{"id":16845,"date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/uncategorized\/02-08-2023\/daily-current-affairs-02-08-2023\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T15:25:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:55:53","slug":"daily-current-affairs-02-08-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/02-08-2023\/daily-current-affairs-02-08-2023","title":{"rendered":"Daily Current Affairs &#8211; 02-08-2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>\u00a0<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Rohini Panel Report on \u2018Sub-Categorisation\u2019 of OBCs<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Government policies and Interventions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Justice G Rohini commission<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> set up to examine the Sub-Categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/cities\/delhi\/rohini-commission-examining-sub-categorisation-obc-report-president-8870799\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">submitted its report to the President of India <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">recently. But, the contents of the report have not been made public as yet.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Background<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The Kalelkar Commission<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">,1953, was the first to identify backward classes other than the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) at the national level.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The Mandal Commission Report, 1980<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> estimated the OBC population at 52% and classified 1,257 communities as backward. It recommended increasing the existing quotas, which were only forSC\/ST, from 22.5% to 49.5% to include the OBCs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2008, the Supreme Court directed the central government to <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>exclude the creamy layer<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> (advanced sections) among the OBCs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Justice Rohini Commission<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> was constituted under <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Article 340<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">of the Constitution in recognition of the perceived distortions in the affirmative action policy. It was seen that a few castes cornered the bulk of benefits available under the 27% quota for OBCs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 10px;\">\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; width: 614px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; width: 614px; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Constitutional Provisions for OBC<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Article 15 (5): <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This clause was added in the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>93rd amendment in 2005<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and allows the state to make special provisions for backward classes or SCs or STs for admissions in private educational institutions, aided or unaided.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Article 16(4):<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> This clause allows the state to reserve vacancies in public service for any backward classes of the state that are not adequately represented in the public services.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Article 16(4B): <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This allows the state to consider unfilled vacancies reserved for backward classes as a separate class of vacancies not subject to a limit of 50% reservation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Article 340: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This Article provides the president the power to\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>appoint a Commission<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to investigate the conditions of backward classes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Article 338B: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This article provides <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>constitutional status for the National Commission for Backward Classes, <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">through <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>the 102nd Amendment.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Need for Sub-Categorisation of OBCs:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are more than 2,600 entries in the Central List of OBCs, but over the years, a perception has taken root that only a few affluent communities among them have benefited from the quota.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Therefore, there is an argument that a \u201csub-categorisation\u201d of OBCs (quotas within the 27% quota) is needed in order to ensure \u201cequitable distribution\u201d of the benefits of reservation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A 2018 analysis by the same commission showed:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>97% of all jobs and education seats to total OBS quota have gone to 25% of OBC castes, and <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">24.95% of these jobs and seats have gone to just 10 OBC communities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As many as 983 OBC communities \u2014 <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>37% of the total \u2014 were found to have zero representation in jobs and educational institutions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>994 OBC sub-castes had a representation of only 2.68% in recruitments and admissions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in August 2020( <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>State of Punjab vs Davinder Singh<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">) also ruled that the 2005 decision of another five-judge Bench in <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u2018E V Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> must be revisited.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 15px;\">\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; width: 609px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; width: 609px; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>E V Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh, 2005 Judgement:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It held that no special sub-quota can be introduced within the quota for SCs and STs for the benefit of castes or tribes that were more backward than the others on these lists.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Terms of reference of the Rohini Commission:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities included in the broad category of OBCs with reference to such classes included in the Central List;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Work out the mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach for sub-categorisation within such OBCs;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Take up the exercise of identifying the respective castes or communities or sub-castes or synonyms in the Central List of OBCs and classifying them into their respective sub-categories.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To study the various entries in the Central List of OBCs and recommend correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/rohini-panel-report-what-is-sub-categorisation-of-obc-8871628\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>IE<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Geographical Indication (GI) Tags to Seven Products<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS 3\/Intellectual Property Rights\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Seven products from across India including four from Rajasthan were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About the products\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Jalesar Dhatu Shilp (metal craft) : <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At Jalesar in Etah district in Uttar Pradesh, which was the capital of Magadha King Jarasandha, over 1,200 small units are engaged in making Jalesar Dhatu Shilp.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This place is known for making decorative metal craft as well as brassware.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Goa Mankurad mango:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> The Portuguese named the mango as Malcorada meaning poor coloured and with time this word transformed to \u2018Mankurad\u2019 aamo.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Aamo means mango in Konkani language.