SC rejects pleas for review of its verdict holding states'' power to tax mineral right 

The Supreme Court has dismissed pleas seeking review of its July 25 verdict that ruled legislative power to tax mineral rights vests with the states 

Constitutional Provision for Review Petitions

• Review Power of Supreme court: Under Article 137 of the Indian Constitution, the Supreme Court has the power to review its judgments or orders. This is governed by the Supreme Court Rules, where Order XLVII Rule 1 outlines the circumstances under which a review can be sought.
• A review is generally considered only if there is an evident error or new evidence that warrants reconsideration.

The July 25 Judgment and its Significance

• Landmark Decision: The ruling was a significant step in supporting fiscal federalism, ensuring States have the authority to levy taxes on mineral lands and quarries.
• States’ Right to Impose Taxes: The court emphasised that States have the right to impose taxes on mines and quarries within their boundaries.
• It asserted that any restriction on this right would impact the States’ ability to raise revenue.

MMDR Act and States’ Legislative Power: The judgement clarified that the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) does not prevent States from creating laws and taxing mines and quarries.

• States are free to legislate and tax within their jurisdiction, independent of restrictions from the Centre States’ Demand for Autonomy in Mineral Taxation

o   States’ Desire for Autonomy: States with abundant mineral resources, like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha, have sought greater control over taxing their mineral wealth.

o   Economic Challenges: Despite their resource richness, these States have faced economic difficulties, with lower per capita incomes compared to the national average.

o   July 25 Judgment as a Victory: The Supreme Court’s July 25 ruling was seen as a win for these States, as it granted them more fiscal independence by allowing them to tax mining lands.

o   Clarification on Prospective Application: Concerns arose about whether the judgement would apply only to future cases.

• The court clarified on August 14 that allowed states to collect dues retrospectively on royalty on mineral-bearing land from Centre, mining companies from April 1, 2005

o   Majority Decision: The majority of the judges, except Justice Nagarathna, ruled that the judgement would apply to all relevant cases, ensuring the validity of past State tax laws on mineral lands.

Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957

• The MMDR Act is a significant legislation in India that governs the exploration, development, and regulation of mineral resources. 

Key provisions of the MMDR Act include

• Licensing and permits: The Act grants licences and permits for mining operations, subject to certain conditions and requirements.
• Environmental regulations: It mandates mining companies to comply with environmental standards to minimise the impact of mining on the ecosystem.
• Safety standards: The Act sets safety regulations to protect the lives and health of mine workers.
• Rehabilitation of mined areas: It requires mining companies to rehabilitate mined areas after operations cease to restore the land to its original state or a suitable alternative use.
• Conservation of critical minerals: The Act prioritises the conservation of critical minerals that are essential for the country’s economic growth and security.

Uranium Enrichment in Iran, amid Global Concerns

Iran launched more than 180 missiles at Israel without warning, in retaliation to an attack that killed topmost Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. This has led to widespread speculation about how Israel will respond. Tensions in West Asia have reached a significant point after Israel vowed to respond to Iranian missile strikes carried out. These developments have raised concerns about a wider conflict in a region already marked by instability and volatility.

• Since Iran began its nuclear weapons programme in the late-1990s and early-2000s, Israel, along with the US and the UN, has been concerned about its progress. Over the years, Israel has taken steps to disrupt Iran’s nuclear development, including such secret operations as sabotage, cyber attacks and even stealing nuclear secrets, in an effort to stop Iran from advancing its nuclear capabilities. Although Israel never admitted it, Iran accused them of being behind the assassination of its top scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in 2020.
• Iran has accumulated enough highly enriched nuclear fuel to create three bombs. It is also one of the few countries without nuclear weapons that can produce uranium enriched to 60%, which is near the 90% level needed for making nuclear weapons. 
• In recent years, Russia’s relationship with Iran has grown stronger, raising concerns in the US. The US is worried about the possibility of Russia sharing technology and information with Iran, which could boost Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
• Israel is thought to have nuclear weapons, but it has never officially confirmed this. This makes it an undeclared nuclear power, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

