Whatsapp 93125-11015 For Details
The horns of rhinoceroses may have become smaller over time due to the impact of hunting, according to a recent study which used an interesting research approach—analysing artwork and photographs of the animal spanning more than five centuries.
The study, published in the latest edition of People and Nature by the British Ecological Society, relied on a repository of images maintained by the Netherlands-based Rhino Research Center (RRC).
We found evidence for declining horn length over time across species, perhaps related to selective pressure of hunting, and indicating a utility for image-based approaches in understanding societal perceptions of large vertebrates and trait evolution.
Rhinos have long been hunted for their horns, which are highly valued in some cultures. The five surviving rhino species are still threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
The study found that the rate of decline in horn length was highest in the critically-endangered Sumatran rhino and lowest in the white rhino of Africa, which is the most commonly found species both in the wild and in captivity.
This observation follows patterns seen in other animals, such as tusk size in elephants and horn length in wild sheep, which have been driven down by directional selection due to trophy hunting, the study said.
The RRC’s repository, curated by experts, holds a collection of more than 4,000 rhino images, including artistic portrayals from as early as 1481 as well as photographs, of which the earliest was taken in 1862.
The scientists used this repository for two separate research approaches. They studied 3,158 images to assess the changes in representations of rhinos and human interactions with the animal over the last 500 years.
They also identified 80 images, including all five rhino species, to analyse changes in horn length over time, extracting morphological data from photographs.
“We only included photographs where the animal was side-on to the camera to facilitate more accurate and repeatable measurements.
We excluded photos of any individuals where the horn had been cut, as horn length varies substantially between rhino species and therefore is an important species-specific morphological trait.
Rhinos have been featured in European art for half a millennia, providing a valuable source of information for the scientists. The Indian rhino featured more in early artwork, but the number of images of other species, particularly white rhinos, has increased since the mid-19th century.
States
Panamaram heronry set to get a new lease of life (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Panamaram heronry, the largest breeding ground of different species of herons in the Malabar region, is set to get a fresh lease of life, thanks to the intervention of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) and the Panamaram grama panchayat.
The heronry, formed on a sandbank on the Panamaram river, is a breeding ground for nine species of waterbirds. “The tiny islet is a haven for globally threatened waterfowls, including the black headed-ibis, purple heron, large egret, median egret, little egret, pond heron, night heron, and little cormorant,” says ornithologist C.K. Vishnudas .
The site is also the only location in State where the cattle egret breeds, Mr. Vishnudas adds. A few years ago birds like lesser whistling duck, jacanas, and moore bred on the wetlands near the site. However, human intervention has left a negative impact on the avian habitat.
Former District Collector Kesavendrakumar and Sub-Collector Sambasiva Rao tried to declare the heronry a bird reserve nearly eight years ago to conserve the avian population.
The project did not materialise owing to the alleged apathy of a few former members of the Panamaram grama panchayat.
Now, the newly elected members of the civic body have joined hands with the KSBB to conserve the heronry after realising the significance of the fragile ecosystem.
We are planning to set up a watch tower with binoculars on the opposite bank of the site to watch the bids and plant saplings of bamboo and vetiver to stop the erosion of the sandbanks during monsoon at a cost of ₹6 lakh.
The KSBB granted a sum of ₹3 lakh for the conservation activities and the remaining amount would be met by the civic body, he said.
The construction activities would be completed by December-end and billboards on the avian population of the site would be erected on both sides of the road to the site, P.R. Sreeraj, district coordinator, the KSBB said. “We are also planning to make it a biodiversity heritage site in the near future.
Uttarakhand defending wrongdoings on tree felling in corbett: FSI (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The Forest Survey Institute (FSI) has accused the Uttarakhand Forest Department of “defending wrongdoings” by questioning its assessment of illegal tree felling in the Corbett Tiger Reserve for its Pakhro tiger safari project.
The two departments have been at loggerheads since an FSI report said more than 6,000 trees had been cut at Pakhro despite permission being granted for only 163 trees to be felled.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognizance of the matter following The Hindu’s article on the FSI report on October 2.
However, the Uttarakhand Forest department chief has questioned the methodologies and techniques used by FSI to reach its conclusions.
“Whatever alleged wrongs have taken place in Pakhro and nearby areas are sub-judice and the law is taking its own course. At this juncture, your efforts to defend the wrongdoings may not be the best course of action.
