Dr. BR Ambedkar

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National Bamboo Mission

Why in News?

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture has formed an Advisory Group for streamlining the development of the Bamboo sector under the restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM).

What is the National Bamboo Mission?

• About:
  • The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched during 2018-19 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
  • NBM mainly focuses on the development of the complete value chain of Bamboo sector to link growers with consumers starting from planting material, plantation, creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing, marketing, micro, small & medium enterprises, skilled manpower and brand building initiative in a cluster approach mode.
• Objective:
  • To increase the area under bamboo plantation in non-forest Government and private lands to supplement farm income and contribute towards resilience to climate change.
  • Connecting farmers to markets so as to enable farmer producers to get a ready market for the bamboo grown and to increase the supply of appropriate raw material to the domestic industry.
  • It also endeavours to upgrade skills of traditional bamboo craftsmen as per the requirement of contemporary markets with a tie-up with enterprises and premier institutes.
• Nodal Ministry:
  • The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

What is the Potential of Bamboo?

• Significance:
  • The bamboo industry is witnessing a phase change by the opening of multiple avenues of resource utilization.
  • Bamboo is a versatile group of plants which is capable of providing ecological, economic and livelihood security to the people
  • Recently, the Prime Minister inaugurated the new terminal of the Bengaluru (Kempagowda) Airport in which the versatility of bamboo as an architectural and structural material has been proved and the destiny of this green resource defined as the ‘green steel’.
  • Apart from using in the construction sector as design and structural element, the potential of bamboo is multifaceted.
  • Ecofriendly mouldable granules from bamboo can replace the use of plastic. Bamboo is a reliable source for the ethanol and bio-energy production due to its fast rate of growth and abundance.
  • The market of Bamboo based lifestyle products, cutleries, home decors, handicrafts and cosmetics also is in a growth path.
• Status of Bamboo Production in India:
  • India has the highest area (13.96 million ha) under bamboo and is the second richest country, after China, in terms of bamboo diversity with 136 species (125 indigenous and 11 exotic).

Way Forward

• States need to take forward the objectives of the National Bamboo Mission which would contribute to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan through an “Aatmanirbhar Krishi (self-reliant farming).
• With the abundance of bamboo and its rapidly growing industry, India should aim to establish herself in global markets for both engineered and handcrafted products by increasing the exports even further.

Source: PIB

Mahaparinirvan Diwas

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister paid homage to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on Mahaparinirvan Diwas and recalled his exemplary service to our nation.

What is Mahaparinirvan Diwas?

• Parinirvana, regarded as one of the major principles as well as goals of Buddhism, is a Sanskrit term which means release or freedom after death.
  • As per the Buddhist text Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the death of Lord Buddha at the age of 80 is considered as the original Mahaparinirvan.
• 6^th December is observed to commemorate the unfathomable contribution to society given by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and his achievements. Owing to Ambedkar’s status as a Buddhist leader, his death anniversary is referred to as Mahaparinirvan Diwas.

Who was Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar?

• About:
  • Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a social reformer, jurist, economist, author, polyglot (knowing or using several languages) orator, a scholar, and thinker of comparative religions.
• Birth:
  • He was born in 1891 in Mhow, Central Province (now Madhya Pradesh).
• Brief Profile:
  • He is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution and was India's first Law Minister.
  • He was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee for the new Constitution.
  • He was a well-known statesman who fought for the rights of the Dalits and other socially backward classes.
• Contributions:
  • He led the Mahad Satyagraha in March 1927 against Hindus who were opposing the decision of the Municipal Board.
    • In 1926, the Municipal Board of Mahad (Maharashtra) passed an order to throw open the tank to all communities. Earlier, the untouchables were not allowed to use water from the Mahad tank.
  • He participated in all three Round Table Conferences.
  • In 1932, Dr. Ambedkar signed the Poona pact with Mahatma Gandhi, which abandoned the idea of separate electorates for the depressed classes (Communal Award).
    • However, the seats reserved for the depressed classes were increased from 71 to 147 in provincial legislatures and to 18% of the total in the Central Legislature.
  • His ideas before the Hilton Young Commission served as the foundation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Election and Designation:
  • In 1937, he was elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly as a legislator (MLA).
  • He was appointed to the Executive Council of Viceroy as a Labour member in 1942.
  • In 1947, Dr. Ambedkar accepted PM Nehru's invitation to become Minister of Law in the first Cabinet of independent India.
• Shift to Buddhism:
  • He resigned from the cabinet in 1951, over differences on the Hindu Code Bill.
  • He converted to Buddhism in 1956.
  • He was awarded India’s highest civilian honour the Bharat Ratna in 1990.
• Important Works:
  • Journals:
    • Mooknayak (1920)
    • Bahishkrit Bharat (1927)
    • Samatha (1929)
    • Janata (1930)
  • Books:
    • Annihilation of Caste
    • Buddha or Karl Marx
    • The Untouchable: Who are They and Why They Have Become Untouchables
    • Buddha and His Dhamma
    • The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women
  • Organisations:
    • Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (1923)
    • Independent Labor Party (1936)
    • Scheduled Castes Federation (1942)
• Death:
  • He died on 6^th December 1956.
    • Chaitya Bhoomi is a memorial to B R Ambedkar, located in Mumbai.
• Relevance of Ambedkar in Present Times:
  • Caste-based inequality in India still persists. While Dalits have acquired a political identity through reservation and forming their own political parties, they lack behind in social dimensions (health and education) and economic dimension.
  • There has been a rise of communal polarization and communalization of politics. It is necessary that Ambedkar's vision of constitutional morality must supersede religious morality to avoid permanent damage to the Indian Constitution.

