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List of Articles
1. Precision Farming in India – Features, Merits, Demerits and Challenges
2. Artificial Leaf – The next big thing in the fight against climate change
3. Gobardhan Yojana – The scheme that could create 1.5 million jobs!
4. Seaweeds – From health benefits to climate change mitigation
5. Moral Policing in India – Right or Wrong
6. Modern Slavery in India – The Ugly Truth
7. European Monsoon – What, Why, Where, When, How?
8. Offshore wind power – The underutilized potential of India
9. Ladakh’s UT demand – The fight against discrimination
10. Anti-Trafficking Bill 2018 – Article 23 Vs Article 21
11. Adultery law in India (Section 497) – Morality Vs Infidelity
12. Flat Income Tax Rate in India – Need, Pros, Cons and Measures
13. 5G Technology – Features, Pros, Cons and Challenges
14. Oxytocin Ban – Issues and Impacts
15. Fall in Rupee Value – Causes, Impacts and Measures
16. The Data Protection Bill 2018 – Critical analysis
17. National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) – All that you need to know
Bonus Articles (Not published in IE)
18. SC Verdict on Delhi Government Vs Lieutenant Governor
19. Constitutional Validity of Article 35A – Critical Analysis
20.Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code – Recent Issues
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Precision Farming in India – Features, Merits,
Demerits and Challenges
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What is Precision Farming?
Precision agriculture refers to the precise application of agricultural inputs with
respect to soil, weather and crop need in order to improve productivity, quality, and
profitability in agriculture.
It is a modern agriculture practice involving the use of technology in agriculture like
remote sensing, GPS and Geographical Information System (GIS) for improving
productivity and profitability.
It enables farmers to use crop inputs more efficiently including pesticides, fertilizers,
tillage and irrigation water.
More effective utilization of inputs will bring in more crop yield and quality without
polluting the environment and will result in sustainable agriculture and sustainable
development.
Hence precision agriculture is about doing the right thing, in the right place, in the
right way, at the right time.
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What are the advantages of precision farming?
It will enhance agricultural productivity and prevent soil degradation in cultivable land
resulting in sustained agricultural development.
It will reduce excessive chemical usage in crop production.
Water resources will be utilized efficiently under the precision farming.
GPS allows agricultural fields to be surveyed with ease. Moreover, the yield and soil
characteristics can also be mapped.
Dissemination of information about agricultural practices to improve quality, quantity
and reduced cost of production in agricultural crops.
It will minimize the risk to the environment particularly with respect to the nitrate
leaching and groundwater contamination by means of the optimization of agro-
chemical products.
Non-uniform fields can be sub-divided into smaller plots based on their unique
requirements.
It provides opportunities for better resource management and hence reduce wastage
fo resources
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What are the disadvantages of precision farming?
High capital costs may discourage farmers to not adopt this method of farming.
Precision agriculture techniques are still under development and requires expert
advice before actual implementation.
It may take several years before the actual collection of sufficient data to fully
implement the system.
It is an extremely difficult task particularly the collection and analysis of data.
How could India benefit from precision farming?
Refinement and wider application of precision agriculture technologies in India can
help in reducing production costs, increasing productivity and better utilization of
natural resources.
It has the ability to revolutionalize modern farm management in India through
improvement in profitability, productivity, sustainability, crop quality, environmental
protection, on-farm quality of life, food safety and rural economic development.
Site-specific application of irrigation in wheat of Punjab and Haryana, pesticides in
cotton and fertilizers applications in oil palm plantation in South India, and coffee and
tea garden of eastern India can highly reduce production costs and also reduce
environmental loading of chemicals.
It can increase the efficiency of irrigation efficiency when water resources are low.
Farmers can use forecast and mitigate problems like water stress, nutrient deficiency,
and pests/diseases. 6
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It also increases opportunities for skilled employment in the agriculture sector and also
provides new tools for evaluating multifunctional aspects including non-market
functions.
It has the essential role in the monitoring of greenhouse conditions in agricultural
fields
Challenges in adopting precision farming in India
The adoption of precision farming in India is yet in the nascent stage due to its unique
pattern of land holdings, poor infrastructure, lack of farmers inclination to take the
risk, social and economic conditions and demographic conditions
The small size of landholdings in most of the Indian agriculture limits economic gains
from currently available precision farming technology.
Way forward
Rapid socio-economic changes such as economic growth, urbanization, and energy
consumption are creating new opportunities for the application of precision farming in India.
Instead of blindly adopting the advanced Precision Agriculture technologies adopted by
developed countries, India should adopt technologies based on the need of the socio-economic
condition of the country.
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Artificial Leaf – The next big thing in the fight
against climate change
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What is Artificial Leaf?
The artificial leaf is a silicon-based technology which produces hydrogen energy (a
clean fuel) by utilizing sunlight to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
It is designed to mimic photosynthesis, the natural mechanism by which plants utilize
sunlight to produce carbohydrates and store energy. But Artificial Leaf is designed to
be far more efficient in photosynthesis than plants. Hence it is like a photosynthesis
machine.
The invention of Artificial Leaf is credited to an American Chemist named Daniel G.
Nocera and his colleagues in 2011.
It is an amalgamation of physics, engineering, and biology.
It is a clean way of producing energy that will someday become the main weapon in the
fight against climate change and also as an important power source, particularly in
developing nations like India.
How is it different from the natural leaf?
A plant utilizes just 1% of the energy it gets from the sun for converting CO2 and water into
carbohydrates or glucose, whereas the artificial leaf can utilize 20% of the energy it receives
from the sun to produce Hydrogen.
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What is the need for Artificial Leaf?
The primary application of artificial leaf is the production of clean energy that is
Hydrogen. Hydrogen is being used in a variety of different sustainable technologies.
But conventional techniques of capturing Hydrogen such as steam reforming and
hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) tend to release potentially harmful chemicals into
the environment which is not desirable for sustainable development.
This could solve the major challenge of solar and wind power plants in producing and
storing energy when the sun is not shining and the air is still and also the associated
costs.
Around 3 billion people are living in regions that do not have any access to electricity.
Hence, there is a need for a simple device like Artificial Leaf that is compatible with
local conditions.
The artificial leaf is highly relevant for countries like India as it is blessed with immense
sunlight throughout the year but not adequately translated into energy.
How does it work?
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Artificial Leaf system consists of semiconductors piled up in a way to simulate the
natural leaf system. When sunlight strikes the semiconductors, electrons transfer in
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IAS one direction, generating electric current. The current instantaneously splits water into
EXPRESShydrogen and oxygen.
The resultant hydrogen gas can then be used for the immediate production of
electricity or can be stored for later usage.
Semiconductors are coated in chemical catalysts such as platinum to speed up the
water-splitting reaction.
The main by-product of this process is water, which is why researchers believe that
artificial leaf is the cleanest source of energy generation.
What are the applications of Artificial Leaf?
It has the potential to transform the transportation sector in a big way by making even
the long-distance air travel affordable and environmentally sustainable. It makes the
way for the eco-friendly cars to become a common mode of transport in the future since
artificial leafs can produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels that could be burned in modern
car engines without any major alterations in design or technology.
Artificial leaf makes hydrogen a renewable source of energy as sunlight and water are
abundant on Earth.
With artificial leaf, people can produce their own electricity and can live far away from
the electricity grid, as hydrogen energy can be produced anywhere at any time. It has
to be noted that, an estimated one to three bottles of water is enough to power a single
household in less-developed regions of the world.
Researchers also claim that, by using the resultant hydrogen from artificial leaf we can
also produce various products such as fertilizers, plastics and drugs by means of using
microbes or bacterium.
It helps mitigate global warming and climate change by reducing carbon footprint,
since it absorbs CO2 from the air to generate hydrogen and releasing more oxygen in
the process. It is also 100% more efficient in absorbing CO2 from air than natural plant
leaf.
Artifical leaves also helps in making the thermal power plants more efficient, because
thermal plants produce more CO2 which can be turned into energy to further fuel the
power plant. In short, it removes CO2 and at the same time the leaf energy power up
the thermal power stations.
It provides environmental friendly and affordable storage of energy when compared to
other renewables such as solar and wind power plants.
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What are the challenges in the commercialization of Artificial
Leaf?
Efficiency and cost-effectiveness are the two important factors that affect the
commercialization process. In initial research, artificial leaf captured only 4.7% of solar energy
for producing hydrogen. Artificial leaf technology remains potentially expensive due to lack of
cheap and abundant materials in the production process.
Concerns about the safety of hydrogen fuel storage also restrict the practical implementation.
