merged_document(1)

26, 2015. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is playing the lead role in conducing
SAADMEx- 2015 with the support of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National
Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Union Ministry
of External Affairs (MEA)
The main objective being to enhance the disaster response capacity.
About :- http://upsctree.com/2015/11/09/09-nov-2015/

4)Bhavishya:-

Its online Pension Sanction and Payment Tracking System.
The Bhavishya system will introduce transparency and establish accountability in the pension
sanction and payment process. It will help to eliminate delays and bring satisfaction to the retiring
employees and pensioners
Under the online system, progress of a particular pension case can be tracked by the individual as
well as the administrative authorities for all actions preparatory to grant of pension and other
retirement benefits as well as monthly pension paid after retirement.
Bhavishya has various stakeholders – i) Individual (Retiree & Pensioner), ii) Drawing & Disbursing
Officer, iii) Head of Office (HOO), iv) Directorate of Estate (DOE), v) Pay & Accounts Offices (PAO)
and vii) Central Pension Accounts Office (CPAO). By ensuring complete transparency, this system
would obviate delays in sanction and payment of pension

5)Smart Cities:-

News:- Smart cities to move people not cars, through efficient public transport . Atal Mission and Smart
City Mission seek to address urban mobility issues.

What is Smart City:-

There is no specific definition of smart city as such. It varies from people to people and country to
country.But , in a broader sense it has the objective of promoting cities that provide core
infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable
environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions.

Components of smart city :-

Accordingly, the purpose of the Smart Cities Mission is to drive economic growth and improve the
quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology, especially
technology that leads to Smart outcomes. Area- based development will transform existing areas
(retrofit and redevelop), including slums, into better planned ones, thereby improving liveability of
the whole City.

New areas (greenfield) will be developed around cities in order to accommodate the expanding
population in urban areas.

Application of Smart Solutions will enable cities to use technology, information and data to improve
infrastructure and services.

Features :-

1. Promoting mixed land use in area based developments–planning for ‘unplanned areas’
containing a range of compatible activities and land uses close to one another in order to make land
use more efficient. The States will enable some flexibility in land use and building bye-laws to adapt
to change

2. Housing and inclusiveness – expand housing opportunities for all

3. Creating walkable localities –reduce congestion, air pollution and resource depletion, boost local
economy, promote interactions and ensure security. The road network is created or refurbished not
only for vehicles and public transport, but also for pedestrians and cyclists, and necessary
administrative services are offered within walking or cycling distance

4. Preserving and developing open spaces – parks, playgrounds, and recreational spaces in order
to enhance the quality of life of citizens, reduce the urban heat effects in Areas and generally

promote eco-balance;

5. Promoting a variety of transport options – Transit Oriented Development (TOD), public transport
and last mile para-transport connectivity

6. Making governance citizen-friendly and cost effective – increasingly rely on online services to
bring about accountability and transparency, especially using mobiles to reduce cost of services and
providing services without having to go to municipal offices. Forming e-groups to listen to people
and obtain feedback and use online monitoring of programs and activities with the aid of cyber
tour of worksites

7. Giving an identity to the city – based on its main economic activity, such as local cuisine, health,
education, arts and craft, culture, sports goods, furniture, hosiery, textile, dairy, etc

8. Applying Smart Solutions to infrastructure and services in area-based development in order to
make them better. For example, making Areas less vulnerable to disasters, using fewer
resources, and providing cheaper services

AMRUT:-Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation

The Mission focuses on the following Thrust Areas:-
i. Water Supply,
ii. Sewerage facilities and management,
iii. Storm Water drains to reduce flooding,
iv. Pedestrian, non-motorized and public transport facilities, parking spaces, and
v. Enhancing amenity value of cities by creating and upgrading green spaces, parks and recreation
centers, especially for children.

6)Stridhan :-

News:-Woman Can Seek ‘Stridhan’ Back if Marriage Not Dissolved: Supreme Court

A woman can always seek her ‘stridhan’ back from her husband and his family members even if the
marriage has not been dissolved by a judicial decree of divorce, the Supreme Court has ruled.

The Court observed –
It is quite clear that there is a distinction between a decree for divorce and decree of judicial
separation; in the former, there is a severance of status and the parties do not remain as husband
and wife, whereas in the later, the relationship between husband and wife continues and the legal
relationship continues as it has not been snapped,” a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said
and set aside Arunachal High Court’s judgment against a woman.The woman was denied the relief
on the ground she could not be called an aggrieved person as she had filed an application seeking
the seizure of stridhan after she had got judicial separation.

‘Stridhan’ is movable or immovable assets, received during the lifetime, by a woman either
prior to marriage or at the time of marriage or at child birth.

25 NOV 2015_Gender Ratio Irony,Human Cost of
Weather Realted Disaster-UN,IFFI

upsctree.com /2015/11/25/25-nov-2015_gender-ratio-ironyhuman-cost-of-weather-realted-disaster-
uniffi/

UPSCTREE

1)Gender Ratio and the irony :-

Even given the small genetic and biological advantage that boys enjoy, meaning that a slightly
larger number of boys than girls are naturally born, there is an implication of pre-natal sex selection
which is leading to more boys being born.

