17-18 JUNE 2016

LIGO team announced second detection of gravitational waves

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) team on 15 June 2016 announced their second detection of gravitational waves, the flexing of space and time caused by the black hole collision

The detection was made on 26 December 2016 by the LIGO’s twin detectors in Louisiana and Washington when the waves hit the observatory lasted for about a full second and is five times longer than the first one.

While, the first gravitational wave observation was announced in February 2016 by LIGO and the discovery was published in Physical Review Letters. The waves first hit the observatory in Livingston, Louisiana, and then 1.1 milliseconds later passed through the one in Hanford, Washington on 14 September 2015.

Observation

• Two black holes spiraled toward each other in deep space with their tremendous mass warping space time and propagating gravitational waves across the fabric of the universe at light-speed.

• The two black holes crashed into one another and merged into one even bigger black hole which is 62 times the mass of the Sun, emitting a crescendo of waves.

• The two LIGO detectors measured gravitational waves from the inspiral, as the decaying mutual orbits of two bodies and merger of two black holes. One was eight and the other 14 times the Sun’s mass, both merged to form a black hole with 21 times the solar mass.

• The signal from the first collision LIGO detected, for instance, only lasted for about 0.2 seconds.

• Smaller black holes can get much closer before they collide, so they can spend much longer orbiting faster than LIGO’s minimum threshold.

About LIGO detectors

• These detectors are shaped like a giant letter L, built out of two 2.5 mile-long vacuums.

• Light travels down each leg before bouncing off an 88 pound mirror dangling from a system of pulleys held by pulleys connected to equipment that actively measures and counteracts the seismic motion of the Earth.

• Each pulley naturally dissipates any motion that gets through, and the system magnifies the effect for four times.

• The light recombines in a detector at the crux of the L.

• If the mirrors are exactly where they should be, the crests of one ray line up with the troughs of the other, and no light hits the detector.

• If the mirrors move at all, the rays line up imperfectly and some light ekes through, by alerting the system to look for sources of error.

• Everything from magnets in the sensors to acoustic noise around the vacuum tubes to passing trucks can create noise in the measurements.

Syed Nayeemuddin, former Indian football team coach, to be conferred with Mohun Bagan Ratna

Mohun Bagan on 15 June 2016 announced that it will honour country’s only Dronacharya football coach Syed Nayeemuddin with the Mohun Bagan Ratna.

Nayeemuddin was chosen for the prestigious award for his overall contribution to the club and the country both as a player and as a coach.

Who is Syed Nayeemuddin?

•Syed Nayeemuddin is an Indian football coach and former player.

•As a player, he captained the Indian national team that won a bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games.

•He was appointed coach of India in 1997.

•He won the South Asian Football Federation Cup by beating the Maldives 5–1 and reached the semi-finals of the Nehru Cup for the first time.

•He is the only sports-person to win both the Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards for football.

About Mohun Bagan Ratna

•The Mohun Bagan Ratna is awarded annually to great football players.

•It is a mark of respect which recognizes and lauds indispensable contribution of football greats to the club over the years.

•The award is presented to the winners on 29 July, which is celebrated as Mohun Bagan Day.

•In 2015, Karuna Sankar Bhattacharya was honoured posthumously with the Mohun Bagan Ratna.

NASA spots Single Methane Leak from Space using Hyperion spectrometer

NASA’s instrument, Hyperion spectrometer on NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1), onboard an orbiting spacecraft measured methane emissions from a single, specific leaking facility on Earth’s surface.

The observation, which occurred over Aliso Canyon, near Porter Ranch, California is an important breakthrough. It is important as it provides an ability to eventually measure and monitor emissions of this potent greenhouse gas from space.

This observation from space came in news after the paper was accepted for publication in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

About the observation via Hyperion spectrometer

• The Hyperion instrument successfully detected the methane leak on three separate overpasses during the winter of 2015-16.

• The research was part of an investigation of the large accidental Aliso Canyon methane release last fall and winter.

• The orbital observations from Hyperion were consistent with airborne measurements made by NASA's Airborne/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) imager flying onboard a NASA ER-2 aircraft.

