Daily Prelims Notes 30 November 2022

Daily Prelims Notes

30 November 2022

Table Of Contents

1. Choking lake: Nainital gets some HC relief but finger crossed
2. Financial Services Institutions Bureau
3. State finance commission
4. Power sector at glance
5. Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) framework
6. Sena name and symbol dispute
7. Adani wins Dharavi slum redevelopment bid
8. SC junks PIL seeking doubling of judges’ numbers in HCs, district courts
9. Jallikattu case
10. On the entry of women in masjids
11. What is the hurry for GM mustard?
12. Indo-Gangetic Plain drying up? Water storage declined, ‘stream flow’ rose in Ganga, Indus basins last year, says WMO
13. Adivasis at the bottom rung of India’s development pyramid finds Tribal Development Report 2022
14. Scientists discover new drought-resilient wheat gene, suitable for drier soil conditions
15. Update land records to include FRA titles allotted, MoEF&CC directs states
16. Can Bio-CNG click: A primer on this coming of age tech that can deal with air pollution at 3 levels
17. Betting for exotic meat, gambling dens in Manipur descend further into illegality
18. Wet Leasing an aircraft-
19. Loss and Damage decisions, pitfalls and promises

1. Choking lake: Nainital gets some HC relief but finger crossed

Subject: Geography

About Sukhtal lake-

• Sukhatal is a freshwater lake having a length of 150m and 10m deep.
• Surrounded by the dense pine and oak forests.
• Sukhatal is a major source of water recharge for Nainital lake.
• Earlier known as Khudaiya tal
• Renamed as Sukhatal because the entire water from this lake was drained in the extreme region of the Nainital lake.
• These verdant forests are home to migratory birds.

Important Manmade lakes in India-

2. Financial Services Institutions Bureau

Subject : Economy

Context:

A notification was issued to amend the Nationalised Banks (Management and Miscellaneous Provisions) Scheme, 1970.

Details:

• The present norms prescribe appointment for three years or till the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier–for the Managing Director and other whole-time directors of the public sector banks.
• The appointment can now be made initially for up to 5 years, which can be extended for the same number of years. Thus, the Central Government may, after consultation with the Reserve Bank, reappoint the Managing Director and other whole-time directors of the public sector banks.

Concept:

• Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) is responsible for the selection and appointment of the Board of Directors in Public Sector Banks, MD and CEO and Financial institutions.
• The Ministry of Finance takes the final decision on the appointments in consultation with the Prime Minister’s Office.
• The Government appoints Managing Directors from Whole-time Directors (WTD) of a public sector banks after vigilance clearance, etc.
  • The Names of these WTDs are recommended by the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB).
• A MD and CEO has key responsibilities and duties—required to establish vision, mission and values in consultation with the Board of Directors,  to set strategy and structure,  to monitor and control and to exercise accountability to shareholders and responsibility towards the stakeholders.

Mandates of Financial Services Institutions Bureau (Earlier Bank Bureau of India):

• FSIB is the single entity for making recommendations for appointments of whole time directors (WTDs) and non­executive chairpersons (NEC) at public sector banks (PSBs), public sector insurers (PSI) and financial institutions (FIs).
• It also advises the government on extension of terms and even termination of services of WTDs and NECs at the financial services institutions.
• The FSIB also recommends a performance appraisal system for WTDs and NECs at PSBs, FIs and PSIs
• FSIB  also advises the government on formulation and enforcement of a code of conduct and ethics for WTDs and NECs.
• It builds a database on the performance of PSBs, FIs and PSIs.
• The FSIB helps PSBs, FIs and PSIs develop business strategies and capital raising plans.
• The FSIB advises the government on the desired management structure at PSBs, FIs and PSIs.
• It  also advises the government on evolving training and development programmes for management personnel in PSBs, FIs and PSIs.

3. State finance commission

Subject : Polity

Context:

A two-day national conclave of State Finance Commissions (SFC) was organized by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR).

Concept:

State Finance Commission

• The State Finance Commission (SFC) is an institution created by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (CAs) to rationalize and systematize State/sub-State-level fiscal relations in India.
• It is constituted under Article 243-I of the Constitution of India by the governor of a state –every five years.
• Purpose – This is in order to decide the resource allocation between the state government and the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Article 243-Y also brought city councils or municipalities under the purview of the State Finance Commission.
  • Article 243Y of the Constitution states that the Finance Commission constituted under article 243 I shall also review the financial position of the Municipalities and make recommendations to the Governor.
• Role–A State Finance Commission has functions similar to that of the Central Finance Commission.
  • It allocates resources of a state to its Panchayati Raj institutions at all three levels in terms of taxes, duties and levies to be collected by the state and the local bodies.
  • A State Finance Commission reviews the financial position of the panchayats in a state and makes recommendations to the Governor about the principles that should govern the distribution of tax proceeds – taxes, duties, levies, toll fee collected by the state between the state and its Panchayati Raj Institutions at all three levels – village level, block level and district level.
  • It also recommends the following:
    • Taxes, levies and fees levied or appropriated by Panchayats themselves.
    • Grants-in-aid to Panchayati Raj Institutions from the consolidated fund of a state.
    • Ways to improve the financial position of the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
    • Measures for the overall improvement of Panchayat’s finances.
• Action Taken on State Finance Commission’s Recommendations
  • Under Article 243-I of the Indian Constitution, the governor of a state ensures the laying of a State Finance Commission’s recommendations to the table of the state legislature.
  • It also includes a memorandum of action taken by the government on the Commission’s report.