India has had remarkable success in lowering fertility to the extent that its southern States have
now reached replacement levels of fertility, at which the population growth will stabilise and the
population as a whole will stop growing. What’s all the more admirable is that this change has come
largely without coercive measures of the sort adopted by China, with the belief that education,
access to health and economic prosperity, particularly for women, automatically drive down female
fertility among all social groups

However, there is growing evidence that in the absence of a genuine transformation in
gender relations, the push for smaller families is making pre-natal sex selection more
common.

While families might have chosen in the past to have repeated pregnancies until a male child
was born — as borne out by the far higher likelihood of the youngest children of a large
family being boys — as smaller families become a social norm, families are being pushed
towards artificial methods of ensuring a male offspring. ( This question was asked in 2014
Mains- Why advanced and urban regions have disadvantageous gender ratio? )

Smaller families are more likely to have more boys than girls, while the larger ones have
more girls than boys. Anecdotal evidence suggests that lack of access to pre-natal sex
determination technology meant better sex ratios among more marginalised communities,
but with growing urbanisation these barriers are falling too.

The Irony :- Policy makers argued countless times that , with greater penetration of
education , India can achieve healthy gender ratio . However to our dismay – it is the most
educated , and financially well-off urbanites who are killing the girl child through the sex-
determination technologies. Education or Economic Empowerment seems no solution.

2) PAN-based litigation management system :-

Aimed to reduce lengthy proceedings and time taken in litigation, the Income Tax department has
activated a PAN-based online system which enables the taxman to access cases in their jurisdiction
on a click, amongst a building database of over 5 lakh appeals and 1.50 lakh judgements

The new facility is part of the National Judicial Reference System (NJRS), an electronic
repository of cases under the direct taxes category or income tax pending in legal forums like the
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Authority for Advanced Ruling (AAR), various High Courts and

the Supreme Court..
A new link has been activated recently in the NJRS which enables the Assessing Officer (AO) and
his superiors to view appeals pertaining to their jurisdiction based on the Permanent Account
Number (PAN). It is essential that the PAN number for each case is fed in the appeal to allow the
system help the taxman
The new measure will drastically cut down time in appeal and litigation management in the
department

3) The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters (1995- 2015) :- UN Report

Highlights :-

Over the last twenty years, the overwhelming majority (90%) of disasters have been caused by
floods, storms, heatwaves and other weather-related events.
In total, 6,457 weather-related disasters were recorded worldwide by EM-DAT, the foremost
international database of such events. Over this period, weather-related disasters claimed
606,000 lives, an average of some 30,000 per annum, with an additional 4.1 billion people injured,
left homeless or in need of emergency assistance.
High-income countries reported that 76% of weather-related disaster deaths were due to extreme
temperatures, mainly heatwaves
In order to plan for future risk reduction, two critical factors must be kept in mind: population growth
will continue to put more and more people in harm’s way, while uncontrolled building on flood plains
and storm-prone coastal zones will increase human vulnerabilities to extreme weather events
Overall, annual economic losses from disasters are estimated by UNISDR at between US$ 250
billion and US$ 300 billion .

The Sendai Framework :-

The Sendai Framework is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the state
has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared with other
stakeholders, including local governments, the private sector, the scientific community and NGOs. It aims
for a substantial reduction in disaster losses resulting from both man-made and natural hazards.

It lists priority areas for action such as understanding disaster risk,strengthening disaster risk governance
to manage disaster risk,investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience and enhancing disaster
preparedness for effective response, and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and
reconstruction.

The Sendai Framework’s seven targets focus on substantial reductions in :-

Natural Hazard Classification
Statistics of Disasters

Profile of Most affected Countries

4) 2015 set to be ‘hottest year on record- UN

This is due to a combination of a strong El Niũo and human-induced global warming
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said global average surface temperatures in 2015
were likely to reach what it called the “symbolic and significant milestone” of 1° Celsius above the
pre-industrial era
The El Nino weather pattern, marked by warming sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean,
causes extremes such as scorching weather and flooding. Meteorologists expect El Nino to peak
between October and January and to be one of the strongest on record.
The years 2011-2015 have also been the hottest five year period on record
The world’s ten warmest years have all occurred since 1998, with eight of them being since
2005

5)International Film Festival of India :-

News:- 46th IFFI is underway in Goa.

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film
festivals in Asia . Held annually in the state of Goa. The festival aims at providing a common platform for
the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of the film art; contributing to the understanding and
appreciation of film cultures of different nations in the context of their social and cultural ethos; and
promoting friendship and cooperation among people of the world.

The festival is conducted jointly by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Directorate of Film
Festivals and the government of Goa

Phum Shang– Shows the dying state of Loktak Lake (Floating lake ) and it’s Phumdi grass. (2014 Prelims
question)
I cannot Give my forest (Dongardeiparibinaahin) – Based upon the Kondh tribe who resisted to give
away their forest in Niyamgiri Hills , Odisha
Breaking Free – Shows the plight of LGBT community in India
The Head Hunter – The film questions the creation of a homogenous culture of existence and morality.Is
it mainstreaming of tribal people is good ?

