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CSE INTERVIEW MATERIAL 2020 STATE RELATED MATERIAL

IAS YAN

WEST BENGAL STATE RELATED MATERIAL

Bits and Pieces of West Bengal’s History and Geography  The name of Bengal or Bangla is derived from the ancient kingdom of Vanga, or Banga. In early Sanskrit literature references to the name of Banga occur, through its early history is almost obscure until the 3rd century BC  However, West Bengal have history dating back 10000 years. Stone age tools and remnants of Copper age also found in this region, date back to 4000 years.  In ancient period, the region was called Gangaridai which literally means wealth of the Ganges  The first recorded independent king of Bengal was Shashank, reigning around the early 7th century. After a period of anarchy, the Buddhist Pala dynasty ruled the region for four hundred years, followed by a shorter region of the Hindu Sena dynasty  The Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Bengal in 1574 and controlled the administration through appointed Subahdars. Following this, British arrival was marked during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir  The year 1757 emerged out be an epoch in Bengal‘s as well as ‘s history. Siraj-ud- Daulah, the independent Nawab of Bengal lost to the British in the Battle of Plassey which led to the beginning of colonialism in India.  Bengal was also the centre of India‘s Freedom struggle. The declaration of partition of Bengal in 1905 gave an impetus to the freedom struggle of Bengal vis-à-vis India.  When India gained independence in 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines. In 1950 the Princely State of Cooch Behar merged with West Bengal while in 1955 the former French enclave of Chandannagar was integrated into West Bengal.  The geography of the state is unique that its northern part is in the Himalayan Range, whereas the extreme southern part touches with and is covered by the active delta of the Mangrove forest.  West Bengal has four major geographical regions- the Chotonagpur plateau region in its northwestern parts, the Himalaya mountain region in its north, the lower Gangetic plain region and the coastal belt.  Within India, it shares boundaries with Sikkim, Assam, , and . While the international borders of West Bengal touch with , and Bhutan.

Demographic Profile of West Bengal:- Taken from Census 2011 and NFHS-5  Share in India‘s population: 7.54%. West Bengal has the 4th largest population among Indian states after , and Bihar.  Decadal growth rate = 13.84%

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 With a value of 1028 persons per sq. km the state is the second most dense Indian state behind Bihar  Literacy rate: 76.26%  Sex ratio: 950 as compared to national value of 943  Child sex ratio: 956 as compared to national value of 918  NFHS- 5 Data

Economic performance of West Bengal (Source:- IBEF, Hindustan Times & NITI Aayog)  West Bengal is India‘s sixth largest state in terms of economic size. Its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is expected to reach Rs. 14.44 trillion (US$ 206.64 billion) in 2020-21. Average annual GSDP growth rate is about 12.62% between 2015-16 and 2020-21.  West Bengal has 12 growth centres for medium and large-scale industries, set up by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). Major industrial areas of West Bengal are Haldia, , - Durgapur region, and Kharagpur  As of November 2020, West Bengal had a total installed power generation capacity of 11,061.85 MW, of which 6,497.95 MW was under state utilities. Of the total installed power capacity, 9,097.62 MW was contributed by thermal power, 1,396.00 MW (hydropower) and 568.23 MW (renewable power).  The state received investment of Rs. 4.45 (US$ 63.13 billion) in large industry from five Global Summit organized in the state so far  West Bengal plans to raise its share in the country‘s IT export to 25% by 2030. Total export from IT sector of the state crossed an estimated Rs. 22,897 crore (US$ 3.28 billion) in 2018-19. Government of West Bengal has allocated Rs. 260 crore (US$ 36.88 million) for the development of the IT and Electronics department in West Bengal in the previous budget.  Its location advantage makes the state a traditional market for eastern India, the Northeast, Nepal, and Bhutan. It is also a strategic entry point for markets in Southeast Asia. The cost of operating a business is lower in Kolkata than in other metropolitan cities  As of February 2020, West Bengal had 21 SEZs, of which, 7 were operational, 5 were notified, 7 were formally approved, and 2 having in-principle approval.  In terms of agriculture, West Bengal is the largest producer of rice in India, second largest producer of potato in India, second largest tea-producing state in India and is home to the globally acclaimed Darjeeling tea variety.  Moreover, the state is also a key producer of petroleum and petrochemicals.

S. No Major Indicators West Bengal 1 Population Below 15 years age (in %) 23.5%

2 Sex Ratio 1049

3 Sex Ratio at Birth 973 4 Women Literacy 76.1 %

5 Total Fertility Rate 1.6

6 NNMR 15.5 7 IMR 22

8 U5MR 25.4

9 Average out of pocket expenses in public facility Rs. 2683 10 Institutional Births 91.7 %

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Demand for Gorkhaland (Source:- The IE, The Hindu) What is Gorkhaland?  Gorkhalandis a region consists of Nepali-speaking people of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and other hilly districts of West-Bengal. The people belonging to these areas have ethical, cultural and language differences with the Bengali community of West- Bengal.  It is a proposed new state demanded by the Gorkhas to be carved out of West Bengal.

History behind the demand  The demand for a Gorkhaland is as old as 1907. The first plea made for an administrative set-up outside of Bengal was in 1907 to the Morley- Minto Reforms panel.  Thereafter, numerous representations were made every few years, first to the British government and then to free India‘s government for separation from Bengal.  However, the agitation by Subhash Ghising led Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), further brought this issue in focus and the term ―Gorkhaland‖ was coined in 1980  A 2007 agitation, now led by GorkhalandJanmuktiMorcha, led to the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), with its powers expanded vis-à-vis the earlier Hill Council. The Gorkhas opposed the inclusion of GTA into the sixth schedule and intensified their demand for a separate statehood

Reasons for demanding new state  The main reason for the demand of the separate Gorkhaland movement is due to the differences in ethnicity, culture and language. The people of Nepali-Indian Gorkha ethnic origin on the Northern part of West Bengal demands a state on basis of their cultural identity, which is very different from Bengali culture.  Moreover, there is also an issue of poverty, under-development and politicisation of the issue.  According to experts, it was a failure of governance combined with politicisation that bred the Gorkhaland issue.

Major Movements related to Gorkhaland  All India Gorkha League (AIGL) came into existence in 1943 as the first political party in the Darjeeling hills. After India‘s independence, it demanded the addition of Darjeeling to Assam and started ‗Assam Chalo‘ movement  The biggest and most violent agitation took place in 1986 under the banner of GNLF, led by Subhash Ghising, who coined the term ―Gorkhaland‖.  In 2010-2011, the Gorkhaland agitation saw a new turn after local leaders fought among themselves

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 In 2013, the demand for separation rose high again due to the division of Andhra Pradesh. The movement was peaceful under the leadership of GJM, who adopted the innovative silent method of protest called ―Janta Bandh‖. People were told to voluntarily stay inside on 13th and 14th August.

