Natural Farming

Why in News?

Recently, Prime Minister Addressed a Natural Farming Conclave, where he urged farmers to take up Natural Farming.

What is Natural Farming?

• It is defined as a “chemical- free farming and livestock based”.
• Soundly grounded in agro-ecology, it is a diversified farming system that integrates crops, trees and livestock, allowing the optimum use of functional biodiversity.
• It holds the promise of enhancing farmers’ income while delivering many other benefits, such as restoration of soil fertility and environmental health, and mitigating and/or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
  • This farming approach was introduced by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer and philosopher, in his 1975 book The One-Straw Revolution.
• Internationally, Natural Farming is considered a form of regenerative agriculture—a prominent strategy to save the planet.
• In India, Natural farming is promoted as Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme (BPKP) under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY).
  • BPKP is aimed at promoting traditional indigenous practices which reduce externally purchased inputs.

What is the Significance of Natural Farming?

• Minimized Cost of Production:
  • It is considered as a cost- effective farming practice with scope for raising employment and rural development.
• Ensures Better Health:
  • As Natural Farming does not use any synthetic chemicals, health risks and hazards are eliminated. The food has higher nutrition density and therefore offers better health benefits.
• Employment Generation:
  • It generates employment on account of natural farming input enterprises, value addition, marketing in local areas, etc. The surplus from natural farming is invested in the village itself.
  • As it has the potential to generate employment, thereby stemming the migration of rural youth.
• Environment Conservation:
  • It ensures better soil biology, improved agrobiodiversity and a more judicious usage of water with much smaller carbon and nitrogen footprints.
• Livestock Sustainability:
  • The integration of livestock in the farming system plays an important role in Natural farming and helps in restoring the ecosystem. Eco Friendly bio-inputs, such as Jivamrit and Beejamrit, are prepared from cow dung and urine, and other natural products.
• Resilience:
  • The changes in soil structure with the help of organic carbon, no/low tillage and plant diversity are supporting plant growth even under extreme situations like severe droughts and withstanding severe flood and wind damage during cyclones.
  • NF impacts many farmers positively by imparting resilience to the crops against weather extremities.

What are the Issues Related to Natural Farming?

• Decline in Yields:
  • Sikkim (India's first organic state), has seen some decline in yields following conversion to organic farming.
  • Many farmers have reverted to conventional farming after seeing their ZBNF ( Zero-Budget Natural Farming) returns drop after a few years.
• Unable to Boost Productivity and Income:
  • While ZBNF has definitely helped preserve soil fertility, its role in boosting productivity and farmers’ income isn’t conclusive yet.
• Lack of Availability of Natural Inputs:
  • An often-cited barrier by farmers in transitioning to chemical-free agriculture is the lack of readily available natural inputs. Not every farmer has the time, patience, or labour to develop their own inputs.
• Nutrient Deficiencies:
  • A study in Nature Sustainability states that while the nutrient value of the natural inputs is similar to the chemical ones used in low-input farms (farms using lower quantities of fertilisers and pesticides), it is less in high-input farms.
  • When such nutrient deficiencies are aggregated at a large scale, it might hamper the yield over the years, potentially leading to food security concerns.

Way Forward

• There is a need to Focus on promoting natural farming in rainfed areas beyond the Gangetic basin.
  • Rainfed regions use only a third of the fertilisers per hectare compared to the areas where irrigation is prevalent.
• Microenterprises that produce inputs for chemical-free agriculture shall be provided support from the government to address the challenge of unavailability of readily available natural inputs, the promotion of natural farming needs to be combined with the setting up of village-level input preparation and sales shops.
• The government should facilitate an ecosystem in which farmers learn from and support each other while making the transition.
• Beyond evolving the curriculum in agricultural universities, there is a need to upskill the agriculture extension workers on sustainable agriculture practices.

Source: TH

NFSA Ranking 2022

Why in News?

Recently, the first edition of the State Ranking Index for National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 was released.

What is the Index all About?

• About:
  • The index seeks to document the status and progress of the implementation of NFSA across the country and various reform initiatives after consultation with the states.
  • It highlights the reforms undertaken by the States and Union Territories and creates a cross-learning environment and scale-up reform measures by all the States and Union Territories.
  • The current index is largely focused on NFSA distribution and will include future buyouts, PMKGAY (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) distributions.
• Basis of the Assessment:
  • The index for ranking of States and UTs is built on three key pillars, which cover end-to-end implementation of NFSA through Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). These pillars are-
    • NFSA- coverage, targeting and provisions of the Act
    • Delivery platforms and
    • Nutrition initiatives

In what ways did the states Perform?

