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Apr 03, 2022
REVIVING CULTIVATION AND CONSUMPTION OF MILLETS
The emphasis on rice and wheat production for decades has steadily reduced the importance of millets. Some states are trying to change this, recognising that these crops enhance food security and livelihoods for small farmers.
Statistics
Issue
Report
Preferred Security Partner
What is the Antarctica Bill?
Statistics
- It is estimated that global demand for millets will soar to $12 billion by 2025, as the world looks at healthier food grains.
- India is one of the largest producers of millets, with an annual output of about 12 million tonnes, and could benefit from this trend.
- Also, most Indian farmers hold only small parcels of land, and several studies have shown millets' potential to address the livelihood security of small-scale farmers, in addition to hunger and nutrition.
- India dropped to the fifth position in global trade in millets, as its export - mostly to Nepal, UAE and Saudi Arabia - fell to $26.73 million in 2020 from $30.82 million in 2019.
- Millets are hardy crops that can thrive in varying agro-climate regions, and can withstand extreme temperatures and droughts.
- Some varieties of pearl millets survive at temperatures up to 46 degrees Celsius. Most importantly, these crops also help mitigate the effects of climate change through their lower carbon footprint - 3,218 kg equivalent of carbon dioxide per hectare, as compared to wheat and rice, with 3,968 kg and 3,401 kg, respectively.
- Millets also require less water than rice, sugarcane and wheat. In comparison to maize, millets use 40 per cent less energy in processing and also offer a significant cost advantage as feedstock for bio-ethanol production.
- According to an analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the area under production of millets steadily dropped at a 2.25 per cent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2000 and 2019.
- Productivity grew at a little over 2 per cent in this period, and as a result the production of millets remained more or less unchanged.
- The consumption data too is not encouraging; despite their rich nutrient content and climate-resilient qualities, consumers have rejected millets.
- Between 1962 and 2010, India's per capita consumption of millets fell significantly, from 32.9 kg to 4.2 kg per year, according to a report published by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in 2021.
- Before the green revolution in the 1960s, millets were a major portion of cultivated grains.
- During 1952-54, millets constituted 20 per cent of national food grain production. But gradually the demand has shifted to paddy and wheat as high-yielding and high-input utilisation crops to meet the demand of national food security.
- As the population grew, total consumption of millets remained unchanged, which explains the big drop in per capita numbers.
- By 2018, millets accounted for only 6 per cent of the grains grown in the country.
- The availability of cheap rice and wheat under the public distribution system (PDS) is reducing the production and consumption of millets.
- This shift away from traditional diets which are highly nutritious is aggravating malnutrition, especially among tribal communities, he pointed out.
- Lack of production support and institutional assistance for providing processing facilities are major barriers for millet growers.
- In Jharkhand's Gumla district, Adivasi farmers have been cultivating pearl, ragi and sorghum millets for years. They cultivate these millets for our consumption only.
- The price of millets is very low. They are not remunerative. Therefore, we have reduced the are under cultivation of these crops.
- In southern Jharkhand - Khunti, Gumla, Simdega, Lohardaga, East and West Singhbhum - there was 20-30 per cent decrease in the total area of millet cultivation by farmers in 2020.
- But some states - Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu - have been reviving the cultivation of millets. The Odisha Millets Mission (OMM) has reportedly managed to motivate over one lakh farmers to cultivate millets across 15 districts in the state.
- The OMM has been facilitating the production, processing, marketing and consumption of millets. "We are promoting improved agronomy practices to boost millet production.
- OMM, adding major emphasis has been given on awareness generation, minimum support price (MSP) and inclusion of millets in the public distribution system and integrated child development services.
- Many farmers are coming forward to revive millet cultivation and they have reported increased seed germination and yield rates.
- Cultivation of millets is less expensive whereas Crops like cotton and rice need a lot of fertilizers and pesticides. But for millets, there is no need for additional costs.
- Farmers have also been encouraged to exchange indigenous heirloom seeds through seed festivals.
- Such exchange of indigenous seeds and knowledge strengthen the social and ecological relationship. This ensures the sustainability of in-situ agro-biodiversity through inter-generational participation.
- The OMM initiative is also adding to efforts aimed at women's empowerment, by promoting millet-based enterprises.
- Institutional and technical support has been provided to women self-help groups to set up millet processing centres. Children too are a focus of the mission.
- In a first of its kind initiative in the state, ragi ladoo has been distributed to over 86,000 pre-school children in the Anganwadi centres in the Keonjhar district.
