Daily Prelims Notes 7 February 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

7 February 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Turkey hit by series of powerful earthquakes
2. SEBI gets strict on beneficial owners hiding behind FPIs
3. Pledging of shares
4. Naval LCA lands on Vikrant, first aeroplane to touch down
5. Open Prison Model
6. SC to hear plea on AP’s three capitals
7. Huge chunk of plants and animals in U.S. at risk of extinction -report
8. Chilika fishers robbed of livelihood since Cyclone Fani opened new mouths
9. Green nod to 87 development projects in 2 years
10. Biogas-linked Toilets
11. Human-animal Conflict in Kerala
12. NCST functioning with less than 50% of sanctioned strength: Ministry in LS
13. Keoladeo National Park
14. Empower local communities to conserve, sustainably use Himalayan resources
15. On Joshimath: Hydropower projects in the Himalaya should be reconsidered given recent crisis
16. Hydropower projects in Uttarakhand:
17. Trade and Technology Council (TTC)

1. Turkey hit by series of powerful earthquakes

Subject: Geography

Section : Physical Geography (Geomorphology )

Concept:

• More than 2,000 people have been killed and thousands injured by a huge earthquake which struck south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border.
• The earthquake, which hit near the town of Gaziantep, was closely followed by numerous aftershocks – including one quake which was almost as large as the first.
• Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the earthquake that hit the area around Gaziantep, was the country’s worst disaster since Erzincan earthquake, 1939.

Erzincan earthquake

• The Erzincan earthquake measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, occurred on the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), and created a 360-km-long surface rupture.
• It killed about 33,000 people and caused extreme damage in the Erzincan Plain and the Kelkit River Valley.

Earthquake

• An earthquake is an intense shaking of the ground caused by movement under the earth’s surface.
• It happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another.
• This releases stored-up ‘elastic strain’ energy in the form of seismic waves, which spreads through the earth and cause the shaking of the ground.
• The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the

Causes of earthquake

• The earth’s outermost surface, crust, is fragmented into tectonic plates. The edges of the plates are called plate boundaries, which are made up of faults.
• The tectonic plates constantly move at a slow pace, sliding past one another and bumping into each other.
• As the edges of the plates are quite rough, they get stuck with one another while the rest of the plate keeps moving.
• Earthquake occurs when the plate has moved far enough and the edges unstick on one of the faults.

How are earthquakes measured?

• They are measured on a scale called the Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw).
• This has replaced the Richter scale (magnitude scale), now considered outdated and less accurate. Richter scale relates to the energy released during the earthquake which is expressed in absolute numbers, 0-10.
• The intensity scale/ Mercalli scale takes into account the visible damage caused by the event. The range of intensity scale is from 1-12
• The number attributed to an earthquake represents a combination of the distance the fault line has moved and the force that moved it.
• A tremor of 2.5 or less usually cannot be felt, but can be detected by instruments.
• Quakes of up to five are felt and cause minor damage.
• The Turkish earthquake at 7.8 is classified as major and usually causes serious damage
• Anything above 8 causes catastrophic damage and can totally destroy communities at its centre.

Can earthquakes be predicted?

• An accurate prediction of an earthquake requires some sort of a precursory signal from within the earth that indicates a big quake is on the way.
• Moreover, the signal must occur only before large earthquakes so that it doesn’t indicate every small movement within the earth’s surface.
• Currently, there is no equipment to find such precursors, even if they exist.

Reasons for earthquakes in Turkey

• The region where the earthquake has struck lies along a well-known seismic fault line called the Anatolia tectonic block.
• It is a seismically active zone — though not as active as, say, the Himalayan region.
• The seismicity in this region is a result of interactions between the African, Eurasian, and Arabian plates.
• In the present case, it was the Arabian plate moving northwards and grinding against the Anatolian plate.
• Also, the present earthquakes emerged from relatively shallow depths which made them devastating.
• Shallow earthquakes are generally more devastating because they carry greater energy when they emerge on the surface.