 WHY ENRICHING URANIUM IS NECESSARY

• Natural uranium is found in many places around the world but, in its raw form, it cannot be used to make nuclear weapons. It is also not useful in most nuclear reactors for producing electricity or creating plutonium. The uranium must first be processed and enriched to make it suitable for these purposes. Plutonium is created for both military purposes, such as building weapons, and for energy production in specific types of reactors.
• Natural uranium is made up of different types, called isotopes. Most of it, around 99.3%, is uranium-238, while only a small part, about 0.7%, is uranium-235. Uranium-235 is special because it is ‘fissile’—meaning it can be split or broken apart easily when hit by slow-moving neutrons, releasing energy in the process—which makes it useful in nuclear reactions.
• An isotope refers to different forms of the same chemical element. While all isotopes of an element have the same number of protons, they have different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. This difference in neutron count does not change their chemical properties much, but it can affect their stability and how they behave in nuclear reactions. For instance, uranium-238 and uranium-235 are isotopes of uranium, with different numbers of neutrons.
• Uranium-235 is the most important type of uranium for use in reactor fuel and making nuclear weapons because it can easily undergo fission. However, in its natural form, there is not enough uranium-235. To make it useful for these purposes, the amount of uranium-235 needs to be increased by separating it from uranium-238. This process is called enrichment.

ENRICHMENT LEVEL THAT REACTORS NEED

• Uranium with enrichment levels higher than 0.7% but below 20% uranium-235 is classified as low-enriched uranium (LEU). Most nuclear reactors used for civil and commercial purposes operate with LEU that typically contains 3-5% uranium-235.
• Examples of LEU used for civil and commercial purposes include generating electricity in power plants, conducting research in nuclear reactors and producing medical isotopes used in diagnostic imaging and cancer treatments.
• Uranium enriched to over 20% uranium-235 is called highly enriched uranium (HEU). While all HEU can be used to make weapons, lower enrichment levels require a larger quantity of uranium to reach the critical mass needed to create a bomb.
• Countries with nuclear weapons usually use what is called weapons-grade HEU, which is enriched to 90% or more. This higher enrichment allows for smaller and lighter nuclear weapons, making them easier to transport. In particular, ballistic missiles can only carry nuclear weapons that have been miniaturized.
• Uranium has a density similar to gold and takes up much less space for its weight compared to a metal such as iron (gold: 19.32 g/cm³, iron: 7.87 g/cm³).

THE PROCESS FOR ENRICHING URANIUM

• Before uranium can be enriched, it must be mined from the ground and milled, followed by chemical processing. Natural uranium ore is extracted from Earth’s crust. While uranium is found in many places worldwide, five countries—Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Canada and Niger (in West Africa)—hold 65% of the known uranium ore reserves.
• After uranium ore is mined, it is crushed to separate the uranium from the rock around it. This process, called milling, results in producing uranium oxide concentrate (U3O8)—commonly known as yellowcake. This yellowcake is sent to a conversion facility where impurities are removed and the uranium is mixed with fluorine to create uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a gas that can be used for enrichment.
• Since uranium-235 and uranium-238 are chemically the same, common chemical methods for purification cannot be used to separate them. Enrichment methods take advantage of the small difference in mass—about 1%—between the heavier, more common uranium-238 isotope and the lighter, fissile uranium-235 isotope.
• Various methods have been used to enrich uranium. During the Manhattan Project, the US used electromagnetic isotope separation (EMIS), but it was very energy-intensive and was abandoned after the war due to its inefficiency and high cost. During the Cold War, gaseous diffusion became the main method for enrichment but this, too, required a lot of electricity and large facilities. Laser excitation, a newer technology, has not yet proven to be commercially viable.

THE GAS CENTRIFUGES PROCESS

• Today, the most common and efficient method for enriching uranium is the use of gas centrifuges. In this process, uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas is spun at high speeds in a series of cylindrical centrifuges. The centrifugal force causes the heavier uranium-238 isotopes to move towards the outer edge, while the lighter uranium-235 isotopes remain closer to the centre.
• This allows for the gradual separation of uranium-235 from uranium-238. Gas centrifuges are highly efficient and require much less electricity compared to such older methods as gaseous diffusion, making them the preferred technology for uranium enrichment today.
• The speed of gas centrifuges used for uranium enrichment typically ranges from around 18,000 to 90,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). These high speeds create the necessary centrifugal force to separate the uranium-235 from uranium-238.
• The size of gas centrifuges used for uranium enrichment can vary, but most are tall, narrow cylinders. They typically range in heights of about 3 metres to 12 metres (10 feet to 40 feet) and have a diameter of about 15 centimetres to 20 centimetres (6 inches to 8 inches).
• The exact size depends on the design and the specific technology being used, but they are generally designed to maximize efficiency while maintaining structural integrity under high-speed rotation.