Why this observation is important?

This is the first time that a methane emission from a single facility was observed from space. The detection will help to understand and address the unknown factor in greenhouse gas emissions.

Till date, the percentage of atmospheric methane produced through human activities remains poorly understood. But this detection will help in resolving the question by surveying the biggest sources around the world, which will be done with the instruments with much greater sensitivity on orbiting satellites.

NASA's Earth Observing-1

• NASA's New Millennium Program, EO-1 is an advanced land-imaging mission designed to demonstrate new instruments and spacecraft systems.

• Launched in 2000, EO-1 has validated technologies for the Operational Land Imager used on the Landsat-8 satellite mission and future imaging spectrometer missions, and supported disaster-response applications.

• The mission is managed by NASA Goddard.

• A joint initiative between NASA and the US Geological Survey, Landsat represents the world's longest continuously acquired collection of space-based moderate-resolution land remote sensing data.

North America to have its first sanctuary for dolphins

Baltimore’s National Aquarium on 15 June 2016 announced its plan to create an Oceanside dolphin sanctuary. This will be first of its kind sanctuary for the marine mammals in North America.

The aquarium will move its colony of eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins to an outdoor facility with natural seawater by 2020. Of the eight bottlenose dolphins (six female and two male), only one has ever lived in the open ocean.

For this purpose of creating a sanctuary, a team is scouting locations in Florida and the Caribbean for the habitat.

About the Venue

• Decided venue for the dolphins will be a protected coastal habitat, where the animals will continue to live under human care.

• The venue will lie in a tropical or subtropical location will also contain natural stimuli for the dolphins, such as fish and sea plants.

Years of research on dolphin behavior and pressure from animal rights groups made the national aquarium to make a decision of moving the marine mammals to a sanctuary. Animal rights groups were protesting over the captivity of dolphins for years.

Bottlenose dolphins

• Bottlenose dolphins are the one of the most common species of marine mammals, with colors ranging from light gray to black.

• They range in size from 6 feet (1.8 meters) to more than 12 feet (3.6 meters) in length, and adults can weigh up to 1,400 pounds (635 kg).

Challenges that lies ahead

• Of the eight bottlenose dolphins, only one dolphin, female named Nani, has ever lived in the open ocean as she was born in wild in 1972.

• They have never felt the rain on their dorsal fins, neither they ever chased a mullet along a mangrove shore or teased a startled crab.

• These dolphins will have to learn the acts of being ocean-dwelling dolphins with its sets of skills to fight against problems like pollution, noise, jellyfish and red tides.

• They will have to learn to survive in the new habitat that will be much larger than their current habitat.

• The new habitat will also have more fish and marine plants as compared to the present habitat.

Comment

The idea of protecting the dolphins by providing sanctuary after providing the same to big cats, elephants, chimpanzees and many more is a sign of a maturing ethic of caring all living species.

Rio 2016 unveils official slogan for Olympic and Paralympic Games

The Rio 2016 organising committee on 14 June 2016 revealed the official slogan, A New World, for the first Olympic and Paralympic Games in South America.

The slogan was unveiled by Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), at a special ceremony held at Olympic Park in Barra da Tijuca, Brazil.

Besides, the organising committee also unveiled the designs for the 2488 gold, silver and bronze medals that ten thousand athletes will soon be competing for.

What the slogan is all about?

•A new world will be the front and center message that will be transmitted around the world in the lead-up to and during the 2016 Games.

•The slogan was chosen to show the desire of Rio 2016 for a better world.

The creation of a slogan is a tradition of each Olympic Games. Previous Olympic mottos included Welcome homefor Athens in 2004, One world, one dreamfor Beijing in 2008, andInspire a Generationfor London in 2012.