• Due to faultlines running across Turkey’s southeast and north, the country has always been a hotbed of seismic activity

Turkey is a hotbed of Seismic activity

• In the eastern Mediterranean region comprising Turkey, Syria and Jordan, tectonics are dominated by complex interactions between the African, Arabian, and Eurasian tectonic plates, and the Anatolian tectonic block.
• Dominant structures here are:
• Red Sea Rift, the spreading centre between the African and Arabian plates;
• Dead Sea Transform, a major strike-slip fault (explained in the diagram below) that also accommodates Africa-Arabia relative motions;
• North Anatolia Fault, a right-lateral strike-slip structure in northern Turkey accommodating much of the translational motion of the Anatolia block westwards with respect to Eurasia and Africa;

• Cyprian Arc, a convergent boundary between the Africa plate and the Anatolia block.
• A convergent plate boundary is formed when tectonic plates crash into each other. They are also known as destructive boundaries.

2. SEBI gets strict on beneficial owners hiding behind FPIs

Subject : Economics

Concept :

• Market regulator SEBI is now going behind the corporate veil of the foreign portfolio investors in the aftermath of the allegations that have emerged against Adani Group.
• In India, it has been noticed that in a large number of cases, the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) are just the registered vehicles, but the ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) of their positions are hidden.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked Designated Depository Participants (DDPs) operating within Indian banks to update the beneficial ownership details of the foreign portfolio investors on-boarded as their clients within September 30.

Background

• Besides levelling charges of brazen stock manipulation and accounting frauds, the Hindenburg report stated that many of the funds investing in the listed Adani companies’ universe have concealed their ultimate beneficial ownership with nominee directors.

Beneficial ownership

• A beneficial owner is a person who enjoys the benefits of ownership though the property’s title is in another name.
• Publicly traded securities are often registered in the name of a broker for safety and convenience.
• Wealthy individuals often list their assets under trust while they remain the beneficial owner.
• Beneficial ownership is distinguished from legal ownership.
• In most cases, the legal and beneficial owners are one and the same, but there are some cases, legitimate and sometimes less legitimate, where the beneficial owner of a property may wish to remain anonymous.
• When a corporation or other legal entity opens a bank account, the bank must identify the beneficial owners of that entity. This is intended to prevent money laundering and tax evasion.

Foreign Portfolio Investors

• Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) consists of securities and other financial assets passively held by foreign investors.
• It does not provide the investor with direct ownership of financial assets and is relatively liquid depending on the volatility of the market.
• Examples of FPIs include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange traded funds, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs).
• FPI is part of a country’s capital account and is shown on its Balance of Payments (BOP).
• The BOP measures the amount of money flowing from one country to other countries over one monetary year.
• FPI is often referred to as “hot money” because of its tendency to flee at the first signs of trouble in an economy. FPI is more liquid, volatile and therefore riskier than FDI.

3. Pledging of shares

Subject : Economics

Concept :

• A pledge of stock or share pledge means using shares as collateral and taking a loan against them.
• Shares are basically the assets of the company or a shareholder.
• Pledging is a way by which the promoters of any company take a loan against the held shares to meet these personal or business requirements including fulfillment of capital requirements, expansion of business, starting a new venture, and so on.

Why do promoters pledge shares?

• One of the methods promoters use to raise finance is to take loans against their holding in their company from banks or non-banking financial companies.
• For these financial institutions, these shares are collateral.
• Promoters can raise funds for various reasons-for meeting requirements of the business or personal needs.

Can lenders sell the shares pledged by promoters?

• Banks/lenders can sell the pledged share if the price of the stock falls closer to the value agreed in the contract between them and the company.
• Typically, the amount that is lent by banks/NBFCs to promoters is less than the market value of the shares.
• This shortfall is the margin is the amount that these lenders retain as security.
• In case the stock price falls, lenders ask the promoter to provide more cash or shares to top up this margin.
• If the promoters are not able to top up the collateral, the lenders can sell the shares to maintain this margin. Conversely, revoking of pledged shares by promoters is seen as a positive sign.

What is the risk for retail investors in this?

