Context

The Centre has been pushing cell phone makers in India to make their instruments compatible with NavIC.

More about the news:

• The Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) will soon be integrated into Aadhaar enrolment devices according to the Department of Space (DoS).
• The department has facilitated successful conduction of field trials, and is providing technical expertise in finalisation of procurement specification of the devices
• Currently the Aadhaar enrolment kits that are used to collect and verify personal details are linked to the American Global Positioning System (GPS).
• The process of making the devices compatible with NavIC will involve hardware alterations.

About NavIC

• ISRO has established a regional navigation satellite system (NavIC) to meet the positioning, navigation and timing requirements of the nation.
• It was erstwhile known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
• NavIC is designed with:
  • Three satellites placed in geostationary orbit. Four satellites are placed in inclined geosynchronous orbit with equatorial crossing.
  • The ground network: It consists of control centre, precise timing facility, range and integrity monitoring stations, etc.
• NavIC offers two services: Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users.
• NavIC coverage area includes India and a region up to 1500 km beyond Indian boundary.
• NavIC signals are designed to provide user position accuracy better than 20m and timing accuracy better than 50ns.
• NavIC SPS signals are interoperable with the other  global navigation satellite system signals namely GPS, Glonass, Galileo and BeiDou.

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Context:

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep the main policy instrument (Repo rate) unchanged at 6.50%.

More about the news:

• It has hiked the inflation projection from 5.1 per cent to 5.4 per cent for FY2024 in the wake of the high food inflation.
• All external benchmark lending rates (EBLR) linked to the repo rate will not rise which will provide some relief to borrowers.

About Monetary Policy:

• It is a function of the central bank, which is chiefly aimed at regulating the size and cost of money in the economic system.
• Duration: The policy is a bi-monthly affair announced 6 times in a financial year.
•  Monetary Policy Committee: It has six members nominated by RBI and the Ministry of Finance in equal numbers, including the RBI Governor as its Chairman who avails the right of casting vote in case of a tie in decisions.

About Repo Rate:

• The rate of interest the RBI charges from its clients on their short-term borrowing is the repo rate, this is an abbreviated form of the ‘rate of repurchase’.
• It is considered a discount on the dated government securities, which are deposited by institutions to borrow for the short term.
• Repo rate has direct relation with the interest rates banks charge on the loans they offer as it affects the operational cost of the banks.

News Source: The Hindu

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Context:

According to the Minister of Earth Sciences, nearly 2,880 people died due to lightning strikes in various states of the country in 2021.

More about the news:

• At least 2,800 people died every year from 2019-2022.
• Madhya Pradesh (496) reported the greatest number of casualties in 2021, followed by Bihar (287). 
• Despite thousands of casualties, lightning is not a notified disaster listed under the National Disaster Response Fund.
• The notified list of disasters eligible for National or State Disaster Response Fund assistance, includes 12 disasters:
  • Cyclone, Drought,   Earthquake,   Fire,   Flood,  Tsunami,   Hailstorm, Landslide,  Avalanche,   Cloud Burst,  Pest Attack,  Frost & Cold Wave

Mechanism of Lightning Strikes

• Lightning is a very rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, some of which is directed towards the Earth’s surface.
• Lightning discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall and the base of these clouds typically lies within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface.
• Water vapour moves upward in the cloud and the water droplets fall down to Earth.
• Collisions follow and trigger the release of electrons and as the moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons, a chain reaction happens.
•  This process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged, while the middle layer is negatively charged. In very little time, a massive current, of the order of 100,000 to a million amperes, starts to flow between the layers.
• An enormous amount of heat is produced, which gives the air column a reddish appearance during lightning. As the heated air column expands, it produces shock waves that result in thunder.

News Source: DTE,

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Context:

During the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23, a total of 45 projects costing Rs. 470.75 crore have been sanctioned by North Eastern Council (NEC) in Assam.