Ain – Story of a Malabar youth ( Moplah rebellion took place in this region)

Nachom-ia Kumpasar – It is a Konkani feature film that is a tribute to Goan music and musicians.

Kadambari – One of the most sensational cultural events in the history of Bengal was the controversial
suicide of Kadambari Devi, Tagore’s sister-in-law and literary muse, in 1883. There are different
interpretations of the suicide amongst scholars but the most controversial interpretation relates the event to
the relationship which Kadambari Devi shared with Rabindranath Tagore. Through this incident the film
explores the human dynamics and the socio-cultural equations during that period. and aims to get an
insight into the genius of Rabindranath Tagore in his formative years.

UPSC, Cinema and question:-

Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it?
Role of films in promotion of freedom struggle.
How Indian Movies are on a different footing that other form of Indian art and literature ?

26 NOV 2015 _Rupee Bond,Jan Aushadhi, Operation
Flood & Verghese Kurien,SEBI

upsctree.com /2015/11/26/26-nov-2015-_rupee-bondjan-aushadhi-operation-flood-verghese-
kuriensebi/

UPSCTREE

1)India to sell rupee bonds:-

The Union Government has decided to launch Rupee Bonds “in some countries” to provide long
term finance for infrastructure development in the country.
This will be in addition to the setting up National Investment and Infrastructure Fund and launching
of Tax Free Infrastructure Bonds.
These bonds are also called Masala Bonds.
It will help as alternate financing and easy the forex pressure on India.

2)Jan Aushadhi :-

The Government has launched ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ to make available quality generic
medicines at affordable prices to all, especially the poor, throughout the country, through outlets
known as Jan Aushadhi Stores (JASs)
Under the Jan Aushadhi Scheme, the State Governments are required to provide space in
Government Hospital premises or any other suitable locations for the running of the Jan Aushadhi
Stores (JAS)
Any NGO/Charitable Society/Institution/Self Help Group with experience of minimum 3 years of
successful operation in welfare activities, can also open the Jan Aushadhi store outside the hospital
premises

Bottlenecks in the scheme:-

Over dependence on support from State Government.
Poor Supply Chain management.
Non-prescription of Generic Medicines by the doctors.
State Governments launching free supply of drugs
Lack of awareness among the public

Remedial Measures :-

Increasing the number of products from 361 to 504 medicines and 161 surgical and consumable
items
Improving the supply chain mechanism through appointing Distributors and C&F agents in different
States.

Increasing the number of functional stores.
Strengthening the Operating Agency i.e., BPPI(Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI)) through
augmenting of manpower.
Relaxation in the eligibility criteria of Operating Agency for JAS.

3) The Man who Knew his Cows – Verghese Kurien

News:- Google has dedicated a doodle on him.

Verghese Kurien (26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012) was an Indian social entrepreneur
known as the “Father of the White Revolution” for his Operation Flood, the world’s largest
agricultural development programme. National Milk Day is celebrated on his birth anniversary.
This transformed India from a milk-deficient nation to the world’s largest milk producer, surpassing
the United States of America in 1998,with about 17 percent of global output in 2010–11, which in 30
years doubled milk available to every person.
He founded around 30 institutions of excellence (like AMUL, GCMMF, IRMA, NDDB) which are
owned, managed by farmers and run by professionals. As the founding chairman of the Gujarat Co-
operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), Kurien was responsible for the creation and
success of the Amul brand of dairy products. A key achievement at Amul was the invention of milk
powder processed from buffalo milk

Operation Flood :-

Milk is a highly perishable commodity, which is in short supply in summer and in excess supply in
winter . The market can not contract and expand according to supply, therefore, you need balancing
facilities. And once you have these balancing facilities, which you enable to carry forward the winter
production and capture the market, procurement falls into your laps. This was the objective and
methodology of Operation Flood.
Through Operation Flood, milk has been transformed from a commodity into a brand, from
insufficient production to sufficient production, from rationing to plentiful availability; from loose
unhygienic milk to milk that is pure and sure, from subjugation to as symbol of farmer’s economic
independence, to being the consumer’s greatest insurance policy for good health.
Operation Flood has three major achievements to its credit: making dairying India’s largest self-
sustainable rural employment program; bringing India self-sufficiency in milk production; trebling the
nation’s milk production within a span of two and half decades to make India the world’s largest milk
producer.

His Words:-

Milk is the only commodity which has to be collected twice a day, every day of the year. Thus,
cooperatives are the only logical system for the dairy industry. About 85% of the industry in the US,
Denmark and Australia is run by cooperatives. No other system will work for milk

Trivia:- It is well known that who are selected in UPSC , as part of their Bharat Darshan , they get a
chance to meet Mr Kurien and most of them who encountered him ,knows his passionate dislike for
bureaucracy .(Not bureaucrats as such but the way of working of Bureaucracy)

4) SEBI and BSEC Sign MoU :-

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Sunday signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on co-
operation and technical assistance.
The MoU is aimed at promoting economic links, enhancing investor protection, and development of
capital markets. Sebi has so far signed MoUs with 21 nations

About :-

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulator for the securities market in India.It was
established in the year 1988 and given statutory powers on 12 April 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.