• High promoter pledged shares can wreak havoc in stock if price continues to fall and lenders sell these shares in the market.
• The sudden supply of shares can lead to further price fall and is a risk for retail investors who may have to sell the shares for a significant loss.
• Shares of companies with high pledged promoter holding tend to witness higher volatility.
• The risk is assessed on the basis of the amount of pledged shares as a percentage of the total shareholding.
• A stock is considered a risky bet if pledged shares are more than 50% of the total shares in the company so ideally, retail investors should avoid such stocks.

4. Naval LCA lands on Vikrant, first aeroplane to touch down

Subject : Defence

Concept :

• The naval version of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas landed on INS Vikrant, which is an indigenous aircraft carrier, marking the maiden landing of a fixed-wing aircraft on INS Vikrant.
• INS Vikrant was commissioned into the Indian Navy in September 2022.
• The landing of LCA was also followed by the landing and take-off by a twin-engine MiG-29K fighter jet.
• Earlier in January 2020, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had demonstrated a successful arrested landing of the naval LCA on INS Vikramaditya.
• The recent development has been regarded as a historic milestone and a step towards achieving “Aatmanirbharta” (self-reliance) in defence.
• Further, the move also demonstrates India’s capability to design, develop, construct and operate IAC with indigenous fighter aircraft.

About INS Vikrant:

• It is country’s maiden indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-1).
• Built by: Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
• The IAC was commissioned in 2022 making it the most potent sea-based asset.
• Capabilities: can project Air Power over long distances, including Air Interdiction, Anti-Surface Warfare, offensive and defensive Counter-Air, Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare and Airborne Early Warning.
• It has a STOBAR (short take off but arrested recovery) system of aircraft launch and recovery on the flight deck.
• It is armed with the Barak LR-SAM (long range surface-to-air missile) air defence and AK-630 close-in weapon system besides a slew of advanced sensors and an electronic warfare suite.

Other specifications:

• It is expected to have a top speed of 30 knots (approximately 55 kmph) and is propelled by four gas turbines.
• Its endurance is 7,500 nautical miles at 18 knots (32 kmph) speed.
• The vessel can carry up to 1,500 personnel and has 2,300 compartments.
• The ship shall operate MiG-29K fighter aircraft, Kamov-31 Air Early Warning Helicopters, the soon to be inducted MH-60R multi-role helicopter and the indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters.

5. Open Prison Model

Subject : Governance

Concept :

• The open prison model adopted in Rajasthan, with convicts staying on community land without high walls or strict surveillance, has promoted a reformative form of punishment and succeeded in transforming the lives of inmates.

What is Open Prison?

• Open prisons have relatively less stringent rules as compared to controlled jails.
• They go by many names like minimum-security prisons, open-air camps or prisons without bars.
• The fundamental rule of an open prison is that the jail has minimum security and functions on the self-discipline of the inmates.
• The jail does not confine them completely but requires them to earn their living to support their families, living with them inside the jail.
• Prisoners can move out of prison for their work and are supposed to come back to the prison campus after their working hours.
• Every state in India has a prison law, like the Rajasthan Prisoners Rules and Andhra Pradesh Prison Rules, 1979.
• Seventeen states are reported to have functional open jails with Rajasthan having 31 such prisons, the highest that any state has.
• The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, popularly known as the Nelson Mandela Rules:
• It laid down the objectives of open prisons stating that such prisons provide no physical security against escape but rely on the self-discipline of the inmates, providing the conditions most favourable to the rehabilitation of carefully selected prisoners.

Benefits of open prison

• It will reduce overcrowding and operational costs of the prison administration.
• It will reduce the psychological pressure and lack of confidence among prisoners when they assimilate into society.
• It goes with the repeated call to develop a humane attitude and reformative approach towards the offenders in society.

Right to Life and Personal Liberty For Prisoners

• Article 21:
  • The Supreme Court in various cases has declared the right to medical care comes under the ambit of Article 21 of the Constitution
  • Article 21 of the Constitution also guarantees the right to personal liberty and thereby prohibits any inhuman, cruel or degrading treatment to any person whether he is a national or foreigner.
• Article 39A:
  • Article 39A of the Constitution of India deals with the obligation of the State to provide free Legal Aid to such accused prisoners both in the prison and outside, as they are unable to engage a lawyer due to a lack of means to defend themselves in the Court for the criminal charges brought against them.