FSI deployed its technically sound personnel, resources like time, funds, and other necessary resources to honour your request to us to carry out remote sensing-based analysis regarding illegal felling of trees in the name of establishment of Pakhro Tiger Safari,” said the FSI DG’s letter.
Our efforts to bring out the facts in the case, instead of being appreciated, are on the contrary being questioned. We have always stuck to principles of science and fairness and have never erred in our estimations.
The tone and tenor of your comments is tantamount to casting doubts and aspirations on our intentions, robust methodology and professionalism, which is not desirable.
The Uttarakhand’s much-awaited tiger safari was under the scanner after FSI’s report showed that the 16.21 lakh area cleared for the project contained an estimated 6,093 trees.
Mr. Singhal then refuted FSI’s claims, saying that some technical issues needed to be resolved before the report could be accepted. The NGT formed a committee to probe the matter and asked the State not to proceed with the safari project until the report is submitted in court.
Illegal tree felling at Corbett was initially highlighted by Delhi-based environmental activist and lawyer Gaurav Bansal. Taking cognizance of his complaint, the State asked FSI to assess the number of trees that felled in the designated area inside the tiger reserve.
Editorial
The most dangerous moment since 1962 (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, International Relations)
In October 1962, when the United States discovered that the Soviet Union had moved nuclear missiles to Cuba, U.S. President John F. Kennedy called it “a deliberately provocative and unjustified change in the status quo which cannot be accepted by this country...”
He ordered a naval quarantine of Cuba, thus blocking access for Soviet ships. He had appointed an executive committee of his National Security Council to advise him on possible reactions.
While most members of the ExComm favoured airstrikes on Cuba targeting the Soviet missiles, Kennedy stuck to quarantine, which was also one of the recommendations of the committee.
At the same time, he opened a back channel to Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev through his brother Robert Kennedy. “Even if he (President Kennedy) doesn’t want or desire a war, something irreversible could occur against his will.
If the situation continues much longer, the President is not sure that the military will not overthrow him and seize power,” Robert Kennedy told the Soviet Ambassador in Washington. Khrushchev reciprocated to Kennedy’s message, which he saw as a “call for help”, and both leaders pulled their countries back from the brink of a nuclear war.
The world has seen several military conflicts since the Cuban missile crisis. There have been wars across continents. Both the former Soviet Union and the U.S. had launched interventions, invasions and proxy conflicts in weaker countries.
But a 1962-like scenario, where two nuclear superpowers came eyeball to eyeball never happened — until the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis.
Eight months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, this is what it looks like it is: a complex polycentric conflict where, inside Ukrainian territory, Russia’s nuclear-armed forces are battling high-performing Ukrainian troops that are directly assisted, in terms of money, weapons and fighters, by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the trans-Atlantic nuclear alliance.
Besides fears of the existing conflict escalating into a direct Russia-NATO war, there are similarities and dissimilarities between the Cuban missile crisis and the Ukraine war. The similarities begin with the origins of both crises.
Khrushchev secretly moved the nuclear missiles to Cuba after the failed Central Intelligence Agency-backed Bay of Pigs invasion of the island in 1961, where the guerillas, under the command of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, had overthrown a pro-American military dictatorship in 1959.
Later, the Soviets claimed that the missiles were for defensive purposes, but the U.S. found the presence of nuclear missiles in an island 145 km off the coast of Florida as a security threat. Put simply, the U.S. would not accept any challenge to its hegemony in the western hemisphere, its immediate periphery.
The origins of the Ukraine crisis can be traced to NATO’s eastward expansion. When NATO took in more countries and pushed its borders towards Russia’s periphery, both the group’s leadership and the new members emphasised that they were a defensive alliance and did not pose any threat to Moscow.
A chance to expand the world’s biosphere footprint (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The first ‘The International Day for Biosphere Reserves’, to be celebrated beginning 2022. The World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) was formed in 1971, as a backbone for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and living in harmony with nature. There are now 738 properties in 134 countries, including 12 in India, four in Sri Lanka, and three in the Maldives.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal do not have biospheres as yet, but help is on its way: The ‘South and Central Asia MAB Reserve’ Networking Meeting (where MAB stands Man and the Biosphere) is planned for 2023, to advance biosphere reserve establishment, and management.