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u00a0Goan Bebinca: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For the Goan Bebinca:\u00a0 Bebinca is a type of pudding and a traditional Indo-Portuguese dessert.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is also known as the Queen of Goan desserts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Udaipur Koftgari metal craft :<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> the Udaipur Koftgari metal craftsmen practices the ancient art of Koftgari used in making ornamental weaponry.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The weapons are exquisitely ornamented by a complicated process of etching of design, heating and then cooling intertwined with the process of embedding gold and silver wire into the metal, pressing and flattening it to a smooth surface using moonstone and finally polishing.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Bikaner Kashidakari craft :<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Kashidakari work is done majorly on objects associated with marriage, especially gift items, and makes use of mirror work.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Jodhpur Bandhej craft :<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> The Jodhpur bandhej craft is the Rajasthani art of tying and dyeing. It is the art of printing varied patterns on fabrics using the tie and dye method.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Bikaner Usta Kala craft :<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> It is also known as gold nakashi work or gold manauti work, due to the prominence of golden colour in an actual manner developed by gold in the previous period.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Due to this, the craft has longevity.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Geographical Indication (GI)<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\u00a0 is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to the fact of its origin in that defined geographical locality, region or country.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Geographical indications are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial products.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Governing rules\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Geographical Indications are covered as a component of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under the P<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>aris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>International level<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, GI is governed by the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>World Trade Organisation\u2019s (WTO\u2019s) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In India, Geographical Indications registration is administered by the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> which came into force with effect from September 2003. The first product in India to be accorded with GI tag was Darjeeling tea in the year 2004-05.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The registration of a geographical indication is valid for a period of 10 years.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: square;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It can be renewed from time to time for a further <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>period of 10 years each.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Benefits of GI Tags<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Legal protection to the products<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Prevents unauthorised use of GI tag products by others<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It helps consumers to get quality products of desired traits and is assured of authenticity<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Promotes the economic prosperity of producers of GI tag goods by enhancing their demand in national and international markets<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A geographical indication right facilitates those who have the right to use the indication to prohibit its usage by a third party whose product does not conform to the applicable standards.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">However, a protected GI does not permit the holder to forbid someone from making a product using the same approaches as those set out in the standards for that indication.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 624px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #d9ead3; vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>What is the difference between a geographical indication and a trademark?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Geographical indications (GIs) identify a good as originating from a particular place.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">By contrast, a trademark identifies a good or service as originating from a particular company.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A trademark often consists of a fanciful or arbitrary sign. In contrast, the name used as a geographical indication is usually predetermined by the name of a geographical area.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Finally, a trademark can be assigned or licensed to anyone, anywhere in the world, because it is linked to a specific company and not to a particular place.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In contrast, a GI may be used by any person in the area of origin, who produces the goods according to specified standards, but because of its link with the place of origin, a GI cannot be assigned or licensed to someone outside that place or not belonging to the group of authorized producers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source:<\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_delhi\/issues\/46052\/OPS\/GFVBIGE41.1+G9IBIH86E.1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>WHO Recognition to Single-Pill Strategy to Beat Cardiovascular Diseases<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Health<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, the WHO included <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>three fixed dose combinations of cardiovascular medicines or polypills <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">on its revised Model Lists of <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Essential Medicines (EML) 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> for use in primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>polypill is not a new drug but a drug delivery mechanism<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, which improves medication adherence (because it is a single pill) and saves money by preventing hospitalisations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines noted that the use of the polypill<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> is associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular events, including fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke, and the need for revascularization in primary and secondary prevention settings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Significance<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The polypill is <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>not a new drug but a drug delivery mechanism<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, which improves medication adherence (because it is a single pill) and saves money by preventing hospitalisations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The polypill is thus an important low-cost public health intervention which can prevent over millions of cardiovascular events and deaths every year.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is a simple treatment that can be administered with very little monitoring to a majority of people, with backup from physicians.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 15px;\">\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; width: 609px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #fff2cc; vertical-align: top; width: 609px; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Fixed-Dose Combination (FDCs)<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A fixed-dose combination or FDC drug contains two or more active ingredients in a fixed dosage ratio.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Advantages of FDSs<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They reduce the pill burden by reducing the number of pills to be taken by the patients.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They are believed to have higher efficacy compared to higher doses of monotherapy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They are overall cost effective and have the least side effects.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Disadvantages of FDSs<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If an adverse drug reaction occurs from using an FDC, it becomes difficult to identify the active ingredient responsible for causing the reaction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Scientists face challenges in the development stages of multi-drug formulations such as compatibility issues among active ingredients and excipients affecting solubility and dissolution.