THE RISK OF N-ARMS PROLIFERATION

• Uranium enrichment is a nuclear proliferation risk because the same technology that produces low-enriched uranium (LEU) for reactor fuel can also be used to create highly enriched uranium (HEU) for nuclear weapons. There are no technical limitations stopping countries with enrichment technology from using it to produce weapons-grade uranium—only legal restrictions are in place to prevent it.
• Centrifuges create a special challenge for preventing nuclear proliferation because it is hard to detect hidden facilities in time and existing centrifuges can be quickly adjusted to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU). At present, countries known to have uranium enrichment capabilities include France, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, the US, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, India, Pakistan and Iran. 

Solar Storm Warning: ISRO On Alert As India Braces for Potential Disruptions

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is taking steps to protect vital infrastructure, with experts stressing the importance of heightened vigilance.
• Solar storms are sudden bursts of particles, energy, and magnetic fields from the Sun that can disrupt Earth''s magnetosphere. These can cause geomagnetic storms, leading to radio blackouts and power outages on Earth.
• A geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere that occurs when there is an exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth.
• Solar storms are caused by the release of magnetic energy called solar winds from the sunspots.
• These storms result from variations in the solar wind that cause major changes in the currents, plasmas, and fields in Earth’s magnetosphere.
• Solar Storms happen when Sun emits large bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These phenomena send a stream of electrical charges and magnetic fields toward the Earth at high speed.

Solar Storms are of the following types:

1. Solar Flares: A solar flare is a sudden flash of increased brightness on the Sun, usually observed near its surface and in proximity to a sunspot group.
2. Coronal Mass Ejection: A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a significant release of plasma and accompanying magnetic field from the solar corona. They often follow solar flares and are normally present during a solar prominence eruption.
3. Geomagnetic Storm: A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earth’s magnetosphere caused by a solar wind shock that interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field.
4. Solar Particle Events: A solar particle event or solar proton event (SPE), or prompt proton event, occurs when particles (mostly protons) emitted by the Sun become accelerated either close to the Sun during a flare or in interplanetary space by coronal mass ejection shocks.

The solar wind conditions that are required for creating geomagnetic storms are:

• Many hours of the high-speed solar wind,
• A southward directed solar wind magnetic field (opposite to the direction of Earth’s field) at the dayside of the magnetosphere

These conditions are effective for transferring energy from the solar wind into Earth’s magnetosphere.

The largest storms that result from these conditions are associated with solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) where a billion tons or so of plasma from the sun, with its embedded magnetic field, arrives at Earth. CMEs typically take several days to arrive on Earth but have been observed, for some of the most intense storms, to arrive in as short as 18 hours.

Effect of a geomagnetic storm on Earth

• It results in intense currents in the magnetosphere, changes in the radiation belts, and changes in the ionosphere, including heating the ionosphere and an upper atmosphere region called the thermosphere. 
• These storms can heat the ionosphere, causing beautiful auroras on earth.
• Because the ionosphere is heated and distorted during storms, long-range radio communication that relies on sub-ionospheric reflection gets affected.
• Ionospheric expansion due to these storms can increase satellite drag and make their orbits difficult to control.
• Satellite electronics can be damaged through the buildup and discharge of static-electric charges.
• It can disrupt global navigation systems.
• It can create harmful geomagnetic-induced currents (GICs)in the power grid and pipelines.

Auroras

• An aurora is a colorful light show in the sky caused by the Sun’s flares.
• Auroras occur when particles from the Sun interact with gases of the Earth’s atmosphere, causing beautiful displays of light in the sky.
• Auroras are often seen in areas near the North Pole and the South Pole. It is called aurora borealis or northern lights on the North Pole and aurora australis or southern lights on the South Pole.
• Auroras are a special treat because of the beautiful light show in the sky.
• When a solar storm comes toward the Earth, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into Earth’s atmosphere.
• Any planet in the solar system that has an atmosphere and magnetic field, has auroras. Planets like Jupiter and Saturn have beautiful auroras.

How are geomagnetic storms predicted?

• Solar Storms or geomagnetic storms are predicted by:
  • Solar physicists and other scientists deploy computer models to forecast solar storms and other solar activity.
  • Current models can forecast the arrival timing and pace of a storm. But the structure or orientation of the storm cannot be foreseen.
• The magnetic field orientations can cause a more intense response in the magnetosphere which results in more violent magnetic storms.
• Since the dependence of the world is increasing on satellites for most activities, it is imperative that space weather forecasts are improved and more efficient measures to safeguard satellites are invented.
• Geomagnetic storm set to hit earth after filament eruption from the sun.