6. SC to hear plea on AP’s three capitals

Subject : Polity

Concept :

• The Supreme Court would take up the hearing on Andhra Pradesh’s three-capitals plans on February 23.
• The AP government had filed an Special Leave Petition in the apex court, challenging the AP High Court’s verdict that the AP legislature lacked the competence to make legislation on having three capitals for the state.

Special leave to appeal by the Supreme Court:

• Article 136 in the Constitution Of India :
• Not with standing anything in this Chapter, the Supreme Court may, in its discretion, grant special leave to appeal from any judgment, decree, determination, sentence or order in any cause or matter passed or made by any court or tribunal in the territory of India.
• Nothing in clause ( 1 ) shall apply to any judgment, determination, sentence or order passed or made by any court or tribunal constituted by or under any law relating to the Armed Forces.
• In the case of any SLP , the SC has first to decide in its discretion whether it should grant or deny the requested Special Leave.
• When discussing the SLP, it is important to understand its position with respect to the judgements of Inter-State Water Dispute (ISWD) Tribunal as well.
• The Inter-State Water Disputes Act of 1956, coupled with Article 262 (2) of the Constitution, excludes the SC from hearing or deciding any appeals against the Inter-State Water Dispute (ISWD) Tribunal’s decision.
• However, the reference to “any Court or tribunal in the territory of India,” in Article 136 seems to bring the ISWD Tribunals within the purview of the Article.
• The SC had also argued that the remedy under Article 136 (Special Leave Petition) is a constitutional right. Thus, the bar can be overcome through the possible routes under Articles 32, 131, and 136 of the Constitution.
• Article 32 provides for constitutional remedies to get the rights protected through writs namely Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari and Quo warranto.
• Article 131 ( Original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court ) is about Centre-State or inter-State disputes in general.

7. Huge chunk of plants and animals in U.S. at risk of extinction -report

Subject: Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Concept :

• A leading conservation research group found that 40% of animals and 34% of plants in the United States are at risk of extinction, while 41% of ecosystems are facing collapse. Everything from crayfish and cacti to freshwater mussels and iconic American species such as the Venus flytrap are in danger of disappearing, a report released on Monday found.

HUMAN ENCROACHMENT

• Among the species at risk of disappearing are icons like the carnivorous Venus flytrap, which is only found in the wild in a few counties of North and South Carolina.
• Nearly half of all cacti species are at risk of extinction, while 200 species of trees, including a maple-leaf oak found in Arkansas, are also at risk of disappearing. Among ecosystems, America’s expansive temperate and boreal grasslands are among the most imperiled, with over half of 78 grassland types at risk of a range-wide collapse.
• The threats against plants, animals and ecosystems are varied, the report found, but include “habitat degradation and land conversion, invasive species, damming and polluting of rivers, and climate change.”

8. Chilika fishers robbed of livelihood since Cyclone Fani opened new mouths

Subject :Environment

Section: Places in news

Context: The delicate salinity gradient of the lake disrupted; locals claim Odisha government’s Chilika Development Authority (CDA) not monitoring new mouths regularly.

More on the News:

• The intense storm surge that had accompanied extremely severe cyclone Fani in early May 2019 had opened four new mouths in the Chilika Lake in Odisha. These were distinct from the main mouth of the lake where it opens into the sea.
• While two of the new mouths closed down in April 2022, two others are still open, affecting the biodiversity of the lake and the livelihoods of the people dependent on it.
• The mouth has moved 2 kilometres northwards since Cyclone Fani made landfall between Chilika Lake and Puri.
• If the new mouths do not close down and sea water continues to enter the lake, it could be disastrous for the ecosystem as the biochemistry of Chilika would change.
• Fish catch has gone down by 30-40 per cent after Cyclone Fani.

Chilika Lake:

• Chilika is Asia’s largest and world’s second largest lagoon.
• It lies on the east coast of India in the state of Odisha, separated from the mighty Bay of Bengal by a small strip of sand.
• It spreads over Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 square kilometers.
• It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent and is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.
• In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
• Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawady dolphins which are often spotted off Satpada Island.
• The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987.

