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NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
General Studies – 1
Topic: Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent)
1. Discuss the economic importance of Indian ocean region for India. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question:
To write in detail about the economic significance of the Indian ocean for India. We have to give a complete picture of the importance of the region.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
write a few introductory lines about the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Draw a small representative map showing key features.
Body:
Discuss in points the economic significance of the IOR for India.
First, it enjoys a privileged location at the crossroads of global trade, The Ocean’s vast drainage basin is importance, rich in natural resources. Fishing and Aquaculture and Mineral resources, Strategic importance etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing about the importance of IOR for India.
Introduction
The Indian Ocean matters today, arguably more than ever. It is a major conduit for international trade, especially energy. Its littoral is vast, densely populated, and comprised of some of the world’s fastest growing regions. The Ocean is also a valuable source of fishing and mineral resources. The Indian Ocean basin is of particular importance for India, as the region’s most populous country and geopolitical keystone.
Body
The Economic importance of IOR for India includes:
- Trade and Commerce:
- It enjoys a privileged location at the crossroads of global trade, connecting the major engines of the international economy in the Northern Atlantic and Asia-Pacific. This is particularly important in an era in which global shipping has burgeoned.
- Today, almost 90,000 vessels in the world’s commercial fleet transport 9.84 billion tonnes per year. This represents an almost four-fold increase in the volume of commercial shipping since 1970.
- The Indian Ocean has vital sea lanes of communication crisscrossing it and which feeds Asia’s largest economies. Around 80 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes through the choke points of this ocean and therefore it literally connects the east to the west with 40 percent passing through the Strait of Hormuz, 35 percent through the Strait of Malacca and 8 percent through the Bab El-Mandab Strait.
- The Ocean’s vast drainage basin is important in its own right, home to some two billion people. This creates opportunities, especially given the high rates of economic growth around the Indian Ocean rim, including in India, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia, and Eastern and Southern Africa.
- 95 per cent of India’s trade by volume and 68 per cent of trade by value come via the Indian Ocean.
- Presence of 13 major ports and over 200 minor ports provide avenues for exports of Indian goods to world.
- Blue Economy: The Indian Ocean is rich in natural resources.
- Oil and Natural Gas:
- Forty per cent of the world’s offshore oil production takes place in the Indian Ocean basin.
- Energy security and resources are absolutely critical. The Indian Ocean Region is immensely rich in that.
- 28 million barrels per day—or nearly 80 per cent of India’s crude oil requirement—is imported by sea via the Indian Ocean. Taking into account India’s offshore oil production and petroleum exports, India’s sea dependence for oil is about 93 per cent, according to the Indian Navy.
- India is also the fourth-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with about 45 per cent coming by sea.
- India has her own oil rigs in the Indian ocean region. Example: Bombay high
- Minerals:
- Mineral resources with nodules containing nickel, cobalt, and iron, and massive sulphide deposits of manganese, copper, iron, zinc, silver, and gold present in sizeable quantities on the sea bed.
- Indian Ocean coastal sediments are also important sources of titanium, zirconium, tin, zinc, and copper.
- Additionally, various rare earth elements are present, even if their extraction is not always commercially feasible.
- In 2014, the International Seabed Authority issued licenses for the Indian Ocean ridge, opening up new opportunities for deep seabed mining. This region is estimated to have massive reserves of manganese, as well as cobalt, nickel, and copper, all of which are scarce on Indian soil.
- Placer Deposits – Vitally important, thorium resources in placer sands of Malabar coast are a promise to Nuclear Energy security. Similarly Placers of Thailand, Indo-China and Australia are source of precious heavy metals critically important for Electronics and semiconductors industry.
- Fishing and Aquaculture:
- Fishing in the Indian Ocean now accounts for almost 15 per cent of the world’s total.
- Aquaculture in the region has also grown 12-fold since 1980. Although global fishing is reaching its natural limitations, the Indian Ocean may be able to sustain increases in production.
- The largely unregulated overexploitation of its fishery resources. The consequences of over fishing, which is actually largely a result of activity by countries outside the region, could eventually have serious consequences for littoral states that depend heavily on maritime resources to feed their populations and also provide valuable export revenues.
- India captured 4.1 million tonnes of fish in 2008, placing it sixth in the world and its fishing and aquaculture industries employ some 14 million people.
