WHY IN THE NEWS?

The Union Cabinet has approved the restoration of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for the remaining part of Financial Year 2021-22 till 2025-26.

• It will be a co-terminus with the period of the 15^thFinance Commission.
• The scheme was suspended for two financial years (2020-21 and 2021-22).

About:

• It is a Central Sector Scheme that was announced in December 1993.

Objective:

• To enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets in the areas of drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc. primarily in their Constituencies.
  • Since June 2016, the MPLAD funds can also be used for the implementation of the schemes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), conservation of water through rainwater harvesting and Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana, etc.

Implementation:

• The process under MPLADS starts with the Members of Parliament recommending works to the Nodal District Authority.
• The Nodal District concerned is responsible for implementing the eligible works recommended by the Members of Parliament and maintaining the details of individual works executed and the amount spent under the Scheme.

Functioning:

• Each year, MPs receive Rs. 5 crores in two instalments of Rs. 2.5 crore each. Funds under MPLADS are non-lapsable.
• Lok Sabha MPs have to recommend the district authorities projects in their Lok Sabha constituencies, while Rajya Sabha MPs have to spend it in the state that has elected them to the House.
• Nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country.

Significance of Restoration of the Scheme:

• It will restart fulfilling the aspirations and developmental requirements of the local community and creation of durable assets, which is the primary objective of the MPLADS.
• It will also help in reviving the local economy.

Issues with MPLADS:

• Implementation Lapses: The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) has flagged instances of financial mismanagement and artificial inflation of amounts spent.
• No Statutory Backing: The scheme is not governed by any statutory law and is subject to the whims and fancies of the government of the day.
• Monitoring and Regulation: The scheme was launched for promoting participatory development but there is no indicator available to measure level of participation.
• Breach of Federalism: MPLADS encroaches upon the domain of local self-governing institutions and thereby violates Part IX and IX-A of the Constitution.
• Conflict with Doctrine of Separation of Powers: MPs are getting involved in executive functions.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has spoken of the need to balance national security concerns with environmental issues in the context of the Army’s request to expand the CharDham Project (CDP) roads leading to the Indo-China border.

• The request came in the context of construction being carried out by China across the border. However, expansion of roads has been opposed by an NGO citing environmental concerns

About Chardham Project:

• Objective: Chardham Pariyojana aims to “improve the connectivity to the Chardham pilgrimage centres (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri) in the Himalayas, making journeys to these centres safer, faster and more convenient.
  • It will widen almost 900 km of highways connecting the pilgrimage sites and the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh stretch of National Highway (NH) 125, a part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route.
• Role in National Security: This project can act as the strategic feeder roads which connect the India-China border with the Army camps in Dehradun and Meerut where missile bases and heavy machinery are located.
• Implementing Agencies: Uttarakhand State Public Works Department (PWD), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the National Highway & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
  • NHIDCL is a fully owned company of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

Environmental Concerns About the Project:

• The project may destroy about 690 hectares of forests with 55,000 trees and evacuate an estimated 20 million cubic metres of soil.
• Ruthless harvesting or uprooting of vegetation in the widening of roads can prove to be perilous for the biodiversity and regional ecology.
  • Birds like Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos,Schedule-I), Tragopans (Tragopan melanocephalus & Tragopan satyra, Schedule-I), and various species of Vultures (Schedule-I) along with endangered fish Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora) are among the wonderful species found there.
• While there is no link between the CharDham project and the recent glacier broken tragedy of Chamoli, indiscriminate blasting during road construction makes cracks in soil and rocks that may enhance the possibility of flash-flood in the future.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, the Ministry of Mines has notified the Minerals (other than Atomic and Hydro Carbons Energy Mineral) Concession (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2021.

• It will amend the Minerals (other than Atomic and Hydro Carbons Energy Mineral) Concession Rules, 2016 [MCR, 2016].

Key Points                   

Amendments:

• Sale from Captive Leases:
  • New rules were inserted to provide a manner of sale of 50% of minerals produced from the captive leases.
  • With this amendment, the way for releasing additional minerals in the market by greater utilization of mining capacities of captive mines has been paved.
    • Captive mines are those that produce coal or mineral for exclusive use by the company that owns the mines, while non-captive ones are those that produce as well as sell the fuel.
  • Disposal of Overburden (OB):
    • A provision was added to allow the disposal of overburden/ waste rock/ mineral below the threshold value, which is generated during the course of mining or beneficiation of the mineral.
    • This will enable ease of doing business for the miners.
  • Area for Grant of Mining Lease:
    • The minimum area for the grant of mining lease has been revised from 5 ha. to 4 ha. For certain specific deposits, minimum 2 ha. is provided.
  • Part Surrender for all Cases:
    • Part surrender of mining lease area allowed in all cases.
    • Earlier, part surrender was allowed only in case of non-grant of forest clearance.
  • Transfer of Composite Licence:
    • Rules amended to allow transfer of composite licence or mining lease of all types of mine.

Objective:

• To increase employment and investment in the mining sector, increasing revenue to the States, increasing the production and time bound operationalisation of mines, increasing the pace of exploration and auction of mineral resources, etc.