What are the opportunities for the successful
commercialization?
Devices developed since the initial research achieved efficiencies as higher as 10%.
Researchers are also working on cheaper version of catalysts and processes to make the
technology cheaper for the large-scale production.
Also read: Offshore wind power – The most unutilized energy potential of India
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What is the recent Indian research on the Artificial leaf about?
In 2017, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) scientists of India
developed an artificial leaf device with improved efficiency. They used gold
nanoparticles, titanium dioxide, and quantum dots to make the process efficient.
Quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals with distinct properties that depend on
the size of the dots. It does not need any external voltage and performs better than
existing solar cells. Apart from solar cells quantum dots also have applications in
transistors, LEDs, medical imaging and quantum computing.
Way forward
We are already experiencing the harmful effects of global warming such as changing climate
and rising water levels to such a degree that would only become severe if we keep on adding
more CO2 into the atmosphere. The artificial leaf is a big leap forward in producing
environmentally sustainable energy thereby mitigating the harmful effects of climate change
as it absorbs the CO2 from the air directly to produce energy. Hence policymakers should
actively donate researchers with funds and make relevant policies in order to achieve the
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Gobardhan Yojana – The scheme that could
create 1.5 million jobs!
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Why in News?
Gobardhan yojana was announced in the Budget 2018-19 and has been launched by the
Haryana government.
What is Gobardhan Yojana?
It is a central government scheme aims at keeping the villages clean and also generate
energy while improving the income of farmers and cattle herders.
It is to be done by means of supporting the management and converting the cattle dung
and solid waste from farms and fields (which farmers usually dump) into beneficial
compost, biogas, and bio-CNG.
GOBAR is an acronym for Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources.
The scheme is to be implemented under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).
Gobardhan will cover 700 districts in the financial year of 2018-19.
It will be implemented by the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation.
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Why Gobardhan Yojana?
India has the highest cattle population in the world (300 million) that produces around
3 million tonnes of dung. The 2014 ILO report mentions that the productive utilization
of dung could create 1.5 million jobs nationally and farmers can get considerable
income from cow dung sale. The scheme is meant for the better utilization of such
potential.
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is set to incorporate a new component named ODF-
plus activities which involve measures to enhance solid and liquid waste management.
Gobardhan scheme is regarded as an element of this ODF-plus strategy.
How is it going to be implemented?
Gram panchayat will play an important part in the implementation process.
Bio-gas plants from cattle dung will be established at individual or community level
and also at Self Help Groups (SHGs) and NGOs like Gaushalas.
The central and state governments will sponsor the scheme in the ratio of 60:40,
depending on the number of households in villages. They will also provide expert
assistance for setting up the plants.
An online trading platform will also be created to link farmers with buyers in order to
get the right price for cow dung and agricultural waste.
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What are the potential benefits of the scheme?
It will encourage farmers to realize the uses of cow dung and consider the dung and
other farm waste as a source of income, instead of neglecting it as wastes.
It has the duel benefits of clean and sanitized villages as well as improved farm yields
and livestock health.
It will be beneficial for entire people in villages by keeping the villages clean and
sanitized, improved health of livestock and an increase in farm yields.
Biogas generation will help in increasing self-reliance in energy which is utilized for
cooking and lighting in the villages.
It will create new job opportunities for waste collectors, transporters, bio-gas
operators, sellers etc.
It will enable a stable supply of fuel for oil companies.
It will also provide entrepreneurs with accessible credit through government schemes
and banks.
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Villagers will be organized to form SHGs and creative societies in order to support
clean energy and green jobs initiative.
It will facilitate uninterrupted supply of power in rural areas.
It will improve soil fertility and thereby improve the productivity of crops.
It will help prevent diseases affecting farm animals in the country due to wastes and
unsanitized farms.
It will help in mainstreaming women in development activities of the village such as
collecting and packaging of cow dung for transportation.
More importantly, Gobardhan will help mitigate climate change by means of reducing
the emission of methane (the potent greenhouse gas) from the cow dung through
effective processing.
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What are the challenges in the implementation?
The major challenge is to convince farmers that their cattle waste is a source of income
and will keep their communities clean.
Collection of cattle waste and maintaining a regular supply of plant operators will also
be a challenging task.
Biogas plants to be set up should have better technology that is sustainable and widely
accepted by farmers and women in rural areas. Proper training should also be given to
workers.
Fodder production for the cattle is poor in India and needs to be improved to feed cattle
and in result getting more cow dung.
Increasing adoption of farm mechanization will result in decreasing number of cattle
population and will make the gobardhan business unviable for the farmer in the long
run.
Way forward
There is a need to change the attitude of farmers to think that cattle dung can be a
source of income through proper community led awareness programmes.
Effective implementation of the scheme requires investments from the private sector
and local entrepreneurs.
Panchayats and villages communities will need to play an active role in leveraging the
wastes generated from farm sites.
There is a need for effective training and licensing mechanism to integrate the informal
sanitation service providers into the system.
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There is also a need to create farmers market or a trading platform where farmers can
trade fodder with each other.
Furthermore, the political will and strong public demand for a cleaner, healthier
environment will prove to be a better force in driving this programme a massive
success.
Seaweeds – From health benefits to climate
change mitigation
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What is Seaweed?
Seaweeds are also known as Macroalgae. They constitute several species of marine plants and
algae. Seaweeds may also include Red, Green and Brown algae. Seaweeds can grow in ocean,
rivers, lakes and other water bodies. There are many types of seaweeds such as nori and laver
seaweed. Seaweeds are attracting interests all around the world for its potential in commercial
exploitation and the sustainability needs.
What are the characteristics of Seaweeds?
Seaweeds are macroscopic and multicellular organisms.
Some species of seaweeds are microscopic such as phytoplankton.
Seaweed can be as small as the one-celled phytoplankton or as large as giant kelp.
Even though seaweeds are not categorised as plants, it also requires light, water and
nutrition for the growth and sustenance.
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How does seaweed grow?
Water and Nutrients
Unlike plants and seagrass, seaweeds don’t require roots or a mechanism for
transporting water and minerals. It is because all parts of the seaweed touch the water
and they can absorb what they need directly from the water through surface tissues. So
it doesn’t need an internal conducting system like land-based plants do.
A unique feature of seaweeds is holdfasts that serve as an anchorage and makes
seaweed grow instead of float away by means of attaching to hard surfaces such as
seafloor, hard-shelled molluscs, boats or ships.
Light and Photosynthesis
Seaweed is photosynthetic and hence it harnesses sunlight for production of energy
through chlorophyll pigment.
As the light under the water surface is very low, seaweed utilises other pigments for
harnessing sunlight not properly absorbed by chlorophyll.
Some species of seaweed floats or having air-filled pockets that makes them come
closer to the water surface for increased photosynthesis.
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Where does seaweed being cultivated?
Seaweed grows along rocky shorelines throughout the world, but it is mostly cultivated
and eaten in Asian countries like Japan, Korea and China.
Asia is the world leader in seaweed cultivation and more than 80% of the seaweed
production is from China, Japan and Korea.
Seaweeds are also being consumed as food by indigenous people in New Zealand,
Northwest America, and parts of the British Isles.
Benefits of Seaweed
Marine Ecosystem
Seaweeds are primary producers in the marine ecosystem and essential for numerous
marine organisms for food and habitat needs. For instance, phytoplankton (a
microscopic seaweed) live suspended in the water column and serves as the base for
almost all marine food chains.
Seaweeds can also improve the conditions of coastal waters for the benefit of other
living organisms and the environment.
Aquaculture
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IAS Seaweed cultivation holds enormous potential in improving the livelihood as well as
EXPRESSincreasing the sustainability of fish farming through integrated practices.
It also provides development and alternative livelihood opportunities for the
underprivileged coastal communities across the world, where overfishing is a common
practice.
Industries
Seaweed is a source of multiple components such as polysaccharides, proteins, phenols
etc. which have enormous commercial value.
It can be used as effective emulsifiers or binding agents in goods such as toothpaste
and fruit jelly.
They can also be used as softeners or emollients in organic cosmetics and skin-care
products.
Health
Seaweed is highly nutritious full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, but also tastier.
Brown seaweed benefits include proper Thyroid functioning as it contains iodine and
tyrosine.
It holds different varieties of protective Antioxidants that makes unstable substances
called free radicals in the body less reactive.
Seaweed helps in losing weight by delaying hunger and reducing weight.
It also reduces the risk of heart disease
Seaweed may help lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes by improving control in blood sugar
level.