9. Green nod to 87 development projects in 2 years

Subject :Environment

Section : Environment Laws

Context: From 2020 to 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has given clearances to around 87 development projects, with three falling in protected areas.

More on the News:

• Over the last three years (2020-2022), about 31 projects related to highways; 11 projects related to ports; 15 projects related to airports; 20 projects related to river valley and 10 projects related to thermal power plants have been granted environmental clearance by the ministry.
• About 23 lakh trees have been proposed to be removed for the development of the aforementioned projects. Compensatory plantation is carried out as per the extant norms and the same is incorporated as a condition in the respective Environmental Clearance.

Environment Clearance:

• Environmental Clearance is declared mandatory for both industries and construction-based projects, which can be already existing or new projects, as per the notification issued by the EIA in 2006, under the authorisation of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change along with the implementation of amendments.
• In accordance with the notification issued by the EIA in 2006, there is a list of Industries issued that fall under specific categories.
• The following acts mentioned below govern the issuance of the Clearance –
  • The Environment (Protein) Act, 1986
  • The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  • The National Environmental Tribunal Act, 1995
  • National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
  • The National Environmental Appellate Authority Act, 1997

Requirements of Environmental Clearance

• There are specific requirements for existing and new projects for issuing a prior Clearance which is needed to be fulfilled under the concerned regulatory authority personnel based on the type of category –
  • If the project falls under “Category – A” of the Schedule, the regulatory authorised personnel is the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Central Government.
  • If the project falls under “Category – B” of the Schedule, the regulatory authorised personnel is the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, which is also known as SEIAA.
• Prior to any initiation of construction work, or any initiation of other activity by the Project Management, with the exception of securing the land, the following requirements need to be mandatorily informed to the authorised personnel –
  • All the activities need to be listed in the Schedule in accordance with the notification issued by the EIA in 2006.
  • The expansion and development of the existing projects that are listed in the Schedule in accordance with the notification through the accumulation of capacities beyond the limits that are specified.
  • Any changes made to the product type from an existing producing unit included in the schedule that is beyond the specific range.

About  EIA https://optimizeias.com/environmental-impact-assessments/

About CAMPA https://optimizeias.com/the-compensatory-afforestation-fund-management-and-planning-authority-campa/

10. Biogas-linked Toilets

Context: Despite cultural, technical and other challenges, Kolhapur makes progress in adoption of biogas-linked toilets

More on the News:

• 25% of the toilets in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district are linked to biogas units that convert the waste to fuel while tackling faecal sludge on the spot.
• This is significant given that in general in India, there is a taboo attached to using human excreta to generate biogas, which is then used in cooking.

Biogas:

• Biogas is based upon the use of dung to produce gas which is used as domestic fuel, especially in rural areas
• Biomass has always been an important energy source for the country considering the benefits it offers. It is renewable, widely available, carbon-neutral and has the potential to provide significant employment in the rural areas
• The technique is based on the decomposition of organic matter in the absence of air, to yield gas consisting of methane(55%) and Carbon Dioxide(45%), which can be used as source of energy.
• Procedure to make Biogas
• A typical biogas plant in India has cow dung as its main feedstock and consists of three parts – an inlet from where dung mixed with water is fed, a digester, and an outlet connected to a slurry collection tank. The human toilet is directly connected to the digester via a PVC pipeline and does not require manual handling.
• The increased pressure from the gas forces out the slurry, the by-product of the process, into the slurry storage tank. The slurry, retained in the digester for 20-30 days, decomposes most pathogens and weed seeds, making nitrogen-rich manure.
• Biogas is derived from waste, unlike bioethanol or bio-diesel, so it does not involve competition with land and biodiversity for food products.
• It can be used as cooking and lighting fuel; and the left over slurry serves as an enriched manure
• This has taken deep roots in India, as it has higher thermal efficiency when compared with Kerosene, firewood, dung and charcoal
• About 32% of the total primary energy use in the country is still derived from biomass and more than 70% of the country’s population depends upon it for its energy needs.