Mining Sector in India

About:

• India holds a fair advantage in production and conversion costs in steel and alumina. Its strategic location enables export opportunities to develop as well as fast-developing Asian markets.
• India is the world’s second-largest coal producer as of 2021.
• India is the world’s second-largest crude steel producer, as of 2020.
• India has the same mineral potential as South Africa and Australia. It produces 95 types of minerals but despite this huge mineral potential, the mining sector of India still remains underexplored.
• The mining sector contributes around 7 to 7.5% of the GDP of countries like South Africa and Australia whereas it is only 1.75% in India.
• 11 states account for 90% of the total number of operational mines (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Karnataka).

Constitutional Provision Related to Mining:

• The entry at serial No. 23 of List II (State List) to the Constitution of India mandates the state government to own the minerals located within their boundaries.
• The entry at serial No. 54 of List I (Central List) mandates the central government to own the minerals within the Exclusive Economic Zone of India (EEZ).
• The central government has ownership over all offshore minerals (ie, minerals extracted from the sea or ocean floor in the Indian maritime zones such as the territorial waters, continental shelf and exclusive economic zones).

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, UNESCO has selected Srinagar as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) under the Crafts and Folk Arts category. Srinagar became one of 49 cities worldwide to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

About the inclusion of Srinagar in UCCN

The Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO had recommended Srinagar and Gwalior for inclusion in the list of UCCN. Only Srinagar got included in the list.

Note: Srinagar had applied in 2018 too, but that application got rejected.

About the Art & craft of Srinagar

Entire central Kashmir is known for its varied craft traditions. Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam districts of Kashmir are known for ages in making handicrafts products. Such as textiles, carpets and rugs, crewel embroidery, silverware, woodwork and papier-mâché (moulded a repulped paper that has been mixed with glue or paste).

Wooden Crafts: The wood comes from walnut trees, which grow at 7,000 feet above sea level. These woods are used to make tables, jewellery boxes and trays.

Pashmina shawl: It is one of the best-quality shawls in the world, made up of wild Asian mountain goats. Srinagar region is the epicentre of high-quality, intricately woven woollen material like shawls, carpets and rugs.

Papier-mâché:

It is said to have been brought to Kashmir by saint Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani from Persia in the 14th century. It is based primarily on creating colourful utility and decorative objects using paper pulp — vases, bowls, cups, boxes, trays and lamp bases. The art is concentrated mainly around downtown Srinagar and employs around 35,000 artisans.

Benefits of the UCCN tag to Srinagar

The crafts have been struggling ever since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 put artisans in an indefinite lockdown, followed by the Covid-19 lockdown. Besides, frequent Internet shutdowns have cut artisans off from the rest of the country.

The UCCN tag would not only give global recognition to Srinagar but also help it in getting international funding, making tie-ups with craft universities, and pitching crafts as products.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, the inaugural Global Drug Policy Index was released by the Harm Reduction Consortium.

• It is a data-driven global analysis of drug policies and their implementation which comes at a time when the Indian government is reviewing the provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic substances act 1985.
• The Harm Reduction Consortium is a global consortium of networks aiming to challenge the global “war on drugs”, scale-up access to harm reduction services, and advocate for increased resources for harm reduction.

About the Index: It is a unique tool that documents, measures and compares national-level drug policies.

• It provides each country with a score and ranking that shows how much their drug policies and their implementation align with theUnited Nations principles of human rights, health and
• The Index provides an essential accountability and evaluation mechanism in the field of drug policy.
• It evaluates the performance of 30 countries covering all regions of the world.

Major Findings:

• The global dominance of drug policies based on repression and punishment has led to low scores overall, with a median score of just 48/100, and the top-ranking country (Norway) only reaching 74/100.
• Standards and expectations from civil society experts on drug policy implementation vary from country to country.
• Inequality is deeply seated in global drug policies, with the top-ranking 5 countries scoring 3 times as much as the lowest-ranking 5 countries.
  • This is in part due to the colonial legacy of the ‘war on drugs’ approach.
• Drug policies disproportionately affect people marginalised on the basis of their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.
• There are wide disparities between state policies and how they are implemented on the ground.
• With a few exceptions, the meaningful participation of civil society and affected communities in drug policy processes remains severely limited.

India’s Performance:

• Ranking:
  • India’s rank is 18 out of 30 countries. It has an overall score of 46/100.
• Scores:
  • Using extreme sentencing and responses, it has a score of 63/100.
  • Health and harm reduction, 49/100.
  • Proportionality of criminal justice response, 38/100.
  • Availability and access of internationally controlled substances for the relief of pain and suffering, 33 /100.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released the Logistics Ease across Different States (LEADS) Report (Index) 2021.

About:

• The LEADS report is aimed at gauging the logistics performance of states and Union Territories (UT) and identifying areas where they can improve logistics performance.
  • It was launched in 2018.
• States are ranked based on quality and capacity of key infrastructures such as road, rail and warehousing as well as on operational ease of logistics including the security of cargo, speed of terminal services and regulatory approvals.
• The report is structured along the three dimensions which collectively influence logistics ease- Infrastructure, Services, and Operating and Regulatory Environment which are further categorised into 17 parameters.

