Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Greenland ice melts four times faster in a decade: study

News

• Greenland’s melting ice, which causes sea levels to rise, disappeared four times faster in 2013 than in 2003 and is noticeable across the Arctic island, not just on glaciers, researchers warned.

Findings

• While 111 cubic kilometres of ice disappeared per year in 2003, 10 years later this figure had almost quadrupled to 428 cubic km.
• Until now, most of Greenland’s ice melt was observed on the ice cap, predominantly on the glaciers in the island’s northwest and southeast. But most of the ice loss from 2003 to 2013 was from Greenland’s southwest region, which is largely devoid of large glaciers.
• The ice now appeared to be melting from the surface mass, “melting inland from the coastline.”
• That means that in the southwestern part of Greenland, growing rivers of water are streaming into the ocean.
• The melting ice observed in the study is caused by rising land temperatures, and in part, the fact that the ice comes into contact with waters that are increasingly warmer.
• As the atmosphere’s temperature gradually rises, immediately notice an acceleration of the ice melt.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

States put on high alert as swine flu cases spike across the country

News

• With 49 swine flu deaths and 1,694 cases reported in just one fortnight from January 1-13 as per data released by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), several States are on alert.

Beyond News

• Rajasthan alone has reported 31 deaths in this period with other instances being reported from Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Prdaesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
• While the Rajasthan health department has reported that the number of cases in the State has crossed 1,000 with more than 200 people having died in the past 13 months, the Union Health Ministry has said that there is no cause for panic and that the situation is being closely monitored.
• H1N1 influenza (or swine flu) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in people with direct exposure to pigs (e.g., children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). However, there have been cases of human-to-human spread of swine flu.
• Children younger than five years old and adults who are 65 years and above, patients with chronic pulmonary condition (including asthma), , neurological, neuromuscular or metabolic disorders (including diabetes), obese adults and pregnant women are in the high risk group.

Cabinet gives nod to set up GST Appellate Tribunal

News

• The Union Cabinet approved the creation of a National Bench of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), which would serve as the forum of second appeals to do with the applicability of GST, and will also be the first common forum of dispute resolution between the Centre and the States.

Beyond News

• The National Bench of the Appellate Tribunal, to be situated in New Delhi, will be presided over by its president. It will consist of a technical member from the Centre and a representative of the States.
• Chapter XVIII of the CGST Act provides for an appeal and review mechanism for dispute resolution under the GST regime.
• Section 109 of this chapter empowers the Centre to constitute, on the recommendation of the GST Council, an appellate tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by the Appellate Authority.
• The creation of the National Bench would involve a one-time expenditure of ₹92.50 lakh, the government said.
• While typically not many litigations should have been adjudicated, still early formation of this Appellate Authority would help prevent any unwarranted delays in the adjudication of appeals to be filed in the future.

Cabinet decides to strengthen Northeast autonomous councils

News

• The Union Cabinet approved a Constitutional amendment to increase the financial and executive powers of the 10 autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the northeast.

Beyond News

• The amendment would impact a population of about 1 crore tribals living in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, according to the Centre.
• The Finance Commission would be mandated to recommend devolution of financial resources to the councils. Till now, the autonomous councils have depended on grants from Central Ministries and the State governments for specific projects.
• As per the proposed amendment, at least one third of the seats would be reserved for women in the village and municipal councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura.
• The amendment also provides for transfer of additional 30 subjects including departments of Public Works, Forests, Public Health Engineering, Health and Family Welfare, Urban Development and Food and Civil Supply to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council and Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council in Assam.
• The proposed amendments provide for elected village municipal councils, ensuring democracy at the grass-roots level.
• The village councils would be empowered to prepare plans for economic development and social justice including those related to agriculture, land improvement, implementation of land reforms, minor irrigation, water management, animal husbandry, rural electrification, small scale industries and social forestry.
• The State Election Commissions would hold elections to the autonomous councils, village and municipal councils in the areas of Assam, Mizoram and There would be a provision for anti-defection too.
• Meghalaya has for the time being opted out of the provision for elected village and municipal councils and one-third reservation for women.

Ministry notifies new CRZ norms

News

• The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest released the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2019 notification, opening up the coastline of the country for construction and tourism activities.

Beyond News

• The new notification could result in reduction of No Development Zones (NDZ) significantly. This may pave the way for a construction boom along the coastline.
• The tourism sector is to benefit from the relaxation of the NDZ. Tourism activities could be undertaken in the designated areas to be identified by the State and included in their respective Coastal Zone Management Plan.
• Most of the recommendations of an expert committee, which looked into the concerns of coastal States and various stakeholders, relating to the CRZ, 2011 notification were incorporated in the new notification, according CRZ experts.
• The notification has classified the CRZ 3 areas (land areas that are relatively undisturbed and those which do not fall under CRZ 2) into CRZ 3A and 3B based on the density of population. Areas with a population density of 2,161 persons or more per sq km, as in the 2011 census, will be become CRZ 3A and construction activities could be undertaken towards the landward side from the 50-metre point of the High Tide Line (HTL).
• All other CRZ-3 areas with population density of less than 2,161 persons per sq km will be designated as CRZ-3 B and development activities will be permitted beyond the 200-metre-mark from the HTL towards the landward side.
• The notification has covered all the backwater islands and islands along the mainland coast and a uniform NDZ of 20 metres from the HTL towards the landward side has been put in place.
• All the coastal States with such islands will prepare Integrated Island Management Plans and get them approved by the Ministry. The 2019 notification will come into force in these islands only when the Plan is framed.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Tiger protection forces mooted

News

• Telangana State government has decided to constitute a special tiger protection force for protection of big cats in both its sanctuaries.

Beyond News

• A meeting of the state level Forest Protection Committee has taken a decision. Accordingly, special forces will be constituted with 112 members, under the leadership of officers of the cadre of Assistant Conservators of Forest in both Amrabad and Kawal tiger reserves.
• Each team will have three range officers, 81 guards, and 26 forest watchers. Expenditure for maintenance of the teams will be distributed between Central and State governments in the ratio of 60:40. The committee has also stamped its approval on the proposal to release ₹2.25 crore for measures to prevent forest fires.
• It was also decided to prepare an integrated plan for protection of forests with coordination among various departments.
• Police will chip in wherever task force raids and removal of encroachment from forest lands are needed. A proposal is being studied for police outposts in sensitive locations as per the Forest department’s request.

Landslides, flooding kill 8 in central Indonesia

News

• Torrential rains overwhelmed a dam and caused landslides that killed at least eight people and displaced more than 2,000 in central 

Beyond News

• Rescuers were evacuating residents to shelters at a government office and mosques.
• The national disaster agency said four people are missing and more than 2,000 were in temporary shelters. It said nine districts including Makassar were affected.
• Staff at the Bili Bili dam, a rock-fill embankment, didn’t have time to provide advance warning of the water release.
• Torrential rain caused a dam to be overwhelmed by water, forcing us to open it to prevent a greater danger. This is what caused flooding in some areas.
• Deadly landslides and floods are a frequent occurrence during seasonal rains in Indonesia. A landslide in Sukabumi on the main island of Java earlier this month killed 32 people.
• The death toll could rise as areas hit by landslides are still being searched. Several bridges were damaged by the flooding and power cut off in affected areas.

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