Relevant for: Geography | Topic: Factors responsible for location of Tertiary sector Industries...

Ministry of Tourism is developing 15 thematic circuits in the country for the development of tourism

– Shri Prahlad Singh Patel 2

Rail Connectivity to Buddhist Pilgrimage Centres 4

India becomes second largest steel producer of Crude Steel 5

National Population Policy 7

Manipur’s Loktak lake chokes from a catastrophic project flagged off 50 years ago 9

Quality of Water after Implementation of NGP 14

Godavari and Kaveri River Linking Project 16

Improvement in Sex Ratio 17

Growth Rate of Country's Population 19

Project Signing: New World Bank Project to Improve Groundwater Management in Select States

of India 23

Jupiter’s atmosphere has more water than previously thought: NASA 26

Early humans lived in northern India 80,000 years ago 28

Earth captures new ‘mini moon’ 31

Index

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Source : www.pib.nic.in Date : 2020-02-04

MINISTRY OF TOURISM IS DEVELOPING 15 THEMATICCIRCUITS IN THE COUNTRY FOR THE DEVELOPMENTOF TOURISM – SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL

Relevant for: Geography | Topic: Factors responsible for location of Tertiary sector Industries incl. Tourism inworld & India and related issues

Ministry of Tourism

Ministry of Tourism is developing 15 thematic circuits inthe country for the development of tourism – Shri PrahladSingh Patel

Posted On: 03 FEB 2020 6:40PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Tourism, under the Swadesh Darshan scheme is developing thematic circuits inthe country in planned and prioritized manner. Under the scheme fifteen thematic circuits havebeen identified for development namely; North-East Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit,Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, RuralCircuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Heritage Circuit, Sufi Circuit, and Tirthankara Circuit.

Submission of proposals by the State Governments under the scheme is a continuous process.The projects under the scheme are identified for development in consultation with the StateGovernments/Union Territory Administrations and are sanctioned subject to availability of funds,submission of suitable Detailed Project Reports, adherence to scheme guidelines and utilizationof funds released earlier.

Ministry of Tourism has taken several steps for development of tourism in the country whichinter-alia includes the following:

i. Launched the Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD Schemes for development of tourisminfrastructure in the country.

Identified 17 Iconic Sites in the country for development by seeking convergence with otherCentral Ministries/Departments/State Governments /Urban Local Bodies

ii.

Launched the “Adopt a Heritage-Apni Dharohar Apni Pehchan” Project for developmentand maintenance of tourist amenities at heritage sites/monuments and other tourist sites.

iii.

iv. Development and promotion of ‘Niche Tourism’ products to attract tourist with specificinterest and to ensure repeat visits for the unique products in which India has acomparative advantage.

Launched 24x7 toll free Multi-Lingual Tourist Helpline.v.Promoting India as a holistic tourism destination including its various tourism sites andproducts through Incredible India 2.0 Campaign.

vi.

vii. Providing facility of e-Visa for 5 sub-categories i.e. e-Tourist visa, e-Business visa, e-Medical visa, e-Medical Attendant visa and e-Conference visa for nationals of 170 countries.

E-Visa has been further liberalized and the visa fee has been substantially reduced.viii.

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Revamp of Incredible India Website having information on tourism sites/destinations indifferent States/Union Territory Administrations.

ix.

Launched Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Programme on an online digital platform toprovide basic, advanced and refresher courses for tourist facilitators.

x.

xi. New mountain peaks have been opened for Mountaineering/Trekking to give boost toadventure tourism in the country.

xii. Lowering of GST on hotels rooms with tariffs of 1,001 to 7,500/night to 12% and for 7,501& above to 18% to increase India’s competitiveness as a tourism destination.

This information was given by the Minister of State (I/c) of Culture and Tourism, Shri PrahladSingh Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

********

NB/AKJ

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RAIL CONNECTIVITY TO BUDDHIST PILGRIMAGECENTRES

Relevant for: Geography | Topic: Factors responsible for location of Tertiary sector Industries incl. Tourism inworld & India and related issues

Ministry of Railways

Rail Connectivity to Buddhist Pilgrimage Centres


The following works of New Lines have been included in Budget and are in different stages ofexecution to connect Buddhist Pilgrimage Centres:

Gaya-Bodhgaya-Chatra, Gaya-Natesar(Nalanda)i.Rajgir-Hisua-Tilaiya, Natesar-Islampurii.Kapilvastu-Bastiiii.Bahraich-Shravasti-Balrampur/Tulsipuriv.Padrauna-Kushinagar via Gorakhpurv.

This information was given by the Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri PiyushGoyal in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

****

SG/MKV


Read this release in: Urdu



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INDIA BECOMES SECOND LARGEST STEELPRODUCER OF CRUDE STEELRelevant for: Geography | Topic: Factors responsible for the Location & Distribution of Secondary Industries of

the World

Ministry of Steel

India becomes second largest steel producer of CrudeSteel


As per World Steel Association data, India became the second largest steel producerof crude steel after China in 2018 and 2019, by replacing Japan. The details of fiveleading crude steel producers in the world during 2018 and 2019 are listed below:-

Top 5 Crude steel producers in the world: 2018, 2019*

2018 2019*

Rank Country Qty (mt) Rank Country Qty (mt)

1 China 920.0 1 China 996.3

2 India 109.3 2 India 111.2

3 Japan 104.3 3 Japan 99.3

4 USA 86.6 4 USA 87.9

5S o u t hKorea

72.5 5 Russia 71.6

Source: worldsteel, (* Provisional)

India’s crude steel production in 2018 was at 109.3 MT, an increase of 7.7 per centfrom 101.5 MT in 2017.