Composition:-

The chairman who is nominated by Union Government of India.
Two members, i.e., Officers from Union Finance Ministry.
One member from the Reserve Bank of India.
The remaining five members are nominated by Union Government of India, out of them at least
three shall be whole-time members.

Function:-

Approve by−laws of stock exchanges.
Require the stock exchange to amend their by−laws.
Inspect the books of accounts and call for periodical returns from recognized stock exchanges.
Inspect the books of accounts of financial intermediaries.
Compel certain companies to list their shares in one or more stock exchanges.
Registration of brokers.

Question to think over :-

At the time of Independence , India had a functioning stock market, a fairly developed banking
sector and well developed corporate practices , then why it took so long to create a regulator for
stock exchange such as SEBI ( created in 1992 when we got independence in 1947 )



27 NOV 2015_ e-WASTE (Roll-On-News-Day)

upsctree.com /2015/11/27/27-nov-2015_-e-waste-roll-on-news-day/

UPSCTREE

E-Waste

Structure:-

1. Introduction
2. What is e-Waste
3. Composition of e-waste
4. E-waste in India

1. Domestic
2. International
3. India as a major dumping backyard

5. Impacts of e-waste
6. E-waste management

Introduction:-

In the 20th Century, the information and communication revolution has brought enormous changes in the
way we organize our lives, our economies, industries and institutions.
These spectacular developments in modern times have undoubtedly enhanced the quality of our lives. At
the same time, these have led to manifold problems including the problem of massive amount of hazardous
waste and other wastes generated from electric products. These hazardous and other wastes pose a great
threat to the human health and environment. The issue of proper management of wastes, therefore, is
critical to the protection of livelihood, health and environment.

What is e-waste?:-

E-waste or electronic waste,can broadly described as loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, broken,
electrical or electronic devices.

Composition of E-Waste:-

The composition of e-waste is diverse and falls under ‘hazardous’ and ‘non-hazardous’ categories. Broadly,
it consists of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Iron and steel constitute about 50% of the waste,followed by plastics (21%), non-ferrous metals (13%) and
other constituents.The presence of elements like lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, selenium, hexavalent
chromium, and flame retardants beyond threshold quantities make e-waste hazardous in nature.

E-Waste in India:-

There are 10 States that contribute to 70 per cent of the total e-waste generated in the country, while 65
cities generate more than 60 per cent of the total e-waste in India. Among the 10 largest e-waste
generating States, Maharashtra ranks first followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West
Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

Among the top ten cities generating e-waste, Mumbai ranks first followed by Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai,
Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur.

Source of E-waste :-

1)Domestic-

The main sources of electronic waste in India are the government, public and private (industrial)
sectors, which account for almost 70 per cent of total waste generation. The contribution of
individual households is relatively small at about 15 per cent; the rest being contributed by
manufacturers.

An Indian market Research Bureau (IMRB) survey of ‘E-waste generation at Source’ in 2009 found
that out of the total e-waste volume in India, televisions and desktops including servers
comprised 68 per cent and 27 per cent respectively. Imports and mobile phones comprised
of 2 per cent and 1 per cent respectively.

2)International-

E-waste of Developed and Developing Countries:-Though , almost all contemporary report point
towards USA as the major source of e-waste, in upcoming future this is going to change. The
reason are simple – the developing countries like India and China are fast catching up. As their
economies grow, the purchasing power parity of people grows , thus affinity to luxury and electronic
has only one way out – exponential increment.China’s recent data on e-waste is evident to this .On
the contrary, for the developed countries with ageing population, the demand for goods will remain
almost constant or will decline relatively, being saturated markets.

Hence the major focus area should be the developing countries to tackle the e-waste.

3)India as a dumping backyard of developed countries :-

A major reason for the rapid generation of e-waste and the resulting growth of the recycling market
can be found in the high rate of obsolescence in the electronics market. Most electronic goods,
especially in the West, have very short lifespan. Such goods are routinely replaced at least every
two years, and then either simply discarded or exported to developing countries where there is still
a demand for second-hand merchandise.

Recycling facilities exist in developed countries and stringent measures have been taken by the
Governments regarding disposal of e-waste. However, there are difficulties in implementing
regulations and dealing with e-waste owing to increased activism by environmentalists and the high
cost of recycling. Despite concerns on the issues of fraudulent traders and environmentally unsound
practices, it has been easier and cheaper for these countries to ship e-wastes to the developing
countries where access to and recycling of such discarded electronic goods make a good economic
option. For both sides, it is profitable or a win-win situation. The only difference being that the rich
country is dumping toxic waste on the poorer country.

In India, the source of e-waste is not only domestic but also international.Not only India, but many
countries in South and South-East Asia are used as dumping backyards for inferior products from
developed countries.

This can be further elaborated by giving an example of dismantling of ships, which involves the
process by which end-of-life ships are converted into steel and other recyclable items, and the
remainder is then disposed of. These operations are performed mainly in South Asia, with India,
Bangladesh and Pakistan currently occupying 70-80 per cent of the market. The industry offers a
valuable end-of-life solution to old ships although there are concerns about the environmental,
health and safety standards employed, especially in South Asia, as the industry has historically
gravitated towards low labour cost countries with weak regulations on occupational health,safety
and the environment.

