‘Podu’ Land Issue

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Time: 45 min Date: 27-10-2021

Polity and Governance

‘Podu’ Land Issue

Syllabus:GS 2/Government Policies & Interventions

In News

● Recently, the Telangana government has decided to move landless, non-tribal

farmers engaged in shifting cultivation (‘Podu’ ) inside forests to peripheral areas

as it looks to combat deforestation.

About the ‘Podu’ Land Issue

● Podu lands are the lands tilled by tribal people in forests.

● Telangana government has red-flagged encroachment of forests by non-tribals,

who are indulging in the practice of shifting agriculture (podu).

● Several political leaders have raised the issues of shifting agriculture and

deforestation wherein encroachers clear a portion of land to raise crops one season

and move to a different location next season, thereby clearing large areas of forests.

Shifting Cultivation

● It is a form of agriculture or a cultivation system, in which, at any particular point

in time, a minority of ‘fields’ are in cultivation and a majority are in various stages

of natural re-growth.

● Over time, fields are cultivated for a relatively short time, and allowed to recover,

or are fallowed, for a relatively long time.

● Eventually, a previously cultivated field will be cleared of the natural vegetation

and planted in crops again.

● Fields in established and stable shifting cultivation systems are cultivated and

fallowed cyclically.

● This type of farming is also called jhumming in India.

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Implications

● For the tribals:

○ Tribal farmers who have been traditionally cultivating for decades will not

be affected by this drive against illegal encroachers.

○ The government has, in fact, given land ownership titles to tribals.

■ More than 3 lakh acres have been allocated to tribal farmers across

the state.

● For the non-tribal farmers:

○ These farmers can apply to the state government to allocate them land

outside the forests.

■ Those who are shifted out of the forests will be given land ownership

certificates, power supply facility, water, and Rythu Bandhu benefits

(welfare program to support farmer’s investment for two crops a

year by Telangana government), and farmer insurance schemes

would be extended to them.

Way Forward

● The officials should take all protective measures so that even an inch of forest land

was not encroached upon and there should be an end to land grabbing in the forest

areas.

● If required an all-party meeting would be convened as part of finding a solution

to the podu land issue

● The meetings should be held with all district collectors and required orders should

be issued.

● Sarpanches and other elected representatives are encouraged to take the

protection of forest lands as a responsibility.

Source: IE


https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telangana-podu-land-issue-explained-7592834/


Indian Economy

Open Network for Digital Commerce

Syllabus: GS 3, Indian Economy, Digital infrastructure

In News

● Recently the Minister of Commerce has reviewed the Open Network for Digital

Commerce.

● This initiative is seen as a step towards ending the dominance of platforms such

as Amazon and Flipkart.

○ These platforms have been accused by the minister of wielding monopoly

power and breaking the law.

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

● The task of implementing DPIIT’s (Department for Promotion of Industry and

Internal Trade) ONDC project has been assigned to the Quality Council of India

(QCI).

● An ONDC gateway has also been established.

○ About 20 entities covering all network components are at various stages of

on-boarding.

● DPIIT has approved a budget of approximately Rs 10 crores for initial work on the

project.

● It has been suggested to establish a private sector led non-profit company.

Role of private sector led non-profit company

● The entity is expected to provide

○ A start-up mindset for a population scale implementation.

○ Enabled by a management with a futuristic vision,

○ Leadership with a deep understanding of commerce,

○ Comfort with cutting edge technology, and

○ Missionary outlook to drive change..

● The role of the entity would be

○ To develop the network by adopting and building enabling technology

○ Encouraging wide-scale voluntary participation by ecosystem players.



○ It would ensure network discipline by establishing a code of conduct and

rules of the network

■ Based on principles of consumer protection,

■ fair trade and

■ regulatory conformity.

● The entity will also provide foundational services for managing the network like

○ digital infrastructure for the network, common registry, certification of

participants and certifying agencies, grievance redressal, etc.