Steel being a deregulated sector, the Government does not set any annual targets forsteel production. Decision on quantity of steel production is taken by individualcompanies based on commercial considerations and market requirements.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhanin the Rajya Sabha today in a written reply today.

******

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YKB/TFK


Read this release in: Marathi



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NATIONAL POPULATION POLICYRelevant for: Geography | Topic: Demography of the World - Growth of Population

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

National Population Policy


National Population Policy formulated in the year 2000, reaffirms the Government’s commitmenttowards voluntary and informed choice, target free approach and achievement of replacementlevel of fertility by simultaneously addressing the issues of contraception, maternal health andchild survival.

The National Family Planning Programme of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is guidedby the tenets of the National Population Policy 2000 and oversees its implementation. Under thisprogram the service delivery data is triangulated and further the program is regularly reviewedthrough annual review meetings, supportive supervision visits, common review missionsetc.

As a result of the Government’s efforts, the successes achieved are enumerated below:

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined from 2.9 in 2005 to 2.2 in 2017 (SRS).●

25 out of 37 States/UTs have already achieved replacement level fertility of 2.1 or less.●

The Decadal growth rate has declined from 21.54% in 1999-2000 to 17.64 % during 2001-11.

●

The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) has declined from 23.8 to 20.2 from 2005 to 2017 (SRS).●

The Teenage birth rate has halved from 16 % (NFHS III) to 8 % (NFHS IV).●

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated this in awritten reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

*****

MV/LK


Read this release in: Bengali

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Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2020-02-09

MANIPUR’S LOKTAK LAKE CHOKES FROM ACATASTROPHIC PROJECT FLAGGED OFF 50 YEARSAGORelevant for: Geography | Topic: Lakes, changes therein and in Flora & Fauna and the Effects of such changes

Fishermen return with the day’s catch from Loktak Lake | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar

At 2.00 a.m., I wake up to the makings of a disaster; the lake is rising beneath me as raincharges down like a mob spiralling out of control. I am separated from the lake only by a tentresting on a mat of bamboo poles over a phumdi (an organic mass floating in the lake), relyingon the physics of buoyancy that generations of Meitei fisherfolk have mastered.

Dawn reveals the damage. The part of the phumdi on which my tent is pitched has nearlyseparated from the rest of the mass. Had the rain continued any longer, I would have beendrifting on the lake on my own little island.

As the fishermen fix the phumdi, I hike up a hill and look at the vast expanse of Loktak Lake.The overcast sky has rendered it a deep blue. Green rings — athaphum (circular fish cultureponds) — speckle its surface until the horizon where a long chain of mountains stand guard.Small huts sit on their peripheries, mere specks. Fishermen navigate their he (canoes) thoughthe lake, splitting water and drawing tangents over the vegetation everywhere.

Malem, however, is unmoved by the sight in front of him. For the octogenarian, it brings back oldmemories. “My father and I were out fishing that day in March 1944. We had caught heaps ofpengba, ngaton and khabak, and we were ready to head to the market. Suddenly, the earthrumbled and the water started trembling.” They instinctively dropped to the ground. “ThreeJapanese warplanes roared over us. That’s when we knew World War II had reached here, rightin our backyard.”

As the Battle of Imphal and Kohima raged, his father told him, “This is our greatest test. If wesurvive this, we will survive it all.” He was wrong, says Malem. “We have never had a greateradversary than the Ithai Barrage — not even the war.”

Legend has it that Loktak was formed when gods wooed the valley’s people. The lake haswitnessed the very idea of Manipur take shape. It was on its shores that the beloved Meiteifolklore of princess Thoibi and Khamba and their timeless romance came to life. Poubi Lai, amythical creature integral to the Meitei belief system, is believed to reside in the heart of thelake.

The town of Moirang, on its bank, was the headquarters of the Indian National Army where theyestablished a provisional independent government after defeating the British.

Loktak is not just a lake. For Manipuris she is Loktak Lairembi (Goddess Loktak), and for theseveral thousands of fishermen who depend on her for their livelihood, she is ema (mother). Andalthough she is the fountainhead of Manipuri culture, her own identity has been in a state of fluxfor decades.

Before the 80s, Loktak Lake as we know it today did not exist. Back then, it was one of 20-oddwetlands in the region that merged into one water body during monsoon and in drier seasons fellapart. Together, helmed by the phumdi, they nurtured a unique ecosystem that fostered all

https://www.thehindu.com/profile/photographers/Ritu-Raj-Konwar/

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forms of life.

A floating assortment of soil, vegetation and organic matter in various stages of decay, thephumdi clump together to form islands that move around freely on the lake, their shape and sizemorphing through the year. For Meitei fishermen who have inhabited the region for centuries, itis the fundamental unit of life.

They build their houses (phumsang) on top of it and carve out the athaphum by cutting phumdiinto rectangular strips, tying them together and arranging them in a circle. After divers anchor itdown with heavy rocks, a huge net is cast within the athaphum and left for anywhere from 15days to two months. Fish in the athaphum are fed rice and the husk of grains. The entirecommunity comes together on the day of the catch, which can be a day-long affair.

