• 15 Nov 2024

Janjatiya Gaurav Divas 2024

Why in News?

Recently, The Prime Minister paid tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary, commemorated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (15th November).

Key Points

• About Janjatiya Gaurav Divas:
  • It is celebrated every year to recognize the efforts of the tribals in the preservation of cultural heritage and promotion of Indian values of national pride, valour, and hospitality.
  • Tribals held several tribal movements across different regions of India against the British colonial rule. These tribal communities include Tamars, Santhals, Khasis, Bhils, Mizos, and Kols to name a few.
• Birsa Munda:

• Birsa Munda born on 15^th November 1875 was a member of the Munda Tribe of the Chhota Nagpur Plateau.
• He was an Indian freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero.
• He spearheaded an Indian tribal religious Millenarian movement during British rule in the late 19^th century across the tribal belt of modern-day Jharkhand and Bihar.
  • Birsa was a close observer of the Sardari Larai movement in the region in the 1880s, which sought to restore tribal rights through nonviolent means such as petitioning the British government. These demands, however, were ignored by the harsh colonial authority.
• The tribals were quickly demoted from landowners to labourers under the zamindari system, which resulted in Birsa taking up the cause of the Adivasis.
• Birsa Munda went on to form Birsait, a new religion.
  • The religion preached the belief in a single God and urged people to return to their old religious convictions. People began to refer to him as a cost-effective religious healer, a miracle worker, and a preacher.
• People from Oraon and Munda became convinced Birsaites, and many began calling him 'Dharti Abba, meaning Father of the Earth.' He brought a fresh perspective to the religious realm.
• Birsa Munda led the rebellion that came to be known as Ulgulan (revolt) or the Munda rebellion against the British government-imposed feudal state system.
• He awakened the masses and sowed the seeds of revolt in them against the landlords as well as the Britishers.
• His struggle against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to the passing of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908 which restricted the passing of land from the tribal people to non-tribals.

Project Cheetah

Why in News?

Recently, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have assessed Project Cheetah in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, and claim it has been a successful initiative by the central government.

• This has inspired the government to accelerate plans to implement a similar project in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS).

Key Points

• Project Cheetah:
  • It is a central government initiative aimed at reintroducing cheetahs, extinct from India, back into the country to contribute to global cheetah conservation.
    • The first batch of cheetahs arrived in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, in 2022 from Namibia, followed by a second batch from South Africa in 2023.
• Key Outcomes:
  • The mortality rate among the introduced cheetahs has been lower than the expected 50% threshold within the first year.
  • Out of the 20 imported cheetahs, 12 have survived, indicating a survival rate of around 60%, exceeding initial expectations.
  • 17 cubs have been born to the cheetahs introduced in Kuno, with 12 currently surviving.
• Wildlife Institute of India:
  • It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
  • It was established in 1982.
  • It is based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
  • It offers training programs, academic courses, and advisory in wildlife research and management.

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location:
  • Notified in 1974, encompassing the districts of Mandsaur and Neemuch in western Madhya Pradesh, bordering Rajasthan.
  • The Chambal River bifurcates the sanctuary into two nearly equal parts, with the Gandhi Sagar Dam situated within the sanctuary.
• Ecosystem:
  • Its ecosystem is characterised by its rocky terrain and shallow topsoil, which supports a savanna ecosystem.
  • This comprises open grasslands interspersed with dry deciduous trees and shrubs. Additionally, the riverine valleys within the sanctuary are evergreen.
• Ideal Habitat for Cheetahs:
  • The sanctuary's resemblance to the Maasai Mara, a renowned national reserve in Kenya known for its savanna wilderness and abundant wildlife, highlights its suitability for cheetahs.

Sukhna Lake Declared Eco-Sensitive Zone

Why in News?

Recently, The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, declared an area from 1 km to 2.035 km around the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) in Panchkula district, Haryana for the purpose of preventing, controlling and abating environment pollution.

