EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
16th April 2021
Odisha forest dept claims dolphin population doubled in a year
Recently, Odisha has released the final data on the dolphin census, indicating a spectacular growth in numbers.
- Census Data:
- The population of dolphins in Chilika, India’s largest brackish water lake, and along the Odisha coast has doubled this year (2021) compared with last year.
- Three species were recorded during the census, with 544 Irrawaddy, bottle-nose and humpback dolphins sighted this year, compared with 233 last year.
- The rise in the Irrawaddy dolphin population in Chilika can be attributed to the eviction of illegal fish enclosures.
- Irrawaddy Dolphins:
- Habitat: Irrawaddy dolphins are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in three rivers: the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong.
- The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphins inhabit a 118-mile stretch of the river between Cambodia and Lao PDR.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- CMS (Convention on Migratory Species): Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
- Indo- Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins:
- Habitat: Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins generally occur in shallow coastal waters of the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and Australia.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
- CITES: Appendix II
- Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins:
- Habitat: The Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin occurs within the Indian Ocean from South Africa to India.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
Chilika Lake
- Chilika is Asia's largest and world's second largest lagoon.
- It lies on the east coast of India in the state of Odisha, separated from the mighty Bay of Bengal by a small strip of sand.
- It spreads over Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 square kilometers.
- It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent and is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.
- In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
- Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawaddy dolphins which are often spotted off Satapada Island.
- The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987.
- Kalijai Temple - Located on an island in the Chilika Lake.
Singapore calls for India’s reassessment of regional trade pacts
Recently, the Singapore’s Foreign Minister has said he hopes that India will “reassess” its stand on regional trading agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
- It is a free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.
- It was signed by 11 countries in 2018 in Santiago, Chile.
- The CPTPP entered into force in 2018 for Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singaporeand in 2019 for Vietnam.
- The CPTPP will enter into force for Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia and Peru 60 days after they complete their respective ratification processes.
- The 11 countries have a shared vision of the CPTPP as a platform that is open to others to join if they are able to meet its high standards.
Features of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
- It is a separate treaty that incorporates, by reference, the provisions of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement.
- The CPTPP ensures that the substantial market access package secured in the original TPP is maintained.
- The market access package will be implemented among the CPTPP Parties, delivering major new opportunities for Australian exporters, investors and firms engaged in international business.
- The CPTPP maintains the ambitious scope and high quality standards and rules of the original TPP.
- It recognises the challenges facing Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in establishing export markets, and include outcomes to help make this task easier in the CPTPP region.
India’s stand on Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
- India is one of the largest economies in the region and has historically been very reluctant to allow foreign competitors to sell products in its domestic markets.
- The countries like India have vacillated over such global trade deals because the US has expressed serious disdain for multilateral groupings.
- India decided to not even participate in TPP discussions with China not being a party to it and on the other hand, it chose to negotiate the RCEP where China was the fulcrum.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
- It is the world's largest free trade bloc which is comprised of 10 ASEAN members, South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
- RCEP will account for 30% of the global economy, 30% of the global population and reach 2.2 billion consumers.
- The deal marks the first time rival East Asian powers China, Japan and South Korea have been in a single free trade agreement.
- RCEP will help reduce or remove tariffs on industrial and agricultural products and set out rules for data transmission.
- The mega trade bloc is a landmark trade initiative which is expected to boost commerce among the member-countries spread across the Asia-Pacific region.
Eatsmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge
Recently, the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has launched the 'Eatsmart Cities Challenge' and'Transport 4 All Challenge'.
Eatsmart Cities Challenge
- It was organized in association with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- It is envisioned as a competition among cities to recognize their efforts in adopting and scaling up various initiatives under Eat Right India.
- In partnership with Smart Cities Mission, the Eatsmart Cities Challenge will:
- Create an environment of right food practices and habits;
- Strengthen the food safety and regulatory environment; and
- Build awareness among the consumers and urge them to make better food choices in India’s major cities
- The challenge is open to all Smart Cities, capital cities of States /UTs, and cities with a population of more than 5 lakh.
Significance of Eatsmart Cities Challenge
- It will nudge the urban populace to make the right food choices and help build a healthier and happier nation.