• General Category States:
  • Odisha is ranked first followed by Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh in second and third position.
• Special Category States:
  • Tripura ranks top among the special category states (the North-eastern States, Himalayan States, and Island States).
  • Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim are in second and third place, respectively.
• Worst Performers:
  • Punjab, Haryana and Delhi are among the states at the bottom five.

What is the significance of the Index?

• The findings from the exercise revealed that most states and union territories have fared well in digitization, Aadhaar seeding, and ePoS installation, which reiterates the strength and scale of the reforms.
  • However, states and union territories can improve their performance in a few areas. Exercises, such as conducting and documenting social audits thoroughly and operationalizing functions of state food commissions across states and union territories, will further bolster the true spirit of the Act.
• It will lead to healthy competition among States to further their enhance performance.

What are the Issues Related to the Index?

• It excludes projects and schemes carried out by other ministries and departments within the NFSA.
• The Index merely indicates the efficiency of TPDS operations; it does not reflect the level of hunger, malnutrition, or both in a certain state or union area.

Why Odisha Ranking Matter?

• Odisha has followed the adoption of the NFSA in the state in 2015 with robust end-to-end computerization of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) operations. 
• A 3.25 crore digitized beneficiaries database has been hosted in the public domain and is dynamically updated at 378 ration card management system (RCMS) centers, one in each of 314 blocks and 64 urban local bodies (ULBs).
• Furthermore, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department's 152 food storage facilities have been totally automated, with real-time electronic recording of 1.87 lakh MT foodgrains sent to 12,133 fair pricing stores across the State.
• From July 2021, the One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC) programme was introduced across the state. 
  • After its implementation, PDS beneficiaries can now choose any fair pricing retailer of their choice and convenience to get their monthly benefits.
  • Every month, approximately 1.10 lakh families receive rations through the intra-state facility and 533 families through the inter-state programme.

What is NFSA?

• Notified on: 10^th September, 2013.
• Objective: To provide for food and nutritional security in the human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantities of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.
• Coverage: 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
  • Overall, NFSA caters to 67% of the total population.
• Eligibility:
  • Priority Households to be covered under TPDS, according to guidelines by the State government.
  • Households covered under existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
• Provisions:
  • 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
  • The existing AAY household will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
  • Meal and maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000 to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child birth.
  • Meals for children upto 14 years of age.
  • Food security allowance to beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals.
  • Setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms at the district and state level.

Source: BS

22nd National Fish Farmers Day

Why in News?

National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying celebrated the 22^nd National Fish Farmers Day (10^th July 2022) to demonstrate solidarity with all fisher folk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders throughout the country.

What are the Key Points?

• About:
  • National Fish Farmers Day is celebrated in the memory of scientists Dr K. H. Alikunhi and Dr H. L. Chaudhury.
    • Both of them successfully demonstrated Hypophysation (technology of induced breeding) in Indian Major Carps (common name for several species of fish) on 10^th July 1957.
• Aim:
  • To recognise the accomplishments and contribution of fish farmers, aquapreneurs (entrepreneurs in the water sector) and fisherfolks in the growth of the fisheries sector in the country.
  • To draw attention to changing the way the country manages fisheries resources to ensure sustainable stocks and healthy ecosystems.

What is the Significance of the Fisheries Sector?

• Sunrise Sector:
  • The fisheries sector plays a vital role in economic and overall development of the country. Referred to as the “sunrise sector”, the fisheries sector is poised to bring in immense potential through equitable and inclusive growth.
  • Fisheries is one of the fastest growing sectors amongst the primary producing sectors.
• Second Major Producer:
  • India is the second major producer of fish through aquaculture in the world.
  • India is the 4^th largest exporter of fish in the world as it contributes 7.7% to the global fish production.
• Employment Generation:
  • Currently, this sector provides livelihood to more than 2.8 crore people within the country. Nevertheless, this is a sector with untapped potential.
    • The Economic Survey of India, 2019-20 estimated that, only 58% of the country's inland potential has been tapped so far.
• Opportunities for Fishermen and Fish Farmers:
  • The unrealised potential of the fisheries sector offers varied opportunities for bringing in scalable business solutions and maximizing the benefits for the fishermen and fish farmers.
    • In order to realize the true potential of the fisheries sector, technological breakthroughs are required for enhancing production, productivity and efficiency of the fisheries’ value chain.