Assam PCC president Anjan Dutta dies

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Anjan Dutta passed away on 16 June 2016 following cardiac arrest at the AIIMS hospital, New Delhi. He was 64.
Dutta donned many hats in his eventful political career.
About Anjan Dutta
• Born in 1952, Dutta started his political career at an early age.
• He was handpicked by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to lead the state Youth Congress in 1988 and then his son Rahul Gandhi to lead Assam PCC in December 2014.
• The three-time legislator from Amguri in Sivasagar district, Dutta had literally worked overtime during the tenure of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
• Dutta was a leading light of the state unit and the Opposition when the Congress lost elections in 1985 and 1996. 
• He was also the chairperson of the Northeast Youth Congress Coordination Committee. 
• He was credited with reviving the declining Assam State Transport Corporation when he was Minister in the first Tarun Gogoi cabinet (2001-2006).
• He was also a Minister in the Hiteswar Saikia-led Congress government in 1991.
• He also had an interest in writing, which led him to start a monthly magazine Anubhuti and a daily newspaper Ajir Dainik Batori.

World Day to Combat Desertification 2016 observed

17 June: World Day to Combat Desertification

World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) 2016 was observed across the world on 17 June 2016.Inclusive cooperation for achieving Land Degradation Neutralitywas the theme for the 2016 WDCD.

The slogan for the day was Protect Earth. Restore Land. Engage People.

The theme focuses on making Land Degradation Neutrality, which is a fundamental solution for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On the other hand, the slogan addresses the importance of comprehensive participation and cooperation in working towards achieving Land Degradation Neutrality.

Background

•The World Day to Combat Desertification has been observed since 1995.

•It is observed to promote public awareness relating to international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought.

•In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

•The theme for the 2015 WDCD was Attainment of food security for all through sustainable food systems.

RAPID, five-point charter for tax administrators, outlined by Narendra Modi

RAPID: R for Revenue, A for Accountability, P for Probity, I for Information and D for Digitization

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 June 2016 suggested a mantra, RAPID, to tax officials while inaugurating Rajasva Gyan Sangam, a two-day Annual Conference of Senior Tax Administrators in New Delhi.

The mantra, RAPID means R for Revenue, A for Accountability, P for Probity, I for Information and D for Digitization.

It will help people to respect the rule of law as well as fear of the long arm of the law for those who evade taxes.

During the ceremony, Modi also motivated the revenue officers towards achieving high standards in taxpayer friendly service in view of fast paced changes in the world economy. He is also likely to address some of the challenges faced by these departments.

The conference provided a platform to assess the performance of the year gone by and to deliberate on emerging issues without any hierarchical barriers.

Review meeting of Indo-EU ‘Water4crops’ project held

Water4crops Project: 9 million euro Indo-EU project on water-scarce agricultural sector

The 9 million Euro Indo-EU ‘Water4crops’ project was in news in third week of June 2016 after a review and planning meet on the project was conducted from 15 June to 17 June 2016 in New Delhi. The review meeting was held to mark the completion of 4-year of the project.

Water4Crops stands for “integrating bio-treated wastewater reuse and valorization with enhanced water use efficiency to support the Green Economy in Europe and India”.

Objective of the project

• Developing innovative biotechnological wastewater treatments, even based on plant-systems, for boosting wastewater reuse in agriculture.

• Improving water use efficiency through agronomics, plant breeding and locally adapted irrigation technologies and techniques.

Key features of Water4crops Project

• It is one of the largest Indo-Euro projects co-funded by Government of India through the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science & Technology and the European Union.

• Indian government funded three million for the project while the European Commission through its 7th Framework Programme funded six million euro.

• It was formed in 2012 under KBBE.2012.3.5-03: Biotechnological waste water treatments and reuse in agronomical systems

• It was formed to address the emerging, increasingly important issue for the world: “Water and wastewater reuse and management.

• It provides an opportunity to efficiently utilize low-quality industrial, domestic and municipal wastewater by facilitating the development of various technologies for wastewater treatment at the local scale and its feasible use in agriculture.

• The project brings together an Indo-European consortium of 36 organizations [14 Indian and 22 European] belonging to research institutions, universities, large industries and SMEs.

Success of the Project

The project has shown remarkable success by aiding the construction of wetlands containing plant species such as Canna indica, lemon grass (Cymbopogon), napier (Pennisetum perpureum X Pennisetum americarnum), para grass (Urochloa mutica), typha (Typha latifolia), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and a weed species Agaratum Conyzoides.