Key Points

• The total area of the ESZ covers a total of 24.60 sq km.
• Prohibited and Regulated Activities in ESZ:
  • Activities are regulated under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
  • Prohibited Activities:
    • Commercial mining, stone quarrying, crushing units, and new sawmills.
    • Establishing industries causing pollution (water, air, soil, noise).
    • Use or production of hazardous substances and commercial use of firewood.
    • Discharge of untreated effluents into natural water bodies or land areas.
• About Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary:
  • The Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over 25.98 square km (about 6420 acres), is under the administrative control of the Union territory of Chandigarh and shares its boundaries with Haryana and Punjab.
  • The sanctuary is located in the Shivalik foothills, which are considered ecologically sensitive and geologically unstable.
  • It is home to at least seven Schedule 1 animal species of the Wildlife Act, 1972, including leopard, Indian pangolin, sambar, golden jackal, king cobra, python, and monitor lizard.
    • The Schedule 1 species are considered endangered and in need of immediate protection.
  • Besides, there are Schedule 2 animal species like reptiles, butterflies, trees, shrubs, climbers, herbs, and 250 bird species that inhabit the sanctuary.
    • In 2020, the Punjab and Haryana High Court declared Sukhna Lake a "living entity" and directed the Environment Ministry to establish at least a 1 km ESZ from the sanctuary’s boundary in Punjab and Haryana.

Eco Sensitive Zones (ESZ)

• The National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) stipulated that state governments should declare land falling within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.
• While the 10-km rule is implemented as a general principle, the extent of its application can vary. Areas beyond 10 km can also be notified by the Union government as ESZs, if they hold larger ecologically important “sensitive corridors”.

150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister launched a commemorative stamp and coin to mark the 150^th birth anniversary of tribal icon and freedom fighter Birsa Munda in Bihar’s Jamui district.

Key Points

• Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas Celebration:
  • The Centre declared November 15, Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary, as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in 2021.
  • The 2024 event also initiates year-long celebrations for the 150^th anniversary of Birsa Munda’s birth.
• Various Projects and Initiatives:
  • The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation for various tribal welfare projects totaling over Rs 6,640 crore.
  • The PM also inaugurated two tribal freedom fighter museums and tribal research institutes.
  • Foundation stones were laid for 1.16 lakh homes under the Dharti Aba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Yojana and 25,000 homes under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) scheme for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
  • Approximately 50 mobile medical units were launched to improve healthcare in tribal regions.
  • 10 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) for tribal students, including hostels across the country were inaugurated.
  • The government has enhanced tribal education through EMRSs, scholarships, and other educational opportunities.
• Exhibition Honoring Tribal Legacy:
  • The PM engaged with beneficiaries of welfare schemes and visited an exhibition honoring the legacy of Birsa Munda and other tribal freedom fighters.
  • The exhibition includes artwork from EMRS students and literature on the life and struggles of Birsa Munda, as well as displays highlighting tribal history and achievements.

Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan

• Originally named the PM Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA), is an umbrella scheme to implement existing schemes across 63,000 Scheduled Tribe-majority villages.
  • Dharti Aaba refers to Birsa Munda, a 19^th-century tribal leader and anti-colonial icon from Jharkhand.
• The initiative aims to address critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, and livelihood through 25 interventions implemented by various 17 Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.

Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)

• PM-JANMAN was launched on 15^th November 2023, to improve the socio-economic welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• It is implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in collaboration with the State governments and the PVTGs communities.
  • It encompasses various sectors, including safe housing under the PM-Awas Scheme, access to clean drinking water, improved healthcare, education, nutrition, road and telecommunications connectivity, as well as opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
• The plan also includes the establishment of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras for trading in forest produce, off-grid solar power systems for 1 lakh households, and solar street lights.
• The scheme is expected to enhance the quality of life and well-being of the PVTGs, by addressing their multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and exclusion, and by recognizing and valuing their unique and valuable contribution to national and global development.

Sahakar Kisan Kalyan Yojana

Why in News?

Recently, the Rajasthan government introduced the Sahakar Kisan Kalyan Yojana, first-ever interest subvention scheme for long-term cooperative agricultural and non-agricultural loans.

• This scheme aims to boost farm output and increase farmers' incomes.

Key Points

• About the Scheme:
  • Under the Sahakar Kisan Kalyan Yojana, farmers secure loans from primary cooperative land development banks and Central cooperative banks in Rajasthan.
  • The scheme incentivizes timely loan repayments, offering lower interest rates through subsidies.
• Interest Subsidies:
  • Farmers will receive a 7% interest subsidy on agricultural loans if they repay on time.
  • A 5% subsidy will be provided for timely repayment of non-agricultural loans.
• Purpose:
  • Farmers often take cooperative loans for deepening tube wells, drip irrigation, land levelling, greenhouse setup, solar installations, vermicompost production, silkworm rearing, and beekeeping.
• Financial Provisions and Interest Rates:
  • Rs 39.75 crore has been allocated for the interest subsidy.
    • With the subsidy, farmers will pay a reduced interest rate of 4% on agricultural loans and 3.5% on non-agricultural loans.