Causes of recent agitation  The decision to impose Bengali language in all schools from Class I to Class IX by the government in West Bengal has sparked violent protests in Gorkha-led Darjeeling. It was seen as an attack on the Gorkha culture who consider Nepali as their mother tongue and thereby it led to immediate protests  Aggressive response from state leading to the death of protestors made whole situation even worse.

Why Movement matters?  It is one of the oldest movement in India which began in 1907.  Movement has potential to affect India- Nepal diplomatic relations. How India treats the problems of the Nepali people of hill origin in Darjeeling will affect how Nepal deals with the people of Indian origin in Nepal, i.e. Madhesi in Terai.  Gorkhaland has a strategic importance to India. Its vicinity to the chicken neck corridor that connects rest of India with North East makes it a special region therefore, its stability is must for India‘s strategic and economic interests of the nation.  State Economy wise, Darjeeling is a tea and tourist hot-spot. It has potential to become the economic engine of the East with a sustainable economic model.

What can be done?  Effective and meaningful dialogue and co-engagement should be the first step.  Division of the state: o It may create a stable and responsible government in Darjeeling. o Better focus on poverty, infrastructure and other development indicators. o Example of the positive regionalism. Positive Regionalism is the situation when demand because of underdevelopment and exploitation of the region. Negative Regionalism is the regionalism that demands separate region on basis of religion, community, ethnicity, race etc. eg:-Demand for Greater Nagalim. But o It may legitimise violence as a way to meet demands and eventually promote negative regionalism o It can lead to ―Balkanization‖ of India. o Will lead to politicization of all future agitations.  Giving more powers to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, creating a transparent and open election process. It must be realised that GJM rose due to the failure of the government to conduct 4th DGHC elections.

Illegal Immigration from Bangladesh  Ever since the partition of British India in 1947, successive waves of people facing hostile conditions, persecution, intolerance, and adverse economic situations in what constitutes present-day Bangladesh have found sanctuary in India. While some of them later returned to their homes in Bangladesh, the majority chose to assimilate within India.  As the Citizenship Act 1955, an illegal immigrant can be: Foreign national who enters India on valid travel documents and stays beyond their validity, or Foreign national who enters without valid travel document  According to rough estimates, there are around 2 crore illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India, most of them concentrated in West Bengal and Assam.

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 These immigrations have caused a change in the demographic profile especially in border regions where the locals feel overwhelmed by the outsiders, often leading to clashes between the two groups  Illegal immigrants are different from Refugee, migrants and asylum seeker  Refugee:- They are the persons who live outside their country of origin for reasons of feared persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or other circumstances that have seriously disturbed public order and, as a result, require international protection. Eg :- Rohingyas  Asylum seeker:-An asylum-seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn‘t yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim

Reasons for Illegal migration  Political Factors: Political factors have been one of the major reasons in forcing the Bangladeshi and Pakistani Hindus out of the country and into India, especially during 1965 and 1971 war.  Religious Discrimination: In Bangladesh, the already discriminatory land laws were further manipulated by vested interest groups and corrupt administrators to dispossess and alienate the Hindus from their own land and property.  Increasing population create more demands for resources such as land, food, energy, water and forest products, and their consequent overuse results in deterioration of quality.  Lack of employment.  Porous borders with Bangladesh due to natural landscape facilitate illegal migration.

Legal Framework  Article 51 states that the state shall endeavour to foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organized people with one another.  The Foreigners Act, 1946, gives the central government the right to deport a foreign national  Citizenship Act 1955 defines Illegal immigrant.

Response by Government till now  The Foreigner‘s Tribunals of 1964: These tribunals had the power to take up cases to decide whether a person is foreigner or not, as specified in the Foreigners Act of 1946.  Operation Push Back:-The fundamental objective of ―Operation Push Back‖ was to deter any potential Bangladeshi migrant from illegally crossing the border and settling in India  India–Bangladesh Border Fence: Fences or barriers are described as ―fortified boundaries‖ and are constructed for enhanced border controls.  Organizing Border Haats at West Bengal – Bangladesh border, so that people do not have to illegally immigrate for employment.

Way Forward  Comprehensively sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border, which at present has many loopholes. Use of technology like Comprehensive Integrated Border Management system and smart fencing should be use wherever possible.  Corruption in security personnel should be checked.  There is a need for a national refugee law so that refugees are clearly defined and can be distinguished from illegal immigrants.  India should work on forging a bilateral agreement with Bangladesh which provides for taking back nationals who stay illegally in the other country after due verification.  India can also request assistance and advisory services from the United Nations High

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 Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other concerned international agencies with experience in this kind of complex issue.

West Bengal vs Bangladesh: Teesta River Dispute (Source:- TOI, Wikipedia) About River  Teesta river is a tributary of the Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in Bangladesh), flowing through India and Bangladesh.  It originates in the Himalayas near Chunthang, Sikkim and flows to the south through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.

River Water Conflict  Teesta river water conflict is one of the most contentious issues between India and Bangladesh.  The river covers nearly the entire floodplains of Sikkim, while draining 2,800 sq km of Bangladesh, governing the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.  For West Bengal, Teesta is equally important, considered the lifeline of half-a-dozen districts in North Bengal.  The negotiations on how to share the water have been going on since 1972 when Joint River Commission (JRC) was established by India and Bangladesh in the Indo-Bangla Treaty of Friendship.  An Interim deal in 2011 was supposed to last for 15 years – gave India 42.5% and Bangladesh 37.5% of Teesta water, but West Bengal and Sikkim opposed that deal and since then ,the deal was shelved and remains unsigned due to the objections of West Bengal  Bangladesh has sought an ―equitable‖ distribution of Teesta waters from India, on the lines of the Ganga Water Treaty of 1996 (an agreement to share surface waters at the Farakka Barrage near their mutual border), but to no avail.  Bangladesh wants 50 percent of the Teesta's waters between December and May every year, because that's when the water flow to the country drops drastically.  In 2015, Prime Minister ‘s visit to Dhaka has generated some expectations to take forward the previous issues on fair and equitable water sharing agreement.  But Teesta remains an unfinished project, as in India individual states have significant influence over transboundary agreements. This arrangement sometimes impedes the policymaking process. For example, one of the key stakeholders of the Teesta agreement, West Bengal is yet to endorse the deal.