- The main objective is to address malnutrition and nutrition deficiency. Each week, two ragi ladoos (20 grams) are given per child.
- The central government's Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment as well as Niti Aayog have recognised OMM as a model that other states should adopt for the promotion of millets.
- Similarly, the United Nations World Food Programme has entered into a partnership with the Government of Odisha for promoting the OMM framework in other millet growing countries.
- Agricultural experts working with the Adivasi communities in Odisha reiterate the need to revive the traditional practice of inter-cropping of millets with pulses and vegetables, for crop diversification.
- Ensuring access to diet diversity is a vital step in reducing food and nutritional insecurity. Therefore, it is important, they stress, to develop a parallel policy on supporting farmers to grow both small and major millets.
- Small millets such as kodo and kutki have a cultivation history of 3000-5000 years and were major food crops once upon a time.
- Local landraces should be given due recognition under millet revival programme. It is equally important to conduct the scientific study of landraces and map their nutritional profile, he underlined.
- Boosting production alone, however, is not sufficient, as the experts point out. Strengthening the millets value chain is also critical.
- There is a need to create an enabling environment for cross-border trade.
- The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority could incentivise commercial cultivation of millets with a specific focus on products in each district.
- Cluster farming for trade promotion is another option.
- There is a need to first conduct a comprehensive study that will help our understanding of the market segments, consumer preferences and export competitiveness.
- Value-added produce of millets such as 'ready-to-eat' products are prerequisites to boost millets in rural and urban areas.
Issue
- The Oscar slap that overshadowed the Academy Awards ceremony was sparked by a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair with husband Will Smith objecting violently to comedian Chris Rock mocking the actress’s shaved head.
- Away from the recriminations over what could be perceived as a mean-spirited jibe and a disproportionate response, many people will sympathise with Pinkett Smith. As millions of women in the US will attest, hair loss is no laughing matter.
- Alopecia is a medical word that refers to hair loss generally. And there are descriptors added which can refer to where the hair loss is occurring, or to the cause of it. Traction alopecia, for example, is hair loss from trauma or chronic inflammatory changes to the hair follicles.
- Traction alopecia happens when there is trauma to the scalp, where the hair is being pulled or rubbed on a regular basis, causing inflammation around the hair follicles. This can lead to hair loss or thinning.
- Alopecia areata describes hair loss to a particular area.
- It has different levels of severity, so there might be just a coin-sized area of hair loss on the scalp, or it could affect large areas.
- It can occur any place on the body. Or it might result in complete hair loss on the scalp, alopecia totalis. Some people lose eyebrows or see a thinning of their eyelashes.
- People can even have alopecia universalis, which is a loss of hair on the entire body.
- Alopecia areata is considered an “immune-mediated” type of hair loss. The immune system is attacking the hair follicles.
- It has to do with T cells, the important white blood cells in the immune system.
- And then other autoimmune disorders can have alopecia associated with them. This is the form of alopecia that can be seen in Jada Pinkett Smith.
- Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to hair loss. One type is systemic lupus erythematosus. Another type, discoid lupus erythematosus, primarily affects the skin and can cause hair loss with scarring on the scalp.
- Thyroid abnormalities can be related to hair loss as well. In fact, when patients come to me with hair loss, the first test that I may order is a thyroid study.
- Anyone can get alopecia. Alopecia areata can show up at any age, from children to adults, and both men and women.
- But it’s more likely to affect African Americans than white or Asian Americans. About 1 million people in the US have alopecia areata.
- Traction alopecia can affect people in certain professions, like ballerinas, who wear their hair up in buns all the time.
- The pressure and friction from sports headgear, like helmets or baseball caps, can also cause hair loss.
- And in some parts of northern Europe, where it is common for people to pull their hair back tight on a regular basis, there are higher rates of traction alopecia.
- Traction alopecia affects one-third of women of African descent, making it the most common type of alopecia affecting Black women.
- That is due to certain hair styling practices that Black women use on their hair wearing tight weaves or extensions, straightening with heat, that sort of thing. Hair is a big deal among African American women in a way that it isn’t for others.
- But I believe there’s less pressure than there used to be for Black women to keep our hair straightened, in the workplace or elsewhere.
- It depends on the cause. There are injected or topical corticosteroids for alopecia areata. If it’s due to a nutritional deficiency, like iron or protein, obviously you simply need to correct the deficiencies with supplements or by changing the diet.
