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[DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS, 08, MARCH 2023]

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2023

 
 
1.Context
International Women’s Day 2023 (IWD) will be commemorated on March 8 under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”
The United Nations has highlighted the need for inclusive technology and digital education
 It plans to have discussions on the role of all stakeholders in improving access to digital tools
2.Women representation in STEM fields
  • STEM is an approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Through STEM, students develop key skills including: problem solving. creativity. critical analysis.
  • Across the world, there has been a marked absence of women in the professional realm of STEM subjects – including the IT sector, environment and climate, medical sciences, etc
  • This underrepresentation is of note because developments in STEM fields, particularly in technology, are increasingly shaping all aspects of modern life – from chatbots like ChatGPT that are expected to replace workers in various settings to the ubiquity of social media which shapes identities and public discourse
  • Furthermore, from a career perspective, these fields are generally lucrative for workers
  • A typical STEM worker earns two-thirds more than those employed in other fields, according to Pew Research Center
  • Therefore, the underrepresentation of women in STEM impacts the overall gender pay gap as well – women are typically overrepresented in lower-paying jobs and underrepresented in higher-paying jobs such as in STEM fields
3.Gender gap in STEM
  • Globally, 18 per cent of girls in higher-level education are pursuing STEM studies, compared with 35 per cent of boys
  • Even within the STEM fields, there lies a gender divide, with similar numbers of boys and girls pursuing natural sciences while far more boys looked to engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • In India, the enrolment of girls in engineering programmes is significantly lower when compared to their male counterparts
  • Overall in UG, PG, MPhil and PhD engineering programmes, the total enrolment is 36,86,291 where 71 per cent of enrolled students were males and 29 per cent were females, according to data from the All India Survey of Higher Education for 2020-2021
  • But of all students enrolled in science courses at undergraduate, post-graduate, MPhil and PhD levels, women at 53 per cent of enrolment outnumbered men and some increases have been witnessed of late
  • These gains, though, don’t necessarily mean there will also be an increase in employment, because of multiple factors
4. Reasons for existing 'Gap' 
  • Multiple factors determine how women choose to work and the options available to them
  • These include the presence of existing resources such as mentors and programmes offering scholarships, as well as, on a broader level, general societal attitudes on women’s education that do not encourage families to invest in it as much as they do for boys
  • The UNICEF points to gender bias in curricula. For instance, in India, more than 50 per cent of illustrations in math and science textbooks in primary show boys and only 6 per cent show girls
  • In the UK, over a quarter of girls say they have been put off a career in tech as it is too male-dominated and only 22 per cent can name a famous female working in the field
  • In the US, 26 per cent of tech startups have at least one female founder, and in Europe, only 21 per cent of tech founders are female
 
 
Source:indianexpress

HIGH SEAS

1. Context

The UN member states agreed on a historic treaty for protecting marine life in international waters that lie outside the jurisdiction of any country. The ‘breakthrough’ followed talks led by the UN during the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) where negotiations were underway for the past two weeks. The treaty is yet to be formally adopted as members are yet to ratify it.

2. What is High Seas Treaty?

  • Since 2017, an Inter-Governmental Conference established by the United Nations General Assembly has been negotiating an agreement under UNCLOS that would allow for more effective management and protection of the high seas.
  • This internationally legally binding instrument is often referred to as the Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, or "BBNJ treaty".
  • This treaty focuses on four main areas namely Conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in ABNJ including marine genetic resources, Area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, Environmental-impact assessments, and Capacity building and the transfer of marine technology.
  • The draft agreement of the High Seas Treaty recognizes the need to address biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems of the ocean. It places 30% of the world's oceans into protected areas, puts more money into marine conservation, and covers access to and use of marine genetic resources as per the United Nations.
  • An important negotiating point, and source of tension during the talks, was developing countries' access to benefits reaped from the commercialization of resources (especially genetic resources) extracted from the ocean. The treaty has agreed to set up an access and benefit-sharing committee to frame guidelines.