So far, India has been the destination of the hazardous and industrial wastes like mercury, electronic
and plastic wastes from the United States; asbestos from Canada; defective steel and tin plates
from the E.U., Australia and the U.S.; toxic waste oil from the United Arab Emirates,Iran and Kuwait;
zinc ash, residues and skimmings, lead
waste and scrap, used batteries and waste and scrap of metals such as cadmium, chromium,
cobalt, antimony, hafnium and thallium from Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United
Kingdom, Belgium and Norway.These wastes contain toxic components which are damaging to the
public health and environment

Impacts of E-waste :-

There is no doubt that it has been linked to the growing incidence of several lethal or severely
debilitating health conditions, including cancer, neurological and respiratory disorders, and birth
defects.This impact is found to be worse in developing countries like India where people engaged in
recycling e-waste are mostly in the unorganized sector, living in close proximity to dumps or landfills
of untreated e-waste and working without any protection or safeguards.

Such harmful substances leach into the surrounding soil, water and air during waste treatment or
when they are dumped in landfills or left to lie around near it.Sooner or later they would adversely
affect human health and ecology.

However, since e-waste also contains significant concentration of substances that are hazardous to
human health and the environment, even a small amount of e-waste entering the residual waste will
introduce relatively high amount of heavy metals and halogenated substances.

E-waste typically contains complex combinations of materials and components down to microscopic
levels. The wastes are broken down in not just for recycling but for the recoverable materials such
as plastic, aluminium, copper and gold.

It was found that a river water sample from the Lianjiang river near a Chinese “recycling village”
had lead levels that were 2400 times higher than the World Health Organization Drinking Water
Guidelines thereby involving a serious health hazard.

E-Waste management :-

The principles of e-waste management are as any – REDUCE,REUSE,RECYCLE ,strictly in that
order, which means reduce is the primary goal. To reduce , excessive consumerism has to be
addressed.Those who can afford have been negligent in their use of e-products.Just because one
can buy, that should not be translated to that one should buy. For a country like India, e-products
are looked upon as social status symbol- which is rather odd and misconceived .It is not the
illiterate rural folk , but broadly the educated , urban mass , who has long been ignorant of the
repercussion of their obsessive consumerism of e-products.This needs awareness. Luxury and
necessity can not be defined broadly and varies from person to person, hence awareness campaign
can be brought in to inculcate self-restraint .

The next is reuse. Though reuse is a viable concept for all other kinds of waste management, it not

viable for e-products. The reasons , as explained above ,are the limited life of e-products.Also ,
degraded or inferior product poses more threat from reuse.

Recycle , is a holistic concept, but it needs a elaborate plan to tackle the menace of e-waste. The
plan starts with the waste segregation at source, but to our dismay we have not been able to
implement it. Hence no wonder, if one finds a discarded computer along with the stale curry .
To enhance the recycling capabilities , it is necessary to segregate the waste at source and to do
that a comprehensive municipal solid waste management and work out is need of the hour(e.g.-
Different dustbins for different waste)

While we can deal with the above mentioned concepts for domestic waste, to reduce the imported
e-waste needs legislation.Waste processing is looked upon as industry and developing and under
developed nations are used as landfills. This has to stop. It might look as a good economic option (
e.g.- India leads in ship breaking industry) ,but these are neither industrious nor economic in the
long run . The serious public health and irreversible environmental damage , makes no sense to
promote or to be proud of this kind of industry.In fact multiple conventions has came in to being in
this regard .

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
and their Disposal is the most comprehensive global environmental agreement on hazardous and
other wastes. It was signed by 173 countries on 22 March 1989 and entered into force on 5 May
1992. It was basically created to prevent the economically motivated dumping of hazardous wastes
from richer to poorer countries, which had resulted from a tightening of environmental regulations
and a steep rise in the cost of hazardous waste disposal in industrialized countries.However the
compliance of this convention is questioned many a time.

The Bamako Convention, on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary
Movement of Hazardous Wastes was adopted by the twelve nations of the Organization of African
Unity at Bamako, Mali in January, 1991, and came into force in March, 1999.The need to sign the
Bamako Convention arose from the failure of the Basel Convention to prohibit trade of hazardous
waste to the less developed countries, and from the realization that many developed nations were
exporting toxic wastes to Africa.

It is evident from the two examples that international conventions (Basel ) might not be as
effective hence regional (Bamako) conventions are necessary. Moreover, if India develops it’s
resistance through stringent law and punitive measures , it would act as the necessary deterrence
against India as a dumping ground.In this regard the “e-waste (Management and Handling)
Amendment Rules, 2015” is a welcome step.

While law and awareness can go along a way to safeguard public health from the vagaries of e-
waste, it would be imprudent not to consider the technological or scientific aspects.For e.g. – there
exists alternative to lead , however just because lead makes more economic sense , hence it is
used disproportionately in the industries and to tackle this, not only law but also alternative yet cost
-effective solutions are necessary , and for this to work, science has to come to the rescue of
environment .

If the citizens are made aware , the scientists are made aware , the policy makers are made
aware , the agents of economics are made aware and work together ,then we can achieve best e-
waste management practices that inflict zero damage to the environment and public health.



