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Helium Crisis for India

Why in News India imports helium for its needs, and with the USA appearing set to cut off exports of helium since 2021, Indian industry stands to...

26 Mar 2021 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Glaciers

About A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and water that originates on land and moves down...

15 Feb 2021 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Domestic Vanadium Deposits

Why in News A recent exploration by Geological Survey of India (GSI) has found reserves of Vanadium in Arunachal Pradesh. GSI is an attached...

12 Jan 2021 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Domestic Exploration of Lithium

Why in News Recent surveys by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) have shown the presence of lithium resources in...

11 Jan 2021 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Recovery from Coal Mining in Meghalaya’s Moolamylliang

Why in News Moolamylliang, a village in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, is making progress in becoming a greener place amid abandoned...

07 Dec 2020 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Educational Complexes for Tribal Students: Odisha

Why in News Recently, the Government of Odisha has announced the establishment of three mega educational complexes exclusively for tribal students,...

08 Jun 2020 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Kuril Islands

Why in News Recently, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck in the northern Pacific and a tsunami warning was issued for the closest shores on...

26 Mar 2020 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Guidelines to Monitor Sand Mining

Why in News For the first time, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released guidelines to monitor and check...

29 Jan 2020 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Policy Watch: National Water Policy

Government is planning to come out with an updated version of the National Water Policy (NWP) with key changes in water governance structure and...

30 Oct 2019 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
White Tea

The Golokpur tea estate in Unakoti district of Tripura set a record for selling maximum quantity of white tea. White tea (minimally processed) is...

29 Jul 2019 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Coal Sector in India

Introduction Coal is the most important and abundant fossil fuel in India. It accounts for 55% of the country's energy needs. The country's...

17 Jun 2019 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Karnataka Ordered to Release Cauvery Water

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has ordered Karnataka to release 9.19 tmcft of water for the month of June from the Biligundlu...

29 May 2019 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Mining Sector in India

...

03 May 2019 Distribution of Key Natural Resources
Mining Sector in India

Why in News? India has recorded 377 mine deaths in last 3 years [as per data tabled in Lok the Sabha]. India plans to deep dive for extracting...