UNESCO is ready to assist in carrying out a professional potentiality analysis. In addition, an expert mission has been planned for spring 2023 — to Bhutan, India’s north-east and the Sundarbans in Bangladesh.
The WNBR, an amazing network of sites of excellence, is a unique tool for cooperation through sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, building capacity and promoting best practices. Its members are always ready to support each other.
This kind of help extended through the network is of great importance because the ecological carrying capacity of the planet earth has been exceeded. We have to revert to living in harmony with nature — to breathe clean air again, have access to enough good water, eat nutritious and affordable food, and live in dignity.
Our planet has been set up uniquely in the solar system so that ecosystems can function and provide a home for all living creatures. From whatever vantage point we look at nature conservation — an environmental, cultural or even a religious point of view — it is our responsibility to respect nature.
The best concept for ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’ that exists in the United Nations system, is the WNBR, making these places more important today than ever before, where humans are thriving and relearning how to live with nature.
In South Asia, over 30 biosphere reserves have been established. The first one was the Hurulu Biosphere Reserve, in Sri Lanka, with 25,500 hectares of tropical dry evergreen forest.
In India, the first biosphere reserve was designated by UNESCO in 2000, namely, the blue mountains of the Nilgiris stretching over Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. India’s network of reserves has gone from strength to strength.
Considering the massive long-term threats to human survivability (besides pandemics and armed conflicts), such as biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution and population dynamics, accelerated by the blind belief in technological solutions for all problems, we need many more biosphere reserves globally. South Asia offers countless options.
India is a vast sub-continent, an emerging superpower of unlimited opportunities. It has become an important global player on environmental sustainability issues. India is likely to become the world’s most populated country in 2023.
Spain, with a landmass of 506,000 km 2, and a population of 47.4 million is one of the lead participating WNBR countries globally, with 53 properties. In a comparison with the surface size of Spain to India (ca. 3.3 million km 2), and India’s human population of ca. 1.4 billion people, it appears a good idea to carry out a potentiality analysis of biosphere reserves in India, with a focus on the seven sisters in north-east India.
Explainer
The new hybrid variant of mustard (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 3, Biotechnology)
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), India’s apex regulator of genetically modified plants and food products, has approved the environmental release of Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11), a genetically-engineered variant of mustard. If approved for commercial cultivation it would be the first genetically modified food crop available to Indian farmers.
DMH-11 is a hybrid variant of mustard developed by researchers at The Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants, at the University of Delhi.
Deepak Pental, who has led the efforts to develop hybrid mustard at the Centre for decades and was a former Vice-Chancellor of the University, began with DMH-1, a hybrid variant that was developed without transgenic technology.
DMH-1 was approved for commercial release in northwest India in 2005-2006 but scientists have said that this technology wasn’t bankable enough to consistently produce hybrid mustard.
While India has several mustard varieties, it is a self-pollinating plant and therefore a challenge for plant-breeders to cross different mustard varieties and induce desirable traits.
Being able to turn off this self-pollinating trait to enable such crossings and then restoring the trait, to enable seed production, is how the mustard plant’s genes are to be manipulated.
DMH-11 is a result of a cross between two varieties: Varuna and Early Heera-2. Such a cross wouldn’t have happened naturally and was done after introducing genes from two soil bacterium called barnase and barstar. Barnase in Varuna induces a temporary sterility because of which it can’t naturally self-pollinate.
Barstar in Heera blocks the effect of barnase allowing seeds to be produced. The result is DMH-11 (where 11 refers to the number of generations after which desirable traits manifest) that not only has better yield but is also fertile. DMH-11 is a transgenic crop because it uses foreign genes from a different species.
Trials conducted over three years by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) suggest that DMH-11 has 28% higher yields than its parent Varuna and was 37% better than zonal checks, or local varieties that are considered the best in different agro-climatic zones.
These trials were conducted at eight locations over three years. DMH-11 rather than being an end in itself signals the proof of success of the barnase-barstar system that can act as a platform technology to develop newer hybrids.
Scientists say that having better hybrids is necessary to meet India’s rising edible-oil import bill. Mustard (Brassica juncea) is cultivated in 6-7 million hectares during the Rabi winter season predominantly in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.