- Fisheries and aquaculture industries are also a major source of exports. India’s maritime exports grew 55 times in volume between 1962 and 2012 and fisheries exports now account for Rs. 16,600 crore or about $2.5 billion.
- Tourism:
- Coral atolls in Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands attract many tourists from India as well as abroad. This helps the livelihood of many islanders.
- Oil and Natural Gas:
Conclusion
Indian Ocean is an “ocean of economic opportunities” for India. The security threats posed by State and non-state actors are impeding the progress. The Government initiatives like SAGAR, IORA, Sagarmala etc. should ensure that the fruits of Blue Economy is well reaped.
Topic: geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Class-XI NCERT: India Physical Environment.
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable.
Key Demand of the question: To explain the importance of mangroves and to bring out the various threats faced by them.
Directive:
Comment- here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin the answer by briefly writing about mangroves and their ecosystem.
Body:
You can draw simple and illustrative of map showing important mangroves.
Write about the role of mangroves as the first line of defense against erosion and flooding. Also mention about the other ecological benefits of mangroves as well as its unique flora and fauna.
Next, write about the various threats that mangroves are facing which is making them ecologically fragile and climatically vulnerable such as Coastal development, clearing for agriculture, excessive Aquaculture &Salt Production, River changes: Dams and irrigation, Destruction of coral reefs, Pollution and Climate change etc. Cite necessary examples, facts and figures to substantiate your point.
Conclusion:
Write a way forward to protect the Mangrove ecosystem of India.
Introduction
Mangroves are the characteristic littoral plant formation of tropical and subtropical sheltered coastlines. They exhibit remarkable capacity for salt water tolerance, strong wind velocity, varying tides and high temperature (FAO-1952). E.g.: Rhizopora, Avicenia, Bruguiera etc. Total cover of Mangroves in India is about 4,975 sq km as per latest State of Forest Report 2019.
Body
Ecological Services by Mangroves:
- Mangrove plants have (additional) special roots such as prop roots, pneumatophores which help to impede water flow and thereby enhance the deposition of sediment in areas (where it is already occurring), stabilize the coastal shores, provide breeding ground for fishes.
- Mangroves moderate monsoonal tidal floods and reduce inundation of coastal lowlands.
- They prevent coastal soil erosion.
- They protect coastal lands from tsunami, hurricanes and floods.
- Mangroves enhance natural recycling of nutrients.
- Mangrove supports numerous flora, avifauna and wild life.
- Provide a safe and favourable environment for breeding, spawning, rearing of several fishes.
- They supply woods, fire wood, medicinal plants and edible plants to local people.
- They provide numerous employment opportunities to local communities and augments their livelihood.
A scientific study reported that 100 per cent of mangrove species, 92 per cent of mangrove associates, 60.8 per cent of algae, 23.8 per cent of invertebrates and 21.1 per cent of fish are under threat.
Natural forces due to climate change:
- Sea-level rise: Mangrove systems do not keep pace with changing sea-level and fall
- Extreme high-water events: affect the position and health including through altered sediment elevation and sulphide soil toxicity
- Storms: increase damage to mangroves through defoliation and tree mortality and they collapse
- Precipitation: decreased rainfall and increased evaporation will increase salinity, decreasing net primary productivity, growth
- Temperature: Changing species composition, Changing phenological patterns (e.g., timing of flowering and fruiting)
- Ocean circulation patterns: affect mangrove propagule dispersal and the genetic structure of mangrove populations, with concomitant effects on mangrove community structure.
Anthropogenic activities:
- Mangroves are being destroyed and facing severe threats due to urbanization, industrialization, and discharge of domestic sewage, industrial effluents and pesticides.
- Saltpans and aquaculture also pose major threat to the mangroves.
- 40 per cent of mangrove forests in West Coast of India have been converted into farmlands and housing colonies over the last three decades.
- Some of the mangrove species like Bruguiera cylindrica and Sonneratia acida are at the verge of extinction.
- Due to shrimp farming, about 35,000 ha of mangroves have been lost in India.
Scientific Management of Mangroves
- Nationwide mapping of the mangrove areas, by remote sensing techniques coupled with land surveys, and time series to assess the rate of degradation of the ecosystems.
- Quantitative surveys of area, climatic regime, rate of growth of forest trees and seasonal variations of environmental parameters.
- Inclusion of mangrove species under threat in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red list. g. Sonneratia griffithii in India
- Assessment of suitable sites for reserve forests. g.: Artificial regeneration through mangrove nurseries or aerial seeding.