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If one drug is contraindicated for a patient, the whole FDC cannot be prescribed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/kerala\/a-single-pill-to-beat-cardiovascular-diseases\/article67146724.ece#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20simple%20treatment,saves%20money%20by%20preventing%20hospitalisations.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><strong><u>TH<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>WHO Report on Tobacco Control<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Issues relating to Health<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>News:\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Bengaluru finds special mention in a <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/health-wellness\/india-tops-no-tobacco-labelling-who-second-hand-smoking-8871674\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">World Health Organisation (WHO) report on tobacco control<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> measures released recently.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Findings of the report:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hundreds of enforcement drives, putting up \u2018No Smoking\u2019 signs, and creating awareness about the effects of smoking and second-hand smoke resulted in a<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> 27% reduction in smoking in public places<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in the Bengaluru city.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Across the world, there are 300 million fewer smokers today,with the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>prevalence of smoking declining from 22.8% in 2007 to 17% in 2021.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the 15 years since the MPOWER measures were first introduced, 71% of the entire population remain protected by at least one of the measures. This has increased from just 5% of the population in 2008.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 624px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #fce5cd; vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About MPOWER\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">WHO had developed the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MPOWER measures <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">fifteen years ago:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Monitor <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">tobacco use and prevention policies;\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Protect <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">people from tobacco smoke;\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Offer <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">help to quit tobacco;\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Warn <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">about dangers of tobacco;\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Enforce <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">bans on tobacco advertising; and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Raise <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">taxes on tobacco products.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With a focus on <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>second-hand smoking<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, the report says that almost 40% countries now have completely smoke-free indoor public spaces.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 96px;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 624px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #fff2cc; vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About Secondhand Smoking<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It refers to <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>involuntary smoking by nonsmokers<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> because of the fumes that are emitted when smokers use cigarettes, pipes, cigars and other tobacco products.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is also called <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>side-stream smoke, environmental smoke, passive smoke and involuntary smoke.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">While direct smoking(First Hand smoking) is worse, secondhand smoking has similar adverse health effects.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Report said, progress so far is being undermined by the tobacco industry\u2019s <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>aggressive promotion of E-cigarettes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> as a safer alternative to cigarettes. Young people, including those who never previously smoked, are a particular target.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Why is it important to curb Second-Hand Smoke?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of the estimated 8.7 million tobacco-related deaths each year, <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>1.3 million are of non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke, <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">the report says quoting the Global Burden of Disease 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The report adds that severe asthma, respiratory tract infections, and sudden infant death syndrome are more common among children exposed to second-hand smoke.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The report focuses on controlling second-hand smoking by creating smoke-free public areas and also de-normalising the act of smoking in the society.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>How does India Fare?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When it comes to India, the report states that the country has the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>highest level of achievement (among the top 10 countries)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> when it comes to <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>putting health warning labels(85%)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> on tobacco products and providing tobacco dependence treatment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The cigarette packets in the country also carry a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>toll-free number for a quit-line<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and have also <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>banned the sale of e-cigarettes, and banned smoking in healthcare facilities and educational institutions.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>What further measures are needed?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Implementing warnings on OTT platform content <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">when actors are seen using tobacco products. This would make India the first country in the world to do so.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is a need to <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>ban the loose sale of cigarettes <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">through amendment to the law on tobacco control. Many college students buy one or two cigarettes instead of the whole pack. This means they are not exposed to the health warning and quit-line at all.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 21px;\">\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; width: 603px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff; vertical-align: top; width: 603px; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Control Measures in India<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Cigarettes Act, 1975<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">: Tobacco control legislation in India dates back to the Cigarettes Act, 1975 which mandates the display of statutory health warnings in advertisement and on cartons and cigarette packages.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Delhi Prohibition of Smoking and Non-Smokers Health Protection Act:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> It was passed in the Delhi assembly in 1997 and became the model for Central Legislation banning smoking in public places in 2002, on the directions of the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade, Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA) 2003:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The comprehensive tobacco control legislation aims to provide smoke-free public places and also places restrictions on tobacco advertising and promotion.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> It prohibits production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Tobacco Quitline Services:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> These toll-free quitline services (1800-112-356) were initiated in 2016 and were expanded in September 2018.