Dried seaweed or Kelp is a common addition to Japanese dishes such as sushi. Benefits
of dried seaweed include healthy brain function and increased immunity.
Pharmaceuticals
Seaweeds contain anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. Ancient Romans used
them to treat burns, wounds and rashes.
Some seaweeds possess effective cancer-fighting agents that will prove to be effective
in the treatment of tumours and leukaemia. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Ancient
Egyptians may have used seaweeds for the treatment of breast cancer.
Agriculture
Liquid seaweed fertilizer is organic as well as sustainable and can be harvested without
damaging the environment.
Seaweed fertilizers contain potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron and nitrogen – which are
beneficial for crops. For instance, nitrogen is crucial in the production of nitrate, an
important component required by plants during photosynthesis.
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IAS Crops grown with seaweed fertilizers have larger root mass, stronger growth and
EXPRESShigher survival rates. It also improves yield.
Seaweed also serves as a good feed for the farm animals.
Energy
Seaweeds can be converted to various types of fuels such as Biodiesel, Bioethanol and
butanol.
Like fossil fuels, Seaweeds also produce CO2 when burnt, but it is carbon neutral,
which means, it only release CO2 which were recently removed from the atmosphere
through photosynthesis during the growth of seaweeds.
Mitigation and adaptation of Climate Change
Both wild and farmed seaweeds can contribute as carbon sinks by removing carbon
directly from the water column and keeping it in their tissues. With this ability to store
carbon for a longer term, seaweeds help fight climate change.
Seaweed also helps lower the Green House Gases (GHGs) emissions from agriculture
by increasing soil quality through replacement of synthetic fertilizer and also by
lowering methane emissions from cattle when it is included in cattle feed.
It also helps in climate change adaptation by breaking wave energy, defending
shorelines and by increasing pH and providing oxygen to the waters, thus lowering the
effects of the ocean acidification and de-oxygenation.
What are the disadvantages of seaweeds?
Seaweed can contain a dangerous amount of Iodine which can cause goitre, high
thyroid-stimulating hormone level, and hypothyroidism.
Seaweed also holds large amounts of toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, Arsenic
and lead. It is because seaweed can absorb and store minerals in high amounts.
Seaweed can help mitigate climate change by reducing methane emissions from the
cow, but it also contributes to ozone layer depletion. When Cow eats seaweed, a
chemical called bromoform is produced inside its body. Bromoform has the potential
to deplete the ozone layer. Studies reveal that Bromoform may also increase the risk of
cancer in some animals.
Decomposition of dead seaweed consumes oxygen from the water column leading to
the deprivation of oxygen for respiration for other organisms.
It also has localised impacts such as decreased sunlight, shifts in seawater temperature
and reducing nutrients in the water.
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Furthermore, seaweed has the potential to become an invasive alien species wherever
they are introduced, as they can grow and spread rapidly and quickly consuming most
of the nutrients for themselves.
What are the challenges in seaweed aquaculture?
Besides the disadvantages of seaweed, seaweed aquaculture is also limited by several
factors such as the availability and competition for suitable areas, need for engineering
systems to cope with rough conditions offshore, less market demand for seaweed
products etc.
There are also challenges to overcome in the science and technology front. There is a
need to develop strains with heat-tolerance, disease resistance, faster growth, and the
development of more cost-efficient farm systems that can withstand storm conditions
in offshore regions.
Seaweed or algal biomass consumes a huge amount of water and it also has the
tendency to reduce the nutrients such as nitrogen in any body of water.
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What is the Indian scenario?
With China, Korea and Japan contribute more than 80% of seaweed cultivation, India
also discovered the opportunity to become a player in the market.
There are 60 commercially important seaweed species available in India.
In India, seaweeds grows abundantly along the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts and
around Andaman & Nicobar islands and Lakshadweep.
Seaweed industry in India is primarily a cottage industry and is based on agar yielding
red seaweeds such as Gelidiella acerosa and Gracilaria sp. which are harvested
throughout the year and algin yielding brown algae like Sargassum and Turbinaria
which are harvested seasonally from August to January on Souther coast.
There are also a presence of rich seaweed beds around Chilka in Odisha, pulicat in
Tamil Nadu, Mumbai, Goa, Karwar, Varkala and Vizhinjam.
Seaweed is crucial in times when India pledged to improve emissions intensity of its
GDP by 33-35% by 2030 below 2005 levels, under its INDC (Intended Nationally
Determined Contributions).
Seaweed will also help India improve livelihood especially for small farmers living near
the coast.
It will help solve the problem of farmer suicides when it is used as fertilizers which will
improve crop yields.
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In India, Commercial seaweed cultivation got a fillip after PepsiCo began seaweed
farming in Tamil Nadu in 2005. Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute
(CSMCRI), Gujarat, also began noticing the commercial and social potential of
seaweed farming and it identified and conducted extensive seaweed cultivation trials
in coastal Tamil Nadu for PepsiCo. In 2012, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat,
Narendra Modi, invited Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company (GLPC) to join in to
fight against high malnutrition levels in the state with the help of the seaweed farming.
What is the way forward?
To ensure the sustainability of seaweed cultivation and its acceptance as an environmentally
sustainable activity, a coordinated international effort in research of seaweeds is immediately
needed for studying the genetic resources and create effective genetic conservation policies.
There is also a need to start investigating the long-term environmental impacts of seaweed
cultivation since the post-disease management measures are far more costly and less efficient
than the science-based preventive policies.
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Moral Policing in India – Right or Wrong
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Moral Policing/Vigilantism is a term used to describe vigilante groups which act to enforce a
code of morality in India without legal authority. It is the ugly truth of modern India. Some of
India’s laws, some actions of police forces and the government are also considered to be
instances of moral policing. The target of moral policing is any activity that is deemed to be
immoral or against Indian culture. The term morality in this time and age has different
meanings for different persons and therefore moral policing has different consequences for
different persons.
Who are the perpetrators?
Vigilante groups, religious, organisations, and unaffiliated citizens:
(1) In 2005, National Congress Party (NCP) workers stormed a pub in Pune, Maharashtra,
broke window panes, and damaged furniture claiming to protect the Indian culture.
(2) In 2005, a fatwa was issued against tennis player Sania Mirza by a cleric of the Sunni Ulema
Board citing her attire on tennis court and advertisements were un-Islamic.
(3) In 2008, the Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council) went too far rig an explosion
near Imphal in Manipur, where people had gathered to play a traditional gambling game,
killing several people. The party claimed that the game affects Manipuri culture adversely.
Police:
(1) In 2005, police raided a public park in Meerut, accompanied by TV camera crews, and they
attacked couples sitting in the park in front of cameras. The Police claimed that the purpose
was to check sexual harassment.
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IAS(2) In 2011, the Ghaziabad police launched “Operation Majnu” and caught couples in parks
EXPRESSand made the men do sit-ups in front of TV cameras. Here, the police claimed that the
operation was to prevent innocent girls being trapped by boys with evil motives.
(3) In 2014, the police in Gokarna attacked a party of about 200 foreigners with sticks. The
Police claimed that the party was going on after the established time limit. The victims alleged
that initially, the police had demanded bribes to let the party continue.
Central and State Governments:
(1) The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has been accused of moral policing by some
filmmakers. Directors alleged that, even if the board certify the film, it is often not allowed a
release in some states due to protests from local political parties or moral police.
(2) Throughout India, restrictions have been imposed by some state governments on timings
in pubs, bars and other establishments that sell liquor.
(3) Some states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Karnataka had opposed sex
education program designed by Ministry of Human Resource Development and National
AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to implement the policies of the National AIDS Control
Programme II (NACP II).
What are the reasons behind Moral Policing in India?
Family: Indian parents have a reputation to be strict and controlling about morality and
attitude of their children. The children, who later on in their lives, emulate those values in the
society in the form of moral policing. Rising Western Culture: India has several vigilante
groups that claim to protect the Indian culture. Further, they would resist and oppose cultural
concepts that deem to have been imported from the western culture such as food, dress,
products, behaviours etc.
Patriarchal Mindset: People with a patriarchal mindset views the security of women as
their duty, for they are perceived as weaker sex and gullible. So they would impose restrictions
on women in terms of speech, attitude, clothing, public behaviour etc. and also would attack
or abuse those women in the name of up-keeping the morality.
Laws: (1) The Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) criminalized materials like books
and paintings if it is deemed to be obscene. But police personnel use Section 292 to file cases
against film posters and advertisement hoardings that are deemed to be obscene. Section 293
deals with the sale of obscene material to people under 20. It also deals with “obscene acts and
songs” to the annoyance of others shall be punished with imprisonment or fine or with both.