- Joint management of mangroves with local community participation.
- Disease and pest control. g.: Crab cuts are prevented by painting hypocotyls in yellow or Placing seedlings inside bamboo containers.
- Afforestation of degraded mangrove areas;
- Study of management methods, the ecology of mangroves, their flora and fauna, their microbiology and the biochemistry of organic matter and sediments.
- Mangroves for Future is a unique partner-led initiative for coastal ecosystem conservation. This project is being coordinated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) covering, initially, eight countries (including India) in South Asia, South East Asia and Western Indian Ocean, for the protection of the mangroves.
- The mangroves have been afforded protection under Category I (ecologically sensitive) of the CRZ.
Conclusion:
An increase of 54 sq. km in mangrove cover has been observed as notes in SFR 2019. There is a need to build on this progress for stabilization of low-lying coastal lands. Mangroves being natural filters of pollutants from water, it becomes even more necessary to conserve them.
Value addition
Characteristics:
- Mangroves are salt tolerant trees, also called halophytes, which survive high salinity, tidal regimes, strong wind velocity, high temperature and muddy anaerobic soil – a combination of conditions hostile for other plants.
- The mangrove ecosystems constitute a symbiotic link or bridge between terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
- They are found in the inter-tidal zones of sheltered shore, estuaries, creeks, backwaters, lagoons, marshes and mud-flats.
Role and Significance of Mangroves
- Mangroves moderate monsoonal tidal floods and reduce coastal inundation.
- It prevents coastal soil erosion.
- It supplies firewood, medicinal plants to local inhabitants.
- They support numerous flora, avifauna and wildlife.
- Mangroves support seashore and estuarine fisheries.
- It protects inland agricultural lands, livestock and coastal lands from hurricane and tsunami effect.
- Mangroves enhance natural recycling of nutrients.
- Mangroves are flood buffers and they also help in stabilizing the climate by moderating temperature, humidity, wind and even waves
- They are natural carbon sinks.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
Jairam Ramesh moves privilege motion against Culture Minister Kishan Reddy
Key Demand of the question:
To understand the purpose of various motions and the Parliamentary privileges available with the MPs.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving a brief about the Parliamentary Privileges available in India.
Body:
State the various types of motions such as No Confidence motion, Privilege motion, adjournment motions etc and the purpose behind them.
Write about privilege motion and accountability of it – mention how party numbers in the parliament decide privilege motions on party linese rather than accountability of the minister for his/her act.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stating that the said motions are necessary checks enabled by the constitution for proper functioning of the democracy.
Introduction
Motions and resolutions are procedural devices to raise a discussion in the House on a matter of general public interest. With few exceptions, the process of debate in the House is initiated by a member or Minister by making a motion. In its widest sense, the term ‘motion’ means any proposal submitted to the House for eliciting its decision. Every matter is determined in the House by means of a question put from the Chair on a motion made by a member and resolved either in the affirmative or negative. The decision which has thus been elicited, turns the motion into a resolution or order of the house. In other words, by a motion, the House discusses a matter, by a resolution the House declares its own opinion. Motions and resolutions can be moved by private members as well as Ministers. When they are moved by the former, they are called private members’ motions or resolutions.
Body
various types of motions available with the Members of the Parliament
- Privilege motion
- A privilege motion is introduced by the opposition against a minister in case the minister has misled the House by providing false information.
- Its purpose is to censure the concerned minister.
- A privilege motion can be moved against a non-member as well as a member.
- Censure motion
- Censure motion is moved by the opposition against a specific policy of the government or against a minister or against the whole council of ministers.
- It can be moved only in the lower house of the parliament.
- The motion should be specific and self-explanatory so as to record the reasons of the censure precisely and briefly.
- No leave of the House is required to move a censure motion.
- If it is passed, the Council of Minister is bound to seek the confidence of the Lok Sabha as early as possible.
- Call attention motion
- A member may, with the previous permission of the Speaker, call the attention of a Minister to any matter of urgent public importance by moving a motion.
- The Minister may make a brief statement or ask for time to make a statement at a later hour or date.
- The number of call-attention motion is restricted to two motions by one member in a single sitting.
- Adjournment motion
- A motion for an adjournment of the business of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance may be made with the consent of the Speaker.
- The Adjournment motion if admitted leads to setting aside the normal business of the House for discussing the matter mentioned in the motion.