• Need:
  • India’s logistics costs account for 13-14% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to 7-8% in developed countries.
  • The government was aiming to bring down logistics costs by 5% over the next 5 years.
    • Estimated logistics costs in India are currently about 14%, which is quite high compared to 8-10% globally.
  • Efficient logistics was pivotal to bring ease and empowerment to businesses as well as citizens.
    • Logistics contributed immensely in our fight against Covid-19 by taking essential supplies including liquid Medical Oxygen throughout the country during the 2^nd
  • Ranking of States:
    • Top Performers:
      • Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab have emerged as the top performers in the LEADS 2021 index respectively.
        • This is the third year in a row that Gujarat remained on top of the rankings.
      • Delhi stands at the top rank among Other UTs.
    • North Eastern States and Himalayan Region:
      • Jammu and Kashmir is the top ranker followed by Sikkim and Meghalaya.

Suggestion:

• States should frame state level logistics policy & logistics master plan, use single-window clearance system for logistics, establishment of grievance redressal mechanism and enable skilling in logistics through State skilling infrastructure.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

World Economic Forum (WEP) published its report titled “Mission 2070: A Green New Deal for a Net-Zero India” to provide a roadmap for India’s energy transition.

About:                   

• The report was published in the backdrop of India’s target to achieve net zero emissions by 2070. This target was committed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow.
• At the summit, PM Modi also committed:

1. To bring non-fossil energy capacity of India to 500 GW by 2030,
2. To lower carbon intensity to 45 per cent by 2030
3. To reduce 1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions out of total projected emission by 2030.
4. To fulfil 50 per cent of energy requirement using renewable waste by 2030.

Key Findings of the report

• Report highlights that, India’s transition towards a green economy could contribute about $1 trillion in economic impact by 2030. It will create more than 50 million jobs.
• The economic impact would increase to $15 trillion by 2070.
• Report notes that, India’s commitments are a critical foundation for achieving 1.5-degree Celsius global warming target.
• India is on the frontline of climate change. More of Indians are exposed to negative effects of climate change and extreme weather events as compared to other nationality.

Five Pillars contributing towards emission in India

Energy, industry, mobility, agriculture and infrastructure & cities are the five pillars in India, contributing over 90 per cent emissions. India will require to curb this emission, along with four cross-sectoral enablers including-

1. Accelerated approach to green technology innovation;
2. Integrated approach to carbon, capture, utilisation and storage
3. Overarching framework to catalyse green finance and
4. Plan for climate adaptation.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

The annual Leonids Meteor Shower has started and will be active between November 6 and 30, 2021.

• The Meteor Shower will reach its peak on November 17.
• The peak time of the meteor shower comes when Planet Earth passes through the densest part of the debris.
• On November 17, viewers from the earth will witness bits of cosmic debris. It will appear like a display of fireworks in the sky.
• Which debris forms meteor shower?

The debris forming this meteor shower originates from a small comet named “55P/Tempel-Tuttle” in the constellation Leo. It takes 33 years to orbit around the sun.

What are Leonids?

The Leonids are considered as a major shower, featuring the fastest meteors. The meteors usually travel at speeds of 71 km per second. The rates are usually as low as 15 meteors per hour. Leonids are also called fireballs meteors, because of their bright colour and earth-gazer meteors because they streak close to the horizon. Friction between meteorite and molecule present in Earth’s atmosphere creates light. This is why a meteor is called a shooting star.

Meteor storm       

A Leonid shower turns into a meteor storm, every 33 years.  During Meteor storm, hundreds to thousands of meteors are observed every hour. A Leonid storm is called as meteor storm when around 1,000 meteors are visible per hour. Last meteor storm took place in 2002.

When are showers visible?

Such showers are visible on any cloudless night, when Moon is not that bright. In order to see showers, the viewing location should have no light pollution.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Union Power Minister R K Singh virtually inaugurated the diversion of the Marusudar River of Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project in Kishtwar, J&K.
• Pakal Dul HE Project (1,000 MW) is being constructed by Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Limited (CVPPPL) and Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation. Marusudar River is a major tributary of the Chenab River.
• Pakal Dul H.E. Project will help in fulfilling the target of 450 GW Renewable energy by 2030.
• Through this project, an investment of Rs 8212 crores is being made in this region. The investment will in turn provide direct & indirect employment opportunities. It will help in the overall development of local inhabitants

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar will be posthumously conferred the Basavashree award 2021 by the Bruhanmutt.
• Fondly called Appu, Puneeth, who was born in Chennai on March 17, 1975, was an actor, playback singer, television presenter, and producer. Puneeth, son of Matinee Idol Rajkumar, was a lead actor in 29 films and as a child and appeared in many films.
• The award honours people for services to society in their respective fields by following the principles of Lord Basaveshwar. It is presented by Chitradurga Bruhanmutt since 1997. The award includes Rs 5 lakh cash and a memento.
• PT Usha (2009), Malala Yousufzai (2014), P Sainath (2016), Dr K Kasturirangan (2020) are some to win the award in recent times.