India imports anywhere from 55-60% of its domestic edible-oil requirement. In 2020-21, around 13.3 million tonnes of edible oil were imported at a cost of ₹1,17,000 crore according to the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Can convicted legislators be disqualified from Assembly? (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
Two Uttar Pradesh legislators were convicted on criminal charges in recent days, but only one of them has been disqualified and his seat declared vacant by the State’s Legislative Assembly secretariat.
Azam Khan, the Samajwadi Party MLA for Rampur, was sentenced to a three-year jail term, for making an inflammatory speech in 2019.
As disqualification upon conviction on a criminal charge, accompanied by a prison sentence of two years and more is immediate, the Assembly secretariat declared his seat vacant. However, there has been no such response in regard to Vikram Singh Saini, MLA from Khatauli, after he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013.
Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, contains provisions aimed at decriminalising electoral politics. There are two categories of criminal cases that attract disqualification upon conviction. In the first category are offences that entail disqualification for a period of six years upon any conviction.
If the punishment is a fine, the six-year period will run from the date of conviction, but if there is a prison sentence, the disqualification will begin on the date of conviction, and will continue up to the completion of six years after the date of release from jail.
Major IPC offences are included under this head: making speeches that cause enmity between groups (Sec.153A) and doing so in a place of worship (Sec.505), bribery and personation during elections and other electoral offences, offences relating to rape and cruelty to women by husband and latter’s relatives.
Besides, serious provisions of special laws such as the Protection of Civil Rights Act, Customs Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act etc are among the category of offences that entail disqualification regardless of the quantum of punishment.
Laws for prevention of Sati, corruption, terrorism and insult to national flag and national anthem etc are also part of this group. All other criminal provisions form a separate category under which mere conviction will not entail disqualification. A sentence of at least two years in prison is needed to incur such disqualification.
Under Section 8(4) of the RPA, legislators could avoid immediate disqualification until 2013. The provision said that with respect to a Member of Parliament or a State legislator the disqualification will not take effect for three months.
If within that period, the convicted legislator files an appeal or revision application, it will not take effect until the disposal of the appeal or application.
In other words, the mere filing of an appeal against conviction will operate as a stay against disqualification. In Lily Thomas vs. Union of India, the Supreme Court struck down clause (4) as unconstitutional, thus removing the protection enjoyed by lawmakers.
News
Germany’s call for human rights meet may test India’s stance on Iran (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Apart from the upcoming Universal Periodic Review of India at the Human Rights Council (HRC), Indian diplomacy is faced with an additional challenge as Germany’s Foreign Minister AnnalenaBaerbock has demanded a special session of the HRC on Iran’s ongoing crackdown against peaceful protesters.
In a series of social media messages Ms. Baerbock announced on October 26 that Germany would push for a special sitting of the global human rights body to discuss the current human rights status of Iran.
The brutal repression must not remain without consequences for those responsible. Evidence must be collected for this. Among other things, we support a special human rights council [session] and will support NGOs in documenting crimes.
We will expand our projects in the area of human rights, among other things, and provide places in our protection programmes for particularly vulnerable Iranian people from the areas of culture, science, media and civil society.
The protests in Iran began after the reported custodial killing of Kurdish-Iranian activist MahsaAmini on September 16. The protest that broke out in this backdrop has continued across the country since then.
Latest in the list of casualties was Iran’s celebrity chef Mehrshad Shahidi who too was reportedly killed in custody during last week. India, a member of the HRC, has however refused to condemn the violence against unarmed protesters so far.
The Hindu has learned that the Indian side believes the timing of the German Minister’s demand for a special sitting of the HRC has come at an inconvenient phase as the session for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will be held during November 7 to 18.
Apart from India, the session for UPR will also cover Bahrain, Ecuador, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland, the United Kingdom, Algeria, the Philippines, Brazil, Poland, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Sources indicated that given the fact that 14 countries will undergo UPR during the session, it is very difficult to squeeze in a discussion on Iran’s human rights scenario.
Germany will require the support of the Western bloc at the HRC (approximately 17 countries) to force the global body to have a debate and as a leading power, it is most likely to receive such a support.
However, Germany has not followed up Ms. Baerbock’s announcement with further actions, adding to a sense of suspense here about the next move from the Western bloc on Iran.
A high decibel Western campaign against Iran at the HRC is expected to exert pressure on India as a similar situation was evident during the recent western bid at the HRC to have a special discussion on the status of Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang in China which was narrowly defeated.