- The motion shall be restricted to a specific matter of recent occurrence involving the responsibility of the Government of India.
- No Day Yet Named motion
- If the Speaker admits notice of a motion and no date is fixed for the discussion of such motion, it is called No-Day-Yet-Named motion.
- The Speaker may, after considering the state of business in the House and in consultation with the Leader of the House or on the recommendation of the Business Advisory Committee allot a day or days or part of a day for the discussion of any such motion.
- Cut motions
- Motions can be moved to reduce demand for grants. Such motions are called cut motions. If a cut motion is adopted by Parliament and the government does not have the numbers, it is obliged to resign. There are three types of cut motions:
- Disapproval of Policy Cut is moved to reduce the amount of the demand to INR 1/-’ representing disapproval of the policy underlying the demand.
- Economy Cut motionis moved to reduce the amount of the demand by a specified amount representing the economy that can be effected. Such specified amount may be either a lump sum reduction in the demand or omission or reduction of an item in the demand.
- Token Cut motionis moved to reduce the amount of the demand by INR 100/- in order to ventilate a specific grievance which is within the sphere of the responsibility of the Government of India.
- No Confidence motion
- This motion is introduced in the Lok Sabha by the opposition. It is a motion expressing want of confidence in the Council of Ministers. No-confidence motions are subject to following restrictions, namely:—
- leave to make the motion shall be asked for by the member when called by the Speaker;
- the member asking for leave shall, that day give to the Secretary-General a written notice of the motion which such member proposes to move.
- A Government can be dismissed by passing a direct vote on a no-confidence motion.
- This motion is introduced in the Lok Sabha by the opposition. It is a motion expressing want of confidence in the Council of Ministers. No-confidence motions are subject to following restrictions, namely:—
- Confidence motion
- It is also called “trust vote”. Confidence motions have evolved as a counter by the government when it wants to demonstrate its majority.
- There is no special provision in the rules for a confidence motion — such a motion is moved as an ordinary motion.
- In recent times, when no party has had a clear majority, the president has appointed a prime minister who he believed had the majority support.
- This person is expected to prove his majority through a confidence motion.
- Motions can be moved to reduce demand for grants. Such motions are called cut motions. If a cut motion is adopted by Parliament and the government does not have the numbers, it is obliged to resign. There are three types of cut motions:
Privilege motion and partisanship
- The lack of clear rules or codification of privileges and privilege motion has led to its abuse and misuse.
- Instances of Privilege motion being used as a tool of political vendetta has been evident time and again.
- Privilege motion has been used more due to party politics rather than its true purpose.
Conclusion
Given the number of such cases of misuse of privilege motion, Parliament and Legislative Assemblies should pass laws to codify privilege. It may also be time for the courts to revisit the earlier judgments and find the right balance between fundamental rights of citizens and privilege of the legislature.
Topic: Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Difficulty level: Moderate.
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on petitions challenging the validity of amendments introduced in 2020 to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, aimed at tightening the curbs on NGOs allowed to receive foreign funds.
Key Demand of the question:
To understand the importance of NGOs and the impact of amendments to FCRA on NGOs.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyze, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Briefly mention the role of NGOs in civil society.
Body:
Explain the three changes brought about by the amendment to FCRA and how it would impact the normal functioning of NGOs and on the other hand mention the intent behind such a legislation.
Mention the rationale behind such regulation.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stressing on striking a balance between promotion of NGOs and ensuring National security.
Introduction
The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on petitions challenging the validity of amendments introduced in 2020 to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, aimed at tightening the curbs on NGOs allowed to receive foreign funds. While NGOs that have termed the amendments as harsh and arbitrary, the Government has argued that its intended to streamline the flow of funds and to enhance transparency and accountability.
Body
India has nearly 3.4 million NGOs, working in a variety of fields ranging from disaster relief to advocacy for marginalised and disadvantaged communities. There the role and responsibilities are immense in developing country like India, which can listed as follows:
- Bridging The Gap:NGOs endeavour to plug gaps in the government’s programmes and reach out to sections of people often left untouched by state projects. For example, providing aid to migrant workers in Covid-19 crisis.
- Also, they are engaged in diverse activities, relating to human and labour rights, gender issues, healthcare, environment, education, legal aid, and even research.
- Role of an Enabler:Community-level outfits and self-help groups are critical for bringing any change in the ground
- Acting as a Pressure Group:There are political NGOs that mobilise public opinion against government’s policies and actions.