Nepal, India, And Bangladesh Sign Historic Cross-Border Electricity Trade Deal

• This agreement is a significant achievement for Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, as it strengthens not only their economic ties but also their energy security.
• In a landmark move towards regional energy cooperation, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh signed a tripartite agreement on October 3 in Kathmandu, to enable cross-border electricity trade. This deal allows Nepal to export its excess hydroelectric power to Bangladesh through India''s transmission network, marking a significant step in South Asian energy collaboration.
• The agreement permits Nepal to supply excess electricity to Bangladesh during the rainy season, specifically from June 15 to November 15 each year.
• Through this deal, Nepal is projected to earn an estimated USD 9.2 million annually.
• Bangladesh with rising energy needs, can benefit from an additional and renewable power source.  
• India, playing a crucial role as the transit country, facilitates the transmission of power and enhances regional connectivity.
• This agreement sets the stage for further collaboration in the region, with potential for increased energy trade in the future. It also highlights the importance of utilizing regional resources to meet growing energy needs while promoting sustainable and renewable energy solutions across South Asia.

India’s southwest monsoon has ended on an optimistic note, with 8% more rain, focus shifts to Northeast Monsoon.

•  The Northeast Monsoon occurs from October to December, bringing rainfall primarily to the southern part of India.
• It is often referred to as the “post-monsoon season” or “retreating monsoon” in meteorological terms.
• Wind Direction: Characterized by northeast trade winds blowing from the northeastern directions towards the Indian subcontinent.

Mechanism

• One of the primary causes of the northeast monsoon is the southward movement of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) — a dynamic region near the Equator where the trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres come together.
• During the southwest monsoon season, this ITCZ moves northwards over to the Indian landmass, where it is also referred to as the monsoon trough. But as the temperatures in the northern hemisphere begin to drop around September, the ITCZ starts moving towards the Equator and further into the southern hemisphere.
• This southward movement of the ITCZ, coupled with the heating up of the Indian Ocean, reverses the direction in which the lower-atmosphere moisture-laden winds blow (from southwest to northeast), thereby triggering the NEM.
• As the northeastern winds blow from land to sea, most parts of the country are dry in these months. But a portion of these monsoon winds blows over the Bay of Bengal, picks up moisture, and brings rain-bearing clouds to the southern subdivisions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and southern parts of Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

Geographical Distribution of Rainfall

• The Northeast Monsoon is crucial for the southeastern states of India. Unlike the Southwest Monsoon (which covers most of India), the Northeast Monsoon brings significant rainfall mainly to:
• Tamil Nadu: About 48%–60% of Tamil Nadu’s annual rainfall is received during this season, making it vital for agriculture and water resources.
• Southern Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala also receive rainfall but in lesser quantities.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands also receive rainfall during this season.

Importance of the Northeast Monsoon

• Agricultural Impact:
• Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh rely heavily on the Northeast Monsoon for agricultural activities, as the region doesn’t receive much rainfall from the Southwest Monsoon.
• Rice cultivation is a significant beneficiary of the rainfall from this monsoon.
• Water Resources:
• It is vital for recharging reservoirs and water bodies in the southern states, which face severe water scarcity otherwise.
• Groundwater recharge during this period is essential for drinking water and irrigation.
• Fisheries:
• The monsoon is crucial for the fishing communities along the Coromandel Coast, as it influences marine ecosystems and seasonal fishing patterns.

Jaishankar to visit Pakistan for SCO meeting - What is the organisation — and what is its significance?

Established: 2001

• The SCO is the successor to the Shanghai Five, formed in 1996 between the People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. In June 2001, the leaders of these nations and Uzbekistan met in Shanghai creating SCO.
• Current Members:
• Presently 10.
• In 2017, India and Pakistan joined. Iran joined the group in 2023, and Belarus in 2024.

Goals of the SCO are:

• to strengthen mutual trust, friendship and good-neighbourliness between the Member States;
• to encourage the effective cooperation between the Member States in such spheres as politics, trade, economy, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, etc;
• to jointly ensure and maintain peace, security and stability in the region; and
• to promote a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic international order.
• Internally, the SCO adheres to the “Shanghai spirit”, namely, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development; and externally, it upholds non-alignment, non-targeting at other countries or regions and the principle of openness.

