Latest News
Mar 18, 2022
DRAFT NATIONAL POLICY FOR MEDICAL DEVICES, 2022
Recently, the government is proposing a new policy to reduce India’s dependence on import of high-end medical devices.
About India’s Draft Medical Devices Policy
Operation Greens
Key Findings
Key Statistics
About Aapda Mitra Scheme
Genesis
Key Findings
Smaller Cities Turning into Pollution Hotspots
Genesis
About India’s Draft Medical Devices Policy
- The government is proposing a new policy to reduce India’s dependence on import of high-end medical devices. Some of the proposals include incentivising the export of medical devices and related technology projects through tax rebates and refunds, increasing government spending in “high-risk” projects in the medical devices sector, and a single-window clearance system for licensing medical devices.
- In an approach paper to a draft National Policy for Medical Devices, 2022, the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers has proposed adopting public-private partnerships to reduce the cost of healthcare, drive efficiency, and aid quality improvements in medical devices manufactured in the country. It is also proposing to enabling a pricing environment with no price control on newly developed innovation in the sector.
- With the new policy, the government aims to reduce India’s import dependence from 80 per cent to nearly 30 per cent in the next 10 years, and become one of the top five global manufacturing hubs for medical devices by 2047.
- The Draft policy aims at addressing the core objectives of accessibility, affordability, safety and quality, focusing on self-sustainability, innovation and growth in the medical devices sector.
- The medical devices sector in India is an essential and integral constituent of the Indian healthcare sector, particularly for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of all medical conditions, diseases, illnesses, and disabilities.
- Nearly 80 per cent of the medical devices currently sold in the country are imported, particularly high-end devices. Indian players in the space have so far typically focused on low-cost and low-tech products, like consumables and disposables, leading to a higher value share going to foreign companies.
- India’s medical devices sector has so far been regulated as per provisions under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, and a specific policy on medical devices has been a long-standing demand from the industry.
- In February 2020, the government notified changes in the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 to regulate medical devices on the same lines as drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. This was necessitated after revelations about faulty hip implants marketed by Johnson & Johnson, exposing the lack of regulatory teeth when it came to medical devices.
- The government said the transition from partial regulation of selected medical services to the complete regulation and licensing of all medical devices is underway, and is expected to be completed by October 2023, requiring more clear articulation in terms of quality assurance and certification.
- The policy also aims to increase India’s per capita spend on medical devices. India has one of the lowest per capita spend on medical devices at $3, compared to the global average of per capita consumption of $47, and significantly lower than the per capita consumption of developed nations like the USA at $415 and Germany at $313.
- The key focus areas of the draft policy include incentivising core technology projects and exports through tax refunds and rebates, creating a single-window clearance system for licensing medical devices, identifying critical suppliers, de-risking and de-carbonising the supply chain, promoting local sourcing, encouraging cross-industry collaboration, creating a central pool of vendors and workers.
- The aim is to establish a dedicated mechanism for the local industry’s engagements with international regulatory agencies, and increasing share of medical technology companies in research and development to around 50 per cent, among other things.
- It also proposes to allot a dedicated fund for encouraging joint research involving existing industry players, reputed academic institutions and start-ups. It will also incorporate a framework for a coherent pricing regulation, to make available quality and effective medical devices to all citizens at affordable prices.
- The NPPA (National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority) shall be strengthened with adequate manpower of suitable expertise to provide effective price regulation balancing patient and industry needs and incorporating innovation and life cycle costs as factors in pricing regulation of medical devices.
- The Pharmaceuticals Department will also work with industry to implement a Uniform Code for Medical Device Marketing Practices (UCMDMP).
- According to the approach paper, by 2047, India is expected to be home to 25-billion-dollar medical technology companies and will achieve a 10-12 per cent global market share in the medical devices sector to arrive at a $100-300 billion industry.
- Globally, the market is expected to reach $433 billion by 2025 and is currently dominated by the US which has a 40 per cent market share, Europe with a 25 per cent share and Japan with a 15 per cent share.
- The sector is also pegged for growth in other emerging markets like Thailand, where the medical device market was valued at $27 billion and is expected to grow by 8-10 per cent, and Brazil where the market is growing at a CAGR of 5.8 per cent. In China, the sector is valued at around $96 billion and has been growing at a pace of over 20 per cent for several years.
- The government has noted that the medical devices sector in India suffers from a considerable cost of manufacturing disability vis-à-vis competing economies, inter alia, on account of lack of adequate infrastructure, domestic supply chain and logistics, high cost of finance, inadequate availability of power, limited design capabilities, low focus on research and development (R&D) and skill development etc.
- It had launched the production-linked incentive scheme (PLI scheme) last year to encourage domestic manufacturing of high-end medical devices, and it approved applications of manufacturing commitments worth over Rs 730 crore for production of devices such as CT scan and MRI machines, dialysers, anesthesia unit ventilators, transcatheter aortic heart valves, stents, heart occluders, and others.
Operation Greens
- In the budget speech of Union Budget 2018-19, “Operation Greens” was announced on the line of “Operation Flood”, with an outlay of Rs.500 crore to promote Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs #), Agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management. Accordingly, the Ministry has formulated a scheme for integrated development of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) value chain.
- Enhancing value realisation of TOP farmers by targeted interventions to strengthen TOP production clusters and their FPOs, and linking/connecting them with the market.
- Price stabilisation for producers and consumers by proper production planning in the TOP clusters and introduction of dual use varieties.
- Reduction in post-harvest losses by creation of farm gate infrastructure, development of suitable agro-logistics, creation of appropriate storage capacity linking consumption centres.
- Increase in food processing capacities and value addition in TOP value chain with firm linkages with production clusters.
- Setting up of a market intelligence network to collect and collate real time data on demand and supply and price of TOP crops.
- The scheme will have a two-pronged strategy of Price stabilisation measures (for short term) and Integrated value chain development projects (for long term).
- Short term Price Stabilisation Measures
- NAFED will be the Nodal Agency to implement price stabilisation measures.
- MoFPI will provide 50% of the subsidy on the following two components:
- Transportation of Tomato Onion Potato (TOP) Crops from production to storage;
- Hiring of appropriate storage facilities for TOP Crops;
- Market Intelligence and Early Warning System
- MIEWS Dashboard and Portal is a platform for monitoring prices of tomato, onion and potato (TOP) and for generating alerts for intervention under the terms of the Operation Greens scheme.
- The portal would disseminate all relevant information related to TOP crops such as Prices and Arrivals, Area, Yield and Production, Imports and Exports, Crop Calendars, Crop Agronomy, etc in an easy-to-use visual format.
- Long Term Integrated value chain development projects
- Formation and Capacity Building of FPOs
- Quality Production
- Post-harvest processing facilities - At Farm Level
- Post-harvest processing facilities - At Main Processing Site
- Agri-Logistics
- Marketing/Consumption Points
- The pattern of assistance will comprise of grants-in-aid at the rate of 50% of the eligible project cost in all areas, subject to maximum Rs. 50 crores per project. However, in case where PIA is/are FPO(s), the grant-in-aid will be at the rate of 70% of the eligible project cost in all areas, subject to maximum Rs. 50 crores per project.
- Eligible Organisation would include State Agriculture and other Marketing Federations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO), cooperatives, companies, Self-help groups, food processors, logistic operators, service providers, supply chain operators, retail and wholesale chains and central and state governments and their entities/organizations will be eligible to participate in the programme and to avail financial assistance.
- The applicant fulfilling the eligibility criteria under the scheme is required to submit the online application on SAMPADA portal of the ministry attaching complete documents therewith.
- Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has recently extended the Operation Greens Scheme from Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) to all fruits & vegetables (TOTAL) for a period of six months on pilot basis as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
- The salient features of the guidelines are as below:
- Objective: - The objective of intervention is to protect the growers of fruits and vegetables from making distress sale due to lockdown and reduce the post-harvest losses.
- Eligible Crops: - Fruits- Mango, Banana, Guava, Kiwi, Lichi, Papaya, Citrus, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Jackfruit; Vegetables: - French beans, Bitter Gourd, Brinjal, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chillies (Green), Okra, Onion, Potato and Tomato. Any other fruit/vegetable can be added in future on the basis of recommendation by the Ministry of Agriculture or State Government (List of eligible crops, selected surplus production clusters and trigger price for intervention under the scheme.