About North Eastern Council ( NEC):

• The NEC is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region which consists of the eight States:
  • Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
• Genesis:  The NEC was constituted as a statutory advisory body under the North Eastern Council Act 1971 for the rapid development of the Region.
• Nodal Ministry:  It falls under the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region.

Functions of the Council:

• Advisory body: It may discuss and make recommendations with regards to any matter
  • Concerning inter-State transport.
  • Related to power or flood control projects.
  • Economic and Social planning.
• Securing: Balanced development of the North-Eastern areas.
• Review:
  • Implementation of the projects and schemes from time to time.
  • Measures taken by the states for the maintenance of security and public order.

News Source: PIB, 

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Context: 

• A Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in order to overturn the impact of the Supreme Court verdict in Anoop Baranwal Case on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).

More about the news:

• It seeks to replace the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991, which does not contain provisions regarding the candidates’ qualifications, or the search committee.

Supreme Court Verdict in Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India:

• Selection of CEC and EC: A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a high-power committee consisting of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India must select the Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) and(Election Commissioners ECs).
• Issue of funding the EC: The Court left the issue to the government. It recognised the urgent need to provide for a permanent Secretariat and to provide that the expenditure be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.
• Issue of removal of ECs: On the issue of whether the process of removal of Election Commissioners must be the same as it is for the CEC, the Court ruled that it cannot be the same.

Features of the Bill:

• Selection Committee: The Bill seeks to establish a committee of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM for selecting members of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Search Committee: A Search Committee will prepare a panel of five persons for the consideration of the Selection Committee.
  • Currently, the Law Minister suggests a pool of suitable candidates to the Prime Minister for consideration. The President makes the appointment on the advice of the PM.
• Appointment Process: Search committee will be headed by the Cabinet Secretary and two officers not below the rank of Secretary to Government of India would prepare a panel of five names for the committee headed by the Prime Minister to decide. 
  • Candidates should hold or have held a post equivalent to Secretary to Government of India 
• Role of LOP: It also makes the Leader of Opposition (LOP) in Lok Sabha a member of the selection committee. If the LoP in the Lok Sabha has not been recognised as such, then the leader of the largest party in the Opposition shall be deemed the LoP.
• Salary: It says that the salary of the CEC and ECs would be equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary, as opposed to a Supreme Court judge, which is the case now.

Need of the bill:

Independence of Election Commission: Demand for an independent system for the appointment of members of the Election Commission goes back nearly 50 years. It has been repeatedly recommended by:

• Justice Tarkunde committee 1975; 
• Dinesh Goswami committee, May 1990;
• Second administrative reforms commission, January 2007
• Law Commission of India in its 255th report of March 2015

Addressing legal vacuum: Since there was no law made by Parliament as prescribed by the Constitution for the appointment of CEC and EC, the Bill now seeks to address this vacuum and set up a legislative process to make appointments to the EC.

Concerns with the Bill:

• Questions of independence of Select Committee: Composition of the Selection Committee in the Bill raises questions on whether the process is now independent or still rigged in favour of the Executive.
• Departure from Supreme Court Verdict: Introduction of this Bill will override the Supreme Court Constitution Bench’s judgment regarding the appointment of the CEC and other Election Commissioners.
• Protection to Election Commissioners: The judgment has left some critical issues unresolved like granting the same protection to Election Commissioners from being removed as provided by the Constitution to the Chief Election Commissioner.