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Alternative Solution proposed by West Bengal under  She proposed sharing of rivers like the Torsa, which are closer to the border of Sikkim and Bangladesh. The Torsa, in fact, has connectivity with Bangladesh's Padma river.  She proposed that the two countries set up a commission to ascertain the level of water flowing through the Torsa and the quantum of water that can be shared.

Way forward  Bangladesh is a significant neighbour for India with a shared history, culture, religion and many more common elements. The cooperation of Bangladesh is important to India and without such liberal regimes in neighbouring countries, India cannot become terror free.  With aggressive push by China to construct hydroelectric projects on transboundary rivers in Bangladesh, India should work fast and proactively in resolving such issues.  The Teesta project is important and urgent from India‘s point of view, so it is crucial to solve it as soon as possible.  Considering the strategic importance of Bangladesh and as a responsible upper riparian state, India needs to take proactive steps for early conclusion of Teesta agreement keeping interests of West Bengal in mind.

Chit Funds Scam in West Bengal (Source:- The Hindu, Hindustan times)  State has seen series of scams involving chit funds and Ponzi schemes in previous years

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 Recently, Central Bureau of Investigation registered six more cases of chit fund scam in West Bengal in just 1 month leading to a very serious situation in state wrt chit funds scams.  The cases are being instituted following a directive from the Supreme Court on May 9, 2014, to the CBI to take over the FIRs pertaining to chit fund rackets registered at various police stations in West Bengal and Odisha, including the Saradhascam  Some Infamous scams of state are highlighted below:-  Sharada Scam: The Sharda group collected money from investors with the promise of astronomical returns in short period of time. However, it was a classic example of a Ponzi scheme, as it did not create any asset and used the money from one investor to pay interests to another investor. The group collected around Rs. 2500 crore (USD 4-6 Billion) from over 1.7 million depositors before it collapsed.  Rose Valley Scam: It was also a Ponzi scheme. The hospitality-to-real estate group Rose Valley cheated investors of Rs.17000 , almost 6 times that of Sharada scam. The money was primarily accumulated by raising small investments in the rural areas of at least half a dozen States  Ponzi scheme: A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud where clients are promised a large profit at little to no risk. Ponzi schemes are investment operations that pay returns to old investors from the money garnered from new investors.. Such fraudulent schemes relies on a constant flow of new investments to continue to provide returns to older investors.

What is Chit Fund?  Chit funds are a popular type of savings institutions in India. It is one of the main parts of the unorganized money market industry.  It refers to an agreement arrived at by a group of individuals to invest a certain amount through periodic installments over a specified period of time.  Chit funds in India are managed, conducted, and regulated according to Chit Funds Act of 1982, though certain provisions of RBI Act of 1934and SEBI Act of 1992 also applied on it. They are governed through central legislation while state governments are responsible for their administration.  Chit funds are the Indian versions of Rotating Savings and Credit Associations found across the globe.  Less regulated regime at fairly competitive interest rates prevailing in the market makes these chit fund schemes easily accessible.

Issues with Chit funds and Ponzi schemes  Increasing Frauds:- Rising instances of people duped by illicit deposit taking schemes such as Saradha Chit Fund Scam, Rose Valley Scam etc  Financial Illiteracy:-Lack of financial literacy results in people getting duped as they are promised huge return on their investment which has no substantial basis to fulfil.  Despite the presence of staunch rules against scams by chit funds, a lot of these funds run Ponzi schemes and make away with a lot of people's money.  Non- Transparent:-Chit fundsare highly opaque both in their operations and eliciting of bids.  Lot of Administrative loopholes left a huge grey area in which these fraud schemes works and dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings.

Steps by West Bengal Government  West Bengal government has passed The West Bengal Protection of Interest of Depositors in

Financial Establishments Bill 2013  As per the new law failure of payment by deposit taking companies will be a non-bailable offence. Anticipatory bail too will not be granted.

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 The Directorate of Economic Offences (DEO) of West Bengal government has registered cases against several financial companies for not giving assured returns to depositors. The matters are thereby under close scrutiny and investigation.

Steps by Indian Government  At present chit funds are governed by Chit Funds Act of 1962, RBI Act of 1934, and SEBI Act of 1992 etc  Functionally, Chit funds are included in the definition of Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) (LINK) by RBI under the sub-head Miscellaneous Non-Banking Company (MNBC).  Lok Sabha passed The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 that provides for a mechanism to ban unregulated deposit schemes and protect the interests of depositors.  Parliament has passed the Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019. It will streamline operations of collective investment schemes or chit funds, with the aim to protect investors that primarily comprises economically weaker sections of the society.  The Act specifies that a chit will be drawn in the presence of at least two subscribers.  The ‗foreman‘ is responsible for managing the chit fund. He is entitled to a maximum commission of 5% of the chit amount.

What more can be done  We have legislation, what required is implementation. The focus need to be on implementing the rules without political interference and strengthening the judicial mechanism without which any amendment to the law will be of little help to the citizens.  Amendment in the proposed legislation will only safeguard the depositor interests, without addressing the structural problems of lack of financial inclusion, skewed bank ratio in rural areas etc  Financial Literacy should reach each and every corner of India. RBI have to play pivotal role in spreading Financial literacy.  Better and accessible banking alternatives will not only check undue exploitation of poor people but will also correct leakages in the economy.

Tug of war between Centre and State over IPS Officers appointment (Source:- The IE, TOI) Context  Appointment of three IPS officers of the West Bengal cadre by the Union Home Ministry has escalated the confrontation between the West Bengal State and the Centre.  West Bengal Chief Minister has termed the deputation order despite the State‘s objection ―a colourable exercise of power and blatant misuse of emergency provision of IPS Cadre Rule 1954‖.  The tug of war began after a convoy of BJP President came under stone pelting in the State. The BJP apparently holds the IPS officers accountable for the incident.

Centre’s move  The Centre can take no action against civil service officials who are posted under the state government. Rule 7 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, states that the ―Authority to institute proceedings and to impose penalty‖ will be the state government if the officer is ―serving in connection with the affairs of a State  Rule further said that For any action to be taken on an officer of the All India Services (IAS, IPS, IFS), the state and the Centre both need to agree.  However, the Centre has invoked Section 6(1) of the Indian Police Service (Cadre) Rules, which says that ―in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the Central Government….‖

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 Another episode, in February 2019, was a pointer to the Centre‘s limitations in acting against All India Service officers. The Home Ministry had written to then Chief Secretary calling for action against five officers, for allegedly taking part in a dharna organised by the ruling party. The state government, however, said no officer had taken part in the dharna.

Administrative instruments Vs. Political battles  The CM‘s style of managing the police force has gained attention for the wrong reasons in the past. Senior officials are seen as allied with the ruling govt and the oppositions determined drive to capture power in the State is multi-pronged.  The opposition continues to knock on the doors of the Court and the Election Commission of India to bring pressure on the State government.  By enforcing its writ on IPS officers, the Centre is sending a signal to all officers that their conduct will now be under scrutiny.