- Duration of Scheme: - for the period of six months from the date of notification i.e., 11/06/2020.
- Eligible Entities: - Food Processors, FPO/FPC, Co-operative Societies, Individual farmers, Licensed Commission Agent, Exporters, State Marketing/Co- operative Federation, Retailers etc. engaged in processing/ marketing of fruits and vegetables.
- Pattern of Assistance: - Ministry will provide subsidy @ 50 % of the cost of the following two components, subject to the cost norms:
- Transportation of eligible crops from surplus production cluster to consumption centre; and/or
- Hiring appropriate storage facilities for eligible crops (for a maximum period of 3 months);
- Submission of claim for subsidy – Eligible entities, who comply with the aforesaid essential criteria may undertake the transportation and/or storage of notified crops from notified surplus production cluster, without any prior approval from MoFPI and thereafter submit their claim on online portal.
- The idea behind the Operation Greens scheme is to double the income of farmers by the end of 2022. It is launched on the lines of Operation Flood and seeks to reiterate the success of milk in vegetables and fruits.
- When the production of vegetable commodities increases sharply the prices crash because there is not enough modern storage capacity. Therefore, the scheme seeks to solve the problem of storage capacity.
- The Framers often receive less than 1/4th of what consumers pay for the produce. This is because the links between processing and organized retailing in India is weak and small.
- The scheme Operation Greens will focus on these problems for basic ingredients and not on additional commodities in agriculture.
- Government of India (GOI) has approved a new Central Sector Scheme – Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) with an allocation of Rs. 6,000 crores for the period 2016-20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle. The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).
- PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana is a comprehensive package which will result in the creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.
- It will not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing sector in the country but also help in providing better returns to farmers and is a big step towards doubling of farmers income, creating huge employment opportunities especially in the rural areas, reducing wastage of agricultural produce, increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of the processed foods.
- It allows agricultural operations on a large scale. The Green Revolution has brought farming to a massive scale. Crops are being grown on an industrial scale even by the smaller farming community.
- It has the potential to be able to grow any crop anywhere. This innovative farming process has made it possible for agriculture to be done almost everywhere. The Green Revolution has made it possible for agriculture to be more doable everywhere.
- It eliminates the need to fallow lands. This agricultural method has allowed farmers to re-plant similar crops without fallowing their lands, which is known to be a costly process. Though there are some crops on which soil still needing to be fallowed, the Green Revolution has certainly made farming cost-efficient.
- It can cause pests and weeds to develop hazards. This modern method of farming is believed to cause the emergence of poisonous weeds and pests that are difficult to control, there is also the concern of cross pollination between genetically modified organisms and traditional plants that could result in invasive species.
- It employs mono-culturing. One of the biggest arguments against this modern technology is that it uses mono-culturing. This practice is known to require large tracts of land, which are not often available, intensive amounts of fertilizers and large volumes of water, bring about difficulties for farmers.
- It would have difficulties with varied soil type by location. It does not take into consideration the type of soil for farming, only considering the area and doing what it needs for crop cultivation, it does not do anything to ensure soil fertility is replenished or retained.
- FPO stands for Farmer Producer Organizations. FPO is an organization where the members are farmers itself. Farmers Producers Organization provides end-to-end support and services to the small farmers, and covers technical services, marketing, processing, and others aspects of cultivation inputs.
- The idea behind the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) was that “Farmers, who are the producers of their agriculture products, can form the groups and can register themselves under the Indian Companies Act”.
- To facilitate the process, the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) was mandated by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, to support the State Government in the formation of the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
- The goal is to enhance the farmers’ competitiveness and to increase their advantage in emerging market opportunities. The major operations of Farmers Producer Organization (FPO) include the supply of seed, machinery, market linkages & fertilizer, training, networking, financial and technical advice.
- The main aim of the Farmer Producer Organization is to ensure a better income for the producers through an organization of their own. Small producers do not have the volume individually to get the benefit of economies of scale.
- In agricultural marketing, there is a chain of intermediaries, who often work non-transparently leading to the situation, where producer receives only a small part of the value which the ultimate consumer pays. This will be eliminated.
- Through accumulation, the primary producers can avail themselves of the benefit of the economies of scale. Farmers Producers have better bargaining power in the form of bulk buyers of produce and bulk suppliers of inputs.
- Initially, the minimum members in Farmer Producer Organization are 100 in North East & Hilly Areas and 300 in plain areas.
- The Farmers Producers Organizations are formed and promoted through the Cluster-Based Business Organizations and engaged at the State or Cluster level by implementing the agencies.
- Farmer Producer Organization is promoted under “One District One Product” to promote the specialization and better branding, marketing, processing and exports by FPO.
- The Farmers Producer Organization provide adequate training & handholding and the CBBOs provide the initial training.
- Priority is given for the formation of Farmer Producer Organization in aspirational districts with at least one FPO in each block of the aspirational districts.
- The Scheme of Mega Food Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers income and creating employment opportunities particularly in rural sector.
- The Mega Food Park Scheme is based on “Cluster” approach and envisages creation of state of art support infrastructure in a well-defined agri / horticultural zone for setting up of modern food processing units in the industrial plots provided in the park with well-established supply chain.
- Mega food park typically consists of supply chain infrastructure including collection centers, primary processing centers, central processing centers, cold chain and around 25-30 fully developed plots for entrepreneurs to set up food processing units.
- The Mega Food Park project is implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is a Body Corporate registered under the Companies Act. State Government, State Government entities and Cooperatives are not required to form a separate SPV for implementation of Mega Food Park project. Subject to fulfillment of the conditions of the Scheme Guidelines, the funds are released to the SPVs.
- Introduced in 11th Plan to create modern infrastructure
- Scheme has been conceptualized on an Industrial Park Model and customized to the need of food processing sector
- Cluster-based approach on Hub and Spoke model
- Central Processing Centre (CPC) as Hub; Primary Processing Centres (PPC) and Collection Centres (CCs) as Spokes
- Focus on both backward and forward integration
- Developed Industrial plots available for setting up units including sheds for plug and play
- Core Processing – Mechanized sorting & grading, packaging, warehouse, silos, CA/MA/Frozen /Cold Storage, pulping, IQF, ripening chambers, QC Lab, etc.
- Enabling Basic Infrastructure – Industrial plots, Internal roads, drainage, water, electricity, ETP, STP, weigh bridge, etc.
- Non-core Infrastructure - Admin building, training centre, canteen, workers' hostel etc.
Key Findings
- By 2060, these areas could lose 75 per cent under moderate efforts to mitigate climate change. The figure could go as high as 81 per cent and 93 per cent if the world does little to address the issue, the study predicted.
- Besides, thawing permafrost could threaten buildings and other infrastructure standing above it. Sweden, Alaska and Canada in the Arctic are already witnessing this, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
- Strong climate change mitigation policies can limit or reverse the rate and extent at which Europe and western Siberia can lose the right climatic conditions to support permafrost peatlands.
- Peatlands are a class of wetlands, which are ecosystems flooded with water. Waterlogged conditions limit microbial decay of dead plant materials rich in carbon dioxide. This prevents the reintroduction of gas into the atmosphere.
- Peatlands are a type of wetland which are critical for preventing and mitigating the effects of climate change, preserving biodiversity, minimising flood risk, and ensuring safe drinking water.
- Peatlands are the largest natural terrestrial carbon store. They store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined.
- In peatlands, year-round water-logged conditions slow plant decomposition to such an extent that dead plants accumulate to form peat. This stores the carbon the plants absorbed from the atmosphere within peat soils, providing a net-cooling effect and helping to mitigate the climate crisis.
- Peatlands, which occupy only 3 per cent of the global land surface, store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
- Some peatlands are buried under frozen ground or permafrost and exist as permafrost peatlands. They are found in the northern parts of Alaska, Canada, Russia and parts of northern Europe.
- Frozen wetlands in Europe and western Siberia store up to 39 billion tonnes of carbon. This is equivalent to twice that is held by the whole of European forests.