Schemes:

• Biomass power & cogeneration programme: is implemented with the main objective of promoting technologies for optimum use of country’s biomass resources for grid power generation. Biomass materials used for power generation include bagasse, rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells, soya husk, de-oiled cakes, coffee waste, jute wastes, groundnut shells, saw dust etc.
• Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation has launched the GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) – DHAN scheme to convert organic waste, especially cattle waste, to biogas and organic manure for use in rural areas.

11. Human-animal Conflict in Kerala

Context: Amid farm losses and fragmented habitats, Kerala struggles to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

Reason for Human-animal Conflict in the region:

• Densely populated human settlements near protected forests, with many farm lands in proximity of wild habitats.
• Lack of agricultural produce inside the forest.
• Changing crop patterns: Banana and cashew trees were not traditionally cultivated in these areas are cultivated now
• Fragmentation of wildlife: Elephants were long-range animals, but they are currently confined to small patches of forest due to fragmentation.
• The inappropriate disposal of biowaste: which draws not only monkeys but also other wild animals. They might multiply once there is an abundance of food.
• Poor compensation for crop failure:
• 165 rupee per cashew tree, which is nothing near proportional to the labour of a farmer and yield market.
• Only those who have insured their crops under the scheme are eligible to apply.

Steps taken:

• Forest department’s scheme for voluntary relocation in Kannur district.
• Tried different methods to drive animals away, such as toy snakes, beehives and dry fish.
• In the upcoming budget, the administration has plans to increase funding for the agricultural sector in response to farmer concerns about compensation.
• The forest department installed palmyra biofencing on the forest periphery.

Kottiyoor wildlife sanctuary:

• Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in Kottiyoor village in Kannur district of Kerala.
• The Kottiyoor wildlife sanctuary shares its boundaries with the Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka, and the Wayanad and Aralam wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala.
• Forests in the sanctuary include evergreen forests, semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests and grasslands.
• The Bavali River, a tributary of Valapattanam River flows through the boundaries of the sanctuary.

12. NCST functioning with less than 50% of sanctioned strength: Ministry in LS

Subject : Polity

Section :National Body ( Constitutional body)

Concept:

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely- (i) the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and (ii) the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) w.e.f. 19 February, 2004. Detailed background information about the historical evolution of the National Commission has been given in Chapter-1 of the first Report of the Commission for the year 2004-05 and 2005-06.

The term of office of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and each member is three years from the date of assumption of charge. The Chairperson has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister, and the Vice-Chairperson that of a Minister of State and other Members have the ranks of a Secretary to the Government of India.

Functioning of NCST

(Under Clause (5) of Art. 338A)

1. To investigate & Monitor matters relating to Safeguards provided for STs under the Constitution or under other laws or under Govt. Order, to evaluate the working of such Safeguards.
2. To inquire into specific complaints relating to Rights & Safeguards of STs;
3. To participate and Advise in the Planning Process relating to Socio-economic development of STs, and to Evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and any State;
4. To submit report to the President annually and at such other times as the Commission may deem  fit, upon/ working of Safeguards, Measures required for effective implementation of Programmers/ Schemes relating to Welfare and Socio-economic development of STs;
5. To discharge such other functions in relation to STs as the President may, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament, by rule specify;
6. The Commission would also discharge the following other functions in relation to the protection, welfare and development & advancement of the Scheduled Tribes, namely:-

(i) Measures that need to be taken over conferring ownership rights in respect of minor forest produce to the Scheduled Tribes living in forest areas.
(ii) Measures to be taken to safeguard rights to the Tribal Communities over mineral resources, water resources etc. as per law.
(iii) Measures to be taken for the development of tribals and to work for move viable livelihood strategies.
(iv) Measures to be taken to improve the efficacy of relief and rehabilitation measures for tribal groups displaced by development projects.
(v)  Measures to be taken to prevent alienation of tribal people from land and to effectively rehabilitate such people in whose case alienation has already taken place.
(vi) Measures to be taken to elicit maximum cooperation and involvement of Tribal Communities for protecting forests and undertaking social afforestation.
(vii) Measures to be taken to ensure full implementation of the Provisions of Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (40 of 1996).
(viii) Measures to be taken to reduce and ultimately eliminate the practice of shifting cultivation by Tribals that lead to their continuous disempowerment and degradation of land and the environment.