Issues between West Bengal State and Centre  The much appreciated central schemes like Ayushman Bharat and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi are also a bone of contention between the two.  The CM has also complained of insufficient central assistance to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and Amphan.  Non-consensus over Teesta River agreement affecting India- Bangladesh relations.  The partisan use of the personnel and instruments of the state by parties in power as is happening in this tussle is a disturbing signal for democracy and federalism.

West Bengal Budget Context  West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee presented the state‘s annual budget worth Rs 2,99,688 crore (net) for FY2022 stating an increase of 17.21% over 2020.

Important highlights  State has allocated the Maximum amount towards panchayat and rural development.  The budget consisted of a host of infra projects which will entail investments around Rs 72,000 cr and provide jobs to 3.29 lakh people.  Govt is planning to set up of West Bengal‘s first Industrial Township in Jangalmahal industrial town in Purulia  State budget proposed the setting up of community centres with libraries and photo galleries called Jai Hind Bhaban at Rs 100 crore across districts revolving around Netaji Subhash Bose.  Setting up of Alchiki-medium (a tribal language) schools. Over 5 years, 500 such schools will come up with 1,500 para-teachers being recruited.  100 English medium schools for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) are also proposed  Rs 1,650 crore were allocated for housing projects in the tea garden areas and amongst the tribal populace.  A new scheme ―Matri Bandana‖ is announced during the budget under which 10 lakh new SHGs (Self Help Groups) will be formed for poor women  Nearly Rs 450 crore has been allocated towards financial support for schemes covering construction workers and migrant labourers  Juvashakti, a new project launched by the state government where 10,000 students will be inducted into different government organisations as interns every three years and they will be given opportunity to work in government organisations  45 lakh Construction and transport workers will be given Rs 1,000 under the social security scheme.

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State’s 1st Deep Sea port at Tajpur (Source:- The Hindu, TOI) Context  State Cabinet approved the Construction of the State‘s 1st Deep Sea Port at Tajpur, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal. The Port is expected to attract investment of about INR 15, 000 Crores and generate employment for 25,000 people.  the port will be built entirely by the West Bengal Government  When built, it would be the only one in the country to connect to mainland via a dyke. It will also be one of the longest sea dykes in the world. A dyke or a sea wall would prevent silting.

What are Deep sea ports?  A regular port is an area or platform, entered into from the sea, by vessels, boats, ships, which also allows for protected staging and anchoring or docking for these ships to load and unload consignments and continue up towards its destination.  A deep sea port is different from regular ports in respect of the depth of water.  Regular ports are usually of recreational types where the water is not more than 20 feet deep whereas a deep sea portis compatible with the large heavy loaded ships which may require the water to be 30 feet deep or even more.  Deep sea port is usually made up for the usage of very large and heavily loaded ships.  In Western Hemisphere, Deep sea ports are also defined to be any port which has the capability to accommodate a fully laden Panamax ship, which is determined principally by the dimensions of the Panama Canal‘s lock chambers.

Existing Deep Sea ports in India  Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Navi Mumbai  ( district, Odisha)  Krishnapatnam (Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh)  Trivandrum(Kerala) { Proposed}  Dahej (Bharuch, ) { Proposed}

Benefits of the Tajpur port  Port Construction will boost the seafood exports industry in East Midnapore and also benefits of fishermen.  It will benefit the iron and steel industries functioning in and around Kharagpur for their export business  The Iron & Steel exports from Purulia, Burdwan and Bankura will also be boosted due to the port. This will be important as West Bengal accounts for 13 % of India‘s iron-steel exports  The Tajpur project is crucial for long term viability of the Calcutta Port Trust (CPT), which is a riverine port and faces perennial draft problem that prevents large carriers from entering the port.

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Controversy over role of Governor in West Bengal (Source:- The hindu, ORF) Context  Tensions between West Bengal Chief Minister and Governor reached a flashpoint, after the CMaccused Governor over violating the constitutional powers.  Governor was in talk with the Central Home ministry related to litany of complaints against the Mamata Banerjee government, apprising him of the ―alarming cliff-edge governance situation in the State‖, which was not liked by State‘s Chief Minister.  Various well-intentioned attempts were made both to understand the role of the governor in our federal democratic set up and to recommend ways to make this institution conducive to strengthening center-state relations; for instance, the Administrative Reforms Commission of 1968, the Rajamanar Committee of 1969, Committee of Governors of 1971, Bangalore Seminar of Experts of 1983 and finally, the Sarkaria commission of 1988.

Activism of State’s Governor  Besides his never ending war of nerves with CM, Governor ended up in confrontations with Vice Chancellors of various Universities and even Student Unions.  He has also shown a proclivity to be unrestrained in media interactions, including his frequent social media posts.

Issues with the Governor’s Position  There are numerous examples of the Governor‘s position being abused, usually at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre. The process of appointment has generally been the cause behind it.  In most of the cases, politicians and former bureaucrats with a particular political ideology have been appointed as the Governors by the Governments. This goes against the constitutionally mandated neutral seat and has resulted in bias.  In the current political climate examples being Goa (2017), Manipur (2017) and Karnataka (2018), point to the need to ensure proper checks and balances to sreamline the functioning of this office.  In 2019, the Governor of Rajasthan was charged with the violation of the model code of conduct. Due to such incidents, negative terms like an agent of the Centre, Puppet and rubber stamps are used to describe a governor of the state.  Governor‘s discretionary powers to invite the leader of the largest party/alliance, post-election, to form the government has often been misused to favour a particular political party.

S.R Bommai judgement (1994)  R. Bommai case (1994), following the Sarkaria Commission‘s recommendations considered to be one of the Pillar in Governor‘s role in state. In the specific case, Supreme Court underlined that the breakdown of constitutional machinery implied a virtual impossibility, and not a mere difficulty, in carrying out governance in a State.

Way Forward  For the smooth Functioning of a democratic government, it is equally important that the governor must act judiciously, impartially and efficiently while exercising his discretion and personal judgment.  In order to enable the Governor to Successfully discharge his functions under the constitution, an agreed ‗Code of Conduct‘ approved by the state governments, the central government, the parliament, and the state legislatures should be evolved.  The ‗procedure for appointment of governors should be clearly laid down‘ along with conditions of appointment and must assure a fixed tenure for the governor so that the Governor is not under the constant threat of removal by the central government.