Source: PIB

Amarnath Flash Flood

Why in the News?

Recently, flash floods caused landslips near the Baltal base camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal area.

• At least 13 people, mainly Amarnath pilgrims, have died and dozens went missing after flash floods.

What do we know about the Amarnath Flash Flood?

• Flash Flood:
  • These are sudden surges in water levels generally during or following an intense spell of rain.
  • These are highly localised events of short duration with a very high peak and usually have less than six hours between the occurrence of the rainfall and peak flood.
  • The flood situation worsens in the presence of choked drainage lines or encroachments obstructing the natural flow of water.
• Causes:
  • It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, tropical storm, or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields.
  • Flash Floods can also occur due to Dam or Levee Breaks, and/or Mudslides (Debris Flow).
  • In areas on or near volcanoes, flash floods have also occurred after eruptions, when glaciers have been melted by the intense heat.
  • The intensity of the rainfall, the location and distribution of the rainfall, the land use and topography, vegetation types and growth/density, soil type, and soil water- content all determine just how quickly the Flash Flooding may occur, and influence where it may occur.

What do we know about Cloudburst?

• About:
  • Cloudbursts are short-duration, intense rainfall events over a small area.
  • It is a weather phenomenon with unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm/h over a geographical region of approximately 20-30 square km.
  • In the Indian Subcontinent, it generally occurs when a monsoon cloud drifts northwards, from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea across the plains then on to the Himalaya that sometimes brings 75 millimetres of rain per hour.
• Occurrence:
  • The relative humidity and cloud cover is at the maximum level with low temperature and slow winds because of which a high amount of clouds may get condensed at a very rapid rate and result in a cloudburst.
  • As temperatures increase, the atmosphere can hold more and more moisture and this moisture comes down as a short very intense rainfall for a short duration probably half an hour or one hour resulting in flash floods in the mountainous areas and urban floods in the cities.
• Cloudburst are Different from Rainfall:
  • Rain is condensed water falling from a cloud while cloudburst is a sudden heavy rainstorm.
  • Rain over 100mm per hour is categorized as a cloudburst.
  • The cloudburst is a natural phenomenon, but occurs quite unexpectedly, very abruptly, and rather drenching.
• Consequences of Cloudbursts:
  • Flash floods
  • Landslides
  • Mudflows
  • Land caving

Why do cloudbursts occur in hilly areas like Amarnath?

• In hilly areas, sometimes saturated clouds ready to condense into rain cannot produce rain, due to the upward movement of the very warm current of air.
  • Instead of falling downwards, raindrops are carried upwards by the air current. New drops are formed and existing raindrops increase in size.
  • After a point, the raindrops become too heavy for the cloud to hold on to, and they drop down together in a quick flash.
• A study published in 2020 examined the meteorological factors behind the cloudburst over the Kedarnath region, where a cloudburst aided the devastating 2013 floods.
  • It found that during a cloudburst, the relative humidity and cloud cover was at the maximum level with low temperature and slow winds.

Source: TH

Meghalaya tribal council to revisit Instrument of Accession (IoA)

Why in News?

A tribal council in Meghalaya has called for a meeting of traditional heads to revisit the Instrument of Accession that made the Khasi domain a part of the Indian Union more than seven decades ago.

Why does Meghalaya tribal council want to revisit IoA?

• The need to revisit the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement was stressed by leaders in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). According to them, it is important to understand the paragraphs of the agreement, since many provisions are missing from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
• The Federation of Khasi States had sought special status, like Nagaland has under Article 371A, which protects socio-religious and customary practice of nagas with right to administration of civil & criminal justice as per Naga Customary laws.
  • Under Article 371A, Nagas also enjoys ownership and transfer of land and its resources.
• Recently, introduced the ‘Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021 might have infuriated few leaders of KHADC, as an interference to social and customary practices of Khasi people. The bill called for “equitable distribution” of parental property among siblings in the Khasi community.
• The KHADC said the provisions can be added to the Sixth Schedule, which “can be amended by Parliament”.

