National Current Affairs – UPSC/KAS Exams- 19th December 2018
NGT raps Ministry over groundwater notification
Topic: Government Policies
IN NEWS: The National Green Tribunal criticised the Union Water Resources Ministry over its notification pertaining to groundwater extraction. The tribunal accused the notification as against national interest.
More on the Topic:
- In the notification, the Ministry had said that industries extracting groundwater and those that use the same for packaged drinking water, would need to apply for a no-objection certificate from the government. However, the agriculture sector will be exempt from the fees.
- Water Conservation Fee has also been introduced in the revised guidelines.
- The WCF payable varies with the category of the area, type of industry and the quantum of groundwater extraction and is designed to progressively increase from over-exploited areas and from low to high water consuming industries as well as with increasing quantum of groundwater extraction.
- However, stating that merely imposing a cost was not enough to curb groundwater extraction, the green panel has asked other parties, including the petitioners, to put forth their suggestions and objections to the guidelines.
- Earlier, the NGT had rapped the Central Ground Water Authority for failing to curb illegal extraction of groundwater and directed the Ministry to notify a policy.
Source: The Hindu
Warming leads to water crisis in Himalayas: Study
Topic: Environment and Ecology
IN NEWS: Climate change is driving glaciers in the Himalayas to melt more rapidly than at any point in the last 10,000 years, and could soon cause water supply shortage in parts of India, Pakistan, and Nepal, a study has warned.
More on the Topic:
- Research done by Ohio State University in the U.S. showed that climate change could have devastating effects on vulnerable residents in the Andes mountains and the Tibetan plateau.
- By 2100, the best case scenario is that half of the ice will disappear. Worst-case scenario: two-thirds of it will.
- Researchers showed that while water supply is declining, demand is rising because of growing populations.
- The international research team dubbed the plateau the “Third Pole” because it contains the largest stores of freshwater in the world outside of the North and South poles.
Consequences :
- The global warming directly affects 6 countries including Pakistan, Nepal, India, China, Bhutan and Afghanistan as the Himalayan Mountain peaks linger over them. The rivers like The Yangtze, the Bhramaputra and the Ganges glide over the Himalayan ranges and the total sewerage gulf houses over 1.3 billion people.
- Many believe that the global warming continues with the same rate, soon the Himalayan glaciers will decay declining from the existing 500000 km to 100000 km by the year 2030.
- It is interesting to observe that water which is considered to be the elixir of life will prove life threatening as it will create an imbalance in the food chains and life styles.
- Global warming on the Himalayas has degraded conditions for many species, coastal areas and poor people.
- The Gangotri Glacier, which is the originating point of the Ganges has receded by 2000m over a span of 200 years. If this glacier retreats at such speeding rate it is not too long before it disappears completely from the face of the earth. If the speculations of the Ganges running dry come true, a humongous variety of species will become extinct.
Source:The Hindu
Centre drafts child protection policy
Topic: Government Policies
In news: Centre’s has prepared draft national child protection policy, on the prodding of the Supreme Court in the wake of the Muzaffarpur shelter abuse case.
More on the Topic:
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development has placed the draft policy on its website and invited comments from stakeholders.
- This will be the first policy dedicated to the protection of children, an area that until now was only a part of the broader National Child Policy, 2013.
Background:
- The Supreme Court had earlier directed the CBI to investigate allegations involving 17 shelter homes for children, destitute women, beggars and senior citizens in Bihar following the case of sexual abuse of more than 30 girls in a shelter home in Muzaffarpur in the State. The apex court had also asked the Centre to consider framing a national policy on protection of children.
Highlights of the Draft:
- As per the draft, the policy will apply to “all institutions, and organisations (including corporate and media houses), government or private sector”.
- The draft policy recommends that all organisations must have a code of conduct based on “zero tolerance of child abuse and exploitation”. It requires organisations to lay down that employees don’t use language or behaviour that is “inappropriate, harassing, abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning or culturally inappropriate”.
- Institutions should also designate a staff member to ensure that procedures are in place to ensure the protection of children as well as to report any abuse.
- Any individual who suspects physical, sexual or emotional abuse must report it to the helpline number 1098, police or a child welfare committee.
Shortcomings:
- Unlike the National Child Policy, 2013, the latest document doesn’t talk about children who may need additional special protection measures: including those affected by migration, communal or sectarian violence, children forced into begging or in conflict with the law, and those infected with HIV/AIDS. It also doesn’t talk about the role of the state for ensuring the protection of child rights or addressing local grievances.
- A policy has four aspects — creating awareness, prevention, reporting and responding,”. “This document needs to go into all these aspects, especially a reporting structure involving various nodal bodies and a monitoring mechanism for implementation of the guidelines. Moreover, while it talks about organisations laying down a code of conduct, it doesn’t explain what is acceptable behaviour such as conduct of teachers in schools.