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 It is necessary to invest the office of the Governor with the requisite independence of action and to rid them of the bane of ‗instructions‘ from the Central Government  The role of governor is indispensable for the successful working of the constitutional democracy. He must refrain from aligning himself to any political ideology. The virtue of impartiality must be withheld to ensure a free and fair election in a democracy

West Bengal Government wins the WSIS Winner Prize 2020 for Sabooj Sathi Project (Source:- IE, TOI) Context  In the 8th Edition World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) prize contents, SaboojSathi online 3.0 project of West Bengal Government won the WSIS Winner Prize 2020 under the E-government category  The winner‘s citation dubs this project as ‗Wheels of Change‘.

Sabooj Sathi scheme  The flagship initiative ―SaboojSathi‖ was launched by Chief Minister in 2015 to establish primary and upper primary schools within walking distance to reduce the dropout rates among the students, especially girls from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds.  This scheme provided bi-cycles to the government school students of class between 9 to 12.  The bicycles provided under this scheme increase the mobility of the students which resulted in the increase in the enrolment in high school by 12%.  survey by Pratichi Trust, founded by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, has found that in the past four years, the cycles have also increased ―general mobility‖ of rural students, besides pushing up school enrolment.

Kanyashree Prakalpa  In 2017, Kanyashree Prakalpa, which is a targeted conditional cash transfer scheme, received the United Nations highest award, the first place for Public Service. The scheme, which is a brainchild of Banerjee, received the first prize out of 552 projects of 62 countries, which were nominated for the award.

West Bengal vs Odisha over Rosogolla (Source:- the Hindu)  There is a dispute regarding the origin of the syrupy, spongy dessert Rosogolla with both Odisha and West Bengal citing historical evidences to claim Rosogolla‘s origin in their own state. Odisha's science and technology minister even set up government committees to trace origins of the dish  Odisha says that Rasagola was first served in Jagannath Temple, which is a 12th century shrine in . The word also finds mention in works of Balram Das, a 15th-century poet.  Whereas West Bengal maintained that Rasgulla was invented by Nobin Chandra Das, a Bengali confectioner in 1860s.  But, unfortunately for Odisha, West Bengal was awarded GI tag of Rasgulla in November 2017. It was such a joyous occasion for state that state government decided to celebrate November 14, 2018, as Rasgulla Divas.

Does it make West bengal winner?  The GI tag doesn‘t give the rosogolla to Bengal. It only states that ―BanglarRosogolla‖ (which has some specific characteristics such as the way it feels in the mouth and how sweet it is) originated in Bengal — not that the rosogolla/rasgulla itself did.

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 All West bengal efforts came to fruition in July 2019, when 'Odisha Rasagola' also got GI tag. Hence, The bitter war over rasagola appears to have ended in a draw GI was granted to Odisha rasagola.

Geographical Indication (GI Tag)  It is an insignia on products having a unique geographical origin and evolution over centuries with regard to its special quality or reputed attributes.  GI tag in India is governed by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. It is issued by the Geographical Indications Registry (Chennai)  It is a mark of authenticity and ensures that registered authorized users or at least those residing inside the geographic territory are allowed to use the popular product names.  Internationally, GIs are covered as an element of intellectual property rights under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.  They are also covered under the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.

Farakka ‘lock’ and Hilsa Fish (Source:- The IE, Economic Times)  It has been reported that an old project to facilitate the movement of Hilsa upstream along the Ganga to its spawning grounds of yore may come to fruition this year  Back in February 2019, the state government had unveiled a project to redesign the navigation lock at the Farakka Barrage to create a ―fish pass‖ for the Hilsa but the project has been stranded since then, but now it is picking up pace.  Hilsa is a salt water fish which migrates from Bay of Bengal to the fresh waters of Ganga to spawn. It is the national fish of Bangladesh and state symbol in the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura.  It received the status of ―Threatened Species‖ under IUCN red list.  Historical records also show that until the 1970s, the Hilsa fish would swim the Ganga upstream to — and even to Agra  But the construction of Farakka Barrage on the Ganga in 1975, disrupted the westward movement of the Hilsa fish. In Buxar on the border of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the last recorded catch of the Hilsa was made 32 years ago.  The barrage had a navigation lock that stopped the fish from swimming upstream beyond Farakka.

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 Now, there are plans to create ―fish ladders‖ to help the fish navigate the obstacle posed by the barrage.Fish passes — also known as fish ladders or fishways — aim to assist fish in crossing obstacles presented by dams and barrages.

Persons and Places in News from West Bengal A. Soumitra Chatterjee  Soumitra Chatterjee, veteran Bengali actor and Padma Bhushan awardee passed away due to COVID-19  He became the first Indian film personality to receive the Officier des Arts et Métiers, the highest award for arts given by the French government in 1999 and he also received a lifetime achievement award from Italy.  He received the 2011 Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his lifetime contribution to the film industry in 2012.  Soumitra Chatterjee received the Sangeet NatakAkademi Award in 1998 from the Sangeet NatakAkademi, Academy for the performing arts, government of India.

B. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Activities related to Netaji:-  Union Government decided to constitute a High Level Committee headed by the Home Minister to commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.  The Committee will also lend guidance to the commemoration activities in Delhi, Kolkata and other places associated with Netaji and Azad Hind Fauj, both in India as well as overseas.  A museum has been set up at Red Fort, in 2019.  The Union Culture Ministry is planning a museum in Kolkata and a permanent exhibition and a Light and Sound show on Netaji has been planned to be set up at Kolkata in the historic Victoria Memorial building.  Earlier, Prime Minister renamed 3 islands in Andaman and Nicobar.in the memory of Netaji. The Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, the Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep, and the Havelock Island as SwarajDweep. Netaji‘s beief contribution in India‘s Freedom struggle and development  He was a stalwart who committed himself towards ensuring every Indian leads a life of dignity  He was elected president of the Indian National Congress in 1938 and formed a national planning committee, which formulated a policy of broad industrialization  In 1943, he proclaimed the establishment of a provisional independent Indian government, with the help of forces, called Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj)

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C. Cooch Behar incident  Violence erupted in Cooch Behar‘s Sitalkuchi assembly constituency during voting resulting in 5 casualties.  According to Election Commission briefing, complete incident is due to misunderstanding where a boy having bad health was inquired by CISF personnel which local people misunderstood as intimidation.  As a result, locals raised hue and cry and assembled nearly 300 villagers including some women with household equipment that could hurt CISF personnel.  EC added that in this ―misunderstanding‖, mob attacked CISF personnel and EC officials.  On being attacked, CISF personnel fired in open air to disperse the crowd but it didn‘t deter the mob.  Faced with no other alternatives, to save the lives of officials and Govt property like EVM and vehicles, CISF personnel opened fire resulting in death of 4 people and several injured.  EC enforced strong Model Code of Conduct in the region with prohibiting entry of political leaders in the region for next 72 hours.