28 NOV 2015_IMO-SOLAS-BALLAST ; Flying Bullet and
Sabre Slayers;LRSAM;Blue Water navy;SalTol Jyothi

upsctree.com /2015/11/28/28-nov-2015_imo-solas-ballast-flying-bullet-and-sabre-slayerslrsamblue-
water-navysaltol-jyothi/

UPSCTREE

1)India re-elected as Member of International Maritime Council for coming two years (2016-17) :-

India has been re-elected unopposed to the Council of the International Maritime Organization.

India has been one of the earliest members of the IMO, having ratified its Convention and joined it
as a member-state in the year 1959. India has had the privilege of being elected to and serving the
Council of the IMO, ever since it started functioning, and till date, except for two years for the period
1983-1984.

About IMO:-

IMO Council plays a crucial role in deciding various important matters within the mandate of the
IMO, in relation to the global shipping industry, including its work programme strategy and budget.
The IMO Council consists of 40 member countries who are elected by the IMO Assembly.

IMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The
IMO was established in Geneva in 1948 and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first
time in 1959. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the IMO has 171 Member States and
three Associate Members

The IMO’s primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for
shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-
operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping. IMO is governed by an assembly of
members and is financially administered by a council of members elected from the assembly. The
work of IMO is conducted through five committees and these are supported by technical
subcommittees.

SOLAS:-

Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS), first adopted in 1914 following the Titanic
disaster.

Ballast Water Management Convention:-

Ballast Water Management Convention, adopted in 2004, aims to prevent the spread of
harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another, by establishing standards and
procedures for the management and control of ships’ ballast water and sediments

Under the Convention, all ships in international traffic are required to manage their
ballast water and sediments to a certain standard, according to a ship-specific ballast
water management plan. All ships will also have to carry a ballast water record book and an
international ballast water management certificate. The ballast water management standards
will be phased in over a period of time. As an intermediate solution, ships should exchange

ballast water mid-ocean. However, eventually most ships will need to install an on-board
ballast water treatment system.

India and IMO:-

India has acceded to/ratified about 32 of the Conventions/Protocols adopted by the IMO and 6 of
them are under consideration for the purpose, during the year 2015. India is firmly committed to the
enduring cause of safety of life at sea, and protection of the marine environment. She is among the
first few countries, which had ratified the SOLAS Convention, 1974. India has taken concrete steps
to upgrade the global safety standards applicable to both cargo and passenger ships. India has
always been very active in associating with various initiatives of IMO and have made significant
contribution for its implementation.

India has also been playing a leading role in actively participating in and taking pro-active measures
to counter threats from sea-borne piracy. It may also be recalled that vulnerable areas were defined
as High Risk Area (HRA ), characterized by piracy attacks and / or hijackings and in 2008, the HRA
line in the Indian Ocean region was designated at 65 degrees East longitude which was quite
far away from India’s West Coast. However, since then India has been consistently taking up
in several global fora, such as the International Maritime Organization and the Contact
Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), the issue of the restoration of the said
HRA geographical coordinate from its existing position of 78 degrees East longitude to 65
degrees East longitude. Efforts were intensified since June 2011.(The shifting belt of piracy was a
mains question in 2014)

In view of India’s efforts, international bodies (International Chamber of Shipping and others) have
now agreed to push back the HRA from 78 degrees East longitude to the 65 degrees East longitude.

This is one of the most significant triumphs for India in the maritime sector on the global stage, in the
past several years now, vindicating India’s reasoned stance and persistently persuasive soft skills in
the matter. This will result in huge savings for India’s EXIM trade and consumers on account of
reduced insurance premium and consequently freight costs. It will improve safety of fishermen and
fishing boats, and will also improve the security along India’s coastline.

India’s overseas seaborne EXIM trade, which is presently about 600 million tonnes per annum, is
expected to be quadrupled to about 2,200 million tons by the year 2020. In value terms, the
commensurate figures thereof are in the region of US$ 900 billion and US$ 2100 billion
respectively. India ranks amongst the top twenty ship owning countries of the world in terms of
Gross Tonnage as well as Deadweight.

2)The Flying Bullets and Sabre Slayers of Indian Air Force:-

Flying Bullets:-18 Squadron or ‘Flying Bullets’ was formed on 15 April 1965 at Ambala. It was then
equipped with world’s smallest fighter aircraft, the Gnats. Whether flying the Gnats or the lethal MiG-
27 ML aircraft, the Squadron has an enviable operational record.

Sabre Slayers:- 22 Squadron, known as ‘Swifts’ was raised on 15 Oct 1966 in Bareilly and
equipped with Gnat Mk-I aircraft. On 22 Nov 1971, during the ‘Air Offensive for Liberation of
Bangladesh’, the Squadron drew first blood by shooting down three F-86 Sabre jets over
Jessore in a single sortie. For its daring and excellence, the Squadron was rechristened as
‘Sabre Slayers’ and decorated with Battle Honour.

3)LRSAM Successfully Flight-Tested:-

For the first time, Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM), jointly designed and developed by
India and Israel , has been successfully flight tested from an Israeli Naval Platform. The missile
successfully engaged and destroyed the incoming air target.