- Peatlands are significant to global efforts to combat climate change and achieve other Sustainable Development Goals. Their protection and restoration are vital in the transition to a zero-carbon society.
- Emissions from drained peatlands are estimated at 1.9 gigatonnes of CO2e annually. This is equivalent to 5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, a disproportionate amount considering damaged peatlands cover just 0.3% of landmass.
- Worldwide, the remaining area of the nearby natural peatland (over 3 million km2) sequesters 0.37 gigatonnes of CO2 a year. Peat soils contain more than 600 gigatonnes of carbon which represents up to 44% of all soil carbon, and exceeds the carbon stored in all other vegetation types including the world’s forests.
- In their natural, wet state, peatlands provide indispensable Nature-based Solutions for adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, including regulating water flows, minimising the risk of flooding and drought, and preventing seawater intrusion.
- Wet peatlands lower ambient temperatures in surrounding areas, providing refuge from extreme heat, and are less likely to burn during wildfires. This helps to preserve air quality.
- Draining peatlands reduces the quality of drinking water as water becomes polluted with organic carbon and pollutants historically absorbed within peat.
- In many parts of the world, peatlands supply food, fibre and other local products that sustain economies. They also preserve important ecological and archaeological information such as pollen records and human artefacts.
- Degradation and overexploitation of peatland landscapes release huge quantities of greenhouse gases.
- Any disturbance to the surface soil can lead to permafrost degradation, including natural processes such as forest or tundra fires, and human activity, such as industrial and urban infrastructure development as well as mining, tourism and agriculture.
- The removal of trees and shrubs leads to more solar heat input, permafrost collapse and wetter conditions. Open water accumulates summer heat and acts as a heat source in winter, affecting the distribution of permafrost.
- The near inevitability of accelerating impacts reinforces the urgent need for local and regional adaptation strategies targeting these carbon-dense northern ecosystems.
- Areas that once cooled the atmosphere by storing carbon would instead release more of both CO2 and methane than they stored.
- We found that the thaw projected from future global warming will cause releases of greenhouse gas that overshadow and reverse the carbon dioxide sink of all northern peatlands for several hundred years.
- Huge stocks of peat carbon have been protected for millennia by frozen conditions, but once those conditions become unsuitable, all that stored carbon can be lost very quickly.
- This could release carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, further accelerating climate change, the researchers said.
- Damage to peatlands causes biodiversity loss. For example, the decline of the Bornean orang-outan population by 60% within 60 years is largely attributed to the loss of peat swamp habitat. The species is now listed as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- These changes will cause more CO2 and methane to be released into the atmosphere as the previously frozen peat becomes available for microbes that degrade it. The thaw will also lead to large losses of peat into rivers and streams, which will influence both the food chains and biochemistry of inland waters and the Arctic Ocean.
- Rapid decomposition of thawed forest peat reduced deep Organic Carbon stocks by nearly half during the first 100 years following thaw. Using a simple mass-balance model, we show that accumulation rates at the bog surface were not sufficient to balance deep OC losses, resulting in a net loss of Organic Carbon from the entire peat column.
- An uncertainty analysis also revealed that the magnitude and timing of soil OC loss from thawed forest peat depends substantially on variation in Organic Carbon input rates to bog peat and variation in decay constants for shallow and deep OC stocks.
- Urgent action worldwide to protect, sustainably manage, and restore peatlands is essential.
- Keeping peatlands healthy and doing their job will require good decision-making and the prudent management of permafrost peatlands. These will be key aspects to limiting greenhouse-gas emissions, reducing human and ecological vulnerabilities, and to building longer-term climate resilience to those most vulnerable.
- This involves stopping degrading activities such as agricultural conversion and drainage, and restoring the waterlogged conditions required for peat formation. Data shows that this is the only land-based option to indefinitely sequester carbon, is cost-effective, and that any emissions from restoration are more than offset in the long-term.
- Clear and ambitious targets for the rewetting and restoration of peatlands must be set (such as those in the UK and Association of Southeast Asian Nations country strategies), and peatland protection included in national adaptation plans to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement.
- The definition of peatlands varies between countries, and often excludes areas of value to industry. Given the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent biodiversity loss, definitions of peatlands should prioritise conservation, restoration and sustainable management.
- Public and private finance must be mobilised to secure peatlands and provide green jobs. Possible instruments include: emissions trading schemes and carbon markets; investment in restoration through payment for ecosystem services (such as clean water and flood protection); environmental bonds; government-backed carbon price guarantees.
- The international community, including the UN Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization and Ramsar Convention, have already committed to several goals, resolutions and strategic actions.
- These include: assessing the distribution and state of peatlands globally; measuring and reporting emissions from peatlands; protecting and restoring peatlands with targeted investments; stimulating market-based mechanisms to support peatlands; engaging and supporting local communities to manage peatlands sustainably and overcome associated costs; sharing expertise and experience on peatland conservation, restoration and improved management.
- IUCN recommends that peatlands be included alongside forests in all relevant intergovernmental agreements relating to climate change, geodiversity and biodiversity.
- IUCN Members also call for a moratorium on peat exploitation until legislation is strengthened to ensure peatlands are managed sustainably.
- Emissions from damaged peatlands and carbon savings from peatland restoration are eligible for national accounting under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Governments can therefore include peatland restoration and re-wetting in national climate action plans.
Key Statistics
- India’s urban unemployment rate had shot up sharply during the nationwide lockdown in 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic.
- Data shows that in the 15-29 age group, 25.5 per cent of urban youth remained unemployed in April-June 2021 as against 34.7 per cent in April-June 2020 and 22.9 per cent in January-March 2021.
- Urban females fared worse than urban males. In the 15-29 age group, the unemployment rate for urban females stood at 31 per cent compared with 24 per cent for males during April-June 2021. The unemployment rate for urban females and males stood at 36 per cent and 34.3 per cent, respectively, in April-June 2020.
- The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed people in the labour force. The urban unemployment PLFS is based on the current weekly status approach, under which a person is considered unemployed if he/she did not work even for one hour on any day during the week but sought or was available for work at least for one hour on any day during the period.
- Labour force, according to current weekly status (CWS), is the number of persons either employed or unemployed on an average in a week preceding the date of the survey.
- Labour force participation rate in current weekly status in urban areas for people aged 15 years and above was 46.8 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2021, up from 45.9 per cent in the same period a year ago. It was 47.5 per cent in January-March 2021.
- According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), which provides regular data on unemployment, the urban unemployment rate was 9.78 per cent in April, 14.72 per cent in May and 10.08 per cent in June last year.
- It eased to 8.32 per cent in July 2021, increased in August to 9.78 per cent and then again moderated to 8.64 per cent in September. The urban unemployment rate rose to 9.30 per cent in December and has eased since then to 8.16 per cent in January and 7.55 per cent in February 2022, as per CMIE.
- Labour force participation rate is defined as the percentage of population in the labour force.
- LFPR in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above saw a fall, led by women dropping out of the work force.
- Labour force participation rate for men saw a modest fall to 73.1% in the April-June 2021 quarter, compared to 73.5% in the January-March 2021.
- For women, it fell to 20.1% in the April-June 2021 quarter, compared to 21.2% in the January-March 2021 quarter.
- On an aggregate, labour force participation fell to 46.8% in the April-June 2021 quarter, compared to 47.5% in the January-March 2021 quarter.
- Worker Population Ratio Fell Worker population ratio is defined as the percentage of workers in the population. The WPR in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above saw a fall.
- WPR for males fell to 64.2% in the April-June 2021 quarter, compared to 67.2% in the January-March 2021 quarter.
- For females, it fell to 17.2% in the April-June 2021 quarter, compared to 18.7% in the January-March2021 quarter. On an an aggregate, it fell to 40.9% in the April-June 2021 quarter, compared to 43.1% in the January-March 2021 quarter.
- The National Statistics Office (NSO) released its latest quarterly PLFS report for the October-December 2020 quarter. The PLFS reports give estimates of labour force indicators including Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Unemployment Rate, and distribution of workers across industries.
- The reports are released on a quarterly as well as annual basis. The quarterly reports cover only urban areas whereas the annual report covers both urban and rural areas. The latest annual report is available for the July 2019-June 2020 period.