These plant species absorb harmful toxins as well as nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, inter alia, that contaminate the water due to overuse of chemical fertilizers in the agriculture sector.

Indian-origin Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir nominated as US Ambassador to Malaysia

Indian-origin diplomat Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir was on 17 June 2016 nominated as the next American Ambassador to Malaysia by US President Barack Obama.

He will replace Joseph Y Yun, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.

About Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir
• Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir served as the Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2011 to 2015.  
• She served as the US Consul General in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom from 2009 to 2011. 
• She previously worked in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs as the Director of the Office of Maritime Southeast Asia from 2007 to 2009.
• From 2001 to 2005, Lakhdhir was a Political Officer at the US Embassy in Beijing, China.  
• From 1998 to 2000, Lakhdhir was Deputy Coordinator of the Taiwan Coordination Staff in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.  
• Since joining the Foreign Service in 1991, Lakhdhir served as a Political Officer in Indonesia and as a Consular Officer in Saudi Arabia.  
• She received a BA from Harvard College and an MS from the National War College.

Scientists announces Human Genome Project-Write to synthesize entire genome

A team of 25 Scientists on 2 June 2016 published their proposal to synthesize entire human genome from scratch under the project called the Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write)in Science Magazine.

The aim of the project is to reduce the cost of engineering DNA segments in the laboratory.

Its proponents envision a project on the same scale as the Human Genome Project-Read (HGP-Read) under which human genome was sequenced in 2003.

Human Genome Project-Write (HGP-Write)

• The Project was named Human Genome Project-write because synthesizing would amount towriting rather than reading the genetic code.

• HGP-write will be implemented through a new, independent nonprofit organization, the Center of Excellence for Engineering Biology.

• The proposal could make it possible to grow human organs for transplant and speed up the development of vaccines.

• The initiative could take 10 years and a minimum of 100 million dollar just to get started.

Potential Application

• Potential applications include growing transplantable human organs and engineering immunity to viruses in cell lines via genome-wide recoding.

• Other potential benefits include engineering cancer resistance into new therapeutic cell lines and accelerating high-productivity, cost-efficient vaccine and pharmaceutical development using human cells and organoids.

Comment

The human genome is the genetic blueprint of every organism which is the complete set of DNA containing the instructions it needs to survive and thrive. Sequencing the human genome requires decoding the exact order of about three billion base pairs of DNA packed into 30000 genes.

Genome synthesis is a logical extension of the genetic engineering tools that have been used safely within the biotech industry for more 40 years and have provided important societal benefitsand it could revolutionise the field of biotechnology.

However, it raisestroubling ethical concerns due to the potential of one day creating children with no biological parents, and also due to the secrecy surrounding a recent closed-door meeting on the subject.

Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura transit facility becomes operational between India and Bangladesh

India-Bangladesh transit facility under the revised Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol became operational between Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura on 16 June 2016.

The transit facility was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka in June 2015 to boost trade and facilitate seamless movement of goods in the Bangladesh region.

The trans-shipment operations were launched at the Ashuganj port with a cargo vessel unloading the maiden consignment to be transported to Tripura through Bangladeshi territory.

The first ship from Kolkata carrying 1000 tonnes of steel and iron sheets reached Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh.

About Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura transit facility
• The facility that runs through Bangladesh territory cuts the Kolkata-Agartala via Siliguri’s ‘chicken neck’ distance from 1600 kilometers to 800 kilometers.
• It will reduce the time of the journey from 30 days to 10 days.
• It will reduce the transportation costs from 67 US dollars to 35 US dollars per tonne while transporting from mainland India to the north-eastern states.
•India pays transit fees of 192.25 dollars per tonne as negotiated between India and Bangladesh.
Inland Water Transit & Trade Protocol
• The revised Inland Water Transit & Trade Protocol under India-Bangladesh Bilateral Trade Agreement gives India and Bangladesh the right to each other’s territory for transiting goods to third countries.
• The Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura transit route gives mainland India easier and cheaper access to the seven northeastern states.
• Bangladesh can use Indian Territory to transit goods to Nepal and Bhutan while India can access Myanmar via Bangladesh.
• The protocol facilitates trade and development not only between India and Bangladesh but in the entire sub-region facilitating trade and development in the sub-region.

