News & Editorial Analysis 02 JUNE 2023

The Hindu News Analysis

1 – Olive Ridley Turtles:

GS III

Environmental Conservation related issues

Context:

Olive Ridley pairs The annual mass nesting of this endangered marine species has started, with sea turtles first appearing in the waters around Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary on the coast of Odisha.

Olive Ridley Turtles: What Are They?

About:

Of all marine turtles found worldwide, Olive ridleys are the smallest and most prevalent.

Because of their olive-colored carapace, these turtles are carnivores.

The Arribada mass nesting, in which a large number of females congregate to lay their eggs on the same beach, is what makes them most distinctive.

Habitat:

They can be found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian seas’ warm waters.

The largest sea turtle rookery (colony of breeding animals) in the world is thought to be located in Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.

Defendant Status:

Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972; vulnerable on the IUCN Red List

Appendix I of CITES

Threats:

They are frequently poached for human consumption in order to obtain their meat, eggs, shells, and leather.

Marine Pollution and Waste: The habitats of sea turtles are being harmed by an ever-growing detritus of plastics, fishing nets, discarded nets, polythene, and other garbage dropped by visitors and fishery employees.

Fishing Trawlers: The prohibition against fishing within 20 kilometres of a marine sanctuary is frequently broken by the overexploitation of marine resources through employment of trawlers.

Many of the dead turtles had damage signs, suggesting they may have been caught in trawls or gill nets.

Measures taken to Preserve Olive Ridley Turtles:

Project Olivia:

Initiated in the early 1980s, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia” assists in safeguarding Olive Ridley turtles each year as they gather along the coast of Odisha for breeding and nesting from November to December.

Additionally, it stops illegal trawling operations.

Use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) is required:

The Odisha government has made it essential for trawls to utilise Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), a net specially built with an exit cover that allows the turtles to escape while preserving the catch, in order to avoid accidental killing in India.

Tagging:

In order to safeguard the species and its ecosystems, scientists tag endangered Olive Ridley turtles with non-corrosive metal tags. This allows them to track the turtles’ travels and identify the locations they frequent.

Source à The Hindu

2 – Mumbai Trans Harbour Link:

GS III

Infrastructure related issues

Context:

Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, recently examined the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link.

About MTHL:

The 21.8 km, 6-lane, access-controlled Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, also known as the Sewri-Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link, is currently under development and will link Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, a satellite city of Mumbai.

Characteristics of the bridge:

It will be the longest sea bridge in India when it is finished, ranking as the tenth longest sea bridge in the world.

It is anticipated to ease traffic congestion, encourage economic growth, and cut the distance between Sewri and Chirle’s travel time to about 15 to 20 minutes.

Savings on fuel, transportation expenses, and one hour of travel time.

India’s first project with an open road tolling system.

In India, orthotropic steel deck technology was employed for the first time.

Regarding the Open road toll system:

It alludes to a technique for obtaining tolls from automobiles on roadways without having them to stop or slow down. Open-road tolling uses electronic sensors and cameras to recognise vehicles as they pass through designated tolling sites rather than conventional toll booths.

The technology used in orthotropic steel decks:

It is a technique used in the construction of bridges and other constructions. Steel plates that are specifically made to be rigid and strong in one direction yet flexible in another are used. Due to its small weight, the steel deck can withstand heavy loads like cars.

Source à The Hindu

3 – Shift to Cash Transfer:

GS III

Indian Economy

Context:

Due to difficulties retirees were having accessing their monies and technological concerns with the MBPY portal, the Odisha government decided to switch its Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) from direct bank transfers to cash payouts at the Panchayat level.

Dharmendra Pradhan, a Union Minister, has criticised the action and called it a step backward in the battle against corruption. Pensioners find it challenging to withdraw their funds in rural Odisha due to a weak banking infrastructure.

Source à The Hindu

4 – Atal Bhujal Yojna:

GS II

Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

The Atal Bhujal Yojana’s National Level Steering Committee, which is led by the secretary of the Department of Water Resources, has chosen to extend the programme for an additional two years, until 2027, beyond 2025.

The Atal Bhujal Yojana’s (ABHY) main attributes are:

About:

The Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) is a government programme that aims to manage groundwater sustainably while including the local population.