Source: PIB

NSA Meet with Central Asia

Why in News?

The National Security Advisor (NSA) of India, for the first time, hosted a special meeting with his counterparts from Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

• Earlier in January 2022, the Prime Minister of India hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit in virtual format.

What are the Key Highlights about the Meetings of NSAs?

• 30^th Anniversary: This was the first time that NSAs of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were in Delhi for a high-level security meeting.
  • The meeting coincides with the 30^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and the Central Asian countries.
• Afghanistan the Centre of Talks: The focus was mainly on the security situation in Afghanistan and the threat of terrorism originating from the country under the Taliban.
• Deliberations over Chabahar: The NSAs supported India’s proposal to include Chabahar port within the framework of the INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor) connecting Iran to Russia via Central Asia.
• Other Deliberations: Deliberations over the need for collective and coordinated action against the “misuse of new and emerging technologies, arms and drugs trafficking, abuse of cyber space to spread disinformation and unmanned aerial systems”.
• Institutionalisation of Mechanism: During the summit, the leaders agreed to institutionalise the Summit mechanism by deciding to hold it biannually.
  • An India-Central Asia Secretariat in New Delhi would be set up to support the new mechanism.

How are India’s Relations with Central Asia?

• Historic Ties: Central Asia is undoubtedly a zone of India’s civilisational influence; the Ferghana Valley was India’s crossing-point of the Great Silk Road.
  • Buddhism also found inroads in several Central Asian cities in the form of Stupas and Monasteries.
  • Men of prominence such as Amir Khusrau, Dehlawi, Al-Biruni etc. having Central Asian roots came and made their name in India.
• Diplomatic Ties: India considers the Central Asian countries as the “heart of Asia” and they are also members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
  • Central Asian countries are “aware” of Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism and its links to various terror groups.
• Like-Mindedness in Combatting Terrorism: India and the Central Asian nations have similarities in approach in countering terrorism and the threat of radicalisation.
  • The latest meeting called for the early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, which India had first proposed in 1996, but has been held up for decades, primarily over differences on the definition of terrorism.
• India’s Role in Afghanistan Situation: India and the Central Asian countries have shared concerns over terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and its implications for regional security. India has been a strong proponent for re-establishing peace in Afghanistan.
  • In November 2021, India had hosted a regional dialogue on the situation in Afghanistan, which was attended by NSAs of Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
• Stand on Chabahar Port: India has registered significant progress recently through renovation of Chabahar port. It is also a member of the Ashgabat Agreement.
  • The port played an important role during the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan by delivering humanitarian goods to the Afghan people by international organisations.
    • Prior to the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, India delivered 100,000 tonnes of wheat and medicines to Afghanistan via the port’s Shahid Beheshti terminal developed by India.

What are the Challenges in Robust India-Central Asia Ties?

• There are obstructions of physical connectivity due to Pakistan’s hostility and Afghan instability.
• Politically, Central Asian countries are highly fragile and prone to threats like terrorism & Islamic fundamentalism making the region a volatile and unstable market.
• Involvement of China in the region by the Belt and Road Initiative has significantly undermined India’s influence in the region.
• Porous border and unbridled corruption along with the proximity with regions of soaring opium production (Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle) makes the region a powerhouse for drug and money trafficking.

Way Forward

• When others engage with Central Asia from their own perspectives; China from economic, Turkey from ethnic, and the Islamic world from religious - it would be befitting for India to give a cultural and historical perspective to the region through a summit-level annual meet.
  • A value-driven cultural policy can help strengthen India-Central Asia bonds.
• India’s growing global visibility and key contributions to multilateral forums like the SCO have catapulted India from an observer into a critical stakeholder in the region.
  • Central Asia provides India with the right platform to leverage its political, economic and cultural connections to play a leading role further in Eurasia.