Edible plants, roots and fruits growing on the phumdi are a major part of the diet of not just thelake people but across Manipur. Like any living organism, the phumdi’s life cycle is regulated bythe seasonal fluctuation in water level. In the dry season, they sink to the lake bed where theirroots absorb nutrients from the soil. During monsoons they float back to the surface.

Meitei fishermen play a key role in this cycle by getting rid of the dying biomass. When the waterlevel is low, they burn the phumdi in heaps, and when the lake is brimming, they cut up phumdistrips and carry it in their he to water channels from where the currents take it out to sea. Thisensured that the lake stayed in good health and was conducive for fish to spawn.

Loktak once thrived in this symbiotic relationship. Once considered extinct, the population ofbrow-antlered deer found only on Loktak’s largest phumdi, the Keibul Lamjao National Park,rose. Huge shoals of fish came in from the Chindwin-Irrawaddy river system in Myanmar throughthe Manipur river. Fishermen often faced a delightful problem — the problem of plenty. Thefishing community prospered, and with Loktak as its lifeline, so did Manipur.

Sea change

Then things changed dramatically for Loktak, and for Manipur. A single decision set off a chainreaction of catastrophic events no one could have anticipated.

In the 70s, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC) pitched an ambitiousproject to the Manipur government — a power station to harness the hydropower potential ofLoktak Lake. The 105 MW capacity power station would provide cheap electricity to Manipur andits neighbouring States. It would also provide lift irrigation for 23,000 hectares of land in thevalley. The State government approved the project without making any effort to study its impacton the lake’s ecosystem and on livelihoods.

In 1983, NHPC constructed a barrage at the confluence of the Manipur and Khuga rivers — twoof the five major rivers that drain into Loktak Lake — near Ithai village. The Ithai Barrage was toact as a barrier and create an artificial reservoir with the water level maintained at 768.5 metresthroughout the year, much higher than Loktak’s water level.

The barrage became operational that year. First, Loktak’s perimeter broke. Then thousands ofhectares of agricultural land around the lake was flooded and thousands of people lost theirlands and homes overnight. Farmers became fishermen. And the fishermen now became toomany.

Loktak and the 20 other wetlands became one water body for good; seasonal changes in thewater level stopped and the ecosystem started crumbling.

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As we hike down the hill, the sky begins to clear. We step into a he, water trapped inside it,wetting my shoes. Malem is rowing with a strength that defies his age. I see a thick,impenetrable mop of plant matter that often brushes the bottom of our boat. Malem has to pushit away with his oar to make way. This does not look natural — and I am told it isn’t.

With the water level now permanently high, phumdi can no longer reach the lake bed in the dryseason. Unable to feed on nutrients, Loktak’s islets of vegetation are thinning out anddecomposed chunks sink in. With the Ithai Barrage blocking the outlet that once connected thelake to the sea, fishermen cannot dispose of the dying biomass any more. So, for decades now,rotting vegetation has been piling up on the lake bed. Run-off from surrounding agricultural fieldshas added pesticides and insecticides to the mix. Finally, the Nambul river that flows fromImphal into the lake, dumps in it the untreated sewage of an entire city. This has resulted in anintemperate growth of semi-aquatic weeds that deplete oxygen in the water, choking Loktak.

Half an hour later we have made our way through the vegetation and to the middle of the lake.Fishermen are hard at work. In a he parked next to a dense phumdi is a man bent over a steelbowl, combing a long nylon net with his fingers.

“He is Ibomcha,” says Malem, “my son.”

Ibomcha is removing more weeds from the net than fish. He has been at it for over an hour anda half, he tells me, and his effort has yielded a grand total of a dozen fish, all of them the size ofmy little finger. The catch is worth 10. For Ibomcha, this is usual. At 39, he has never seen thelake in its prime.

The barrage has blocked the route of migratory fish coming into the lake from Myanmar and soLoktak can no longer meet the demand of an entire State. In a bid to salvage the situation, thefisheries department introduced one lakh fingerlings brought in from Andhra Pradesh andOdisha. This has become an annual ritual now, one that has gradually wiped out several speciesof fabou nga (native fish) found in the lake.

Meitei fishermen are now forced to rethink their age-old methods. For one, they have swappedtheir traditional cotton nets for nylon ones made in Myanmar so that the weeds don’t tear them.The nets have also become longer to catch more fish. Traditional shallow-water fishing methodshave all but disappeared.

Some fishermen have made an unusual addition to their fishing arsenal — batteries to stun thefish with a jolt of current, which often ends up paralysing or sterilising the fish that get away. Lawenforcement was invoked, many fishermen were jailed, and now the practice has finally stopped.

With fish populations dwindling, the unspoken laws of the community suffered. Now, the only lawis the one of survival.

My only home

Malem and I are about to make our second pit stop. Before us is an islet with just enough spaceto accommodate two ramshackle phumsang, their roofs fitted with solar panels. On some partsof the islet, the vegetation is taller than me. A dog barks at us as we reach the shore. Cats,geese and four ducks look on. They do the important job of keeping water snakes and otherdangers at bay. A haphazard, bobbing walkway made of bamboo poles leads to the entrance ofthe phumsang.

The single-room shack is bare. Utensils, a mattress, a solar-powered battery, and a clay stove is

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all the middle-aged couple have. There is no electricity, the NHPC never delivered on itspromise. On the stove, the woman smokes two varieties of fish. Since an entire day’s work oftenyields only a meagre catch, most fisherfolk smoke the catch of several days together beforeheading to town to sell it.