Challenges with functioning of Election Commission:

• Non-transparent Selection Procedure: The lack of transparency in the appointment process for the CEC and the ECs which is currently based on the discretion of the ruling government.
• Flaws in Composition: The Constitution does not provide specific qualifications as well as security of tenure for members of the EC. The tenure and post-retirement restrictions of EC members are also not clearly defined. 
  • For example, the recent arbitrary appointment of Arun Goel as an Election Commissioner, a day later after he took voluntary retirement as Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries.
• Ambiguous Scope of Powers: The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) does not explicitly outline the extent of the Election Commission’s authority. Thus, there is confusion surrounding the nature and scope of the EC’s enforcement powers and decisions.
• Lack of Legal backing for MCC: While the MCC is formulated based on consensus among political parties, it lacks legal backing. It doesn’t hold statutory authority and relies solely on the moral and constitutional influence of the Election Commission.
• Enforcement Challenges: The Election Commission lacks the authority to disqualify candidates involved in electoral misconduct. Its power is limited to directing the initiation of legal proceedings. 
• Political Biases: There have been claims that the electoral organization has neglected to address alleged breaches by the governing party. 
  • For example, the Opposition accused the ruling party of contravening EC rules by appropriating credit for the heroic actions of armed forces in its campaign and using PM’s TV broadcast on an anti satellite missile test for political gain. In response, ECI took no action.
• Lack of regulatory powers: Election Commission lacks the necessary tools to govern political parties. It has no authority to impose inner-party democracy or regulate party funds.The election commission has no power to interfere in the politics within the parties. 
• Election machinery issues: Claims of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) malfunctioning, being hacked and failing to record votes erode the general public’s faith in ECI.

Way Forward:

• Independent Functioning: ECI should be kept separated from the executive, legislature, and judiciary. No organ should interfere with the working of the ECI because it leads to a reduction in the faith of the public.
• Regulatory Autonomy: It should have the authority to create regulations within the overarching policy guidelines set by the government.These regulations may require government approval before notification, replacing the current method where the government directly formulates regulations for these entities.
• Measures against criminalization of politics: The ECI should take strict measures against political criminalization. they should immediately disqualify that participant of the political party.
• Free and fair Election machinery: Employing Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and utilizing Vote Totalizer machines serve the purpose of safeguarding voters from potential harassment by political entities.
• Establishment of bipartisan committees: Concerns regarding malfunctions and possible tampering of EVMs can be effectively addressed by establishing bipartisan committees comprising representatives from all political parties, in conjunction with the insights of international experts.
• Parity among CEC and ECs: There must be similar election and removal procedures for CEC and ECs, and they must exercise the same powers unless specifically prescribed by law.

News Source: Indian Express 

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Context: 

Recently, International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem was observed on July 26.

More on the News:

• About Day: International Day was adopted by the General Conference of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2015.
• Aim: To raise awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem” and to promote solutions for their sustainable management, conservation and uses.
• Significance : Mangroves are located in “transitional intertidal zones.” i.e Mangrove ecosystems are at the intersection of SDGs 14 and 15 as they provide a buffer zone between life below water and life on land. 

About Mangroves:

• Location: Mangroves are found in tropical and subtropical areas, i.e., between 25°N and 25°S latitude. 
• Mangroves have specialized adaptation to survive in the extreme conditions of the coastal environment. 
• They have the ability to survive in waterlogged and anoxic soil, and to tolerate brackish water with the adaptations. 
  • Stilt Roots 
  • Pneumatophores 
  • Salt Excretory Glands 
  • Salt Excluding Roots 
  • Viviparous seeds
• There are 24-29 families and around 70 species in the world. 
• Global Number: In 2020, an estimated 147,359 km2 of mangrove forest globally, 51% of which occurred in the AsiaPacific, with 29% in the Americas and 20% in Africa. 
  • Indonesia has the largest area of mangrove forest – totalling 20% of the global total – followed by Brazil, Australia, Mexico and Nigeria, which together contain almost half of the world’s mangroves. 