- It will complement the remarkable work being done in the Smart Cities Mission.
- It aims to motivate Smart Cities to develop a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment.
- The plans will be supported by institutional, physical, social, and economic infrastructure along with the application of ‘smart’ solutions to combat food related issues.
- It is an opportunity for India to play a pioneering role in developing the concept of integrating food systems into city planning and development to provide people with healthy, safe, and nourishing diets.
- It will be a game changer in creating social and behavioural change towards food safety, hygiene and nutrition.
Transport 4 All Challenge
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Transport 4 All challenge in collaboration with Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).
- The cities and start-ups will receive guidance to develop and test various solutions, learn from them, and scale them to build people’s trust in public transport and enhance their mobility.
- All the Smart Cities Mission cities, capitals of states and union territories (UTs), and all cities with a population of over 5 lakh are eligible for the Challenge.
- The Transport4All through Digital Innovation Challenge comprises three stages:
- Stage I PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Cities, with the support of NGOs, identify key recurring problems that citizens and public transport operators face
- Stage II SOLUTION GENERATION: Start-ups develop prototypes of solutions to improve public transport with inputs from cities and NGOs
- Stage III PILOT TESTING: Cities engage start-ups for large-scale pilots and refine the solutions based on citizen feedback
Significance of Transport 4 All Challenge
- It will support cities to recover from the mobility crisis brought by coronavirus pandemic.
- It aims to develop digital solutions that will make public transport safe, affordable, comfortable, and reliable for all.
- It will support the cities and start-ups all over the country to move towards digital transformation in urban mobility.
- It aims to bring together cities, citizen groups, and start-ups to develop solutions that improve public transport to better serve the needs of all citizens.
Simplification of re-issue process for OCI cardholders
Recently, the Centre has stated that the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders will now be required to get their document re-issued only once at the age of 20 instead of multiple times needed currently.
- The OCI card has proved to be very popular among foreigners of Indian origin and spouses of foreign origin of Indian citizens or OCI cardholders, as it helps them in hassle-free entry and unlimited stay in India.
- According to the extant law, a foreigner of Indian origin or a foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or foreign spouse of an OCI cardholder, can be registered as an OCI cardholder.
- The OCI card is a life-long visa for entry into and stay in India with a number of other major benefits attached to it which are not available to other foreigners.
Key Highlights
- The notification stated that a person who has got registration as OCI cardholder prior to attaining the age of 20 years will have to get the card re-issued only once.
- The re-issue of OCI card will begin when a new passport is issued after his or her completing 20 years of age, so as to capture his or her facial features on attaining adulthood.
- The centre said that if a person has obtained registration as OCI cardholder after attaining the age of 20 years, there will be no requirement of re-issue of OCI card.
- Currently, the OCI card is required to be re-issued each time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of ageand once after completing 50 years of age.
- The Centre said there will be no restriction on the cardholder to travel to or from India during the period from the date of issue of new passport till the date of final acknowledgement of documents in the web-based system.
UN Food Systems Summit 2021
Recently, the United Nations Secretary General has called for the first ever UN Food Systems Summit to be held in September 2021.
Need for UN Food Systems Summit
- The world needs the game changing ideas from the experiences through the National, Sub-national (State) and independent consultation for the five Action Tracks related to:
- Safe and nutritious food;
- Sustainable consumption patterns;
- Nature-positive production;
- Advance equitable livelihoods; and
- Resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress
- The COVID-19 pandemic led vulnerability and challenges faced by the humanity in food and related system has further added to the need for reorienting our actions and strategies.
UN Food Systems Summit
- It will be convened as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
- The Summit will launch bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems.
- It will bring together key players from the worlds of science, business, policy, healthcare and academia, as well as farmers, indigenous people, youth organizations, environmental activists, and other key stakeholders.
India at UN Food Systems Summit
- India has volunteered, but not limited to, to the Action Track 4: Advance Equitable Livelihoods for the UN Food System Summit 2021.
- The Government of India has constituted a high level Interdepartmental Group under the Chairmanship of Prof. Ramesh Chand in order to work towards five Action Tracks of UN.
- The group’s primary objective is to conduct National Dialogues with all the stakeholders of agri-food systems for exploring national pathways towards creating sustainable and equitable food systems in India.