While the Western members voted for the special discussion, 19 voted against and 11, including India, voted against the move to have a discussion on Xinjiang.
We want to be India’s defence partner of choice: U.S. official (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
“We want to be the partner of choice for India,” said a senior U.S. defence official on Wednesday while stating that they are the best partner when it comes to sharing high-end technology and next-generation equipment in the backdrop of India diversifying its military arsenal from heavy dependence on Russia.
To a question on the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and ongoing conversation between the two countries, he said they work closely to exchange views and both can’t take the eye off the ball as far as regional security issues are concerned.
“India has the ability to choose its partners.
It has made a conscious decision to diversify over the last decade. It has made a conscious decision to continue to diversify going forward. And it has made a conscious decision to partner with the U.S. on a host of areas.
My focus is on how to take that forward,” said Rear Admiral (RADM) Micheal L. Baker, the U.S. Defence Attaché in India in a conversation with a small group of journalists. There are some pretty challenges across sharing high-end technology and next-generation equipment and we are the best partner in that.
To a question on the recent Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) test by INS Arihant, India’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Rear Admiral said, “A country is able to go through and test its lawful and sovereign capabilities in a responsible way. From what I can tell, India has done that in a responsible way.”
On the continuing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and the situation along the LAC, he said it is certainly an important area for them and they remain watchful.
We work closely with India to exchange our views on this area to make sure that we have a clear understanding of what we think may be happening. I think it is a space both for India and the U.S. to remain watchful. We can’t take the eye off the ball of regional security issues.
There has been talk of India and the U.S. doing joint patrols in the past which was turned down by Defence Ministry at that point. India has since carried out joint patrols with France.
Asked if the time has come for joint patrols between India and the U.S., RADM Baker said to one degree they are conducting joint patrols referring to the broad naval cooperation.
India has ships inside the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). Alongside the U.S., we operate in the same operational space in the North Arabian Sea, in the Arabian Gulf, he noted.
As India makes its deployments into the Pacific, it is almost continually operating with the U.S. forces. Whether we make some sort of formal deceleration is kind of a secondary question. Navies of the world are out there on the sea together. We can’t help but be in the space together.
Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code committee sifts through four lakh suggestions, plans more outreach (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
The five-member team formed to frame the draft for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand is currently struggling to read and analyse over three lakh handwritten letters, 60,000 e-mails, and 22,000 suggestions uploaded on their website by residents of the hill State sharing their view and recommendations on ‘One Law For All’.
Among the suggestions, which have mostly been received from tribal belts, and rural and hilly areas, are policy interventions on “reverse inheritance” (parents to have rights over their offspring’s property), same age of marriage for both genders, and a total ban on polygamy and polyandry.
Speaking to The Hindu, a member of the UCC panel said that they were currently in the process of reading the approximately four lakh suggestions, which may take a month or possibly more time. “We are trying to incorporate all the suggestions given by the people, especially related to gender equality.
The State has a population of about 1 crore. When asked how an unbiased uniform law can emerge from the views of about 4% of the population (going by the number of suggestions received), a senior member said that the exercise was not even needed to legislate if the government intended to do so.
Asking suggestions from people is a healthy way to make laws. This 4% may look a small number but the suggestions we have received are great and worth incorporating.
The panel has so far held 18 meetings in various places in the State, including in the last village in Chamoli district, Mana. People in the Nabi, Gunji and Kuti villages in Pithoragarh district along the India-Nepal border have also responded.
All these villages are in tribal-dominated regions. The UCC panel going to recommence its public outreach to create awareness on the subject from November 9.
The tribal community was more aware of the UCC then those in plains. They wanted gender neutral laws for all, in matters pertains to marriage, divorce and succession, to name a few.
Another member of the UCC committee said elderly people in Pithoragarh had told them they had spent all they had on the education of their children and on sending them to cities but received nothing in turn when they became old and helpless.
They questioned us that if children have equal rights in parents’ income and property, parents should also be given equal rights [on their children’s property] so that they can also live a decent life as their children live,” a member, who said that this suggestion would be included in the recommendations, along with another suggestion in which young men and women asked to have the same age for marriage.
Headed by retired judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, also the current head of the Delimitation Commission, the committee has sought suggestions and recommendations residents from of the State.