Powers of Commission

(Under Clause (8) of Art. 338A)

1. For Investigation and Inquiry, the Commission is vested with powers of a civil court having authority to:

a. Summon and enforce attendance of any person and examine on oath;

b. Discovery & production of any documents;

c. Receive evidence on affidavits;

d. Requisition any public record or copy thereof from any court or office;

e. Issue Commissions for examination of witnesses and documents; and

f. Any matter which President, by rule, may determine.

13. Keoladeo National Park

Subject : Environment

Section :Places in news

Context: The Rajasthan state Forest Department has proposed to construct a zoo inside Keoladeo National Park, a World Heritage Site popularly known as Bharatpur bird sanctuary, to display a range of wetland species, including rhinos, water buffaloes, crocs, dolphins and exotic species.

Concept:

The purpose of this zoo, called Wetland ex-situ Conservation Establishment (WESCE):

• To rejuvenate the bio-diversity of Keoladeo National Park, thereby boosting its outstanding universal values.
• A breeding and re-introduction centre for locally extinct species, such as otters, fishing cats, blackbucks, hog deer, etc, “with collateral provision as exhibits for tourists
• An aquarium for indigenous species like Gangetic Dolphin, rocodiles; enclosures for the display of large wetland species like Indian Rhino, Water Buffalo, Barasingha (swamp deer); an aviary, a reptile house and a veterinary care facility; and an integrated administrative block

The Rs 15-crore WESCE plan for Bharatpur is part of the ambitious Rajasthan Forestry and Biodiversity Development Project for which Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the overseas development arm of the French government, has agreed to fund up to Rs 1,200 crore over eight years.

14. Empower local communities to conserve, sustainably use Himalayan resources

Subject :Geography

Section: Geomorphology ( Physical Geography)

Context: Recent sinking of Joshimath

Himalayan ecology:

• The Himalayas, formed 50 million years ago due to the Indian landmass crossed the prehistoric tethys sea and bumped into the Asian mainland, are still quite fragile.
• Himalayas are still rising slowly and are susceptible to earthquakes.
• As the himalayas evolved the slope were covered with vegetation of oak and rhododendron that firmly held the soil and water preventing erosion and landslides.
• Human settlement developed leaving the forest cover intact, Joshimath is one such old settlement.

Exploitation of Himalayan forests:

• Forest exploitation:
• The scenario changed during British colonial period. Colonial powers were solely interested in resource exploitation.
• British began leasing the forests from ruler of Tehri in 1905.
• When the reserve forests were being demarcated, some officials reported that these could not sustain commercial forestry and recommended that they be converted into community managed forests.
• The government disagreed but lated introduced a provision in the Indian Forest Act 1927, to declare reserved forests as villege forests and hand over their management to communities.
• The first van panchayats (village forest councils) were constituted in the 1930s, in Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas.
• The colonial forest management regime has continued unabated even after Independence, progressively weakening the highly efficient van panchayats.
• Water exploitation:
• The Himalayan region’s watercourses have also been silted up by quarrying of limestone, required for the construction of roads and buildings.
• As a result, the beds of these watercourses, such as those in Mussoorie, have become broader and destroyed farmland.
• The government ordered that mining be stopped only when it was concluded that the cost of destroying the farmland exceeded the benefits from mining.
• However, the courts put a stay on this order and the mining continued with damaging consequences.
• Projects such as Tehri dam play a role in exacerbating effects of disasters, as seen during the 2021 Chamoli flash floods.
• Concern should be paid on Himalayan regions carrying capacity, and the focus should be shift towards ecological restoration of Himalayas through inclusive development and conservation.
• The van panchayats should be expanded by implementing the Community forest Rights provision of the Forest Rights Act.
• Effective implementation of 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments.

Ecological carrying capacity:

• Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustainably support without degrading the ecosystem. Deaths and long term damage to an ecosystem occurs when a population exceeds the carrying capacity of its ecosystem.
• Disease, competition, predator-prey interaction, resource use and the number of populations in an ecosystem all affect carrying capacity.