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">These are now available in 16 languages and other local dialects from 4 centres.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>National Health Policy 2017:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> It sets an ambitious target of reducing tobacco use by 30 per cent by 2025, which has been devised keeping in view the targets for control of NCDs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP):<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in 2007- 08 in 42 districts of 21 States\/Union Territories of the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Currently, the Programme is being implemented in all States\/Union Territories covering over 600 districts across the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-health\/who-report-on-tobacco-control-key-findings-how-india-fares-8871988\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>IE<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023\u00a0<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Government Policies &amp; Interventions; GS3\/Conservation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Recently, the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 was cleared by Parliament.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong><u>About the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Restrictions on activities in the forest:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> The Act<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> restricts the de-reservation of forest<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> or <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>use of forest land for non-forest purposes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Such restrictions <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>may be lifted<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> with the prior approval of the central government.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Non-forest purposes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> include the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>use of land for cultivating horticultural crops<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">, running zoos, \u2018eco-tourism\u2019 facilities or for <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>any purpose other than reafforestation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Assigning of land through a lease or otherwise: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Under the Act,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> state government or any authority <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">requires prior approval of the central government to direct the assigning of forest land<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> through a lease or otherwise to any organisation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> (such as a private person, agency, authority, corporation) not owned by the government.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Building forest carbon stock &amp; improving Livelihood: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">The predominant idea of the proposed changes is <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>to build forest carbon stock <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">by <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>raising plantations<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">The Bill talks about keeping up with <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>\u201cdynamic changes in the ecological, strategic and economic aspirations of the country\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>\u201cimprovement of livelihoods for forest-dependent communities.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">The scope of the amendments boils down to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>pushing plantations to achieve carbon neutrality<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> by limiting the scope of the Act.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Compensatory afforestation: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">The Bill also seeks to<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> make land available for developers<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>meet their legal obligation <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">towards <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>compensatory afforestation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> in lieu of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>forest land diverted<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> for <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>development projects<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">If the scope of the FC Act is restricted, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>fewer projects will be required to obtain forest clearance<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">, which is<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> considered a \u2018hurdle\u2019 by most developers <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">in and outside the government.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">But it will also help developers secure forest clearance when they need it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">A key condition for forest clearance is that <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>a developer must carry out compensatory afforestation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> on<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> equivalent non-forest land<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> or, if non-forest land is not available, on degraded forest land twice the extent of the forest area diverted.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>BorderLands: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">It also exempts border lands from the obligation to seek permissions to clear forests in order to construct \u201cstrategic linear projects of national importance\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong><u>Criticisms<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Definition of a \u2018forest\u2019: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">The Bill\u2019s principal thrust is that it <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>redefines what a \u2018forest\u2019 is in Indian law<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">. It stipulates that only those lands that were notified as \u2018forest\u2019 under the Indian Forest Act 1927, any other relevant law or were recorded as \u2018forests\u2019 in government records will be acknowledged as \u2018forests\u2019 under the Act as well.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>This revision stands in stark contrast<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> to the wide applicability of the extant Act at present\u00a0 \u2013 i.e. it applies to \u201cany forest land\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">So, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>the amendment opens up all land<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> that hasn\u2019t been officially classified as \u2018forests\u2019 to commercial activity.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>No checks and balances: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">The Act also removes the checks and balances the Act currently includes, in the f<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>orm of forest clearance permissions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> and the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>informed consent of the local community<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Choosing plantation over forests: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Forests are<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> a lot more than a sum of trees<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">. Unlike <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>man-made plantations, <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">natural forests perform a range of ecosystem services that are <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>key to the survival and well-being of the millions of species<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> that they support, and also provide direct livelihood and subsistence to crores of people.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Exemption for linear infrastructure projects: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">The Bill seeks to exempt linear infrastructure projects \u2013 like roads and highways \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>from seeking forest clearance permissions <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">if they are located within 100 km of the national border.