- The quarterly PLFS reports provide estimates based on the Current Weekly Activity Status (CWS). The CWS of a person is the activity status obtained during a reference period of seven days preceding the date of the survey.
- As per CWS status, a person is considered unemployed in a week if he did not work even for at least one hour on any day during the reference week but sought or was available for work.
- In contrast, the headline numbers on employment-unemployment in the annual PLFS reports are reported based on the usual activity status. Usual activity status relates to the activity status of a person during the reference period of the last 365 days preceding the date of the survey.
- Experts and economists said urban joblessness has a direct co-relation with restricted economic activity and lockdowns.
- Besides, there is no alternative to the rural national employment guarantee scheme for urban workers.
- They said that in rural India, more people are engaged in family professions such as agriculture, horticulture, and small businesses, leading to disguised unemployment and lower productivity.
- Urban unemployment will stay high for at least three to six months because of three reasons–lack of employment opportunities, employers’ hesitation to hire more, and an increased risk-aversion among workers.
- Other than IT and allied sectors, employment opportunities are limited everywhere else. Look at fast-moving consumer goods, retail trade, automobile, informal sectors, including urban markets, the hospitality or tourism sectors, you would realize that it’s no time to stand and clap in joy.
- The business sentiment is down, consumption is down, and we are facing a circular crisis. Lack of consumption is hitting employment creation, and lack of employment is adversely impacting consumption.
- Because there is a stretch in the labour market, people are earning less, and job losses are massive, market demand and economic revival is taking time.
- Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), the central government contributed both 12% employer’s share and 12% employee’s share under Employees Provident Fund (EPF). Between March and August 2020, a total of Rs 2,567 crore was credited in EPF accounts of 38.85 lakhs eligible employees through 2.63 lakh establishments.
- The Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojna (ABRY) Scheme was launched with effect from October 2020 to incentivise employers for the creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of loss of employment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Further, statutory provident fund contribution of both employers and employees was reduced to 10% each from the existing 12% for all establishments covered by EPF Organisation for three months. As of June 30, 2021, an amount of Rs 950 crore has been disbursed under ABRY to around 22 lakh beneficiaries.
- The unemployment benefit under the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (launched in July 2018) was enhanced from 25% to 50% of the average earning for insured workers who have lost employment due to COVID-19.
- Under the Prime Minister’s Street Vendor’s Aatma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, the central government provided an initial working capital of up to Rs 10,000 to street vendors. As of June 28, 2021, 25 lakh loan applications have been sanctioned and Rs 2,130 crore disbursed to 21.57 lakh beneficiaries.
About Aapda Mitra Scheme
- The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has implemented a Scheme of Aapda Mitra on pilot basis to train 6000 community volunteers (200 per district) in 30 flood prone districts of 25 States/UTs in disaster response with a focus on flood, so that they can respond to the community’s immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster. More than 5500 volunteers have been trained under the pilot scheme.
- Based on the success of the pilot scheme, and request from the States/UTs, Government of India has approved the Up-Scaling of Aapda Mitra Scheme, covering 350 districts prone to flood, landslide, cyclone and earthquake to train 1,00,000 community volunteers in disaster response.
- Aapda Mitra – a force of volunteers from across India trained in disaster response – is becoming a game changer in the field of disaster management in the country. The Aapda Mitra scheme is set to expand from its pilot status to become a people's movement for disaster response and risk reduction, putting India on the global map in the domain of Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction.
- The scheme aims to provide the community volunteers with the skills that they would need to respond to their community’s immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster thereby enabling them to undertake basic relief and rescue tasks during emergency situations such as floods, flash-floods and urban flooding.
- The states covered under the scheme are: Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
- Development and Standardization of training modules at National Level;
- Development of Information Knowledge Management System at National level linked to States/UTs;
- Training institutions to be empanelled by respective States/UTs at the State/UT level;
- To train 6000 community volunteers in life saving skills of disaster response (flood relief and rescue), coordination, assistance, and provide personal protective equipment and emergency responder kits;
- To create a Community Emergency Stockpile/Reserve at the district/block level containing essential light search and rescue equipment, medical first aid kits, etc;
- To disseminate training and education tools developed under the project to a greater number of flood prone districts in subsequent phases of the scheme.
- The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducts community awareness programmes for the capacity building of community in disaster management. In the year 2021, NDRF has trained 1380 community volunteers in disaster management.
- NDRF is also conducting School Safety Programme (SSP) and imparting basic training to school children as well as teachers to evacuate themselves during an earthquake. During 2021, NDRF has conducted 81 SSPs covering 18,057 beneficiaries.
- To inform, educate and to make the people aware, NDMA runs awareness generation campaigns through electronic and print media, including social media, on various disasters, from time to time. These campaigns include Do’s & Don’ts, Audio-Visual films, messages containing preparedness before, during and after disaster events.
- It is well known that effective response in the first hour following the onset of an emergency or a disaster increases the chances of survival of victims. Emergency response within this first hour, known as the 'golden hour', is of utmost importance.
- While communities at the site of disasters are the first to be affected, they are also themselves the first responders. Even if untrained, the fit and unaffected among the community would rush to help those affected around them anyway. Training them can maximise their effectiveness and provide succour to the people till formal aid arrives.
- As first responders in any disaster, trained and informed communities can play the very important role of Saviours.
- Women are more vulnerable during natural disasters as gendered norms and behaviours expected from women in most societies leave them with very little opportunity to acquire the skills and access resources to build their resilience to disasters.
- NDMA's vision is to upscale the scheme in 350 districts which are prone to landslide, earthquake, cyclone and flood, and to train 1 lakh volunteers across India, with maximum provision for women volunteers.
- The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the apex body for Disaster Management in India.
- Setting up of NDMA and the creation of an enabling environment for institutional mechanisms at the State and District levels is mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- NDMA is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management. India envisions the development of an ethos of Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness and Response.
- The Indian government strives to promote a national resolve to mitigate the damage and destruction caused by natural and man-made disasters, through sustained and collective efforts of all Government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations and People’s participation.
- This is planned to be accomplished by adopting a Technology-Driven, Pro-Active, Multi-Hazard and Multi-Sectoral strategy for building a Safer, Disaster Resilient and Dynamic India.
- The NDMA Logo reflects the aspirations of this National Vision, of empowering all stakeholders to improve the effectiveness of Disaster Management in India. NDMA has 5 major divisions viz. Policy & Plans, Mitigation, Operations & Communications & Information & Technology, Administration and Finance.
- Lay down policies on disaster management.
- Approve the National Plan.
- Approve plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the Government of India in accordance with the National Plan.
- Lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up the State Plan.
- Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or Departments of the Government of India for the Purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their development plans and projects.
- Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plans for disaster management.
- Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation.
- Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the Central Government.
- Take such other measures for the prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and capacity building for dealing with threatening disaster situations or disasters as it may consider necessary.
- Lay down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster Management.
- The National Policy framework has been prepared after due deliberation and keeping in view the National Vision to build a safe and disaster-resilient India by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster and technology-driven strategy for DM.
- This will be achieved through a culture of prevention, mitigation and preparedness to generate a prompt and efficient response during disasters.
- The entire process will centre-stage the community and will provide momentum and sustenance through the collective efforts of all government agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations.
- In order to translate this vision into policy and plans, the NDMA has adopted a mission-mode approach involving a number of initiatives with the help of various institutions operating at the national, state and local levels.
- Central ministries, States and other stakeholders have been involved in the participatory and consultative process of evolving policies and guidelines.
- This Policy framework is also in conformity with the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the Rio Declaration, the Millennium Development Goals and the Hyogo Framework 2005-2015.
- The themes that underpin this policy are: -
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- Community-based disaster management, including last mile integration of the policy, plans and execution.
- Capacity development in all related areas.
- Consolidation of past initiatives and best practices.
- Cooperation with agencies at the national, regional and international levels.
- Compliance and coordination to generate a multi-sectoral synergy.
- The Disaster Management Act has statutory provisions for constitution of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the purpose of specialized response to natural and man-made disasters. Accordingly, in 2006 NDRF was constituted with 8 Battalions.