Both police and vigilantes use loopholes in such laws to punish others in the form of moral
policing and escape with impunity. (2) Section 377 of the IPC criminalizes sexual activities
against the order of nature, including homosexual sexual activities. It is used by police and
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vigilantes to oppress and curb the rights of LGBT community. (3) The Immoral traffic
(prevention) act (PITA) was originally passed to prevent human trafficking. But it has been
used by police to raid hotels if they suspect a sex racket being run there even without proper
evidence, thus embarrassing legal couples and young people.
Police: Police is a distinct public organisation as it is given extraordinary powers to use force.
Their role is to ensure law and order by acting as guardian of social harmony. But they
aggravate traditional patriarchal values because of lack of sensitivity training and awareness
about constitutional values, lack of patrolling, work against marginalized and disadvantaged
groups, turning blind eye to crimes such as honour killings, domestic violence and failing to
register cases against vigilantes. In fact, police themselves perpetrate moral policing by raiding
public parks, pubs, hotels and embarrassing young people.
Judiciary: Judicial process being costly, favours only rich and affluent, hence poor people
resort to moral policing to avoid perceived dishonour leading to blaming of victims especially
against women. The long delays in the formal judicial system to attain justice in contrast to
immediate atonement that moral policing seeks to provide is also responsible for even the
educated persons to support moral policing.
IAS
EXPRESSWhen is moral policing wrong?
Some people think that moral policing should be done for the betterment of the society
as it will stop physical assaults done on the women such as rape or sexual abuse. Hence,
they attack and abuse women, whose activities and dress sense might lead them to
crimes such as rape or sexual assaults. But it is not right to punish for a crime which is
not yet happened and therefore it is not right to punish those who may not be involved
in any crime.
Some groups consider women drinking liquor as immoral and they abuse or hit her to
teach her a lesson. But when they see a man drinking they do not have any problem
with that. And some vigilantes themselves drink liquor but consider women drinking
as immoral. By drinking, the person is not committing any crime against any person.
So moral policing is not the way.
There are many times when moral policing hinders the basic fundamental rights of the
citizen enshrined in the constitution such as the right to freedom of speech &
expression, right to privacy, right to live with dignity etc. In this case, LGBT (Lesbian
Gay Bisexual Transsexual) community faces extreme consequences and their basic
right to life and liberty has been threatened. Thus moral policing threatens democracy
in the long run.
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IAS Moral Policing in extreme cases causes violence, killings, and damage to property
EXPRESSwhich threaten marginalised communities. For example, Hindu religious fanatics
propagate violence and threaten the minority in the name of protection of cows. And
also, forced conversion programmes being carried out to strengthen one’s own
community at the cost of marginalizing others.
Honour killings are one of the extreme cases of moral policing which supposedly curtail
western influences by encroaching on Individual freedom.
Moral policing also hinder the artistic creativity and innovations through censorship
in movies, books etc. curtailing the artists’ freedom of expression.
Some vigilantes discriminate and attack people from other regions with the perceived
notion that they are different from them in terms of behaviour and morality just
because they look different from them. It is particularly true for the people of the
North-East region, some of the southern states and even foreign nationals such as
Africans. Hence, moral policing threatens the country’s value of ‘Unity in Diversity’.
Moral policing also hinders the education of children by means of Curriculum changes
which promote specific narratives, omitting facts, compulsory languages etc. Such
moral policing is meant to promote religious ideologies and curtail pluralism, which
will lead to religious fanaticism among young people.
Hence, moral policing which affect Individuals’ fundamental rights and act against the
constitution and laws of the country is wrong.
When is Moral Policing right?
Some moral policing is right in the sense that it will lead to the betterment of society. For
example, there is a gang known as ‘Gulabi gang’, which is not an actual gang in the sense, but
rather a team of women activists working towards justice for oppressed and abused women.
There is no discrimination based on gender since the gang not only focuses on male
domination over women but also on human rights and male oppression. Moral policing also
involves actions against kissing in public. Even the law does not allow kissing in public. But
the youth think otherwise. Kissing itself is not a crime but some decency should be maintained
in public places. But even then, moral policing is not the way and the vigilantes, instead of
taking the matter in their hands, should approach police or judiciary for the matter. Hence,
moral policing which seeks to improve the society, which does not interfere with individual
freedom, and which does not cause a public disturbance is right and should be encouraged.
What should be done?
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Archaic laws should be revoked or reformed to curb moral police who use the loopholes of
various laws to attack the freedom of others. Police reforms should be carried out with
sensitivity training and awareness about constitutional values. And also there should be
adequate patrolling, especially, on particular occasions and in public places. Local Intelligence
gathering, filing FIR and investigations against moral policing should also be promoted. The
judicial system needs a complete overhaul for giving access to people with affordable, inclusive
and speedy justice. In addition to police reforms and judiciary overhaul, awareness generation
and education can also help people to dissuade from aggressive stances. Public discussion and
debates should be promoted in schools and colleges to create awareness and sensitization
towards different moral policing. People should avoid getting distracted by religious
polarisation and cherish and uphold the constitutional value of secularism. Voting is the
biggest weapon and people should elect only the candidates who themselves are secular,
tolerant and respect the diversity of the nation.
IAS
EXPRESS
What are some of the initiatives taken by the Government?
Supreme Court in 2016, declared Khap panchayats illegal, which often decree or
encourage honour killings or other institutionalised atrocities against boys and girls of
different castes and religions who wish to get married or have married.
Supreme Court in 2017, in its landmark judgement, held that Right to Privacy is a
fundamental right protected under Article 21 of the constitution and this move would
secure freedom from intrusion into one’s home, the right to choice of food, etc. This
move would curb the moral policing such as mob lynching against eating cow meat.
This judgement also lays the ground-work for section 377 of the IPC to be struck down,
thus securing the rights of LGBT community.
Karnataka Government in 2017 issued cultural policy that secures artists’ liberty and
creative freedom, in a move to remove the fear of artists from offending certain sections
of the society.
Bengaluru city police have launched “Pink Hoysalas” police patrol vehicles for women
safety.
These are some of the initiatives taken by the Government against moral policing.
Conclusion
In the words of Richard Dawkins, “Most thoughtful people would agree that morality in the
absence of policing is somehow more truly moral than the kind of false morality that vanishes
as soon as the police go on strike or the spy camera is switched off”. Therefore, as long as a
person, consciously intends on being morally policed is fine, but when vigilante groups
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consisting of hypocritical people themselves turn to free the society from the shackles of
immoral behaviour, that’s where the problem starts and should be curtailed.
Modern Slavery in India – The Ugly Truth
IAS
EXPRESS
Why in News?
Global Slavery Index reveals that, in 2016, there were 8 million people living in modern slavery
on any given day in India. India ranked 53 among 167 countries in the index. North Korea
topped the list and Japan at the bottom. But in absolute numbers, India topped the list on
prevalence due to its huge population. The Index is published by Australia based “The Walk
Free Foundation” which is a global organisation with an aim to end modern slavery in our
generation by mobilising a global activist movement against it.
What is Modern Slavery?
Modern Slavery is not defined under any law but is an umbrella term used to describe
situations of exploitative nature in which the person cannot refuse or leave due to threats,
violence, deception and abuse of power. Therefore modern slavery includes exploitative acts
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such as forced labour & debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking.
Forced labour and Debt bondage in IndiaIAS
EXPRESS
Bonded labour is defined in the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976 as a system of
forced or partly forced labour in which a debtor gets an advance of cash or kind in return for
his labour or service to the creditor. Forced labour and debt bondage are common practice
across the primary, secondary and tertiary economic sectors in India, with the high number of
cases being reported in certain industries such as brick kilns, carpet weaving, textile and
garment manufacturing, embroidery, manual scavenging and agriculture.
Who is affected by debt bondage?
Members of marginalised castes, tribes, religious minorities, refugees and migrant
workers are most affected by debt bondage.
There are also instances of Nepali and Bangladeshi migrants being subjected to forced
labour in India through debt bondage and recruitment fraud.
What are the Causes behind forced labour in India?
The social and economic marginalisation of weaker sections and their inability to move
out of their respective group makes them particularly vulnerable to forced labour and
human trafficking.
Informal and unregulated sectors which are estimated to employ around 94% of the
workforce in India. And the debt bondage continues to be prevalent in these sectors.
Moreover, the lack of labour regulations in these sectors creates huge power
imbalances in employer-worker relationships and increases workers’ vulnerability to
exploitation. Note- Labour legislations only available for formal sectors.
