Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Sikkim’s highest forest zone could get denser

News

• The cold climes on high-altitude mountain tops make it usually difficult for trees to grow above the timberline (the last canopy forests on the mountains).
• Though global warming is changing this in many of the world’s high mountains and causing timberlines to move upward, the eastern Himalaya may be an exception. The zone of uppermost canopy forests here are unlikely to shift upwards but will get denser.

Findings

• Timberlines, the uppermost limit of canopy forests that gradually gives way to the treeline (beyond which trees do not grow) are limited by climate: factors including low temperatures and high winds on mountain tops prevent woody tree growth higher up. Timberlines, therefore, serve as indicators of climate change.
• To find out if a similar pattern exists in the eastern Himalaya, scientists studied the composition and regeneration of woody trees in the timberline ecotone (transition zone) between the timberline and treeline, of Khangchendzonga National Park.
• Across nine contiguous sites in the Park, the team studied tree composition in this ecotone which lay between 3,787 and 3,989 metres above sea level. Among the 20 woody tree species they recorded here, the Bhutan fir Abies densa, the woolly rhododendron Rhododendron lanatumand the small-leaf rowan Sorbus microphylla dominated the vegetation.
• Environmental factors such as elevation, slope and humus played a role in this species composition. The density of trees in the timberline ecotone was significantly higher than that of its western Himalayan counterparts.
• To study regeneration of the dominant timberline species in the ecotone, the researchers recorded seedlings, saplings and trees in this zone. Bhutan fir seedlings regenerated well here and elevation (along with humus and slope) played a role in this regeneration too.
• The zone contained high numbers of seedlings and saplings. According to the authors, this indicates that the ecotone could become denser in the near future. However, there were no tree seedlings or saplings beyond the treeline.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

India needs to open up dredging market: NITI

News

• India needs to open up its dredging market to boost trade by its major ports, which currently cannot handle very large vessels in the absence of proper draft depth.

Beyond News

• More competition, mainly from global players, in dredging activities would help increase and maintain draft depth at ports and attract large vessels, enabling them to become hub ports.
• At present, the Dredging Corporation of India and a limited set of private vendors serve the Indian dredging market, limiting competition.
• Foreign players will be attracted to the market if the government takes measures such as consolidating dredging contracts across cohorts of ports and withdrawing, at least temporarily, the right to first refusal given to Indian vendors.
• To enable major ports to handle large vessels, the government has already made an action plan to increase the draft depth of ports.
• Most major ports have already achieved a draft depth of 14 metres or more except Kolkata Port, where deeper draft has not been feasible.

Election Commission makes fresh push for poll reforms

News

• The Election Commission is set to make a fresh push for electoral reforms with the government, including making filing of false declaration a ground for disqualification and putting a cap on expenditure by candidates in Legislative Council polls.

Beyond News

• Its officials would raise the subject of making bribery during the election period a cognisable offence at the meeting planned with Legislative Secretary after the winter session of Parliament ends.
• While the Law Ministry is the administrative Ministry for the EC, the Legislative Department is the nodal unit for issues related to the panel.
• Commission would ask the Ministry to take a call on its demand to extend constitutional protection to the two Election Commissioners on the lines of the provision given to the Chief Election Commissioner.
• A Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through impeachment by Parliament. The President can remove the Election Commissioners based on the recommendation of the CEC.
• Conviction in an electoral offence is a ground for disqualification.
• As of now, candidates contesting the Legislative Council elections do not have a bar on expenses.

Magistrate can’t order FIR on private complaint: SC

News

• An executive magistrate has no power under the Code of Criminal Procedure to direct the police to register an FIR on a private complaint filed before him, the Supreme Courthas ruled.

Beyond News

• The recent judgment from a Bench concerned a direction passed by the Unnao Sub-Divisional Magistrate to file an FIR on a private complaint from a student who alleged that she was cheated into taking admission to a three-year law course at an unrecognised institute.
• The police filed a case of cheating and misrepresentation against the institute management. After the Allahabad High Court refused to quash the FIR, the institute managers moved the Supreme Court.
• However, in the present case, a reading of the FIR showed that the police registered the FIR on the direction of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, which was “clearly impermissible in the law.”
• The Sub-Divisional Magistrate does not exercise powers under Section 156(3) of the Code. The very institution of the FIR in the manner done is contrary to the law and without jurisdiction.
• The Bench said it was up to the complainant to lodge her grievance with the jurisdictional magistrate under Section 200 of the Cr.PC.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

NGT bans mining close to Sariska reserve

News

• Following a plea challenging the environmental clearance granted to mines within 10 km of the Sariska Tiger Reserve, the National Green Tribunal has banned all mining activity around the area.
• Any further activity is subject to the clearance of leases by the National Board of Wildlife.