4)The Green, The Blue and The Brown – Water Navy:-

Blue Water Navy:-

A blue-water navy is a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open
oceans.A term more often used in the United Kingdom to describe such a force is a navy
possessing maritime expeditionary capabilities.While definitions of what actually constitutes
such a force varies, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide
ranges.
Blue-water capability refers to an oceangoing fleet able to operate on the high seas far from
its nation’s home ports. Some operate throughout the world.
News:- Beijing is pushing to build-up a so-called “blue-water navy” able to operate in oceanic
waters with a global reach.It plans to set up a naval facility in Djibouti, East Africa, to boost
counter-piracy and peacekeeping efforts.

Green Water Navy:-

Green-water navy is terminology created to describe a naval force that is designed to
operate in its nation’s littoral zones and has the competency to operate in the open oceans of
its surrounding region. It is a relatively new term, and has been created to better distinguish,
and add nuance, between two long-standing descriptors: blue-water navy and brown-water
navy.

Brown Water Navy :-

Any naval force that has the capacity to carry out military operations in river or littoral
environments, commonly known as riverine warfare. The term “brown-water” generally
describes river environments carrying heavy sediment loads, such as from soil runoff or
flooding. Since presence of “brown water” requires a soil source, whether riverine or coastal,
the term has become associated with littoral navies.

5) SalTol Jyothi – saltwater-tolerant paddy:-

SalTol Jyothi, the new variety of saltwater-tolerant paddy developed by scientists at the Rice
Research Station, Vyttila in Kochi
The landmark achievement in rice research was made possible by the introduction of genes tolerant
to salinity and iron toxicity into Jyothi, Kerala’s most popular rice variety
Jyothi, known for its superior grain quality, yet restricted by the lack of saline tolerance, has become
suitable for Pokkali fields, Kuttanad and kolelands as well, according to the researchers

6)Green Highways Policy :-

The Green Highways Policy is a Policy to promote greening of Highway corridors with participation

of the community, farmers, private sector, NGOs, and government institutions. After the
implementation of the policy, the community will be benefitted in terms of huge employment
opportunities and entrepreneurship development. There will be huge environmental benefits also. It
will also contribute to economic development of the country.

News:-NHAI has approved a pilot project submitted by National Environmental Engineering
Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur for undertaking scientific studies on designing greenbelts along
national highways. The project will be implemented on a 5 km stretch on NH-7 between Jam and
Hinganghat in Nagpur region at an estimated cost of Rs.11.80 crore . Around 20,000 trees of
scientifically chosen species are proposed to be planted on both sides of this stretch in multiple
rows.

30 NOV 2015 (Iceman Of India, Diabetics,National Gas
Grid,eBird, Bharat Stage)

upsctree.com /2015/11/30/30-nov-2015-iceman-of-india-diabeticsnational-gas-gridebird-bharat-stage/

UPSCTREE

1)Ice Man of India and Artificial Glacier :-

Chewang Norphel is an Indian civil engineer from Ladakh, who has built 12 artificial glaciers.He
has earned the nickname Ice Man.
Ladakh is known for its receding glaciers and the people in the region face hardships to obtain
water , Norphel came up with an brilliant idea of artificial glacier to store the water longer there by
extending the availability of water for longer period .
Artificial Glaciers:-

In 1996, Norphel joined the Leh Nutrition Project, a non-governmental organisation, as
project manager for watershed development
Norphel noticed a small stream had frozen solid under the shade of a group of poplar trees,
though it flowed freely elsewhere in his yard. He realized the reason for this phenomenon:
the flowing water was moving too quickly to freeze, while the sluggish trickle of water
beneath the trees was slow enough to freeze. Based on this, he created artificial glaciers by
diverting a river into a valley, slowing the stream by constructing checks. The artificial
glaciers increase the ground-water recharge, rejuvenating the spring and providing water for
irrigation. He constructed them at lower elevations, so that they melt earlier, expanding the
growing season.
The biggest artificial glacier, 1000 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an average depth of 4ft, is
situated near the village of Phuktsey. Having cost $2,000, it now provides water for the village
of 700 people.Cement water reservoirs of similar capacities typically cost $34,000.

Documentary :- http://climateheroes.org/portfolio-item/chewang-norphel-ice-mans-dams-
himalayas/

2) National Gas Grid and Expansion of Gas Pipeline Project :-

At present, the country is having about 15,000 kms of natural gas pipeline infrastructure and an
additional 15,000 kms of pipeline is required for completion of National Gas Grid.
GAIL has been appointed as the “Sponsoring Authority” for development of Ranchi-Talcher-
Paradip pipeline as a pilot project under PPP mode with Viability Gap Funding.
Government has taken several steps which inter alia include the following:–

1. Intensification of domestic Exploration & Production (E&P) activities through New
Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) rounds

2. Shale Gas Policy framework
3. Research and development of Gas Hydrate resources in the country
4. Import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from various countries
5. Transnational pipelines viz., Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline

and Iran-Pakistan-India(IPI) pipeline
6. Clearance for exploration and development of some NELP blocks where the same was held

up by various agencies
7. Exploration in the Mining Lease Area has been allowed with certain conditions
8. Acquisition of Overseas Oil and Gas assets is being pursued in order to enhance energy

security for the country

3)Bharat Stage Emission Standards :-
News:- Government advances roll out of BS-V and BS-VI norms for 4-wheelers .According to the
roadmap earlier laid down by the Auto Fuel Policy, BS-V norms were to be implemented from April 1, 2022
and BS-VI from April 1, 2024.
What is Bharat Stage Emission Standard:-
Bharat stage emission standards are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate
the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles. The
standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the
Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate change.
The standards, based on European regulations were first introduced in 2000. Progressively stringent
norms have been rolled out since then. All new vehicles manufactured after the implementation of the
norms have to be compliant with the regulations.Since October 2010, Bharat stage III norms have been

enforced across the country. In 13 major cities, Bharat stage IV emission norms have been in place since
April 2010.