3. What are the High Seas?

  • Parts of the sea that are not included in the territorial waters or the internal waters of a country is known as the High seas, according to the 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas.
  • No country is responsible for the management and protection of resources on the high seas.
  • The high seas are some of the most biologically productive in the world teeming with plankton and home to ocean giants like predatory fish, whales, and sharks.
  • The seabed sequesters tremendous amounts of carbon and the ocean volume traps heat, slowing the effects of climate change on land and in the atmosphere dramatically.
  • High seas begin at the borders of the country's EEZ, which extends up to 370km from the coastlines.
  • However, up until today, just 1% of these high seas waters have been adequately safeguarded.

4. Significance of High Seas

  • The high seas account for more than 60% of the world’s ocean area and cover about half of the Earth’s surface, which makes them a hub of marine life.
  • They are home to around 2.7 lakh known species, many of which are yet to be discovered. The high seas are fundamental to human survival and well­being.
  • These oceans absorb heat from the atmosphere, are affected by phenomena like El Nino, and are also undergoing acidification all of which endanger marine flora and fauna.
  • Several thousand marine species are at risk of extinction by 2100 if current warming and acidification trends continue.
  • Anthropogenic pressures on the high seas include seabed mining, noise pollution, chemical spills, and fires, disposal of untreated waste (including antibiotics), overfishing, the introduction of invasive species, and coastal pollution.
  • Despite the alarming situation, the high seas remain one of the least ­protected areas, with only about 1% of them under protection.

5. About BBJN

  • The BBJN(Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction) Treaty also known as the "Treaty of the High Seas", is an international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, currently under negotiation at the United Nations.
  • This new instrument is being developed within the framework of the UNCLOS, the main international agreement governing human activities at sea.
  • It will achieve a more holistic management of high seas activities, which should better balance the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
  • BBJN encompasses the high seas, beyond the exclusive economic zones or national waters of countries.

Previous year Question

1. Concerning the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements: ( UPSC 2022)

  1. A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from a baseline determined by the convention.
  2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or landlocked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
  3. The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer : D

For Prelims & Mains

For Prelims: UN high seas, UN high seas treaty, UNCLOS,  Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBJN), Exclusive Economic Zone, Territorial Waters.
For Mains: 1. Discuss the significance of the Treaty of High Seas and explain how to save our high seas from overfishing and pollution.
Source: The Hindu

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (NAAC)

 
 
1.Context
 NAAC released a statement addressing the allegations, saying, “As per the mandate of NAAC, the entire process of accreditation and assessment is robust, transparent, ICT-driven and automated
2.Process of Accreditation
  • The current approach has been described as “input-based”. In other words, NAAC relies heavily on self-assessment reports of applicant institutions.
  • The first step has an applicant institution submitting a self-study report of information related to quantitative and qualitative metrics. The data is then validated by NAAC expert teams, followed by peer team visits to the institutions. This last step has sparked controversy.
  • NAAC released the improved grading, terming the allegations as “false”. Interestingly, the controversy has surfaced at a time when the council is considering reducing the role of the peer team visits in the overall scheme of things.
  • “The process of Peer Team Visits adds substantial effort on the part of both NAAC and the HEIs. Hence, we recommend that the role of Peer Team visits be facilitatory and not have a significant weightage in assessment and accreditation.
2. Functions of NAAC
  • The NAAC, set up in 1994, is entrusted with assessing the quality of India’s higher educational institutions.
  • Following a multi-layered assessment process, it awards grades to colleges and universities
  • Its parameters include curriculum, faculty, infrastructure, research and financial well-being
  • The grades issued by NAAC range from A++ to C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited
  • The first step involves an institute approaching the NAAC for assessment
  • Once the NAAC sets the process in motion, the applicant has to submit a self-study report (SSR) containing information related to quantitative and qualitative metrics
  • The data is then validated by expert teams of the NAAC, followed by spot visits by peer teams comprising assessors drawn from universities across India
3.Importance of Mandatory Accreditation
  • While the UGC has over the years issued many circulars directing institutes to mandatorily undergo NAAC’s assessment, the process still remains largely voluntary
  • The National Education Policy (2020) has set an ambitious target of getting all higher educational institutes to obtain the highest level of accreditation over the next 15 years
  • However, according to information shared by the Centre in Lok Sabha in February 2023, out of the 1,113 universities and 43,796 colleges in the All India Survey on Higher Education Report 2020-21, only 418 universities and 9,062 colleges were NAAC-accredited as on January 31, 2023
  • According to current and former officials of the NAAC, the fear of obtaining poor grades holds institutes back from applying
  • In 2019, the UGC had launched a scheme named ‘Paramarsh’ to address the issue. Under the scheme, some of the best performing institutes were identified to serve as mentors to at least five institutes aspiring to get accredited
  • Currently, only institutes that are at least six years old, or from where at least two batches of students have graduated, can apply. The accreditation is valid for five years
 