- When it is caused by traction or discoid lupus, if you don’t treat the inflammation on the scalp soon enough, the hair loss can become permanent.
- When it comes to traction, though, it’s much more about eliminating the practices that cause the problem in the first place.
- More people are aware of the downsides of chemical or heat applications to straighten the hair and are using those damaging processes less.
- One thing that may help is the CROWN Act, legislation introduced last year, which the US House passed on March 18, 2022.
- That would make it illegal to discriminate against people wearing natural styles, such as afros and braids, so I am hopeful that it will contribute to a lot less traction alopecia in the future.
Report
- While nobody understands the term gross domestic product (GDP), most residents know that the village’s gross domestic product is all about the market value of tamarinds they collect in a year.
- The village of 800 households has over 1,700 tamarind trees. Residents measure their economy by the tamarind trees.
- Its fruiting; the progress in growth of recently planted tamarind trees; and death of a tree due to old age are all big economic news that enjoy village-wide attention.
- Sometimes, even the Gram Sabha convenes to take stock of tamarind trees.
- The tamarind trees should have the fruits popping out by February end. But this year, it is difficult to spot many trees with buds.
- The local belief or, one can say, an ecological indicator based on years of observation is that the year mango fruiting is high, tamarind production is low. This year, mango trees started flowering gregariously in late January.
- When one earns the most with certainty from tamarind collection, its non-fruiting has immediate economic impact. A few families will become poor this year.
- The per capita ownership of tamarind trees defines the poverty line in this village. Lakmu’s assessment for this year was like witnessing people falling below the poverty line right there as the village’s currency collapsed.
- Chitapur’s geography has played out many historical events, often challenging its very survival. Its residents know this story by heart and always see a tamarind tree as the pivot of their existence.
- Long ago, it got a change in name: from Dhani Karka to present Chitapur. At that point of time, leopards came to colonise Dhani Karka.
- Residents simply abandoned the village, along with the British who had a police station. After many years, residents came back to their ancestral village and renamed it as Chitapur, or “a village of leopards”.
- Then, they discovered the worth of the tamarind. Many recount the stories passed on to them by ancestral oral memories. In a few of them, the tamarind tree features as the axis around which the residents belonging to the Dhurwa tribe stitched back lives again.
- There was no agriculture to feed them; but the village was taken over by proliferating tamarind trees. Soon, it became the main food the pulp and the tender leaves, till people went back to farming.
- The local contractors of non-timber forest produce working for British merchants started bartering food for tamarind.
- The local weekly market finally saw the arrival of Chitapur tamarinds, both as a commodity to sell and as a currency to buy other foods.
- Everybody here inherits a tamarind tree, notwithstanding the poverty or prosperity of his / her ancestors.
- Villages like Chitapur have made the Bastar district the epicentre of the global tamarind trade. Its district headquarters Jagdalpur has Asia’s largest tamarind market with an annual turnover of Rs 500 crore, according to forest department figures.
- Tamarind from here is exported to some 54 countries. “Forest produce is a major cash-income source in the Bastar region. Tamarind is particularly an economy of the poor that fetches good earnings.
- In a survey published by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bastar in 2019, around 43 per cent of the tamarind producers were below the age of 35 years while most of them had 20 years of experience with the trade. It is a natural economic activity that we inherit from birth. We develop skills and also the craft of negotiating with markets.
- Youths prefer to deal with forest produce. Also, the less the size of the family farm, the more the dependence on tamarind.
- In NITI Aayog’s multidimensional poverty index, Bastar’s 47 per cent population is multi-dimensionally poor. The district’s 70 per cent population belongs to Scheduled Tribe communities and mostly lives in and around forests.
- Nearly 70 per cent of their cash earnings come from forest produce. It features in the country’s 115 backward districts list and has been one of the poorest since the 1950s.
- Over time, tamarind has come to define the Chitapur economy. There are three key sources of earning: Selling Forest produce like tamarind and mahua, selling surplus foodgrain and taking up daily wage jobs either under public wage schemes like MGNREGA or migrating out to cities.
- Tamarind collection has replaced agriculture as the major cash-earning economic activity.
- A matured tree fetches him close to Rs 12,000 a year. This is from selling raw 3-4 quintals of tamarind from each tree.
- Applying the Rs 12, 000 per tree income from tamarind, the village annual trade turnover is Rs 204 lakh. Going by past experiences of low tamarind production, the village will still earn around half of the above figures.