HYDROPOWER PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT AFTER CREATION OF THE STATE

Barrage at Uttarkashi	304MW Power House at Dharasu

15. On Joshimath: Hydropower projects in the Himalaya should be reconsidered given recent crisis

Subject: Geography

Section: Indian Physical Geography

Context: The crisis unfolding in Joshimath for over a month has led to conversations on the relevance of hydropower in the Himalayan region. Two years ago, a glacier burst led to question marks over the Rishiganga hydroelectric project in Uttarakhand.

Hydropower projects (HPP):

• Considered green energy because it generates electricity from the natural flow of water without releasing any emissions or pollutants.
• It also does not rely on fossil fuels.
• Environmental impact:
  • Large-scale hydroelectric dams impact local ecosystems and communities– they displace people and result in loss of habitat for fish and other wildlife.
  • Concerns about the potential conflicts over water resources in the region.
  • Construction of dams can disrupt the flow of rivers, leading to changes in water temperature and chemistry.
  • It can cause erosion, landslides, and sedimentation.
  • Dams also disrupt the migration patterns of fish and other aquatic species and impact the local wildlife, particularly if the dam’s construction leads to habitat loss.
• HPPs in Himalayas:
  • Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh
  • Teesta Low Dam Hydroelectric Project in Sikkim
  • Arun III Hydroelectric Project Nepal
  • West Seti Hydroelectric Project, Nepal
  • Chukha Hydropower Project, Bhutan
  • Tala Hydropower Project, Bhutan

Alternative to HPPs:

• Micro hydro is a small-scale hydroelectric power generation system that typically generates up to 100 kilowatts (kW) of electricity.
• These systems use the energy of falling water to turn a turbine, which, in turn, generates electricity.
• They can be used for various applications, including powering homes, businesses, and small communities.
• Advantages of Micro hydro systems:
  • Less expensive
  • Can be located in inaccessible areas
  • Reliable source of energy to communities
  • Smaller environmental footprint
• Micro hydro systems can be classified into two main types – run-of-river and storage systems.
  • Run-of-river systems use the natural flow of water in a stream or river to generate electricity.
  • In contrast, storage systems use a reservoir to store water and release it as needed to generate electricity.

Way forward:

• Micro hydro systems can be tailored to minimise the ecosystem’s negative impact and provide sustainable energy solutions.
• However, it’s important to note that even micro-hydropower projects can have some impact on the environment and local communities.
• A detailed assessment should be carried out to evaluate the potential impact before proceeding with the project.

16. Hydropower projects in Uttarakhand:

Subject: Geography

Section : Places in news

Section:

S.No.	Project		Year	Installed Capacity, MW
1.	Yamuna Hydroelectric Project Stage-I (Dakpathar Barrage, Dhakrani, Dhalipur Power House)		1965	84.75
2.	Yamuna Hydroelectric Project Stage-II Part 1 (Ichari Dam and Chhibro Power House)		1975	240
3.	Yamuna Hydroelectric Project Stage-II Part-2 (Khodri Power House)		1984	120
4.	Yamuna Hydroelectric Project Stage-IV Part 1 (Asan Barrage and Kulhal Power House)		1975	30
5.	Yamuna Hydroelectric Project Stage-IV Part 2 (Khara Hydroelectric Project)		1992	72
6.	Chilla Hydroelectric Project		1981	144
7.	Maneri Bhali Hydroelectric Project Stage-I		1984	90
8.	Ramganga Project, Kalagarh		1976	198

17. Trade and Technology Council (TTC)

Subject : International Relations

Section: Bilateral relations

• India and the EU have set up a new Trade and Technology Council (TTC), with a focus on trade, investment & value chains, digital economy and clean technology.
• It will allow India and the EU to tackle strategic challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology and security, and to deepen their bilateral relationship and help implement political commitments in these fields,” according to a joint statement on the TTC issued by the two sides on Monday.
• Working groups
  • Three working groups on strategic technologies, digital governance and digital connectivity; green and clean energy technologies; and trade, investment and resilient value chains, have been established under the TTC.
  • The TTC will be co-chaired on the EU side by Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis, and on the Indian side by Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, according to a statement issued by the EC.