Chronic underpayment of minimum wages in low-skilled and semi-skilled work is also
a major reason for debt bondage because due to the non-payment, the large-scale
workforce has to depend on debt bondage to meet basic consumption needs, medical
needs, social ritual needs etc.
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Most often, the members of the vulnerable groups lack good livelihood opportunities
and access to credit and financial services, which makes them vulnerable to constant
indebtedness.
Failure of authorities to effectively implement measures to address the issue is also a
reason for the prevalence of forced labour in India.
What are the impacts of forced labour?
The labourers under forced labour and debt bondage are most often experience a wide
range of exploitations such as contract substitution, holding back of the documents,
non-payment or delayed payment of wages, exhausting working hours, deception and
coercion.
In extreme cases, this exploitation becomes human trafficking for labour exploitation
IASor slavery.
EXPRESS
Furthermore, higher degrees of poverty and illiteracy remain among these
communities than the general population due to the forced labour practice.
What are the measures taken by the government against forced labour?
Bonder labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 was enacted by the government in order
to provide a legal framework against the practice of bonded labour in India. The Act is
strengthened by labour legislations such as the Contract Labour Act of 1970, the Inter-
State Migrant Workmen Act, and the Minimum Wages Act. The Act abolished debt
bondage and explicitly stated that all traditions, customs, contracts, and agreements
which requires a person to provide bonded labour are null and do not have any legal
or binding force. It also abolished bonded labour and provides for corporate and
criminal liability which prescribes up to three years of imprisonment and a 2000
rupees fine for the acts of bonded labour. The act also provides for the establishment
of vigilance committees across the country in order to identify and help the bonded
labourers.
Child Labour Act of 1986 prohibits children under the age of 14 from working in certain
industries such as domestic works, roadside restaurants, mines, factories and other
industries.
Juvenile Justice Act of 2010 outlaws exploitation of juvenile or child workers such as
procurement of juvenile for hazardous employments, keeping them in debt bondage,
or withholding their wages.
Labour laws – There are over 40 central legislations which are classified by industry or
type of work and cover a wide range of work in factories, plantations and construction
work. These legislations deals with the issues such as minimum wage, maximum
working hours, health, safety and working conditions.
How is the implementation? 28
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IAS With 90% of workers in the informal sectors in the country, the labour legislations are
EXPRESSineffective since it covers only formal sectors.
Despite the abolition, debt bondage is still prevalent in India mainly because of the low
prosecution rate for these crimes and in the case of a conviction, the penalties of
imprisonment are imposed very rarely.
According to Anti-slavery international, large numbers of Vigilance Committees have
been established across India with an aim to identify and help bonded labourers.
However, in reality, these committees are generally inactive and ineffective in its
functioning.
What is the way forward?
Instead of just focussing on capturing and prosecuting the criminals, the government should
also focus on addressing the root causes such as huge informal sector, marginalisation of
communities, lack of financial and credit services, lack of livelihood opportunities etc.
Human trafficking in India
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, South Asia with India at its centre, is the
fastest growing and second-largest region for human trafficking in the world, after East Asia.
About 90% of trafficking in India is internal and the most vulnerable are lower caste people,
tribal people, religious minorities and women and girls from excluded groups.
What are the causes behind human trafficking in India?
The rise in mobility and growth of industries employing forced labourers are important
factors for the human trafficking.
Lack of regulations for work placement agencies which attracts adults and children for
sex trafficking and forced labour including domestic servitude under false promises of
providing work.
Terrorist groups such as Naxalites are trafficking children as young as six for the
purpose of spying, couriers, planting improvised explosive devices and fighting against
the government.
Various groups are working across the country who traffick children and force them to
beg.
What are the impacts of human trafficking on victims?
Human trafficking results in mental disorders including depression and anxiety for the
victims.
Trafficked women are forced into prostitution and slavery, which adversely impacts
their fundamental rights.
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Women who are forced into trafficking also affected by diseases such as HIV,
Tuberculosis and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).
Children as young as six are removed from their families and their basic rights such as
right to life and education have been deprived.
What are the measures taken by the government against human trafficking?
The Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act, 1986 penalises trafficking for commercial
sexual exploitation. The penalties under the act ranging from 7 years to life
imprisonment.
The cabinet recently approved the Trafficking of Persons (prevention, protection and
rehabilitation) bill, 2018 which aims at addressing the issue of trafficking with
objectives of prevention, rescue and rehabilitation. It covers various forms of
trafficking which includes trafficking for the purpose of forced labour, begging,
marriage etc. It also provides for punishment, confidentiality of victims, rehabilitation
of victims and institutional mechanism for effective enforcement of the law.
How is the implementation?
There were several cases of inaction by police and prosecutors which signifies poor
enforcement of the anti-trafficking legal framework, corruption and absence of
awareness or capacity in several parts of the country.
Victims often face issues such as difficulty in accessing justice including their inability
to travel to court, social stigma and intimidation, and considerable delays in trials.
What is the way forward?
The government should stop the penalisation of trafficking victims such as restrictions on their
travel and increase effective prosecutions and convictions for all forms of trafficking.
The government should also increase prosecutions and convictions of officials who are
complicit in the enforcement of laws against trafficking.
IAS
EXPRESS
Forced Marriage in India
Even though India is fast developing and moving towards a better tomorrow, forced marriage
still affects many Indian families and society at large. When a girl crosses the age of 18, she is
emotionally convinced and is forced into marriage. Evidence proves that forced marriage often
results in slave-like conditions for the women in Indian families.
What does forced marriage mean?
Forced marriage happens when one or both spouses do not agree to the marriage. Children
and adults with mental disabilities cannot consent to marriage. Girls below the age of 18 and
Boys below the age of 21 cannot legally marry in India.
Forced marriage is different from arranged marriage in the sense that unlike latter, forced
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IASmarriage doesn’t need the consent of the persons who are going to marry and often involves
EXPRESSthreat, coercion, violence, pressure etc. In extreme cases, parents drugs and kidnaps their own
child to make the marriage happen.
What are the reasons behind forced marriage?
Persons who are having a developmental or mental disability are most often forced to
marry since they cannot give their consent.
Forced marriage occurs often in the name of protecting family honour.
The need to retain ancestral land, property, and wealth in the family is also a factor for
the forced marriage.
Parents often react to social pressures such as neighbours and older relatives to force
their children into marriage.
High poverty and debt levels also drive the parents to coerce their children into
marriage in return for dowry.
What are the impacts of forced marriage on victims?
Victims often endure violence in the forced marriage which threatens them and breaks them
to make sure that they can’t withdraw from the marriage. The violence may include rape. When
the rape results in the birth of a child, mothers often find it difficult to leave the marriage.
Their right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the constitution taken from them.
What are the initiatives taken by the government?
There is a number of laws related to forced marriage which includes the Guardians and
Wards Act, 1890, the Family Courts Act, 1984 and the Protection of Women from
Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA) and Prohibition of child marriage act, 2006.
PWDVA recognises the forced marriage as a form of domestic violence so as to prevent
child marriages or forced marriages of daughters.
The Delhi High Court declared that the right to choose one’s life partner is a
fundamental right and an integral part of the right to life. Therefore, the right to life
includes the right to consensual marriage in India. Hence forced marriage is a violation
of the fundamental right and the victims can move the Supreme Court directly to get
justice.
What is the way forward?
Securing access to quality education for girls at primary and secondary level can
prevent forced and early marriages since education will enable them to take decisions
on their own and also gives them exposure to various initiatives of the government
against forced marriages.
Despite RTE implementation, girls still face multiple barriers in accessing education
such as fees, geographic barriers, sexual harassment at school, lack of safe and sanitary
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toilet facilities, lack of adequate teachers and corporal punishment. Hence, there is a
need to solve these issues to eradicate forced marriages in India.
Conclusion
The country will not be able to achieve its sustainable development goals if the majority of its
population are under slavery or slave-like conditions. In the words of Sheryl WuDunn, “The
tools to crush modern slavery exist, but the political will is lacking”. Therefore, it is high time
that the government take proper actions against the forced labour, forced marriage and human
trafficking in order to make the country a better place to live.
European Monsoon – What, Why, Where,
When, How?
IAS
EXPRESS
What is the monsoon?
Monsoon is defined as a change or shift in the prevailing wind direction every 6 months
in the Indian subcontinent.
Monsoon is caused by the difference in temperature between land and sea, which
brings a seasonal and predictable period of considerable rainfall.
The Indian monsoon is the best example of these weather systems and is a life force for
more than 1 billion people in the Indian subcontinent.
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IASWhat are westerlies?
