Context:

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Green Energy Corridor Phase-II, an inter-state transmission system for a 13-gigawatt renewable energy project in Ladakh.

Empowering Green Energy Corridor: The Transformative Power Grid Project in Northern India

• Completion Target: 2029-30.
• Project Cost: It is estimated to cost ₹20,773.70 crore, with central financial assistance at 40%. 
• Implementing Agency: Power Grid Corporation of India Limited(POWERGRID)
• Transmission Line: The transmission line will run through Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, integrating with the National Grid in Haryana.
• Significance: 
  • Clean Energy Target: The project contributes to achieving the target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030
  • Employment Opportunities: It is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment in the power and related sectors, particularly in the Ladakh region.
  • Expansion of Green Energy Corridor: This project complements the ongoing Intra-State Transmission System Green Energy Corridor Phase-II in several states for grid integration and power evacuation.

News Source: Livemint

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Context:

• There is a growing demand to open the Ratna Bhandar (treasure room) of the Puri Jagannath Temple.

Jagannath Temple Ratna Bhandar: A Precious Heritage Enshrined in Secrecy

• The Ratna Bhandar of the Puri Jagannath Temple houses precious ornaments donated by devotees and erstwhile kings. 
• Ratna Bhandar comprises two chambers: The Bhitar Bhandar (inner chamber) and Bahara Bhandar (outer chamber).
  • The outer chamber is opened regularly to fetch ornaments for the deities. The inner chamber has not opened in the past 38 years.

• Process to Open the Treasure House: Permission from the Odisha government is required. An attempt in 2018 was unsuccessful due to missing keys. A judicial inquiry was ordered to investigate the key’s loss.

Jagannath Temple: A Timeless Marvel of Kalinga Architecture and Devotion

• The Jagannath Temple is one of the four dhams (char dham) where Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu, is worshiped there with His elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra 
  • Other than Jagannath Temple, the three are (Dwarika, Badrinath & Rameswar). 
• The present temple was built in the 12th century and begun by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, first of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
• The image of Jagannath is made of wood and is ceremoniously replaced periodically by an exact replica.
• Jagannath Temple is built in the Kalinga style of architecture, with the Pancharatha (Five chariots) and is built on an elevated platform.
• Feature of Kalinga style of architecture:
  • Resembles Nagara style but with a distinctive regional variation.
  • Exhibits a step-like built structure.
  • Follows the Rekha Deula architectural style, comprising the sanctum sanctorum (deula), Mukhashalam, Nata mandir, and Bhoga Mandapa.

News Source: The Indian Express

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Context:

• The inclusion of the Hattee community in Himachal Pradesh’s Scheduled Tribes (ST) list has led to confusion in the Tribal Development Department. 

Hattees Community: A Matter of Identity

• Hattees are uncertain about the identity of the “Hattees” and whether individuals already classified as Scheduled Castes (SC) should be included in this community.
• The Tribal Development Department has written to the Tribal Affairs Ministry seeking clarification on this point.

Hattee Harmony: The Close-Knit Community of Giri and Tons

• The Hattees are a close-knit community who take their name from their traditional occupation of selling home-grown crops, vegetables, meat, and wool at small-town markets known as ‘haats’
• Location of Hattees: Himachal-Uttarakhand border in the basin of the Giri and Tons rivers, both tributaries of the Yamuna

Process for Inclusion in ST List

• The State government makes a recommendation to the Tribal Affairs Ministry.
• The Tribal Affairs Ministry reviews the recommendation and sends it to the Registrar General of India for approval.
• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes approves the recommendation.
• The Cabinet decides to include the tribe in the ST list.
• The final decision rests with the President’s office issuing a notification specifying the changes under powers vested in it from Articles 342.
• Any community’s inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes becomes effective only after the President assents to a Bill amending the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, following its passage by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Empowering India’s Scheduled Tribes: A Constitutional Perspective

• Population: According to the 2011 Census, the Scheduled Tribes account for 104 million representing 8.6% of the country’s population.
• Definition: Scheduled tribes (STs) in India are socially and economically disadvantaged groups. 
  • According to the Census of 1931, STs were referred to as “backward tribes” living in “Excluded” and “Partially Excluded” areas. 
  • The Government of India Act of 1935 provided for representation of “backward tribes” in provincial assemblies for the first time.
  • The criteria for recognizing STs is not defined in the Constitution of India.
• Constitutional Status: 
• Article 366(25): Article 366(25) of the Constitution outlines the process for defining STs.
  • Article 342(1): After consulting with the state’s governor (if applicable), the President can specify tribes or tribal communities as STs through a public notification.
  • Fifth Schedule: It lays out provisions for administering and controlling Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in States other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
  • Sixth Schedule: It deals with the administration of STs in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.