15th Finance Commission:

• Set up under Article 280 of the Constitution
• Its core responsibility is to evaluate the state of finances of the Union and State Governments, recommend the sharing of taxes between them, and lay down the principles determining the distribution of these taxes among States.
• The first Finance Commission was set up in 1951 and there have been fifteen so far.
• The Fifteenth Finance Commission was constituted on 27 November 2017 under N.K.Singh
• The Terms of Reference of the current Commission have some distinctive features, including
  • recommending monitorable performance criteria for important national flagship programmes
  • examining the possibility of setting up a permanent non lapsable funding for India’s defence needs
  • the reorganisation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – one of Jammu and Kashmir and one of Ladakh.

4. Power sector at glance

Subject : Economy

Context:

Central Electricity Authority (CEA) expects peak power demand to rise by 9 per cent to 230-235 GW by April 2023 from the current 215 GW.

Details:

India had faced one of the worst power crises in several parts of the country during last year and also in the current financial year due to- a sudden spike in electricity demand, depleting stocks at thermal power plants, poor evacuation due to extended monsoons and non-payments of coal dues from States such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh resulting in inadequate supplies.

Concept:

Power Sector at a Glance ALL INDIA

• India currently has close to 210 GW of coal-based capacity.
• It plans to  add 27 GW of coal-based generation by 2026-27 and another 30 GW by 2030.
• Total Installed Capacity 

• Installed GENERATION CAPACITY (FUEL WISE) 

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) 

• It is a statutory organization constituted under Section 3 (1) of the repealed Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 and continued under Section 70 of the Electricity Act, 2003.
• As per Section 70 (3) of the Electricity Act, 2003, the authority shall consist of not more than 14 members, including its chairperson of whom not more than eight shall be full time members to be appointed by the Central Government.
• The CEA is headed by a chairperson who, as the Chief Executive of the authority, oversees largely the development of the power sector in the country.
• It advises the government on matters relating to the National Electricity Policy (NEP) and formulates short-term and prospective plans for the development of electricity systems.
• It is the designated authority for cross border trade of electricity.
• It also prescribes the standards on matters such as construction of electrical plants, electric lines and connectivity to the grid, safety and grid standards and installation and operation of meters.
• It is also responsible for concurrence of hydro power development schemes of central, state and private sectors for efficient development of river and its tributaries for power generation.
• It works under the Ministry of Power and is located in New Delhi.

5. Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) framework

Subject : Economy

Context:

An economy like India should have its own independent view of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) matters

Details:

• ESG be measured in terms of purchasing power parity basis to make companies in emerging market economies like India comparable to companies in the US.
• ESG rating providers were the second-most crucial part of the ESG ecosystem
• The third leg–ESG-focussed funds.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals are a set of standards for a company’s operations that force companies to follow better governance, ethical practices, environment-friendly measures and social responsibility. It focuses on non-financial factors as a metric for guiding investment decisions wherein increased financial returns is no longer the sole objective of investors.

ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Funds

• It is a kind of Mutual Fund.
• ESG-focussed funds fall under the thematic fund category defined by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).
• Its investing is used synonymously with sustainable investing or socially responsible investing.
• While selecting a stock for investment, the ESG fund shortlists companies that score high on environment, social responsibility and corporate governance, and then looks into financial factors.
• Therefore, the key difference between the ESG funds and other funds is ‘conscience’ i.e the ESG fund focuses on companies with environment-friendly practices, ethical business practices and an employee-friendly record.
• The fund is regulated by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

ESG regulation in India:

• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has issued voluntary guidelines for ESG compliance while the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mandated ESG-related disclosure for the top 1,000 listed companies.
• Investors often rely on third-party ESG rating providers (ERP) to determine ESG compliance by portfolio companies.
• ESG ratings are new to India, with the first ERP being established in January 2021. ERPs are presently unregulated.
• SEBI has in January 2022, issued a consultation paper proposing a regulatory framework for ERPs that rate listed companies. 
  • SEBI has proposed that ERPs be SEBI-accredited and that only credit rating agencies and research analysts be eligible for such accreditation.
  • Further, SEBI has proposed criteria for the accreditation of ERPs including net worth, knowledge, sustainability, infrastructure, quality of staff and technical know-how.
  • SEBI has proposed two categories of ratings, namely impact rating and risk rating.
• The subject of ERP regulation has now been referred by SEBI to an advisory committee on ESG constituted in May 2022.

