

Remittance denotes a sum of money sent by one party to another. These days, the term typically describes the money sent by someone working abroad to their family back home

Highlights:

• World remittances are expected to touch $794 billion in 2022, up from $781 billion in 2021. This represents a growth of 4.9%, compared to 10.2% in 2021, which was the highest since 2010.
• Of the $794 billion, $626 billion went to low­ and middle-income countries (LMICs)
• The top five recipient countries this year: India ($100 billion), followed by Mexico ($60 billion), China ($50 billion), the Philippines ($38 billion) and Egypt ($32 billion)
• India received $89.4 billion in 2021 this is the first time a country will reach the $100 billion mark.

Structural Change in key destinations 

• The largest sources of remittances: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait), and the U.S./U.K.
  1. From: largely lows killed, informal employment in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from 54% to 28% as in GCC countries, Indian migrants benefited from governments’ direct support measures to keep inflation low in 2020-2021
  2. To: a dominant share of high skilled jobs in high income countries such as the U.S., the U.K., and East Asia (Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand from 26% to 36% as the Indian migrants in high ­income countries worked from home and benefited from large fiscal stimulus packages.while in the post pandemic phase, wage hikes and record high employment conditions supported remittance growth in face of high inflation in 2020-2021.
• The U.S. with a share of 23%, surpassed Saudi Arabia as India’s top source country for remittances.

Reasons for sustained growth in remittances

• Reopening of various sectors in host country
• Migrants’ determination to help their families back home during the tough post pandemic recovery phase
• Lot to the stimulus measures enacted to underpin faltering high-income economies especially in the U.S. and Europe
• The depreciation of the Indian rupee vis à vis the U.S. dollar – it fell by 10% between January and September 2022 led to an increase in remittances.

Future prospects:

• It predicts that growth in remittances will fall to 2% in 2023 as the GDP growth in high income countries continues to slow, eroding migrants’ wage gains. For South Asia as a whole, the growth in remittances is expected to fall from 3.5% in 2022 to 0.7% in 2023.
• A higher inflation combined with a slowdown will limit remittance flows
• The demand for labour is expected to soften as construction activities for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar
• The remittances to India are forecast to grow by 4% next year

24. GIS based portals for environment scrutiny

Subject: Environment

Concept:

PARIVESH portal (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub): 

• It is a single-window integrated environmental management system for online submission and monitoring of the proposals submitted by the proponents for seeking Environment, Forest, Wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances from Central Government.
• It is a GIS based system and analytics platform that provides information to various stakeholders using Decision Support System functionality
• It automates the entire process starting from submission of application, preparation of agenda, preparation of Minutes as well as grant of clearances.

e-Green Watch portal: 

• Environment  Ministry is an advanced technology based platform designed to facilitate automation, streamlining and effective management of processes related to plantations and other forestry works taken up under CAMPA fund.
• Forest Survey of India(FSI) carries out analysis of geo-spatial data (polygons) of various plantations uploaded by the State Forest Departments on e-Green Watch portal for accuracy of location, area and year of plantation.

Van Agni Geo-portal: 

• Forest Survey of India has also developed Van Agni Geo-portal to provide user-friendly interactive viewing of the forest fire related data for continuous monitoring and tracking of large forest fires in near real-time basis.
• Van Agni Geo-portal serves as a single point source for the information related to forest fires in India.

25. Features of E-Waste (Management) Rules 2022

Subject : Environment

Context: Ministry has notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 on 2nd November, 2022. These rules will replace E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and will be effective from 1st April, 2023.

Concept:

• These rules will launch a new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime for e-waste recycling.
• The CPCB and SPCBs have been monitoring the units and necessary steps have been taken to mainstream and modernise the recycling industry with the help of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

 The salient feature of new rules is as under:

• Applicable to every manufacturer, producer, refurbisher, dismantler and recycler.
• All the manufacturer, producer, refurbisher and recycler are required to register on portal developed by CPCB.
• No entity shall carry out any business without registration and also not deal with any unregistered entity.
• Authorization has now been replaced by Registration through online portal and only manufacturer, producer, refurbisher and recycler require Registration.
• Schedule I expanded and now 106 EEE has been include under EPR regime.
• Producers of notified EEE, have been given annual E-Waste Recycling targets based on the generation from the previously sold EEE or based on sales of EEE as the case may be. Target may be made stable for 2 years and starting from 60% for the year 2023-2024 and 2024-25; 70% for the year 2025-26 and 2026-27 and 80% for the year 2027-28 and 2028-29 and onwards.
• Management of solar PV modules /panels/ cells added in new rules.
• The quantity recycled will be computed on the basis of end products, so as to avoid any false claim.
• Provision for generation and transaction of EPR Certificate has been introduced.
• Provisions for environment compensation and verification & audit has been introduced.
• Provision for constitution of Steering Committee to oversee the overall implementation of these rules.
• Under the E-Waste Management Rules, provision for reduction of hazardous substances in manufacturing of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) has been provided. It mandates that every producer of EEE and their components shall ensure that their products do not contain lead, mercury and other hazardous substances beyond the maximum prescribed concentration.
• The E-Waste (Management) Rules also provide for recognition and registration, skill development, monitoring and ensuring safety and health, of workers involved in dismantling and recycling of e-waste.

Targets of Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging 

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging on 16th February 2022.
• The Guidelines stipulates mandatory targets on producers, importers and brand owners for reuse of rigid plastic packaging, minimum level of recycling of plastic packaging waste and minimum use of recycled plastic content in plastic packaging
• The EPR target for plastic packaging made from compostable plastic is 100 % from 2023-2024

26. Koundinya wildlife sanctuary

Subject : Environment

Context: An 18-member herd of all female elephants from the forests of Gudiyattam and Pernambattu of Tamil Nadu are currently on the prowl in the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary zone in Chittoor district, apparently “in search of mates”.

Concept:

Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary and an elephant reserve situated in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Terrain:

• The sanctuary has dry deciduous forests with thorny scrubs interspersed with trees. These forests have small ponds, tanks and the Kaindinya and Kaigaltributaries of Palar River. The sanctuary is situated in region where the Kolar Plateau ends.
• A corridor for elephants is being planned between Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary and Sri Venkateswara National Park under Project Elephant.

Fauna:

• The sanctuary is primarily an elephant reserve and is home to about 78 Indian elephants.
• The vulnerable yellow-throated bulbul is present in the sanctuary.
• Some of the other animals found in the sanctuary are sloth bear, panther, cheetal, chowsingha, sambar, porcupine, wild boar, jungle cat, jackal, jungle fowl, starred tortoise and slender loris.

Significance of sanctuary: Migration 

• It is the only sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh with a population of Asian elephants, which migrated after 200 years from neighbouring region
• From 1983 to 1986, a sizable number of elephants began their journey from the forests of Anekal-Hosur in Tamil Nadu and Bannerghatta in Karnataka to seek alternative homes in other regions.
• A majority of the elephant population in Koundinya sanctuary is male. A majority of 40 tuskers and a negligible number of females.
• Only the female elephants move in large herds, while the tuskers form into small herds or move as loners. The Female herd has its habitat stretching from Gudiyattam to Mudumalai and Annamalai Hills of the Western Ghats