News Source: The Hindu

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Context:

• Cyclone Tej in the Arabian Sea, intensified into an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ near the coasts of Oman and Yemen as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Rising Cyclone Trends in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal: A Climate Change Impact

• Cyclones form over warm waters due to low-pressure systems. 
• The Bay of Bengal is slightly warmer. Because of climate change, the Arabian Sea side is also getting warmer, and as a result, the number of cyclones in the Arabian Sea is showing an increasing trend in the recent trend.

Cyclone Tej: India’s First 2023 Arabian Sea Weather Challenge

• A Cyclone is a rapid inward air circulation around a low-pressure area. In other words, it is a low-pressure system that forms over warm waters.
• It is the first post-monsoon cyclone of the 2023 season in the Arabian Sea. 
• Named by: It has been named by India. 
• Origin: Arabian Sea

Global Cyclone Naming Protocol: Collaborative Practices and Regional Roles

• Rotational Basis: Cyclones are named by countries on a rotational basis.
• Regional Meteorological Centers: Worldwide, six specialized regional meteorological centers (RSMCs) and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) are mandated for issuing advisories and naming tropical cyclones.
• IMD’s Role: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is one of the RSMCs providing advisories and naming for the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
• Member Countries: IMD serves 13 member countries under the WMO/Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (ESCAP) Panel, including Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Evolution of Cyclone Naming Process: Establishing Protocols and Collaborative Lists

• Agreement: The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones agreed to assign names to cyclones in the region in 2000, with naming starting in September 2004.
• List of 169 Names: IMD released a list of 169 cyclone names in 2020, with 13 suggestions from each of the 13 member countries.

Guiding Principles for Cyclone Naming Process: Ensuring Neutrality and Sensitivity

• Neutrality: Proposed names should neutralize politics, religious beliefs, cultures, and gender.
• Sensitivity: Names should avoid hurting the sentiments of any global population group.
• Respectful Nature: Names should not be rude or cruel and should be short, easy to pronounce, and non-offensive.
• Maximum Length: Cyclone names are limited to eight letters.

News Source: Indian Express

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Context:

• This article is based on an Editorial “State of global coastal adaptation efforts” which was published in Down to earth. Recently, the journal Nature Climate Change published a new study on the status of global coastal adaptation.

Global Coastal Adaptation Efforts: A Diverse Socioeconomic Perspective

• Findings regarding coastal adaptation efforts: No systematic correlation can be established between the level of adaptation effort and the level of socioeconomic development.
• Low-to-Moderate levels of adaptation efforts: These included Africa and Small Islands due to lower adaptive capacities.
• Moderate levels of adaptation efforts: This category included Australia and New Zealand. 
• High-to-Very-High adaptation efforts: Only around 13% of the case studies were placed in this category exclusively in Europe and North America.

Comprehensive Coastal Adaptation Strategies for a Changing World

• Coastal adaptation refers to the strategies put in place to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change, sea-level rise, and other environmental changes on coastal areas. 

• Coastal adaptation strategy involves:
  • Protection from Sea-Level Rise
  • Mitigation of Erosion
  • Resilience to Extreme Weather Events
  • Sustainable Land Use 
  • Restoration of Natural Ecosystems
  • Community Engagement
  • Infrastructure Resilience
  • Early Warning Systems

Assessing Global Coastal Adaptation

• The study assessed the state of global coastal adaptation by analyzing 61 coastal case studies, distributed across the world classified into four categories: 
  • A1: Urban areas with relatively high population and asset densities.
  • A2: Urban areas with relatively lower population and asset densities or middle-size cities. 
  • A3: Rural areas with high-value economic activities such as agriculture or tourism. 
  • A4: Rural areas with non-market high-value features like cultural or natural.
• Mumbai, Ghoramara (Sunderbans), Puri (Odisha) and Konkan regions fall under the ‘moderate-to-high’ category. 
  • Being a densely populated urban region, Mumbai is in the A1 category. Puri is in A2, Konkan region is a rural area with high-value economic activities (A3) and Ghoramara is a rural area with non-market high-value features (A4).