The couple’s two children stay in Moirang with relatives, they tell me. There was a time whenthey all lived together. In November 2011, phumsang all over the lake were burnt down by theLoktak Development Authority (LDA) and the couple, unsure of the future, sent their childrenaway. The LDA was constituted by the Manipur government in the 80s to check the lake’sdeterioration; it enforced the Manipur Loktak Lake (Protection) Act in 2006 to clear the lake.Fishermen were asked to leave the phumdi in exchange for compensation. Most refused. Thiswas their only home, their only land.

Aided by armed policemen, in an illegal and violent operation, the LDA burnt down 777 huts;Malem’s was one of them. The lake was partially cleared of phumdi and athaphum and the latterwere declared illegal.

Yet, their numbers have increased in the last few years. The centuries-old form of aquaculture ismonumentally labour intensive and the returns poor, but for many, it is the only way to survive.The benefits outweigh the risk of getting caught. And who knows risk better than people whohave built entire lives on a floating piece of land.

Malem and I are now heading back. The sun, minutes away from setting, casts an etherealgolden-orange hue over the lake. I am listening to Malem talk about that night when his housewas burnt down by the LDA. At 18, he had built it himself with the help of a few friends. In asingle night, 60 years of belongings and memories went up in smoke. At 78, he had to start lifeover again.

“Why didn’t you just leave?” I ask.

After all, tens of thousands of fishermen have migrated to Imphal in the last couple of decades,to pull rickshaws or do whatever odd job they can find. Malem looks at the lake as the sun sinksinto its waters. “Ema is dying... I may not be able to save her but I can be with her in her finalmoments. It’s the least that I can do.”

The writer and travel photographer has a penchant for the unseen India.

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QUALITY OF WATER AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OFNGPRelevant for: Geography | Topic: Distribution of key natural resources - Water Resources incl. Rivers & related

issues in world & India

Ministry of Jal Shakti

Quality of Water after Implementation of NGP


Water quality of river Ganga is assessed as per primary water quality criteria for outdoorbathing notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF & CC) in terms ofpotential Hydrogen (pH) (6.5-8.5), Dissolved Oxygen (DO) (5mg/L), Biochemical OxygenDemand (BOD) (3mg/L) and Faecal Coliform (FC) (2500 MPN/100ml). The details of thecriteria and rationale are

Under the Namami Gange Programme, the monitoring of water quality of river Ganga is carriedout by State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) in 5 Ganga main stem States at 96 ManualWater Quality stations and data is compiled by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Based on the manual water quality assessment by CPCB in 5 Ganga main stem states in 2019,the observed water quality indicates that Dissolved Oxygen which is an indicator of river healthhas been found to be within acceptable limits of notified primary bathing water quality criteriaand satisfactory to support the ecosystem of river across all seasons and also for almost entirestretch of river Ganga. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) has been found within the acceptablelimits except marginal exceedance (BOD: 3.15 to 4.2 mg/L) in locations/stretches viz. inKannauj Downstream (D/S), Bathing Ghat (Bharoghat) to Kala Kankar (Rai Bareilly), Kadaghat(Prayagraj), Mirzapur D/S, Chunar and Varanasi D/S (Malviya Bridge) to Tarighat (Ghazipur)and in West Bengal stretch/location from Tribeni to Dakshineshwar and Garden Reach. River water quality is conforming to criteria limits with respect to

Faecal coliforms in State of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh upto Upstream (U/S) Kannauj(Rajghat) and other monitoring locations, namely, Bithoor (Kanpur), U/S Vindhyachal(Mirzapur), U/S Varanasi, Arrah – Chapra Road Bridge, U/S Doriganj in Bihar and DiamondHarbour in West Bengal.

Cleaning of river Ganga is a continuous process and under the Namami Gange Programme,several initiatives have been taken by Government of India which includes abatement andcontrol of pollution at the source of pollution generation by adopting activities such asestablishment/ upgradation of Wastewater Treatment Plants for the towns located on Gangamain stem and its tributaries, river front development, construction of Ghats and crematoriasurface cleaning activities and solid waste management.

The outputs of these projects have started yielding results and the water quality of river Gangawill further improve once all the projects are operationalized.

Due to various pollution abatement initiatives taken by the Government under the NamamiGange Programme, the water quality assessment of river Ganga in 2019 has shown improvedwater quality trends as compared to 2014. The Dissolved Oxygen levels have improved at 27

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locations, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels and Faecal coliforms have improved at 42and 21 locations, respectively.

Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Unstarred Question No. 881 to beanswered in Rajya Sabha on 10.02.2020 regarding “Quality of water after implementationof NGP”.

PRIMARY WATER QUALITY CRITERIA FOR BATHING WATER(Water used for organized outdoor bathing)

CRITERIA RATIONALE

1.Faecal Col i formMPN/100 ml

500 (desirable)2 5 0 0 ( M a x i m u mpermissible)

To ensure low sewage contamination. Faecal coliform and feacalstreptococci are considered as they reflect the bacterial pathogenicity.

2.Faecal StreptococciMPN/100 ml

100 (desirable)5 0 0 ( M a x i m u mPermissible)

The desirable and permissible limits are suggested to allow for fluctuation inenvironmental conditions such as seasonal change, changes in flowconditions etc.

3. pH Between 6.5-8.5The range provides protection to the skin and delicate organs like eyes,nose, ears etc. which are directly exposed during outdoor bathing.