What is IoA?

• About:
  • The Instrument of Accession was a legal document first introduced by the Government of India Act 1935 and used in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British paramountcy to join one of the new dominions of India or Pakistan created by the Partition of British India.
  • The instruments of accession executed by the rulers, provided for the accession of states to the Dominion of India (or Pakistan) on three subjects, namely, defence, external affairs and communications.
• IoA and Meghalaya:
  • IoA with the Khasi hills state was signed with the Dominion of India between 15^th December, 1947, and 19^th March, 1948.
    • Meghalaya is divided into three regions dominated by as many matrilineal communities – the Khasis, Garos and Jaintias.
    • The Khasi hills straddle 25 Himas or States that formed the Federation of Khasi States.
  • The conditional treaty with these States was signed by Governor General of India, Chakravarty Rajagopalachari on 17^th August, 1948.

Source: TH

Oncolytic Virotherapy for Treating Cancer

Why in News?

Researchers in the US have developed a novel strategy in Oncolytic Virotherapy (OV) to improve a cancer therapy that can kill tumour cells while leaving nearby healthy tissues intact.

• Earlier a Monoclonal Antibody trial was held in the USA, where 12 patients were completely cured of rectal cancer without requiring any surgery or chemotherapy.

What is Oncolytic Virotherapy?

• Oncolytic viruses can kill cancer cells while leaving nearby healthy cells and tissues intact.
• In oncolytic virotherapy, the treatment also exerts its influence by activating an antitumor immune response made of immune cells such as Natural Killer (NK) cells.
• However, sometimes those natural killers limit the oncolytic viruses, and so despite the exciting development in the OV field in recent years, there is room for improvement to tackle some limitations, including the relatively weak therapeutic activity and lack of means for effective systemic delivery.

What is the Novel Approach?

• A region of the gene is deleted which shows to activate the signaling pathway that enables the virus to replicate in normal cells.
• It consists of a new oncolytic virus called FusOn-H2, based on the Herpes simplex 2 virus, (HSV-2), commonly known as genital herpes.
• Arming FusOn-H2 with a chimeric NK engager that can engage the infiltrated natural killer cells with tumour cells can significantly enhance the effectiveness of this virotherapy.

Source: ET

Open Acreage Licensing Programme

Why in News?

Recently, the Government of India has launched the OALP Bid Round-VIII, offering 10 blocks for International Competitive Bidding.

What do we know about OALP?

• The Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) replacing the erstwhile New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) was approved in March 2016 and the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) along with the National Data Repository (NDR) were launched in June 2017 as the key drivers to accelerate the Exploration and Production (E&P) activities in India.
• Under OALP, companies are allowed to carve out areas they want to explore oil and gas in. Companies can put in an expression of interest for any area throughout the year but such interests are accumulated thrice in a year. The areas sought are then put on auction.

What do we know about HELP?

• About:
  • It stands for Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy.
  • The new policy promises simpler rules, tax breaks, pricing and marketing freedom and is part of a government strategy to double oil and gas output by 2022-23.
• Functions of HELP:
  • Uniform Licensing
    • HELP provides for a uniform licensing system that will cover all hydrocarbons such as oil, gas, and coal bed methane.
      • Under NELP, separate licenses were issued for exploring different types of hydrocarbons.
      • This leads to additional costs, as a separate license is required if a different type of hydrocarbon is found while exploring a certain type.
  • Revenue Sharing Model
    • HELP provides for a revenue sharing model, the government will receive a share of the gross revenue from the sale of oil, and gas, etc and will not be concerned with the cost incurred.
      • The NELP was profit sharing model, where profits are shared between Government and the contractor after recovery of cost.
      • Under NELP, it became necessary for the Government to scrutinize cost details of private participants and this led to many delays and disputes.
  • Pricing
    • HELP has marketing and pricing freedom.
      • Before HELP, contracts were based on production sharing with the possibility of gold plating (incorporation of costly and unnecessary features) the investment and causing loss to the government by ‘manipulating profit’.
      • To reduce the complexity of handling contracts, it was changed to revenue sharing.
    • Under the new system, a graded system of royalty rates were introduced.
      • Under this system the royalty rates will decrease from shallow water (where cost of exploration and risks are lower) to deep water (where cost and risks are higher) to ultra-deep water areas.

What are the Advantages of HELP?