6. Sena name and symbol dispute

Subject: Polity

Context:

• The Election Commission (EC) will hold its first hearing the Shiv Sena factions’ dispute on December 12.

What was the issue:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) froze the well known ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol of the Shiv Sena until the competing claims for recognition by the two rival factions is decided.
• This was done to place both the group on same level for the purposes of the bye-elections,

Source of ECI  power with respect to symbol allotment:

• The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 empowers the Election Commission to recognise political parties and allot symbols.
• Under Paragraph 15 of the Order, it can decide disputes among rival groups or sections of a recognised political party staking claim to its name and symbol.
• As per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) (Amendment) Order, 2017,  there are two types of party symbols
• Reserved:-Eight national parties and 64 state parties across the country have reserved symbols.
• Free: The Election Commission also has a pool of nearly 200 free symbols that are allotted to the thousands of unrecognized regional parties that pop up before elections

How ECI Decides:

• When there is split in a political party outside the legislature, then by Para 15 of the Symbols Order, 1968, when the Commission is satisfied that there are rival sections or groups of a recognised political party each of whom claims to be that party, then the Commission may decide that one such rival section or group or none of such rival sections or groups is that recognised political party.The decision of the Commission shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups.
• For splits in registered but unrecognized parties, the EC usually advises the warring factions to resolve their differences internally or to approach the court.
• In 1997 a new rule was introduced by ECI under which the splinter group of the party other than the group that got the party symbol  had to register itself as a separate party, and could lay claim to national or state party status only on the basis of its performance in state or central elections after registration.
• What used to happen before 1968:
• Before 1968, the EC issued notifications and executive orders under the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

Facts:

• The first case decided under the 1968 Order was the Congress split of 1969.The party splited into the Old Congress led by Nijalingappa and the New Congress led by Indira.
• The Old Congress retained the party symbol of a pair of bullocks carrying a yoke the breakaway faction was given the symbol of a cow with its calf.

7. Adani wins Dharavi slum redevelopment bid

Subject :Polity

Context:

• The Adani Group emerged as the highest bidder for a project to redevelop the slum cluster of Dharavi in Mumbai.

More about Dharavi:

• Dharavi is famous as one of the world’s largest slums and is located in the heart of India’s financial capital Mumbai.
• The Dharavi slum came into being in 1884.
• It was originally inhabited by fisherfolk when the area was still creeks and swamps.
• A city within a city, is one unending stretch of narrow dirty lanes, open sewers and cramped huts.
• It became attractive to migrant workers from South Mumbai and others when the swamp began to fill in due to natural and artificial causes.

What is  Dharavi Redevelopment Project:

• The state had envisaged this sprawl be transformed into a cluster of high-rises with improved urban infrastructure.
• It entailed resettling 68,000 people, including slum dwellers and those with commercial establishments.
• The state was to provide 300-sqft houses for free to residents with proof that their slum structure was in existence before January 1, 2000.
• The project was initially mooted in 2004, but never got off the ground due to various reasons.

When redevelopment was first proposed:

• In 1999, the government first proposed to redevelop Dharavi.
• Thereafter, the government of Maharashtra in the year 2003-04 decided to redevelop Dharavi as an integrated planned township.
• An action plan for redevelopment was approved by issuing a government resolution.
• It was decided to develop Dharavi by using land as a resource to cross-subsidize the cost of development through a sale component on the basis of the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme.
• The government also decided to notify the whole of Dharavi as an undeveloped area and to appoint a Special Planning Authority for its development.
• In 2011, the government cancelled all tenders and drew up a master plan.

More about Slum Rehabilitation Authority:

• The Government of Maharashtra has launched a comprehensive slum rehabilitation scheme by introducing an innovative concept of using land as a resource and allowing incentive floor space index (FSI) in the form of tenements for sale in the open market, for cross-subsidization of the slum rehabilitation tenements which are to be provided free to the slum-dwellers.

What are the jurisdiction of Slum Rehabilitation Authority:

• As per the provision 3A(1) of Chapter I-A of Maharashtra Slum Areas ( Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971 State Government of Maharashtra and through necessary statutory amendments has established Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Mumbai to serve as Planning Authority for all Slum areas in the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.
• Subsequently the area of the Thane Municipal Corporation has been added in the jurisdiction of SRA.