● The entity will develop and operate reference applications for buyers, sellers and

gateway for market activation and priming the network along with partner

entities.

● It will also support SMEs in their digital transformation

○ By developing readymade tools to help existing software applications

quickly adapt to the network

● A non-profit company structure

○ removes any incentive for owners to drive for profit maximization,

○ keep focus on ethical and responsible behaviour

○ while providing for trust, rigorous norms of governance, accountability and

transparency

Aim of ONDC

● The government wants to change the fundamental structure of the e-commerce

market

○ From the current “platform-centric model to an open-network model”.

● The ONDC project is modelled around the Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

project that is seen as a success by many.

○ The UPI project allows people to send or receive money irrespective of the

payment platforms on which they are registered.

○ Similarly, ONDC will ensure that buyers and sellers in the e-commerce

market transact regardless of the platforms on which they are registered.

■ Thus,a buyer registered on Amazon, may directly purchase goods

from a seller who sells on Flipkart.



Need for open sourcing for e-commerce players

● ONDC will democratise e-commerce:

○ The E-commerce market is currently broken into “silos” operated and

dominated by few platforms.

○ Amazon and Flipkart,for instance, have been accused of discriminating

among sellers on their platforms

■ They promote certain seller entities in which they hold indirect

stakes.

● It would also provide alternatives to proprietary e-commerce sites.

○ It will put an end to the domination of the e-commerce market by a few

large platforms.

○ Such as Amazon and Flipkart, which have been accused of wielding

monopoly power and breaking the law.

● Providing a level playing field.

○ Open networks like ONDC will connect buyers and sellers across

platforms.

○ Buyers will be able to access sellers across platforms without having to

switch between multiple platforms.

How should the project be conceptualised?

● The three “layers” of the open digital ecosystem (the tech, governance and

community ) must be managed for the greatest chance of success.

● Tech layer

○ The “tech layer” should be designed for minimalism and decentralisation.

■ Decentralisation would lessen scope for hackers.

○ If possible, the government should restrict its role.

○ If built, the platform should be built on “privacy by design” principles.

■ It should collect minimal data (especially personal data).

■ But they must be based on clear rules that protect the consumer

interest.

■ Tools like blockchain could be used to build technical safeguards

that cannot be overridden without active consent.



● Governance layer

○ The “governance layer” around this should allay business fears of excessive

state intervention in e-commerce.

○ Any deployment of standards or tech should be accompanied by law or

regulation.

○ Passing the data protection bill and creating an independent regulator

should be a precondition for collection of data.

● Community layer

○ A “community layer” can foster a truly inclusive and participatory process.

■ By seeking inputs and feedback.

○ Once the framework is implemented, ensuring quick and time-bound

redressal of grievances will help build trust in the system.

Criticism

● Critics argue that the domination may not be due to any captive hold that these

platforms have over buyers and sellers.

● Sellers are already free to list their products across various e-commerce platforms

even in today’s platform-centric e-commerce model.

○ Buyers also routinely shop across platforms.

● Price Comparison Services

○ Such services offered by various private websites bridge the information

gap and help buyers make better decisions.

● Further, the supposed “monopoly” that platforms are said to enjoy

○ May be no different from the limited monopoly that any business has over

its property.

● Critics like columnist Andy Mukherjee have actually characterised the ONDC as

a “solution searching for a problem”.

Way Ahead

● Wide participation from ecosystem should be ensured and the institutional

structure should be created

○ So as to ensure that the entity conducts itself in an ethical, cooperative,

democratic and responsible manner.



● Wise Listing

○ Government’s open network listing of products offered by various sellers

must balance the interest of buyers as well as sellers.

○ Compress timelines for making this network a reality soon

● Alternative to E-commerce

○ Driving the adoption of ONDC in a sector with entrenched incumbents that

have a dominant market share will be a challenge.

○ The government should thus explore innovative ways to bridge the gaps in

e-commerce markets.