EXPRESS
Westerlies are winds that blow from west to east between 300 and 600 latitudes in both
the hemispheres.
Westerlies blow above the subtropical highs in the northern hemisphere and below the
subtropical highs in the southern hemisphere.
The higher the altitude, the more noticeable westerlies become.
What is Jetstream?
Jet streams are very high-speed wind system that lies at the core of the westerly winds.
Each westerly has two jet streams i.e., Polar jet stream and Subtropical jet stream.
Polar jet stream lies closer to the poles. Whereas, the subtropical jet stream lies at a
slightly lower latitude in the subtropical region.
Now, let us see what the European Monsoon actually is?
European monsoon is not really a monsoon in a sense, but more of a poorly defined
phenomenon that generally applies to a return of westerly winds in the months of June
and July which causes a change in the general weather pattern in Western Europe.
Westerlies are a common phenomenon during the European winter, but they become
dormant during spring in the months of March, April and May. The wind revives again
in June, and that is why this phenomenon is often referred to as “the return of the
westerlies”.
It is the result of a resurgence of westerly winds from the Atlantic, where they take up
moisture and then showers in the western European countries especially the United
Kingdom (UK).
Where does the European Monsoon occur?
The return of the westerlies affects Europe’s coastline in the North Atlantic (western Europe),
that is, Ireland, Great Britain, Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg),
Western Germany, Northern France and parts of Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland and
Iceland).
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How is European Monsoon different from Indian Monsoon?
Indian Monsoon is fuelled by the difference in temperatures between land and sea.
European Monsoon is more of cyclonic low-pressure systems that travel along the
portion of the gulf stream (an oceanic current in the Atlantic Ocean). Hence, European
Monsoon is not a monsoon since it doesn’t meet the criteria to qualify as a monsoon.
Indian Monsoon is a prevailing wind which brings a seasonal, highly predictable and
significant rainfall. Whereas, those traits cannot be seen in the European Monsoon
which is unpredictable and may cause torrential rainfall sometimes.
What are the causes of the European Monsoon?
The exact cause for the change in the general weather pattern is unknown, but
climatologists generally link it with the warming over continental Europe.
There are other factors such as retreat or melting of ice and snow from northern
Canada and the warming in the northern Pacific Ocean which may have influence over
the European Monsoon.
Even though there is no direct connection with the Asian and African Monsoons, it has
been suggested that the European Monsoon may be caused due to a shift in high-level
jet stream winds over the Himalayas which directly affect the monsoon in the
European region.
There are also suggestions that it is a result of changes in the wind circulation in other
parts of the world.
IAS
EXPRESS
How frequently does the European Monsoon happen?
Records suggest that on an average, the European Monsoon occurs in seven out of
every ten years.
The climatologist H.H. Lamb found that over a period of 70 years the return of the
westerlies (E. Monsoon) happens with a regularity of around 84-89%.
What are its effects on the European weather?
The return of the westerlies is more commonly associated with the change in weather
patterns such as increased rainfall, temperatures in the low 20s, thunder and strong
winds during June and July (summer) in the western European countries.
The rain usually arrives in two waves, first at the beginning of June and again in mid
to late June or July.
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Climatologists suggest that the European Summer Monsoon could become a more
common phenomenon as global warming continues.
Conclusion
Europe is a continent with a variety of ecosystems, climates, and it attracts tourists in both
summer and winter seasons. These tourist attractions are some of the economic sectors that
could be severely affected due to a warming and changing climate. Hence there should a clear
research on the causes of European Monsoon in order to prevent any adverse effects in the
future.
Offshore wind power – The underutilized
potential of India
IAS
EXPRESS
Offshore wind power refers to the electricity generated from windmills installed in the bodies
of water, usually on the continental shelf rather than on land. Unlike the typical usage of the
term “offshore” in the marine industry, offshore wind power includes inshore water areas such
as lakes and sheltered coastal areas. Offshore wind farms can support larger wind turbines
and hence generate higher amounts of power. In this article, we shall discuss various issues,
policy and challenges associated with offshore wind power in India and ways to utilize this
untapped potential.
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IASWhy India needs offshore wind power?
EXPRESS
The electricity demand-supply mismatch in India has been at a peak for the past few
years. The country depends on its coal-based thermal power stations to satisfy its
increasing demand. With the economy experiencing 7-8 percent growth rates, India is
looking for means to enhance its generation capabilities.
About 53% of electric power in India is generated from coal and lignite based thermal
plants, which contribute a lot to air pollution. India, the biggest emitter of greenhouse
gases after the US and China, plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 33-35% from its
2005 levels by 2030, as part of its commitments to the United Nation Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Hence the need of the hour is a cleaner and
renewable source of energy, in which offshore wind power can play a major role.
Globally, there are around 14,300 MW (Megawatts) of installed offshore wind energy
capacity, 88% of it in European waters and the rest in China, Japan, South Korea and
the US. With India having an estimated 127 GW (Gigawatts) of offshore wind power
potential, it is high time that we utilise such potential.
What is the offshore wind energy potential of India?
India has an estimated 127 GW of offshore wind energy potential, mostly off the coasts of Tamil
Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra. As per the official estimate, the Gujarat coastline has the
potential to generate around 100 GW of offshore wind energy and Tamil Nadu about 60 GW.
What are the advantages when compared to onshore projects?
Large area available for setting up large projects is the major reason for moving
towards offshore projects since there is a lack of suitable wind turbine sites on land.
Wind speeds are considerably higher at sea than onshore locations
Wind is less turbulent at sea than over land which results in lower mechanical fatigue
load and hence longer lifetime for the turbines.
Wind speed is more consistent at sea than on land where low winds occurring most of
the times. At sea, periods of complete calm are extremely rare and short-lived.
As these sites are located far from land they have a less visual impact which helps with
public acceptance issues.
The offshore wind farms are usually located near to the cities and load centres and thus
transmission losses are minimised.
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The gestation period for offshore projects is quite low at around 1-2 years when
compared to onshore projects which are around 3-6 years.
What are the challenges/issues for offshore projects in India?
High capital cost: The foundation and installation cost for offshore projects is much higher
compared to that of onshore. Furthermore, the cost in India might be on the higher side
because of various factors like absence of installation and support vessels, lack of sub-structure
manufacturers, lack of trained manpower etc.
Lack of data: The data required for the calculation of offshore wind potential and
identification of suitable sites are not available. Two important data required are- wind
resource map and Bathymetric data. Resource map is crucial because there are particular
zones like the shipping lanes, military exercise areas, dredging regions, oil exploration areas,
exclusive fishing zones, areas with underlying submarine communication cables, and dumping
grounds for ammunition, explosives and other hazardous material that have to be considered
before finalising the exact potential areas.
Regulatory framework: Currently there is no dedicated regulatory framework available
for offshore wind energy on the lines of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM)
for the promotion of solar energy.
Clearances: It is not clear from which department clearances are required.
High energy tariff: Offshore windmills are more expensive than onshore ones, power
generated from the former could cost around Rs 12 per unit, compared to around Rs 2.43 for
onshore wind power, the cheapest source of renewable energy in India today.
Transmission issues: Another major constraint for offshore wind energy is on making
available the grid and the transmission lines.
Manufacturing of Equipment: Offshore wind farms typically have larger turbines and
longer windmill blades. But most firms in India don’t yet make such high-capacity machines,
so components will have to be imported. This might affect investor interest.
IAS
EXPRESS
What are the Opportunities?
A study reveals that turbine prices have always been lower in India than the global
average due to lower labour, material and production cost in the country. India can
leverage scale to bring down offshore energy tariffs by harnessing the enormous wind
power potential along its 7600 km coastline.
Another factor favouring the cost reduction is the mass production of turbines. The
current annual production capacity of onshore wind turbines manufactured in India is
about 3000-3500 MW, including turbines for the domestic as well as for the export
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market. With the new market entrants, it is expected that the annual production
capacity will rise to 5000 MW.
What are the initiatives taken by the Government?
In 2015, the country released its first National Offshore Wind Energy Policy, detailing
the government’s roadmap on offshore wind energy. It involves wind energy mapping
of the country to identify high-potential locations to be offered to firms for
development through a bidding process. With this policy, the Ministry of New &
Renewable Energy (MNRE) has been authorized as the nodal ministry for use of
offshore areas within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the country and the
National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has been authorized as the Nodal agency
for development of offshore wind farms up to the seaward distance of 200 Nautical
Miles (within its Exclusive Economic Zone) from the baseline.
The Government also plans to add a capacity of 5000 MW of offshore wind energy in
its ambitious target of 175 GW capacity of renewable energy by 2022.