- But every tamarind tree has an earmarked purpose. Families have already planned a marriage or a community feast or buying new clothes or to invest on agricultural tools around the expected earnings from tamarind sale.
- Also, in a fragile economy, loss from an important source means taking up another activity to compensate. In Chitapur, it means the youth might have to migrate out for jobs.
- Despite the pandemic in the last two years, tamarind sales ensured people stayed put in the village. Many youths have already decided not to move out again in such uncertain times.
- This shows stories from India’s poorest districts, particularly those that have featured in the country’s poverty ranking since 1951.
- This examines the link between poverty and the local ecological degradation, whether the latter is making poverty chronic in these geographies.
Preferred Security Partner
- Preferred Security Partner was also reiterated by the Chief of Indian Navy Admiral R. Hari Kumar during MILAN 2022 exercise where he stated that the Indian Navy seeks to become the PSP for all smaller nations in the IOR on the basis of its ability to swiftly respond due to its geographical proximity and military capability.
- The recently concluded Fifth National Security Advisor (NSA) level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) held in Maldives has provided a broad overview of India’s roadmap towards becoming the PSP in the IOR.
- India shares this forum with other IOR nations like Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius, which is the newest member to join the grouping.
- In his opening remarks during the meeting, India’s NSA Mr Ajit Doval said that CSC is moving towards greater institutionalisation and expansion through developing a concrete roadmap and a defined charter of objectives.
- Seychelles and Bangladesh, currently observers, are likely to be included as members in the future iterations of CSC.
- This maritime security oriented sub-regional grouping has the scope for becoming an important platform for India to demonstrate its commitment and credibility for becoming the PSP for the smaller nations in the IOR.
- India’s vision for becoming PSP, as brought out by the Hon’ble President of India and the Indian Navy Chief, is an indicator of a major reorientation in the outlook for India’s collective security approach towards the IOR which was earlier denoted as ‘Net Security Provider’ (NSP).
- It is important to comprehend the rationale behind India now favouring the term PSP over NSP.
- In 2013, the former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh had asserted that India as a ‘Net Security Provider’ of the IOR shapes its strategic role in the region.
- Since then, the term NSP has been predominantly used in the Indian security discourse including in India’s maritime security document to denote India’s role and responsibilities towards the security of the IOR.
- The term NSP can be applied to a nation that is in possession of credible military power and is willing to employ its military assets for addressing the common security concerns at a regional or global level.
- India staking claim as the NSP of the IOR is substantiated by the historic track record of its proactive role in contributing to the security and stability of the region.
- India has successfully extended its military capability for preventing political instability in Maldives, Seychelles and most notably in Sri Lanka with the deployment of Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) during the 1980s.
- The Indian Armed Forces have carried out large-scale relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2005 Pakistan Earthquake and the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.
- India has time and again demonstrated its ability to be the first responder to a crisis in the region. In 2014 after the desalination plant in the Maldivian capital of Male was damaged by fire, the Indian Air Force airlifted over 200 tons of drinking water illustrating India’s swift response capabilities.
- Apart from this, India has been robustly involved in building its smaller maritime neighbours' maritime and coastal security capacity through the supply of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), Fast Patrol Vessels (FPV), Surveillance Aircrafts and Helicopters, and establishment of Coastal Surveillance Radar System (CSRS) for enhancing the Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in IOR.
- Military interoperability is being facilitated through regular joint military exercises and training of officers and personnel has been taking place regularly across the Indian Military Institutions.
- Despite these multifaceted efforts undertaken by India towards the security of the region, a few misperceptions are being spread by certain political sections with vested interests.
- It has been pointed out that unjustified and erroneous perceptions about India’s ‘Big Brother Attitude’ are floating around in the region, and that these views are being propagated by political actors with vested interests and lobbies who view their anti-India political stand as synonymous with nationalism.
- Realising the potential of such misperceptions creating a trust deficit between India and its neighbours, deliberate efforts have been made by some antagonistic regional actors to propagate such notions without any valid justification.
- This has become more evident from the recently released Pakistan’s National Security Policy which makes a veiled reference to this by stating that the self-professed role of any one nation as the NSP in the wider IOR will have a detrimental influence on the region’s security and economy.
- Though factors like geographical proximity, historical track record, social, political and cultural affinity weigh in favour of India as the NSP of the region, the growing geostrategic significance of the IOR has attracted various extra-regional powers into the foray of the power struggle that has been taking shape across the greater Indo-Pacific region.