Objective:

It calls for citizen participation through the creation of “Water User Associations,” water budgeting, the creation and implementation of water security strategies at the gram-panchayat level, among other things.

It encourages demand-side initiatives for water conservation and intelligent water management with the goal of bringing about behavioural changes in communities. It places a focus on using efficient water practises and lowering irrigation’s water demand.

Ministry:

Department of Jal Shakti.

Funding:

World Bank and the Indian government split the cost equally.

States taking part:

Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

State selection criteria:

Exploitation, degradation, tools of law and regulation, institutional preparation, and expertise in groundwater management programmes.

Areas of Focus:

Places that are overused and water-stressed.

Interventions for water conservation:

Demand-side measures, lowering irrigation water demands, and promoting efficient irrigation practises (mulching, drip/sprinkler irrigation, irrigation through pipelines, etc.).

Performance-based Rewards

States that perform well may be given more incentive money.

Monitoring and Assessment:

DLIs, or Disbursement Linked Indicators, are predetermined goals.

Source à The Hindu

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The Hindu Editorial Analysis

EDITORIAL ANALYSIS à 02 JUNE 2023 à THE HINDU:

BIODIVERSITY:

Introduction:

International Biodiversity Day, which was observed on May 22, served as a further reminder of the critical role that nature plays in resolving the climate change dilemma, which, together with the loss of biodiversity, represents an existential threat to humankind.

What Is Biodiversity?

In our bodies as omnipresent microbiomes, in our backyards, villages, towns, and cities, and in far-off wild locations as well-organized ecological communities and ecosystems, biodiversity, the vast variety of living things and their links to one another and the environment, can be found everywhere.

The most effective way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and cool our land and oceans is to preserve and improve biodiversity on land and in the water.

The significance of biodiversity:

The reduction of climate change is just one of the many advantages that biodiversity provides. Additionally, it satisfies our fundamental requirements for nourishment, safety, healthcare, recreation, and spiritual development.

We will need to rely more and more on nature-based solutions, also known as biodiversity-based solutions, to address the ongoing degradation of our ecosystem and guarantee our future.

In the face of climate change, biodiversity will rehabilitate our degraded lands, polluted rivers and oceans, and keep our agriculture alive.

The foundation of a new, sustainable green economy will be biodiversity.

And it is biodiversity that will encourage our children to choose a more compassionate, fair, and hopeful future that gives the living world priority.

Biodiversity is declining:

We have not done a good job of taking care of and sustaining life on earth, despite the fact that biodiversity is crucial and ultimately supports all human pursuits.

We have failed to properly manage and maintain our priceless, irreplaceable natural heritage both globally and in India.

Globally, biodiversity is decreasing, and our final, mainly isolated ecosystems are deteriorating as a result of changes in their environment, including species extinction, climatic stresses, and ongoing human pressures.

Maintaining and controlling biodiversity:

In many respects, both we and biodiversity are one. Therefore, civic society must be fundamental to maintaining our biodiversity. As a result of today International Biodiversity Day, a long overdue paradigm shift in the conservation of biodiversity must start right away.

India’s biodiversity can also be found in its oceans, rivers, deltas, and water bodies. Grasslands, savannas, alpine pastures, deserts, and other biological groups make up a diverse range of our ecosystems.

In order to preserve and sustain life on Earth, we must consider multifunctional landscapes in which local populations’ aspirations, beliefs, traditional knowledge, and active participation are crucial components.

Biodiversity integration:

The planned National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Wellbeing has as its purpose the mainstreaming of biodiversity.

Leading conservation biologists in India conceptualised the idea and created a mission road map, both of which were endorsed in principle by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Council. They were working under the auspices of the Biodiversity Collaborative, situated in Bengaluru.

The Mission will make it possible for our nation to use biodiversity and ecosystem services, sometimes known as nature-based solutions, to address important issues including climate change, natural and regenerative agriculture, and ecosystem and public health.

The ultimate goal is to improve and preserve biodiversity in order to promote human well-being, more specifically to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals connected to eradicating poverty, improving nutrition and health, and protecting the environment, as well as to create a new green economy.

Moving ahead:

The Indian government passed the Forest Rights Act in 2006, which demanded that indigenous tribes have a greater say in who owns and manages biodiversity.