- The Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy in its report has pointed out that there will not only be an increase in school dropouts and child marriages but also a decrease in immunisation and access to healthcare due to the economic downturn economic downturn induced by Covid-19.
Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment, 2020:
- It seeks to prohibit ‘public servants’ from receiving any foreign funding.
- It proposes to reduce the use of foreign funds to meet administrative costs by NGOs from the existing 50 per cent to 20 per cent.
- It seeks to “prohibit any transfer of foreign contribution to any association/person”.
- It proposes to make Aadhaar cards a mandatory identification document for all office-bearers, directors and other key functionaries of NGOs or associations eligible to receive foreign donations.
- It seeks to allow for the central government to hold a summary inquiry to direct bodies with FCRA approval to “not utilise the unutilised foreign contribution or receive the remaining portion of foreign contribution”.
- And to limit the use of foreign funds for administrative purposes. This would impact research and advocacy organisations which use the funding to meet their administrative costs.
Government Guidelines for NGO’s and issues
- The amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) enacted last year that among others made it compulsory for NGOs to open a bank account in Delhi has crippledthe work of many organisations who are unable to receive foreign funds.
- The amendments have made the FCRA, 2010 more stringent, with prohibition of transfer of funds from one NGO to another, decrease of administrative expensesthrough foreign funds from 50 per cent to 20 per cent, making Aadhaar mandatory for registration, and giving the government powers to stop utilisation of foreign funds through a “summary enquiry”.
- Registered NGOs can receive foreign contribution for five purposes — social, educational, religious, economic and cultural. An FCRA registration is mandatory for NGOs to receive foreign funds. There are 22,591 FCRA registered NGOs.
- The petitioner argued that it applied to open the account before the March 31 deadline but the administrative delays on the part of the bank and the Ministry severely restricted its activities including providing COVID-19 related relief and paying of urgent salaries of staff and also affected its charitable and educational activities.
- Any organisation seeking registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) must have operated for at least three years and spent “a minimum amount of Rs 15 lakh on its core activities for the benefit of society during the last three financial years”.
- Any organisation seeking prior permission for receiving a “specific amount from a specific donor for carrying out specific activities or projects” shall “submit a specific commitment letter from the donor indicating the amount of foreign contribution and the purpose for which it is proposed to be given”.
- The Centre has said that if the value of foreign contribution is over Rs 1 crore, it may be given in instalments “provided that the second and subsequent instalment shall be released after submission of proof of utilisation of 75 per cent of the foreign contribution received in the previous instalment and after field inquiry of the utilisation of foreign contribution.”
- In the newly notified rules, the Centre has made an insertion in Rule 9 – which deals with obtaining registration or prior permission to receive foreign funds – which makes the process more cumbersome for NGOs.
Conclusion
The legislation will have far-reaching consequences on the fields of education, health, people’s livelihoods, gender justice and indeed democracy in India. There is no denying the fact that there are black sheep in the sector. But sincere adherence to the existing framework could easily weed them out. The new laws will overload the NGOs with new bureaucratic tasks and open the floodgates for arbitrary action by the authorities.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Difficulty level: Difficult
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
NASA will launch the agency’s first planetary defence test mission named the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).
Key Demand of the question:
To understand the mission of DART and the technology used to achieve its aims.
Directive word:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving a brief on the aim of the mission.
Body:
First, mention the need of the mission in times of situations of asteroids heading towards the earth.
Next, discuss the approach to test the DART mission and why the asteroid and moonlet are chosen for the demo.
Conclusion:
Conclude by stating that if the mission succeeds, it would be a breakthrough in the science and technology field.
Introduction
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is a planetary defence-driven test of technologies for preventing an impact of Earth by a hazardous asteroid. DART will be the first demonstration of the kinetic impactor technique to change the motion of an asteroid in space. It is a spacecraft designed to impact an asteroid as a test of technology. The spacecraft will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Body
Aim of DART
- The main aim of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is to test the newly developed technology that would allow a spacecraft to crash into an asteroid and change its course.
- The target of the spacecraft is a small moonlet called Dimorphos which orbits a larger asteroid named
- It is about 160-metre in diameter and the spacecraft is expected to collide when it is 11 million kilometres away from Earth.
- Both these asteroids do not pose any threat to Earth but given that we haven’t come close to tracking all the NEOs, the knowledge that such a technique could work in practice will be crucial when we eventually identify a planetary body that does threaten to impact Earth.