What are different government initiative to manage slums:

• National Slum Development Programme (NSDP): Initiated in 1996, NSDP provided both loans and subsidies to states for slum rehabilitation projects on the basis of their urban slum population.
• Valmiki Ambedkar Malina Basti Awas Yozana (VAMBAY): Introduced in 2001, it focused on shelter for the urban poor, with 20% of total allocation for community sanitation facilities under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan program
• Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP): BSUP was an important component of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. BSUP aimed to provide basic services to urban poor in 63 of the largest cities in India by population
• Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme (IHSDP): Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) was launched by GoI by merging the schemes of NSDP and VAMBAY. The objective of the scheme is to provide adequate Shelter and basic infrastructure facilities to the slum dwellers in urban areas.
• Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing the Urban Poor (ISHUP): The Scheme envisages the provision of interest subsidy to economically weak section and Low income groups to enable them to buy or construct houses.
• Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY): Launched in 2013, the scheme focussed on bringing existing slums within the formal system and enabling them to avail of the same level of basic amenities as the rest of the town;redressing the failures of the formal system that lie behind the creation of slums and tackling the shortages of urban land and housing that keep shelter out of reach of the urban poor.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana– “Housing for All (Urban): Launched in 2015, the scheme seeks to provide central assistance to implementing agencies through States and UTs for providing houses to all beneficiaries by 2022. It incorporates the following:
• In-situ slum rehabilitation with participation of private developers using land as a resource. This approach aims to leverage the locked potential of land under slums to provide houses to the eligible slum dwellers bringing them into the formal urban settlement.
• Promotion of Affordable Housing for weaker section through credit linked subsidy
• Affordable Housing in Partnership with Public & Private Sectors
• Subsidy for beneficiary led individual house construction/enhancement
• Slum areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act, in the year 1956:The act aimed at mechanical improvement or complete eradication of slums. It empowers the competent authority to declare any slum area in accordance with the definition, look into possibilities of improvement or eradicate slums.

8. SC junks PIL seeking doubling of judges’ numbers in HCs, district courts

Subject :Polity

Context:

• The Supreme Court refused to entertain a PIL seeking doubling of the number of judges in all the 25 high courts and subordinate courts across India, saying getting more judges was not the panacea for all evils.

What was the judgement of the Supreme Court:

• A Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud noted that populist measures and simplistic solutions were unlikely to resolve such issues.
• The court permitted Upadhyay to withdraw the PIL with a liberty to file a fresh one with proper research on statistics on recruitment, vacancies, etc in the lower judiciary.

Who has the power to increase the strength of judges in various high courts.

• The Parliament is competent authority to increase the number of judges if it deems necessary.
• In 2019 the Parliament increased the strength of the Supreme Court Of India from 31 to 34 through The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019.
• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 was amended in 2009 to increase the judge’s strength from 25 to 31 (including the CJI).
• As per the Article 124(1) of the Constitution of India, the strength of the Supreme Court is fixed by the law made by the Parliament

9. Jallikattu case

Subject :Polity

Context:

• The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked activists what they found wrong in Tamil Nadu’s jallikattu law when it protects animals from “unnecessary pain” and sought to preserve the “culture and traditions” of the people in the State.

What court said about the issue:

• A Constitution Bench led by Justice K.M. Joseph pointed to provisions in the law which calls for definitive preventive measures against cruelty to animals used in the bull-taming sport.
• The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules of 2017 also recognised the culture and traditions of the people as a fundamental right

What is Jallikattu:

• Jallikattu is a bull taming event practiced in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations
• It is celebrated on Mattu Pongale the 3rd day of the four-day long harvest, Pongal.
• Jallikattu is derived from the words ‘calli’  and ‘kattu’, which means a bundle of coins is tied to the bull’s horns..
• Jallikattu is also known as eru thazhuvuthal or manju virattu.
• The Tamil word ‘Mattu’ means bull and the 3rd day of Pongal is dedicated to cattle.
• Bulls get precedence over cows because it helps in the ploughing of field, pulling their cart of goods and mating with cows to produce more offspring and in turn more production of milk.
• Bulls are brought to a common place where the ritual happens. The participants are supposed to embrace the bull’s hump and try to tame it by bringing the bull to a stop.

What is the history of Jallikattu:

• Jalikattu is believed to have been practiced since at least 2500 years.
• A seal from Indus Valley civilization depicting the practice is preserved in the National Museum, New Delhi.
• A cave painting that depicts a man trying to tame a bull is estimated to be 2500 years old by the Archaeologists.
• There are references to people enjoying witnessing and participating in Jallikattu in Silappatikaram one of the 5 great epics of Tamil classical period and 2 other ancient literary works like Kalithogai and Malaipadukadaam.

Why is Jallikattu important in Tamil culture:

• Jallikattu is considered a traditional way for the peasant community to preserve their pure-breed native bulls.
• At a time when cattle breeding is often an artificial process, conservationists and peasants argue that Jallikattu is a way to protect these male animals which are otherwise used only for meat if not for ploughing.
• Kangayam, Pulikulam, Umbalachery, Bargur and Malai Maadu are among the popular native cattle breeds used for Jallikattu. The owners of these premium breeds command respect locally.

10. On the entry of women in masjids

Subject: Polity

Context:

• Last week the Jama Masjid in Delhi prohibited the entry of single women or women in groups inside the mosque premises

What was the reason for such order:

• The authorities reasoned that the ban is to stop some women who fail to respect the sanctity of the place of worship by making videos there.
• The management clarified that the ban excluded those women coming for worship, or those accompanied by their husband or families.