03 May 2019 Distribution of Key Natural Resources

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		'article_id' => (int) 8019,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Helium Crisis for India',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>India imports helium for its needs, and with the USA appearing set to cut off exports of helium since 2021, Indian industry stands to lose out heavily.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>Federal Helium Reserve</strong> which is the major helium reserve of the USA is set to <strong>close down production in 2021</strong>, and scientists are looking for new reserves to replace it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Helium:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Helium is a <strong>chemical element</strong> with the symbol <strong>He</strong> and atomic number <strong>2</strong>.</li>
<li>It is a <strong>colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas</strong>, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table.</li>
<li>Its <strong>boiling point is the lowest</strong> among all the elements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616754903_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1616754903_image5.png" width="500" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Discovery of Helium:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Atmosphere Surrounding the Sun:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Helium was discovered <strong>in the gaseous atmosphere surrounding the Sun</strong> by the <strong>French astronomer Pierre Janssen</strong>, who detected a bright yellow line in the spectrum of the solar chromosphere during an eclipse in <strong>India</strong> in the year <strong>1868.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Joseph Norman Lockyer</strong> recorded the same line by observing the sun through London smog and, assuming the new element to be a metal, he <strong>named it helium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On Earth:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The British chemist <strong>Sir William Ramsay discovered</strong> the existence of <strong>helium on Earth in 1895.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>In India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>In 1906</strong> a young Englishman by the name of Morris Travers <strong>extracted helium in small quantities by heating up monazite sand</strong> abundantly available in Kerala beach, in a pioneering effort.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Monazite</strong> is a primarily reddish-brown phosphate mineral that contains rare-earth elements.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Reserves:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>Rajmahal volcanic basin in Jharkhand</strong> is the storehouse of helium trapped for billions of years, since the very birth of Earth from the Sun.</li>
<li>At present, researchers are mapping the Rajmahal basin extensively for future exploration and harnessing of helium.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need for India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>To Reduce Import Burden:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Every year, India imports helium worth Rs. 55,000 crores from the USA to meet its needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vast Use:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Helium is used in medicine, scientific research, for blimp inflation, party balloons as well as for welding applications.</li>
<li>It finds many applications, mainly in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, in rockets and in nuclear reactors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA&rsquo;s Monopoly:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>After discovering that helium was concentrated in large quantities under the <strong>American Great Plains.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>USA became the most important exporter of helium</strong> across the world.</li>
<li>It was soon realized that the <strong>USA was also the biggest storehouse of helium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Option:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Qatar</strong> is a possible exporter but acute political and diplomatic wrangles have made Qatar <strong>unreliable</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-emerging-crisis-of-obtaining-helium-in-india/article34118742.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 7688,
		'category_id' => (int) 26,
		'title' => 'Glaciers',
		'description' => '<h3>About</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A glacier is a large, <strong>perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment,</strong> and <strong>water</strong> that originates on land and moves down slope under the influence of its own weight and gravity. They are <strong>sensitive indicators of changing climate.</strong></li>
<li>Out of total water on Earth, <strong>2.1% is in glaciers while 97.2% is in the oceans</strong> and inland seas.</li>
<li><strong>Condition of glacier formation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Mean annual temperatures</strong> are close to the freezing point.</li>
<li><strong>Winter precipitation</strong> produces significant accumulations of snow.</li>
<li><strong>Temperatures throughout the rest of the year</strong> do not result in the complete loss of the previous winter&rsquo;s snow accumulation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Formation of Glacier</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Glaciers begin forming in places where more snow piles up each year than melts. Soon after falling, the snow begins to compress, or become denser and tightly packed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The process of snow compacting into glacial firn (dense, grainy ice) is called <strong>firnification</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>When the ice grows thick enough, about 50 meters (160 feet), the firn grains fuse into a huge mass of solid ice. The glacier begins to move under its own weight.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Different parts of a glacier move at different speeds. The flowing ice in the middle of the glacier moves faster than the base.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Geographical Location</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>91%</strong> of the Glaciers are in <strong>Antarctica</strong> and <strong>8%</strong> are in <strong>Greenland.</strong> They occupy about 10% of the world's total land area.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1613373504_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1613373504_image1.png" width="600" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Significance:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Glaciers as Reservoirs:</strong> About <strong>three-quarters</strong> of Earth's freshwater is stored in glaciers. Therefore, glacier ice is the <strong>second largest reservoir of water</strong> on Earth and the <strong>largest reservoir of freshwater</strong> on Earth.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The cold runoff from glaciers also affects downstream water temperatures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Glaciers feeding Rivers:</strong> The <strong>Gangotri Glacier</strong>, one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains, is <strong>the source of the Ganga River</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Ganges is the most important source of freshwater and electricity in India and Bangladesh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Glaciers for Aquatic Life:</strong> Many <strong>aquatic species in mountainous environments</strong> require cold water temperatures to survive which is provided by Glaciers. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some <strong>aquatic insects</strong> are <strong>especially sensitive to stream temperature</strong> and cannot survive without the cooling effects of glacial meltwater.</li>
<li>Such changes in stream habitat may also <strong>adversely impact native trout</strong> and other <strong>keystone salmon species.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Glaciers for People:</strong> Glaciers provide people with many useful resources. Glacial till <strong>provides fertile soil for growing crops</strong>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Deposits of sand and gravel are used to make <strong>concrete and asphalt</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Classification of Glaciers</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Glaciers can be classified according to their: <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Size</strong> (i.e. ice sheet, ice cap, valley glacier, cirque glacier)</li>
<li><strong>Thermal regime</strong> (polar vs. temperate).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Size Based</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ice Cap:</strong> An ice cap is a dome-shaped glacier mass flowing in all directions, such as the ice cap on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There is still some <strong>uncertainty about the full volume of glaciers and ice caps</strong> on Earth, but if all of them were to melt, <strong>global sea level would rise approximately 70 meters</strong> (approximately 230 feet), flooding every coastal city on the planet.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Valley Glaciers:</strong> Also called <strong>Alpine Glaciers</strong> or <strong>Mountain Glaciers</strong>, they form on mountainsides and move downward through valleys. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are <strong>found in high mountains</strong> <strong>of every continent except Australia</strong> (although there are many in New Zealand). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Example: The <strong>Gorner Glacier in Switzerland</strong> and the <strong>Furtwangler Glacier in Tanzania</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ice Sheets:</strong> Unlike valley glaciers, ice sheets are not limited to mountainous areas. They form broad domes and spread out from their centers in all directions. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As ice sheets spread, they cover everything around them with a thick blanket of ice, including valleys, plains, and even entire mountains.</li>
<li>The largest ice sheets, called <strong>continental glaciers</strong>, spread over vast areas. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Continental glaciers <strong>cover most of Antarctica and the island of Greenland</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cirque glaciers:</strong> They are short and wide, are confined to cirques, or amphitheatres, cut in the mountain landscape.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Thermal Regime based:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Polar Glacier:</strong> A polar glacier is defined as one that is below the freezing temperature throughout its mass for the entire year.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A subpolar glacier contains ice below the freezing temperature, except for surface melting in the summer and a basal layer of temperate ice.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Temperate Glacier:</strong> A temperate glacier is the one that&rsquo;s <strong>essentially at the melting point</strong>, so liquid water coexists with glacier ice. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are found in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and <strong>Asia</strong> and <strong>New Zealand.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Some of the <strong>Antarctic glaciers</strong> and <strong>Greenland&rsquo;s southern outlet glaciers</strong> are temperate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Landforms Formed</h3>
<p><strong>Erosional Landforms</strong><br /><strong></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Glacial Valleys/Troughs:</strong> These valleys are <strong>trough-like and U-shaped</strong> with broad floors and relatively smooth, and steep sides. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The valleys may contain littered debris or debris shaped as <strong>moraines</strong> with swampy appearance.</li>
<li>Very deep glacial troughs filled with sea water and making up shorelines (in high latitudes) are called <strong>fjords/fiords.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cirques:</strong> Often are found at the heads of glacial valleys, these are the most common of landforms in glaciated mountains. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are <strong>deep, long and wide troughs</strong> or basins with very steep concave to vertically dropping high walls at its head as well as sides.</li>
<li>A lake of water can be seen quite often within the cirques after the glacier disappears. Such lakes are called <strong>cirque lakes or tarn lakes.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Horns and Serrated:</strong> Ridges Horns form through headward erosion of the cirque walls. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If three or more radiating glaciers cut headward until their cirques meet, high, sharp pointed and steep sided peaks called horns form.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Depositional Landforms:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Glacial Till:</strong> The unassorted coarse and fine debris dropped by the melting glaciers is called glacial till. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some amount of rock debris small enough to be carried by such melt-water streams is washed down and deposited. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Such glaciofluvial deposits are called <strong>outwash deposits</strong>.</li>