- These powers’ view security and economic partnership with the island nations of IOR as crucial to consolidate their strategic foothold in the region. Attributing to this, the Indian Navy in the recent years has acknowledged that any voids or shortcomings on the part of India in terms of security of the region can be filled in by extra-regional powers.
- It is in this context that the Indian Navy has favoured using the term PSP over NSP to denote its commitment towards the collective maritime security challenges in IOR.
- Although both NSP and PSP functionally denote credible military capacity capable of addressing the collective security challenges of the region, the subtle distinction between them can be inferred on the basis of how they might be perceived by other nations of the region.
- The term PSP indicates a more proactive yet inclusive and collaborative approach towards undertaking the core security responsibilities of the region. The status of PSP is cantered on the high levels of trust with friendly neighbours.
- Possession of Military Capability that can swiftly respond to an emerging security situation.
- Unequivocal assurance of security assistance.
- Accepting and accommodating the varied security priorities of security partners.
- Favourable track record of successful security collaboration in the past.
- Taking these factors into consideration, CSC is emerging as a promising platform through which India can reorient its image from being perceived as the NSP to that of a PSP for regional challenges.
- Established in 2011 as a trilateral grouping consisting of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives for collaborating on collective maritime security issues, the CSC is moving towards expansion and greater institutionalisation.
- This has been evident from the most recent iteration of the grouping where Mauritius was welcomed as the fourth member and key areas of security cooperation were described in the joint statement as the five pillars of CSC—maritime security, counter-terrorism, combating transnational crime, cyber security and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
- As the CSC is further projected to expand with the inclusion of Seychelles and Bangladesh in its future iterations, India’s capacity and commitment to collaborate with these nations across these five pillars will be a crucial determinant for shaping India’s image as the PSP in the IOR.
- India’s geography in the Indian Ocean is the most significant strategic advantage that enables India to project itself as the PSP in the region as opposed to the other contenders. This is a fact that the representatives from the Indian Navy highlighted in the recently convened parliamentary standing committee on defence.
- Geographical proximity combined with human, military and economic resources put India in a position of strength to assume a leadership role in the key areas of security cooperation laid out in the recent CSC meeting.
- On the other hand, it must be acknowledged that sustaining an effective and robust regional mechanism for economic and security cooperation has been an enduring challenge for South Asia.
- The bilateral issues between India and Pakistan with the latter’s support to terrorism and insurgency induced instability in Jammu & Kashmir have rendered regional cooperation through the South Asia Association for Region Cooperation (SAARC) a non-starter.
- Averting Bilateral Issues: Ensuring that issues between two members are resolved through appropriate bilateral forums is the collective responsibility of all CSC members. Such issues may endanger the multilateral consensus required to sustain multilateral security forums such as CSC.
- Avoiding superimposition of any particular Security Concern: In the recent NSA level meeting of CSC remarks stated that it is important to acknowledge that no country’s security predicament can be the exact reflection of any other country.
- This statement underscores that member states must take cognizance of the fact that the core focus of CSC must be centered on collective security issues.
- Countering false narratives: The members other than India in CSC must ensure that baseless political narratives such as India’s ‘Big Brother Attitude’ being promoted in some corners of their political spectrum must be addressed. Such narratives can prove to be counterproductive for the collective resolve of the CSC.
- India’s aspiration for being recognised as the PSP in the IOR is underscored by its commitment to the security of its smaller neighbours in the region. India possesses the military capability necessary for swiftly responding to a crisis in its vicinity and has the track record of unequivocally extending its military, economic and human resources for the security of its neighbours.
- Minilateral forums such as the CSC are significant in accentuating India’s image as the PSP to its maritime neighbours. On 9 August 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his remarks at the United Nations Security Council’s high-level open debate on enhancing maritime security brought out five key principles—removing economic barriers from legitimate maritime trade, peaceful settlement of maritime disputes, coordinated response to natural disasters and maritime terrorism, preservation and sustainable use of maritime resources and lastly promoting maritime connectivity.
- It must be taken into account that there is a considerable overlap between the five principles brought out by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the five pillars of security cooperation that have been laid down in the recent CSC meeting. As the CSC moves towards developing a concrete roadmap and a defined charter of objectives, it can contribute immensely towards shaping India’s image as the PSP for meeting regional security challenges.
- The Vidarbha region, north-central (north Madhya Maharashtra) and Marathwada region of Maharashtra are likely to be under the grip of a heatwave till April 4.