Structure:

• Council of Heads of States : The supreme decision-making body, meets annually.
• Council of Heads of Government : Meets once a year to discuss the strategy of multilateral cooperation and priority areas within the Organization, determine fundamental and topical issues in economic and other spheres, and approve the budget of the SCO.
• In addition to the meetings of the CHS and the CHG, there are also mechanisms for meetings on foreign affairs, national defense, security, economy and trade, culture, health, education, transport etc.
• The Council of National Coordinators is the SCO coordination mechanism.
• Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS): Based in Tashkent, focused on combating terrorism, extremism, and cyber threats.
• The official languages of the SCO are Russian and Chinese

What relevance does the SCO hold for India?

• On one level, SCO membership allows India to participate in a forum which enhances its scope of cooperation with Central Asian countries, which have not had particularly close relations with India since their formation in 1991. It also matters for maintaining communication with major actors in the region on common security issues.
• For example, an important permanent structure within the SCO is the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). It assists members in the preparation and staging of counter-terrorism exercises, analyses key intelligence information coming in from the member states, and shares information on terrorist movements and drug trafficking.
• However, the relevance of the organisation comes into question given the difficulty in managing ties among the partners. India shares tense relationships with China and Pakistan at present. Last year, when the summit was to be held under India’s presidency as part of the rotation, it decided to hold a virtual summit instead.

Business- Ready Index

• The B-READY index is a successor to the Ease of Doing Business rankings, which were discontinued in 2021 due to irregularities.
• It is a ground-breaking initiative that aims to focus on quantitatively assessing the business environment across world economies.
• It envisages taking into consideration more diverse factors while arriving at the rating.
• Global financial institutions and multi-national companies will use the B-Ready framework as a benchmark to understand the regulatory and policy environment of a country.
• It will be published annually, taking into consideration three main pillars: regulatory framework, public services, and efficiency.
• The index incorporates digitalization, environmental sustainability, and gender equality into each indicator, ensuring a holistic and forward-thinking approach to business evaluation. 
• It tracks ten parameters covering a firm’s lifecycle from starting, operating, closing, and reorganising. 
• The index will expand in three stages, covering 54 economies initially and reaching up to 180 countries by 2026.

Guardians of the Flock: Wolves may be villains in Bahraich, but are sacred beings for Koppal’s Kuruba shepherds 

•  The Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Ten deaths—those of nine children and one woman —have been presumed to have occurred due to wolf attacks in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh.
•  However, hundreds of kilometres from Bahraich, in the rugged landscapes of central Karnataka, a unique relationship has flourished between local shepherds and an unlikely ally—wolves.
• The Indian grey wolf, with its keen instincts, is believed to target and prey upon the weaker, sicker individuals, essentially acting as nature’s culling system.
•  The Kurubas are nomadic graziers who “Traditionally, believe that wolves help maintain the health of our flocks by preying on weak or diseased sheep.
• Karnataka’s Kurubas have contributed in their own significant way to wolf conservation in India. The Bankapur Wolf Sanctuary, declared in 2021, is India’s second protected area dedicated exclusively to Canis lupus pallipes after the Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary established in erstwhile undivided Bihar in 1976 (today in Jharkhand).

Indian Grey Wolf :

• It is a subspecies of grey wolf that ranges from Southwest Asia to the Indian Subcontinent.
• It travels in smaller packs and is less vocal than other variants. They are nocturnal and hunt from dusk to dawn.
• Appearance: It is intermediate in size lies between the Tibetan and Arabian wolf, and lacks the former’s luxuriant winter coat due to its living in warmer conditions.
• Habitat: The Indian wolf inhabits areas dominated by scrub, grasslands and semi-arid pastoral agro-ecosystems.
• They live in warmer conditions.
• Distribution: It has a wide distribution range that extends from the Indian subcontinent to Israel. There are about 3,000 animals in India, some in captivity.