More recently, in 2018, National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has sought
expressions of interest (EoI) from wind power companies to set up an offshore wind
farm with a capacity of around 1000 MW in the Gulf of Khambat, off the coast of
Gujarat. Both Indian and foreign firms can express interest in the project. The
government will sign a 25-year power purchase agreement with the successful bidder.
With a large energy market in India, the EoI is expected to rise keen interest from
leading players of offshore wind turbine manufacturers and developers.
Way forward
The offshore wind power can play a significant role in generating clean and sustainable energy.
In India offshore wind power still remains untapped and given the power deficit in the country
this huge potential needs to be tapped.
IAS
EXPRESS
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Ladakh’s UT demand – The fight against
discrimination
IAS
EXPRESS
What is the background of the issue?
Ladakh was once an independent Himalayan kingdom with political history dates back to 930
A.D. Ladakh constitutes about 70% of the total J&K territory with a distinct political and
cultural identity of its own. Since 1949, Ladakh people have been demanding Union Territory
status for their region and their demand is based on geographical, cultural, linguistic and
political lines. Ladakhis do not want to involve with the anti-India movement in the Kashmir
valley. Hence, people of Ladakh demand a union territory status with an elected legislature to
run their own affairs and safeguard their interests.
What does Union Territory (UT) mean?
A Union territory is an administrative unit in the Republic of India. Unlike states which have
their own governments, union territories are ruled directly by the union or central
government. The concept of union territories was not present in the original constitution but
was added by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956. President of India is a chief
administrator of union territories under Article 239. There are seven union territories such as
Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Andaman
and Nicobar Islands, National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Why do Ladakh people demand UT status? 39
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Ladakhis claim that Ladakh has been linked to the Kashmir for only 105 years.
Therefore they are fundamentally distinct from Kashmir in all respects such as
ethnicity, culture and language.
The three strips in the flag of Jammu and Kashmir depicts the three Geographical
regions such as Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. But no due importance, status or power
has been given to the regions equally.
For several years, successive governments of the state have adopted a discrimination
and subversion policy towards the Ladakh region with the sole aim of oppressing its
people and affect their historical, religious and cultural identity.
Furthermore, the people of Ladakh (and Jammu as well) do not want to be involved in
anti-India demands and agitations in the state. People of Ladakh want to be part of
India, not with Kashmir. Unlike Kashmir, Ladakh has always kept a strong bond with
the Union of India since independence.
IAS
EXPRESS
What benefits will ladakhis get from UT status?
With UT status, a legislature can be formed in Ladakh so that they can make laws for
themselves to deal with the various issues plaguing them and make laws for them.
It will give the power to make recruitments to the various posts that will provide more
employment than the current status.
The central government will allocate more funds directly to Ladakh which can be
utilised for various developmental projects.
Development of various small-scale industries in Ladakh due to the establishment of
various companies.
With UT status, Ladakh can directly sign the agreement with foreign countries which
will help attract foreign investments and serve the development of Ladakh.
More weightage will be given to the voice of ladakhis in the Parliament.
Article 370 which provides special status to the state hinders the direct application of
policies of the central government in the Ladakh region. With UT status, the centre’s
policies can be applied directly.
Why is Centre reluctant in giving UT status to Ladakh?
Ladakh comprises of Leh and Kargil districts. Leh is largely inhabited by the Buddhist
community while Kargil is dominated by Shia Muslims. Only Leh is demanding
separation. Whereas, the Muslim majority Kargil area is opposed against the division
of Ladakh and its separation from the state of J&K.
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Also, the division of Ladakh will give Pakistan an opportunity to internationalise the
issue which India wants to avoid.
More importantly, the Article 370 of the Indian constitution gave special status for J&K
with its own constitution, creating hurdles for the separation of territory, since
unanimous support of J&K government is necessary to create a separate territory from
J&K.
What is the way forward?
Any initiative in giving UT status to Ladakh should involve consultation with all the
stakeholders such as Jammu, Kashmir, Leh and Kargil districts in Ladakh. In the meantime,
the government should also establish a committee to study the feasibility of giving UT status
to Ladakh and provide solutions for the same. As Emanuel Cleaver rightly said, “There is more
power in unity than division”. Therefore, the government should also consult with the J&K
government in delegating more powers to the Ladakh such as autonomous region status, so
that Ladakh may withdraw their demand for separation and continue to stay in the state.
\
IAS
EXPRESS
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Anti-Trafficking Bill 2018 – Article 23 Vs Article
21
IAS
EXPRESS
Why in news?
Recently, Lok Sabha has passed the Draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection, and
Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018. It is India’s first comprehensive anti-human trafficking bill that
covers prevention, protection and rehabilitation aspects with respect to trafficking. The aim is
to make India a leader among South Asian countries in combating trafficking through a
comprehensive law. It was introduced by the Union Minister of Women and Child
Development Maneka Gandhi.
About Human Trafficking
I have already covered everything about Human Trafficking in a separate article on Modern
slavery which also includes forced labor and forced marriage. You can read it before
proceeding further by clicking the link below or read it later.
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What is the need for this law?
Human trafficking is the worst form of human rights violation and the 3rd largest
organized crime in the world after drugs and arms trade. Every day, women and
children are traded in the country and exploited for sex work, bonded labor, forced
marriage, begging and other severe forms of violence.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, in 2016 alone, around 16,000 persons were
trafficked, out of which around 10,000 were women and around 6000 were children.
In our country, at every hour, 8 children going missing and one woman being
trafficked.
Criminal law (Amendment) Act, 2013 made changes in Section 370 of the Indian Penal
Code (IPC) to define trafficking and included punishment for the same. But mere
criminalization is not enough to deter trafficking because several laws have not been
implemented effectively in the absence of a comprehensive and dedicated law against
trafficking. There has been an increase in the number of human trafficking cases in
spite of the 2013 law. Hence the bill, instead of mere criminalization, it actually aims
at combating the organized nature of trafficking.
The police have been using several different laws to deal with different forms of human
trafficking such as forced labor, sexual slavery etc. Those laws are Immoral Traffic
Prevention Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), labor laws etc.
This bill when passed will be the single legislation to deal with all forms of human
trafficking.
Even small countries have Anti-trafficking legislation in place. Bangladesh has very
strong anti-trafficking legislation which imposed the death penalty for trafficking.
India doesn’t have a law yet, which is shameful.
IAS
EXPRESS
What are the key features of the bill?
The bill includes all forms of human trafficking including severe forms such as
trafficking for the purpose of begging or bearing a child, for the purpose of marriage or
under the pretext of marriage, administering narcotic drugs, hormones, or chemical
substances for the purpose of early sexual maturity etc.
Prosecution under these offenses will be timely and efficient by special public
prosecutors in special courts.
It provides for protection to witnesses and also maintains the confidentiality of victims
by recording their statement through video conferencing and by in camera
proceedings.
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It provides for timely trials and repatriation of victims.
A rehabilitation fund will be established and will be utilized for the physical,
psychological and social welfare of victims.
It proposes to build the capacity of victims by providing capital, infrastructure,
education and skill development to empower them, get access to justice and prevent
further trafficking.
National Anti-Trafficking Bureau (NATB) will be set up to coordinate with authorities
in foreign countries and international organizations and enable inter-state and trans-
border transfer of evidence and materials to prosecute the accused.
o The Bureau will strengthen the intelligence mechanism by improving the
collection, collation, and dissemination of operational intelligence.
o NATB will also coordinate enforcement by various bodies and authorities set
up under this bill. They are National Anti-trafficking Relief and Rehabilitation
Committee and also State and District Anti-trafficking Committees which will
provide effective training and awareness for all personnel involved in anti-
trafficking.
o The Bureau will also create and monitor a database on every crime under this
law.
Trafficking is an organized crime and to break the organized nexus at both national
and international levels, the bill calls for attachment and forfeiture of property and to
remit the money made from the crime in the rehabilitation fund. It will also freeze bank
accounts of persons whose funds have been used for trafficking.
The bill proposes penalties for various offenses under the act. For trafficking, it
prescribes rigorous imprisonment of 10 years up to life imprisonment and a minimum
fine of Rs. 1 lakh. For publishing any material that encourages trafficking, it prescribes
imprisonment between 5 to 10 years and a fine between Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh.
IAS
EXPRESS
What are the arguments against the bill?
Against the rights of sex workers
o It does not recognize the consenting adult sex workers as different from
trafficked persons. Thus it violates the right of sex workers to take their own
life decisions. Therefore the bill while attempting to uphold Article 23 (Right
against exploitation) actually violates Article 21 (Right to life) of consenting
adult sex workers.
o The bill linked HIV to the aggravated trafficking that will create problems for
sex workers.