Wetlands in India: Significance, Threats & Conservation

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on 31 May 2016 released the Draft Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2016 for public comments. The new set of rules seeks to conserve and manage the wetlands across the country in a more effective way by replacing the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules of 2010.

The release of draft rules became necessitated in the backdrop of growing concern regarding the health of wetlands as their deterioration led to large scale destruction of natural and manmade environment recently.

For example, the Chennai flashfloods in November 2015 and Srinagar flash floods in September 2014, according to experts, was largely caused by severe damage inflicted upon the network of lakes and water bodies spread across the two cities that used to act as natural buffers/storage points of seasonal rain water.

What are wetlands?

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of 1971 defines wetlands as -  “Areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.”

In simple terms, a wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally. This definition brings ponds, lakes, estuarines, reservoirs, creeks, mangroves and many more water bodies under the ambit of wetlands.

Further, wetlands can be categorised into marine(coastal wetlands), estuarine(including deltas, tidal marshes, and mangrove swamps), lacustarine(lakes), riverine(along rivers and streams), and palustarine(‘marshy’– marshes, swamps and bogs) based on their hydrological, ecological and geological characteristics.

What is the spread of wetlands?

National Wetlands Atlas 2011prepared by the Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad recognised around 201503 wetlands across the country. The Atlas, which classified wetlands based on the Ramsar Convention definition, also estimated the areal extent of wetlands to be about 7.6 m ha.

It is also estimated that India has about 757.06 thousand wetlands with a total wetland area of 15.3 m ha or 4.7 percent of geographical area, if open water, aquatic vegetation (submerged, floating and emergent) and surrounding hydric soils are also taken into account.

The wetlands in India arespread over all the 36 States/Union Territoriesstarting from Wular lake in Srinagar, Ashtamudi backwaters lake in Kerala, Loktak lake (only floating national park in the world) in Manipur and Nalsarovar in Gujarat.

In terms of numbers West Bengal (1.47 lakhs), Uttar Pradesh (1.2 lakhs) are the two States in which wetlands are more than above 1 lakh. These States are followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh that have 78 and 62 thousand wetlands respectively.

In terms of the proportion of the geographical area, Gujarat has the highest proportion (17.5 percent) and Mizoram has the lowest proportion (0.66 percent) of the area under wetlands.

Among UTs in India, Lakshadweep has the highest proportion (around 96 percent)and Chandigarh has the least proportion (3 percent) of geographical area under wetlands.

What is the policy environment & associated schemes?

• Ramsar Convention:The convention is named after Ramsar in Iran in which the convention was ratified in 1971. The convention is aimed at augmenting national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

• India is a signatory to the convention. So far, 26-sites have been designatedas Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) and 6 more are under the process of being designated.

• National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP): It was launched in 1985 to enable conservation and wise use of wetlands in the country so as to prevent their further degradation.

• The Central Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules: They were notified for the first time in 2010 for better management and regulation of wetlands across the country. It saw the formation of Central Wetlands Regulatory Authority (CWRA) whose term ended on 31 March 2015 and it wasn’t reconstituted since then.

• National Environment Policy 2006: Recognising the importance of wetlands, it calls for developing a national inventory of such wetlands and implementing a wide spectrum of policies and plans for wetland conservation and their environmental impact assessment (EIA).

• National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA): It was unveiled in 2015 to provide for policy framework and support to State Governments for integrated management of wetlands. This initiative was launched by merging two separate Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), namely the National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP) and the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP).

• Capacity Building: in order to increase the capacity of wetland managers, up gradation of the existing Wetland Research and Training Centre of Chilika Development Authority at Barkul, Odisha into the National Capacity Development Centre for Wetlands is under consideration.

What is the significance of wetlands?

Wetlands are considered to have unique ecological features which provide numerous products and services to humanity.  Ecosystem goods provided by the wetlands mainly include - water for irrigation, fisheries, non-timber forest products, water supply and recreation.