4.Dissolved Oxygen: 5 mg/L or more

The minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 5 mg/l ensures reasonablefreedom from oxygen consuming organic pollution immediately upstreamwhich is necessary for preventing production of anaerobic gases (obnoxiousgases) from sediment.

5 . B i o c h e m i c a lOxygen demand 3day, 270C

3 mg/L or lessThe Biochemical Oxygen Demand of 3 mg/l or less of the water ensuresreasonable freedom from oxygen demanding pollutants and preventproduction of obnoxious gases".

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti & Social Justice andEmpowerment, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

*****

APS/PK/SK




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GODAVARI AND KAVERI RIVER LINKING PROJECTRelevant for: Geography | Topic: Distribution of key natural resources - Water Resources incl. Rivers & related


Ministry of Jal Shakti

Godavari and Kaveri River Linking Project


The draft Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Godavari(Inchampalli / Janampet) – Cauvery(Grand Anicut) link project consisting of 3 links viz., Godavari (Inchampalli/Janampet) - Krishna(Nagarjunasagar), Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila) and Pennar (Somasila) –Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link projects has been completed by National Water DevelopmentAgency (NWDA) and sent to party States in March 2019.

As per the draft DPR, about 247 TMC can be diverted from Godavari river to Nagarjunsagardam(through lifting) and further south for meeting the demands of Krishna, Pennar andCauvery basins.

As per the draft DPR, the cost of the project has been estimated as Rs.60361 Crore at 2018-19price level by NWDA.

The stage of implementation of a project would be reached after DPR is prepared with theconsensus of concerned States and the requisite statutory clearances are obtained. Pooling ofresources is decided after completion of final DPR.

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti & Social Justice andEmpowerment, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

*****

APS/PK/SK




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IMPROVEMENT IN SEX RATIORelevant for: Geography | Topic: Demography of the World - Demographic Attributes


Improvement in Sex Ratio


Central Bureau of Health Intelligence compiles a National Health Profile based on theinformation received from various Ministries/Departments. The information regarding birth,death, sex rates etc. are based on the data given by the O/o Registrar General of India. As perCensus conducted by Registrar General of India, the trend in sex ratio has improved to 943 in2011 from 926 in 1991.

As per the National Health Profile, India has declining birth rate (from 20.8 in 2015 to 20.2 in2017) & death rate (from 6.5 in 2015 to 6.3 in 2017) over the last three years, based on thelatest SRS Bulletin published by Registrar General of India. Reports are available atwww.cbhidghs.nic.in.

The disease burden is based on ICMR India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative study report“India: Health of the Nation’s States” published in November 2017, the estimated proportion ofall deaths due to NCDs is 61.8% in 2016 which was 37.9% in 1990. Among the different agegroups, the proportion of deaths due to NCDs in 40-69 years is 73.2%. Reports are available athttp://www.healthdata.org/policy-report/india-health-nation%E2%80%99s-states.

Yes, as per the National Health Profile, both birth rate (from 20.8 in 2015 to 20.2 in 2017) &death rate (from 6.5 in 2015 to 6.3 in 2017) have consistently decreased over the years, basedon the latest SRS Bulletin published by Registrar General of India.

Reports are available at www.cbhidghs.nic.in.

Yes, as per information published in NHP based on Data from SRS Bulletin published byRegistrar General of India there exists gap in both birth and death rates among States/UTs. In2017, birth rate in Andaman & Nicobar Island was 11.4; in Goa 12.5 whereas it was 26.4 inBihar and 25.9 in Uttar Pradesh. Similarly in 2017 death rate in Delhi was 3.7; in Mizoram 4whereas it was 7.5 in Chhattisgarh and 7.3 in Puducherry. Reports are available atwww.cbhidghs.nic.in.

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), ShAshwini Kumar Choubey stated this in awritten reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

****

MV


Read this release in: Urdu

http://www.cbhidghs.nic.in

http://www.healthdata.org/policy-report/india-health-nation%E2%80%99s-states



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GROWTH RATE OF COUNTRY'S POPULATIONRelevant for: Geography | Topic: Demography of the World - Growth of Population


Growth Rate of Country's Population


The population of India is expected to exceed that of China around 2027as per World PopulationProspects 2019 Report.

As per Census 2011, the country’s Decadal Growth Rate was 17.7%;

State-wise Decadal Growth Rate is placed in Annexure I.

The details of Schemes under the National Family Planning Programme are placed atAnnexure II.

The Government conducts periodic surveys viz. the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) andthe Sample Registration System (SRS) to study the impact of various awareness programmesbeing conducted. The key findings of the surveys are as follows:

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined from 2.9 in 2005 to 2.2 in 2017 (SRS).●

The Wanted Fertility Rate has declined from 1.9 in NFHS III to 1.8 in NFHS IV.●

The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) has declined from 23.8 to 20.2 from 2005 to 2017 (SRS).●

The Teenage Birth Rate has halved from 16% (NFHS III) to 8% (NFHS IV).●

99.5 percent currently married men and women have knowledge about any modern methodof contraception (NFHS IV).

