13 August 2022

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Elephant Conservation in India: GS III – Environmental Conservation related issues

 Current Elephant Statistics for India:

• The greatest number of Asian elephants is found in India, where there are thought to be about 27,000 of them.
• Karnataka has the most elephants (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (6,019), according to the 2017 Elephant Census (3,054).

Elephants in Asia:

About:

• Asian elephants come in three subspecies: Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan.
• The Indian subspecies have the largest range and are responsible for the majority of the continent’s remaining elephants.
• The largest and oldest female elephant herd member is in charge (known as the matriarch). The daughters of the matriarch and their children make up this herd.
• Elephants can remain pregnant for up to 680 days, making them the mammals with the longest known gestation periods (22 months).
• The average interval between births for females between the ages of 14 and 45 is four years, increasing to five years by 52, and to six years by 60.
• Estimated population of the world: 20–40,000.

Status:

• Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
• Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
• Appendix I of CITES

Elephants in Africa:

About:

• The Savanna (or bush) elephant and the Forest elephant are two subspecies of African elephants.
• Approximately 4,000,000,000 people worldwide.
• Earlier in July 2020, hundreds of elephants perished in Botswana (Africa).

Status:

• Status on IUCN’s Red List:
• Endangered African Savanna Elephant.
• Critically Endangered African Forest Elephant
• Appendix II of CITES

Threats:

• Increase in poaching.
• Loss of habitat
• Elephant and human conflict
• Mistreatment while held captive.
• Tourism-related abuse of elephants.
• Destructive corridors and rogue mining.

What steps have been taken to promote conservation?

• Plans and initiatives to apprehend their killers and poachers.
• Elephant reserves have been declared and established in many states. For instance, the elephant reserves in Karnataka’s Mysuru and Dandeli.
• Removing invasive species like lantana and eupatorium from places because they hinder the establishment of grass that elephants can eat.
• Barriers to stopping conflicts between humans and elephants.
• Steps for creating a cell to research forest fire prevention.
• Gaj Yatra, a national awareness program to honor elephants, emphasizes the importance of protecting elephant corridors.
• In order to assess the success of field conservation activities, the Monitoring the Illicit Slaughter of Elephants (MIKE) program, which was established internationally in 2003, examines trends in information about the illegal killing of elephants from across Africa and Asia.
• Launched in February 1992, Project Elephant is a federally funded program that aims to safeguard elephants, their habitats, and migration routes.
• Major elephant range states in the nation receive financial and technical assistance through the project from the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
• Elephant welfare is vital to mahouts (those who work with, ride, and care for elephants) and their families.
• The Supreme Court (SC) recently affirmed the Madras High Court (HC) ruling from 2011 regarding the Nilgiris elephant corridor, confirming the animals’ freedom of passage and the closure of resorts nearby.

Source The Indian Express

2 – Essential Commodities Act: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions

About the Essential Commodities Act of 1955:

• Background: Due to persistently low levels of foodgrain production, the country was experiencing a food shortage when the ECA Act 1955 was passed into law.
• The nation was reliant on aid and imports (such wheat imported from the US under PL-480) to feed its people.
• The Essential Commodities Act was passed in 1955 to discourage food stockpiling and black marketing.
• The Essential Commodities Act of 1955 does not define essential commodities in any particular way.
• According to Section 2(A), “essential commodity” refers to a good listed in the Act’s Schedule.
• Legal Jurisdiction: The Act gives the federal government the authority to include or exclude a good from the Schedule.
• In conjunction with state governments, the Centre may declare something vital if it determines that doing so is in the public interest.
• By permitting the Center to permit state governments to control commerce in a wide range of commodities, the ECA 1955 is utilised to manage inflation.

Executing organization:

• The Act is put into effect by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.

Impact:

• The government can impose a stock limit and regulate the production, supply, and distribution of a commodity by designating it as vital.

Concerns Regarding the 1955 Essential Commodities Act:

• The Economic Survey 2019–20 emphasised that while government involvement under the ECA 1955 was completely useless at reducing inflation, it frequently impacted agricultural commerce.
• This type of action does create opportunities for harassment and rent-seeking. Economists refer to unproductive revenue, especially that derived by corruption, as “rent-seeking.”
• During excess perishable harvests, traders frequently purchase much less than they normally would, and farmers frequently incur significant losses.
• Due to the lack of investment in cold storage, warehouses, processing, and export, farmers were unable to obtain higher prices.
• Due to these problems, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was approved by Parliament. However, the government was forced to revoke this statute as a result of farmer opposition.

Steps to Take:

• When India’s production of food grains was insufficient, the ECA 1955 was introduced.
• However, given that India presently has a surplus of the majority of agricultural products, the government’s revisions to the ECA 1955 are a crucial step in achieving its goal of doubling farmers’ incomes as well as improving the ease of doing business.

Source The Indian Express

3 – SMILE Scheme: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

• To address the enduring issue of destitution and beggary, the Government of India has developed the comprehensive SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) scheme.
• As part of the “SMILE-75” Initiative, 75 Municipal Corporations will provide thorough rehabilitation for beggars in the spirit of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Aim:

• Municipal Corporations will provide a range of comprehensive welfare measures for people who are involved in begging in collaboration with NGOs and other stakeholders, with a strong emphasis on rehabilitation, medical facility provision, counselling, awareness, education, skill development, economic ties, and convergence with other Government welfare programmes, among other things.
• The SMILE project would have a total budget of Rs. 100 crore from now till 2025–2026 from the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• It aims to create a system of support for the comprehensive rehabilitation of beggars.

Ministry In-Charge:

• Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.

Components:

• It includes the following sub-scheme:
• People who engage in the act of begging to need comprehensive rehabilitation.

Objectives:

• to eradicate begging from municipal and urban areas.
• to develop a plan involving the coordinated work of many stakeholders for the thorough rehabilitation of those who engage in the act of begging.

What is the status of Beggars in India?

• According to the Census 2011, there are 4,13,670 beggars in India overall (including 2,21,673 men and 1,91,997 women), a rise from the previous count.
• Uttar Pradesh comes in first on the list, followed by West Bengal at number two and Bihar at number three. According to the 2011 census, there are only two vagrants living in Lakshadweep.
• There were 2,187 beggars in New Delhi, the most of any union territory, followed by 121 in Chandigarh.
• Assam led the list of northeastern states with 22,116 beggars, while Mizoram came in last with 53.

Source The Hindu

4 – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Prelims Specific Topic

About:

• According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), is a serious and crippling condition that affects the neurological system, the immune system, and the body’s ability to produce energy (CDC).
• According to experts, the phrase may downplay how serious the sickness is. The US Institute of Medicine suggested the phrase “systemic exertion intolerance illness” in a paper from 2015 (SEID).

Causes:

• Its origins are still a mystery. However, hormonal abnormalities, bacterial or viral illness, and genetic predispositions are some probable triggers. Since there is no specific test for the condition, doctors must rely on physical exams, blood testing, and urine tests.

Who might be impacted:

• Anyone can be impacted by ME/CFS, including children and people of all ages. The CDC reports that it affects more women and people between the ages of 40 and 60.

Symptoms:

• The ability to complete tasks that were previously performed with ease is the main indicator symptom. This is followed by crippling weariness that lasts for at least 6 months (or longer) and is worse than regular fatigue. According to the UK’s National Health Services, this exhaustion is not alleviated by sleep or rest, and exercising typically makes the symptoms worse (NHS).

Treatment:

• There isn’t a known cure or accepted treatment for the condition yet. Instead, medical professionals advise techniques to manage disease symptoms. 

Source The Hindu