- At present, NDRF has a strength of 12 Battalions with each Battalion consisting of 1149 personnel. In the beginning, the personnel of NDRF were deployed for routine law and order duties also.
- In a meeting of the NDMA with the Prime Minister on October 25, 2007, the need for NDRF to be made a dedicated force was highlighted and accepted. This led to the notification of NDRF Rules on February 14th, 2008, making NDRF a dedicated force for disaster response related duties, under the unified command of DG NDRF.
- The practice of “proactive availability” of this Force to the States and that of “pre-positioning”, in a threatening disaster situation have immensely helped minimise damage, caused due to natural calamities in the country. The first major disaster test for NDRF was Kosi Floods in 2008.
- As a result, over 1,00,000 affected people were rescued during the initial stage itself. The prompt and timely response of NDRF was appreciated by the then Chief Minister of Bihar.
- Since its inception NDRF has continued to win hearts of millions of countrymen, by demonstrating its expertise and compassion while handling disaster situations. The sterling services rendered by 46 NDRF personnel in response to the triple disaster in Japan in March-April 2011, has also won NDRF laurels.
- At the time that the NDRF teams arrived in Srinagar in response to the sudden floods, there was huge expanse of water, clusters of half-submerged houses, broken bridges, roads which were washed away & lakhs of people stranded on rooftops.
- Adding to the woes were non-functional communication & electricity supply. NDRF, with an initial strength of 10 teams and 50 inflatable rubberized boats, was engaged relentlessly in evacuating stranded people and saving lives. Subsequently, the strength of teams was raised to 23 with more than 150 boats, which rescued more than 50,000 people and distributed nearly 80 tones of relief material.
- NDRF mobilised 50 USAR teams from different locations across the country by Air and timely evacuated more than 14,000 flood affected people and shifted them to safer areas. NDRF teams also assisted local administration by providing immediate relief and medical care to thousands of needy people. Role of NDRF during Chennai was appreciated by all corners of society,
- Besides the professionalism shown during rescue operations in floods and cyclones and collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR) operations, NDRF has also acquired considerable expertise in facing CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear) challenges. The creditable task of NDRF in retrieving Cobalt-60 radiological material at Mayapuri, Delhi, during April and May 2010 has been an acid test of NDRF's CBRN capability.
- Today NDRF is a distinguished, unique Force across the country functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, within the overall command, control and leadership of the Director General, NDRF.
- At present, the National Disaster Response Force consists of 15 battalions from the BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB and Assam Rifles. Each battalion has 18 self-contained specialist search and rescue teams of 45 personnel including engineers, technicians, electricians, dog squads and medical/paramedics. The total strength of each battalion is 1,149.
- All the 15 battalions have been equipped and trained to respond natural as well as man-made disasters. Battalions are also trained and equipped for response during chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies.
- These NDRF battalions are located at 16 different locations in the country based on the vulnerability profile of country and to cut down the response time for their deployment at disaster site.
Genesis
- India is predominantly agrarian — 80 per cent of the population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. Rice and wheat are the staple for 90 per cent of the country’s people.
- Till the early 1960’s, the predominant mode of cultivation was what is now called “organic farming”, with no synthetic fertilisers or pesticides available or known.
- At that time, farmers relied on cow dung, twigs of leguminous plants like Crotalaria juncea, Tephrosia, neem and jeelugu. These materials mulched the fields ploughed for rice plantation. Oil cakes of groundnut, castor, neem was also used which is a good source of nitrogen.
- Since the use of urea from the beginning of the 1960s, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium-based fertilisers became available after the establishment of industrial plants at Sindri (Bihar) Udyog Mandal (Kerala).
- In this decade, synthetic pesticides like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), endrin, and others entered the market. Another spectacular discovery was that of the high-yielding hybrid wheat and rice. The high-yielding wheat was discovered by Norman Borlaug (Nobel Prize winner) and was rapidly adopted by India largely due to the pioneering work of Dr Swaminathan and MV Rao.
- Swaminathan is remembered as the ‘father of Green Revolution’ and Rao as the “wheat man of India”. With hybrid varieties and synthetic fertilisers and insecticides, the production of rice per acre increased to 40 quintals from 10 quintals, a tremendous victory in fighting hunger.
- There were also some setbacks during the 1960s and 70s. India’s budget (read agriculture) is dependent on the monsoon season, as George Curzon pointed out in 1905.
- Due to drought from 1964-70, India had to import food and became heavily dependent on the United States for wheat supplies under the Public Law 480 agreement. At one time, we were eagerly waiting for the arrival of a ship full of wheat at the Mumbai port.
- Ultimately, the Green Revolution was initiated. The theme of the initiative was to boost food grains production of rice and wheat using any method and at any cost.
- The green revolution led to high productivity of crops through adapted measures, such as (1) increased area under farming, (2) double-cropping, which includes planting two crops rather than one, annually, (3) adoption of HYV of seeds, (4) highly increased use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides, (5) improved irrigation facilities, and (6) improved farm implements and crop protection measures and modifications in farm equipment.
- Success followed many setbacks. Biologist-turned-science-writer Rachel Carson published a seminal book called Silent Spring, focused on the harmful effects of pesticides, primarily DDT on our health and environment.
- DDT was found to be non-biodegradable and its remnants were traced everywhere — in our body, soil and water. Studies showed its effects on liver and kidneys, including causing cancers.
- Scientists rapidly found alternatives and advocated Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is a need-based use of pesticides, alternating crops, intercropping as well as usage of bird perches where birds rest, detect insects on crops and eat them.
- After DDT, other insecticides like monocrotophos, metasystox, cypermethrin came into use but these are equally harmful to humans, livestock and fish.
- The “turn to nature” to get pesticide-free food has become a priority. The order of the day is organic farming — natural farming or zero-budget agriculture — which is welcome and most wanted in the agriculture sphere.
- The problem with the bio-pesticide production is that it is confined to a small industry with no standardisation and doubtful efficacy. The yield is high but not quantified with randomised block design studies.
- The inconvenient truth, as many farmers put it, is that the land is infertile now without urea in the first few days of rice plantation, and with no application of synthetic pesticides, the entire crop is prone to pests resulting in no yield.
- A significant increase in the usage of pesticides causes a large amount of water pollution and damage to the soil. Another major issue is the pest attack, which arises due to an imbalance in the pests.
- Due to increased pesticide usage, the predator and prey pests are not in balance, and hence there is an overpopulation of one kind of pest that would attack certain crops.
- India has the highest demand for freshwater usage globally, and 91% of water is used in the agricultural sector now. Currently, many parts of India are experiencing water stress due to irrigated agriculture.
- The crops introduced during the green revolution were water-intensive crops. Diminishing water resources and soil toxicity increased the pollution of underground water.
- Air pollution introduced due to the burning of agricultural waste is a big issue these days. In the heartland of the green revolution, Punjab, farmers are burning their land for sowing the crops for the next cycle instead of the traditionally practiced natural cycle. The next crop cycle arrives very soon because the crop cycle is of short duration for the hybrid crops introduced in the green revolution.
- There was a repetition of the crop cycle for increased crop production and reduced crop failure, which depleted the soil's nutrients. Similarly, as there is no return of crop residues and organic matter to the soil, intensive cropping systems resulted in the loss of soil organic matter.
- Weedicides and herbicides also harm the environment. The soil pH increased after the green revolution due to the usage of these alkaline chemicals. The practice of monoculture (only wheat–rice cultivation) has a deleterious effect on many soil properties, which includes migration of silt from the surface to subsurface layers and a decrease in organic carbon content.
- Toxic chemicals in the soil destroyed beneficial pathogens, which are essential for maintaining soil fertility. There is a decrease in the yield due to a decline in the fertility of the soil.
- Organic farming is a production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, genetically modified organisms and livestock food additives.
- To the maximum extent possible organic farming system rely upon crop rotations, use of crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off farm organic wastes, biofertilizers, mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks and aspects of biological control to maintain soil productivity and tilth to supply plant nutrients and to control insect, weeds and other pests.
- Organic methods can increase farm productivity, repair decades of environmental damage and knit small farm families into more sustainable distribution networks leading to improved food security if they organize themselves in production, certification and marketing.