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Experts have raised concerns because <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>\u201cstrategic linear projects of national importance\u201d is an undefined term<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> and can thus be misused to push through infrastructure projects that are devastating for the local ecology.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Non-inclusivity of nomenclature: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">There were objections to the Act\u2019s new name \u2014 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, translated as Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">, instead of the existing<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> Forest (Conservation) Act<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> \u2014 on the grounds that it was \u201cnon-inclusive\u201d and left out many among the \u201c(non-Hindi speaking) population both in South India and also in the North-East.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Not referred to Parliamentary Standing Committee:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">It has also been claimed that the Bill was not referred to the relevant Parliamentary Standing Committee, which in this case would have been the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong><u>Implications<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>How much area will be affected?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">For an idea of the scale, consider the latest State of Forests Report (SFR 2021), which records India\u2019s forest cover as 713,789 sq km.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Of this, nearly 28% or 197,159 sq km \u2014 roughly the size of Gujarat \u2014 is not recorded as \u2018forest\u2019.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">The<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> areas that stand to be affected<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> in a significant way include about<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong> 40% of the Aravalli range<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>95% of the Niyamgiri hill range<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">; the latter is home to the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Dongria Kondh<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Many experts are also uncertain, and thus apprehensive, about the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>actual extent of land that will fall outside the purview of the amended Act <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">considering the State-wise data of deemed forests is not publicly available.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Exemption of linear infrastructure projects is of particular concern in the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>Northeastern States<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">, where the exemption would apply de facto almost across the region.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">Source: TH<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Facts In News<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Anna Bhau Sathe<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS 1\/History<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) founder president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has demanded <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Anna Bhau Sathe<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> be conferred with Bharat Ratna\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About Anna Bhau Sathe<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Tukaram Bhaurao Sathe later came to be known as Annabhau Sathe was born in a Dalit family on August 1, 1920 in Maharashtra\u2019s Wategaon village in Satara district.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He belonged to the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Matang community among Dalits.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He was a social reformer, writer and folk poet of Maharashtra.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He is also known as a pioneer of dalit literature<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He was influenced by the communist ideology and is often known as the \u2018Maxim Gorky of Maharashtra\u2019, having been inspired by the Russian writer-activist\u2019s work, as well as the Russian Revolution.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Contributions:\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He decided to bring awareness among the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>masses against Brahmanism <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">which imposed untouchability and virtually compelled the deprived lot to take recourse to criminal and military occupation against the British Government.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: square;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He used his art and poetic genius in educating the masses.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He formed Dalit Yuvak Sangh, a cultural group and started writing poems on workers\u2019 protests, agitations.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: square;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The group used to perform in front of the mill gates.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 1943, he along with Amar Sheikh and Datta Gavhankar, formed the Lal <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Bawta Kala Pathak.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: square;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The group toured across Maharashtra presenting programmes on caste atrocities, class conflict, and workers\u2019 rights.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 1943, he was part of the process that led to the formation of the Indian People&#8217;s Theatre Association (IPTA).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: square;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He became its national president in 1949.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He played a vital role in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Literary Contributions: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 1939, he wrote his first ballad \u2018Spanish Povada\u2019.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Several of his works like \u2018Aklechi Goshta,\u2019 \u2018Stalingradacha Povada,\u2019 \u2018Mazi Maina Gavavar Rahili,\u2019 \u2018Jag Badal Ghaluni Ghav\u2019 were popular across the state.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0His \u2018Bangalchi Hak\u2019 (Bengal\u2019s Call) on the Bengal famine was translated into Bengali and later presented at London\u2019s Royal Theatre.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0He dedicated his most famous novel Fakira to Dr Ambedkar.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>\u00a0Source:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_delhi\/issues\/46052\/OPS\/GFVBIGE3V.1+G9ABIGH61.1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><strong><u>TH<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Lokmanya Tilak National Award<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus : Miscellaneous\/ Awards\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi was conferred the <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/02-08-2022\/lokmanya-bal-gangadhar-tilak\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>Lokmanya Tilak<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> National Award in Pune, Maharashtra.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Prime Minister donated the cash prize to the Namami Gange Project.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About Lokmanya Tilak National Award<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Award was constituted by Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983 to honour the legacy of <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/02-08-2022\/lokmanya-bal-gangadhar-tilak\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>Lokmanya Tilak<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0It is awarded to people who have worked for the progress and development of the nation and whose contribution can only be seen as remarkable and extraordinary.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is presented every year on the 1st of August &#8211;<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> Lokmanya Tilak\u2019s Death Anniversary.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 624px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #d9ead3; vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Do you Know ?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Prime Minister became the 41st recipient of the award.