<li>The outwash deposits are roughly stratified and assorted.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Moraines:</strong> They are <strong>long ridges of deposits of glacial till.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Terminal moraines</strong> are long ridges of debris deposited at the end (toe) of the glaciers.</li>
<li>Lateral moraines form along the sides parallel to the glacial valleys.</li>
<li>Many valley glaciers retreating rapidly leave an irregular sheet of till over their valley floors called <strong>ground moraines.</strong></li>
<li>The moraine in the centre of the glacial valley flanked by lateral moraines is called <strong>medial moraine.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They are imperfectly formed as compared to lateral moraines. Sometimes medial moraines are indistinguishable from ground moraines.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Eskers:</strong> These are ridges made of sands and gravels, deposited by glacial meltwater flowing through tunnels within and underneath glaciers, or through meltwater channels on top of glaciers.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Over time, the channel or tunnel gets filled up with sediments. As the ice retreats, the sediments are left behind as a ridge in the landscape.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Drumlins:</strong> They are <strong>smooth oval shaped ridge-like features</strong> composed mainly of glacial till with some masses of gravel and sand. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The long axes of drumlins are parallel to the direction of ice movement.</li>
<li>They may measure up to 1 km in length and 30 m or so in height.</li>
<li>The drumlin end facing the glacier is called the stoss end and is blunter and steeper than the other end called tail.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1613374293_Image1.PNG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1613374293_Image1.PNG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 7432,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Domestic Vanadium Deposits',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A recent exploration by <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-navy-signs-mou-with-geological-survey-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Geological Survey of India</a> (GSI)</strong> has found reserves of <strong>Vanadium in Arunachal Pradesh.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>GSI is an <strong>attached office to the Ministry of Mines.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Vanadium:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Vanadium is a <strong>chemical element</strong> with the <strong>symbol V.</strong></li>
<li>It is a scarce element, hard, silvery grey, ductile and malleable <strong>transition metal</strong> with <strong>good structural strength.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Transition metals are all the elements in groups 3&ndash;12 of the periodic table. These are superior conductors of heat as well as electricity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ores:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Patronite, vanadinite, roscoelite and carnotite.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uses:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Vanadium is used primarily as an alloying element in the <strong>Iron &amp; Steel Industry</strong> and to some extent as a <strong>stabiliser in titanium and aluminium alloys used in the aerospace Industry.</strong></li>
<li>Modern applications of vanadium include its use as <strong>vanadium secondary batteries for power plants</strong> and <strong>rechargeable Vanadium Redox Battery (VRB) for commercial applications.</strong></li>
<li>Vanadium alloys are used in <strong>nuclear reactors</strong> because of <strong>vanadium's low neutron-absorbing properties.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reserves of Vanadium in Arunachal Pradesh:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Concentrations of vanadium have been found in the <strong>palaeo-&shy;proterozoic</strong> (era) <strong>carbonaceous phyllite rocks</strong> in the<strong> Depo and Tamang areas</strong> of Papum Pare district in Arunachal Pradesh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Phyllite</strong> is a fine-grained <strong>metamorphic rock</strong> formed by the recrystallization of fine-grained, parent sedimentary rocks, such as mudstones or shales.</li>
<li>Sedimentary rocks containing significant enrichment in organic matter over average sediments are called <strong>carbonaceous sedimentary rocks.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are <strong>other potential sites in various districts</strong> in Arunachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>This is the <strong>first report of a primary deposit of vanadium in India.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Current Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is a <strong>significant consumer of vanadium,</strong> but is not a primary producer of the strategic metal.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>According to data provided by the GSI, India consumed<strong> 4%</strong> of total <strong>global production of Vanadium in 2017.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is recovered as a<strong> by-product from the slag</strong> of processed vanadiferous magnetite (iron) ores.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Slag is the<strong> glass-like by-product left over after</strong> a desired metal has been separated (i.e., smelted) from its<strong> raw ore.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Reserves:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The largest deposits of Vanadium are in<strong> China, followed by Russia and South Africa</strong> respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/arunachal-now-on-indias-vanadium-map/article33544369.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 3 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 7428,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Domestic Exploration of Lithium',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recent surveys by the<strong> Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research</strong> (AMD) have shown the presence of<strong> lithium resources in Mandya district,</strong> Karnataka.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>AMD is the oldest unit of the<strong> Department of Atomic Energy.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Lithium:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Properties:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is a chemical element with the symbol <strong>Li.</strong></li>
<li>It is a soft, silvery-white metal.</li>
<li>Under standard conditions, it is the <strong>lightest metal </strong>and<strong> the lightest solid element.</strong></li>
<li>It is highly <strong>reactive and flammable, and must be stored in mineral oil.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>an alkali metal and a rare metal.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>alkali metals</strong> consist of the chemical elements <strong>lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, and francium.</strong> Together with hydrogen<strong> they constitute group 1,</strong> which lies in the <strong>s-block</strong> of the periodic table.</li>
<li><strong>Rare Metals</strong> (RM) include Niobium (Nb), Tantalum (Ta), Lithium (Li), Beryllium (Be), Cesium (Cs) etc. and <strong>Rare Earths</strong> (RE) include Lanthanum (La) to Lutetium (Lu) besides Scandium (Sc) and Yttrium (Y). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These <strong>metals are strategic in nature</strong> with wide application in the nuclear and other high tech industries such as electronics, telecommunication, information technology, space, defense etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uses:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Lithium metal is used to make<strong> useful alloys.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For example, with lead to make <strong>&lsquo;white metal&rsquo;</strong> bearings for motor engines, with <strong>aluminium to make aircraft parts,</strong> and with <strong>magnesium </strong>to<strong> make armour plates.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In Thermonuclear reactions.</li>
<li>To make <strong>electrochemical cells.</strong> Lithium is an important component in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/electric-vehicles-policy-2020-delhi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric Vehicles</strong></a>, Laptops etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lithium Resources in Karnataka:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The survey shows presence of <strong>1,600 tonnes of lithium resources</strong> in the <strong>igneous rocks</strong> of the <strong>Marlagalla-Allapatna</strong> region of <strong>Karnataka&rsquo;s Mandya district.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits of Domestic Exploration:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Reducing Import Bill:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>India currently imports all its lithium needs.</strong> Over 165 crore lithium batteries are estimated to have been imported into India between 2016-17 and 2019-20, at an estimated import bill of upwards of<strong> USD 3.3 billion.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reducing Overdependence on China:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>China is a major source of <strong>lithium-ion energy storage products</strong> being imported into the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issues Associated with Domestic Exploration:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The new find is categorised as <strong>&ldquo;inferred&rdquo;.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> &lsquo;inferred&rsquo;</strong> mineral resource is the part of a resource for which <strong>quantity, grade and mineral content</strong> are estimated only with a <strong>low level of confidence</strong> based on information gathered from locations such as <strong>outcrops, trenches, pits, workings, and drill holes</strong> that may be of limited or uncertain quality, and also of lower reliability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The lithium find is <strong>comparatively small,</strong> considering the size of the proven reserves in <strong>Bolivia, Argentina, Australia,</strong> and<strong> China respectively.</strong></li>
<li>India is seen as a<strong> late mover in attempts to enter the lithium value chain,</strong> coming at a time when <strong>Electric Vehicles</strong> are predicted to be a<strong> sector ripe for disruption.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>2021 is likely to be a turning point for battery technology with several <strong>potential improvements to the li-ion technology,</strong> and alternatives to this tried-and-tested formulation in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lithium-ion-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>advanced stages of commercialisation.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Extraction Method:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Lithium can be extracted in different ways, depending on the type of the deposit .<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Solar evaporation</strong> of large <strong>brine pools.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>brine pool</strong> is a volume of brine collected in a seafloor depression.</li>
<li>For example: Brines of <strong>Sambhar and Pachpadra</strong> in Rajasthan.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Hard-rock extraction of the ore</strong> (a metal-bearing mineral).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For example: <strong>rock mining at Mandya.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Potential Sites:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The major<strong> mica belts</strong> in<strong> Rajasthan, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Pegmatite</strong> (igneous rocks) belts in<strong> Odisha and Chhattisgarh.</strong></li>
<li>Brines of <strong>Sambhar and Pachpadra</strong> in Rajasthan, and<strong> Rann of Kachchh</strong> in Gujarat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Government Initiative:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India, through a newly state-owned company<strong> Khanij Bidesh India Ltd,</strong> had <strong>signed an agreement with an Argentinian firm</strong> to jointly prospect lithium in Argentina that has the <strong>third largest reserves of the metal in the world.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The company has a specific mandate<strong> to acquire strategic mineral assets such as lithium and cobalt abroad.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/looking-for-lithium-toehold-india-finds-a-small-deposit-in-karnataka-7141303/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:IE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 4 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 7154,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Recovery from Coal Mining in Meghalaya’s Moolamylliang',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Moolamylliang,</strong> a village in <strong>Meghalaya&rsquo;s East Jaintia Hills district,</strong> is making progress in becoming a greener place amid abandoned pits from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rat-hole-mining#:~:text=Rat%20hole%20mining%20involves%20digging,unscientific%20and%20unsafe%20for%20workers." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>rat-hole mining.</strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Jaintia Coal Miners and Dealers&rsquo; Association</strong> claims there are around 60,000 coal mines across 360 villages in East Jaintia Hills district.</li>
<li>Moolamylliang used to be one such village until the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Green Tribunal</strong></a> (NGT) <strong>banned</strong> hazardous rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya in <strong>April 2014</strong> and set a time limit for transporting the coal already mined till that time.</li>