- During last few years an increasing number of farmers have shown lack of interest in farming and the people who used to cultivate are migrating to other areas. Organic farming is one way to promote either self-sufficiency or food security.
- Use of massive inputs of chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides poisons the land and water heavily. The after-effects of this are severe environmental consequences, including loss of topsoil, decrease in soil fertility, surface and ground water contamination and loss of genetic diversity.
- Organic farming which is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity is hence important.
- Many studies have shown that organic farming methods can produce even higher yields than conventional methods. Significant difference in soil health indicators such as nitrogen mineralization potential and microbial abundance and diversity, which were higher in the organic farms can also be seen.
- The increased soil health in organic farms also resulted in considerably lower insect and disease incidence. The emphasis on small-scale integrated farming systems has the potential to revitalize rural areas and their economies.
- In organic farming, it is important to constantly work to build a healthy soil that is rich in organic matter and has all the nutrients that the plants need. Several methods viz. green manuring, addition of manures and biofertilizers etc can be used to build up soil fertility.
- These organic sources not only add different nutrients to the soil but also help to prevent weeds and increase soil organic matter to feed soil microorganisms. Soil with high organic matter resists soil erosion, holds water better and thus requires less irrigation.
- Some natural minerals that are needed by the plants to grow and to improve the soil’s consistency can also be added. Soil amendments like lime are added to adjust the soil’s pH balance. However, soil amendment and water should contain minimum heavy metals.
- Most of the organic fertilizers used are recycled by-products from other industries that would otherwise go to waste. Farmers also make compost from animal manures and mushroom compost.
- Before compost can be applied to the fields, it is heated and aged for at least two months, reaching and maintaining an internal temperature of 130°-140°F to kill unwanted bacteria and weed seeds.
- A number of organic fertilizers / amendments and bacterial and fungal biofertilizers can be used in organic farming depending upon availability and their suitability to crop.
- It helps to maintain environment health by reducing the level of pollution.
- It reduces human and animal health hazards by reducing the level of residues in the product.
- It helps in keeping agricultural production at a sustainable level.
- It reduces the cost of agricultural production and also improves the soil health.
- It ensures optimum utilization of natural resources for short-term benefit and helps in conserving them for future generation.
- It not only saves energy for both animal and machine, but also reduces risk of crop failure.
- It improves the soil physical properties such as granulation, good tilth, good aeration, easy root penetration and improves water-holding capacity and reduces erosion.
- It improves the soil’s chemical properties such as supply and retention of soil nutrients, reduces nutrient loss into water bodies and environment and promotes favourable chemical reactions.
- None of the organic farming tools are available, especially for organic farming of rice that is the staple food in India. Importantly, the whole organic farming depends on cow dung, which is dwindling even as we are particular about their protection (gosamrakshana).
- The challenge for agriculture scientists is how to maintain the current volume of yield (40 quintals per acre) with organic farming. We need to take with caution some sporadic success stories of organic farming on vegetables and fruits grown in an acre or two.
- Organic manure is not abundantly available and on plant nutrient basis it may be more expensive than chemical fertilizers if organic inputs are purchased.
- Production in organic farming declines especially during first few years, so the farmer should be given premium prices for organic produce.
- The guidelines for organic production, processing, transportation and certification etc are beyond the understanding of ordinary Indian farmer.
- Marketing of organic produce is also not properly streamlined. There are a number of farms in India which have either never been chemically managed / cultivated or have converted back to organic farming because of farmers’ beliefs or purely for reason of economics.
- These thousands of farmers cultivating million acres of land are not classified as organic though they are. Their produce either sells in the open market along with conventionally grown produce at the same price or sells purely on goodwill and trust as organic through select outlets and regular specialized markets.
- These farmers may never opt for certification because of the costs involved as well as the extensive documentation that is required by certifiers.
- The staple food for cattle is rice straw. While we claim rice production is high and in surplus, the cost of rice remains very high and is not affordable for the poor man. Thus, the increase of cattle population is linked to paddy by rice production. Both are interlinked.
- Quantification for pesticide residues in food should be done by High Performance Liquid Chromatography / Mass Spectra / Mass Spectra (HPLC / MS / MS) method. The sophisticated method has been adopted by advanced countries but is still not in use in India.
- The real structure of crop production is dependent on high-yielding hybrid seeds. Continuous research on high yielding varieties by cross breeding with pest resistant wild varieties is essential.
- Compost from urban areas and vermicompost, in particular, don’t seem to have been examined for pesticide residues and harmful trace elements such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead is needed by using HPLC /MS / MS method and atomic absorption spectroscopy.
- Introduction of transgenic varieties is not recommended for organic and natural farming. Therefore, it is wise to use the first three sprays on crops with natural organic materials and the last two sprays with synthetic pesticides.
- Research on organic farming should be done using robust scientific methods only. Surprisingly, rice was found to contain high pesticides and trace elements.
- This technique should be standardised in India. Our slogan should be “natural and organic farming with high yields at an affordable price to the common man”. India’s wheat exports surpassed $872 million (2021-22) and rice exports in 2021-22 is likely to surpass the record $10 million, according to the agriculture department of the Government of India.
- The first and foremost sound solution is the usage of organic manures from compost, cow dung and ploughing and mulching of leguminous plants.
- Several plant-based botanical pesticides were discovered. Neem oil, neem kernel extracts, which contain azadirachtin, is the active principle discovered by Germans, the United Kingdom and US.
- Neem revived the hope of using harmless pesticides but its availability is very low. Several commercial formulations were available in India. Karanj oil (Karanjin active principle), several leaf extracts like Adathoda and garlic-buds aqueous extracts are found to be effective to some extent as active repellants but they cannot replace synthetic pesticide.
- There is a growing awareness in India to cultivate the crops by natural fertilisers such as cow dung, leguminous green manures, compost, vermicomposting and biopesticides fungi, bacteria and virus-based pesticides like Bacillus thuringiensis, Pseuedomonas aegle, Trichoderma verdi.
- These bio-pesticides are chiefly produced from diseased insects and soil, among other things. However, it only has limited use on too few fruit and vegetable crops.
- Several symposia are held by non-governmental organisations, ideal farmers and governments. Many agricultural magazines hail the miracles of higher yields from organic farming.
- Particular mention should be made about jeevamrutham — a recently designed concoction called Ramabanam, which gained prominence. These concoctions are made from jaggery, ginger, cow milk, cow curd, cow dung, cow urine, asafoetida. All the ingredients are mixed and fermented for a week, diluted and sprayed on crops.
- It is claimed that the product can be used as a fertiliser and a pesticide. The farmers who experimented were quick to endorse the products. Their studies on organic farming presented in symposia on organic farming, however, were confined to few vegetables like tomatoes over a limited area.
- The active principle of such concoctions is unknown and doesn’t stand scientific security. Moreover, the cost of these concoctions is as high as pesticides and starting products like cow dung are not available in plenty as of today.
- For about 90 per cent Indians, rice or wheat are almost exclusively the staple food. So, encouragement of organic farming in a country like India will be meaningful, if applied for rice / wheat. Studies on these crops should also be prioritised.
- Thus, all the available tools we have with us, like bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides, green manure and vermicompost, their limitation is discussed herein.
- In dry lands, covering over 65% cultivated area in India, application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is always low. So, these areas are at least “relatively organic” or “organic by default” and a portion of these lands can be converted easily to an organic one to provide better yields/returns.
- India can greatly benefit from the export of organic foods, but needs to seriously devote attention to market intelligence regarding which product to grow, where to sell, distribution channels, competition, marketing access etc. Presently, good awareness exists among farmers, researchers and policy makers about organic production but a lot more needs to be done to streamline production, certification and marketing of organic produce.
- Therefore, to feed the world’s hungry and poor and to ensure present and future food security right policies, increased public and private investments and technologies, knowledge and capacity building, grounded in sound ecosystem management and harmony between organic farming and food security goals are required.