Source: IE

Global Status of Black Soils: FAO

Why in News?

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) marked World Soil Day 2022 (5^th December) with the launch of its first Global Status on Black Soils, which are at greater risk than ever due to the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and land use change.

What are the Findings?

• Significance of Black Soil:
  • The ability of the soils to remove carbon from the atmosphere and lock it up in soil organic matter (called carbon sequestration) has been proposed as an important solution to mitigate human-induced climate change.
  • The inherent fertility of the soils makes them the food basket for many countries and are considered essential to the global food supply.
  • Black soils have the potential to provide 10% of the total Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) sequestration globally if they receive proper attention.
    • Europe and Eurasia have the highest potential at over 65% and Latin America and the Caribbean at around 10%.
  • Black soils were home to 2.86% of the global population and had 17.36% of cropland, 8.05% of global SOC stock and 30.06% SOC stock of global cropland.
  • However, despite representing a small portion of the world’s soils, black soils were key for food security and the global economy.
    • Globally in 2010, 66% of sunflower seeds, 51% of small millet, 42% of sugar beet, 30% of wheat and 26% of potatoes were harvested from black soils.
• Status of Black Soils:
  • Black soils are quickly losing their SOC stocks. They have lost 20 to 50% of their original SOC stock, with the carbon being released into the atmosphere mostly as carbon dioxide, exacerbating global warming.
• Causes of Losses in Black Soil:
  • Land-use change, unsustainable management practices and excessive use of agrochemicals are to blame.
  • Most of the black soils suffered from moderate to severe erosion processes, as well as nutrient imbalances, acidification and biodiversity loss.
• Food and Fertilizer Crisis:
  • Smallholder farmers, particularly from vulnerable countries across Africa, Latin America and Asia, lack access to organic and inorganic fertilizers and are currently facing a 300% increase in fertilizer prices.
  • Today, reduced availability and soaring fertilizer prices are driving increased food prices and food insecurity.
• Suggestions:
  • Preserving natural vegetation on black soils such as grasslands, forests and wetlands and adopting sustainable soil management approaches on cropped black soils are needed.
  • There is a need to work together to produce safe, nutritious and micronutrient-rich food in a sustainable way that avoids soil degradation, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and decreases agrifood systems pollution."

What is Black Soil?

• Black soils are characterised by a thick, dark-coloured soil horizon rich in organic matter.
  • They are found in Russia (327 million hectares), Kazakhstan (108 M ha), China (50 M ha), Argentina, Mongolia, Ukraine etc.
• Black soils are extremely fertile and can produce high agricultural yields due to their elevated moisture storage capacity.
• Black soils are rich in iron, lime, calcium, potassium, aluminum and magnesium but deficient in nitrogen, phosphorous.
• They constitute 5.6 % of global soils and contain 8.2 % of the world’s SOC stocks, approximately 56 billion tonnes of carbon.
  • Soil organic carbon is a measurable component of soil organic matter, which makes up just 2–10% of most soil's mass and has an important role in the physical, chemical and biological function of agricultural soils.
  • SOC refers only to the carbon component of organic compounds.
• This signifies their importance for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• With their inherent fertility, they are the food basket for many countries and are considered essential to the global food supply.

What is World Soil Day (WSD)?

• It was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002.
• The FAO has supported the formal establishment of WSD as a global awareness-raising platform under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership.
• 5^th December 2014 was designated as the first official WSD by the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
  • The day was chosen because it corresponds with the official birthday of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, who officially sanctioned the event.
• World Soil Day enjoins individuals to consider sustainably managing soil resources. The main goal of the day is to increase public awareness of the significant environmental issues that soil degradation can lead to, such as erosion, the loss of organic matter, and a drop in soil fertility.
• The theme for World Soil Day 2022 is "Soils, where food begins".

Source: DTE

Cyclone Mandous

Why in News?

Recently, it has been reported that a cyclone may impact the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from 8th December 2022 onwards.

What is Cyclone Mandous?

• Mandous is a slow-moving cyclone that often absorbs a lot of moisture, carries a humongous amount of rainfall and gains strength in the form of wind speeds.
• The name has been suggested by the United Arab Emirates.
• India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) predicted that the storm system may move in the west and northwestward directions and intensify into a depression by the evening of December 6.
  • It may subsequently strengthen further into a cyclone over southwest Bay of Bengal and move towards the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts by the morning of December 8.

What is a Cyclone?