<li>Though the NGT <strong>ban did not stop illegal mining</strong> in the district, it <strong>helped Moolamylliang reform.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Coal Mining in Northeast:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the northeast, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/liberalisation-of-coal-mining" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coal mining</strong></a> is part of a larger trend which is the <strong>decimation of natural resources.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>For example, there is large-scale <strong>deforestation going on in the Garo and Khasi Hills</strong> of Meghalaya, besides <strong>limestone mining</strong> in the <strong>Jaintia Hills.</strong></li>
<li>Assam, which has lost most of its once extensive forest cover, sees <strong>poaching in the Dima Hasao region, coal mining</strong> in Upper Assam, and<strong> sand/stone mining</strong> from river beds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>There are three notable <strong>peculiarities of coal mining in the Jaintia Hills</strong> (and elsewhere in Meghalaya).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Being a tribal state where the <strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/indepth-6th-schedule-and-ilp#:~:text=6th%20Schedule,(1)%20of%20the%20Constitution." target="_blank" rel="noopener">6<sup>th</sup> Schedule</a> applies, all land is privately owned,</strong> and hence coal mining is done by private parties. The schedule <strong>does not explicitly refer to mining.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>sizable coal deposits</strong> in the state, mostly in the Jaintia Hills, <strong>occur in horizontal seams only</strong> a few feet high that run through the hills which is why <strong>rat-hole mining is practised instead of open cast mining.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Most of the labour</strong> (including children) comes from Nepal, the <strong>poorer areas</strong> of Assam, and Bangladesh. In Meghalaya, the non-tribal is a second-class citizen, as is the poor tribal, which explains the<strong> general lack of concern even within the State about the trapped miners.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rat-hole Mining:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is a term used for a <strong>hazardous and arduous mining technique</strong> where miners crawl into winding underground tunnels that are just 4-5 feet in diameter to extract coal from the deep seams with a pickaxe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Open Cast Mining:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is a<strong> surface mining technique</strong> of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open-air pit, sometimes known as a <strong>borrow.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Ecological Issues:</strong> Unsustainable mining in hilly areas <strong>contaminates the farmlands and turns the streams acidic,</strong> leading to the<strong> loss of biodiversity and local heritage.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Health Issues:</strong> The prevalence of mining in an area <strong>causes various diseases</strong> like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/genetic-disorders" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fibrosis</strong></a>, pneumoconiosis and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/silicosis-and-mining-safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>silicosis</strong></a> in workers as well as locals.</li>
<li><strong>Child Labour and Trafficking:</strong> Majority of the workers involved in 'rat-hole' mining are children. They are suited for this job because of their small anatomy that fits small mine tunnels. Rat-hole mining has <strong>encouraged child<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-war-against-human-trafficking#:~:text=Section%20370%20and%20370A%20of,the%20forced%20removal%20of%20organs." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> trafficking</a></strong> apart from <strong>engaging with immigrants</strong> from many states.</li>
<li><strong>Corruption: Police officials often collaborate with mine owners</strong> in states where the open cast mining and rat hole mining are the norms.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Measures:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The administration tried to make coke factories and cement plants in the vicinity contribute to <strong>earth rejuvenation programmes</strong> in the area under their <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/corporate-social-responsibility-csr-expenditure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Corporate Social Responsibility</strong> </a>(CSR).</li>
<li>Among the projects being pursued is <strong>low-cost <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/water-conservation-traditional-approach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rainwater harvesting</a></strong> for <strong>recharging the area</strong> that has become dry because of coal mining.</li>
<li>Making Moolamylliang a <strong>base camp for tourists to explore caves, canyons and waterfalls</strong> in parts of East Jaintia Hills that have escaped the impact of mining, will <strong>boost <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/tourism-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tourism</a> and bring in revenue.</strong></li>
<li>Since the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule does not explicitly refer to mining,<strong> environmental activists are calling for the coal trade to come under central mining and environmental laws.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Government Initiatives Related to Mining</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In <strong>April 2018,</strong> the Ministry of Coal launched the <strong>Unlocking Transparency by Third Party Assessment of Mined Coal </strong>(UTTAM)<strong> Application</strong> for coal quality monitoring.</li>
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/national-mineral-policy-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Na&shy;tional Min&shy;eral Pol&shy;icy</strong></a> (NMP) was ap&shy;proved in 2019, which em&shy;pha&shy;sises&shy; on themes such as sus&shy;tain&shy;able min&shy;ing, boost&shy;ing ex&shy;plo&shy;ration, en&shy;cour&shy;ag&shy;ing the use of state-of-the-art tech&shy;nol&shy;ogy and skill de&shy;vel&shy;op&shy;ment.</li>
<li>In <strong>Septem&shy;ber 2019, 100% FDI un&shy;der the au&shy;to&shy;matic ap&shy;proval route was allowed</strong> for the sale of coal and coal min&shy;ing ac&shy;tiv&shy;i&shy;ties in&shy;clud&shy;ing as&shy;so&shy;ci&shy;ated pro&shy;cess&shy;ing in&shy;fra&shy;struc&shy;ture.</li>
<li>In <strong>January 2020,</strong> the Parliament passed the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mineral-laws-amendment-bill-2020#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20Parliament%20has%20passed,promulgated%20on%2011th%20January%202020." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It amends the <strong>Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957</strong> and the<strong> Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>1957 Act</strong> regulates the mining sector in India and specifies the requirement for obtaining and granting mining leases for mining operations.</li>
<li>The<strong> 2015 Act</strong> provides for allocation of coal mines and vesting of the right, title and interest in and over the land and mine infrastructure together with mining leases to successful bidders with a view to ensure continuity in coal mining operations and production of coal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Bill <strong>per&shy;mits com&shy;mer&shy;cial coal min&shy;ing for lo&shy;cal and global firms</strong> with&shy;out im&shy;pos&shy;ing any end-user re&shy;stric&shy;tions, also it ex&shy;tend&shy;s the va&shy;lid&shy;ity of clear&shy;ances for min&shy;ing leases ex&shy;pir&shy;ing in 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/meghalaya-village-turns-oasis-in-coal-mine-desert/article33265390.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 5 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5568,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Educational Complexes for Tribal Students: Odisha',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Government of Odisha has announced the establishment of <strong>three mega educational complexes exclusively for tribal students,</strong> where both academic and sporting skills will be harnessed.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Establishment:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The complexes will be established in <strong>tribal-dominated districts</strong> such as <strong>Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Santal and Bhuyan</strong> are two dominant tribal groups living in these districts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Each complex will house <strong>3,000 tribal students,</strong> which is a unique initiative in the field of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tribal-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tribal education</strong></a>.</li>
<li>These complexes will have state of the art facilities to improve educational and sporting skills of tribal students from <strong>Standard I to XII.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>State-of-the-art (cutting edge or leading edge)</strong> refers to the <strong>highest level of general development,</strong> as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Funding:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Funds required for mega complexes will be sourced from <strong>Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC),</strong> which was formed for focused development of <strong>mineral-rich districts.</strong> Incidentally, most mineral-rich districts are tribal-dominated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribal Population in Odisha:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the 2011 Census, tribal people constitute <strong>8.6%</strong> of the nation's total population i.e. over 104 million people.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A<strong> tribe </strong>has been defined as a <strong>group of indigenous people</strong> having a common name, language and territory tied by strong kinship bonds, having distinct customs, rituals and beliefs etc.</li>
<li><strong>The President</strong> under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-commission-for-scheduled-tribes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Article 342</strong></a> is empowered to declare communities as scheduled tribes, while <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/role-of-rajya-sabha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Parliament</strong> </a>by law can amend the list.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Odisha&rsquo;s tribal population</strong> constitutes<strong> 9.17%</strong> of the country's tribal population.</li>
<li>In Odisha, the tribal population is<strong> 22.85%</strong> of the state&rsquo;s total population. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In terms of <strong>percentage tribal population</strong>, it occupies the<strong> third position</strong> in India.</li>
<li>The First and Second are <strong>Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra</strong> respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Similarly, of India&rsquo;s total 75 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>particularly vulnerable tribal groups</strong></a>, 13 reside in Odisha.</li>
<li>With 62 tribal communities, Odisha has the most diverse tribes in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Keonjhar, where tribes such as Sounti, Ho, Juang, Kharwar, Mahali, Oraon Kolha and Kora reside is the most mined district of the State.</li>
<li><strong>Keonjhar</strong> district contains <strong>more than 70%</strong> of the iron ore reserves of Odisha.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Educational Schemes for Tribals</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Eklavya Model School: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/eklavya-model-residential-and-day-boarding-schools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Residential School</a></strong> based on Navodaya Model to be opened in each tribal block by 2022.</li>
<li><strong>Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme (RGNF):</strong> RGNF was introduced in the year 2005-2006 with the objective to encourage the students belonging to the ST community to pursue higher education.</li>
<li><strong>Vocational Training Center in Tribal Areas:</strong> The aim of this scheme is to develop the skill of ST students depending on their qualification and present market trends.</li>
<li><strong>National Overseas Scholarship Scheme:</strong> The National Overseas Scholarship Scheme provides financial assistance to 20 students selected for pursuing higher studies abroad for PhD and postdoctoral studies.</li>
<li>Pre and Post Matric Scholarship Schemes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a need to give special focus to the education of tribal populations by the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-tribal-affairs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ministry of Tribal Affairs.</strong></a></li>
<li>Awareness Campaigns like street drama, camps counselling session to bring attitudinal change in parents.</li>
<li>Emphasis should be given to <strong>career or job</strong> oriented courses.</li>
<li>Teachers should be locally recruited who understand and respect tribal culture and practices and most importantly are acquainted with the local language.</li>
<li><strong>The Kothari Commission</strong> stressed to pay special attention to the education of ST.</li>