D. Buxa National Park  The 4th 2020 edition of ‗Buxa Bird Festival‘ held in Buxa National Park in Alipurduar district of West Bengal.  National park located in the Buxa Hills of the southern hilly area of Bhutan.  Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan.  Over 50 birdwatchers from across India and abroad have registered in the festival.  More than 300 rare species including the Sultan Tit, Greater Spotted Eagle and Great Hornbill visit the national park during this time of the year.  Buxa is a heaven for bird enthusiasts who watch and click photographs of the migratory birds. These migratory birds come from colder regions in the northern hemisphere.

E. Bengal basin (Source:- Business Standard)  Union Minister for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Steel dedicated the Bengal Basin, the eighth producing basin of India, to the nation at Asokenagar, West Bengal

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 The discovery was made by ONGG after seven decades of relentless endeavours by scientists and engineers of India.  The Bengal Basin is spread across nearly 1.22 lakh square kilometres, with nearly two-thirds of it falling under the waters of the Bay of Bengal  This has made the Bengal basin India‘s eighth producing basin, joining the ranks of Krishna-Godavari (KG), Mumbai Offshore, Assam Shelf, Rajasthan, Cauvery, Assam-Arakan Fold Belt and Cambay Benefits of new findings  The discovery would definitely reduce India‘s oil import dependence. India has planned to reduce its oil dependence on imports to 67% by 2022 as compared to 77% in 2013-14.  Will create employment and other economic opportunities in North 24 Parganas region and in state as whole.

Sunderban Conservation (Source:- Down to Earth, UNESCO site, IE) Context  World Wide Fund (WWF) India have partnered with the Government of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarbans to help save the world‘s only mangrove tiger habitat.  The powerful cyclone Amphanthat struck India and Bangladesh passed through the vast mangrove forests of the Sundarban delta.

Sunderbans  The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world, lies across India and Bangladesh on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal  The Sundarbans forest is about 10,000 sq km across India and Bangladesh, of which 40% lies in India.  The area is famously known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python. It is also the home to many rare and globally threatened wildlife species such as the estuarine crocodile, Royal Bengal Tiger, Water monitor lizard, Gangetic dolphin, and olive ridley turtles  Recent studies claim that the Indian Sundarban is home to 2,626 faunal species and 90% of the country‘s mangrove varieties.  Much of the area has long had the status of a forest reserve, but conservation efforts in India were stepped up with the creation of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973.

Various distinctions for Sunderban  Sundarbans National Park, established in 1984, constitutes a core region within the tiger reserve; it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987  Sundarbans was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2001  Sundarbans Wetland, India was recognised as the ‗Wetland of International Importance‘ under the Ramsar Convention in January 2019  The Sunderbans Delta is the only mangrove forest in the world inhabited by tigers

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Significance of Sundarbans  About 3.1 million people directly depends upon Sunderbans for their livelihood.  Indian Sundarban constitutes over 60% of the country‘s total mangrove forest area  The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt- tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes  They are of great economic importance as a storm barrier, shore stabiliser, nutrient and sediment trap, a source of timber and natural resources, and support a wide variety of aquatic, benthic and terrestrial organisms.  It serves as a protective flood barrier for the inhabitants of Kolkata during cyclone  The Sundarbans also supports threatened aquatic mammals such as the Irrawaddy and Ganges River dolphins and provides nesting grounds for marine turtles including the olive ridley, green and hawksbill.

Challenges in Sunderban Conservation  Lying in the low coastal zone makes the Sundarbans more vulnerable to the effects of the changing climatic conditions such as floods, , relative sea-level rise, and coastline erosion. Studies suggest that climate change is leading to increased salinity and higher tidal surges, and permanent submergence of land mass. This results in loss of critical habitat for biodiversity, both fauna and flora  The northern and western fringes of Indian Sundarban are heavily populated and lack of agricultural production and job opportunities haunt the remote villages. It results into intense biotic pressure on the forest from the fishermen, wood collectors, honey collectors and poachers. The organized timber and wildlife mafia exploit the poverty of the villagers.  Some of the islands within the mangrove forest do not experience regular inundation by tidal action, due to turtle-back shape at the center of the islands. This results into increase of salinity and formation of saline blanks which do not support any vegetation.

Solution  It is proposed to dig canals across some of these areas, on experimental basis, to facilitate tidal flooding and increased moisture in such barren areas  Man-animal conflict:- Illegal entry of fishermen into core areas as well as entry of honey-collectors into the forest also leads to killing of a no. of people by the tigers. Also, Due to their proximity to the mangrove forests, they are exposed to a unique set of biotic hazards, ranging from snakebites to tiger attacks.  Due to shortage of sweet water, agriculture in the region is highly under-developed and productivity is very low  Despite Sundarbans being a cyclone prone area, there is a lack of disaster shelters. There has been an increase in the cyclonic storms hitting the Sundarbans in the past few years and exposed all the mismanagement.

Conservation steps  Afforestation is carried on with fast-growing and indigenous species to meet the local demand of fuel/fodder and small timber.

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 Habitat Development Activities:-Development of water holes for catering the need of sweet water to the wild animals & Opening up canopy through construction of observation lines, which also help the growth of herbivores  WWF is working on creating Climate- smart villages in the Sundarbans. Climate Smart Villages are sites where farmers, researchers, local government and the private sector come together to understand which climate smart agriculture practices are best suited for a particular location  In order to prevent straying of tiger into villages, Nylon net as well as Goran chita fencing are being erected along the forest-village interface. Tranquilisation and capture of the straying animal and their subsequent release into the forest, is also frequently resorted to.  Speed boats have been supplied to facilitate faster movement of the patrolling staff posted in remote camps  Mobile Phones and Satellite Phones are provided to the senior officers to facilitate communication and organizing raids against the mafia in the city that indulges in poaching activities.

Cyclone Amphan effect on Sunderban  Cyclone Amphan, a massive storm surge and sustained winds of 170 kilometers (105 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 190 kph (118 mph)passed directly through the Sundarbans, devastating it and destroying the lives of the estimated 4.5 million people in the region that are tied to the fragile ecosystem  Cyclone also damaged almost the entire length of the 100-kilometer (62-mile) nylon fence that had been erected to prevent tigers from straying into human habitations  But it is the breaking of embankments, resulting in salt water pouring onto the land, which will have the most durable impact on livelihoods. Saline water kills freshwater fish in ponds in a day, most sources of drinking water disappear, and land can‘t be used for cultivation for up to five years.