Need for Coastal Adaptation to Climate and Heritage

• Rising Sea-Level: It is primarily caused by the melting of polar ice caps which can lead to coastal erosion, increased flooding, and saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources. 
  • According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), by the end of the century the world may see a rise up to 1.1 meters, relative to 1986–2005.Climate Change: It is contributing to more frequent and severe weather events such as hurricanes, storm surges, and heavy rainfall which can lead to flooding, erosion, and damage to infrastructure.  
  • Global Climate Risk Index 2021: It ranked India 7th in the list of most affected countries in terms of exposure and vulnerability to climate risk events. 
• Population Growth: Many coastal areas are densely populated, and population growth in these regions continues to increase, making adaptation measures essential for protecting lives and property. 
  • For instance, almost two-thirds of the world’s cities with populations of over five million are already located in areas at risk of sea level rise, among them, megacities such as Chennai, Kolkata, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila.
• Protecting Biodiversity and Ecosystems: Coastal adaptation is essential to protect coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands, mangroves, and coral reefs which provide various services, including habitat for marine life and storm surge protection.
• Protecting Coastal Heritage: Many coastal areas are rich in cultural heritage, with historical sites and communities.
  • For example, Kolkali and Parichakali are the two popular folk art forms in Lakshadweep that are an integral part of the cultural milieu.

Assessing Challenges and Urgent Adaptation Needs

• Sea Level Rise: This rise is not uniform worldwide, and some regions are more vulnerable than others. The study identified certain Asian megacities, western tropical Pacific islands, and the western Indian Ocean as particularly at risk from sea-level rise. Other Vulnerable Regions: They include low-lying coastal areas, such as the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and small island states in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
• Internal Climate Variability: It can increase sea-level in some locations by 20%-30% more than what would result from climate change alone, exponentially increasing extreme flooding events. 
  • For example, the study predicts that coastal flooding events in Manila will occur 18 times more often by 2100 than in 2006 based solely on climate change. 
• High Adaptation Gap: Coastal adaptation efforts are short-sighted and focus on single hazards, inadequately addressing the root causes of climate exposure and vulnerability and were poorly monitored. For instance, globally, almost half of the 61 case studies show an adaptation gap higher than 50% and more than 20% faced a wide gap.
• • In India, there were no adaptation plans for the Konkan region. Although Mumbai has a climate action plan, its adaptation strategies did not accurately assess risks or specifically consider its vulnerable inhabitants’ adaptation needs.
• Economic Challenge: Coastal regions are often significant economic hubs, hosting industries like tourism, shipping, fishing, and commerce. 
  • Low-lying coastal settlements account for 14% of the global gross domestic product and face a severe risk of coastal flooding. 
• Assessment Challenges: Uncertainties are associated with predicting sea-level rise due to the complex and unpredictable interactions in the Earth’s climate system. 
  • It is critical for society to be aware of the potential of extreme sea-level rise to develop effective adaptation strategies.

A Holistic Path: Integrating Adaptive Strategies for Coastal Resilience

• Ensuring Comprehensive Study: Include other socio-geographical systems (such as cities, mountains, Arctic regions, and rural areas), biodiversity systems (transboundary ecosystems) and other sectors (health, infrastructure, water and food security, and peace) in future studies.
• Expanding Adaptation Framework: Involving four steps viz. information collection and awareness raising, planning and design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. 
  • Establish a framework for adaptation that is integrated within current coastal management processes and practices and takes a broader view on the subject.
• Introducing Needs-based Assessment: An emerging strategy that relies on requirements for deepening climate action, in particular with inequality in consideration which could provide a way to show the inequity problems at all levels.
• Providing Nature-Based Solutions: These solutions enhance natural defenses against coastal hazards and benefit biodiversity and water quality. 
  • For example, mangrove restoration, beach nourishment, and wetland preservation.
• Improving Infrastructure Resilience: This includes retrofitting existing infrastructure, designing building flood-resistant structures, elevating critical facilities, and enhancing stormwater management systems to reduce flood risks.

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Context:

• This article is based on an Editorial “SC directs Centre, states to ensure eradication of manual sewer cleaning in phases” which was published in The Economic Times. In a recent judgment, the Supreme Court(SC) gave directions to the Centre and states to take measures to eradicate manual sewer cleaning and improve the conditions of manual scavengers.

Upholding Dignity for Manual Scavengers: Reforms for Safe Sanitation Labor

• Compensation: The court directed the governments to pay Rs 30 lakh as compensation for sewer deaths. 
• Accountability: The court asked the Centre to establish an effective mechanism to enforce accountability in cases of sewer deaths during contracted and sewer-cleaning work that does not require individuals to enter sewers. 
• Standardized contract: The government should create a standardized contract to be used for contracts awarded by its agencies and corporations.
• Plan for National survey:  The National Commission for Safai Karamchari (NCSK), National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), and the secretary of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment should develop a plan for conducting a national survey within three months.