<li><a href="/summary-of-important-reports/xaxa-committee-on-tribal-communities-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The XaXa Committee recommended</strong></a> a greater focus on removing gender disparity in education.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-plans-mega-educational-complexes-for-tribal-students/article31774853.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'posturl' => 'educational-complexes-for-tribal-students-odisha',
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	(int) 6 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 4818,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Kuril Islands',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a 7.5 magnitude <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/seismometers-defunct-in-earthquake-prone-zones" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>earthquake</strong></a> struck in the northern Pacific and a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indonesia-tsunami" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tsunami warning</strong></a> was issued for the <strong>closest shores on Russia&rsquo;s far eastern Kuril Islands.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The earthquakes of this strength in the region have caused tsunamis in the past far from the epicenter of the earthquake.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter</strong> or focus.(The hypocenter is where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Geographic Location of Kuril Islands</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1585212354_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1585212354_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Kuril Islands are stretched from the<strong> Japanese island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula</strong> separating Okhotsk Sea from the North Pacific ocean.</li>
<li>It consists of <strong>56 islands and minor rocks.</strong></li>
<li>The chain is part of the belt of geologic instability circling the Pacific and contains at least 100 volcanoes, of which 35 are still active, and many hot springs.</li>
<li>Earthquakes and tidal waves are common phenomena over these islands.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Importance of South Kuril Islands</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Natural resources:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The islands are surrounded by<strong> rich fishing grounds</strong> and are thought to have <strong>offshore reserves of oil and gas.</strong></li>
<li>Rare <strong>rhenium deposits</strong> have been found on the Kudriavy volcano on Iturup.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Nickel-based superalloys of rhenium</strong> are used in the combustion chambers, turbine blades, and exhaust nozzles of jet engines.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tourism</strong> is also a potential source of income, as the islands have several volcanoes and a variety of birdlife.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strategic Importance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Russia has deployed <strong>missile systems</strong> in the region.</li>
<li>Russia also plans a <strong>submarine project</strong> and intends to prevent any American military use of the islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cultural Importance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Japanese people, especially conservatives in Hokkaido, are emotionally attached to the islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Historical Background of Kuril Islands Dispute</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sovereignty Issue of South Kuril Islands:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Kuril Islands dispute between <strong>Japan and Russia</strong> is over the <strong>sovereignty of South Kuril Islands.</strong></li>
<li>The South Kuril Islands comprises <strong>Etorofu island, Kunashiri island, Shikotan island and the Habomai island.</strong> These islands are<strong> claimed by Japan</strong> but <strong>occupied by Russia</strong> as successor state of the Soviet Union.</li>
<li>These islands are known as<strong> Southern Kurils by Russia</strong> whereas <strong>Japan</strong> calls them <strong>Northern Territories.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Original Inhabitants-Ainu People:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Kurils were <strong>originally inhabited by the Ainu people,</strong> and they were later settled by the Russians and Japanese, following several waves of exploration in the <strong>17<sup>th</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup> centuries.</strong></li>
<li>The Ainu or the Aynu, also<strong> known as the Ezo</strong> in the historical Japanese texts, are an indigenous people of Japan and Russia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Treaty of Shimoda (1855):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>1855,</strong> Japan and Russia concluded the <strong>Treaty of Shimoda,</strong> which gave control of the four southernmost islands to Japan and the remainder of the chain to Russia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1875):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the<strong> Treaty of Saint Petersburg,</strong> signed between two countries in <strong>1875,</strong> Russia ceded possession of the Kurils to Japan in exchange for uncontested control of Sakhalin Island.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Yalta Agreement (1945):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>1945,</strong> as part of the <strong>Yalta agreements (formalized in the 1951 Treaty of Peace with Japan),</strong> the islands were ceded to the Soviet Union, and the Japanese population was repatriated and replaced by Soviets.</li>
<li>The <strong>San Francisco Peace Treaty</strong> signed between the Allies and Japan in 1951, states that Japan must give up &ldquo;all right, title and claim to the Kuril Islands&rdquo;, <strong>but it also does not recognize the Soviet Union&rsquo;s sovereignty over them.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration (1956):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The dispute over the islands has <strong>prevented the conclusion of a peace treaty to end World War II.</strong></li>
<li>In 1956, diplomatic ties were restored between Japan and Russia by <strong>Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration.</strong></li>
<li>During that time, Russia offered to give away the two islands closest to Japan. But the offer was rejected by Japan as the two islands constituted <strong>only 7% of the land</strong> in question.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Developments After 1991:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Despite a series of agreements, the dispute continues and <strong>Japan still claims historical rights to the southernmost islands</strong> and has tried repeatedly to persuade the Soviet Union and, from 1991, Russia to return those islands to Japanese sovereignty.</li>
<li>In <strong>2018,</strong> the Russian President and the Japanese Prime Minister (PM) met on the sidelines of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/east-asia-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>East Asia Summit</strong> </a>and decided to end the territorial dispute by Japanese PM agreeing to negotiate based on the 1956 declaration.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This implicitly showed that Japan has given up the two islands to maintain peace with Russia.</li>
<li>However, Russia indicated that the joint declaration signed by Japan and the Soviet Union in 1956 <strong>neither mentions a basis for returning Habomai and Shikotan nor clarifies which country has sovereignty over the islands.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further, in <strong>2019,</strong> Japanese PM made it clear that the country is<strong> not in the favour of withdrawing control over the Islands.</strong> Japan also believes that the islands are the inherent part of the nation&rsquo;s territory. Therefore, Japan mentioned that it aims to sign the peace treaty after the territorial issue is resolved.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/tsunami-warnings-after-magnitude-78-quake-strikes-near-russias-kuril-islands/article31159658.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 7 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 4290,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Guidelines to Monitor Sand Mining',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>For the first time, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released guidelines to <strong>monitor and check illegal sand <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/mining-sector-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mining</a></strong> in the country.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>At present, the <strong>Sustainable Sand Management Guidelines (SSMG), 2016</strong> focus on the <strong>management of sand mining,</strong> but there was a <strong>need</strong> to have guidelines for <strong>effective enforcement of regulatory provisions</strong> and their <strong>monitoring.</strong></li>
<li>The 2020 guidelines are to be enforced simultaneously with the <strong>SSMG,</strong> 2016, in case of <strong>conflict,</strong> the <strong>new set will hold legal precedence.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/investment-in-coal-mining" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957</strong></a> has empowered <strong>state governments</strong> to make rules to prevent<strong> illegal mining,</strong> transportation and <strong>storage of minerals.</strong></li>
<li>However, there was a large number of illegal mining cases in the country and in some cases, many of the officers lost their lives while executing their duties to curb illegal mining.</li>
<li>Illegal and uncontrolled illegal mining also leads to loss of revenue to the State and degradation of the environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Constitutional/ Legal Framework of Mining Sector in India</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The entry at serial No. 23 of List II <strong>(State List)</strong> to the Constitution of India mandates the <strong>state government to own the minerals located within their boundaries.</strong></li>
<li>The entry at serial No. 54 of List I <strong>(Central List)</strong> mandates the <strong>central government to own the minerals within the exclusive economic zone of India (EEZ).</strong> In pursuance to this Mines &amp; Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act of 1957 was framed.</li>
<li>Also, <strong>the Central Government notifies</strong> certain minerals as <strong>'minor' minerals</strong> from time to time for which the absolute powers for deciding on procedures of seeking applications for and granting mineral concessions, fixing rates of royalty, dead rent, and power to revise orders rest <strong>only with the State Government.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Example of minor minerals include building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, <strong>ordinary sand.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>For minerals specified in the <strong>First Schedule</strong> to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 <strong>approval of the Central Government is necessary.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Schedule I</strong> contains minerals such as <strong>coal and lignite,</strong> minerals of the <strong>&ldquo;rare earths&rdquo;</strong> group containing <strong>Uranium and Thorium.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining 2020</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Source to Destination Monitoring:</strong> The new set of guidelines focuses on the effective monitoring of sand mining from the identification of sand mineral sources to its dispatch and end-use by consumers and the general public and look at a uniform protocol for the whole country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Constantly <strong>monitor mining</strong> with drones and <strong>night surveillance</strong> of mining activity through night-vision drones.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Audits:</strong> States to carry out<strong> river audits,</strong> put detailed survey reports of all mining areas in the public domain.</li>
<li><strong>Transparency:</strong> Online <strong>sales and purchase</strong> of sand and other <strong>riverbed materials (RBM)</strong> for <strong>transparency</strong> in the process.</li>
<li><strong>Enforcement:</strong> It gives directions to states to set up <strong>dedicated task forces at district levels.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In cases where rivers become district boundaries or state boundaries, the districts or states sharing the boundary shall constitute the combined task force for monitoring of mined materials, mining activity and participate in the preparation of <strong>District Survey Reports (DSR)</strong> by providing appropriate inputs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sustainability:&nbsp;</strong>Conduct <strong>replenishment study</strong> for river bed sand in order to nullify the adverse impacts arising due to excessive sand extraction. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>No riverbed mining will be allowed during the monsoon.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Procedure for Comprehensive DSRs</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>While the <strong>Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines, 2016,</strong> require the preparation of District Survey Reports (DSR), which is an important initial step <strong>before grant of mining lease,</strong> the government has found that the DSRs carried out by state and district administrations are often <strong>not comprehensive enough,</strong> allowing space for illegal mining.</li>