Conservation Status

• IUCN: Least concern
• CITES : Appendix 1 
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 : Schedule I
• Threat: Habitat loss and depletion of prey species etc

Union Health Minister Unveils Key Initiatives to boost Nutrition Support for TB Patients and their Families

• India has the world’s highest tuberculosis (TB) burden, with an estimated 26 lakh people contracting the disease and approximately 4 lakh people dying from the disease every year.
• TB usually affects the most economically productive age group of society resulting in a significant loss of working days and pushing TB patients further into the vortex of poverty.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is implementing an ambitious National Strategic Plan with the goal to achieve SDG End TB targets by 2025. The challenge of tuberculosis requires a multi-sectoral response to address the social determinants like nutritional support, living and working conditions, and an increase in access to diagnostic and treatment services.
• Underscoring India’s resolute commitment to end TB, Nutrition support under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) has been increased from existing Rs. 500 per month/patient to Rs. 1,000/month/patient for entire duration of the treatment.
• The government has also decided to introduce energy dense nutrition supplementation for all patients with BMI<18.5 and to permit expansion of scope & coverage of Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) to the family members (household contacts) of TB patients.
• All TB patients will now receive a nutritional support of ₹ 3,000 to ₹ 6,000 under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY).
•  While enhancement of NPY support will benefit all 25 lakh TB patients in a year, introduction of Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation (EDNS) would cover approximately 12 lakh underweight patients (BMI less than 18.5 kg/m² at the time of diagnosis).
•  EDNS would be provided to all eligible patients for the first two months of their treatment. “This move will cost the Government of India approximately an additional ₹1,040 crores to be shared between the center and states on 60:40 basis.
•  In addition to TB patients, Ni-kshay Mitras will adopt the household contacts of TB patients for distribution of food baskets with a view to improve the immunity of the family members of TB patients. This would lead to a significant reduction in out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE) incurred by TB patients and their families.

INTERNATIONAL BIG CAT ALLIANCE (IBCA)

Recently, the Union cabinet approved the proposal of India to become a member country of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) by signing and ratification of the Framework Agreement on the establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).

International Big Cat Alliance

• The Union cabinet in its meeting held on February 29 approved the establishment of International Big Cat Alliance with Headquarters in India with a one-time budgetary support of ₹150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
• So far four countries have become member of IBCA including India, Nicaragua, Eswatini and Somalia.
• All UN member countries are eligible for becoming the member of IBCA

Objectives:

• A multi-country, multi-agency coalition of big cat range and non-range countries, conservation partners, scientific organizations, business groups, and corporates.
• Aims to establish networks, synergies, and a centralized repository of best practices, personnel, and financial resources to strengthen big cat conservation efforts.
• Focused on arresting the decline of big cat populations and reversing the trend.

Mission:

• Foster mutual cooperation among countries for big cat conservation.
• Support knowledge sharing, capacity building, networking, advocacy, finance, and research.
• Integrate big cat conservation with sustainable development and climate resilience.

Approach:

Multipronged Strategy:

• Broad-based linkages in areas like knowledge sharing, capacity building, research, advocacy, and technical support.
• Education and awareness campaigns targeting youth and local communities.
• Use big cats as symbols for sustainable development and livelihood security.

Synergies and Partnerships:

• Collaborative platform for sharing gold-standard conservation practices.
• Access to centralized technical know-how and financial resources.
• Strengthen species-specific transnational initiatives on conservation.
• Align biodiversity policies with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sectoral Integration:

• Promote biodiversity integration into agriculture, forestry, tourism, and infrastructure.
• Support sustainable land-use practices, habitat restoration, and ecosystem-based conservation approaches.
• Contribute to climate change mitigation, food security, clean water, and poverty reduction.

Governance Structure:

• Assembly of Members, Standing Committee, and Secretariat.
• Governance framework modeled on the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• Director General (DG) appointed by MoEFCC as Interim Head, until formal appointment during IBCA Assembly.

SALT PAN LAND TO BE USED FOR HOMES

 The Maharashtra government has issued a GR (Government Resolution) allocating 255 acres of salt pan land, distributed over three land parcels in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, for the construction of rental houses in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project through a lease agreement

What are salt pans?

• Salt pan lands are ecologically important salt marshlands. They are low-lying areas around the shore that are used for salt cultivation. They act as holding ponds and work as a sponge for the absorption of rain
• They are a coastal area’s natural defence against flooding

Concerns:

• Impact assessment study needs to be done before opening up large packs of land for intensive activities like housing.
• The most important demand with respect to the Dharavi project has been for in-situ rehabilitation. Urban planners point out that handing over land parcels in different parts of the city for a developer will lead to formation of ghettos.

What lies ahead?

• The Centre will hand over the land to the State government, which will give permission to DRPPL to go ahead with the construction after their plans are approved.
• For that, the DRPPL will have to seek an approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Environmentalists claim that the entire process from here on can be challenged in the court of law.