- The State Governments have also been requested to conduct the state-level dialogues with all the stakeholdersinvolved directly or indirectly in the agri-food systems in India.
Objectives of UN Food Systems Summit
- Generate significant action and measurable progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- Raise awareness and elevate public discussion about how reforming our food systems can help us all to achieve the SDGs.
- Develop principles to guide governments and other stakeholders looking to leverage their food systems to support the SDGs.
- Create a system of follow-up and review to ensure that the Summit’s outcomes continue to drive new actions and progress.
Significance of UN Food Systems Summit
- It will be conducted with an aim to strategize the actions for positive change in Agri-food systems in the World to realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- The Summit will focus on levers and pathways to shape food systems nationally and globally to accelerate progress in the SDGs.
- The grass root dialogues offer a unique opportunity to various stakeholders to involve and provide inputs for sustainable food systems in India.
- The Summit will awaken the world to the fact that we all must work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.
Initiatives for National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI)
Recently, the Secretary Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) & Chairman NIXI has inaugurated three path breaking initiatives for National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI).
IPv6 Expert Panel (IP Guru)
- IP Guru is a group to extend support to all the Indian entities who are finding it technically challenging to migrate and adopt IPv6.
- The IPv6 expert group will help in identifying & hiring agency that will help end customer by providing necessary technical support to adopt IPv6.
- The panel will guide all such Indian entities and help in increasing the IPv6 adoption.
- It is a joint effort of DOT, MeitY & community to promote IPv6.
- The expert panel group comprises members from government and private organizations.
NIXI Academy
- It is created to educate technical/non-technical people in India to learn and relearn technologies like IPv6 which are normally not taught in Educational Institutes.
- It is an easy-to-use platform helps:
- Network operators and educators understand networking best practices, principles and techniques;
- Manage Internet resources better; and
- Use appropriate Internet technologies more effectively.
- The NIXI academy comprises an IPv6 training portal which is developed with the help of various technical experts in order to provide mass training to the community.
- The internet community will be able to learn from various technical modules through NIXI academy.
NIXI-IP-INDEX
- NIXI has developed an IPv6 index portal for the Internet community.
- NIXI-IP-INDEX portal will showcase the IPv6 adoption rate in India and across the world.
- It can be used to compare IPv6 Indian adoption rate with other economies in the world.
- The portal will motivate organisations to adopt IPv6, provide inputs for planning by technical organisations and research by academicians.
National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI)
- It is a not for profit Organization under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013.
- It was set up for peering of ISPs among themselves for the purpose of routing the domestic traffic within the country.
- It is working since 2003 for spreading the internet infrastructure to the citizens of India through the following activities:
- Internet Exchanges through which the internet data is exchanged amongst ISP’s, Data Centers and CDNs.
- .IN Registry, managing and operation of .IN country code domain and .भारत IDN domain for India.
- IRINN, managing and operating Internet protocol (IPv4/IPv6)
National Startup Advisory Council
Recently, the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry has chaired the first meeting of theNational Startup Advisory Council.
National Startup Advisory Council
- It was constituted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in January 2020.
- The chairman of the NSAC is Union Minister of Commerce & Industry.
- The ex-officio members of the NSAC are nominees of the concerned Ministries/ Departments/ Organisations not below the rank of Joint Secretary.
- The council has a number of non-official members, representing various stakeholders such as founders of successful startups, veterans who have grown and scaled companies in India.
- The term of the non-official members will be two years and they will advise the government on measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for startups.
Purpose of National Startup Advisory Council
- It is constituted to advise the Government on measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country.
- The council shall act as the guiding light for many budding startup entrepreneurs in India.
- India is hub of innovation & out-of-the-box thinking and it has thes potential to become World’s largest and most innovative startup ecosystem.
Importance of National Startup Advisory Council
- It aims to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities.
- It will help India reach a stage, where countries around the world would look to model their own startup ecosystems based on India’s achievements and will take ‘StartUp India’ to the Global Stage.
- It aims to foster a culture of innovation amongst citizens and students, promote innovation, and promote creation, protection and commercialization of intellectual property rights.
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