What is the Islamic law on women’s entry in mosque for prayers:

• Most Islamic scholars agree that a prayer can be offered at home but can only be established in a group.
• They also agree that women have been exempted, not prohibited from going to the mosque, keeping in mind their child-rearing and other domestic responsibilities.
• The Quran at no place prohibits women from going to mosques for prayers.
• Wherever the Quran talks of establishing prayer, it talks in gender neutral terms.
• Before the five daily prayers, a prayer call or azaan is pronounced, inviting both men and women for prayers.
• For Hajj and Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), Mecca and Medina have separate halls earmarked for men and women to pray.
• In India, only a handful of mosques maintained or owned by Jamaat­e ­Islami and the Ahl­e­Hadith sect have provisions for women worshippers.
• In West Asia there is no ban on women coming to the masjid for prayers.
• In the U.S. and Canada women access mosques for prayers, and even gather there for special Taraweeh prayers in Ramzan.

Have there been similar bans before:

• In 2011, a girl was put up on the premises of the Haji Ali Dargah, Mumbai, prohibiting the entry of women inside the sanctum sanctorum.
• With the requests to enter being denied by the dargah management, a campaign, ‘Haji Ali for All’, was started.
• The women approached the Bombay High Court which ruled in their favour in 2016.

What is the legal issue:

• According to the Constitution, there is complete equality between men and women.
• In the Haji Ali Dargah case, the High Court quoted Articles 15, 16 and 25 of the Constitution to grant women the desired access to the dargah.
• There are petitions filed before the Supreme Court wherein access has been sought for women in all mosques across the country which was clubbed with the Sabarimala case.

11. What is the hurry for GM mustard?

Subject :Science and Technology

Context:

• Experts express concern regarding the recent recommendation of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) for approval for the environmental release of genetically engineered (GE) mustard (DMH-11 hybrid) in India.

Background:

• India’s rising import bill for edible oil: In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, the country produced just 8.5-9 million tonnes (mt) of edible oil while importing 14-14.5 mt, resulting in a record foreign exchange outflow of $18.99 billion.
• DMH-11 hybrid: It was developed by genetic modification (GM) by the DU’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) by the process of hybridisation of two alien genes (barnase + barstar) isolated from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
• DMH-11 is claimed to have shown an average 28% yield increase over the Indian mustard variety ‘Varuna’ in field trials carried out by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• GEAC: It is a body responsible for the appraisal of proposals relating to the “release” of GM organisms and products (ordinarily considered hazardous) into the environment.
• In the case of the DMH-11 hybrid, it has recommended the environmental release of DMH-11 for its seed production and testing prior to commercial release.

Dangers of Herbicide-tolerant:

• The potentially harmful long-term ecological and economic consequences of releasing DMH-11.
• Details of the mandatory trials to ensure food-environmental safety – a prerequisite before environmental release have not been made public.
• A detailed long-term assessment of the potential social and economic benefits of using DMH-11 remains to be made.
• This will cause displacement of manual labour engaged in weeding as the GM mustard is weed tolerant.
• The new system may threaten the population of honey bees as mustard flowers are a source of nectar for honey bees.
• The disastrous effect of the spread of herbicide resistance (HT) gene on the normal crop.

The following requirements for environmental release have been proposed by GEAC –

• Usage of any formulation of herbicide is recommended only under controlled and specified conditions.
• Usage of any formulation of herbicide is not permitted for cultivation in the farmer’s field.
• The applicant (CGMCP) should conduct field demonstration studies with respect to the effect of GM mustard on honey bees.

Super seeds- 

• Super seeds refer to the production of a new and more efficient variety of seeds with the help of modern biotechnology, by combining two already existing varieties of seeds.
• The newly produced seeds can have the properties like-
  • Increased productivity
  • Drought resistant and can sustain the high temperatures
  • Need less water for crop production
  • Herbicide-tolerant
  • Resistant to pests, etc.

12. Indo-Gangetic Plain drying up? Water storage declined, ‘stream flow’ rose in Ganga, Indus basins last year, says WMO

Subject: Geography

Context-

• The WMO released its first State of Global Water Resources 2021 in order to assess the effects of climate, environmental and societal change on the Earth’s water resources.

About the report-

• The aim of this annual stocktake is to support the monitoring and management of global freshwater resources.
• The report focuses on three major areas:
  • Streamflow, the volume of water flowing through a river channel at any given time.
  • Terrestrial water storage (TWS) — all water on the land surface and in the sub-surface.
  • The cryosphere (frozen water).