○ That can work seamlessly and has the ability to fulfil customer orders.

● Competition is a must

○ As it generally pushes the platforms to prominently list products that are

most likely to catch the fancy of buyers.

● Building Trust

○ Special efforts must be made to build trust in the ONDC network

○ Elaborate mechanisms must be put in place for dispute resolution.

● Investment

○ To build exclusive on-boarding and listing processes.

Quality Council of India

● QCI was set up in 1997 by the government of India jointly with Indian industry

(represented by CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM).

● It is an autonomous body .

● QCI establishes and operates the National Accreditation Structure for

conformity assessment bodies

○ It provides accreditation in the field of education, health and quality

promotion.

E-Commerce

● Electronic commerce or e-commerce is a business model that lets firms and

individuals buy and sell things over the Internet.



● It was propelled by

○ Rising smartphone penetration,

○ Launch of 4G networks

○ Increasing consumer wealth.

● The Indian e-commerce industry has been on an upward growth trajectory.

○ It is expected to grow to USD 200 billion by 2026 and

○ Is expected to surpass the US to become the second-largest e-commerce

market in the world by 2034.

● The following are the different types of e-commerce platforms:

○ Business-to-Business (B2B)

○ Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

○ Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)

○ Consumer-to-Business (C2B)

○ Business-to-Administration (B2A)

○ Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)

Source: PIB

Polity and Governance

National Population Register (NPR)

Syllabus :GS 2/Government Policies & Interventions

In News

● The latest form of the National Population Register (NPR) appears to have

retained contentious questions such as “mother tongue, place of birth of father

and mother and last place of residence” according to a document compiled by a

committee under the Registrar General of India.

About

● The new questions were part of a trial exercise involving 30 lakh respondents in

September 2019.

● The NPR schedule to be used in Census 2021 is given in Annexure X.


https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1766573


○ According to the Annexure: “National Population Register 2020”, the

respondent will have to specify the “name of State and district” if the place

of birth of father and mother is in India and mention the country’s name

if not born here.

National Population Register

● About:

○ It is a Register of usual residents of the country.

○ It is being prepared at the local (Village/sub-Town), sub-District, District,

State and National level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and

the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity

Cards) Rules, 2003.

○ NPR was first done in 2010 and was later updated in 2015 when it was

linked with Aadhar.

○ It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR.

■ A usual resident is defined for the purposes of NPR as a person who

has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person

who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more.

○ The Registrar General India shall act as the “National Registration

Authority”, it is also the country’s Census Commissioner.

● Present Status:

○ The update of NPR and the first phase of the Census — the House listing &

Housing Census were to be conducted simultaneously from April-

September 2020 but the exercise was postponed indefinitely due to the

COVID-19 pandemic. New dates have not been announced yet.

● Objective:

○ To create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the

country. The database would contain demographic as well as biometric

particulars.

Significance

● NPR data helps identify the demographics of actual residents who will be direct

beneficiaries of any schemes launched in the area.



○ The NPR data will help the government design and adapt schemes like

Ayushman Bharat, Jandhan Yojna, or medium of instruction in schools as

per the current demographics, thus making the schemes more effective.

Why has it been opposed?

● Many Opposition-ruled States have opposed the updation of the NPR due to its

link with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the yet to be

implemented Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

○ According to Citizenship Rules framed in the year 2003, NPR is the first

step towards the compilation of the National Register of Indian Citizens

(NRIC) or NRC.

■ The CAA passed by the Parliament on December 11, 2019, allows

citizenship on basis of religion to six undocumented communities

from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or

before December 31, 2014.

■ There are apprehensions and fears that the CAA followed by a

country-wide NRC will benefit non-Muslims excluded from the

proposed citizens’ register, while excluded Muslims will have to

prove their citizenship.

■ The government has denied that CAA and NRC are linked and that

there are currently no plans to compile a countrywide NRC.

Difference between NPR and NRC

● The National Population Register is a database of people living in India

including foreign citizens, but the National Register of Citizens is a database of

Indian citizens.

