Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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Promotions in govt. offices should go on: Supreme Court

News:

• The Supreme Courtorally observed that promotions in government offices should go ahead in “accordance with law.”

Beyond News:

• The court was responding to the government’s complaint that the entire promotion process was in limbo because of uncertainty over reservation in promotion for the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe employees.
• A Bench said nothing prevented the government from promoting employees in accordance with law. But the court was not clear about the law it was referring to.
• Additional Solicitor-General Maninder Singh said promotions had come to a “standstill” because of the status quo order passed by the court in 2015 after the High Courts gave orders at cross-purposes.
• It is made clear that the Union of India is not debarred from making promotions in accordance with law, subject to further orders, pending further consideration of the matter, Justice observed.

Additional Solicitor-General said the petition before the Bench was the Centre’s challenge to the Delhi High Court’s verdict of August 23 last, quashing the government order extending reservation in promotion to employees of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes beyond five years from November 16, 1992.

India’s per capita plastic use among lowest: Modi

News

• India has among the lowest per capita consumption of plastic in the world, “much lower” than that of many developed countries, said Prime Minister at the World Environment Day celebrations.

Beyond News

• The theme for this year’s Environment Day, organised in partnership with the United Nations Environmental Programme, is “Beat plastic pollution”.
• India is the global host nation for the 43rd edition of this event. Environment Ministers, representatives from the United Nations and members from various industry bodies were among the officials who attended the event.
• He said that as part of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), India was committed to reducing 33-35% of emission intensity of its GDP during 2005-2030.
• According to the Central Pollution Control Board, India generates about 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, of which about 40% remains uncollected. About 70% of the plastic packaging products become “waste” in a short span of time.
• While plastics have a wide variety of applications, the global rally is against the so-called “single use” or disposable plastic used in bottles, cups, wrapping paper and bags. Together, they account for over half the plastic produced.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Centre to start measuring ‘green GDP’ of States

News

• India’s environmental diversity and riches are universally recognised but have never been quantified.

Beyond News

• Starting this year, the government will begin a five-year exercise to compute district-level data of the country’s environmental wealth. The numbers will eventually be used to calculate every State’s ‘green’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• The metric will help with a range of policy decisions, such as compensation to be paid during land acquisition, calculation of funds required for climate mitigation, and so on.
• This is the first time such a national environment survey is being undertaken, said, Senior Economic Adviser, Union Environment Ministry.
• A pilot project is set to begin this September in 54 districts. Land will be demarcated into “grids” with about 15-20 grids per district. These will capture the diversity in the State’s geography, farmland, wildlife, and emissions pattern, and will be used to compute a value, she added.
• Much of the data required for the inventory would be sourced from datasets that already exist with other government ministries.
• The government has also launched a ‘green skilling’ programme under which youth, particularly school dropouts, would be trained in a range of ‘green jobs’ as operators of scientific instruments used to measure environmental quality, as field staff in nature parks, and as tourist guides.
• Some of the labour required for the survey would also be sourced from the green-skilled workforce.

SpaceX launches communication satellite, ditches old booster

News

• SpaceX launched satellite for a Luxembourg communication company.

Beyond News

• But it ditched the recycled booster in the Atlantic following liftoff.
• The powerful SES satellite, weighing 5,400 kg, will provide TV and data coverage across Asia, the Pacific and the West Asia.

Eco-day bouquet: 539 species discovered in India in 2017

News

• As many as 539 new species of plants and animals were discovered by scientists and taxonomists in the country in 2017, say publications from two major survey organisations: the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

Beyond News

• Besides these discoveries, the biodiversity in the country recorded another 263 species with 174 new records of animals and 89 of plants found. The number of discoveries of sub-species and varieties takes the number of floral discoveries to 352.
• Among the animal discoveries are 241 invertebrates. The number of vertebrates discovered includes 27 species of fish, 18 of amphibians and 12 of reptiles.
• With these discoveries, the number of animal species in India stands at 1,01,167, which is 6.45% of the faunal species found in the world. The number of plant species has increased to 49,003, which is 11.4 % of the world flora.
• The Western Ghats and the Himalayas are home to most of the plant and animal discoveries. While the Western Ghats contributed 19% of the discoveries of species and sub-species of plants, the number was 37% in terms of animal discoveries.
• The Himalayas contributed to 35% of all plant discoveries (18% of the plant discoveries from the western Himalayas and 17% from the eastern Himalayas). In terms of animal discoveries, over 18% of the new species were discovered from both the eastern and western Himalayas.
• Among the States, Kerala recorded the highest number of discoveries 66 species, sub-species and varieties of plants and 52 species of animals. Tamil Nadu recorded 31 new species of animals and 24 species, sub-species and varieties of plants.
• West Bengal, which has both Himalayan and coastal ecosystems, recorded 27 discoveries in categories of plants and 45 discoveries of animal species.

Faunal diversity up in Adyar creek after eco-restoration

News

• Following eco-restoration, the faunal diversity in the Adyar creek has increased considerably, from 273 in 2016-2017 to 331 in 2017-2018.

Adyar Eco Park 

• Adyar Eco Parkis an ecological park set up by the Government of Tamil Nadu in the Adyar estuary area of Chennai. According to the government, the project, conceived based on the master plan for the restoration of the vegetation of the freshwater eco-systems of the Coromandel Coast, especially the fragile eco-system of the Adyar estuary and creek.

Beyond News

• The species of insects including butterflies and dragonflies  has increased from 98 to 155 in the creek, according to a policy note tabled in the Assembly by Municipal Administration and Water Supplies Minister.
• The restoration of the Adyar eco park has to comply with designated-best-use class-D, which, according to the Central pollution Control Board guidelines, would allow propagation of wildlife and fisheries.
• As many as eight species of molluscs, 13 crabs, 155 insects, 10 fishes, 10 amphibians, 19 reptiles, 105 birds and 16 animals have been recorded in the Adyar eco park.
• According to the data, insects and birds have increased last year. In Adyar estuary, around 57,000 mangrove species and 35,000 terrestrial saplings have been planted, removing the invasive species, debris and plastic waste. A consultant has been appointed for the preparation of a Rapid Environment Impact Assessment report for obtaining CRZ clearance for 15 sub-projects in Adyar.
• Similar eco-restoration projects will be implemented in the Ennore creek, Kovalam creek and Buckingham Canal, the Minister said.
• The restoration work would include an increase in the water spread and tidal interaction area, removal of encroachments, plantation of native plants of tropical dry evergreen forests, mangroves, its associates and reeds and landscaping.
• Work on identification of encroachments on the creeks is expected to begin after completion of the study.

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