1. GRASSLANDS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Researchers have conducted a new study in Gujarat's Kachchh district, home to one of India's largest grasslands, assessing areas in Banni for sustainable restoration, with ecological value as the primary focus.

Grasslands

• About: These are one of the largest ecosystems in the world. 
• Habitat: They are distributed mainly in semiarid and arid areas, and include savannahs, grassy shrublands, and open grasslands.
• Biodiversity: They harbour a large number of unique and iconic species and offer a variety of material and intangible advantages to people, including several ecosystem services such as carbon storage, climate mitigation, and pollination.

oAs much as 49% of grassland areas worldwide are estimated to be experiencing degradation.

• Grasslands in India: Cover approximately eight lakh sq. km, accounting for about 24% of the country's total land area.
• Threatened by: Agricultural conversion, tree-based plantation projects, invasive species, and mega-development projects.
• Banni Grasslands: The Kachchh district in Gujarat houses one of India's largest grassland tracts, known as 'Banni', which has reduced in size from approximately 3,800 sq. km to about 2,600 sq. km.

Key Highlights of Study

• Categorization: The prospective restoration zones were grouped into five categories based on suitability for restoration.
• Highly Suitable Areas: 36% of the grassland was classified as “highly suitable” for restoration.
• Suitable Areas: 28% was found to be “suitable” for restoration efforts.
• Moderately Suitable Areas: 27% was identified as “moderately suitable” for grassland expansion.
• Marginally Suitable Areas: 7% was labeled as “marginally suitable” for restoration, requiring additional interventions.
• Not Suitable Areas: 2% was determined as “not suitable” for restoration, needing significant management efforts.
• Recommendations: Interventions like terracing, fertilizers, and protection from water run-off and salt intrusion were recommended for the “marginally suitable” and “not suitable” zones.

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2. RISE ACCELERATOR (Syllabus GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: The Atal Innovation Mission, in partnership with CSIRO Australia, is calling for applications from start-ups and MSMEs in both India and Australia for the Climate Smart Agritech cohort of the India Australia Rapid Innovation and Start-up Expansion (RISE) Accelerator.

RISE Accelerator

• About: It is particularly interested in start-ups and MSMEs with solutions that prioritise farmer needs, priorities, and on-farm practices.  
• Launched: 2023
• Partnership between: CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).
• Focus: It addresses shared challenges between India and Australia with a focus on environment and climate issues, supporting the expansion of innovative agritech solutions across borders.

Climate Smart Agritech Cohort

• Focus on Agricultural Productivity: The Climate Smart Agritech cohort will focus on start-ups and MSMEs with technologies that enhance agricultural productivity and resilience against climate variability, resource scarcity, and food insecurity.
• Emphasis on Farmer Needs: The program is particularly interested in solutions that prioritize farmer needs, priorities, and on-farm practices.
• Benefits: Over nine months, participants will experience a blend of self-paced online learning and in-person sessions, including immersion weeks in both India and Australia.

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3. GROSS ENVIRONMENT PRODUCT INDEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Uttarakhand has become the first Indian state to launch a Gross Environment Product Index, marking a significant step in measuring environmental performance.

Gross Environment Product Index

• About: The Gross Environment Product Index (GEP) is a novel, integrative metric designed to evaluate ecological development resulting from human interventions.
• Constituents: The GEP is determined by four main environmental factors directly impacted by development activities: air quality, water quality, the number of trees planted annually, and the area of organic soil.
• Formula: GEP index = (Air-GEP index + Water-GEP index + Soil-GEP index + Forest-GEP index).
• Assessment: The GEP provides quantifiable assessments of improvements in air, water, soil, and forest quality.
• Significance: It helps assess the impact of anthropogenic pressure on ecosystems and natural resources and provides a robust method for evaluating a state's ecological growth, capturing various aspects of environmental well-being resulting from human actions.

Gross Environment Product’ (GEP)

• About: It measures the ecological status of a region and evaluates the value of ecosystem services for human welfare and sustainable development.
• Components: GEP includes the value of provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services provided by the environment, contributing to economic and social sustainability.
• Comparison with GDP: In some instances, GEP can exceed GDP; for example, Qinghai's GEP was higher than its GDP in 2000 and three-fourths as large as GDP in 2015.

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4. TRIPLE TALAQ (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Social Issues)

Context: The Centre has defended the 2019 law criminalising triple talaq in the Supreme Court, arguing that the practice legitimised and institutionalised the abandonment of wives. It urged the court to dismiss the petition challenging the law.