●

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated this in awritten reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

Annexure 1

State/UT wise Decadal growth rate (Source: RGI)

SNo. Name of State/UT Decadal growth rate (2001-2011)

1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 6.9

2 Andhra Pradesh* 11.0

3 Arunachal Pradesh 26.0

4 Assam 17.1

5 Bihar 25.4

6 Chandigarh 17.2

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7 Chhattisgarh 22.6

8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 55.9

9 Daman & Diu 53.8

10 Goa 8.2

11 Gujarat 19.3

12 Haryana 19.9

13 Himachal Pradesh 12.9

14 Jammu & Kashmir 23.6

15 Jharkhand 22.4

16 Karnataka 15.6

17 Kerala 4.9

18 Lakshadweep 6.3

19 Madhya Pradesh 20.3

20 Maharashtra 16.0

21 Manipur 24.5

22 Meghalaya 27.9

23 Mizoram 23.5

24 Nagaland -0.6

25 NCT of Delhi 21.2

26 Orissa 14.0

27 Puducherry 28.1

28 Punjab 13.9

29 Rajasthan 21.3

30 Sikkim 12.9

31 Tamil Nadu 15.6

32 Tripura 14.8

33 Uttar Pradesh 20.2

34 Uttarakhand 18.8

35 West Bengal 13.8

INDIA 17.7

*Figure for undivided Andhra Pradesh

Annexure II

Details of Schemes to reduce population growth:

Mission Parivar Vikas- The Government has launched Mission Parivar Vikas on 10th

November 2016 for substantially increasing access to contraceptives and familyplanning services in146 high fertility districts with Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 3 and

1.

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above in seven high focus states. These districts are from the states of UttarPradesh (57), Bihar (37), Rajasthan (14), Madhya Pradesh (25), Chhattisgarh (2),Jharkhand (9) and Assam (2) that itself constitutes 44% of the country’s population.New Contraceptive Choices- New contraceptives viz. Injectable contraceptive(Antara program) and Centchroman (Chhaya) have been added to the existingbasket of choices in 2015-16.

2.

A new method of IUCD insertion immediately after delivery i.e. post-partum IUCD(PPIUCD) has been introduced in 2010. PPIUCD incentive scheme has been operationalw.e.f 01.01.2014.

3.

Dedicated RMNCH+A counselors have been appointedin facilities since 2013.4.Clinical Outreach Teams (COT) Scheme - The scheme has been launched in 146Mission Parivar Vikas districts w.e.f December 2017 for providing family planningservices through mobile teams from accredited organizations in far-flung,underserved and geographically difficult areas.

5.

Scheme for Home delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at doorstep of beneficiarieslaunched in August 2011.

6.

Scheme for ASHAs to Ensure spacing in births launched on 16th May 2012-The schemeis being implemented in 18 states of the country (8 EAG, 8 North East, Gujarat andHaryana). Additionally the spacing component has been approved in West Bengal,Karnataka, AndhraPradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Daman Diu and Dadra andNagar Haveli.

7.

Scheme for provision of Pregnancy Testing Kits in the drug kits of ASHAs for use incommunities. The Scheme was introduced in 2013.

8.

Compensation scheme for sterilization acceptors - Under the scheme MoHFWprovides compensation for loss of wages to the beneficiary and also to the serviceprovider (& team) for conducting sterilizations. The package was enhanced inNovember 2014 for 11 high focus high TFR states (8 EAG, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana),and further increased in November 2016 under Mission Parivar Vikas.

9.

Observation of World Population Day & fortnightfrom July 11 - July 24 to boostFamily Planning efforts all over the country.

10.

Observation of Vasectomy Fortnight from November 21 - December 4 in an effort toenhance male participation and revitalize the NSV programme, whereby malesterilization services would be provided to clients at health facilities.

11.

Improved Demand generation activities through a holistic media campaignincludingmass media, mid media and inter personal communication.

12.

Redesigned Contraceptive Packaging - The packaging for Condoms, OCPs andECPs has been improved and redesigned since 2015 in order to increase thedemand for these commodities.

13.

Ensuring quality of care in Family Planning services by establishing Quality AssuranceCommittees in all states and districts.

14.

National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme (NFPIS) under which clients areinsured in the eventualities of death, complication and failure followingsterilization.The scheme was introduced in 2005 and implemented through aninsurance company. It was revised in 2013 and is now being operated by the stategovernments directly with NHM funding.

15.

Family Planning Logistic Management and Information System (FP-LMIS): Adedicated software launched in 2017, to ensure smooth forecasting, procurementand distribution of family planning commodities across all the levels of health

16.

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facilities.

****

MV


Read this release in: Urdu , Marathi



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PROJECT SIGNING: NEW WORLD BANK PROJECT TOIMPROVE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT IN SELECTSTATES OF INDIARelevant for: Geography | Topic: Distribution of key natural resources - Water Resources incl. Rivers & related


Ministry of Finance

Project Signing: New World Bank Project to ImproveGroundwater Management in Select States of India


The Government of India and the World Bank today signed a $450 million loan agreement tosupport the national programme to arrest the country’s depleting groundwater levels andstrengthen groundwater institutions.

The World Bank-supported Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) – National GroundwaterManagement Improvement Programme will be implemented in the states of Gujarat,Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and cover78 districts. These states span both the hard rock aquifers of peninsular India and the alluvialaquifers of the Indo-Gangetic plains. They were selected based on several criteria, includingdegree of groundwater exploitation and degradation, established legal and regulatoryinstruments, institutional readiness, and experience in implementing initiatives related togroundwater management.

The programme will, among others, enhance the recharge of aquifers and introduce waterconservation practices; promote activities related to water harvesting, water management, andcrop alignment; create an institutional structure for sustainable groundwater management; andequip communities and stakeholders to sustainably manage groundwater.

Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry ofFinance said that in India groundwater is an important source for rural and urban domestic watersupplies and its depletion is a cause of concern. The Atal Bhujal Yojana intends to strengthenthe institutional framework for participatory groundwater management and encourage behavioralchanges at the community level for sustainable groundwater resource management. The use ofcutting-edge technology, involving Artificial Intelligence and space technology will further help inbetter implementation of the programme.

The loan agreement was signed by Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary,Department of Economic Affairs, on behalf of the Government of India and Mr Junaid Ahmad,Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank.

Mr Junaid Ahmad said that groundwater is India’s most crucial water reserve and managing thisnational resource is the need of the hour. This programme will contribute to rural livelihoods andin the context of climatic shifts, build resilience of the rural economy. But its impact will also befelt globally as it stands as one of the important programmes of groundwater managementworldwide.

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The last few decades saw an exponential growth in the exploitation of groundwater through theconstruction of millions of private wells. Between 1950 and 2010, the number of drilled tubewells increased from 1 million to nearly 30 million. This allowed the area irrigated bygroundwater to increase from approximately 3 million ha to more than 35 million ha.Groundwater currently provides approximately 60 percent of irrigation water. Over 80 percent ofthe rural and urban domestic water supplies in India are served by groundwater making India theworld’s largest user of groundwater.

If the current trends persist, 60 percent of districts are likely to reach critical level of groundwaterdepletion within two decades, which in turn will render at least 25 percent of the agricultureproduction at risk. Climate change will likely exacerbate current pressures on groundwaterresources.

The programme will introduce a bottom-up planning process for community-driven developmentof water budgets and Water Security Plans (WSPs). Water budgets will assess surface andgroundwater conditions (both quantity and quality) and identify current and future needs. TheWSP, on the other hand, will focus on improving groundwater quantity and incentivize selectedstates to implement the actions proposed. Such community-led management measures willmake users aware of consumption patterns and pave the way for economic measures thatreduce groundwater consumption.

“The Programme will support on-ground actions that are based on community ownership andjudicious management of water resources. Reversing groundwater overexploitation anddegradation is in the hands of the hundreds of millions of individuals and communities – theyneed the right incentives, information, support, and resources to move to a more sustainabledevelopment and management of groundwater resources,” said Abedalrazq Khalil and SatyaPriya, Senior Water Resources Management Specialists and World Bank’s Task Team Leadersfor the programme.

Crop management and diversification will be the other focus areas. Studies indicate that a onepercent increase in the area irrigated with groundwater leads to a 2.2 percent increase ingreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Also, a one percent increase in irrigation efficiency willreduce GHG emissions by 20 percent. The programme will support adoption of micro-irrigationsystems, including sprinkler and drip irrigation to increase productivity and support farmers toshift to low water-intensive crops.

To facilitate this process, the government will transfer a significant portion of the money (nearly80 percent) to local governments, including districts and gram panchayats, as incentives forachieving targets in groundwater management. The remaining funds will be used for providingtechnical support for sustainable management of groundwater and strengthening institutionalarrangements in the selected states.

The $450 million loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD),has a 6-year grace period, and a maturity of 18 years.

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RM/KMN


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Read this release in: Urdu , Hindi



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JUPITER’S ATMOSPHERE HAS MORE WATER THANPREVIOUSLY THOUGHT: NASA

Relevant for: Geography | Topic: The Earth and the Solar System

The JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this image of Jupiter's southernequatorial region on Sept. 1, 2017. The image is oriented so Jupiter's poles (not visible) run left-to-right of frame. | Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

Water makes up about 0.25% of the molecules in Jupiter’s atmosphere along its equator —almost three times that of the Sun, according to a study based on data from NASA’s Junomission launched in 2011. The study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy on Tuesday,provided the first findings on the gas giant’s abundance of water since the space agency’s 1995Galileo mission.

According to the researchers, including those from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in theU.S., Jupiter may be extremely dry compared to the Sun — a comparison based not on liquidwater, but on the presence of its components, oxygen and hydrogen.

They said Jupiter was likely the first planet to form, and it contains most of the gas and dust thatwasn’t incorporated into the Sun.

The leading theories about its formation rest on the amount of water the planet soaked up, theNASA scientists explained in a statement.

Water abundance also has important implications for the gas giant’s meteorology and internalstructure, they said.

“Just when we think we have things figured out, Jupiter reminds us how much we still have tolearn,” said Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator at the Southwest Research Institute in theU.S.

“Juno’s surprise discovery that the atmosphere was not well mixed even well below the cloudtops is a puzzle that we are still trying to figure out. No one would have guessed that water mightbe so variable across the planet,” Bolton said.

Juno’s Microwave Radiometer (MWR) observes Jupiter from above using six antennas thatmeasure atmospheric temperature at multiple depths simultaneously, NASA noted in astatement.

The researchers said the MWR takes advantage of the fact that water absorbs certainwavelengths of microwave radiation, the same trick used by microwave ovens to quickly heatfood.

According to the scientists, the measured temperatures are used to constrain the amount ofwater and ammonia in the deep atmosphere, as both molecules absorb microwave radiation.

They initially concentrated on the equatorial region because the atmosphere there appeared tobe more well-mixed, even at depth, than in other regions.

From its orbital perch, the radiometer was able to collect data from a far greater depth into

https://www.thehindu.com/profile/photographers/NASA-JPL-Caltech-SwRI-MSSS-Kevin-M-Gill/

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Jupiter’s atmosphere than the Galileo probe — 150 kilometres, where the pressure reachesabout 480 psi, the researchers said.