The phasing out of 2 stroke engine for two wheelers, the stoppage of production of Maruti 800 &
introduction of electronic controls have been due to the regulations related to vehicular emissions.

While the norms help in bringing down pollution levels, it invariably results in increased vehicle cost due to
the improved technology & higher fuel prices. However, this increase in private cost is offset by savings in
health costs for the public, as there is lesser amount of disease causing particulate matter and pollution in
the air. Exposure to air pollution can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, which is estimated to
be the cause for 620,000 early deaths in 2010, and the health cost of air pollution in India has been
assessed at 3 per cent of its GDP.

4)Injectable vaccine to prevent re-emergence of polio launched:

An injectable vaccine to prevent re-emergence of polio was launched today by the government and
it will be administered in addition to polio drops to double the protection from the deadly virus, which
has chances of coming back.
The Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) will be introduced in the routine immunization programme of the
government to do away with the risk of re-introduction of the disease.

5) eBird: India lists 20 lakh sightings :-

Bird enthusiasts of India are scripting a popular science record of sorts. Till last month, over 4,000
dedicated volunteer birders have uploaded over 20 lakh bird sightings from India, which has caught
even the seasoned ornithologists pleasantly off guard. Birders of all hues and shades are flocking
together with their bird sighting data on an electronic platform eBird (http://www.ebird.org) in a big
way.
According to the site, anyone taking a stroll or even peering from a window can contribute to the
careful documentation of nature. eBird is a “platform for birdwatchers” to upload their data and keep
track of their sightings.

6)A generation at Risk : The Diabetic Epidemic:-

The Risk:-

Chronic conditions or non-communicable diseases are virtually lifelong diseases; they can be
managed and controlled, but in most cases not cured fully. Examples are diseases of the heart and
blood vessels, diabetes, lungs, chronic kidney disease, cancers and arthritis.
Diabetes has now become a major public health concern especially in India because of several
reasons
Today, over 300 million people live with diabetes. A similar number is at high risk. I ndia has often
been referred to as the “diabetes capital of the world” but has now ceded this position to China.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, over 66 million people in India live with this
metabolic disease; an almost equal number has pre-diabetes which is an immediate
precursor to diabetes. The belief is that diabetes is an urban and rich man’s disease but we now
know that the annual increase in the numbers of those with diabetes is much higher in the rural

areas, poor individuals and those less educated
Generally, the rise in numbers has been attributed to chaotic urbanisation, an ageing population,
reduced physical activity/deskbound lifestyle and a change in diet patterns which includes
consuming junk food. Other factors include genetic susceptibility, under-nutrition during foetal and
early life and environmental pollutants
The rapidly changing lifestyle of children is equally important; they are now more sedentary than
earlier generations. Most Indians also have abdominal obesity (“pot-belly”) which has a role in
the development of diabetes.
If this continues unchecked, an already overloaded and inefficient health system will run out of
solutions. What is needed are prevention and management strategies

The Solution:-

Public awareness and promotion of healthy diet and way of living is important
Non-personal policy interventions also play an important role. These include taxation, enabling
urban infrastructure development particularly in the new ‘Smart City’ plan, encouraging right
agricultural practices and reducing sugar consumption, an increased and daily intake of fruits,
vegetables and whole grain-based food and a promotion of physical activity. These are cost-
effective and prventive strategies. For example, a 20 per cent increase in taxation on sweetened
beverages helped reduce new cases of diabetes by 1.6 per cent over 2014-2023. This means that
400,000 type-2 cases of diabetes can be prevented during the same decade.
Strengthening health systems at the primary care level is imperative and involves providing low-
cost generic drugs, long-term management of the disease with health counselling and a
robust surveillance mechanism to study changing trends and progress.
Here, innovations include developing a cadre of physician assistants to schedule and manage
diabetes care, yoga as a lifestyle [improvement] package, self-care apps and innovative use of
gaming technologies to improve physical activity.

Questions of the Day

1)Find the incorrect match among the following:-

1. Ice Man of India- Chewang Norphel- Ladakh
2. Waterman of India – Rajendra Singh- Rajasthan
3. Mountain man of India – Dashrath Manjhi – Bihar
4. Forest Man of India – Jadav Payeng- Arunachal Pradesh

3)Find the wrong statement:-

1. India has largest no of Diabetic patient in the world
2. Diabetes is a lifestyle disease . It also has hereditary implication
3. Type-2 Diabetics is most wide spread
4. Healthy diet and regular exercise can prevent this disease.