Report highlights-

• Large areas of the globe recorded drier-than-normal conditions in 2021 despite a prolonged La Niña event.
• The area with below-average streamflow was approximately two times larger than the above-average area, in comparison to the 30-year hydrological average.
• Southern and northern China (the Amur river basin) were characterized by above-average discharge, similar to some basins in northern India.
• In India, headwaters of the Ganges River were characterized by above- to much above-normal discharge.
• Major Indian river basins (the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus), as well as other important river basins in Asia (Huang He, also known as Yellow, and Mekong), exhibit a gradual decline in TWS over the period 2002-2021.
• On a longer-term basis, the report pointed out several hotspots with a negative trend in terrestrial water storage including Brazil’s Rio São Francisco basin, Patagonia, the Ganga and Indus headwaters, and the southwestern US.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)-

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 192 Member States and Territories.
• India is a member of WMO.
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was established after the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.
• Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23rd March 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.’
• WMO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

13. Adivasis at the bottom rung of India’s development pyramid finds Tribal Development Report 2022

Subject : Governance

Context:

• The Tribal Development Report 2022, launched by the Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF) in two volumes, claims to be the first of its kind since 1947.

Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF)-

• The BRLF was set up by the Union Cabinet on September 3, 2013, as an independent society under the Union Ministry of Rural Development to scale up civil society action in partnership with central and state governments.

About the report-

• The report focuses on the status of tribal communities at an all-India level and central India in particular, concerning livelihoods, agriculture, natural resources, economy, migration, governance, human development, gender, health, education, art, and culture.
• India’s tribal communities form 8.6 per cent of the country’s population according to the 2011 Census.
• Central India is home to 80% of the tribal communities in the country.
• The report combines data from government sources, case studies, archival research, and interviews on crucial dimensions of tribal lives and livelihoods.
• The goal is to inform stakeholders, including key policymakers, practitioners, activists, and academics, to help understand the scope of tribal issues.
• The report focuses on the overarching theme of livelihoods for tribal communities from central India.
• It presents a status report on the overall macroeconomic situation, agriculture, land, energy, and water use, especially groundwater management.

Report findings-

• The indigenous communities of India have been pushed farther away from alluvial plains and fertile river basins into the harshest ecological regions of the country like hills, forests, and drylands.
• Of the 257 Scheduled Tribe districts, 230 (90 per cent) are either forested or hilly or dry. But they account for 80 per cent of India’s tribal population.
• Adivasi sub-districts belong to a larger contiguous backward region or Adivasi belt, which goes beyond the frozen administrative categories of state, district and sub-district.
• After the enactment of the Forest Conservation Act in 1980, the conflict came to be seen as between environmental protection and the needs of local Adivasi communities, driving a wedge between people and forests.
• It was in the National Forest Policy of 1988 that domestic requirements of local people were explicitly recognised for the very first time.
• The Policy emphasised safeguarding their customary rights and closely associating Adivasis in the protection of forests.
• But the movement towards a people-oriented perspective has not been matched by reality on the ground.

Schedule tribes-

• The Constitution of India does not endeavour to define the term ‘tribe’, however, the term Scheduled Tribe’ was inserted in the Constitution through Article 342 (i).
• It lays down that ‘the President may, by public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within the tribes or tribal communities or parts which shall, for the purposes of this Constitution, be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes.
• The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides for the setting up of a Tribes’ Advisory Council in each of the States having Scheduled Areas.

What are the Essential Characteristics for a Community to be Identified as Scheduled Tribe?

• According to Lokur Committee (1965), the essential characteristics are:
  • Indication of Primitive Traits
  • Distinctive Culture
  • The shyness of Contact with the Community at Large
  • Geographical Isolation
  • Backwardness

14. Scientists discover new drought-resilient wheat gene, suitable for drier soil conditions

Subject : Agriculture

About the newly developed wheat variety-

• Scientists at the John Innes Centre, in collaboration with an international team of researchers, discovered the new ‘reduced height’ or a semi-dwarf gene called Rht13, which is drought-resilient and can be grown in drier soil conditions.
• Reduced height gene means that seeds can be planted deeper in the soil, giving access to moisture, without the adverse effect on seedling emergence seen with existing wheat varieties.
• Since the 1960s and the Green Revolution, reduced height genes have increased global wheat yields because the short-stemmed wheat they produce puts more investment into the grains rather than into the stems and has improved standing ability.
• However, these genes bred into wheat also have the significant disadvantage of not working in drought-like conditions.
• When these varieties are planted deeper to access moisture in water-limited environments, they can fail to reach the surface of the soil.
• The newly discovered gene overcomes this problem of seedling emergence because the gene acts in tissues higher up in the wheat stem.
• So, the dwarfing mechanism only takes effect once the seedling has fully emerged. This gives farmers a significant advantage when planting deeper in dry conditions.

15. Update land records to include FRA titles allotted, MoEF&CC directs states

Subject: Environment

Context-

• The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has written a letter to states across the country, directing them to record settlement rights in revenue and forest records within a period of three months.

More in news-

• Digital information on the record of rights (RoR) under The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or FRA will also be integrated with the PARIVESH portal and other web GIS platforms of central and state government departments.
• Geo-referencing of RoR under FRA will be beneficial for the people of the states as the forest and tribal welfare departments will be able to initiate specific projects and schemes for improving the livelihoods of the FRA title holders.