○ The NRC process demands proof of citizenship from the respondents.

Those who are found without the proof may face deportation or detention

in the long run.

■ However, in NPR, there is no need to provide any documentation.

NPR and the Census

● The process of NPR and Census will begin simultaneously, the two databases

are not the same.

○ The decennial census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical

information on the different characteristics of the people of India.



● While NPR only contains demographic information, more details are required

for the census like information on demography, economic activity, literacy

and education, and housing and household amenities among others.

What is the Census?

● The Census is the enumeration of the population of the country.

● It is being conducted at an interval of 10 years.

● The Census 2021 will be the 16th census in the country since the first census

happened in 1872. However, it will be the 8th census after Independence.

● The census is the basis for reviewing the country's progress in the past decade,

monitoring the ongoing schemes of the government and planning for the future.

● For the first time, the Census 2021 will use the Mobile App for data collection. It

will also provide a facility to the public for self-enumeration.

Source: TH

Internal Security

Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)

Syllabus: GS3/ Security Challenges and their Management in Border Areas - Linkages

of Organized Crime with Terrorism

In News

● Recently, the J&K police lodged two FIRs under the Unlawful Activities

Prevention Act (UAPA) against medical students.

About

● It was done after multiple videos allegedly showed students of two medical

colleges in Srinagar celebrating the Pakistan cricket team’s victory over India in

the T20 World Cup.

● The cases have been filed under Section 13 of the UAPA and Sections 105-A and

505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)

● It was passed in 1967.


https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/updated-npr-form-appears-to-retain-contentious-questions/article37181229.ece

https://www.nextias.com/current-affairs/14-07-2021/unlawful-activities-prevention-act-uapa


● The Act provides special procedures to deal with terrorist activities, among other

things.

● Unlawful activity means any conduct which constitutes a crime or which

contravenes any law whether such conduct occurred before or after the

commencement of this Act and whether such conduct occurred in the Republic or

elsewhere.

● Section 15 of the UAPA defines “terrorist act” and is punishable with

imprisonment for a term of at least five years to life. In case the terrorist act results

in death, the punishment is death or imprisonment for life.

● The Act assigns absolute power to the central government, by way of which if

the Centre deems an activity as unlawful then it may, by way of an Official

Gazette, declare it so.

● The provisions of this Act apply also to—

(a) citizens of India outside India;

(b) persons in the service of the Government, wherever they may be; and

(c) persons on ships and aircrafts, registered in India, wherever they may

be.

Issues with UAPA

● Criminalizing Thoughts: It criminalizes mere thoughts and political protests that

cause “disaffection” with the state. It is an assault of citizens’ right to expression

which is also a collective right of groups and unions to disseminate their views.

● Ignoring Fundamental Rights: It can simply be used to bypass fundamental rights

and procedures. For instance, those arrested under UAPA can be incarcerated up

to 180 days without a charge sheet being filed. It thus directly violates Article 21

of the constitution.

● Highly Discretionary: It confers upon the government broad discretionary

powers and also authorizes the creation of special courts with the ability to use

secret witnesses and to hold closed-door hearings.

● Hindering dissent: It is being used to suppress dissent through intimidation and

harassment thus threatening the very existence of public debate and freedom of

press and criminalizing the performance of civil liberties.

● Parliamentary Powers: The issue still remains whether the Parliament under any

circumstance can classify the individual as terrorist only because it believes him to

be involved in terrorism without any trial or whatsoever.



● Restricts Freedoms: UAPA empowers the parliament to restrict the rights and

freedoms of citizens to protect ‘the sovereignty and integrity of India’.

● Stringent Provision of bail: The standard for bail under the UAPA is that it cannot

be granted unless the court is of the view that the accused is innocent of the alleged

offence. This is a prima facie standard, which means that the onus of proof of

innocence, even for the purpose of obtaining bail, is effectively reversed. It is for

the accused to show, for the purposes of bail, that he is innocent.