HEAT IN INDIA

1. Context

This year the month of February was the hottest so far since 1901 in India.
According to a study in the Lancet, published in July 2021, with two decades of data (2000-2019) more than five million people died on average each year worldwide because of extreme temperatures.
The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that extreme heat events will grow with increasing global warming and that every increment of warming matters.

2. Increase in temperature

  • A study by the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) on the historical climate in India shows that temperature in India has been steadily increasing during both summer and winter.
  • The recorded increase in maximum and minimum temperature over 30 years (1990-2019) is up to 0.9° C and 0.5° C, respectively.
  • Summer temperatures have increased by 0.5° C to 0.9° C in many districts in Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and the northeast.
  • Likewise, winter temperatures have also increased by 0.5° C to 0.9° C in 54 per cent of India's districts, with higher levels of warming in the northern states compared to the southern States.
  • This increasing heat is a cause of suffering and death in extreme cases.
  • It undermines systems such as agriculture and other climate-sensitive sectors that support the livelihoods and well-being of people.

3. IFRC Report

  • A joint report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre on preparing for heatwaves state that an extreme heat event that was likely to happen only once in every 50 years without the influence of humans on climate is now likely to happen five times with human-induced climate change in the same period.
  • If the warming is under 2° C, such events will occur 14 times; if the warming is kept under 4° C, they will occur almost 40 times.
Image Source: The Hindu
 
4. India's Climate projections
  • Climate projections for the districts of India by the CSTEP study for 30 years of 2021-2050 show that the maximum temperature during summer will increase even under a "moderate emissions" scenario.
  • The increase is higher under higher emissions scenarios likely to be greater than 2° C and up to 3.5° C in over 100 districts and 1.52° C in about 455 districts.
  • Even winter minimum temperatures are projected to increase by 0.5° C to 3.5° C in the future.
  • While the highest warming of 2.5° C to 3° C is projected in fewer than 1 per cent of the districts, an increase by 1° C to 1.5° C is projected in about 485 districts.
  • Both summer maximum and winter minimum temperatures will increase in the future.
  • This can affect the growth of plants, ecological systems and even the carbon economy as the extreme variations in temperature between days and nights will affect the quality of the soil.
5. Diurnal temperature range 
  • The diurnal temperature range (DTR) the variation between high air temperature and low temperature during a single day is also changing.
  • A December 2020 study supported by the Department of Science and Technology reported an alarming decline in DTR between 1991 and 2016 over the northwest parts of the Ganetic plain and central India agroclimatic zones.
  • This decline signifies an asymmetric increase in the minimum temperature compared to the maximum, which in turn increases the risk of heat stress.
  • This also leads to drought, crop failure and higher morbidity and mortality.
  • The joint report by IFRC and others also states that shortly, heat waves could meet and surpass the human threshold to withstand them physiologically and socially, leading to large-scale suffering, death and migration.
  • From an urban perspective, the combined effects of warming and urbanisation will cause a significant increase in the number of people at risk of extreme heat.
6. International Labour Organisation Report
  • According to a 2019 International Labour Organisation Report, India is expected to lose 5.8 per cent of working hours in 2030 due to heat stress.
  • The loss in the agriculture and construction sectors will be 9.04 per cent, which translates to 34 million full-time jobs.
  • The July 2021 study suggests that future death rates caused by extreme heat could be staggeringly high by the end of the century, which is comparable in magnitude to all cancers or infectious diseases.
7. The Way Forward
  • More than ever, states must step up and share responsibility with other stakeholders to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction through improved early warning systems, the creation of public awareness and the formulation of heat action plans.
In addition, we also need to consider innovative strategies to combat extreme heat, such as
  1. Emergency cooling centres (Similar to the ones in Toronto and Paris); 
  2. Survival guides that are strategically displayed to survive extreme heat or heat waves (like in Athens;
  3. White roofs (Los Angeles)
  4. Green rooftops (Rotterdam)
  5. Self Shading tower blocks (Abu Dhabi) and
  6. Green Corridors (Medellin).
  • But most of all, it is crucial we prepare district-level heat hotspot maps so that different departments of a State and/ or district can design long-term measures to reduce deaths due to extreme heat.