• It provides for marketing freedom for crude oil and natural gas produced from these blocks. This is in tune with the Government's policy of “Minimum Government –Maximum Governance”.
• Under NELP, it became necessary for the Government to scrutinize cost details of private participants and this led to many delays and disputes. HELP is in tune with the Government's efforts to promote ‘Ease of Doing Business’.
• HELP marks the biggest transition from an era of government control to government support for upstream E&P (exploration, development and production) in India.
  • OALP removes restrictions on exploration by giving companies both the data and the discretion to explore areas of their choice.

Source: PIB

Conservation of Ancient Buddhist site

Why in News?

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will conserve the Ancient Buddhist site on the bank of Bhima River near Kanaganahalli (forming part of Sannati site) in Kalaburagi district, Karnataka.

• The conservation project will reset the remains of Maha Stupa retrieved in the excavation to their original positions without much ornamentation and reconstructing of fallen portions of the Ayaka platforms using newly-fabricated bricks of the same size, shape and texture.

What are the Findings of the Excavation?

• Ashokan Edict:
  • The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the pillars, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire who reigned from 268 BCE to 232 BCE.
• Maha Stupa:
  • A Maha Stupa was discovered which was referred to as Adholoka Maha Chaitya (the Great Stupa of the netherworlds) in the inscriptions and, more significantly, the stone-portrait of Emperor Ashoka, surrounded by his queens and female attendants.
    • The Maha Stupa is believed to have been developed in three constructional phases – Maurya, Early Satavahana and Later Satavahana periods stretching from 3^rd Century B.C. to 3rd Century A.D.
    • The Stupa is believed to have been destroyed in an earthquake.
  • Stupa is one of the largest of its time, the stone-portrait is considered to be the only surviving image of the Mauryan Emperor which had the inscription ‘Raya Asoko’ in Brahmi on it.
• Other Findings:
  • Sculptural rendering of Jataka stories.
    • The Jatakas are an important part of Buddhist art and literature.
    • They describe the previous existences or births of the Buddha (the Enlightened One) when he appeared as Bodhisattvas (beings who are yet to attain enlightenment or moksha), in both human and non-human forms.
  • Shatavahana monarchs and certain unique depictions of Buddhist missionaries sent by Ashoka to different parts.
  • 72 drum-slabs decorated with a variety of Dharma-Chakras.
  • Sculptures of Yakshas and lion.
    • Yakshas (male nature spirits) are personifications of the natural world.
    • Over time they were worshipped as minor gods in both the Buddhist and Hindu pantheons, often functioning as protectors of the earth's riches, and they became associated with wealth.
  • Brahmi inscriptions with varied paleographical features.
    • Brahmi script is one of the oldest writing systems, having been used in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia during the final centuries BCE and the early centuries CE.

Source: TH

Airline Turbulence

Why in News?

Recently, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet over degradation of safety margins of its aircraft.

Why do such Incidents take Place?

• Financial Reasons:
  • Spicejet reported a consolidated net loss of Rs.1,259.21 crore for the nine month period ended 31^st December 2021 and is yet to declare its results for the full financial year 2022.
    • This leads to situations where an airline company is not able to pay the vendors and falls short of spare parts, as most of the vendors carry out business on “cash and carry" basis.
• Ignorance to Defaults:
  • Many captains blame the organizational culture where pilots are forced to fly despite defects being unresolved and rules given a goby.
    • For instance, a DGCA surprise check at a training centre in March 2022 revealed that SpiceJet was training its pilots on a simulator despite a faulty stick shaker which warns a pilot if there is an imminent fall.
    • The training was part of the return to service of the infamous Boeing 737 MAX planes which were grounded across the world after two air crashes.
      • The DGCA barred 90 of SpiceJet's pilots from flying the MAXs until they were re-trained.

What Do We Know About DGCA?

• It is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• It is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation primarily dealing with safety issues.
• It is responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards.
• It also co-ordinates all regulatory functions with the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

What Can the DGCA Do?

• The Aircraft Rules 1937 empower the DGCA to impose a fine of Rs. 1 crore, detain any aircraft if it can lead to danger to persons in the aircraft or to any other persons or property.
• The regulator can also suspend the airline's air operator's certificate (AOC) which is a prerequisite for offering commercial air services in the country or curtail the airline's schedule, i.e., flights.

Source: TH