● Sharp Rise in Use: This caution is significant given the sharp surge in the state’s

use of this provision in a sweeping range of alleged offences - against tribals in

Chhattisgarh, those using social media through proxy servers in Jammu and

Kashmir; and journalists in Manipur among others.

Way Ahead

● A strong anti-terrorism law is needed in India, but its enforcement will always

result in some draconian anomalies like the arrests of activists.

● The existing UAPA does have effective provisions to combat terrorism (cognizable

offence) but there are also some defects and demerits which needs to be addressed

properly to make the law effective and efficient to prevent and combat terrorism.

● The UAPA is a fairly harsh law drafted to deal with some harsh circumstances

and with people spending more than a decade in jail before being acquitted, its

potential for misuse has been realised.

● UAPA, in relaxing timelines for the state to file chargesheets and its stringent

conditions for bail, gives the state more powers compared to the Indian Penal

Code.

● The Act needs to be amended, in order to ensure a constitutional functionary who

is independent from the Executive, be in charge of sanctions for prosecutions and

investigations under this Act. Maybe a High Court Judge could be designated for

this purpose.

● Terrorism and unlawful activities are ones that always create political issues. If the

Act has to work, its application must, at all times, look apolitical.

Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) Amendment Bill 2019

● The Bill additionally empowers the government to designate individuals as

terrorists on the same grounds.


https://www.nextias.com/current-affairs/16-06-2021


● Who may commit terrorism: Under the Act, the central government may

designate an organisation as a terrorist organisation if it:

(i) commits or participates in acts of terrorism,

(ii) prepares for terrorism,

(iii) promotes terrorism, or

(iv) is otherwise involved in terrorism.

● Approval for seizure of property by NIA:

○ Under the Act, an investigating officer is required to obtain the prior

approval of the Director General of Police to seize properties that may

be connected with terrorism.

○ The Bill adds that if the investigation is conducted by an officer of the

National Investigation Agency (NIA), the approval of the Director

General of NIA would be required for seizure of such property.

● Investigation by NIA:

○ Under the Act, investigation of cases may be conducted by officers of the

rank of Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police or

above.

○ The Bill additionally empowers the officers of the NIA, of the rank of

Inspector or above, to investigate cases.

● Insertion to schedule of treaties:

○ The Act defines terrorist acts to include acts committed within the scope

of any of the treaties listed in a schedule to the Act.

○ The Schedule lists nine treaties, including the Convention for the

Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997), and the Convention against

Taking of Hostages (1979).

○ The Bill adds another treaty to the list -- This is the International

Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005).

Source: TH


https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/srinagar-medicos-booked-under-uapa/article37179717.ece


Biodiversity & Environment

National Targets to Limit Global Warming

Syllabus: GS3/ Environmental Pollution and Degradation

In News

● According to a study, even enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions are

not nearly enough to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

Image Courtesy: DTE

Paris Agreement

● Goals:

○ The agreement stated that NDCs would work to achieve the goal of keeping

global temperature rise this century to well below 2°C above the pre-

industrial level and to pursue efforts to limit the rise to 1.5°C.

○ The countries agreed to provide voluntary targets called Nationally

Determined Contributions (NDCs) for how they will limit or reduce

emissions.


https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/national-targets-to-limit-global-warming-off-by-a-mile-79871


● Ratcheting Mechanism:

○ As per the agreement’s “ratcheting mechanism”, nations are expected to

submit progressively more ambitious NDCs every five years.

● India’s first NDC has three main elements:

○ An emissions-intensity target of 33%–35% by 2030 below 2005 levels;

○ To increase the share of non-fossil-based energy resources to 40% of

installed electric power capacity by 2030 with support;

○ To create an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5–3 Giga Tonnes ( Gt)

CO2 through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

● Missing deadlines:

○ Accordingly, countries had to submit their second NDC by 2020, but of the

192 parties to the Paris Agreement a majority did not meet the deadline.