The major services include carbon sequestration, flood control, groundwater recharge, nutrient removal, toxics retention and biodiversity maintenance.

• Agriculture and allied sectors: Wetlands such as tanks, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs have long been providing multiple-use water services which include water for irrigation, domestic needs, ground-water recharge, etc.

• In terms of growth in fish production in India, wetlands play a significant role. Around 61 percent of fish production in the country is from inland water bodies and it is also the second largest aquaculture farmed fish producer in the world.

• Carbon sequestration:Swamps, mangroves, peat lands, mires and marshes play an important role in carbon cycle. Wetland soils may contain as much as 200 times more carbon than its vegetation.

• In India, coastal wetlands are playing a major role in carbon sequestration. The total extent of coastal ecosystems (including mangroves) in India is around 43000 km.

• Overall, mangrovesare able to sequester about 1.5 metric tonne of carbon per hectare per year and the upper layers of mangrove sediments have high carbon content, with conservative estimates indicating the levels of 10 percent.

• Pollution abatement: Wetlands act as a sink for contaminants in many agricultural and urban landscapes. In India too, wetlands are polluted through agricultural runoff and discharge of untreated sewage and other waste from urban areas.

•Flood control: Wetlands play an important role in flood control. Wetlands help to lessen the impacts of flooding by absorbing water and reducing the speed at which flood water flows. Further, during periods of flooding, they trap suspended solids and nutrient load.

• A large network of lakes and ponds in major cities like Srinagar, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabadwere constructed with the objective of flood control.

• Besides, the mangroves along the sea shores, especially on the western coast in West Bengal and Odisha have been playing a major role in protecting the coastal environment from the destruction of cyclones that frequently emanate in the Bay of Bengal.

• Biodiversity hotspots:Wetlands are important in supporting species diversity. Because wetlands provide an environment where photosynthesis can occur and where the recycling of nutrients can take place, they play a significant role in the support of food chains.

• In India lakes, rivers and other freshwater bodies support a large diversity of biota representing almost all taxonomic groups. For example, freshwater ecosystems of Western Ghats alone have 290 species of fish. Similarly, Loktak lake is famous for being the only refuge of the endangered Sangai (Manipur brow-antlered deer).

• Wetlands are also important breeding areas for domestic and migrating bird species. In many such wetland areas of India, like Bharatpur wild life sanctuary in Rajasthan, and little Rann of Kutch and coastal areas of Saurashtra in Gujarat, many migratory species of birds, includingsiberian crane, from western and European countries come during winter.

• Sarus cranes, black necked cranes, Gangetic river dolphins, the Indian mud turtle and numerous threatened species of birds and fauna, feed (off) and live in and around wetlands.

• As per an estimate, the approximate number of species of migratory birds recorded from India is between 1200 and 1300, which is about 24 percent of India’s total bird species.

• Tourism: Wet-lands such as coral reefs, beaches, reservoirs, lakes and rivers are considered to be a significant part of the tourism experience in the country.

• As per an estimate, every year, around 7 seven million tourist visit Kerala’s backwaters, beaches and wildlife sanctuaries, 3 million visit Uttarakhand’s lakes and other natural wetlands and one million visit Dal lake in Jammu and Kashmir.

• Cultural significance:Wetlands especially lakes and ponds (e.g. Pushkar lake in Rajasthan and Ramappa lake in Telangana) are intrinsically linked to the local culture. They are revered by the masses in recognition of the fact that they are the means of sustenance of their livelihood.

What are the threats to wetlands?

Since the advent of industrialization and urbanization the wetlands came under severe threat due to increased anthropogenic-pressures. As per an estimate, India has lost 38 percent of its wetlands between 1991 and 2001 alone.

• Urbanization and land use changes: During the 90 year period from 1901 to 1991, the number of urban centres doubled while urban population has increased eightfold. This magnitude of growth exerted tremendous pressure on wetlands and flood plain areas for meeting water and food demand of growing population.

• For example, the Kanwar lake in Bihar, Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake, has shrunk to one-third of its size due to encroachment, much like Jammu and Kashmir’s Dal lake. And, about 34000 hectares of the water spread area of the Kolleru lake (Andhra Pradesh) have been reclaimed for agriculture in recent years.

