Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Editorials are covered separately. HINDU NOTES are available free date wise| CLICK HERE

World Bank loan for climate-resilient farming in State

News

• The Central government, the Andhra Pradesh government and the World Bank signed a loan agreement for a $172.20 million project to enhance agricultural productivity, profitability and climate resilience of poor and marginalised farmers in the State.

Beyond News

• The Andhra Pradesh Integrated Irrigation and Agriculture Transformation Project (APIIATP) will be implemented in the rural areas largely dependent upon rainfed agriculture.
• It will strengthen the resilience of poor and marginalised farmers against adverse climatic conditions by improving access to irrigation, drought seed varieties and post-harvest technology that are aimed at improving soil health, water-use efficiency and crop productivity, according to a note from the World Bank.
• The project will benefit over 2,00,000 families of poor and marginalised farmers, agro-entrepreneurs, women and other vulnerable groups.

Exclusion of Indian students: British MPs call for new approach towards international students

News

• A cross-party group of British Parliamentarians are calling for the government to overhaul the way it approaches international students, pointing to the controversy over the exclusion of Indian students from a relaxation of documentation rules as an instance of the negative impact on policy on perceptions and student numbers.

Beyond News

• The British government has come under increasing pressure to reform its international students regime: In September, the body representing British universities urged the introduction of a post-study work visa that was dropped by the Conservative government in 2012 and is seen as one of many factors contributing to numbers of international students in the U.K. remaining flat, even as numbers have grown elsewhere.
• Britain’s policy on international students has also overshadowed its relations with India: numbers of Indian students has fallen sharply in recent years, which the government has sought to put down to its crackdown on bogus colleges but which critics believe is closely linked to a tough policy regime that has both made it more difficult for students to come here and discouraged many from applying in the first place.
• Earlier this year, the Home Office announced plans to relax student visa document requirements for students from a number of countries including China but excluding India.
• However, its explanation that the risk profile associated with Indian students remained high heightened tensions with India which has long disputed Britain’s assessment that India account for the largest number of individuals overstaying their visa in the U.K.

Kurangani effect: no trekking in jungles for 2 months a year

News

• The State government has banned trekking between February 15 and April 15 every year.
• Notifying the Tamil Nadu Forest and Wildlife Areas (Regulation of Trekking) Rules, 2018, the government has decided to impose the annual ban for the two-month period when incidence of forest fires is high.

Beyond News

• The rules have been notified based on an expert committee report in the aftermath of the Kurangani forest fire tragedy that claimed the lives of 20 persons in March early this year.
• According to State Forest Department’s ‘Spatial and temporal analysis of decadal forest fire data (2006-2015)’, forest fires start in January, increase in February and peak during March.
• Nearly 48% of forest fires in Tamil Nadu were reported during March and 72.4% in February and March. The number of incidents goes down during April and tapers off during the onset of southwest monsoon. At least one fire was detected in 638 beats, of which 21 beats were highly prone to forest fires during the period.
• Taking the forest fire data into consideration, the government decided to impose the annual ban on trekking during this period.
• During the period in which trekking is permissible, no person shall undertake trekking without obtaining permission from the competent authority (DFOs / Wildlife Wardens).
• The violation of this rule would amount to trespassing and would be dealt under TN Forest Act, 1882 and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as applicable.
• The competent authority will have full discretion to permit the trek, depending on local conditions. They may impose special conditions for trekking in tiger and elephant reserves, based on the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Centre, the State and the area’s management and working plan.
• According to Rule 11 (Miscellaneous), the Forest department will not be liable for any kind of loss or injury including loss of life during the trek.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

New enemy of birds of prey: wind farms

News

• A study proves, for the first time, that the ramifications of wind farms run much deeper across the food chain, superb fan-throated lizards small, colourful reptiles that the birds prey on increased in number and showed altered behaviour, physiology and even less-flamboyant body colours.