○ Till october 2021, 49 countries have yet not submitted NDCs.

○ Only three G20 members have announced other new mitigation pledges for

2030.

● New Goals:

○ Ahead of CoP 26:

■ Many countries have announced new and updated nationally

determined contributions (NDC) ahead of the 26th session of the

Conference of Parties (CoP26) to the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

○ Earlier Goals not achieved:

■ They are, however, nowhere close to what the world needs to limit

global temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of the century.

○ Reductions in new commitments:

■ These new commitments take 7.5 percent off predicted 2030

greenhouse gas emissions compared to the old commitments.

■ Reductions of 30 per cent are needed to stay on the least-cost

pathway for 2°C and 55 per cent for 1.5°C

● Countries:

○ EU and UK:



■ Analytics and New Climate Institute EU-27 and the UK submitted

more ambitious NDCs of reducing GHG emissions by 55 per cent

and 68 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.

○ US:

■ The US, under the new President Joe Biden, has upped its target and

pledged 50-52 per cent reduction below 2005 levels by 2030.

○ Japan:

■ Japan has proposed a stronger NDC target of 46 per cent reduction

of GHG emissions below 2013 levels by 2030 but is yet to formally

submit it.

● Burden of Growth:

○ Skewed burden:

■ Comparison of per capita emissions in the 45 countries in 2019 and

then again in 2030, if the NDCs are achieved, reveals how skewed

the global burden of CO2 reduction is against developing countries

(see 'Unequal world').

■ Countries with HDI ranking and efforts:

● Zambia and Micronesia, ranked 146th and 136th in Human

Development Index (HDI), have pledged to reduce their per

capita emissions by over 50 per cent,

● Japan and Australia will reduce them by 30 per cent by 2030

(see 'Low on ambition').

● Russia will increase them by 16 per cent.

● Botswana, ranked 100 in HDI, has committed a 15 per cent

reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 as compared to 2010

levels.

● Mockery of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities:

○ Clearly, countries low on HDI and with minuscule per capita footprint, are

shouldering the burden of emissions reductions, while historical polluters

play a small part.

○ This is not only a mockery of the principle of Common but Differentiated

Responsibilities, but a serious human rights concern as poor nations

attempt to constrain their developmental health in trying to abide by the

Paris Agreement.



Project

● Initiated by:

○ Down To Earth and Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi, have

attempted to project the emissions of 45 countries — a mix of developed

and developing economies, including EU-27 — for 2020-2030.

● Conditional targets:

○ In many cases, countries have provided “conditional” NDCs — they will

enhance their ambition if climate finance and other support is provided.

○ Ethiopia: For instance, Ethiopia has said it will reduce emissions by 14 per

cent (unconditional) and 68.8 per cent (conditional) by 2030 as compared to

the “business as usual” scenario.

○ Zambia: Commits to reduce its emissions by 25 per cent (under limited

international support) and towards 47 per cent (with substantial

international support).

Image Courtesy: DTE

Greenhouse gas emissions

● Highest right now:

○ The current atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are higher

than at any time in the last two million years.




● Temporary dip:

○ The temporary dip in emissions in 2020 — CO2 as well as non-CO2 emissions — is expected to rise again in 2021 and reach a level only slightly lower than the record high in 2019, according to the Emissions Gap Report,

2021 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

○ But the atmospheric CO2 that year was over the decade’s average, according to the latest report the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released October 25.

● Fossil energy:

○ Fossil energy emissions could grow 4.8 per cent in 2021 (excluding cement), and global emissions in 2021 are expected to be only slightly lower than the record level of 2019, according to the UNEP report.

○ Governments are set to produce more fossil fuels than what the world requires to limit global warming to 1.5°C, an earlier UNEP report had flagged.

Image Courtesy: DTE




Way Ahead: Net-zero Emissions

● Definition:

○ Net-zero emission is a state where the sum of all anthropogenic emissions

and removal is zero.