Centre ‘doubles’ fertilizer subsidy as prices see a surge (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Considering the huge increase in the prices of fertilizers in global market, the Centre has ‘doubled’ the fertilizer subsidy for this rabi season. A meeting of the Union Cabinet approved a subsidy of ₹51,875 crore to Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potash (K) and Sulphur (S) for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers for the ongoing rabi season.
From the budget estimate of ₹21,000 crore of nutrient-based subsidy, the amount has been more than doubled, said Union Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals Mansukh Mandaviya. Briefing reporters after the meeting, he said the Centre revised the subsidy keeping the increasing market prices in mind.
He said the total fertilizer subsidy for the rabi season, including ₹80,000 crore for urea, would be ₹1,38,875 crore and for both the rabi and kharif, the subsidy amount would be ₹2.25 lakh crore.
This is the highest subsidy so far. Last year it was ₹1.65 lakh crore,” Mr. Mandaviya said and added that as commercial prices had doubled due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the logistics issues due to pandemic the Centre decided to double the subsidy component too.
Increased prices would have burdened the farmers. We have ensured that there will not be any increase in the fertilizer prices in the next six months.
Mr. Mandaviya said a bag of Diammonium Phosphate cost ₹1,350 and it would have been cost ₹2,650 without subsidy. On urea, he said, the subsidy was around ₹2,400 per bag as a bag was being sold for about ₹266 instead of the market price, which was ₹2,700.
He added that the Centre had taken up measures to increase production of urea in the country. While the requirement was 350 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), the production in the country was 250 LMT.
He said four new plants were coming up and nano urea would also replace the use of urea slowly. Mr. Mandaviya said the country had enough stock of fertilizers for this season and reports about farmers queueing up to buy fertilizers were blown out of proportion.
The Centre said the move would help the farmers. “This will enable smooth availability of all P&K fertilizers to the farmers during rabi 2022-23 at the subsidised / affordable prices and support the agriculture sector.
The volatility in the international prices of fertilizers and raw materials has been primarily absorbed by the Union government.
India-U.K. FTA will tighten screws on generic drugs: MSF (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
The proposals on intellectual property (IP) rights in the draft India-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will hurt the global supply of generic medicines, Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF) warned.
In a press note, the international organisation said low medicine prices help save lives in vulnerable communities across the world but the intellectual property chapter of the India-U.K. FTA contains “harmful IP provisions”.
The IP-related chapter, leaked on October 31, showed that the controversial provisions tabled by the U.K. to “tighten the screws on producing, supplying and exporting affordable generic medicines from India”.
“Given the disastrous consequences, this leaked IP chapter could have on the global supply of generic medicines, the U.K. government should withdraw it completely.
India should stay vigilant and not allow barriers to affordable medicines to be written into FTA negotiations,” Leena Menghaney, South Asia head of MSF’s Access Campaign, said.
In a “Fact Sheet”, MSF has argued that the demand for “harmonisation” of Indian patent law with the U.K.’s laws will lead to dilution of important provisions in the Indian patent system that are necessary for manufacturing generic medicines and vaccines.
“Article E.10 of the leaked IP chapter stipulates that both parties “shall not” make patent opposition proceedings available BEFORE the grant of a patent. In effect, this provision applies only to India as the U.K. does not have a pre-grant opposition system - this goes directly against the current Indian patent law, which allows patent opposition proceedings both before and after the grant of a patent,” the MSF said in its observations on the IP provisions.
MSF pointed out that under the proposals from the U.K., even treatment providers could be subjected to legal actions for prescribing generic medicines for which India is one of the largest manufacturing hubs.
MSF said that the IP provisions brought up by the U.K. opened up possibilities for “excessive enforcement” that are likely to create difficulties for both Indian pharmaceutical companies as well as the legal set-up.
MSF highlighted that another problematic provision is Article J.11 of the leaked IP chapter. Under this provision, Customs officials could block legitimate medicines from leaving India for other developing countries if a multinational pharmaceutical corporation was to claim that their patents were being infringed upon by the Indian product.
Furthermore, Article J.5 and J.7 prescribe how courts should adjudicate IP disputes, which could impact [Indian] judicial discretion.
Pahari ethnic community added to Scheduled Tribes list of Jammu and Kashmir (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 1/2, Society/Constitutional bodies)
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has now cleared the way for the inclusion of the ‘Pahari ethnic group’ in the Scheduled Tribes list of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The proposal green-lit by the commission also called for the inclusion of the “Paddari tribe”, “Koli” and “Gadda Brahman” communities to be included in the ST list of J&K.