Way forward:
- The government could use the opportunity to go beyond the role of institutions and look at the role of individuals. “Perhaps the government could look at ensuring that all officials in public service give an undertaking that they will not exploit children
Source: The Hindu
Kerala’s captive jumbos get genetic IDs
Topic: Science and Technology
In news: Every one of Kerala’s captive elephants now has a unique DNA-based genetic ID. Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), which was given the task of DNA fingerprinting the elephants, handed over the DNA database, prototypes of Unique Identification Cards, and a study report to the Forest Department
More on the Topic:
- Captive elephants are those that have been captured from the wild and used by humans. The Forest Department provided blood samples of captive elephants from across the State to the RGCB for DNA fingerprinting.
- The method is a forensic technique that makes it possible to identify individuals — people or animals — based on unique DNA characteristics called micro-satellites (DNA portions that occur repeatedly), much like fingerprints.
- The RGCB also developed a protocol to DNA fingerprint elephants using dung and tusk samples, which could help solve wildlife crimes, including poaching and illegal trade.
- Unlike the microchip-based ID used so far, DNA fingerprinting provides a unique identity and is more fool-proof.
DNA Profiling:
- DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual’s DNA characteristics, which are as unique as fingerprints. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding.
- DNA profiling is a forensic technique in criminal investigations, comparing criminal suspects’ profiles to DNA evidence so as to assess the likelihood of their involvement in the crime.
- It is also used in parentage testing, to establish immigration eligibility,and in genealogical and medical research. DNA profiling has also been used in the study of animal and plant populations in the fields of zoology, botany, and agriculture.
Source: The Hindu
Mount Soputan, Pacific ring of fire
Topic: Geophysical Phenomena
In news: Indonesia sit along the Ring of Fire region, an area where most of the world’s volcanic eruptions occur. The Ring of Fire has seen a large amount of activity in recent days, but Indonesia has been hit hard due to its position on a large grid of tectonic plates.
More on the Topic:
- Indonesia is at the meeting point of three major continental plates – the Pacific, the Eurasian and the Indo-Australian plates – and the much smaller Philippine plate. As a result, several volcanoes on the Indonesian islands are prone to erupting, with Bali’s Mt Agung taking the headlines last year and in 2018. Indonesia is home to roughly 400 volcanoes, out of which 127 are currently active, accounting for about a third of the world’s active volcanoes.
- The Ring of Fire is a Pacific region home to over 450 volcanoes, including three of the world’s four most active volcanoes – Mount St. Helens in the USA, Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. It is also sometimes called the circum-Pacific belt.
- Around 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur in the Ring of Fire, and 80% of the world’s largest earthquakes. The 40,0000 kilometre horse-shoe-shaped ring loops from New Zealand to Chile, passing through the coasts of Asia and the Americas on the way.
- The Ring of Fire is the result from subduction of oceanic tectonic plates beneath lighter continental plates. The area where these tectonic plates meet is called a subduction zone.
Source: The Hindu
6.IMPRESS scheme
Topic: Government Schemes
In news: The Government of India, had sanctioned the scheme “Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS)”. Under the Scheme, 1500 research projects will be awarded for 2 years to support the social science research in the higher educational institutions and to enable research to guide policy making.
More on the Topic:
- The Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR) will be the project implementing agency.
The broad objectives of the scheme are:
- To identify and fund research proposals in social sciences with maximum impact on the governance and society.
- To focus research on (11) broad thematic areas such as : State and Democracy, Urban transformation, Media, Culture and Society, Employment, Skills and Rural transformation , Governance, Innovation and Public Policy, Growth, Macro-trade and Economic Policy, Agriculture and Rural Development, Health and Environment, Science and Education, Social Media and Technology, Politics, Law and Economics. The sub- theme areas will be decided on the basis of Expert Groups’ advice before notifying the scheme and calling for applications.
- To ensure selection of projects through a transparent, competitive process on online mode.
- To provide opportunity for social science researchers in any institution in the country, including all Universities (Central and State), private institutions with 12(B) status conferred by UGC.
- ICSSR funded/ recognized research institutes will also be eligible to submit research proposals on the given themes and sub-themes.
Source: The Hindu
6.Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)
Topic: Government Policies
In news:The Government has approved “Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education by 2022”, as per which the scope of institutions to be funded through Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) has been enlarged to encompass School Education and Medical Education institutions, apart from Higher Education.
More on the Topic:
- The total authorized equity capital of HEFA has been raised to Rs.10,000 crore, with the facility to leverage additional resources from the market, based on requirement.
- All funds for educational infrastructure in centrally funded educational institutions will henceforth be in the form of ten year loans through HEFA to the institution, the interest liability of which would be borne by the Government.
- The principal repayment would be undertaken by the institutions in part or full depending on their age profile and financial capability.
- For new institutions and those which have limited internal fund generating capacity, the entire principal and interest repayment would be undertaken by the Government.
- There is an additional window of financing for school and medical education institutions where the sponsoring Department would undertake to repay the principal and interest to HEFA.
Source: PIB