<li>The<strong> new</strong> guidelines, therefore, <strong>list a detailed procedure of how the DSRs are to be made,</strong> including the development of an inventory, for the first time, of river bed material and other sand sources in the district.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-releases-guidelines-to-monitor-check-illegal-sand-mining-6240249/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 8 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 3485,
		'category_id' => (int) 15,
		'title' => 'Policy Watch: National Water Policy',
		'description' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/61FJ9sUVylM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Government is planning to come out with an <strong>updated version of the National Water Policy (NWP)</strong> with key changes in water governance structure and regulatory framework. Plans are also afoot to set up a <strong>National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency.</strong> Building consensus among the states within the constitutional framework is a precondition for making these changes.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NWP was formulated to <strong>govern the planning and development of water resources and their optimum utilisation.</strong> The <strong>first NWP</strong> was adopted in <strong>September, 1987.</strong> It was <strong>reviewed and updated in 2002</strong> and <strong>later in 2012.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/niti-aayog-national-institution-for-transforming-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NITI Aayog</strong></a> has said that India is facing its <strong>first<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/india-s-water-crisis-every-drop-counts" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> water crisis</a></strong> and the demand for potable water may outstrip supply by the year 2030 if precautionary steps are not taken.</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">COMPARISON OF PROVISIONS OF NATIONAL WATER POLICIES OF 1987, 2002 AND 2012</span></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #7226ff;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Sl. No.</strong></span></td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #7226ff;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Sector Description</strong></span></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #7226ff;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>National Water Policy (1987)</strong></span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #7226ff;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>National Water Policy (2002)</strong></span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #7226ff;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>National Water Policy (2012)</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">1.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Perspective for Water Resources Planning</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">National perspectives</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">National perspectives</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Integrated perspective considering local, regional, State and national context</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">2.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Information System</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Standardized national information system</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Standardized national information system</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">All water related data, should be integrated with well-defined procedures and formats to ensure online updation and transfer of data to facilitate development of database for informed decision making in the management of water</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">3.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Water Resources Planning</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Hydrological unit such as a drainage basin as a whole, or a sub-basin</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Hydrological unit such as a drainage basin as a whole, or a sub-basin</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Integrated Water Resources Management taking river basin / sub-basin as a unit, should be the main principle for planning, development and management of water resources</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">4.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Project Planning</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Water resource development projects should as far as possible be planned and developed as multipurpose projects</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Water resource development projects should as far as possible be planned and developed as multipurpose projects</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">All water resources projects, including hydro power projects, should be planned to the extent feasible as multi-purpose projects with provision of storage to derive maximum benefit from available topology and water resources</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">5.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Environmental Flow in Rivers</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">No specific mention except providing for the preservation of the quality of environment and the ecological balance</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Minimum flow should be ensured in the perennial streams for maintaining ecology and social considerations</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">A portion of river flows should be kept aside to meet ecological needs ensuring that the proportional low and high flow releases correspond in time closely to the natural flow regime</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">6.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Ground-water development</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Exploitation of ground water resources should be so regulated as not to exceed the recharging possibilities, as also to ensure social equity</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Exploitation of ground water resources should be so regulated as not to exceed the recharging possibilities, as also to ensure social equity</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000;">Declining ground water levels in over-exploited areas need to be arrested by introducing improved technologies of water use, incentivizing efficient water use and encouraging community based management of aquifers</span></p>
<p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">7.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Access to safe drinking Water</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Adequate drinking water facilities should be provided to the entire population both in urban and in rural areas by 1991</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Adequate safe drinking water facilities should be provided to the entire population both in urban and in rural areas</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Minimum quantity of potable water for essential health and hygiene to all its citizens, available within easy reach of the household, must be ensured</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">8.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Inter-basin transfer</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Water should be made available to water short areas by transfer from other areas including transfers from one river basin to another, based on a national perspective, after taking into account the requirements of the areas/basins</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Water should be made available to water short areas by transfer from other areas including transfers from one river basin to another, based on a national perspective, after taking into account the requirements of the areas / basins</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Inter-basin transfers are not merely for increasing production but also for meeting basic human need and achieving equity and social justice. Inter-basin transfers of water should be considered on the basis of merits of each case after evaluating the environmental, economic and social impacts of such transfers</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 96px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 72px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">9.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 72px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Water Use Efficiency</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 72px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">The efficiency of utilisation in all the diverse uses of water should be improved and an awareness of water as a scarce resource should be fostered</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 72px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Efficiency of utilisation in all the diverse uses of water should be optimised and an awareness of water as a scarce resource should be fostered</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 72px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000;">The &ldquo;project&rdquo; and the &ldquo;basin&rdquo; water use efficiencies need to be improved through continuous water balance and water accounting studies. An institutional arrangement for promotion, regulation and evolving mechanisms for efficient use of water at basin/sub-basin level will be established for this purpose at the national level</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 105px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 89px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">10.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 89px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Flood management</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 89px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">Emphasis on non-structural measures, such as flood forecasting and warning and flood plain zoning, so as to reduce the recurring expenditure on flood relief</td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 89px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Emphasis on non-structural measures, such as flood forecasting and warning, flood plain zoning and flood proofing, so as to reduce the recurring expenditure on flood relief</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 89px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000;">While every effort should be made to avert water related disasters like floods and droughts, through structural and non-structural measures, emphasis should be on preparedness for flood / drought with coping mechanisms as an option. Greater emphasis should be placed on rehabilitation of natural drainage system</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 64px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">11.</td>
<td style="width: 185px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><strong>Gap between Irrigation Potential created and utilized</strong></td>
<td style="width: 267px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Concerted efforts, such as command area development, should be made to ensure that the irrigation potential created is fully utilised and the gap between the potential created and its utilisation is removed</span></td>
<td style="width: 276px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;"><span style="color: #000000;">Concerted efforts should be made to ensure that the irrigation potential created is fully utilised. For this purpose, the command area development approach should be adopted in all irrigation projects</span></td>
<td style="width: 526px; height: 19px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #e6ecfc;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000;">All components of water resources projects should be planned and executed in a pari-passu manner so that intended benefits start accruing immediately and there is no gap between potential created and potential utilized</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Importance of An Updated Water Policy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>After 7 seven years of previous updation, there are a lot of <strong>changes</strong> which need to be addressed and the <strong>prioritization of the water usage</strong> needs to be defined.</li>
<li><strong>Spring sets in Himalayas</strong> have been <strong>decreasing</strong> without any active step by the government.</li>
<li><strong>Revitalisation of rivers</strong> needs to be brought in focus because many of our rivers and rivulets are drying and the policy parameters need to be set up accordingly.</li>
<li><strong>Technological innovations</strong> like censors, geographic information systems (GIS) and satellite imagery need to be introduced to modulate the water and track the flow.</li>
<li><strong>Budgeting</strong> needs to be done in a way that it covers all levels from the basin to sub basin.</li>
<li><strong>NITI Aayog</strong> has sensitised in its <strong>Composite Water Management Index 2.0, 2018</strong> that water usage in current times are very high and inefficient.</li>
<li>The water used in <strong>irrigation</strong> sector gives the <strong>efficiency of 30-38%,</strong> the <strong>water for drinking water supply and sanitation in the urban area</strong> bears the <strong>losses around 40-45%.</strong> Villages on the other hand get very less amount of water so the <strong>supply needs to be balanced.</strong></li>
<li>To overcome the <strong>natural and human caused challenges</strong> like-
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Adverse effects of climate change</li>
<li>Extreme rainfall</li>
<li>Water scarcity during summers</li>