- Temperature in the Vidarbha region has already crossed the 40 degrees Celsius mark in the last two days. This is the second heatwave spell in the state in March.
- A region is considered to be under the grip of a heatwave if the maximum temperature reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more for plains and at least 30 degrees Celsius or more for hilly regions.
- When the maximum temperature departure ranges between 4.5 and 6 degrees, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) declares a heatwave.
- A severe heatwave is declared when the recorded maximum temperature of a locality departure from normal is over 6.4 degrees Celsius.
- Also, if the area records over 45 degrees and 47 degrees Celsius on any given day, then the IMD declares heatwave and severe heatwave, respectively.
- Winds over interior Maharashtra from the dry and hot northwest region of the country are causing the temperatures to soar.
- The lack of pre-monsoon showers has also led to an increase in the overall maximum temperature Region-wise rainfall over India in March (March 1-23, according to IMD data)
- March marks the beginning of the summer season over the region and is considered a transition phase, where the day temperature gradually rises.
- However, the first spell of heatwave/severe heatwave of the season arrived earlier this year in the first half of the month.
- A heatwave generally occurs over plains of Northwest India, Central, East and North Peninsular India from March to June.
- It covers Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- Sometimes it occurs over Tamil Nadu and Kerala also.
- However, maximum temperature above 45°C is recorded mainly over Rajasthan and Vidarbha region in May. The peak month of the heatwave over India is May.
- As per the forecast from the weather department, a heatwave spell over the Northwest, Central and West India (including Konkan, Marathwada and Madhya Maharashtra) is likely to continue for the next 4-5 days. A gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 2-4°C is very likely over Maharashtra during the next five days.
- The health impacts of Heat Waves typically involve dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke.
- It also causes heat cramps, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and sweating.
- The extreme temperatures and resultant atmospheric conditions adversely affect people living in these regions as they cause physiological stress, sometimes resulting in death.
- While climate change does have a strong link with the occurrence of extreme weather events, it isn't the cause for extreme weather events. Episodes of heat waves are growing more common as climate change intensifies. Therefore, the intensity and frequency of heatwaves can be reduced if the global community adopts and adheres to a lower emissions scenario in the future.
- An extraordinary gazette notification said the Emergency, coming into immediate effect, was “in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.”
- On Saturday, the government imposed an all-island curfew, restricting movement until Monday morning. Sri Lanka is in the midst of a sharp economic downturn that has led to severe food shortages and growing public resentment.
- Sri Lanka’s economic crisis can be traced to two key developments in the immediate past the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 that deterred tourists, and the pandemic since early 2020 that stalled recovery and further drained the economy.
- As it grappled with an unprecedented challenge, the Rajapaksa regime made policy choices that are now proving to be costly. It cut the government’s tax revenue substantially and rushed into an ‘organic only’ agricultural policy that will likely slash this year’s harvest by half. The weak and debt-ridden economy with the lingering strain of the pandemic, and ill-advised policies accelerated the downward spiral.
- COVID-19 hit Sri Lanka’s key foreign revenue earning sectors hard. Earnings from tourism, exports, and worker remittances fell sharply in the last two years.
- But the country could not stop importing essentials, and its dollar account began dwindling.
- Fast draining foreign reserves, a glaring trade deficit, and a related Balance of Payments problem came as crucial signals.
- Colombo’s huge foreign loan obligations and the drop in domestic production compounded the economic strain.
- The long-simmering crisis made its first big announcement during last August’s food emergency, when supplies were badly affected.
- It was soon followed by fears of a sovereign default in late 2021, which Sri Lanka averted. But without enough dollars to pay for the country’s high import bill, the island continued facing severe shortage of essentials from fuel, cooking gas, and staple foodgrain to medicines.
- Consumers could not find the most basic things such as petrol, LPG cylinders, kerosene, or milk in the market.
- They spent hours waiting in long queues outside fuel stations or shops. Supermarket shelves were either empty or had products with high price tags that most could not afford.
- For instance, the price of one kg of milk powder, a staple item in dairy-deficient Sri Lanka, suddenly shot up to nearly LKR 2000 in March.
- Be it cooking gas, oils, rice, pulses, vegetables, fish, meat, consumers found themselves paying substantially more, or simply had to forego the item.
- The fuel shortage has led to long blackouts of up to 13 hours across the island.
- The value of the Sri Lankan rupee has dropped to 300 against a U.S. dollar (and even more than 400 in the black market), putting importers in a difficult spot.