• Agricultural residues: As a result of intensification of agricultural activities over the past four decades, fertilizer consumption in India has increased from about 2.8 million tonne in 1973–1974 to 28.3 million tonne in 2010–2011.

• As per estimates, 10–15 percent of the nutrients added to the soils through fertilizers eventually find their way to the surface water system. High nutrient contents stimulate algal growth, leading to eutrophication of surface water bodies.

• Municipal and Industrial pollution:Less than 31 percent of the domestic wastewater from Indian urban centres is treated, compared to 80 percent in the developed world, which is largely discharged in the natural water bodies such as streams and rivers.

• For example, River Yamuna, which passes through 6 Indian States, receives about 1789 MLD of untreated waste water from the capital city of Delhi alone. This is about 78 percent of the total pollution load that flows in to the river every day.

• Similarly, untreated industrial effluents have become a major threat to the survival of wetlands. For instance, the Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru city was ‘on fire’ in May 2015 due to the discharge of effluents (especially nutrient rich foams) by the surrounding industries.

• Climate Change: In 2007, the UNESCO estimated that Global climate change is expected to become an important driver of loss and change in wet-land ecosystem. These findings are important for India which has been experiencing the flood-drought-flood cycle for the last 2 decades.

• As per a study, wetlands located in high altitude as well as coastal areas, like mangroves and coral reefs, are some of the most sensitive classes that will be affected by climate change.

• For example, climate change caused rise in level of Tsomoriri Lake in Ladakh, a glacial fed high altitude lake, thereby causing submerged important breeding islands in the lake where endangered migratory birds like the Black-necked Crane and Bar-headed Goose would breed.

• As per an estimate, Indiawilllose about 84 percent of coastal wetlands and 13 percent of saline wetlandswith climate change induced sea water rise of 1 metre.

Apart from the above major threats, immersion of idols and religious ritual waste, introduction of exotic species, encroachments and unregulated aquaculture (e.g. Kolleru lake) backed byBureaucrats-Politicians-Businessmen nexus, dredging, un planned urbanization and development projects  are some of the other dangers threatening the existence of wetlands across the country.

What the Draft Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2016 proposes to face these threats?

• The wetlands shall be conserved and managed in accordance withprinciple of 'wise use' for maintaining their ecological integrity.

• ‘Wise use of wetlands’ was defined as the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context ofsustainable development.

• It prohibitedany diversion or impediment to natural water inflows and outflows of the wetland and activities having or likely to have an adverse impact on ecological character of the wetland.

• Wetland Authority will be set up by the State Governments or UTs to deal with wetland conservation, regulation and management. The authority, which will be headed by the Chief Minister, will replace the now defunct CWRA.

• For the purpose of managing wetlands having multiple issues, the concerned State Government or UT Administration may, if required, constitute a specific Wetland Authority. These steps towards decentralizationare in tune with the powers bestowed on the State Government under the Entry 17 (water) of the Schedule VII of the Constitution.

However, these provisions were criticizedenvironmental activities on the grounds that they relinquished the primary responsibility of the Union Government in conserving the wetlands, non-inclusion of experts, vague terms like ‘wise-use’,  absence of rules regarding the trans-boundary wetlands, etc.

Conclusion

Wetlands are amongst the most productive ecosystems on the Earth. Historically, they have been at the centre of evolution of human civilization for millennia as they are means of precious ecological goods and services. However, unfortunately, they are also ecologically most sensitive eco-systems and are under threat due to increased anthropogenic-pressures.

As the theme of 2016 World Wetlands Day (2 February) rightly suggested wetlands are our future and are the means for ensuring sustainable livelihoods. Mahatma Gandhi’s ingenious statement - “There is enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed” - is in fact better suited to illustrate and guide India’s wetland policies and conservation strategies.

18 June

India signs two MoUs with Namibia on capacity building for civil servants, centre of excellence in ICT

India and Namibia on 16 June 2016 signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on capacity building for civil servants of Namibia and to set up of centre of excellence in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

The agreements were signed after a dialogue between President Pranab Mukherjee and his Namibian counterpart Hage Geingob.