Parivesh (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub)-

• It is an environmental single-window hub for Environment, Forest, Wildlife and CRZ clearances.
• This Single-Window Integrated Environmental Management System has been developed in pursuance of the spirit of ‘Digital India’ initiated by the Prime Minister and capturing the essence of Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.

Key features:

• “PARIVESH” is a workflow-based application, based on the concept of web architecture. It has been rolled out for online submission, monitoring and management of proposals submitted by Project Proponents to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), as well as to the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA).
• It seeks to give various types of clearances (e.g. Environment, Forest, Wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone Clearances) from Central, State and district-level authorities.
• The system has been designed, developed and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with technical support from National Informatics Centre, (NIC).
• It provides single registration and single sign-in for all types of clearances (i.e. Environment, Forest, Wildlife and CRZ), unique-ID for all types of clearances required for a particular project and a single Window interface for the proponent to submit applications for getting all types of clearances (i.e. Environment, Forests, Wildlife and CRZ clearances).

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or FRA

• FRA enacted in 2006 recognises the rights of forest-dwelling tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers to forest resources on which these communities were dependent for a variety of needs, including livelihood, habitation and other socio-cultural needs.
• It recognizes and vests the forest rights and occupation in Forest land in Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD) who have been residing in such forests for generations.
• It strengthens the conservation regime of the forests while ensuring the livelihood and food security of the FDST and OTFD.
• The Gram Sabha is the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of Individual Forest Rights (IFR) or Community Forest Rights (CFR) or both that may be given to FDST and OTFD.

Rights Under the Forest Rights Act:

• Title rights:
  • It gives FDST and OTFD the right to ownership to land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares.
  • Ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned family and no new lands will be granted.
• Use rights:
  • The rights of the dwellers extend to extracting Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas
• Relief and development rights:
  • To rehabilitate in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection.
• Forest management rights:
  • It includes the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.

16. Can Bio-CNG click: A primer on this coming of age tech that can deal with air pollution at 3 levels

Subject: Environment

About Bio-CNG-

• Bio-CNG, also known as Compressed Biogas (CBG), is an upgraded version of the humble biogas, the dung-based version of which serves as cooking fuel in many villages in India.

Process of production-

• The first stage of the CBG process is pre-treatment. The waste is passed through a trommel screen to remove hard materials like coconut shells and pieces of wood.
• The screened waste is shredded in a hammer mill and made into a slurry with water. This slurry is kept in the pre-digester tank in aerobic conditions for one-two day to attract microbes — the process is called hydrolysis.
• It is then transferred to an anaerobic digester where it is retained for 20-25 days. It is at this stage — methanogenesis — that biogas is generated.
• This gas contains 65 per cent methane, while the rest is carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and water vapour.
• The gas is stored in a balloon and then taken to a gas upgradation area.
• It is passed through a wet and dry scrubber to remove hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, respectively.
• Methane, purified up to 95 per cent, is obtained here which is then compressed at high pressure in cylinders and sent off to filling stations.
• This highly purified methane is similar in chemical properties to CNG derived from petroleum sources and can thus be used in vehicles.
• Apart from biodegradable waste, agricultural residue, cow dung and chicken litter and press mud from sugar factories are also used as feedstock in CBG plants.

Need for CBG in India-

• India is the third largest importer of crude oil.
• In 2020-2021, India imported 54 per cent of its natural gas requirement.
• CBG is a decentralised energy form as it is produced closest to the point of consumption and unlike solar and wind energy, can be produced at all hours of the day.
• CBG is better than incineration-based waste-to-energy plants that release toxic emissions.
• The global warming potential of methane is 28 times more than that of carbon dioxide.
• EROI is a ratio that measures the energy used to produce another energy source against the actual energy generated from that new source.
• The energy returned on energy invested (EROI) score for large biogas plants is 1.24 to 11.05.

Benefits-

• If harnessed correctly, municipal solid waste (MSW) and wastewater energy can replace 4053.47 tonnes of India’s diesel consumption per day, the highest consumed transportation fuel in India.
• If CBG potential from all biomass is taken into account, 50 per cent of the current diesel usage in transport can be replaced.
• Biomethane is the best transportation option to preserve air quality.
• CBG provides a very important service of managing our waste and producing organic manure, which can bring back the bio-content in our soil that has been overly laced with chemical fertilisers over the years.
• The calorific value of Bio-CNG is more than other transportation fuels.

Limitations-

• High maintenance cost
• High global warming potential

Methane pollution-

• Fugitive methane emission from openly dumped waste also leads to landfill fires as happened in Delhi earlier this year.
• Landfill sites are a source of 20 per cent of the methane emission.

17. Betting for exotic meat, gambling dens in Manipur descend further into illegality

Subject: Environment

In the news-

• The police and forest officials in the State’s Ukhrul town have been scanning “gambling dens” following reports of wild animals – dead or alive – being offered as prizes for raffle draws.
• Ukhrul is about 80 km northeast of the State capital Imphal.