India and Mangroves:

• India is home to about 3 percent of the total mangrove cover in South Asia, with the Sundarbans in West Bengal and Bhitarkanika mangroves in Odisha being the richest in diversity.
  • Sundarbans: It is one of the most biodiverse mangrove forests in the world.
  • It  is home to a wide variety of fauna, including the Bengal tiger, fishing cat, mangrove snakes, goliath heron, saltwater crocodile and water monitor lizard. 
• According to the India State of Forest report, the country’s mangrove forest cover has increased by 930-sq-km since 1987. 
• As per Forest Survey Report 2021, total mangrove cover in the country is 4,992 sq km. 
  • An increase of 17 sq Km in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2019. 
  • Top three states showing mangrove cover increase are Odisha (8 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (4 sq km) and Karnataka (3 sq km).

Significance:

• Disaster Mitigation: Mangrove coverage acts as a natural barrier, reducing the impact of waves and protecting coastal areas from erosion. 
  • It stabilizes sedimentation and mitigates coastal flooding, thus providing a valuable defence against natural disasters. 
  • A recent study estimated that India’s mangrove systems provide annual flood protection benefits of over $7.8 billion.
  • Ex: During Supercyclone Amphan in 2020, Sundarbans mangroves played a big role in protecting the life and livelihood of millions of people by acting as a bio-shield and protecting the embankments.
  • Mangroves are an essential part of the “build back better” strategy in response to sea storms, tsunamis, and cyclones.
• Ecosystem Services: Mangrove provide critical habitats of a diverse range of plant and animal species, and marine organisms, including commercially important fish species. 
  • Sundarbans host the world’s largest mangrove forest and are home to endangered species like the Bengal tiger and Ganges river dolphin.
• Natural Filter: Mangrove forests improve water quality and act as natural filters by trapping sediments, pollutants and excess nutrients. 
  • They play a role in the well-being of coastal communities and health of marine ecosystems.
• Carbon Sequestration: Mangrove ecosystems can absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass and sediments in a process known as sequestration. 
  • Globally, they are estimated to sequester 22.86 metric gigatonnes of CO2, which is about half the annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, land-use and industry. 
  • This buried carbon is known as “blue carbon” because it is stored underwater in coastal ecosystems like mangrove forests, seagrass beds and salt marshes. 
• Livelihood: Mangroves contribute significantly to the livelihoods of 900,000 fisher households in India. 
  • They support artisanal fisheries and provide food and income for the local population. 
  • Roughly about 60% of India’s coastal marine fish species are dependent on the mangrove ecosystem.
  • Mangrove forests play a crucial role in nurturing estuaries and supporting nature-based economies.
• Tourism and recreation: Mangroves provide opportunities for eco-tourism, birding, kayaking, and other nature-based activities that can support local communities’ sustainable economic growth.

Challenges faced by Mangrove Ecosystem:

• Stress on Mangrove: Mangroves are disappearing at a global loss rate of 1–2% per year, and the loss reached 35% during the last 20 years.
  • Since 1996, the planet’s mangrove coverage has declined by 11,700-sq- km—an area thrice the size of Goa—with South and Southeast Asia witnessing the most significant loss. 
• Declining Diversity: According to the IUCN red list, 11 of the 70 mangrove species in the world (16 percent) are at an elevated threat of extinction. 
  • Among them, two species, namely Sonneratia griffithii (critically endangered) and Heritiera fomes (endangered), are found in India.
  • 1,533 species are associated with mangroves in some way; 15% of which are threatened with extinction. Nearly 50% of mangrove-associated mammals, 22% of fishes, 16% of plants, 13% of amphibians and 8% of bird and reptile species are threatened with extinction.
• Rise in Sea Level: Sea levels are rising globally at a rate of more than 3 mm/ year.
  • It poses a major threat to mangrove ecosystems and the impacts are
  • Sediment erosion and loss of salt marsh habitats
  • Inundation stress and shift of mangroves towards landward side
  • Increased salinity at landward zone
• Oil Pollution: Oil spill causes physical suffocation and toxicological impacts to mangroves. 
  • Spilled oil covers the aerial breathing mangrove roots inhabiting gaseous exchange and disrupting oxygen transport to underground roots leading to death of trees. 
• Plastic Pollution: Mangrove ecosystems are at particular risk of being polluted by plastic carried from rivers to the sea. 
  • Southeast Asia is more affected by river-borne plastic pollution than any other region in the world.
• Lack of Protection: Mangroves outside reserve forests, sanctuaries and national parks in India are under threat as they do not have legal protections. 
• Reducing Freshwater: Mangroves faces the consequences of reduction in freshwater flow due to the damming of rivers. 
  • These impacts are particularly high in the estuaries like the Cauvery where the rainfall is also less.
• Urbanization: Infrastructure and housing schemes for increasing the human population are destroying the mangroves, as mangroves are drained and land is cleared to make space for urban projects.
• Other Factors: Industrial waste, fertilizer runoff, and deforestation contribute to mangrove destruction, with industrial waste, pesticide-containing runoff, and illegal tree logging causing 62% of mangrove loss.