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IAS o The committees proposed under the bill will not have representation from sex
EXPRESS workers. Thus it automatically distances the sex workers from the overall
outcome of the legislation.
o Even though covering entire forms of trafficking, the bill still has a high
resemblance to the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act, 1956 which has the
primary focus on sex work.
Its focus is on addressing trafficking from a perspective of criminal law rather than
human rights based and victim-centric approach. It promotes rescue rides by the police
and the institutionalization of victims in the name of rehabilitation.
It does not meet international human rights standards. It is criticised for not being in
accordance with the recommendation of the UN Human Rights Council.
The bill is unfavorable towards the transgender community as well, because they are
not exclusively covered by the bill.
The bill proposes punishment for producing, publishing, broadcasting or distributing
any type of material that promotes trafficking or exploitation. This provision would
risk criminalizing many unrelated activities because the bill does not define what
constitutes “promotion”. For example, any sexual content online could be seen as
promoting interests for sexual trafficking. This will also result in censorship or other
penalties for any literary or artistic work which involve sensitive topics including
trafficking of women.
Moreover, the bill does not recognize the right of the victims to be reunited with the
family by going back to the hometown. Instead, it sends them to the rehabilitation
homes run by the government and other voluntary agencies where they are
incarcerated and separated from their family.
The bill does not specify how the NATB will coordinate with the state police
departments and how its role is different from the existing policing and security
agencies.
There is also criticism that the Anti-trafficking fund will meet the same fate as
Nirbhaya Fund (established in 2013 for women’s safety) that remains largely under-
utilized.
What are the arguments in favour of the bill?
This bill is a victory for women and children since it covers prevention, rescue and
rehabilitation as well as forced labor, begging and marriage into its fold.
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IAS It supplements existing criminal laws against trafficking and fulfills the purpose of
EXPRESSArticle 23 of the constitution that protects persons from exploitation such as forced
labor and trafficking.
It provides safeguards to voluntary sex workers against persecution and prosecution
and giving them the option to approach the court for long-term institutional,
psychological, social and economic support if she wishes to discontinue.
Victims will regain their lost life and dignity.
The bill does not say anything about prostitution being illegal. It only talks about
exploitation and abuse which in turn are crimes and not sex work.
With the establishment of National Anti-Trafficking Bureau, the bill addresses the long
pending need to tackle inter-state trafficking.
It is a victim-centric legislation as it recognizes damages at every stage and ensures
provisions to correct them by involving not just Ministry and Child development, but
also the Panchayat Raj, for providing education, livelihood etc.
Furthermore, the bill holds the stakeholders accountable viz. Police, NGOs that causes
secondary victimization.
The bill provides for victim protection and also establishes a rehabilitation fund for the
first time which can be utilized to provide an effective remedy for the victims.
How to make the bill perfect?
Revise the bill in accordance with international human rights law in consultation with
civil society organizations, UN agencies, and other relevant partners.
The bill shall be sent to a select committee of the parliament which should engage with
lawmakers to arrive at a revised bill that prevents human trafficking without
threatening the constitutional rights under Article 21.
Conclusion
The bill may not be perfect yet, but with relevant corrections, it will be a potential deterrent
against trafficking and will save millions of women and children who lost their right to life and
dignity. However, the time is of the essence here since every minute of a day, a woman or child
is being sold. Therefore the bill should be turned into an actual law as soon as possible to
prevent trafficking and provide life and justice for the victims.
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Adultery law in India (Section 497) – Morality
Vs Infidelity
IAS
EXPRESS
Why in news?
The Supreme Court recently heard the petition which seeks the nullification of Section 497 in
Indian Penal Code (IPC) mentioning that it only punishes the married man for having extra-
marital relations with a married woman, not both.
What is the Adultery Law (Section 497 of IPC) about?
Section 497 says that any man who has sexual intercourse with the wife of another
man, without the consent of her husband, shall be held liable for the crime of adultery
or marital infidelity.
Under this law, adultery is punished with the prison term up to 5 years or with fine or
both.
What is the issue here? 47
The law implies that
Only the adulterous man can be punished, not the woman involved.
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Only the husband of the adulterous woman can move the court.
And the wife of an adulterous man, cannot move the court against her husband.
What are the arguments against the adultery law?
The adulterous woman cannot be punished and can claim innocence under the law
which is against the right to equality under Article 14 since she is also the main accused
of the crime and it is unfair to the man. Hence section 147 is unconstitutional.
o In the present world, where women hold authority positions in almost all
spheres, the idea that women are always the victim, not only undermines the
feminism but also unfair to men.
Adultery law in India is patriarchal and protects only the man’s right to his property,
that is, his wife.
o The law treats the wife as the property of her husband since her relationship
with other persons depends on the consent of her husband. This can also mean
that a woman can have sexual intercourse with another person with the consent
of her husband.
o Hence it is against the fundamental right to life and privacy of women under
Article 21 of the constitution.
The woman doesn’t have the right to prosecute her adulterous husband which violates
the right to equality under Article 14.
IAS
EXPRESS
The law gives the husband the right to blame and punish an outsider for the breakdown
of his marriage, instead of moving the court for a mutual divorce or consulting family
law attorney or lawyer for the matter.
The law is quite archaic which was made in 1847 and should not be valid in the present
times also, considering the changes in the societal values. Even SC recognizes the
legitimacy of live-in relationships in India.
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How could the individuals be held criminally liable by the state for their private
decisions? Collective morality should not restrict the constitutional rights of privacy
and autonomy. Therefore, adultery should be treated as civil misbehavior rather than
criminal behavior.
In 1971 itself, the 5th law commission recommended changes in the provision to make
the law gender neutral and reducing the prison term from 5 to 2 years. But those
recommendations were ignored.
In 2006, the National Commission for Women recommended decriminalization of the
adultery law.
All European countries and many countries in Latin America take the credit in
decriminalizing adultery. In 2015, South Korea decriminalized adultery. Now, only 3
Asian countries still criminalize adultery viz. India, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
The law has repeatedly failed to prevent the act of adultery.
IAS
EXPRESS
What are the arguments in favour of the adultery law?
Centre’s reaction to the petition is that “Decriminalisation of the adultery would mean
eroding the institution and sanctity of marriage and the social fabric at large”.
Removing the provision would only encourage adulterous behavior with the worst
societal consequences. The centre is only willing to amend the law to provide equal
rights for both men and women to file the criminal suit.
The structure and culture of Indian society are unique and should not be compared
with other countries that have decriminalized the adultery.
Supreme Court in Yusuf Abdul Aziz V. The state of Bombay (1954) held that, Section
497 did not violate the right to equality under Article 14 and 15 of the constitution, as
the constitution itself provides for special provisions with respect to women and
children.
The critics of Section 497 who argue that the law intervenes in the private decisions
and autonomy of individuals, failed to notice how adultery wrecks the life of another.
While morality can vary among different persons, ethics is common thing that holds
the society together. Hence adultery by default is unethical and should not be
decriminalized.
Failure to prevent adultery cannot be attributed to the law, instead to its enforcement.
If such reasoning is considered, then the laws criminalizing rape, murder, trafficking
etc. shall also be decriminalized.
Marriage is a legally recognized institution with registration and other legal
procedures. Hence violating such institution is a crime and shall be punished.
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Way forward
The criminalization of adultery will neither lead to the couple living together again nor does it
alter the societal behavior. The legal system should only regulate the process of divorce to a
degree when one or both the partners violate the marriage. Hence, it is high time that India
like many other countries should decriminalize adultery and look for alternative ways to
prevent the behavior. It should encourage the couple to live together again by solving the
problems in their marriage or give divorce, rather than just punishing such behaviors.
Flat Income Tax Rate in India – Need, Pros,
Cons and Measures
IAS
EXPRESS
Why in News?
In November 2017, the central government had formed a task force to create a new Direct Tax
law which seeks to replace the present Income Tax Act, 1961. The Task Force will submit its
report to the government on how to fix the more-than-50-year-old Income Tax Act, 1961.
What is the flat income tax rate?
Flat income tax rate refers to a taxation system in which a constant marginal rate
generally applied to individual or corporate income.
In simple terms, it is an income tax system in which everyone pays the same tax rate
irrespective of income level. Hence it is also known as proportional taxation system.
A true flat tax would be a proportional tax, but the execution of this system are mostly
progressive and rarely regressive based on deductions and exemptions in the tax base.
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