LUCENT IAS

THE HINDU + THE TRIBUNE IMPORTANT ARTICLES COMPILATIONS (with supplementary notes and questions) MAY 2020 Important for APSC CCE and UPSC CSE

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Quiz : Who authored the book The Argumentative Indian ?

The Constitution under Part IVA (Art 51A-Fundamental Duties) casts a duty on every citizen of to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures. Further, the Constitution of India under Part IV (Art 48A-Directive Principles of State Policies) stipulates that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.

Under The Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act,1981 the Central Pollution Control Board was established as the apex body. It also made provision for State Pollution Control Board at State level.According to this act, the “air pollutant” means any solid, liquid or gaseous substance (including noise) present in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to human beings or other living creatures or plants or property or environment.

The Indian government promulgated the Environment (Protection) Act in 1986, which is umbrella legislation to protect and improve the environment and to regulate the management and handling of hazardous substances and chemicals.

The Ministry of Environment,Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCL) was established in 1985.

The Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 were notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It was amended in 2000 and 2003.

In 2008, new rules entitled Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008 were notified to brought out a guide for manufacture, storage and import of hazardous chemicals and for management of hazardous wastes.These rules were further amended in the year 2009 & 2010.

Again in 2016, the new rules entitled The Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 were notified. Any waste, which by virtue of any of its physical, chemical, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive characteristics causes danger or is likely to cause danger to health or environment, whether alone or when in contact with other wastes or substances has been defined as hazardous. It was recently amended in 2019 by imposing certain bans on import of plastic waste materials for recycling in our country.

Articles 12-35 of Indian Constitution deal with Fundamental Rights.

1. Right to Equality (Article 14-18) 2. Right to Freedom (Article 19-22) 3. Right against Exploitation (Article 23-24)

4. Right to Freedom of Religion (Article 25-28) 5. Cultural and Educational Rights (Article 29-30) 6. Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32)

Note: The right to property is now a legal right and not a fundamental right. It was deleted from the list of fundamental rights by the 44th Constitutional Amendment .

Features of Fundamental Rights :

• Fundamental rights are different from ordinary legal rights in the manner in which they are enforced. If a legal right is violated, the aggrieved person cannot directly approach the SC bypassing the lower courts. He or she should first approach the lower courts.

• Some of the fundamental rights are available to all citizens while the rest are for all persons (citizens and foreigners). • Fundamental rights are not absolute rights. They have reasonable restrictions which means they are subject to the conditions of state security, public morality and decency and friendly relations with foreign countries. • They are justiciable, implying they are enforceable by courts. People can approach the SC directly in case of violation of fundamental rights. • Fundamental rights can be amended by the Parliament by a constitutional amendment but only if the amendment does not alter the basic structure of the Constitution . • Fundamental rights can be suspended during a national emergency. But, the rights guaranteed under Articles 20 and 21 cannot be suspended. • The application of fundamental rights can be restricted in an area which has been placed under martial law or military rule

Other Recent GI Tags :

• black rice : Chak-Hao, the scented glutinous rice which has been in cultivation in Manipur over centuries. • Gorakhpur terracotta : The terracotta work of Gorakhpur is a centuries-old traditional art form, where the potters make various animal figures like, horses, elephants, camel, goat, ox, etc. with hand-applied ornamentation. The application was filed by Laxmi Terracotta Murtikala Kendra in Uttar Pradesh. • Kovilpatti kadalai mittai : It is a candy made of peanuts held together with glistening syrup, and topped with wisps of grated coconut dyed pink, green and yellow.

Advantages of e-court :

• easy access to justice • personalised and private • will make litigation faster • transparent and cost-efficient • flexible retrieval and sharing of stored information.

Challenges :

• The e-filling process is riddled with endless complications. • Setting up state of the art e-courts will be costly. • Vulnerable to Hacking and cyber crime. • Non- availability/interrup ted availability of electricity and internet connectivity. • Litigant’s lack of confidence in the process due to lack of proximity.

Some other innovative measures adopted across the globe:

• The farmers of Tanzania smother their fence with a mixture of oil and chilli peppers. They also take help of bees to deter elephants.

• Experiment has been conducted in the Western Ghats with elephant tracking radio collars capable of automatically sending text message whenever the elephants approach human habitat.