For Prelims & Mains

For Prelims: Heat waves, climate change, CSTEP, IFRC, DTR, International Labour Organisation Report, 
For Mains: 
1. What is the Diurnal Temperature range? Discuss the innovative climate action strategies that one can emulate. 
 
 Previous year questions
 

1. What are the possible limitations of India in mitigating global warming at present and in the immediate future? (2010)

  1. Appropriate alternate technologies are not sufficiently available.
  2. India cannot invest huge funds in research and development.
  3. Many developed countries have already set up their polluting industries in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

1. Ans: (a)

Source: The Hindu

IRANS LITHIUM DEPOSITS

1. Context

Iranian officials claimed to have found a deposit containing 8.5 million metric tons of lithium ore in the country's Hamedan Province. Lithium is a crucial raw material for the production of batteries, used in all kinds of electronic devices, from mobile phones to EVs.

2. Iran's first Lithium Findings

  • A senior official in the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade (MIMT) said that a deposit located in the western province of Hamedan contains some 8.5 million metric tons of lithium ore.
  • This is Iran’s first lithium find. If true, this discovery would be a major boost for Iran, whose economy has suffered under US sanctions and embargoes for decades.
  • Given lithium’s salience in making batteries, any transition away from fossil fuels is expected to heavily rely on lithium.
  • However, this discovery will not immediately be beneficial to Iran It will take about four years to prepare the lithium mines discovered in Qahavand Plain, Hamadan, for operation, with the deposits stretching across a five-six square kilometer area.

3. Largest identified lithium resources

  • According to the US Geological Survey, the world's largest identified lithium resources (not counting Iran) are as follows Bolivia, 21 million tons; Argentina, 20 million tons; Chile, 11 million tons; Australia, 7.9 million tons; China, 6.8 million tons.
  • India recently established inferred lithium resources of 5.9 million tons in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

4. Importance of Lithium in Today's World

  • Lithium is ubiquitous in modern life, found in all kinds of electronic devices, from mobile phones to EVs- basically, anything that requires a rechargeable battery.
  • A battery is made up of an anode, cathode, separator, electrolyte, and two current collectors (Positive and Negative).
  • Lithium-ion batteries use aqueous electrolyte solutions, where ions transfer to and fro between the anode (negative electrode generally made of graphite) and cathode (positive electrode made of lithium), triggering the recharge and discharge of electrons.
  • Even promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, such as Quantum Scape Corp's solid-state lithium-metal battery, continue to use lithium.
  • This is primarily due to Lithium's low weight as compared to other metals (Such as nickel, used in traditional batteries) as well as its superior electrochemical potential.
  • Lithium has become especially valuable in the context of increasing climate concerns with the internal combustion engine and the rise of electric vehicles (EV) as an alternative.
  • Currently, all EVs use lithium in their battery packs with demand set to rise exponentially over the coming decades.
  • A 2020 World Bank report on clean energy transition estimates that the production of minerals, such as graphite, lithium, and cobalt, could increase by nearly 500 percent by 2050, to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies.

5. US Sanctions on Iran

  • The first sanctions were imposed by the US in 1979 when 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days after some radical students stormed the US embassy in Tehran.
  • While sanctions were lifted in 1981, they were reimposed in 1987 in response to Iran's actions to support international terrorism.
  • Since then, the country has faced various sanctions from the US, the European Union, and the UN, with their severity fluctuating depending on the international political Climate.
  • These sanctions, used to try and influence Iran's domestic policies such as its controversial uranium enrichment program, have over the years taken a toll on the Iranian economy and its people.
  • They have hampered Iran's ability to participate in the global economy, leaving the country with perennial shortages in all sorts of sectors from food and consumer goods to technology.

