New Approach to Immigration in U.K

Confederation of British Industry has published a report ‘Open and Controlled – A New Approach to Migration’ calling for a “new approach” towards UK’s immigration policies.

• The report has suggested that the government should scrap net migration targets after Brexit and continue to allow visa-free entry into the UK by EU citizens.
• According to the report, UK’s immigration policy needs to shift away from attempting to reduce numbers and should instead be focused on ensuring that people coming to the UK make a positive contribution to the economy.
• From agriculture to technology, the report outlines why overseas workers matter for various sectors across the UK economy.
• It also suggested that trade deals with countries such as India and Australia would be easier to forge if Britain reviewed its approach to visas, and brought migration policy to the trade discussion table.
• The existing visa restrictions inhibit trade and foreign direct investment.
• The report has recommended reforming the Tier 2 visa route (the main work route for those coming to the U.K., including from India) to ensure that employers could access the range of skills that they need and scrapping the annual number of Tier 2 visas issued.
  • The government recently took doctors and nurses out of the annual limit, but with EU workers leaving the U.K. in larger numbers, the demand for Tier 2 visas has risen, leaving businesses unable to hire the talent they needed.

India’s Stand

• India has repeatedly raised concerns about Britain’s unwillingness to ease visa restrictions for professionals, students and others.
• In particular, Britain’s decision to exclude India from a relaxation of visa norms for students provoked criticism from India, raising bilateral tensions.

The Andamans’ New Colonisers

The Indian bull frog, a recent arrival from the mainland, is steadily occupying the islands’ ecosystem and threatening the local economy. However this is not the only invasive species on the island.

• The other invasive species are elephant(introduced for logging and later abandoned), chital, hog deer, and barking deer.
• Giant African Snail, one of the 100 worst invasive species as described by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has now established itself as a major agricultural pest.
• An invasive species, also called invasive exotics or exotics, is a species that is accidentally or artificially introduced into a biosphere where it is not normally found. In the absence of a natural predator, as it generally happens, the invasive species thrives and causes economic and environmental damage due to the imbalance created by its introduction.
• The invasive species are more threatening on islands as the islands have few and unique species, which are irreplaceable. They are found no where else in the world. This makes the entire food web in the islands very different from that of the mainland. Unlike the mainland, resources on the islands are scarce for big animals, while natural calamities are more frequent.
• Island species are evolved to cope with natural disaster, but they have little capacity to withstand rapid, human-induced impacts.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity has said that invasives have contributed to 40% of all animal extinctions since the 17th century. The IUCN has formulated guidelines for managing invasives specifically in islands, largely involving data collection, community engagement, policy measures and management plans.
• India is one of the very few countries in the world that does not have an invasive species policy.

Indian Bullfrog

• Scientific Name: Hoplobatrachus tigerinus
• Common Name: Bull Frog, Golden Frog, Tiger Frog etc.
• IUCN Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern
• Native: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan
• Indian Wildlife Act 1972: Schedule IV (Animals not in danger of becoming extinct; hunting invokes penalties)
• Following the decline of natural fish stock after the 2004 Tsunami, the local administration encouraged integrated farming, with aquaculture in agricultural ponds. The fishling stocks (mostly from Kolkata) released into some of these ponds were contaminated with bullfrog eggs and tadpoles. This may have led to arrival of Bull Frog on the island.
• It gulps down anything that would fit in its jaws: centipedes, leeches, native frogs, lizards, small snakes, and even chicks and ducklings, which are an important source of food for the islanders.
• Adult bullfrogs pose a threat to small endemic vertebrates (from frogs to birds). Bullfrogs not only eat the native frogs, even their diets overlap, indicating a possibility of competition.

Important Facts for Prelims (11th August, 2018)

One District One Product Summit

• The President of India inaugurated the ‘One District One Product’ Summit in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. 