- This asteroid system is a perfect testing ground to see if intentionally crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid is an effective way to change its course, should an Earth-threatening asteroid be discovered in the future.
How DART plans to achieve its aim
- The DART spacecraft will achieve the kinetic impact deflection by deliberately crashing itself into the moonlet at a speed of approximately 6.6 km/s, with the aid of an onboard camera (named DRACO) and sophisticated autonomous navigation software.
- The collision will change the speed of the moonlet in its orbit around the main body by a fraction of one percent, but this will change the orbital period of the moonlet by several minutes – enough to be observed and measured using telescopes on Earth.
- It is a suicide mission and the spacecraft will be completely destroyed.
Conclusion
Until recently, the only real answer proposed to tackle an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, was to, quite literally, hurl a nuclear bomb at it, to change its trajectory. The truth is that this still constitutes one of Earth’s best strategies, and probably the only one if impact is expected within a ten-year timeframe.
Topic: Disaster and disaster management.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The ongoing spell of heavy rain in Chennai has again exposed the vulnerability of the city.
Key Demand of the question:
To understand the cause of urban floods and ways to mitigate them
Directive word:
Comment- here we must express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by explaining what is urban flood.
Body:
Mention the causes of urban floods such as lake bed encroachments, deforestation etc.
Next, mention the need for a city wise strategic approach and recourse in the building codes and by-laws of cities to ensure proper drainage channels and provision for perforation of rainfall into ground water to avoid urban floods.
Conclusion:
Conclude by giving examples of few regions that have mastered the techniques of managing floods and stress on the need for other cities to follow suit.
Introduction
As the incidence of climate variability and extreme weather events increases, urban flooding becomes more and more common. While the untimely heavy rains can be attributed to climate variability, the urban flooding is largely due to an unplanned urbanisation.
Recently, torrential rains that took place in Hyderabad have caused massive urban floods. In many Indian cities, the urban floods have become a frequent phenomenon in recent years. Overburdened drainage, unregulated construction, no regard to the natural topography and hydro-geomorphology all make urban floods a man-made disaster.
Body:
- Causes for the rise in urban floods
- Inadequate Drainage Infrastructure:Cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai rely on a century-old drainage system, covering only a small part of the core city.
- In the last 20 years, the Indian cities have grown manifold with its original built-up area.
- As the city grew beyond its original limits, not much was done to address the absence of adequate drainage systems.
- Terrain Alteration:Lasting irreversible damage has been done to the city by property builders, property owners, and public agencies by flattening terrain and altering natural drainage routes.
- Reducing Seepage:Indian cities are becoming increasingly impervious to water, not just because of increasing built up but also because of the nature of materials used (hard, non-porous construction material that makes the soil impervious).
- Lax Implementation:Even with provisions of rainwater harvesting, sustainable urban drainage systems, etc, in regulatory mechanisms like the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), adoption at user end as well as enforcement agencies remains weak.
- Encroaching Natural Spaces:The number of wetlands has reduced to 123 in 2018 from 644 in 1956.
- Green cover is only 9 per cent, which ideally should have been at least 33 per cent.
- Need for Holistic Engagement:Urban floods of this scale cannot be contained by the municipal authorities alone. Floods cannot be managed without concerted and focused investments of energy and resources.
- The Metropolitan Development Authorities, National Disaster Management Authority, State revenue and irrigation departments along with municipal corporations should be involved in such work together.
- Such investments can only be done in a mission mode organisation with active participation of civil society organisations at the metropolitan scale.
- Developing Sponge Cities:The idea of a sponge city is to make cities more permeable so as to hold and use the water which falls upon it.
- Sponge cities absorb the rain water, which is then naturally filtered by the soil and allowed to reach urban aquifers.
- This allows for the extraction of water from the ground through urban or peri-urban wells.
- This water can be treated easily and used for city water supply.
- Wetland Policy: There is a need to start paying attention to the management of wetlands by involving local communities.
- Without doubt, terrain alteration needs to be strictly regulated and a ban on any further alteration of terrain needs to be introduced.
- To improve the city’s capacity to absorb water, new porous materials and technologies must be encouraged or mandated across scales.
- Examples of these technologies are bioswales and retention systems, permeable material for roads and pavement, drainage systems which allow storm water to trickle into the ground, green roofs and harvesting systems in buildings.
- Drainage Planning: Watershed management and emergency drainage plan should be clearly enunciated in policy and law.