What more should be done?  People of the area should be made aware about the issues faced by the Sundarbans. The farmers and their families need to be made to understand that they should embrace the issues or changes that they are facing. The Information Technology should be utilized effectively to spread the awareness regarding the issue of Sundarbans  Central and state governments should introduce alternatives for income generation so that the local people need not depend on the mangrove forest resources  A joint effort is required between India and Bangladesh to save the Sundarbans. The meeting should develop an action plan and should be monitored periodically  The local communities should be provided with funds so that they can consume other sources of nourishment. A regular auditing on the usage of the fund will be very helpful.  A community based eco-tourism model should be developed which would aim to benefit the whole of the community  Apart from the Center and State government initiatives, the local communities themselves has to take up some action plan. The people can adopt the concept of backyard farming instead of using the salinated lands. The local community should concentrate on preserving and protecting the wildlife especially the endangered species like the Bengal Tiger etc.

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Mangroves  A mangrove is a shrub or small tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. They are salt tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to life in harsh coastal conditions  Mangroves are the nature's shield against cyclones, ecological disasters and as protector of shorelines  They are also good source of timber, fuel and fodder and purifies air by absorbing pollutants in the air.  India has 3 percent of the total mangrove cover in South Asia  Mangrove Cover in India is 4975 sq km (0.15 percent of the total geographical area.) [ISFR Report}  West Bengal has 42.45 percent of India‘s mangrove cover (highest in the country.)

Cyclone Amphan (Source:- PIB, The Hindu, IE)  Cyclone Amphan (pronounced as UM-PUN, means sky) is a formed over Bay of Bengal that has intensified and turned into a ―super cyclonic storm (maximum wind speed is 120 knots). It has been named by Thailand.  It made landfall between (West Bengal) and Hathiya islands (Bangladesh). The regions of East Midnapore, North and , Howrah, Hooghly, and West Midnapore were heavily affected by the heavy rainfall.  North Odisha Coast faced the maximum impact after Amphan makes landfall with the wind speed of 110-120 mph  Amphan is the second pre-monsoon cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal in two years. The first one was Cyclone Fani.  It was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Ganges Delta since Sidr of the 2007 season and the first super cyclonic storm to have formed in the Bay of Bengal since the  Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) was used to track the cyclone Amphan  It was also the fourth super cyclone that hit West Bengal and Kolkata since 1582, after 1737, 1833 and 1942  The higher than normal temperatures in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) with the countrywide lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic have played a role turning a storm into a super cyclone.

How COVID lockdown aggravated the cyclone?  Reduced particulate matter emissions during the lockdown resulted in fewer aerosols, such as black carbon, that are known to reflect sunlight and heat away from the surface.Every year, the particulate pollution from the Indo- Gangetic plains is transported towards the BoB which influences the formation of clouds over the ocean.  The minimal presence of heat and sunlight reflecting aerosols in BoB resulted in fewer clouds and more heat. Further, it raised the temperature of BoB by 1-3°C higher than normal. Thus, the whole phenomenon has amplified the strength of the cyclone.  The higher temperatures and minimal presence of aerosols helped the cyclone Amphan to intensify itself from a category-1 cyclone to category-5 in 18 hours that is an unusually quick evolution.

Amphan caused  Cyclone caused over US$15.4 billion of damage. It is also the costliest cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean, surpassing the record held by Cyclone Nargis of 2008  State government has confirmed that 86 people have lost their lives in West Bengal.

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 Damaged almost the entire length of the 100-kilometer (62-mile) nylon fence that had been erected to prevent tigers from straying into human habitations  Led to overflow of seawater.  Redistribution of Sand  Lead to rise in river level causing submergence of low lying coastal areas.  Massive displacement of people. It affected the lives of the estimated 10 million people in the region.  Furthermore, It caused huge loss to Biodiversity.

What are Cyclones?  Cyclones are the formation of a very low-pressure system with very high-speed winds revolving around it. Factors like wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity contribute to the development of cyclones  Cyclones are further divided into Tropical and Temperate cyclones. India face Tropical cyclones because of its tropical location.  A tropical cyclone is a rapid rotating storm originating over tropical oceans from where it draws the energy to develop. It has a low pressure center and clouds spiraling towards the eyewall surrounding the "eye", the central part of the system where the weather is normally calm and free of clouds  A tropical cyclone brings very violent winds, torrential rain, high waves and, in some cases, very destructive storm surges and coastal flooding  Its diameter is typically around 200 to 500 km, but can reach 1000 km.

 This weather phenomenon is named with different terms depending on the location. In the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the North Atlantic Ocean, such a weather phenomenon is called "hurricane". In the western North Pacific, it is called "typhoon" and In the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, it is called "cyclone".

Why tropical cyclones formed in Bay of Bengal are destructive?  Tropical cyclones are less likely to form in the Indian Ocean than in the Atlantic or Pacific basins. But storms that do form in the warm, shallow waters of the Bay of Bengal have a reputation for being unusually destructive  This is because the Bay is semi-enclosed, so storms that form there are likely to strike land because they have not outlet for moving back out to sea.

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 Also, much of the coastline is densely populated and low-lying, so damage tends to be considerable when storms make landfall.

How West Bengal handled cyclone  Due to officials busy in managing COVID-19 lockdown, State faced lots of destruction from the cyclone.  As most of the cyclone shelters are already full with quarantined migrant workers who have returned due to the lockdown forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, administration had to use schools and colleges as shelters,  Given the COVID-19 pandemic, Government distributed more than two lakh masks among the evacuees and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits have been handed out to the State Disaster Relief Force personnel, who have been deployed in the vulnerable areas  The state government has also formed rapid response teams to ensure that tigers from Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas district do not stray into nearby human settlements after the landfall  Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL) and Indian Oil Corporation's (IOC) refinery in East Midnapore district were kept on high alert, while Kolkata Port Trust issued warnings to mariners and stopped movement of all vessels to and from its docks to prevent any damage to port assets and merchant ships.

Appreciation of Odisha in handling cyclones  Learning its lessons from the super-cyclone of 1999 which claimed 10,000 lives in Odisha, the eastern state has, over the years, emerged as a role model in disaster preparedness.  In the aftermath of Cyclone Fani, one of the worst cyclones to hit India‘s eastern coastline, Odisha had proved it is one of the most disaster-ready states in the world.  According to UN, Odisha‘s zero casualty approach to managing extreme weather events is a major contribution to the implementation of the Sendai Framework.