● Implementation:

○ A thorough implementation of the net-zero pledges, in addition to new or

updated unconditional NDCs and pledges, lowered the temperature

estimates markedly to 2.2°C (range 2.0-2.5°C) with a 66 percent chance.

● Problem:

○ The only challenge is that currently net-zero plans are vague and not

included in NDCs. Only 49 countries, plus the European Union, have

pledged a net-zero target so far.

● 1.5 degree celsius target:

○ To align with a 1.5°C target of limiting warming, global CO2 emissions

must reach net zero around 2050, with global GHG emissions reaching net-

zero 15-20 years later.

○ A delay of 15-20 years in either net-zero CO2 or net-zero GHGs implies

limiting warming to 2°C rather than 1.5°C, the report said.

● Existing targets:

○ show variations in scope and large ambiguities in terms of sectors that are

included for net-zero.

● Other Report:

○ It is also important to reduce methane emissions, the UN report said. This

will be more effective and faster in controlling the rise in temperature than

reducing carbon dioxide.

○ Reduction of methane emissions from fossil fuels, waste and agriculture

sectors can contribute to closing the emissions gap and reduce warming in

the short term.

Source: DTE




Facts In News

Environment and Biodiversity

Bush Frog

Syllabus: GS 3/ Species in news

In News

● Recently, the Bush frogs have been identified as cardamom-friendly which helps

in killing moths that are known to destroy cardamom’s pseudostem, a major

menace faced by farmers.

About

● Scientific Name: Raorchestes ponmudi.

○ It is a species of frog in the Rhacophoridae family.

● Life Cycle: The bush frog’s life cycle is entirely different unlike other frog species

and water sources are not primarily needed for the growth of its eggs.

● Food: It eats up the shoot borer Conogethes punctiferalis that enters through

immature panicles and attacks the shoots and stems, thus destroying cardamom

plants, often on a large scale.

● Distribution: The bush frog is widely found in the Ponmudi area of the Western

Ghats (endemic to the Western Ghats)and is familiar to cardamom planters.

○ The bush frog is also common in the CHR (Cardamom Hill Reserve) areas

of Udumbanchola and Peerumade in the Idukki district.

● Threats: Aggressive pesticide application is a threat to the bush frog.

● IUCN Status: Critically Endangered

Image Courtesy: TH

Source: TH


https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/why-cardamom-farmers-welcome-these-frog-species-endemic-to-the-western-ghats/article37176687.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/why-cardamom-farmers-welcome-these-frog-species-endemic-to-the-western-ghats/article37176687.ece


International Relations

India and ADB Signs PRF Loan

Syllabus :GS 2/ India & Foreign Relations/International Organisations & Groupings

In News

● The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank signed a $4.5 million

project readiness financing (PRF) loan.

About

● The PRF supports the development of long-term solutions to improve urban mobility in Aizawl by identifying high-priority urban transport investments for the ensuing project and enhancing its readiness by supporting due diligence and other preparatory activities.

● The PRF will develop a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Aizawl that outlines the urban transport development strategy and build synergies with urban development planning initiatives in the state, and promote climate and disaster resilience, and gender inclusiveness in its interventions.

● Significance

○ Aizawl is the centre of the administrative and service industry of Mizoram and Urban mobility in Aizawl is severely constrained because of rapid and unplanned urbanization. This led to traffic congestion on narrow road widths.

○ Thus, this project is significant as it seeks to resolve the transport problems

in the city by adopting sustainable urban mobility solutions.

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

● It is a regional development bank established on 19th December 1966. The ADB was modelled closely on the World Bank.

● Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.

● Members: 68 members, 49 from within Asia.

○ Japan holds the largest proportion of shares in ADB followed by the USA, because Japan is one of the largest shareholders of the bank, the president has always been Japanese.

● ADB is an official United Nations Observer.

● Aim: To promote social and economic development in Asia.

○ It is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.