6. Challenges lie ahead

  • According to the United Nations Framework for classification for Reserves and Resources of Solid Fuels and Mineral Commodities (UNFC 1997), resources are categorized using the three essential criteria affecting their recoverability:
  • Economic and Commercial viability (E)
  • Field Project status and feasibility (F)
  • Geological Knowledge (G)
  • India's recent discovery was classified as G4 implying that they are a product of a reconnaissance study, rather than more advanced feasibility and commercial viability studies.
  • According to the UNFC, "Reconnaissance study identifies areas of enhanced mineral potential on a regional scale based primarily on results of regional geological studies, regional geological mapping, airborne and indirect methods, preliminary field inspection, as well as geological inference and extrapolation. The objective is to identify mineralized areas worthy of further investigation towards deposit identification".
  • It is likely that Iran's discovery is also at this stage of categorization.
  • If that is the case, more work is required to establish the commercial viability of the reserve and also a setup where the mining can be carried out.
  • Especially in the context of the economic embargoes Iran faces, this will be a challenge.

Previous Year Question

Which one of the following pairs of metals constitutes the lightest metal and the heaviest metal, respectively? (UPSC 2008)

A. Lithium and mercury
B. Lithium and osmium
C. Aluminum and osmium
D. Aluminium and mercury

Answer: B

For Prelims

For Prelims: Western province of Hamedan in Iran,  Qahavand Plain, Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, Lithium-ion batteries, World Bank report on clean energy transition, and United Nations Framework for classification for Reserves and Resources of Solid Fuels and Mineral Commodities (UNFC 1997).
Source: The Indian Express

COMPENSATORY AFFORESTATION 

1. Context 

As part of its international climate change commitments, India has promised to increase its forest and tree cover to ensure that it can absorb an additional amount of 2.5 billion to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030.

2. Key points

  • Unlike the two other commitments India has made one related to improvement in emissions intensity and the other about the deployment of renewable energy, the forestry target is a relatively difficult one to achieve.
  • Forests are under stress due to the need for rapid industrial and infrastructure development and accompanying urbanisation.
  • In the last 10 years, more than 1, 611 square km of forest land, a little more than the area of Delhi, has been cleared for infrastructure or industrial projects.
  • Nearly a third of this 529 sq km has been cleared in the last three years.
  • But government data also shows that total forest cover had increased by 1 540 square km in the two years between 2019 and 2021.
  • Several tree plantation, afforestation and reforestation programmes are being implemented to increase India's forest and tree cover.
  • These include the Green India Mission, the National Afforestation Programme and tree plantation exercises along the highways and railways.
  • Other flagship government programmes like the national rural employment guarantee scheme (MGNREGS) and Namami Gange also have significant afforestation components.

3. About Compensatory Afforestation

But the showpiece effort for extending India's forest cover has been its compensatory afforestation programme that seeks to ensure that forest lands getting "diverted" for non-forest purposes, like industrial or infrastructure development is mandatorily accompanied by afforestation effort on at least an equal area of land.
  • While the plantation exercise on new lands cannot be compared with the fully grown forests getting diverted, compensatory afforestation made a legal requirement through the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act of 2016 does ensure that newer parcels of land are earmarked for development as forests.
  • Project developers, Public or Private are required to fund the entire afforestation activity on these new lands.
  • The law also acknowledges the fact that newly afforested land cannot be expected to immediately start delivering the range of goods and services timber, bamboo, fuelwood, carbon sequestration, soil conservation, water recharge and seed dispersal that the diverted forests were providing.
  • As a result, project developers are also asked to pay for the Net Present Value (NPV) of the forests being cleared, based on a calculation decided by an expert committee.
  • According to the recently revised calculations, companies have to pay NPV at rates ranging between Rs 9.5 lakh and Rs 16 lakh per hectare, depending on the quality of forests getting diverted.

4. Fees levied for improving forest

  • All this money is meant to be spent solely on increasing or improving the quality of, forest cover in the country, or on works that help this objective.
  • The money is parked in special funds created for this purpose at the Central and State levels.
  • The money is first deposited in the Central fund, from where it gets disbursed to states where the projects are located.
  • The Central fund can keep up to 10 per cent of the total money for spending towards administrative expenses. The rest has to be sent to the states according to their share.
  • Critics say compensatory afforestation had legitimised the clearing of forests and see it as an example of greenwashing.
  • The contrary view is that since the clearing of forests for one or the other purpose cannot be eliminated, compensatory afforestation is a good mechanism for attempting to make up for these losses to some extent.