• The farmers of Assam donated land planting fodder trees which created a natural barrier between elephants and human habitat

According to a report by UBS (an investment banking company) multinational companies are looking to diversify their supply chain away from China due to trade protectionist measures and risk of Covid -19 could look at India as an alternative destination for investment. In such a scenario and the Centre's vision associated with the Act East policy, the role of the NE states would be vital.

The factors of foreign investment include -

• Regulatory framework • Wage Rates

• Labour skills

• Tax rates

• Transport and Infrastructure

• Size of economy and its potential

for growth

• Political stability

• Existence of commodities

• Exchange rate • Access to free trade areas

Sunrise industry is a term used for a sector that is just in its infancy but shows promise of a rapid boom.

Existing Indian sectors that can be termed as Sunrise sectors and likely to hold us in good stead in the future in terms of employment generation and business growth are:

• Information Technology • Telecom Sector • Healthcare • Infrastructure Sector

• Retail Sector

• Food Processing Industries

• Fisheries

Vande Bharat Mission is the biggest evacuation exercise to bring back

Indian citizens stranded abroad amidst the coronavirus-induced travel restrictions. Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express will operate 64 flights to bring back stranded Indians from 12 countries. The entire cost of travel will be borne by the passengers under the mission.

Operation Samudra Setu :

Further, the Indian Navy has also launched Operation “Samudra Setu” (sea bridge) to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas.

INS Jalashwa and INS Magar are being operated as part of efforts to repatriate Indian nationals from foreign shores. History of India's evacuation missions :

1. India's evacuation of civilians from Kuwait during the 1990-91 Gulf war has been the world's largest evacuation exercise of civilians by air. Air India operated almost 500 flights in two months airlifting around 1,70,000 people.

2. Operation Raahat: An operation, launched by the Indian Armed Forces, to evacuate 4,640 Indian citizens and 960 foreign nationals of 41 countries from Yemen during the 2015 Yemeni Crisis.

3. Operation Maitri: It was a rescue and relief operation in Nepal carried out by the government of India and Indian armed forces in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.

4. Evacuation from Brussels after the three coordinated suicide bombings occurred in Belgium on March 22, 2016. A Jet Airways flight evacuated 242 Indians, including 28 Jet Airways crew members who had been stranded in Brussels.

5. Operation Safe Homecoming: It was an operation launched by the

Indian government on February 26, 2011 to evacuate its citizens, fleeing from the Libyan Civil War. The air-sea operation was conducted by the Indian Navy and Air India evacuating more than 15,000 Indians.

6. Operation Sukoon was an operation carried out by the Indian Navy to evacuate Indian, Sri Lankan and Nepalese nationals, as well as Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses, from the conflict zone during the 2006

Lebanon War.

Mission Sagar :

India on Sunday dispatched INS , carrying on board two medical assistance teams, medicines and essential food items, to countries in the southern Indian Ocean as part of the government's "Mission Sagar" initiative. The countries including Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles had requested India for assistance in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The medical assistance teams will be deployed in Mauritius and Comoros, helping their governments deal with COVID emergency and dengue fever (in case of Comoros), the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The ship will deliver consignments of COVID related essential medicines to Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles and about 600 tonnes of food items to the Maldives. In addition, in the case of Mauritius, a special consignment of Ayurvedic medicines is also being sent, the ministry further stated.

A team of select medical personnel was also dispatched to the Maldives to augment the preparedness of the Maldivian government to fight this crisis."Mission Sagar" is inspired by Prime Minister 's vision of SAGAR -- Security and Growth for All in the Region.

TRIFED :

The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987.

It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs. TRIFED has its Head Office located in New Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional Offices located at various places in the country.

The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products such as metal craft, tribal textiles, pottery, tribal paintings and pottery on which the tribals depends heavily for major portion of their income.

It mainly undertakes two functions viz. Minor Forest Produce (MFP) development and Retail Marketing and Development.

Probable Question for Mains : What challenges are being faced by the Handloom sector of Assam? Suggest some measures to mitigate the same.

The people of Toda tribe live in the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu. Their population was a little over 2000 as per the census of 2011. They speak a Dravidian language with no written script. They are basically cattle herders or farmers or depend upon the forest for livelihood. The most important deity is Tokisy. With time Hinduism and

Christianity have entered among the Todas. • Madhya Pradesh has the largest number of scheduled Tribes followed by Orissa

• The Scheduled Tribes in India form the largest proportion of the total population in Lakshadweep and

Mizoram followed by and .