Key Findings
Smaller Cities Turning into Pollution Hotspots
- Siwan in Bihar topped the list of most-polluted cities in India this winter with a seasonal average of 187 ug/m3. As many as 13 cities of Bihar featured in the top 25 cities with the highest pollution levels in winter. Delhi-NCR had 11 cities in the list, and Hisar in Haryana was the only city in the top 25 outside the sub-regions of Bihar and NCR.
- Out of the total 28 monitoring stations spread across cities in Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, Siwan in Bihar emerged as the most-polluted, along with Durgapur in West Bengal. Patna and Kolkata were other cities that fared poorly in air quality. The people of Brajrajnagar in Odisha and Siliguri in West Bengal took a sigh of relief with both cities recording the lowest winter average in the region.
- Out of the total 60 cities analysed in the northern states including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad was the worst-polluted, followed by Delhi. The next eight spots were all occupied by neighbouring NCR cities: Faridabad, Manesar, Bagpat, Noida, Gurugram, Meerut, and Hapur. Hisar was the most polluted city in the north outside of NCR.
- According to the CSE, the southern region recorded the lowest regional PM2.5 average this winter but it also registered an almost 24 per cent increase in regional average peak pollution compared to the previous winter. The region includes 35 cities spread across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Industrial towns, Gummidipoondi in Tamil Nadu and Gadag in Karnataka, also appeared in the worst 10 cities for peak pollution (24-hr value). The most polluted cities in the region were Kalaburagi and Hyderabad.
- Out of the total 15 cities spread across Gujarat and Maharashtra, Ankleshwar was found to be most-polluted, followed by Vapi and Kalyan. Aurangabad and Nandesari recorded the lowest winter average in the region, along with Chandrapur and Solapur.
- The region included 17 cities spread across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The most polluted city in the region was Singrauli followed by Katni, Jabalpur, and Bhopal.
- Out of the total six cities in the Northeast, Guwahati was found to be the most polluted in the region, followed by Agartala. Aizawl and Shillong recorded the lowest winter average in the region mostly because of geographical location and topography.
- As a result, the cold air gets heavier leading to a greater number of pollutants at breathing height. The viruses too, in this changing weather, proliferate and add to the suffering of the population especially causing eye, lung and skin complications.
- Longer term trends in urban concentration of PM2.5 in most cities of northern states are downward, though high:
- Based on the data available for the limited number of cities in north India, it is possible to construct a trend in urban air quality in Delhi-NCR, UP, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. This points to a declining and stabilised trend, though the annual average levels are still way above the national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5 in most monitored cities of the sub-regions.
- PM2.5 rose by 2.4-5.4 times from a clean monsoon level in November among the sub-regions. Air quality deteriorated the most in UP, where PM2.5 level rose by 5.4 times from the monsoon average of 28 ug/m3to reach 151 ug/m3 in the month of November.
- Air quality deteriorated by 3.6 times in Haryana, 2.8 times in Punjab and 2.4 times in Rajasthan between monsoon and November. Chandigarh was the least polluted city in the region with a November average of 45 ug/m3.
- The heavy and prolonged monsoon this year brought down PM2.5 levels substantially across the region. Even though the monsoon reduced overall pollution in the region, the levels in industrial cities were comparatively higher than other cities during monsoon.
- Farm fires are one of the biggest episodic events during winter. Two levels of analysis have been carried out – the daily trend in fire count and the trend in average Fire Radiative Power (FRP) reported by NASA satellites.
- FRP is the rate of emitted radiative energy by the fire at the time of observation that is reported in MW (megawatts). FRP is considered a better measure of emissions from bio-mass burning as intensity of FRP indicates the quantum of biomass burned.
- This has a bearing on emissions and intensity of smoke and pollution. This year, Punjab has noted the maximum number of fires with a combined count of 76,518 during October and November.
- Long-term trend shows that average FRP in Punjab has been increasing since 2017 and this season’s average is highest since monitoring started in 2012. This, coupled with an overall increase in fire count in Punjab, may have also contributed to the increased severity of smog this year.
- Both fire count and average FRP have been declining in Haryana since 2016; but this year, doubling of fire count with minor increase in FRP as well has been noted. The fire count in UP and Rajasthan is insignificant compared to Punjab and Haryana.
- But both have reported three-fold more instances of fire during summer compared to winter. However, in summer, meteorological conditions allow more efficient pollution dispersion.
- There is a significant increase in the amount of NO2 in air during November compared to October and September. NO2 comes entirely from combustion sources and significantly, from vehicles.
- UP cities (outside NCR) have registered 3.7 times increase in NO2levels between September and November. NCR cities saw a two-fold rise; Punjab and Rajasthan cities had 2.5 times increase; while Haryana cities witnessed 2.8 times jump.
- Despite the restrictions on bursting firecrackers, Diwali night still got extremely toxic.
- Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala need to cut their annual average PM2.5 by at least 15-20 per cent; Ambala by 31 per cent; Hisar, Lucknow, Kanpur and Agra by at least 50 per cent; Varanasi by 35 per cent; and Jaipur and Jodhpur by 25 and 45 per cent, respectively. Only Chandigarh meets the standards.
- Use of biomass and solid fuels for household cooking and heating are often associated with increase in acute respiratory infections and these are the leading cause of death in children, especially the ones under five years.
- Indoor air pollution with environmental tobacco smoke is linked to acute otitis media, which is a group of inflammatory diseases of the middle ear.
- Apart from these infections, outdoor exposure to ozone is often linked to bronchospasm and asthma attacks in some children. Exposure to indoor moulds is associated with acute pulmonary haemorrhage among infants.
- High exposure to particulate and second-hand smoke is associated with sudden infant death.
- Quicker reforms and action in key sectors of pollution such as vehicles, industry, power plants and waste management are required “to bend the annual air pollution curve and daily spikes”
- Firstly, the government and administration should come forward and take some strict measures, if need be.
- We, as part of the community, at an individual level should restrict our activities that add to the problem. For instance, avoid adding on to industrial and vehicular pollution, burning of leaves and garbage and be careful about transport and infrastructure planning.
- We should make efforts at individual and family level to avoid increasing pollution at home and in our surroundings. Avoid visits to over congested places, where exposure to communicable diseases and infections is common.
- Avoid exposure to smoke of any kind, especially in an indoor environment. Provide proper nutrition for optimal growth and development.
- Integrate air quality forecasts with a decision support system to enable the local regulatory agencies to implement on-demand emission control interventions targeting prominent sources during forecasted high-pollution episodes.
- Air Purifying plants such as Aloe Vera, Ivy and Spider Plant can be placed in the home and offices. They help purify indoor air and minimise indoor pollution.
- It has been witnessed that many people out of their laziness prefer burning waste instead of throwing it in municipal bodies' garbage dumping sites. The burning of waste also releases toxic gases into the air again polluting the environment and the air we breathe. The government needs to take strict action against the violators with both fine and jail terms.
- Vehicular pollution is one of the biggest causes of air pollution. Our personal vehicles like cars and two-wheelers release toxic gases like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides which pollute the air. So, to prevent the city's air from becoming more toxic, we should resort to using public transport thereby saving financial resources and protecting the environment.
- The preventive intervention includes higher use of crop residue removal machines, mandatory use of straw in NTPC power plants as supplementary fuel, creating straw-based animal feed for Kutch and Jaisalmer, use of biological decomposition technology, better enforcement and awareness on the prevention of farm fires and cleaning up of the cities.
- The stark evidence from the northern region underscores the urgent need for harmonised action in all states to ensure access to clean fuels and technology in industry and power plants, massive scaling up of public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure and enhanced municipal services for complete segregation of waste and recycling. This requires committed funding and a compliance framework.
Genesis
- Humpback whales were hunted as early as the 18th century. By the 19th century, many nations were hunting the animal heavily in the Atlantic Ocean and to a lesser extent in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
- The late-19th-century introduction of the explosive harpoon allowed whalers to accelerate their take. This, along with hunting in the Antarctic Ocean beginning in 1904, sharply reduced whale populations.
- During the 20th century, over 200,000 humpbacks were taken, reducing the global population by over 90%. North Atlantic populations dropped to as low as 700 individuals.
- In 1946, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was founded to oversee the industry. They imposed hunting regulations and created hunting seasons.