This comes within a month of Union Home Minister Amit Shah announcing in a public address in Rajouri that the Pahari community would be given reservation in jobs and education.
Shortly after Mr. Shah’s address, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs on October 7 sent a letter to the ST Commission, seeking its opinions and views on the proposal to include these four communities in the ST list of Jammu and Kashmir.
Government sources said that after several meetings of the commission, the panel cleared the proposal for their inclusion in its meeting of October 20.
The suggestion for the inclusion had come from the commission set up for socially and educationally backward classes in the Union Territory, headed by Justice (Retd.) G.D. Sharma.
With the delimitation of the newly-formed UT having been done and the Election Commission of India looking to hold elections there soon, Mr. Shah had promised that his government was working to implement the recommendations of the Justice Sharam Commission, while addressing a public rally on October 4 in Rajouri in Pir Panjal Valley, where most Paharis reside.
The delimitation commission has reserved six of the nine Assembly segments in the Pir Panjal Valley for STs.
The Pir Panjal valley is also home to Gujjars and Bakarwals, who are already categorised as STs, and have expressed resentment over the possibility of the inclusion of Paharis in the ST list.
While promising Paharis ST status, Mr. Shah had also vowed that the government will not dilute the share of benefits available to Gujjars and Bakarwals in the area and sought the support of all three communities.
According to the modalities followed by the Union government for the inclusion of new communities in the ST list, once the NCST and the Office of the RGI have approved the proposal for inclusion, all that remains to be done is for the Union Cabinet to give the final nod.
After this, for addition to the ST list of J&K, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs will be required to bring a Bill in Parliament to amend the The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989 accordingly.
Following this, the addition will be finalised once the President of India notifies the revised schedule as empowered by Article 342 of the Constitution of India. Currently, Jammu and Kashmir has 12 communities that have been notified as STs.
Business
RBI had to ensure recovery took hold before acting on inflation: Das (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
A day before writing to the government detailing reasons for the central bank’s protracted failure to keep inflation below 6% as mandated by law, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das asserted that while there had been slippage in the inflation trajectory, any premature policy tightening could have proved costly for the economy and the people of India.
We did not want to upset the process of recovery, we wanted the economy to safely land, reach the shores” before trying to pull down inflation, Mr. Das told bankers at FIBAC 2022, an annual banking conclave.
Stating that the counterfactual also needed to be appreciated, he said, “In the process [of dealing with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and war-induced imported inflation] there has been a slippage in our inflation trajectory to keep inflation below 6%, but it would have proved very costly for the economy, the citizens of this country. They would have paid a high cost.
Today, I can say with confidence that the whole debate about RBI [being] behind the curve has ended. Today, as we stand, the growth momentum has sustained, inflation is expected to moderate, the financial sector is stable and resilient, the balance sheets of banks are looking robust, corporate sector balance sheet is also strong, the MSME sector has withstood the crisis and there has been credit offtake.
Emphasising that domestic inflation remained elevated, he said, RBI was closely monitoring the inflation trends as well as the effect of its past actions. “In our view, price stability, sustained growth and financial stability need not be mutually exclusive.
Drawing a parallel to Arjun’s concentration with RBI’s efforts to rein in inflation he said, “In the Mahabharata during the famous Swayamvara when the great warrior Arjuna aimed at the eye of the revolving fish through the pool of water below, he would have certainly assessed the speed at which the fish was revolving, the wind conditions, the intensity of the ripples in the pool of water, the noise levels in the King’s court and similar other factors”.
No one can match the prowess of Arjuna, but our constant endeavour is to keep an Arjuna’s eye on inflation, which is our primary target.
I want to say very empathically that the monetary policy framework constituted in 2016 is very transparent and writing of the letter is very essential and a fundamental element of that transparency.
He said the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) would be rolled out in 2023 after reviewing the pilots currently underway.
He said the CBDC would be a landmark moment in the history of money and currency in the country. “Going forward, it is going to be a major transformation of the way business is done, the way transactions are conducted.
Observing that the RBI was among the few central banks in the world that had taken this initiative, he said the retail part of the CBDC pilot would be rolled out later this month.
Referring to the volatility in the exchange rate, Mr. Das said that almost all major currencies - barring the Swiss franc, the