- The government is unable to pay for its import shipments, forcing consignments to leave the Colombo port. For the average citizen contending with COVID-induced salary cuts and job losses, the soaring living costs have brought more agony.
- Yes, including from India which has extended $2.4 billion this year, and China, that is considering a fresh request from Colombo for $2.5 billion assistance, in addition to the $2.8 billion it has extended since the pandemic broke out.
- The government has decided to negotiate an International Monetary Fund programme, while seeking support from other multilateral and bilateral sources. But even with all this help, Sri Lanka can barely manage. Recovery will neither be fast nor easy, say experts.
- Sri Lankans are seething with anger, going by public demonstrations and protests. They want the President to step down immediately and the ruling clan to leave the country’s helm.
- They have been agitating in different parts of the country, including near the President’s home. Former military man Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who came to power on a huge mandate in 2019, is Sri Lanka’s most unpopular leader today.
- In a televised address on March 16, he promised “tough decisions to find solutions to the inconveniences that people are experiencing.” Following the protests near his home, Mr. Rajapaksa said “extremists” were plotting an ‘Arab Spring’ and on Friday night, he declared a state of Emergency.
- If passed, it will allow police and prison authorities to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples including retina and iris scans of convicted, arrested and detained persons.
- At the introduction stage, Opposition members opposed the Bill terming it “unconstitutional” and an attack on privacy.
- The Bill seeks to repeal The Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920.
- The over 100-year-old Act’s scope was limited to capturing finger impression, foot-print impressions and photographs of convicted prisoners and certain category of arrested and non-convicted persons on the order of a Magistrate.
- The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the 2022 Bill said that new ‘‘measurement’’ techniques being used in advanced countries are giving credible and reliable results and are recognised the world over.
- It said that the 1920 Act does not provide for taking these body measurements as many of the techniques and technologies had not been developed then.
- It proposes four major changes.
- It would define ‘‘measurements’’ to include “signature, handwriting, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples and their analysis, etc.”
- It does not specify what analysis means, implying that it may also include storing DNA samples. The “etc.” mentioned in the text of the Bill could give unfettered powers to law enforcement agencies to interpret the law as per their convenience, sometimes to the disadvantage of the accused.
- It empowers the National Crime Records Bureau of India (NCRB), under the Union Home Ministry, to collect, store and preserve the record of measurements for at least 75 years.
- The NCRB will be able to share the data with other law enforcement agencies as well. Police is a State subject and NCRB works under the Union government, and experts contend this provision may impinge on federalism.
- It empowers a Magistrate to direct any person to give vital details, which till now was reserved for convicts and those involved in heinous crimes.
- It empowers police or prison officers up to the rank of Head Constable to take details of any person who resists or refuses to do so.
- The Bill also seeks to apply to persons detained under any preventive detention law.
- The Bill also authorises taking vital details of “other persons” for identification and investigation in criminal matters.
- It doesn't define the “other persons”, implying its ambit extends beyond convicts, arrested persons, or detainees.
- The Bill’s stated objective is it provides legal sanction for taking such details and will make the investigation of crime more efficient and expeditious, and help in increasing the conviction rate.
- Article 20(3) of the Constitution states that “no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.”
- It proposes to collect samples even from those engaged in political protests.
- The Karnataka Assembly passed The Identification of Prisoners (Karnataka Amendment) Bill in 2021, to amend the 1920 Act for application in the State.
- The Bill expands the collection to include blood samples, DNA, voice and iris scans “for effective surveillance and prevention of breach of peace and crime.”
- It empowers the Superintendent of Police or Deputy Commissioner of Police to order collection in addition to a magistrate to avoid delays and reduce the workload on the judiciary.
- As the provisions of the Bill were repugnant with the 1920 Act, a Central Government’s Act, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot reserved the Bill for consideration of the President of the India.
- Under the process, the Bill is examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and is sent for inter-ministerial consultation. The Bill is yet to be cleared by the MHA.
- Now, the government has introduced fresh legislation to replace the 1920 Act that will be applicable across the country.
- The States have been empowered to notify rules under the Act to specify the manner in which details could be recorded, preserved, disseminated and destructed and “any other matter which is to be prescribed, or in respect of which provision is to be made.”
- Tamil Nadu introduced and notified The Identification of Prisoners (Tamil Nadu Amendments) Act in 2010. The Act allows the police to draw “blood samples” other than the specified measurements from the limited categories of suspects and convicts defined in the 1920 Act.