• There are no Scheduled Tribes in Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh, Pondicherry, Haryana. • The definition of ST are dealt under Article 342 and Article 366(25) of Indian Constitution. • Ministry of Tribal Affairs is responsible for the overall development of the scheduled tribes in India. This Ministry was set up in 1999 after the bifurcation of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. • The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely- (i) the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC),

and (ii) the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) w.e.f. 19 February 2004.

Major tribes of the Northeast are

• : Apatanis, Abor, Dafla, Galong, Momba, Sherdukpen, Singpho, Nyishi, Mishmi, Idu, Taroan, Tagin, Adi, Monpa, Wancho • Assam: Chakma, Chutiya, Dimasa, Hajong, Garos, Khasis, Gangte, Karbi, Boro, Borokachari, Kachari, Sonwal, Miri, Rabha, Garo • Manipur: Naga, Kuki, Meitei, Aimol, Angami, Chiru, Maram, Monsang, Paite, Purum, Thadou, Anal, Mao, Tangkhul, Thadou, Poumai Naga.

• Meghalaya: Chakma, Garos, Hajong, Jaintias Khasis, Lakher, Pawai, Raba, Mikir.

• : Chakma, Dimasa, Khasi, Kuki, Lakher, Pawi, Raba, Synteng, Lushai

• Nagaland: Angami, Garo, Kachari, Kuki, Mikir, Nagas, Sema, Ao, Chakhesang, Konyak, Lotha, Phom, Rengma, Sangtam. • : Bhil, , Chaimal, Chakma, Halam, Khasia, Lushai, Mizel, Namte, Mag, Munda, Riang. • : Bhutia, Khas, Lepchas, Limboo, Tamang

The Constituent Assembly sat for the first time on 9 December 1946 and the draft constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949. Sachidanand Sinha presided over the first sitting. Later, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the President and H.C. Mukherjee as the Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly.

NBWL is a “Statutory Organization” constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Its primary role is to advise the Central Government on framing policies and measures for conservation of wildlife in the country.No alternation of boundaries in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval of the NBWL. The NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister.

The 5 Elephant Reserves in Assam are - Sonitpur Elephant Reserve, Dihing-Patkai Elephant Reserve, Kaziranga- Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve, Dhansiri-Lungding Elephant Reserve and Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve.

Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients. The idea behind this therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma.

In 1997, the murder of a Mizo forest guard at the Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram’s Mamit district allegedly by Bru militants led to a violent backlash against the community, forcing several thousand people to flee to neighbouring Tripura.

Jharkhand’s Sohrai Khovar painting and Telangana’s Telia Rumal were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry.

This year, many GI tags have been allocated. A few of them to count are- Kashmir saffron, Manipur black rice Chakkhao, Gorakhpur terracotta, Kovilpatti kadalai mittai etc.

Operation Green :

• It is a price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right price for their produce. • It aims to promote Farmer Producers Organizations (FPO), Agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management of agri-produce.

• It focuses on organized marketing of Tomatoes, Onions and Potatoes (TOP vegetables) by connecting farmers with consumers.

Essential Commodities Act :

• The ECA was enacted in 1955. The act provides for the control of production, supply, distribution, trade and commerce in any farm good deemed “essential” and “in the interest of the public”.

• The list of items under the Act includes drugs, fertilisers, pulses and edible oils, and petroleum and petroleum products.

• The Centre under the Act has the power to include new commodities as and when the need arises, and can take them off the list once the situation improves (in view of public interest).

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments.

Goals of WTO :

▪ The WTO’s global system lowers trade barriers through negotiation and operates under the principle of non-discrimination. o The result is reduced costs of production (because imports used in production are cheaper), reduced prices of finished goods and services, more choice and ultimately a lower cost of living.

▪ The WTO’s system deals with these in two ways. o One is by talking: countries negotiate rules that are acceptable to all.

o The other is by settling disputes about whether countries are playing by those agreed rules. ▪ The WTO can stimulate economic growth and employment.

▪ The WTO can cut the cost of doing business internationally. ▪ The WTO can encourage good governance. Transparency — shared information and knowledge — levels the playing field.