More on the news-

• People buying raffle draw tickets ranging from ₹100 to ₹500 to try their luck to win exotic meat.
• The larger or rarer the bird or animal or body part, the higher the price of the ticket.
• Apart from wild boars and deer, animals such as binturong (an arboreal mammal also known as bearcat), squirrels and flying foxes (bats) have been found to be on offer.
• Different types of birds such as the grey-sided thrush and tragopans (often called horned pheasants) have also been spotted.

Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972-

• As per Schedule V of the WPA only mice, rats, common crows, and fruit bats are allowed to be hunted.

18. Wet Leasing an aircraft-

Subject: Science and Technology

Context-

• In efforts to boost international air traffic, the civil aviation ministry has allowed Indian airlines to take wide-body planes on wet lease for up to one year.

What is Wet Leasing?

• Wet leasing means taking the plane along with the operating crew and engineers, while dry leasing refers to taking only the aircraft on rent.
• The technical term for wet leasing is ACMI which stands for aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance.
• These are the aspects of the operation that the wet lease airline takes care of, while the airline client will still be responsible for paying for direct operating costs.
• This includes catering and fuel as well as fees such as airport fees, ground handling charges and navigation fees.
• Operations of an aircraft on wet lease are more difficult for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to monitor, which is why it is allowed for shorter durations.

What are the new rules?

• The rules had been relaxed, allowing the wet leasing for a year as opposed to the six months permitted so far.
• Dry leasing was already allowed for up to 12 months, with the option to extend the contract for 12 another year.

Why has govt extended limit now?

• The civil aviation ministry’s decision came on a request by the country’s largest airline, IndiGo.
• It plans for inducting B777 aircraft on wet/damp lease basis during the current winter schedule.
• The relaxation will be available to all Indian carriers and will be granted based on the international destinations they wish to operate to.
• With Covid-related restrictions lifting, international travel is lifting up, and the wet leasing will allow airlines to fly more routes and rounds.
• Wide-body planes can accommodate more passengers, thereby boosting revenue.

Why airlines lease aircraft?

• About half the planes used by airlines around the world are not owned but leased.
• Airlines and aircraft operators prefer leasing planes in order to avoid the massive lump sum payments that buying them would entail, and to quickly increase capacity, perhaps temporarily, on certain routes or sectors.

19. Loss and Damage decisions, pitfalls and promises

Subject: Environment

Context-

• A major takeaway from COP27 in Egypt, as far as loss and damage (L and D) is concerned, is the decision relating to new funding arrangements focusing on L and D — those particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Transitional Committee-

• Formed at CoP27, Egypt for providing the finance-related problems of Loss and Damage financial mechanisms.

Aim-

• To make recommendations on how to operationalize both the new funding arrangements and the fund at COP28 next year.
• The first meeting of the transitional committee is expected to take place before the end of March 2023.

Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR- RC)-

• It recognises that countries (known as Parties) have different duties and abilities to address the negative impacts of climate change, but all countries have an obligation to address climate change.
• At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, the CBDR-RC was officially enshrined in the UNFCCC treaty on Climate Change.
• Reflecting CBDR-RC, the Convention divided countries into “Annex I” and “non-Annex I,” the former generally referring to developed countries and the latter to developing countries.
• Under the Convention Annex I countries have a greater mitigation role than non-Annex-I countries.

Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)-

• It is an intergovernmental organisation of low-lying coastal and small island nations.
• Established in 1990
• Purpose of the alliance is to consolidate the voices of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to address global warming
• As the existence of many AOSIS states are put at risk by climate change AOSIS has threatened lawsuits
• AOSIS has a membership of 44 states
• India is not a member
• In Indian ocean 4 states are member :
  • Comoros
  • Maldives
  • Mauritius
  • Seychelles

Global Shield Scheme against climate risks-

• It is envisioned as social protection and insurance-based finance mechanism for loss and damage outside the UNFCCC process.
• The finance facility, based on a polluter pays principle, is being intensely argued by the Least Developed Countries and the Association of Small Island States negotiating blocs at the negotiations in COP27.
• The initiative will provide pre-arranged financial support designed to be quickly deployed during climate disasters such as the devastating Pakistan floods in August.
• Pakistan, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Fiji, Senegal, Philippines and Ghana will be among the first countries to receive assistance from the Global Shield initiative.
• Countries that are supporting the initiative are- Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Canada, the USA, U.K., and United Nations Organisations including UNDP and UNODRR.
• The Global Shield is touted to expand financial protection instruments for governments, communities, businesses and households.
• In terms of implementation, it will align with the vulnerable country’s financial and economic strategies, helping close the financing gaps.
• This would include livelihood protection, social protection systems, livestock and crop insurance, property insurance, business interruption insurance, risk-sharing networks and credit guarantees.
• It will support the integrated development of instruments at the level of governments, humanitarian agencies and non-profits, to ensure that money is available when needed.