<li>Drying up of rivers</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/natural-sources-of-unpolluted-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Degrading water quality and river pollution</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In irrigation sector,<strong> command area development has not been done.</strong> Around 21 million hectares of land has been created for irrigation but it is not reaching the farmers because the small channels have not been constructed.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A unified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jal-shakti-mantralaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti</strong></a> was launched in <strong>May, 2019</strong> as an immediate response to the escalating water crisis in india.</li>
<li>Government also talks about <strong>Nal Se Jal</strong> to provide <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/piped-water-connection-by-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>piped water supply</strong></a> to every household by the year <strong>2024.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Command Area Development</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was <strong>launched in 1974 to improve the irrigation potential utilization</strong> and to optimize agricultural production through efficient water management.</li>
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Water Resources</strong> coordinates the implementation of the program with respective state governments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Calibrating agriculture with Water Management</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Region Based Water Availability:</strong> We need to <strong>focus on the water availability</strong> according to the <strong>particular agro climatic zones</strong> and <strong>find suitable cropping patterns suiting the particular needs.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example<strong> Paddy in Punjab and Sugarcane in Maharashtra</strong> are <strong>not agro climatically suitable</strong> crops because they need more water in these areas and deprive other crops from getting sufficient water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Restructuring Subsidies:</strong> There needs to be a<strong> shift from the freebie culture to some <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/its-time-to-tax-groundwater-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paying mechanisms</a></strong> because the water or power provided to the farmers are not their personal resources instead common pool resources.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Pricing of resources</strong> is of two types- One price is of the resource itself and the other is for the system which conveys the resource.</li>
<li><strong>Volumetric supply of water</strong> should be there according to the sector specific needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Better Funding:</strong> The communication, transmission and distribution systems are run by central or state government distribution centres so they will also be able to work better with more monetary help and support.</li>
<li><strong>Better Technologies: Globally available technologies like micro irrigation should be implemented</strong> where every single drop of water is used. India is still following age old practice of dam construction and then conveying water through open canals which creates problems like water logging and does not even transfer the real quantum of water to the source which is uneconomical and creates water hazards.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Functions of National Bureau on Water Use Efficiency</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>To evolve a <strong>mechanism to set up an efficiency bar</strong> especially in domestic and industrial sectors.</li>
<li>To <strong>bring a <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paradigm shift in water management&nbsp;</a></strong>and to look at the <strong>river basin or the sub basin as the hydrological unit instead of the administrative and political boundaries.</strong></li>
<li>To <strong>propose a River Basin Management Bill</strong> which envisages setting up of river basin authorities which would be <strong>managed by a two tier structure- a governing council and an executive board.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The governing council will mainly be <strong>executing a river basin management plan.</strong> If river basin has to be taken as a hydrological unit, <strong>consensus is required at the basin level between the states involved</strong> and within the <strong>constitutional framework.</strong></li>
<li>It will be the <strong>first time when there will be a consensus building mechanism at the political level in the river basin</strong> ensuring solving issues and problems at the basin level only instead of coming to the centre. This will save time and efforts of the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/inter-state-river-water-sharing-disputes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>dispute tribunals</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>To take care of the <strong>integrated water management.</strong> It forces the integration of water resources with other resources like land and issues like the environment and quality of the resource. It also forces integration of water resources with themselves- groundwater, surface water and planning and policy formation for the entire water available in the basin.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cooperative Federalism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the earlier water policies, <strong>state water policies were also incorporated</strong> so <strong>involvement and contribution from the states is important.</strong> However, it is a challenging task to achieve.</li>
<li>States have to be involved in a very <strong>cooperative and consultative approach</strong> where there is a <strong>win-win situation for both centre and states.</strong></li>
<li>It is a very <strong>emotive, political and highly divisive issue</strong> and the centre-states relations are going to be highlighted by this, <strong>testing Indian federalism.</strong></li>
<li>Although <strong>water is a state subject</strong> but <strong>centre has always played an active role</strong> in the decision taking process and in interstate disputes.</li>
<li>The process has to be <strong>dialogue driven taking care of the sensitivities of the states</strong> and should not be imposed on them.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How do we adopt a cohesive approach?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the proposed River Basin Management Bill, the <strong>governing body</strong> will sit with the <strong>representatives from states</strong> involved and decide on <strong>water allocations and priorities and implement</strong> the plans accordingly.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will pay attention to the specific needs of the certain states involved.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>approach should be from basin to subbasin and watershed and then micro watershed to a village level.</strong> That should be the <strong>ideal pattern</strong> to be followed.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This has been done in <strong>the Murray Darling Basin, Australia.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues with the Restoration of Water Bodies</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has <strong>not really paid much attention</strong> to its <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/groundwater-crisis-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">groundwater</a> levels</strong> yet so the first thing we need to do is effectively map the available groundwater and thereafter form groundwater policies.</li>
<li>India <strong>uses 85-90% of groundwater for irrigation</strong> so concrete plans are needed to keep track of it and find measures to replenish it as well.</li>
<li>As per NITI Aayog&rsquo;s report last year, <strong>21 cities will be deficient in ground water by 2020.</strong> More options have to be looked into for avoiding such circumstances.</li>
<li><strong>Fourth Minor Irrigation Census Report, 2014</strong> stated that India has around 6 lac water bodies which came down to around 5 lac after the<strong> Fifth Minor Irrigation Census Report, 2017</strong> was published.</li>
<li>These water bodies are the <strong>groundwater recharging structures</strong> which are encroached by the people after the advent of the pipelines.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ministry of Jal Shakti is trying to <strong>upscale from 18% piped water supply to further up.</strong> Wherever it is already provided, it is <strong>around 40 litre per capita per day with 100m lead distance.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>groundwater depletion enhanced with the reduction in these recharging zones.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>extraction rate of groundwater is more than the replenishing rate in most of the cities which causes overexploitation.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, Delhi is extracting 130% groundwater which means it is using 30% more than the replenishing rate.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India needs to revive the water bodies, tanks, baolis and tankas.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India <strong>initiated its first water policy in 1987</strong> and now has to look back at the nitty-gritties of earlier policies, find strong points and loopholes to work accordingly on the new policy.</li>
<li>The new policy framework should be based on the recommendations of NITI Aayog&rsquo;s <strong>Composite Water Management Index 2.0, 2018</strong> which are very <strong>realistic and alarming at the same time.</strong></li>
<li>We need to <strong>redefine, rethink and recalibrate</strong> what we mean by <strong>Integrated Water Resource Management.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>aspects of basin and sub basin planning</strong> has to be looked into for setting up realistic targets.</li>
<li>Emphasis needs to be shifted towards <strong>participatory groundwater management to ensure sustainability and quality of water.</strong></li>
<li>The quantum of water is not less in this country but <strong>management of <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/water-leaving-no-one-behind" target="_blank" rel="noopener">water</a> is required.</strong> So next agenda should be managing water properly.</li>
<li><strong>Sustainability and resilience</strong> should be the key words in the management of problems like <strong>water shortage or excessive water availability.</strong></li>
<li>Another important aspect can be<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/challenges-of-river-interlinking" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> interlinking rivers</strong></a> <strong>to transfer water from surplus basins to deficient basins</strong> to balance out the water availability.</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>There is a need to update the national water policy in the light of new challenges, especially the adverse effects of climate change.</em></span></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 2653,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'White Tea',
		'description' => '<p>The <strong>Golokpur tea estate</strong> in <strong>Unakoti</strong> district of <strong>Tripura</strong> set a record for selling maximum quantity of white tea.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>White tea (minimally processed) is harvested even before the plants leaves unfurl fully with the buds still covered by fine white hairs, hence, the name white .</li>
<li>India accounts for 14% of global tea exports and nearly 20% of the tea produced in the country is exported, according to Tea Board India.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>India and Tea Production</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>largest consumer</strong> of tea in the world</li>
<li>The <strong>second largest producer</strong> of tea in the world</li>
<li>The <strong>fourth largest exporter</strong> of tea in the world</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><strong>Tea Cultivation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Tea cultivation and plantation is practiced in Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri Hills of South India and Tarai along the foothills of the Himalayas .</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conditions of Growth</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Climate:</strong> Tea is a tropical and sub-tropical plant and grows well in <strong>hot</strong> and<strong> humid climate.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Temperature:</strong> The ideal temperature for its growth is <strong>20&deg;-30&deg;C</strong> and temperatures above 35&deg;C and below 10&deg;C are harmful for the bush.</li>
<li><strong>Rainfall:</strong> It requires <strong>150-300 cm</strong> annual rainfall which should be well distributed throughout the year.</li>
<li><strong>Soil:</strong> The most suitable soil for tea cultivation is slightly acidic soil (without calcium ) with porous sub-soil which permits a free percolation of water.</li>
<li>Tea is a <strong>shade-loving plant</strong> and develops more vigorously when planted along with shady trees.</li>
<li>There is a very close relation between climate, the yield and the quality of tea</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tea Board</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a<strong> statutory body</strong>&nbsp;under the <strong>Ministry of Commerce.</strong></li>
<li>The Board is constituted of 31 members (including Chairman) drawn from Members of Parliament, tea <strong>producers,</strong> tea <strong>traders, </strong>tea <strong>brokers, consumers, and representatives of Governments</strong> from the principal tea producing states, and trade unions .</li>