Prelims :

• Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is a defense contractor owned by the Indian government. OFB comprises forty-one ordnance factories. • Established in: 1712. • Headquarters: Kolkata. • Corporatisation of OFB will bring OFB at par with other Defense Public Sector Units (DPSU) of MoD and will provide operational freedom and flexibility to OFB which it presently lacks.

Mains :

• Impact of ease of restrictions of Indian air space and government's constant push for privatisation of civil aviation. • Role of introduction of commercial mining on economic development vis-a-vis its impact on environment. • Need for and significance of the amendments proposed in the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill,2020. • Many traditional core sectors of Indian economy are opened for private players as part of the policy reforms introduced by the Government to tackle the covid-19 hit economy. Critically analyse its strategic and economic significance

Q. Discuss the role of pisciculture in Assam economy.

How tropical cyclones are named?

• Cyclones that form in every ocean basin across the world are named by the regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs). • There are six RSMCs in the world, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and five TCWCs. • As an RSMC, the IMD names the cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, after following a standard procedure. The IMD is also mandated to issue advisories to 12 other countries in the region on the development of cyclones and storms.

Background:

• In 2000, a group of nations called WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), which comprised Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, decided to start naming cyclones in the region. • After each country sent in suggestions, the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) finalised the list. • The WMO/ESCAP expanded to include five more countries in 2018 — Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Why is it important to name cyclones?

• Adopting names for cyclones makes it easier for people to remember, as opposed to numbers and technical terms.

• Apart from the general public, it also helps the scientific community, the media, disaster managers etc.

• With a name, it is easy to identify individual cyclones, create awareness of its development, rapidly disseminate warnings to increased community preparedness and remove confusion where there are multiple cyclonic systems over a region.

While picking names for cyclones, here are some of the rules that countries need to follow. • The proposed name should be neutral to (a) politics and political figures (b) religious believes, (c) cultures and (d) gender • Name should be chosen in such a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any group of population over the globe • It should not be very rude and cruel in nature • It should be short, easy to pronounce and should not be offensive to any member • The maximum length of the name will be eight letters. • The proposed name should be provided with its pronunciation and voice over • The names of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean will not be repeated. Once used, it will cease to be used again. Thus, the name should be new. Other details :

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recently released a list of 169 names of future tropical cyclones that would emerge in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

• The new list of 169 names will begin after Cyclone Amphan. • Incidentally, the IMD has issued an alert for Cyclone Amphan, which is forming over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman sea. • The 13 names in the recent list that have been suggested by India include: Gati, Tej, Murasu, Aag, Vyom, Jhar (pronounced Jhor), Probaho, Neer, Prabhanjan, Ghurni, Ambud, Jaladhi and Vega. • The first cyclone name which will be chosen will be— Nisarga by Bangladesh. Next, India’s choice, Gati, will be chosen.

Quiz : Who was the British Governor General when the Treaty of Sugauli was signed?

Swargadeo Sarbananda Singh was a Moamoriya leader. He was Matak Chutia by ethnicity. He was the first ruler of the Matak Kingdom, with its capital in Bengmara, in what is now district of Assam.

He was the son of Merutnandan. He was succeeded by his eldest son Matibor Borsenapoti as the second ruler of the Matak Kingdom.

1. The medieval Bhakti Movement in Maharashtra can be broadly divided into two sects - Varakaris (devotees of God Vitthala) and Dharakaris (devotees of God Rama). For instance, 14th century poet-saint Namdeva from Maharashtra belonged to Varakari sect.

2. Vijaynagar empire established in 1336 was the last Hindu empire to the south of the river Krishna. It was founded by two brothers Harihar and Bukka. Hampi in Karnataka was the capital city which is also a

UNESCO World Heritage Site now.

An invasive species is a species that is not native to a specific location, and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health

Gangetic river dolphin (Sihu) is the National Aquatic Animal. It is also the State Aquatic Animal of Assam and the Official Animal of .

It is among the four freshwater dolphins in the world- the other three are: • The ‘Baiji’ now likely extinct from

the Yangtze River in China,

• The ‘Bhulan’ of the Indus in Pakistan, and

• The ‘Boto’ of the Amazon River in Latin America.

These four species live only in rivers and lakes.

Protection status:

• IUCN - Endangered • CITES - Appendix-I • Wildlife Protection Act,1972 - Schedule-1

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district is India’s only sanctuary for its national aquatic animal.

Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas in India notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India around Protected Areas , National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. It can extend upto 10 Kms.