However, the Act has primarily remained on paper and has not yet been put into practise. After 17 years, it’s time to go beyond the Act’s provisions and completely revamp how we manage biodiversity.

If biodiversity exists everywhere as it does, we must incorporate it into all of our daily activities, including all development programmes, government agencies, and public and private institutions.

It is also time to decentralise biodiversity management by forming committees for biodiversity management and bringing together a variety of stakeholders, including local communities.

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The Indian Express Editorial Analysis

EDITORIAL ANALYSIS à 02 JUNE 2023 à THE INDIAN EXPRESS:

SENGOL:

Current Situation:

The installation of Sengol at the recent opening of India’s new parliament building by the Indian Prime Minister was met with a boycott by various opposition political groups.

The administration has provided several justifications for it while defending it.

The Sengol is an amalgam of modernity and age-old tradition.

A Shaivite Mutt from Tamil Nadu gave a precious Sengol to the former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947 to represent India’s independence.

It stands for self-rule and a profound awareness of Bharat, which is the fundamental meaning of hind swaraj.

Installed in India’s new Parliament, it serves as a reminder to current leaders of their need to lead with justice.

It will also act as a symbol in India’s Amrit Kaal, uniting the country’s traditional culture with modernity.

Indian government initiatives to promote modernization with origins in ancient India:

Respect for Indian customs has become a sign of inferiority due to decades of colonial control and the influence of Western ideals and beliefs.

A significant portion started to view India through a Western prism that viewed the nation’s traditions as a sign of backwardness.

current circumstances. The traditions of the old India are visible everywhere in the new India. This is due to the government’s embracing of Indian customs, a way of life, and philosophy.

With the development and promotion of the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit, India’s rich Buddhist legacy also received prominence of place under the government.

In 2016, the government spoke at the World Islamic Sufi Conference. Shinzo Abe, a former Japanese prime minister, was taken to the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque in Ahmedabad as part of his ongoing efforts to promote Indian Islamic art and culture to the world community. Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi king, received a duplicate of the Cheraman Masjid from him in 2016.

In India, religion has always played a significant role in the country’s tourism industry, but only recently have we started to realise its full potential by emphasising trade-related tourism. Kashi, one of the oldest still-existing cities in the world, is thriving today.

The city now has better electrical connections, waste management, and roadways. The staggering amount of money spent on tourists in Kashi in 2022 was Rs 7.3 crore. As a result, the tourist industry alone garnered investment proposals worth Rs 11,500 crore when Varanasi conducted its own investors’ convention.

The cultivation of tribal art and culture is given special attention. Once more, the idea is to develop a market for traditional art forms rather than just employing these kinds of art as props.

PM Modi has raised awareness of various art forms by giving Koftgiri crafts from Rajasthan, Rogan paintings from Gujarat, Gond paintings from Madhya Pradesh, and Dokra artwork made by artists in Chhattisgarh to international guests.

Atmanirbharta’s inspiration for Atmanirbhar Bharat:

One of the best examples of utilising the potential and prowess of a resurgent India is the cry for an Atmanibhar Bharat, which had its roots in the Covid epidemic. But Atmanirbharta is more than just a theoretical economic system.

India has a long history of being a hub for creativity and intellectual achievement. India was a centre for innovations and knowledge in all spheres, including government, spirituality, education, and industry. However, invasions and colonisation stopped this civilisational development.

A sizable portion of Indians kept acting and thinking like the obedient subjects of a king or queen even after the British left India. This worldview was maintained thanks in part to our educational system.

The National Education Policy, 2020 and Atmanirbharta are currently the means by which pride, Indian ideas, and creative entrepreneurship might all be rekindled. Together, these policies are increasing the space for disagreement, discussion, and dissent in democratic nations’ moral sphere.

Conclusion:

Indians are becoming more thoughtful consumers today. They are inquiring as to whether the product they are purchasing is “Made in India”. This involves more than just a shift in consumer behaviour.

But it’s an indication that Indians have rediscovered their sense of identity. the government’s recent pledge to achieve an Indian Renaissance. Giving the Sengol its proper place in Parliament is a sign that India is on track to reclaim its proper position on the international scene.