Steps Taken for Conservation and Preservation of Mangrove

• Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI): To promote the conservation and responsible management of mangrove forests covering approximately 540-sq-km across 13 states and Union territories.
  • It will facilitate mangrove plantation along India’s coastline and on salt pan lands. 
  • The programme will operate through “convergence between MGNREGS, Campa Fund and other sources.
• Central Sector Scheme under National Coastal Mission Programme on ‘Conservation and Management of Mangroves and Coral Reefs’.
  • Under this programme, annual Management Action Plan (MAP) for conservation and management of mangroves are formulated and implemented in all the coastal States and Union Territories.
• Sustainable Aquaculture In Mangrove Ecosystem (SAIME) initiative
  • Aim: Promoting sustainable aquaculture practices in mangrove ecosystems, while also conserving and restoring mangrove forests.
• State Government Initiatives:
  • Maharashtra has a dedicated unit for mangrove and coastal biodiversity conservation. 
    • The unit combines the latest scientific knowledge and capacity-building platforms for local communities to advance restoration and conservation practices. 
  • West Bengal Mangrove Cell: It will bring government officials, forest personnel, NGOs and academics under a single platform to provide guidance on negotiating the challenges faced in conserving mangroves.

Way Forward

• Engaging Local Community in Conservation: Involving and enabling local communities is critical for long-term success. 
  • In Gujarat and Odisha, results have shown that engaging local communities as stewards of their ecosystems, creating incentives and fostering a collaborative approach among government officials and restoration programmes can yield positive results. 
• Policy Planning: Develop a comprehensive plan for the conservation and management of the mangrove forest, taking into account the local community’s needs and concerns.
  • Develop standardized metrics for mangrove conditions, identify local drivers of change, and evaluate policy and management measures’ effectiveness. 
• Pollution Abatement: Implement measures to reduce threats to the mangrove forest, such as controlling pollution, preventing illegal logging, and reducing coastal erosion.
• Afforestation: Encourage the planting of new mangrove trees to increase the forest’s size and improve its health.
  • Reducing mangrove deforestation rates would elevate the carbon benefit from climate change by 55–61%.
• Strict Monitoring: Monitor the effectiveness of conservation efforts using data such as satellite imagery, water quality tests, and biodiversity surveys.
• Limiting Human Activities: Human activities such as urbanization should be limited around the mangrove forests.
  • People who use mangroves for livelihoods should adopt sustainable approaches toward fisheries. 
• Awareness: Refine knowledge of species benefiting and impacted by mangrove degradation and loss to understand the impact of mangrove change on local biodiversity and develop effective conservation and recovery plans.

Conclusion

• Mangrove has a remarkable ability to adapt and recover from the impacts of climate change like sea-level rise and increased storm intensity. 
• Given that India’s economy is growing fast and greenhouse gas emissions are expected to peak between 2040 and 2045, we must safeguard and restore mangroves as a bulwark against air pollution.
• Their conservation and restoration can also enhance the resilience of India’s coastal regions.

News Source: Livemint

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