• Education and training: Suitable methods should be created to educate and train the committees involved. 
  • The Union, states, and Union territories are mandated to establish scholarships to ensure that the dependents of sewer victims receive a meaningful education.
• Role of NALSA: The SC directed the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)  to play a role in coordinating with state and district legal services committees for survey planning and execution and creating models for efficient compensation disbursement.
• Specialized portal: The SC called for creating a portal and dashboard including data on sewer deaths and victims, compensation status, rehabilitation measures, and existing policies. 

What is manual scavenging?

• Definition of manual scavenging: The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 defines ‘manual scavenger’ as “a person engaged in or employed for manually carrying human excreta”. 
• The Act recognizes manual scavenging as a “dehumanizing practice,” and cites a need to “correct the historical injustice and indignity suffered by the manual scavengers.”

The distinction between Manual Scavengers and Safai Karamcharis:

• Safai Karamcharis normally includes persons engaged as ‘Sweepers’ or ‘sanitation/cleaning workers’ in municipalities, government and private offices. 
• Manual Scavengers: These are usually self-employed or contract employees hired to scavenge individual or community dry latrines and open drains where night soil is disposed of.

Perpetuating Manual Scavenging: Why is it still prevalent in India?

• Deep-rooted caste hierarchy: The manual scavenging in India is enforced upon the Dalit community who live segregated from the mainstream.
• Lack of adequate compensation: Only 31% of identified manual scavengers benefited from government schemes, and only 2% participated in the training.
  • As per PEMSRA, identified they should receive one-time cash assistance (OTCA) of Rs 40,000 for skill development training for two years with a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000.
•  Lack of technology and investment in appropriate infrastructure: No steps have been taken to transform dry latrines into sanitary latrines.
  • Due to the existence of dry latrines which machines cannot clean, the task is done manually. 
• Negligence of government: The PEMSRA requires local authorities to conduct surveys. However, due to the apathetic attitudes of these authorities, there is no record at the grassroots level.
  • This has made it difficult for manual scavengers to be officially recognized.
  • There is a reluctance to identify manual scavengers as it would place a greater responsibility on the State for rehabilitation. 
• Social and economic challenges: Manual Scavengers face the dual challenges  of “liberation” from inhuman work/ Practice and “rehabilitation”.
  • Due to a lack of appropriate retraining and skill development, these workers are unable to transition to other employment and remain stuck in the vicious cycle of manu

Towards Empowerment: Government Initiatives for Sanitation Workers in India

• National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC): It is Apex Institution for all round socio-economic upliftment of the Safai Karamcharis and their dependents throughout India.
• Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers: It provides assistance to the identified manual scavengers and their dependents for their rehabilitation in alternative occupations.
• National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme:  It promotes mechanization, training, and protection gear besides health insurance.
• SafaiMitra Suraksha Challenge (SSC):  It aims to encourage cities to mechanize their sewer and septic tank cleaning operations to prevent deaths and fatalities of sanitation workers.

Way Forward: A Holistic Approach to Eradicating Manual Scavenging in India

• Mechanical Sewer Cleaning: Robots provide a safe and efficient alternative to manual scavenging.
  • Ex- Bandicoot is a robotic machine engineered to clean sewer manholes.
• Stricter Punishments: Rehabilitation and legal prosecution of those who employ people to clear feces is key. 
  • Those violating the PEMSRA should be given a two-year sentence of imprisonment, a fine of Rs 1 lakh, or both.
• Construction of eco-friendly toilets:  Models like Namma Toilets of Tamil Nadu Municipal Corporation, should be promoted through information sharing and assistance under SBM. 
  • By focusing on universal design and efficient water technology, these models provide the option of scalability as well. Thus allowing easy adoption in rural and urban areas.
• Implement recommendations of NHRC: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has made a series of recommendations to the Centre to eradicate manual scavenging:
  • Bringing a new Act on “hazardous cleaning” and taking strict action against local authorities who employ people as manual scavengers.
  • Accountability must be fixed for wrong reporting by the concerned authorities about the number of manual scavengers.
  • Broadening the definition of manual scavenging to cover other types of hazardous cleaning or enacting a new law for it.
  • Setting up a penal in law to prevent the discrimination and harassment faced by the children of manual scavengers and women manual scavengers.
  • Linking manual scavengers to schemes under which they can immediately start earning like MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act).
  • Centre to provide Rs10 lakh loan to manual scavengers’ family members so that they can start some business activity.

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