- Urban watersheds are micro ecological drainage systems, shaped by contours of terrain.
- Detailed documentation of these must be held by agencies which are not bound by municipal jurisdictions; instead, there is a need to consider natural boundaries such as watersheds instead of governance boundaries like electoral wards for shaping a drainage plan.
- Water Sensitive Urban Design: These methods take into consideration the topography, types of surfaces (permeable or impervious), natural drainage and leave very less impact on the environment.
- Vulnerability analyses and risk assessments should form part and parcel of city master plans.
- In a changing climate, the drainage infrastructure (especially storm water drainage) has to be built considering the new ‘normal’.
- Tools such as predictive precipitation modelling can help do that and are also able to link it with the adaptive capacity of urban land use.
Conclusion:
These can all be delivered effectively through an urban mission along the lines of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) and Smart Cities Mission. Urban Flood management will not just help control recurring floods but also respond to other fault lines, provide for water security, more green spaces, and will make the city resilient and sustainable.
General Studies – 4
(250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Introduction
India has a long history of various states experimenting with various laws on liquor, ranging from total prohibition to restricted sale of alcohol to phased closure of liquor shops. As liquor contributes sizeable revenue to the exchequer, it has never been an easy decision for any state government to impose the prohibition. It is evident that the problem is complex and there can be no easy solutions, especially one that fits all. Alcohol addiction and its ill-effects may affect the poor more.
Body
Ethical issues involved in case
- Right to choice of food and drinks of individuals.
- Individual desire versus societal benefit
- Death of people belonging to SC, due to consumption of spurious liquor
- Right to carry on one’s profession or business (Violation of freedom to trade)
- Increase in unemployment
- Discrimination based on place among liquor outlet owners
- Impact on societies due to rise of Spurious liquor and bootleggers
- Diversion of chemicals to manufacturing of spurious liquor
Is total ban on alcohol justified
YES
- The Constitution places a responsibility on all state governments to “at least contain, if not curtail, consumption of alcohol” (Article 47).
- Strict state regulation is imperative to discourage regular and excessive consumption of alcohol.
- Alcohol denudes family resources and reserves and leaves women and children as its most vulnerable victims. A social stigma at least as far as the family unit is concerned is still attached to the consumption of alcohol.
- Vulnerable persons, either because of age or proclivity towards intoxication or as a feature of peer pressure, more often than not, succumb to this temptation.
- According to the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre of Thiruvananthapuram, 44% of Kerala’s road accidents, 19% of stays in government hospitals and 80% divorces are linked to alcohol abuse.
- The drinking age is dangerously coming down. This clearly indicates alcohol has become a social sickness and we have to treat it.
- Alcoholism does also critically impacts the household budgets of the poor and may lead to domestic violence.
NO
- Banning food and beverages is neither desirable nor feasible. It puts unnecessary fetters on freedoms
- Historical evidence shows that prohibition does not encourage or enable people to quit drinking. Rather, prohibition tends to drive the trade underground and creates a market for spurious liquor.
- This policy is just a populist decision impelled by factional politics within the ruling party.
- The policy may only help to shift the drinking space from bar to home or other private spaces.
- Prohibition has criminalized certain societies where drinking is a social norm.
- Prohibition may lead to widespread smuggling and illegal sale of liquors, thus defeating the very purpose.
- The massive profits from the illicit liquor trade would act as the launchpad for a parallel economy with tentacles in everything from prostitution to gambling and terror.
- Prohibition will increase the sale of spurious liquor which has adverse health impacts.
Way Forward
The principal reason why a lot of prohibition strategies fail is because they seem to be based on the simplistic assumption that cutting off the supply impacts effective demand for alcohol.
- State governments should have to be prepared to deal rapidly with the management of man-made disasters such as liquor tragedies.
- Increase legal age of drinking and bring about uniformity in the same across all the states.
- Ban marketing and advertisement of all kinds so as to contain its reach and spread.
- The medical fraternity needs to be educated in rapidly responding to and treating victims of liquor tragedies.
- Governments could consider linking de-addiction centres with primary health centres in rural areas.
- Invest in creating better awareness among citizens about the negative impact of alcohol consumption.
- Document good practices tried and tested by NGOs and other institutions for managing alcohol problems not only within the country but also outside the country.
- Civil society should demand from its political parties a comprehensive policy that addresses all the related issues instead of uncritically demanding or accepting proclamations of prohibition.
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