Findings

• Comparing raptor and lizard numbers in six areas with and without wind turbines, they found that wind farms had one-fourth the number of birds of prey (including eagles and kites) and showed lower predatory bird activity.
• With fewer predators, lizard numbers shot up to almost three times more in wind farms. And these reptiles showed marked changes in behaviour.
• With lowered anti-predator responses, the reptiles let researchers approach to within 3 m before running away (normally, they flee if intruders approach to within 15 m). The lizards’ stress (corticosterone) levels were also far lower than those in areas without wind turbines.
• But oddly enough, these lizards were not doing well: they were thinner, a sign of poor body condition. The usually brilliant blue and orange colours that male lizards sport were less vibrant in individuals at wind farms: not a good sign, because colour intensities aid lizards in social communication.
• The study is important for it shows that wind power projects currently exempt from Environment Impact Assessments have complex ecological consequences.

State has lost 41% of shoreline to erosion

News

• In the past two decades, Tamil Nadu has reportedly lost 41% of its shoreline to erosion.
• As part of efforts to protect the coastline, the National Centre for Coastal Research is preparing a report to identify vulnerable areas and propose solutions to suit the site conditions.

Findings

• Mamallapuram, near the city and Bommayarpalayam near Puducherry are some of the sites chosen for the study to erect artificial structures to prevent further erosion.
• Based on national assessment of shoreline changes: status report for 1990-2016 done by NCCR, the Centre and National Institute of Ocean Technology are in the process of identifying erosion hotspots and execute short-term strategies for immediate protection.
• At present, sea walls and groynes, a collection of boulders laid perpendicular to the coastline, are the major artificial structures put in place for protecting the shoreline.
• According to the report released recently, ports development, construction of dams in the rivers that block supply of sediments to coastline are some of the reasons for erosion apart from the natural causes such as sea-level rise and storms.
• Tamil Nadu coastline running to a distance of 991.47 km studied, along nearly 407.05 km, erosion has emerged as an issue. Only 23% of the coastline is having sand accretion.
• Submerged dykes using geosynthetic tubes to a height of 2.5 metres was another solution to arrest sea erosion. These would be laid nearly 150 metres into the sea. The intensity of the waves is expected to be reduced with this technology.
• The project report, which is funded by Ministry of Earth Sciences, is expected to be submitted in about six months and the NCCR would work with Water Resources Department to implement the projects for coastal protection.

New rules for foreigners in detention centres

News

• The government has informed the Supreme Court that new guidelines are being framed for keeping foreign nationals in detention centres across the country.

Beyond News

• A Bench was hearing the issue of framing of a manual detailing the guidelines for detaining foreigners. The condition of detention centres in Assam also came up for discussion.
• The Bench had sought responses from the Centre and the Assam government on the plight of families, who languish in the State’s six detention centres as “declared foreigners”, separated from each other and their children.
• The court said it was “inappropriate” to keep the families separated without any valid reason.

A Deepavali sans crackers, for birds’ sake

News

• Villagers of Koonthankulam in Tamil Nadu , do not burst crackers on Deepavali. They stay away from crackers to ensure a peaceful and pleasant stay for the few thousand winged visitors atop the acacia and neem trees in the village and also inside the sprawling tank.

Beyond News

• After Koonthankulam and nearby Kaadankulam both waterbodies having a number of babul trees  started attracting domestic and migratory birds, the villagers, even before it was declared a ‘bird sanctuary’ by the Department of Forest, on their own began observing a ban on bursting of crackers and using cone speakers as part of celebrations.
• Over 45 bird species, including painted storks, flamingos, bar-headed geese, pelicans, spoonbills, snake birds, herons, terns, ducks and egrets nest at Koonthankulam whenever the region receives good rainfall.
• Though acacia trees have grown abundantly in and around Koonthankulam, the birds prefer the trees that have grown within this sleepy hamlet and the black babul trees growing in the middle of the tank.
• However, most of the elders are keen on preserving the tradition of boycotting crackers for the sake of the birds, and appeal to the children not to go in for noisy celebrations.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DATE WISE CURRENT AFFAIRS