- Though President’s assent is awaited for the Karnataka Bill, the Tamil Nadu Act has been in practice for more than a decade after it received the assent of the Governor.
What is the Antarctica Bill?
- The draft bill is the first domestic legislation with regard to Antarctica in India.
- Twenty-seven countries including Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela already have domestic legislations on Antarctica. Many others, such as India, are now following suit.
- While India has been sending expeditions to Antarctica for the past 40 years, these expeditions have been circumscribed by international law.
- The Bill now puts into place a comprehensive list of regulations related to Antarctica, for such scientific expeditions, as well as for individuals, companies and tourists.
- The Ministry has explained that it expects activity in Antarctica to increase in the coming years, making the enforcement of a domestic set of protocols essential.
- A domestic legislation will further provide more validity to the Antarctic Treaty, and subsequent protocols, of which India is a signatory.
- The most significant part of the Bill is extending the jurisdiction of Indian courts to Antarctica, for crimes on the continent by Indian citizens, or foreign citizens who are a part of Indian expeditions. So far there was no recourse for crimes committed during an expedition, including crimes against the environment.
- The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 by 12 countries Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, French Republic, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Union of South Africa, USSR, the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the US of America, and came into force in 1961.
- The Treaty covers the area south of 60°S latitude.
- The objectives of the treaty are to demilitarize Antarctica and establish it as a zone used for peaceful research activities and to set aside any disputes regarding territorial sovereignty, thereby ensuring international cooperation.
- Currently, 54 nations are signatories to the Antarctic Treaty, but only 29 nations have a right to vote at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings this includes India.
- India signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and received consultative status the same year.
- The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was set up in 1980 for the protection and preservation of the Antarctic environment and, in particular, for the preservation and conservation of marine living resources in Antarctica.
- The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1991 and came into force in 1998. It designates Antarctica as a “natural reserve, devoted to peace and science”.
- Extending of jurisdiction of Indian courts to Antarctica, and the investigation and trial for crimes committed on the Arctic continent.
- The Bill is a comprehensive document of regulations, particularly keeping in mind environmental protection and the fragile nature of the region.
- The Bill introduces an elaborate permit system for any expedition or individual who wishes to visit the continent.
- These permits will be issued by a committee that will be set up by the government. The Committee will comprise of the Secretary Earth Sciences ministry and will also have officials from Defence, Ministry of External Affairs, Finance, Fisheries, Legal Affairs, Science and Technology, Shipping, Tourism, Environment, Communication and Space ministries along with a member from the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and National Security Council Secretariat and experts on Antarctica.
- The permits can be cancelled by the Committee if deficiencies are found or activities in contravention of the law are detected.
- While India does not carry out commercial fishing in the area, since every country has an allotted quota, the Bill now provides for this activity. However, strict guidelines are in place in accordance with international law.
- India does not carry out any tourism activity in the region, and very few Indian tourists visit Antarctica, when they do, they do so through foreign tour operators.
- Antarctica receives a number of tourists from foreign countries. The Bill now enables Indian tour operators to operate in Antarctica, although, like for commercial fishing, this is circumscribed by strict regulations.
- The Bill further enlists elaborate standards for environmental protection as well as waste management.
- The Bill prohibits drilling, dredging, excavation or collection of mineral resources or even doing anything to identify where such mineral deposits occur.
- The only exception is for scientific research with a granted permit.
- Damaging of native plants, flying or landing helicopters or operating vessels that could disturb birds and seals, using firearms that could disturb the birds and animals, remove soil or any biological material native to Antarctica, engage in any activity that could adversely change the habitat of birds and animals, kill, injure or capture any bird or animal have been strictly prohibited.
- The introduction of animals, birds, plants or microscopic organisms that are not native to Antarctica are also prohibited.
- Extraction of species for scientific research needs to be done through a permit. The central government can also appoint an officer to carry out inspections.
- The draft Bill proposes the setting up of a separate designated court to try crimes committed in Antarctica.
- The Bill further sets high penal provisions the lowest penalty comprising an imprisonment between one-two years and a penalty of Rs 10-50 lakh.
- Extraction of any species native to Antarctica, or introduction of an exotic species to the continent can draw imprisonment of seven years and a fine of Rs 50 lakh.
- For dumping of nuclear waste or a nuclear explosion, the imprisonment can range from between 20 years to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50 crore.
POSTED ON 03-04-2022 BY ADMIN
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