- To prevent extinction, IWC banned commercial humpback whaling in 1966. By then, the global population had been reduced to around 5,000. The ban has remained in force since 1966.
- Humpback whales live in all oceans around the world. They travel great distances every year and have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet.
- Some populations swim 5,000 miles from tropical breeding grounds to colder, more productive feeding grounds.
- Humpback whales feed on shrimp-like crustaceans (krill) and small fish, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates, which act like a sieve.
- The humpback whale gets its common name from the distinctive hump on its back. Its long pectoral fins inspired its scientific name, Megaptera, which means “big-winged” and novaeangliae, which means “New England,” in reference to the location where European whalers first encountered them.
- Humpback whales are a favourite of whale watchers? Hey are often active, jumping out of the water and slapping the surface with their pectoral fins or tails.
- Inadvertent vessel strikes can injure or kill humpback whales. Humpback whales are vulnerable to vessel strikes throughout their range, but the risk is much higher in coastal areas with heavier ship traffic.
- The impacts of climate change on whales are unknown, but it is considered one of the largest threats facing high latitude regions where many humpbacks whales forage. Most notably, the timing and distribution of sea ice coverage is changing dramatically with altered oceanographic conditions.
- Any resulting changes in prey distribution could lead to changes in foraging behaviour, nutritional stress, and diminished reproduction for humpback whales. Additionally, changing water temperature and currents could impact the timing of environmental cues important for navigation and migration.
- Humpback whales can become entangled by many different gear types, including moorings, traps, pots, or gillnets. Once entangled, if they are able to move the gear, the whale may drag and swim with attached gear for long distances, ultimately resulting in fatigue, compromised feeding ability, or severe injury, which may lead to reduced reproductive success or even death.
- There is evidence to suggest that most humpback whales experience entanglement over the course of their lives but are often able to shed the gear on their own. However, the portion of whales that become entangled and do not survive is unknown.
- Whale watching vessels, recreational boats, and other vessels may cause stress and behavioural changes in humpback whales. Because humpback whales are often found close to shore and generally surface in an active state, they tend to be popular whale watching attractions.
- There are several areas within the United States where humpback whales are the central attraction for the whale watching industry, including the Gulf of Maine (particularly within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary), California, Alaska (particularly southeast Alaska), and the Hawaiian Islands.
- Population numbers have increased from 1,500 to about 40,000.
- Australia is a world leader in whale conservation, and we will continue to work through the International Whaling Commission to promote whale conservation and maintain the global moratorium on commercial whaling.
- Commercial whaling was mainly the downfall of Australia and New Zealand's humpback whale populations, but the government cracked down on it in 1963. Then in 1965, they received international protection.
- It has been concerned that taking the humpback whale off Australia's endangered species list may be premature, due to the looming effects of global warming.
- There are still many factors that could impact the marine species, which many fear will bring the numbers back down within only a few years.
- Humpback whales are facing the next threat, that is climate change, and the predictions are that humpback whale recovery will slow and go into reverse.
- Whales also continue to face the effects of drilling, boats, fishing, and other human activities, hopefully Australia's decision ultimately proves to be positive.
- Global heating is predicted to have a significant impact on krill populations in Antarctica, a major feeding ground for humpback whales.
- A study in 2020 warned that rapid environmental change caused by the climate crisis appeared to be affecting breeding rates, with a significant decline in the number of humpback whale calves born in a major summer feeding ground for the whales in the northern hemisphere.
- Whales are also impacted by rising levels of plastics and other pollution in the ocean. They get entangled in fishing gear, swallow plastic, and are affected by ship strikes and noise disturbance.
- Whales play an important part within the marine ecosystem, and if they were to disappear, the delicate balance of nature would be disrupted. Organisms, such as plankton, that feed the ocean food chain also benefit from tons of whale faeces floating on the ocean’s surface.
- Bacteria, gigantic scavengers, and other aquatic blobs eat that meat. So-called “bone-eating zombies” feast on the skeleton. A dead whale can provide a 10-year supply of seafood, and whales also contribute to the spread of nutrients on land. If they die out the circle of life might die, too.
- The ecosystem services provided by whales, including increasing primary production, directly and indirectly sequestering carbon, and providing nutrients and habitat to myriad marine species, also have an economic value. Such values have been calculated for other species, including bats and pollinators.
- Whales are some of the ocean’s most fruitful gardeners. When whales poop, they drop a load of crucial nutrients into the ‘topsoil’ of the ocean. Their poop fertilizes the surface of the ocean with nutrients that are fundamental to the health of ocean ecosystems, the global nutrient cycle, and the carbon cycle.
- Like all living beings, whales occupy a role in the food chain and thus contribute to the balance of the marine ecosystem. As predators, they feed on fish and invertebrates; as prey, they may be hunted by other predators (sharks, whales, etc.) … Whales are sentinels of the health of marine environments.
- Conservation & Management, Reducing the risk of entanglement in fishing gear
- Responding to dead, injured, or entangled humpback whales
- Educating the whale watching/tourism industry and vessel operators on responsible viewing of humpback whales
- Partnering to implement the Whale SENSE program, a whale watching stewardship, education, and recognition program to increase wildlife viewing standards.
- Reduce or eliminate injury and mortality caused by fisheries and fishing gear and by vessel collisions
- Continue the international moratorium on commercial whaling
- Collect as much data as possible from dead whales through our Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Program
- Creating marine protected areas for humpback whales
- Understanding and addressing the effects of ocean noise
- Collaborating with the Commission on Environmental Cooperation to develop the Humpback Whale Conservation Action Plan
- Fisheries collaborated with state and federal agencies to create a monitoring plan for the nine distinct population segments of humpback whales that have recovered and are no longer protected under the ESA.
- Report a sick, injured, entangled, stranded, or dead animal to make sure professional responders and scientists know about it and can take appropriate action. Numerous organizations around the country are trained and ready to respond.
- Although the original listing of this species predated the requirement for critical habitat designations, the humpback whale listing triggered the requirement for Fisheries to designate critical habitat to the maximum extent prudent and determinable.
- The most effective way to reduce collision risk is to give whales a wide berth or avoid areas of high whale concentrations altogether. If this is not possible, the second-best option is for vessels to slow down and keep a lookout.
- Monitoring humpback whale abundance and mortality
- Studying humpback whale population structure
- Collaborating with international scientists to track the movements and behaviour of humpback whales as they migrate across international boundaries.
- Other research is focused on the acoustic environment of cetaceans, including humpback whales. Acoustics is the science of how sound is transmitted. This research involves increasing our understanding of the basic acoustic behaviour of whales, dolphins, and fish; mapping the acoustic environment; and developing better methods to locate cetaceans using autonomous gliders and passive acoustic arrays.
- Scientists use small aircraft to spot large whales (including humpbacks) and record their seasonal distribution through aerial surveys. Understanding their migration patterns helps managers establish measures to reduce vessel strikes.
- Determining the size of humpback whale populations helps resource managers determine the success of conservation measures and regulations. Our scientists collect population information on humpback whales from various sources and present the data in an annual stock assessment report.
- The IWC was established in 1946 as the global body responsible for management of whaling and conservation of whales. Today the IWC has 88 member countries.
- The mandate has not changed but many new conservation concerns exist and the IWC work programme now also includes bycatch & entanglement, ship strikes, ocean noise, pollution and debris, and sustainable whale watching.
- The legal framework of the IWC is the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. This Convention established the Commission and is one of the first pieces of international legislation to include a conservation mandate. All member governments of the IWC are signatories to this Convention.
- The Convention recognises three different types of whaling: commercial, aboriginal subsistence and special permit (also known as scientific) whaling. Following considerable debate, a commercial whaling moratorium was adopted in 1982 and came into full force in 1986.
- The Commission continues to regulate Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling which is conducted by indigenous communities, often in remote parts of the world. Regulation of aboriginal whaling has always been a core responsibility of the Commission and remains so today. It recognises nutritional and cultural needs, and is underpinned by a rigorous scientific process.
- The Convention contains a separate category of special permit whaling for scientific research purposes. Special permit whaling is not regulated by the Commission but by national governments, although none currently undertake this type of whaling.
POSTED ON 18-03-2022 BY ADMIN
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