• Cyclones are rapid inward air circulation around a low-pressure area. The air circulates in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere.
• Cyclones are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.
• The word Cyclone is derived from the Greek word Cyclos meaning the coils of a snake. It was coined by Henry Peddington because the tropical storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea appear like coiled serpents of the sea.
• There are two types of cyclones:
  • Tropical cyclones;
  • Extra Tropical cyclones (also called Temperate cyclones or middle latitude cyclones or Frontal cyclones or Wave Cyclones).
• The World Meteorological Organisation uses the term 'Tropical Cyclone’ to cover weather systems in which winds exceed ‘Gale Force’ (minimum of 63 km per hour).
  • Tropical cyclones develop in the region between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer.
    • They are large-scale weather systems developing over tropical or subtropical waters, where they get organized into surface wind circulation.
  • Extra tropical cyclones occur in temperate zones and high latitude regions, though they are known to originate in the Polar Regions.

How are Names of Cyclones Decided?

• 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.
• 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.

Source: DTE

National Telemedicine Service of India: eSanjeevani

Why in News?

Recently, National telemedicine service of India, eSanjeevani achieved 8 crore teleconsultations.

• It surpassed records by registering 1 crore consultations in approximately 5 weeks.

What is eSanjeevani?

• About:
  • It is a national doctor to doctor telemedicine service that strives to provide an alternative to the conventional physical consultations via digital platform.
  • eSanjeevani is a cohesive part of Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission (ABDHM), and more than 45,000 ABHA IDs have been generated via eSanjeevani application.
  • Leading ten states for usage of this platform are: Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana and Gujarat.
• Two Verticles:
  • Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) Programme:
    • It endeavors to bridge rural-urban digital health divide by providing assisted teleconsultations.
    • It ensures that e-beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Scheme are able to avail of the benefits they are entitled to.
    • This vertical operates on a Hub-and-Spoke model wherein the AB-HWCs set up at state level, act as spokes, are mapped with the hub (comprising MBBS/ Specialty/Super-Specialty doctors) at zonal level.
    • This model has been successfully implemented in 1,09,748 AB-HWC and 14,188 Hubs, hence, achieving a total of 7,11,58,968 teleconsultations.
  • eSanjeevaniOPD:
    • It caters to citizens in both rural and urban areas.
    • It leverages technology via smartphones, tablets, laptops enabling doctor consultations to be accessible from the patient’s residence regardless of location.
    • eSanjeevaniOPD has trained and onboarded 2,22,026 specialists, doctors and health workers.
      • This platform has an impressive record of having served over 4.34 lakhs patients in one day.
    • eSanjeevaniOPD – Stay Home OPD has been developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Mohali, a premier R&D organization of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Significance:
  • These platforms can be a gamechanger for people in the rural areas who do not have easy access to medical specialists located in cities.
  • Telemedicine saves time and cost. Further, these platforms are in line with the government’s vision of ‘Digital India’ and necessary to tackle situations like Covid-19.

Source: PIB

India Development Report: WB

Why in News?

The World Bank (WB) in its India Development Report titled ‘Navigating the Storm’, upgraded its growth forecast for India’s economy in 2022-23 to 6.9%.

• In October 2022, the WB had cut India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth forecast to 6.5 % from 7.5 % earlier.

What are the Key Highlights?

• Growth Projection:
  • The Bank expects the Indian economy to grow at a slightly slower 6.6% in 2023-24 as a challenging external environment and faltering global growth will affect its economic outlook through different channels.
• Growth Drivers:
  • India’s resilience in economic activity despite a deteriorating external environment.
    • India’s economy has been remarkably resilient to the deteriorating external environment, and strong macroeconomic fundamentals have placed it in good stead compared to other emerging market economies.
  • Strong private consumption and investment.
  • The government’s focus on bolstering capital expenditure also supported domestic demand in the first half of 2022-23.
  • India has a large domestic market and is relatively less exposed to international trade flows
  • Continued robust growth of domestic demand at the start of Q3 (October to December quarter), 2022-23.
  • A well-crafted and prudent policy response to global spillovers is helping India navigate global and domestic challenges.
• Challenges:
  • The impact of a tightening global monetary policy cycle, slowing global growth and elevated commodity prices (inflation) and rising borrowing costs will affect domestic demand, particularly private consumption in FY2023/24, while slowing global growth will inhibit growth in demand for India’s exports. These factors mean that the Indian economy will experience lower growth in FY23 compared to FY22.
• Suggestions:
  • The renewable energy and green economy sectors can create a lot of jobs.
  • It cautions about trade-offs between trying to limit the adverse impact of global spillovers on growth and the available policy space.

Source: IE