5. Huge money for Compensatory Afforestation

  • The Compensatory afforestation law came into being only in 2016, but the concept has existed since the 1980s, as an offshoot of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, which made it mandatory for project developers to seek "clearance" of the Environment Ministry for any diversion of forest land.
  • The practice got institutionalised through Supreme Court orders and observations during the hearings of the famous Godavarman case in the 1990s and 2000s.
  • But due to other litigation, the money collected for compensatory afforestation before 2016 had remained largely unutilised.
  • Serious work on compensatory afforestation has begun only after the 2016 Act.
More than ₹ 66,000 crores have been realised in the central fund through different levies prescribed in that law.
A substantial part of this nearly ₹ 55, 000 crores has already been sent to the state governments. But as the accompanying investigative report shows much of this money remains locked in state government funds.
  • State governments have to prepare an annual plan of operations for afforestation work with this money.
  • The APOs contain details of money that are intended to be spent during a financial year for specific works related to afforestation.
  • Once this plan gets approval from the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) at the Central level, the state government transfers the approved amounts to the state forest departments, which then carry out the work.
  • Government records show that APOs by the state governments have not made full utilisation of the funds at their disposal and even the money approved for these APOs has not been entirely spent.
  • Sporadically, there have also been allegations of misutilisation or diversion of these funds and in some cases, investigations have been ordered.

6. Other problems with the practice

  • Besides the low utilisation of funds, the lack of availability of suitable land remains the biggest problem for compensatory afforestation, as has been brought out.
  • The land that is made available for afforestation usually cannot be used for any other purpose and is often extremely unsuitable for growing plantations.
  • While there are examples of some good plantations having come up, the poor quality of land poses a difficult challenge in most instances.
  • Also, while the law mandates at least an equal area of land to be provided for compensatory afforestation, rarely is a contiguous stretch of land made available for this purpose.
  • The total area of land is often distributed over twenty or more different locations.
  • Even if very good plantations were grown, these can never be compared to the kind of forests that often get diverted. Then there are other problems as well.
  • Activists working on the ground complain that often the plantations are monocultures meaning they contain only one species of plants.
  • A key element of any forest is biodiversity.
  • Forest officials on the other hand point to biotic pressures, referring to the challenge the plantations face from nearby human habitations and cattle.

For Prelims & Mains

For Prelims: Afforestation, Green India Mission, national afforestation programme, MGNREGS, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act of 2016, Net Present Value, Forest Conservation Act of 1980, CAMPA, 
For Mains: 
1. What is Compensatory Afforestation? Discuss India's challenges in extending its forest Cover. (250 Words)

Previous Year Questions

1. Consider the following statements: (2019)
1. As per law, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority exists at both National and State levels.
2. People's participation is mandatory in the compensatory afforestation programmes carried out under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2 
 
1. Answer: A
 
Source: The Indian Express

"SWAMIH" INVESTMENT FUND

 
 
1.Background
The Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund I has raised Rs 15,530 crore so far to provide priority debt financing for the completion of stressed, brownfield and Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA)-registered residential projects that fall in the affordable, mid-income housing category. SWAMIH has so far provided final approval to about 130 projects with sanctions worth over Rs 12,000 crore
2.Key Takeaways
  • The Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund I is a social impact fund specifically formed for completing stressed and stalled residential projects
  • The Fund is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and is managed by SBICAP Ventures Ltd., a State Bank Group company
  • Since the Fund considers first-time developers, established developers with troubled projects, developers with a poor track record of stalled projects, customer complaints and NPA accounts, and even projects where there are litigation issues, it is considered as the lender of last resort for distressed projects
  •  The Fund’s presence in a project often acts as a catalyst for better collections and sales primarily in projects that were delayed for years
  • According to the Finance Ministry, SWAMIH Fund has one of the largest domestic real estate private equity teams focused only on funding and monitoring the completion of stressed housing projects.
 
 

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