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It has previously been presented to luminaries such as Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mrs Indira Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh, Shri N. R. Narayana Murthy, Dr E. Sreedharan among others.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source:<\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_delhi\/issues\/46052\/OPS\/GFVBIGE3S.1+G9IBIH87G.1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>7th IPCC Assessment Cycle<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Environment, Conservation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Context<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> marks the beginning of its <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>seventh assessment cycle.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>What are IPCC Assessment Cycles?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It had six assessment cycles, during which it released <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>six comprehensive assessment reports.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">IPCC publishes methodology reports during these cycles, in which it provides guidelines for governments to estimate their greenhouse gas emissions and removals.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The previous reports included reports put out by the three working groups:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Working Group I, <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">aims at assessing the physical scientific basis of the climate system and climate change,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Working Group II,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> examines the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change and its consequences,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: circle;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Working Group III,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> focuses on climate change mitigation, assessing methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>IPCC\u2019s Assessment Reports (ARs)<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The IPCC&#8217;s Assessment Reports serve as the foundation for climate change policies and as the scientific basis for global climate change discussions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It has released six ARs \u2014 the final synthesis report of the sixth AR came out in March 2023 \u2014 and with the latest elections, the body has initiated a new cycle of producing the next AR.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none; width: 624px;\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"vertical-align: top; width: 624px; border: 1px solid #000000;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>IPCC\u2019s Sixth Synthesis Report<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Climate change is a threat to human well being and planetary health.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Human activities , principally through emissions of greenhouse gases , have unequivocally caused global warming.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Adaptation, planning and implementation has progressed in all sectors and regions with benefits and varying effectiveness.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Climatic and non-climatic risks will increasingly interact, creating risks that are complex and difficult to manage.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About IPCC<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">IPCC was set up by the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) IN 1988.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\u00a0 is governed by 195 member states and its<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> secretariat is in Geneva, switzerland.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is a scientific organization whose periodic evaluations of climate serve as the foundation for global climate action. It provides a Synthesis report, which incorporates the conclusions of the five reports it has produced in the sixth assessment cycle since 2018.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The IPCC<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> does not undertake its own scientific study<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">; instead, it requests that other experts perform their own studies on climate change.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: IE<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><u>Kuril Islands<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine forced it to funnel more and more of its resources to its western border thereby neglecting disputed Kurils island with Japan along the eastern border.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>About Kurils Island<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Kuril Islands, Russian Kurilskiye Ostrova, Japanese Chishima-rett\u00c5, is an archipelago in <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Sakhalin oblast province of far-eastern Russia.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The archipelago (56 islands) extends for 1,200 km from the southern tip of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> to the northeastern corner of <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Hokkaido\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Hokkaido<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> island (Japan)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The chain is part of the belt of geologic instability circling the Pacific and <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>contains at least 100 volcanoes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, of which 35 are still active, and many hot springs.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Parallel to the chain, in the Pacific floor, is the<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> Kuril Trench,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> which reaches a depth of more than 6.5 miles (10.5 km).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Background of the dispute:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Kurils were originally inhabited by the Ainu, and they were later settled by the Russians and Japanese, following several waves of exploration in the 17th and 18th centuries.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Treaty of Shimoda, 1855<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">: gave control of the four southernmost islands to Japan and the remainder of the chain to Russia.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Treaty of Saint Petersburg,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #202124;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\"><strong>1875<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #202124;\"><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Russia ceded possession of the Kurils to Japan in exchange for uncontested control of <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Sakhalin-Island\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sakhalin Island<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Yalta-Conference\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Yalta agreements<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> 1945:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> The islands were ceded to the <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Soviet-Union\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soviet Union<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, and the Japanese population was repatriated and replaced by Soviets.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: disc;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Japan still claims historical rights to the southernmost islands and has tried repeatedly to persuade the Soviet Union and, from 1991, Russia to return those islands to Japanese <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/sovereignty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">sovereignty<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-global\/could-china-take-kuril-islands-claimed-by-japan-and-russia-8869904\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia,serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><u>IE<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Justice G Rohini commission set up to examine the Sub-Categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) submitted its report to the President of India recently. But, the contents of the report have not been made public as yet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[28,29],"class_list":["post-16845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-indian-express","tag-thehindu"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16845"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16850,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16845\/revisions\/16850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}