Source: PIB


https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1766628


Places In News

Lake Tahoe

Syllabus: GS3/ Places in News

In News

● Drought fueled by climate change has dropped Lake Tahoe below its natural rim and halted flows into the Truckee River.

About

● Scientists are concerned that the growing frequency of low-water extremes may become the new normal.

● They point to seasonal shifts in weather patterns causing precipitation

○ Over the past century, the amount of precipitation falling as snow has declined from 52% in 1910 to 33% in 2020 and is projected to drop below 20% by the end of the century.

About Lake Tahoe

● Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake occupying a fault basin on the California-Nevada border in the northern Sierra Nevada, U.S.

● It is the second deepest lake in the US, with Crater Lake in Oregon being the deepest in the US.

● It is fed by numerous small streams, it is drained by the Truckee River to Pyramid

Lake, Nevada, about 60 miles (100 km) northeast.

● Water is supplied through its western outlet, the Truckee, for the Newlands Irrigation Project in Nevada.

Source: IE


https://indianexpress.com/article/world/climate-change/climate-change-california-lake-tahoe-water-7586476/

https://indianexpress.com/article/world/climate-change/climate-change-california-lake-tahoe-water-7586476/


Indian Economy

Non-Fungible Token

Syllabus: GS3/Indian Economy & related issues

In News

● The term NFT (Non-Fungible Token) is often heard in the news.

What is a Non-Fungible Token?

● It is a digital asset that represents real-world objects like art, music, in-game items and videos.

● They are bought and sold online, frequently with cryptocurrency, and they are generally encoded with the same underlying software as many cryptos.

● It was first created by inventors in 2014 and named ‘” monetized graphics”.

● The key difference between cryptocurrency and NFT is that cryptocurrency is fungible. One can trade a Bitcoin for another Bitcoin but cannot do so for an NFT.

What are Cryptocurrencies?

● Cryptocurrencies are “a stateless digital currency” in which encryption techniques are used for trading and these ‘currencies’ operate independently of a Central bank like the RBI, “rendering it immune from government interference”.

Source: ET


https://www.nextias.com/current-affairs/05-06-2021/rbis-view-on-cryptocurrency

https://www.nextias.com/current-affairs/05-06-2021/rbis-view-on-cryptocurrency

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/cryptocurrency/nfts-are-not-the-only-tokens/articleshow/86525110.cms


Biodiversity and Environment

Evolution of Tuskless Elephants: Gorongosa National Park

Syllabus:GS3/Conservation

In News

● In the Gorongosa National Park, evolutionary trends were witnessed which led to

the more tuskless female elephants.

Key Points

● During the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992), the elephant population in the

east African country fell by 90 per cent due to poaching for the thriving ivory

trade.

● As the population recovered, naturally tuskless female elephants became a

common sight in the Gorongosa National Park.

● Reasons for Tuskless Female elephants

○ Researchers have sequenced the genome of tuskless and tusked elephants

to deduce two genes responsible for this, first is MEP1A, whose roles

include the formation of enamel.

○ The second is in the X chromosome, called AMELX. This gene is located

close to other crucial genes, which are necessary for the survival of males

or the Y chromosome. Mutation in this gene affects these other genes as

well, causing the death of the Y chromosome.

○ As a result, female elephants in Gorongosa can produce both tusked and

tuskless female offspring, but only tusked male offspring.

Gorongosa National Park

Location:

● Southern end of the Great African Rift Valley in Mozambique, Southeast Africa.

● It is a more than 4,000 km square park comprising the valley floor and parts of surrounding plateaus.

● It encompasses savannas, woodlands, wetlands, and a wide pan of water called Lake Urema.

● Gorongosa was once a hunting reserve, and in 1960, it was first designated a national park.



Source:DTE


https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/africa/intensive-poaching-led-to-more-tuskless-female-elephants-in-mozambique-s-gorongosa-national-park-79859

‘Podu’ Land Issue

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