  District	Products
  Agra	Leather
  Ferozabad	Glass bangles
  Kashganj	Jari and Jardozi
  Chitrakoot	Wooden Toys
  Kanpur	Leather products
  Moradabad	Metal craft
  Amroha	Musical instruments
  Varanasi	Silk products

• Under the scheme, the state government of Uttar Pradesh has set a goal of providing employment to 25 lakh people in five years through the financial assistance of Rs. 25,000 crores.
• The scheme can create large number of employment opportunities for the youth and strengthen the inclusive and sustainable development of Uttar Pradesh.
• This scheme will also increase the growth of small, medium and traditional industries of the districts.
• Uttar Pradesh contributes around 44% in the total handicraft exports of the country. Industries such as handicrafts, food processing, engineering goods, carpets, readymade clothes, leather goods etc earns foreign exchange as well as provide employment. Therefore, this sector will play an important role in the development of Uttar Pradesh.

Repurpose Used Cooking Oil

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO), an initiative that will enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to bio-diesel. FSSAI has recently notified standards for used cooking oil.
• FSSAI may also look at introducing regulations to ensure that companies that use large quantities of cooking oil hand it over to registered collecting agencies to convert it into biofuel.
• Under this initiative, 64 companies at 101 locations have been identified to enable collection of used cooking oil.
• According to FSSAI, India has the potential to recover 220 crore litres of used cooking oil for the production of biodiesel by 2022 through a co-ordinated action.
• FSSAI wants businesses using more than 100 litres of oil for frying, to maintain a stock register and ensure that used cooking oil is handed over to only registered collecting agencies.
• According to FSSAI regulations, the maximum permissible limits for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) have been set at 25%, beyond which the cooking oil is unsafe for consumption.
• FSSAI is also working in partnership with Biodiesel Association of India and the food industry to ensure effective compliance of used cooking oil regulations.
• FSSAI has additionally launched a micro-site to monitor the progress of the collection and conversion of used cooking oil into biodiesel.

Zero Budget Natural Farming

• Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) refers to a set of Natural Farming methods where the cost of growing and harvesting Plants is effectively Zero. It believes in Natural Growth of Crops without adding any fertilizers and pesticides or any Foreign Elements to crops or Land.
• Recently Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have shown interest in ZBNF practices and Promotion of Project in respective States.
• Keeping in mind, India's growing food needs , ZBNF is a right step to ensure Food Security in the Country.

Benefits

• It will check the menace of soil and water pollution and ensure better quality of produce.
• It will reduce the initial costs of the farmers which will indirectly help the Government in their efforts in doubling their incomes.
• It will contribute to Sustainable use of Natural Resources.
• It will lead to increase in GDP share from Agriculture.
• It can generate employment opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors.
• It will solve the problem of Hidden Hunger as crops produced through this methods are micro nutrient rich.

Operation Madad

• Operation “Madad” has been launched by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi for assisting the state administration and undertaking disaster relief operations due to the unprecedented flooding experienced in many parts of Kerala, owing to incessant rainfall and release of excess water from Idukki and other dams.
• The Southern Naval Command is one of the three main formations of the Indian Navy. It has its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala.
• The SNC is the Training Command of Indian Navy and is responsible for the training of all its personnel, both officers as well as sailors, from basic to advance stages.

PENCIL Portal

• Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal is an electronic platform that aims at involving Centre, State, District, Governments, civil society and the general public in achieving the target of child labour free society.
• It has been launched for the effective implementation of Child Labour Act and National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme.
• PENCIL Portal has five components- Child Tracking System, Complaint Corner, State Government, National Child Labour Project and Convergence.
• The Districts will nominate District Nodal Officers (DNOs) who will receive the complaints.
• Within 48 hours of receiving the complaints, DNOs will check the authenticity of the complaint and thereafter will take the rescue measures in coordination with police.
• PENCIL portal is administered by Ministry of Labour & Employment.
• Under National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme, children in the age group of 9-14 years, rescued/withdrawn from work are enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid day meal, stipend, health care, etc. before being mainstreamed into formal education system.