Other highlights of Agreements

• Namibia is committed to honour the deal signed with India in 2009 to supply Uranium for civil use.

• Namibia is the fourth largest producer of uranium and assured India that it study the framework New Delhi has signed with 12 other countries including UK, US, Australia, Sri Lanka, France and South Korea besides others.

• Besides this, the two countries also discussed ways to further enhance co-operation in the mining and exploration of other minerals including zinc and marble.

Microsoft & AICTE signed agreement to build app for HRD ministry's SWAYAM platform

Microsoft was on 17 June 2016 selected as the technical partner to build a mobile Application (app) for Union Human Resources Development Ministry's SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) platform.

The platform will launch 2000 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) for over three crore students in 2016.

Microsoft signed a deal of 38 crore rupees with All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to build and run the app for three years. Later, it will be taken over by AICTE.

Microsoft will deploy a team of dedicated people to set up the state-of-the-art application.

About SWAYAM platform

• University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulation, 2016 was finalized in a credit framework for online learning courses through SWAYAM.

• According to the regulation, the partner institutions which are identified by the National MOOCs coordinator will make the online courses available on SWAYAM platform.

• Twice in each year, Registrars of all the institutions will be given the list of online courses being offered in each semester.

Physical facilities like laboratories, computer facilities, library etc, shall be made available for free by the parent institution.

• A certificate upon successful completion of the MOOCs will be issued by the parent institution and issued through the host institution.

• The credits earned through courses through SWAYAM platform in the credit plan of the program will be given equivalent weightage by the parent institution.

Union Government notified 10 coastal police stations extending their jurisdiction to 200 nautical miles

Union Home Ministry on 16 June 2016 notified 10 coastal police stations extending their jurisdictional limits from the existing 12 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles. The notified 10 police stations share the coastline in eight States.

The new coastal police stations are proposed to maintain security up to five nautical miles from the shore.

After the 26/11 terror attacks, the Coast Guard was given responsibility to secure the territorial waters which are extending up to 12 nautical miles (about 22 kilometres) from the shore.

The extension of jurisdictional limits will allow local police while dealing with cases of smuggling and terrorism and guarding 7516-km long coastline of India.

On the other hand, Union Home Ministry also approved the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s proposal to create a Central Marine Police Force for patrolling and protecting the coastline.

State Bank of India floats IT Innovation Start-up Fund to assist start-ups in fintech space

State Bank of India (SBI) on 16 June 2016 floated 200 crore rupees IT Innovation Start-up Fund to assist start-ups in the fintech space.

Salient Features of the Fund

The fund will consider assistance of up to 3 crore rupees to a firm registered in India for promoting their business innovations using technology in financial services.

The traditional banks around the world are opening up to work with fintech firms which are disrupting business models by using technology to deliver services at lower cost.

SBI also formed a mentoring team to assist start-ups, which will support, monitor and make a report on the progress and the utilisation of the funds by the venture.

The team will facilitate and guide business, extending help in various areas including additional funding requirement. It will also give external legal and financial assistance as and when required.

A suitable regulatory framework will also be set up to address the associated risks, like technology risks, cyber security risk, data theft risk, among others.

Union Ministry of AYUSH released Yog Geet for International Day of Yoga–2016

Union Ministry of AYUSH released a Yog Geet (Song) on 17 June 2016 in connection with the celebration of International Day of Yoga–2016.

The details of the song are as under:

• The song is of 3 minutes and 15 seconds in Hindi language.

• The song is written and produced by Deeraj Saraswat.

• Gandhar TD Jadhav and Gatha Jadhav were given their voice.

• The Music of the song is composed by Sumanto Ray.

Background

As part of celebration of 2nd International Day of Yoga a National level competition for selection of a Yog Geet was organised by the Ministry of AYUSH.

About one thousand entries were received for Yog Geet out of which the Committee OF Yoga Experts constituted for the celebration of International Day of Yoga–2016 under the chairmanship of Dr HR Nagendra selected released one.