What makes Odisha champion in handling Cyclones every year?  Cyclone shelters:- The Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) designed some 800 multipurpose cyclone and flood shelters in the coastal districts in association with the Institute of Information Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.  Millions of SMS messages were sent out by Location Based Alert System (LBAS) and Group Based Alert System (GBAS) to warn people. The ―SATARK‖ (System for Assessing, Tracking and Alerting Disaster Risk Information based on Dynamic Risk Knowledge) of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has won the IT Excellence Award in 2019 for its innovative conception by using information technology in the field of disaster management.  Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) proved to be a saviour every time. Using the mechanism, OSDMA can activate sirens across 122 towers operational across the state‘s 480 km coastline, alerting the population at the press of a single button.  Disaster Management cannot be done without the cooperation at grass root levels. Thus, Empowering the community has been a big game-changer.Odisha has managed to create a sense of community during such disasters that other states can also emulate. Cyclone evacuation is a social process, and people‘s decision to evacuate depends on how they perceive the risk from the warning message.

Post elections violence (Source:- IE, The Hindu)  Recently, state was in the throes of widespread violence that allegedly left several political party workers dead and injured in clashes, and shops being looted.  This prompted Union Home Ministry to seek a factual report from state govt on incidents of attack on political parties workers.

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 Governor of West Bengal also asked Additional Chief Secretary to submit a report on the post poll violence.  Calcutta High Court directed the State government to file an affidavit on the post-poll violence.

History of Political violence in West Bengal  After Bengal emerged from post-Independence communal bloodbath, the seeds of violence were sown deep inside its political ethos in the 1960s.  Since the Congress was losing ground against Marxist powers, especially in the rural belts, the turf war between the state‘s two primary formations—the Congress and communists—became bloody and widespread  In one of the most macabre displays of political hatred and violence, members of the Sai family in Burdwan were butchered in 1970, just few months from state elections. The victims were ardent followers of the Congress and refused to switch allegiance to the CPI(M)  Records show that between 1972 and 1977, the Congress government headed by Siddhartha Shankar Ray then unleashed a fierce attack against the ultra-left i.e emerging Naxalism.  Fatal clashes between CPI(M) and TMC workers at Nandigram, where Bhattacharjee wanted to set up a chemical hub, became an election issue that led to the Left‘s downfall in 2011  The 2008 panchayat polls were rocked by violence which claimed more than 20 lives  The 2018 panchayat polls virtually took Bengal back in time. While only 10 people died on the day of polling, against an all-time high of 76 in 2003 and 39 in the 2013 rural polls, the elections stood out because of alleged electoral malpractices. The polls marked the rise of the BJP in Bengal.

Demand of President Rule in Bengal  The governor interacted with Chief Minister and reiterated the concerns around the post-poll-violence, arson, looting, and killings, further speculating the possibility of President‘s Rule.  Article 356 of the Constitution of India is based on Section 93 of the Government of India Act, 1935. Citing the failure of constitutional machinery and mechanisms within the state, President‘s rule can be imposed  If the President gets a report from the state‘s Governor stateing that the government cannot carry on the governance according to the provisions of the Constitution, there are grounds for President‘s rule under Article 356  Also, under Article 365, the President‘s rule can be imposed to any state that fails to comply with the directions given by the central government. However, in the current situation of West Bengal, Article 356 is relevant  Post the application of Article 356, the governor carries on with the administration of the state as a representative of the President. The legislative assembly stands suspended or dissolved by the President  The apex court in various landmark judgements noted that the proclamation of the President‘s Rule is subject to judicial review and onus of its justification is oncentre, and that serious allegations of corruption or financial instability cannot be the grounds to impose Article 356. (SR Bommai vs UOI case)  Punchhi Commission recommended that the centre should only focus on a troubled area and bring it under its jurisdiction instead of the entire state. The commission stated that the takeover of a troubled area must not last beyond a few months. The idea of a localised emergency was floated.  In case of West bengal, strong evidence would be required for the satisfaction of the governor, and consequently, the President, and also once it is challenged in the Supreme Court.

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Cyclone Yaas (Source:- The IE, The Hindu, TOI) About  Yaas, the tropical cyclonic storm that is expected to hit the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal next week, has been named by . Yaas refers to a tree that has a good fragrance and in English, the word is similar to Jasmine  It has originated from the East-central Bay of Bengal  The next cyclone—after Yaas—is likely to be named Gulab, suggested by Pakistan.

Preparedness for Cyclone Yaas  46 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been positioned for relief and rescue operations in various coastal Indian states and Union Territories including, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry  Even the Indian armed forces have been put on alert, several warships and aircraft have been set on standby for relief and rescue operations  Fishermen were advised not to venture into the southeast Bay of Bengal and the South Andaman Sea from May 21 onwards  SCATSAT-1 is used for weather forecasting, cyclone prediction, and tracking services.

Aftermath  PM announced a financial assistance of Rs 1000 crore for immediate relief activities. Rs 500 crore would be immediately given to Odisha. Another Rs 500 crores has been announced for West Bengal and Jharkhand, which will be released on the basis of the damage.  The Union Government will deploy an Inter-Ministerial Team to visit the states to assess the extent of damage, based on which further assistance will be given.

What are Cyclones?  Cyclones are the formation of a very low-pressure system with very high-speed winds revolving around it. Factors like wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity contribute to the development of cyclones  Cyclones are further divided into Tropical and Temperate cyclones. India face Tropical cyclones because of its tropical location.  A tropical cyclone is a rapid rotating storm originating over tropical oceans from where it draws the energy to develop. It has a low pressure center and clouds spiraling towards the eyewall surrounding the "eye", the central part of the system where the weather is normally calm and free of clouds  A tropical cyclone brings very violent winds, torrential rain, high waves and, in some cases, very destructive storm surges and coastal flooding.

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 Its diameter is typically around 200 to 500 km, but can reach 1000 km

Tropical Cyclones  Tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm that originates over warm tropical oceans and is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds, and heavy rain.  The temperature of the top layer of the sea, up to a depth of about 60 meters, need to be at least 28°C to support the formation of a cyclone. That is why the April-May and October-December periods are conducive for cyclones.  The low level of air above the waters needs to have an ‗anticlockwise‘ rotation (in the northern hemisphere; clockwise in the southern hemisphere).

How Cyclones named?  In 2000, a group of nations called WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation / United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), that comprised of countries like Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, and Thailand, decided to start naming cyclones in the region.  The WMO/ESCAP expanded to include five more countries in 2018 — Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen  After each country‘s suggestions, the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) finalised the list. The list of 169 cyclone names released by IMD in April 2020 were provided by these countries — 13 suggestions from each of the 13 countries.  The proposed name should be neutral to (a) politics and political figures (b) religious beliefs, (c) cultures and (d) gender  Also, name should be chosen in such a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any group of population over the globe  The maximum length of the name will be eight letters  Once used, it will cease to be used again. Thus, the name should be new.

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