“We found the water in the equator to be greater than what the Galileo probe measured,” saidCheng Li, a Juno scientist at the University of California, Berkeley.

“Because the equatorial region is very unique at Jupiter, we need to compare these results withhow much water is in other regions,” Li said.














The WHO had to come up the name in line with the 2015 guidelines between the global agency,the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization.








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EARLY HUMANS LIVED IN NORTHERN INDIA 80,000YEARS AGO

Relevant for: Geography | Topic: The Earth, its Evolution and Origin of Life on Earth

An archaeological excavation carried out in the trenches at Dhaba in the upper Son river valleylocated in Central India finds evidence of human occupation in this area nearly 80,000 yearsback. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

An archaeological excavation carried out in the trenches at Dhaba in the upper Son river valleyin central India has found evidence of human occupation in this area almost 80,000 years ago.The international team of researchers found evidence of the continuous presence of humans inthis region between 80,000 years ago and 65,000 years ago.

“The lithic industry from Dhaba strongly resembles stone tool assemblages from the AfricanMiddle Stone Age (MSA) and Arabia, and the earliest artefacts from Australia, suggesting that itis likely the product of Homo sapiens as they dispersed eastward out of Africa,” wrote theauthors of the study published in Nature Communications on February 25.

This finding is important in the face of competing theories on the first presence of humanpopulations in different regions of the world and on human dispersal from Africa.

About 74,000 years ago, the Toba volcanic super-eruption, centred around Sumatra, is believedto have caused an almost decade-long spell of cold weather — a volcanic winter — acrossmany parts of the Earth. There is an argument that this induced winter not only led to the coolingof the Earth’s surface for almost a thousand years since the eruption, but also destroyed hugepopulations of hominins.

“The explosion was the largest in the last 2 million years,” Michael Petraglia from the MaxPlanck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany, who is a correspondingauthor of the paper, wrote in an e-mail to The Hindu. “It was assumed that it led to dramaticclimate change and it would have decimated populations across Asia. However, thearchaeological evidence from India do not support these theories,” he added.

The hypothesis is that the ‘volcanic winter’ caused a bottleneck in the gene pool of humans,because only a few survived who were in Africa at the time. Later, this population is believed tohave emerged from Africa and colonised different parts of the world. However, the present studyrules out this hypothesis as it implies that a population of early humans inhabited northern Indiaeven before the date of the eruption (74,000 years ago) and continued through the period of thedevastation and until much later.

“We know from fossil evidence that modern humans were already out of Africa by 200,000 yearsago in Greece, in Arabia and China by 80-100,000 years ago, Sumatra by soon after the Tobaeruption and Australia by 65,000 years ago,” Chris Clarkson of the University of Queensland,Australia, the lead author of the study, wrote in an e-mail. “This [study] contradicts the commonview that modern humans spread out of Africa only in the last 50,000 years,” he added.

The excavation unearthed a large tool industry spanning the period of the Toba super-eruption.The large Megalithic tools were dated between approximately 80,000 years and 65,000 yearsand the small tools were dated at approximately 50,000 years suggesting a continuousinhabiting of this region by humans undisturbed by the super-eruption. Further the similarity of

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/southeast-asians-descend-from-four-ancient-populations/article24366549.ece

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the tools to ones found earlier in Africa and Arabia led the researchers to infer that they weremade by Homo sapiens.

“Our finds of stone tools that are very similar to those in Arabia, Israel and Africa and evenAustralia associated with earlier modern humans suggests these were likely the products ofmodern humans,” Prof. Clarkson wrote. “The fact that we find these before and after the Tobaeruption with no apparent change in technology indicates that major eruptions like Toba appearnot to have had a catastrophic effect on small hunter-gatherer bands living in India at the time,”he added.



























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EARTH CAPTURES NEW ‘MINI MOON’Relevant for: Geography | Topic: The Earth and the Solar System

Representational image. File

Earth has acquired a second “mini-moon” about the size of a car, according to astronomers whospotted the object circling our planet.

The mass — roughly 1.9-3.5 metres (6-11 feet) in diameter — was observed by researchersKacper Wierzchos and Teddy Pruyne at the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona onthe night of February 15.

“BIG NEWS. Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020CD3,” likely to be a C-type asteroid, Mr. Wierzchos tweeted on Wednesday.

The astronomer said it was a “big deal” as “this is just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth[after 2006 RH120, which was also discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey].”

Its route suggests it entered Earth's orbit three years ago, he said.

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Minor Planet Center, which collects data on minorplanets and asteroids, in an announcement said “no link to a known artificial object has beenfound,” implying it was likely an asteroid captured by Earth's gravity.

“Orbit integrations indicate that this object is temporarily bound to the Earth.”

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said the car-sized object was not the Telsa Roadster he launchedinto space in 2018, which is now orbiting the Sun.

“It's not mine,” he tweeted.

Earth's new neighbour is not in a stable orbit around the planet and is unlikely to be around forvery long.

“It is heading away from the Earth-moon system as we speak,” Grigori Fedorets, research fellowat Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, told New Scientist magazine, and was likely toescape in April.

The only other asteroid known to orbit Earth, 2006 RH120, rotated the planet from September2006 to June 2007.








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Relevant for: Geography | Topic: Factors responsible for location of Tertiary sector Industries...

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