Beyond News

• A Bench, passed the directions while noting that the final notification on the eco-sensitive zone for the Tiger Reserve is yet to be notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF &CC).
• In case MoEF issues final notification on the eco-sensitive zone, the mining lease which fall within the eco-sensitive zone will have to have clearance of the standing committee of the NBWL.
• The directions came following an appeal filed against the environmental clearance granted in 2016 by the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA), to mines within 10 km of the boundary of the Tiger Reserve.
• It was contended that the EC was granted in violation of previous orders passed by the Supreme Court in 2006 that prohibited mining activity within 1 km of national parks and sanctuaries.
• The green panel also took note of the Supreme Court order earlier this month, which said that for 21 national parks and sanctuaries, the eco-sensitive zone “will be 10 km as the proposal for the same had not been sent to the MoEF by the States.”

GST cut on 17 items, 6 services

News

• The Goods and Services Tax Council cut rates on 17 items and six types of services during its 31st meeting, leaving only one common use item cement in the 28% bracket.

Beyond News

• Cutting rates on cement would have a significant impact on revenues and so the Council decided to hold off on it.
• Seven items that saw tax rates being slashed from the 28% bracket are certain vehicle parts used in agriculture, monitors and TVs up to 32 inches, retreaded tyres, power banks, digital cameras, videogame consoles (all from 28% to 18%), and parts and accessories for the carriages for disabled persons (from 28% to 5%).
• The GST rate on cinema tickets above Rs. 100 was cut from 28% to 18% and on tickets up to Rs. 100 from 18% to 12%.

Indonesian tsunami: rescuers dig through rubble for survivors; death toll rises to 280

News

• The death toll from a tsunami that hit the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra after the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted rose to at least 280, as rescuers using heavy machinery and their bare hands searched for more victims.

Beyond News

• Hundreds more were injured when the tsunami struck, almost without warning, along the rim of the Sunda Strait. More than 3,000 coastal residents were forced to evacuate to higher ground, with a high-tide warning in place.
• The vast archipelago, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, has suffered its worst annual death toll from disasters in more than a decade.
• Earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok in July and August, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed more than 2,000 people on Sulawesi island in September.
• Indonesia’s disaster agency had put the death toll at 222, with about 850 injured and 28 people missing, but raised it to 280.
• Some roads remained blocked by debris and traffic, with families streaming out of the area for fear of further tsunamis.
• Many coastal residents reported not seeing or feeling any warning signs, such as an earthquake, on Saturday night before waves of 2-3 metres (6-10 feet) washed ashore.
• Heavy equipment was being moved in to help with rescue efforts, as well as water and sanitation equipment. The military said it was deploying troops to distribute aid and blankets, as well as sending in medics.
• The tsunami was caused by an undersea landslide resulting from volcanic activity on Anak Krakatau and was exacerbated by abnormally high tides because of the full moon.
• Anak Krakatau, which means child of Krakatau, is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatau, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.

Sashastra Seema Bal gears up to tackle floods

News

• The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), posted along the Nepal border, is training its men in riverine patrolling due to rampant flash floods that affect several areas in Bihar.

Beyond News

• An official said that since 2017, the force has been training its personnel for rescue and relief work in flood-like situations as several border outposts get submerged in water.
• Training is imparted at the force’s Aqua Marine and Training Institute in Gujarat’s Porbandar.
• The objective is to train the personnel so that the operational calibre of those posted in the flood-prone BOPs is enhanced and their expertise could also be used in carrying out rescue and relief work.
• For the past few years, the areas along the Nepal border have witnessed unpredictable flash floods originating from the rivers in the Himalayan ranges. Several districts of north Bihar are affected by these flash floods.
• Post-Doklam, the SSB also opened three new BOPs in Sikkim and 15 others in Arunachal Pradesh, that shares its border with Bhutan in the west.
• The new BOPs that had come up along Sikkim- Bhutan were not exactly close to Doklam but were constructed to fortify India’s defence structure.
• SSB was also mulling to use ‘laser fence’ technology to plug loopholes along the two borders of Nepal and Bhutan that it guards.

Nuclear-capable Agni-IV missile successfully test-fired

News

• India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km, as part of a user trial by the Army.

Beyond News

• All mission objectives were met during the test-fire. All radars, tracking systems and range stations tracked and monitored the flight performance of the missile, which was launched with support of a mobile launcher.
• Radars and electro-optical systems had been positioned along the coast of Odisha for tracking and monitoring all parameters of the missile, adding two naval ships were anchored near the target area to witness the final event.
• This was the 7th trial of Agni-IV missile. The last trial conducted by the strategic force command (SFC) of the Indian Army from the same base on January 2, 2018 was successful.
• The indigenously developed sophisticated Agni-IV having 4,000-km strike range is a two-stage missile. It is 20 metre long with a weight of 17 tonnes.
• Agni-IV missile is equipped with advanced Avionics, 5th generation On Board Computer and distributed architecture.
• It has the latest features to correct and guide itself for in-flight disturbances.
• The accurate Ring Laser Gyro-based Inertial Navigation System (RINS), supported by highly reliable redundant Micro Navigation System (MINGS), ensures the vehicle reaches the target with accuracy.
• The re-entry heat shield can withstand temperatures in the range of 4,000 degrees centigrade and makes sure avionics function normally with inside temperature remaining less than 50 degrees centigrade.
• Ballistic missiles like Agni-I, II and III and Prithvi have been included in the arsenal of the armed forces, giving India an effective deterrence capability.

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