Triple Talaq

• About: Instant Triple Talaq is a practice where a Muslim man can divorce his wife by pronouncing ‘Talaq’ three times in a single sitting.
• Irrevocability: This form of Talaq is irrevocable, meaning there is no opportunity for reconciliation once it is uttered.
• Prevalence: It is predominantly used by the Hanafis, a sub-sect of Sunni Muslims in India.
• Legal Status: Also known as Talaq-e-biddat, was declared unconstitutional and outlawed by the Supreme Court of India in 2017.

Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019

• Declaration of Talaq: The Act renders all declarations of talaq, whether written or electronic, void and illegal.
• Definition of Talaq: It is defined as talaq-e-biddat or any similar form pronounced by a Muslim man, leading to an instant and irrevocable divorce.
• Offence and Penalty: Declaring talaq is classified as a cognizable offence, punishable by up to three years imprisonment and a fine.
• Cognizable Offence: The offence is cognizable only if reported by the married woman or someone related to her by blood or marriage.
• Bail: The Magistrate may grant bail after hearing the woman and if reasonable grounds for bail are established.
• Compounding Offence: The offence may be compounded upon the woman’s request, with terms set by the Magistrate.
• Allowance: A Muslim woman can seek a subsistence allowance for herself and her dependent children, with the amount determined by the Magistrate.
• Custody: A Muslim woman is entitled to seek custody of her minor children, with custody arrangements decided by the Magistrate.

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5. GODDA PROJECT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: To mitigate political risks in Bangladesh, Indian power exporters can reroute their output to Indian grids in case of payment delays from partner countries. Adani Power’s plant in Godda (Jharkhand) supplies all its generated power to Bangladesh.

Godda Project

• About: It is a power supply initiative managed by Adani Power's Jharkhand subsidiary.
• Power Capacity: The project has a net capacity of 1,496 megawatts, which is supplied to Bangladesh.
• Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): This supply is facilitated under a PPA with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), signed in November 2017 for 25 years.
• Transnational Power Supply: The Godda plant is India's first power project that exclusively supplies electricity to another nation.
• Impact on Bangladesh: The electricity from Godda is expected to positively impact Bangladesh by replacing more expensive power generated using liquid fuel.
• Contribution to Bangladesh's Power Capacity: As of June 2023, Bangladesh's total installed generation capacity was 24,911 MW, with 2,656 MW imported from India. The Godda plant contributes 1,496 MW, about 6% of Bangladesh's total power capacity.

Export Rules Amendment

• Expanded Market Access: New rules permit electricity producers who export power to also sell in the domestic market, providing flexibility in case of drops in offtake or payment defaults.
• Impact on Export-Dependent Plants: The amendment is particularly beneficial for plants like Adani Power's 1.6-gigawatt Godda plant in Jharkhand, which exports electricity to Bangladesh, allowing for potential domestic sales if export demand decreases.
• Mitigation of Payment Risks: Producers facing consistent payment defaults or reduced demand from export markets can now rely on domestic sales to stabilize revenue and operations.

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6. NATIONAL COAL INDEX (NCI) (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The National Coal Index (NCI) reported a notable decline of 3.48% in June 2024, falling to 142.13 points from 147.25 points in June 2023, according to provisional data.

National Coal Index (NCI)

• Definition: The NCI is a price index that reflects the change in the price level of coal in a particular month relative to a fixed base year.
• Components of the Index: NCI combines the prices of coal from all sales channels: Notified Prices, Auction Prices, and Import Prices.

oIt considers prices of coking and non-coking coal of various grades transacted in the regulated (power and fertilizer) and non-regulated sectors.

• Launched: June 2020
• Nodal Agency: Ministry of Coal
• Development: The concept and design of the NCI, including representative prices, were developed by the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.
• Base Year: 2017-18.
• Scope of the Index: The NCI encompasses all transactions of raw coal in the Indian market, including both coking and non-coking grades in regulated and non-regulated sectors.

Coal

• Coal is the most important and abundant fossil fuel in India. It accounts for 55% of the country's energy need. The country's industrial heritage was built upon indigenous coal.
• Indian coal offers a unique ecofriendly fuel source to domestic energy market for the next century and beyond. Hard coal deposit spread over 27 major coalfields, are mainly confined to eastern and south central parts of the the country.(See Coal Reserves).The lignite reserves stand at a level around 36 billion tonnes, of which 90 % occur in the southern State of Tamil Nadu.

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7. RODTEP (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The department of commerce has reportedly asked for an extension of the RoDTEP scheme for exporters, beyond September 2024.

RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products)

• About: It is one of the basic tenets of global trade that countries can opt for “zero-rating” their exports.
• Implementation: 1st January 2021
• Validity: September 2024
• Objectives:

oOffset the hidden taxes and duties borne by exporters which are not refundable through other mechanisms,

oMake Indian exports more competitive in the global market,

oComply with WTO norms by replacing the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), which was facing challenges in terms of WTO compliance.

• Applicability of the Scheme: Exports to all countries, 

oHowever, there are some sectors such as iron and steel, glass and glass products, apparel and madeups (covered by Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies), etc., which have not been given benefit under this scheme.

RoDTEP vs MEIS

• MEIS WAS A promotional scheme to encourage exports of certain thrust sectors whereas RoDTEP is a duty remission scheme, compliant with the norms of WTO. 
• The objective of the MEIS was to incentivise the export of the goods whereas the objective of RoDTEP is neutralise the taxes and duties suffered on exported goods which are otherwise not remitted in any manner.

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8. NATIONAL MISSION FOR CLEAN GANGA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Policy)

Context: The head of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) recently expressed concern over the slow progress of river-cleaning projects across various states under the Centre’s flagship initiative to clean the Ganga and its tributaries.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

• About: It was registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• Formation: It was formed to act as the implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986, and was established to address pollution challenges in the Ganga River.
• Objective: To reduce pollution and rejuvenate the Ganga by fostering intersectoral coordination for comprehensive planning and management.
• Ecological Focus: Ensures minimum ecological flow in the river to maintain water quality and promote environmentally sustainable development.
• Organization Structure: Governing Council and Executive Committee.

Need for the Policy

• Significant River System: The Ganga flows over 2,500 kilometers from Uttarakhand to West Bengal, covering 26% of India’s landmass.
• Historical Pollution: In 2010, approximately 1.4 billion liters of untreated sewage were discharged into the river, prompting the government to take action.
• Previous Efforts: Initial engineering-based approaches in 2011, though significant, failed due to limited community involvement.

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9. PURANDAR FIGS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has successfully facilitated the export of India's first ready-to-drink fig juice, crafted from GI-tagged Purandar figs, to Poland.

Purandar figs

• About: These are celebrated as one of India's finest, recognized for their sweet taste, size, and nutritional benefits.

oThese are known for their unique tastes and textures.

oIt has high pulp content and rich source of vitamins & minerals

• Cultivation Area: Grown in various villages of Purandar taluka, Pune district, Maharashtra.
• Agro-Climatic Condition: Requires dry weather, hilly slopes, and well-drained medium land for optimal growth.
• Soil Composition: Red and black soil with high Calcium and Potassium content contributes to the fig's violet color and size.
• GI Tag: Awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag in 2016.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

• Establishment: Founded by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act of 1985.
• Objective: Aims to develop and promote the export of scheduled products.
• Scheduled Products: Products specified under the APEDA Act, with exporters required to register with APEDA.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.

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10. PEER TO PEER LENDING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending industry is staring at a potential decline in new investments and subdued growth following the tightening of regulations by the Reserve Bank of India.

Peer to Peer Lending

• About: It is a form of crowdfunding facilitated through an online platform that matches lenders with borrowers for unsecured loans.
• Participants: Borrowers can be individuals or businesses needing a loan.
• Popular Platforms: Faircent, OMLP2P, Lendenclub, Finzy, i2ifunding, Cashkumar, Rupeecircle, and Lendbox.
• Regulation of P2P Lending Platforms
• Regulatory Body: These platforms are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and categorized as NBFC-P2P.
• Restrictions: Platforms must not engage in direct financial activities of lending money.
• Benefits of P2P Lending

oP2P lending companies operate online with lower overhead, making their services cheaper than traditional financial institutions.

oLenders can earn higher returns compared to savings and investment products offered by banks.

oBorrowers benefit from lower interest rates even after platform fees.

New Guideline of P2P

• Platforms are prohibited from offering credit enhancements or guarantees; any losses must be borne by lenders with necessary disclosures.
• Platforms cannot cross-sell insurance products beyond those related to the loan and must avoid credit enhancement practices.
• Loans can only be disbursed if all participants are properly matched and a signed loan contract is in place, with matching within close user groups banned.
• NBFC-P2Ps must deploy funds only as specified by regulations, cannot use one lender's funds to replace another's, and must disclose fees at the lending stage.
• Fund transfers between participants must be managed through bank-promoted trustee escrow accounts, with separate accounts for lenders and borrowers.

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