National Current Affairs – UPSC/IASExams – 10th May 2019

Bengal Tigers May Not Survive Impact of Climate Change

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: According to a recently-published report in the Science of The Total Environment, the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger, which dominates the marshy areas of the Sundarban forest reserves, may be pushed into extinction due to the unprecedented rise in sea levels and climate change.

More on the Topic:

• The changes may ‘decimate’ the few hundred or so Bengal Tigers living in the regionso much so that by 2070, there may be no tiger habitats left in the Bangladesh Sundarbans.
• The Sunderbans, a 10,000-km area of wet and marshy land sprawled across Bangladesh and India, is among the world’s richest mangrove forest reserves, and supports a host of species, including the Bengal Tiger. However, the region remains extremely volatile, given its close proximity to the sea and its easy susceptibility to cyclonic storms and heavy rains.
• 70% of the Sundarbans is just a few feet above sea level. This puts it at grave risk from climate change and rising sea water levels. In 2010, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature had said that even a 11-inch rise in water levels can wipe out the tiger population in the area by 96%.
• However, the researchers said that changing weather patterns, heat waves and extreme weather events could have an even greater effect on the decline in the big cats’ numbers than the rise in sea level.
• Since the beginning of the 20th century, the tiger population has been in constant decline due to habitat loss, rampant hunting and illegal trade of animal parts. Over the years, this resulted in a substantial drop in tiger numbers from 100,000 to just 4000.
• In October, a landmark report from the UN stated that if greenhouse emissions continued unabated at the current rate, the atmosphere could warm as much as 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2040.
• This further highlights how rising sea levels can push these animals to venture into uncharted territories, thus raising the probability of human-wildlife conflict in the region.

Source: The Hindu

International Narcotics Control Board

Topic: Organisations in News

In News: In a significant victory, India’s Jagjit Pavadia was re-elected to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) for another term.

More on the Topic:

• She posted the highest number of votes at 44. Ms Pavadia has been a member of the INCB since 2015 and her current term is set to expire in 2020.
• The victory added to India’s successful record of winning crucial elections at the UN and to the world organisation’s subsidiary bodies.

International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)

• The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is the independent and quasi-judicial control organ for the implementation of the United Nations drug conventions.
• It plays an important role in monitoring enforcement of restrictions on narcotics and psychotropics and in deciding which precursors should be regulated.
• The drug control treaties divide power between the Board and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
• The Commission has power to influence drug control policy by advising other bodies and deciding how various substances will be controlled. However, enforcement power is reserved to the Board.

Source: The Hindu

Basel Convention

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: BThe 14th conference of parties of Basel convention was recently held in Geneva, Switzerland.It is held jointly and back-to-back with Rotterdam Convention COP 9 and Stockholm Convention on COP 9.

More on the topic:

• Basel Convention: It will discuss the control of trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal.
• It covers wide range of wastes defined as “hazardous wastes” that are explosive, flammable, poisonous, infectious, corrosive, toxic or eco-toxic including household and incinerator ash.
• Rotterdam Convention:It will deliberate on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade.
• The PIC procedure is the mechanism for formally obtaining and disseminating the decisions of importing Parties for receiving the chemicals under the convention and ensuring compliance by the exporting countries.
• The inclusion of chemicals under this convention does not ban the chemical.
• However, importing countries need to follow the PIC procedure and it may lead to an increase in the trade cost, as well as delay the import/export process.
• Stockholm Convention: It will discuss on the control of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) which are,
• Remain intact in the environment for long periods (persistent),
• Become widely distributed geographically (long range transport),
• Accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife (bioaccumulation),
• Have a harmful impact on human health, or on environment (toxic).
• Under the Convention, the chemicals can be listed for complete elimination from production, use, export and import (Annex-A), restriction in use and production for specific purpose only (Annex-B) or unintentional production (Annex-C).
• Listing of chemicals under Stockholm convention bans/restrict the chemicals for trade, import, export and use along with minimizes unintentional release of POPs.
• India has ratified all the three conventions and the meetings of the COPs of BRS Conventions are generally held every alternate year.

Source: The Hindu

Class Action Lawsuits Against Companies

Topic: Economy

In News: In a significant move, the corporate affairs ministry has notified the thresholds for filing class action a provision aimed at providing a redressal mechanism for small and minority investors.

More on the Topic:

• Under Section 245 of the Companies Act, investors can file a class action suit in case they feel that the management or conduct of the affairs of a company are prejudicial to their interests.
• An application for class action can be filed by a member or members representing five per cent of the total members of a company. It can also be done by 100 members of a company, whichever is less, according to the ministry.
• The same criteria will also be applicable for depositors of deposit-taking companies.
• In case of an unlisted company, a member or members holding at least five per cent of the issued share capital can file for class action. For listed companies, this threshold would be two per cent.
• The ministry has made amendments to the National Company Law Tribunal Rules 2016 under the Companies Act, 2013.
• This is a huge step in terms of redressal mechanism for small and minority shareholders.
• Among others, if statutory auditors have been callous and negligent, endorsing falsified statements, the investors can certainly proceed against them with a class action.
• The ministry is also readying a scheme to provide financial assistance to minority investors filing class action lawsuits under the companies law.

About Class action:

• A class action, class suit, or representative action is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member of that group.
• In a typical class action, a plaintiff sues a defendant or a number of defendants on behalf of a group, or class, of absent parties.
• This differs from a traditional lawsuit, where one party sues another party for redress of a wrong, and all of the parties are present in court.
• Although standards differ between states and countries, class actions are most common where the allegations involve a large number of people (usually 40 or more) who have been injured by the same defendant in the same way.
• Instead of each damaged person bringing his or her own lawsuit, the class action allows all the claims of all class members whether they know they have been damaged or not to be resolved in a single proceeding through the efforts of the representative plaintiff(s) and appointed class counsel.

Source: PIB

Lakshadweep recruits barn owls

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: With a thriving rat population playing havoc with its coconut yield, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is turning to barn owls for help.

More on the Topic:

• The scenic islands have ‘recruited’ three pairs of barn owls from Kerala to fight what has so far been a losing battle against the rodents.
• After a lengthy bureaucratic process that began in 2017, the winged hunters have now reached Kavaratti by ship.
• “They will gradually be released into the coconut plantations under a closely monitored breeding and rodent management programme.
• The biocontrol measure is spearheaded by the Lakshadweep Administration, with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Kavaratti providing the technical knowhow.
• Coconut is an important money-spinner for the islands, but the pesky rodents account for 30-40% of the yield loss. Total production stood at 8.76 crore nuts in 2017-18.
• Even the British had made an attempt with owls in the 19th century for rodent management.
• Similar attempts were reportedly made in the 1960s as well.
• The coconut palms here grow so close together that they resemble a jungle. The fronds overlap, allowing the rodents to move easily from one tree to another,”
• Besides, the nocturnal barn owls are natural rat hunters, armed with a powerful auditory mechanism. There is also an important environmental angle to Lakshadweep’s decision to choose biocontrol.
• The islands being a designated organic zone, use of chemicals for pest control is a strictly prohibited.

Source: The Hindu

Navy joins exercises in South China Sea

Topic: International Relations

In News: Navy ships INS Kolkata and Shakti carried out Group Sail with the naval ships of Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. in the South China Sea (SCS).

More on the Topic:

• The ships undertook various exercises en route which included formation manoeuvring, under way replenishment runs, cross-deck flying and exchange of sea riders.
• The group sail exercise showcased India’s commitment to operating with like-minded nations to ensure safe maritime environment through enhanced interoperability.

Source: The Hindu