<li>The Board is reconstituted<strong> every three years.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Function</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Rendering<strong> financial</strong> and <strong>technical assistance</strong> for cultivation, manufacture and marketing of tea.</li>
<li>Export promotion</li>
<li>Research and Development activities</li>
<li>Extend financial assistance in a limited way to the plantation workers and their wards through labour welfare schemes.</li>
<li>Collection and maintenance of Statistical data and publication.</li>
</ul>
</div>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 2219,
		'category_id' => (int) 28,
		'title' => 'Coal Sector in India',
		'description' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Coal is the most important and abundant fossil fuel in India. <strong>It accounts for 55% of the country's energy needs.</strong> The country's industrial heritage was built upon indigenous coal.</li>
<li>Commercial primary energy consumption in India has grown by about 700% in the last four decades.</li>
<li><strong>The current per capita commercial primary energy consumption in India is about 350 kgoe/year which is well below that of developed countries.</strong></li>
<li>Driven by the <strong>rising population, expanding economy</strong> and a quest for improved quality of life, energy usage in India is expected to rise.</li>
<li>Considering the limited reserve potentiality of petroleum &amp; natural gas, eco-conservation restriction on hydel project and geo-political perception of nuclear power, coal will continue to occupy centre-stage of India's energy scenario.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Coal Production</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Through sustained programme of investment and greater thrust on application of modern technologies, it has been possible to raise the All India production of coal at 730.354 million tonnes in 2018-19 (Provisional) with a positive growth of 7.9%.</li>
<li>Coal India Limited has set up Regional Sales Offices and Sub-Sales Offices at selected places in the country to cater to the needs of the consuming sectors in various regions.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Import of Coal</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As per the present import policy, <strong>coal can be freely imported</strong> (under Open General Licence) by the consumers themselves considering their needs based on their commercial prudence.</li>
<li>Coking Coal is being imported by Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and other Steel manufacturing units mainly to bridge the gap between the requirement and indigenous availability and to improve the quality of production.</li>
<li>Coal based power plants, cement plants, captive power plants, sponge iron plants, industrial consumers and coal traders are importing non-coking coal.</li>
<li>Coke is imported mainly by pig-Iron manufacturers and Iron &amp; Steel sector consumers using mini-blast furnace.</li>
<li>Details of import of coal and products i.e. coke during the last six years is as under:</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578481939_image63.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578481939_image63.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="707" height="213" /></a></p>
<h3>Coal Reserves</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>As a result of exploration carried out up to the maximum depth of 1200 m, a cumulative total of 319.02 Billion tonnes of Geological Resources of Coal have so far been estimated in the country till April, 2018.</li>
<li>Hard coal deposit spread over 27 major coalfields, are mainly confined to eastern and south central parts of the country. The lignite reserves stand at a level around 36 billion tonnes, of which 90% occur in the southern State of Tamil Nadu.</li>
<li>Top 5 States in terms of total coal reserves in India are: Jharkhand &gt; Odisha &gt; Chhattisgarh &gt; West Bengal &gt; Madhya Pradesh.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578482027_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578482027_image2.png" caption="false" width="498" height="534" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578482071_image12.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578482071_image12.png" caption="false" width="537" height="364" /></a></p>
<h3>Categorization of Resources</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Coal resources of India are available in <strong>older Gondwana Formations of peninsular India and younger tertiary formations of north-eastern region</strong>.</li>
<li>Based on the results of Regional/ Promotional Exploration, where the boreholes are normally placed 1-2 Km apart, the resources are classified into <strong>&lsquo;Indicated&rsquo;</strong> or <strong>&lsquo;Inferred&rsquo;</strong> <strong>category</strong>.</li>
<li>Subsequent Detailed Exploration in selected blocks, where boreholes are less than 400 meter apart, upgrades the resources into more reliable<strong> 'Proved/Measured' category</strong>.</li>
<li>The Formation-wise and Category-wise Coal resources of India as on 1.4.2018 are given in table below:</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578482112_image41.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578482112_image41.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="707" height="169" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Classification of Coal</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Coal is originated from organic matter wood. When large tracts of forests are buried under sediments, wood is burnt and decomposed due to heat from below and pressure from above. The phenomenon makes coal but takes centuries to complete.</li>
<li><strong>Classification of Coal can be done on the basis of carbon content and time period.</strong></li>
<li>On the basis of carbon content it can be classified into following three types:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Anthracite:</strong> It is the best quality of coal with <strong>highest calorific value</strong> and carries <strong>80 to 95% carbon content</strong>. It ignites slowly with a blue flame and found in small quantities in Jammu and Kashmir.</li>
<li><strong>Bituminous:</strong> It has a low level of moisture content with <strong>60 to 80% of carbon content</strong> and has a high calorific value. <strong>Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh</strong> and <strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong> have deposits of Bituminous.</li>
<li><strong>Lignite</strong> carries <strong>40 to 55% carbon content</strong> and is often brown in colour with high moisture content thus, gives smoke when burnt. <strong>Rajasthan, Lakhimpur (Assam)</strong>&nbsp;and <strong>Tamil Nadu</strong> has deposits of Lignite.</li>
<li><strong>Peat</strong> is the first stage of transformation from wood to coal with <strong>low calorific value and less than 40% carbon content</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>History of Coal Mining in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has a long history of commercial coal mining covering nearly 220 years <strong>starting from 1774 by M/s Sumner and Heatly of East India Company in the Raniganj Coalfield</strong> along the Western bank of river Damodar.</li>
<li>However, for about a century the growth of Indian coal mining remained sluggish for want of demand but the <strong>introduction of steam locomotives in 1853 gave a fillip to it</strong>.</li>
<li>Within a short span, production rose to an annual average of 1 million tonne (mt) and India could produce 6.12 mts. per year by 1900 and 18 mts per year by 1920.</li>
<li><strong>The production got a sudden boost from the First World War but went through a slump in the early thirties.</strong> The production reached a level of 29 mts. by 1942 and 30 mts. by 1946.</li>
<li>With the advent of Independence, the country embarked upon the 5-year development plans. At the beginning of the 1st Plan, annual production went up to 33 mts.</li>
<li>During the 1<sup>st</sup> Plan period itself, the need for increasing coal production efficiently by systematic and scientific development of the coal industry was being felt.</li>
<li>Setting up of the <strong>National Coal Development Corporation (NCDC),</strong> a Government of India Undertaking in <strong>1956</strong> with the collieries owned by the railways as its nucleus was the first major step towards planned development of Indian Coal Industry.</li>
<li>Along with the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. (SCCL) which was already in operation since 1945 and which became a Government company under the control of Government of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, India thus had two Government coal companies in the fifties. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>SCCL is now a joint undertaking of Government of Andhra Pradesh and Government of India sharing its equity in 51:49 ratio.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Nationalisation of Coal Mines</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Right from its genesis, the commercial coal mining in modern times in India has been dictated by the needs of the domestic consumption.</li>
<li>On account of the <strong>growing needs of the steel industry,</strong> a thrust had to be given on systematic exploitation of coking coal reserves in Jharia Coalfield.</li>
<li>Adequate capital investment to meet the burgeoning energy needs of the country was not forthcoming from the private coal mine owners.</li>
<li><strong>Unscientific mining practices</strong> adopted by some of them and poor working conditions of labour in some of the private coal mines became matters of concern for the Government.</li>
<li>On account of these reasons, the Central Government took a decision to nationalise the private coal mines.</li>
<li><strong>The nationalisation was done in two phases, the first with the coking coal mines in 1971-72 and then with the non-coking coal mines in 1973.</strong></li>
<li>In October, 1971, <strong>Coking Coal Mines (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1971</strong> provided for taking over in public interest of the management of coking coal mines and coke oven plants pending nationalisation.</li>
<li>This was followed by the <strong>Coking Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1972</strong> under which the coking coal mines and coke oven plants other than those with the Tata Iron &amp; Steel Company Limited and Indian Iron &amp; Steel Company Limited, were nationalised on from May 1972 and brought under <strong>Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL),</strong> a new Central Government Undertaking.</li>
<li>Another enactment, namely the <strong>Coal Mines (Taking Over of Management) Act, 1973,</strong> extended the right of the Government of India to take over the management of the coking and non-coking coal mines in seven States including the coking coal mines taken over in 1971.</li>
<li>This was followed by the nationalisation of all these mines in May 1973 with the enactment of the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973 which now is the piece of Central legislation determining the eligibility of coal mining in India.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>After nationalisation of the coal industry in India, India never witnessed demand-supply gap until 1991.</li>
<li>After <strong>liberalisation reforms in 1993,</strong> to focus on the increasing energy demand, the government decided to allocate coal mines to various players for captive consumption <em>(in captive mining coal is taken out by a company for its own use and it won&rsquo;t be able to sell it in the market)</em>.</li>
<li>Also the <strong>power sector reforms of 2003,</strong> resulting in significant growth in power sector.</li>
<li>Increasing demand of Coal by growing power sector could not be fulfilled by the state run CIL in the meantime, leading to higher demand-supply gap. This resulted into higher demands of imports.</li>
<li>By 2012, this demand-supply gap widened to near 20%. Moreover, the LARR Act, Forest Rights Act etc., also challenged the further expansion of coal mines.</li>
<li>The CAG report followed by the Supreme Court verdict in 2014 resulted into cancellation of allocation near all coal mines allocated after 1993.</li>
<li>GoI enables allocation of coal mines through auctions by enacting the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.</li>
<li>In February 2018, CCEA permitted entry of private firms in commercial coal mining in the country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Troubles Coal sector in India?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has to <strong>import near 213 million tons coal</strong> and some Indian companies have also acquired coal mines overseas to ensure continuous supply. The import dependency for good quality coal is neither good for India&rsquo;s energy requirement nor for its fiscal health.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Following reasons can be listed for Coal sector abysmal condition:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Delayed environment and forest clearances:</strong> Environment ministry in past has classified ecological sensitive areas in &lsquo;Go and No Go areas&rsquo; and there was total prohibition on mining in no go areas.</li>
<li>Further there are <strong>other clearances</strong> required from State and Central Governments.</li>
<li><strong>Land Acquisition problems.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Lack of adequate technology.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Allocation process was arbitrary, discretionary and non-transparent.</strong></li>
<li>There was <strong>no consideration of Merit,</strong> no Price discovery mechanism for national resources.</li>
<li>Till now, the PSU, Coal India was the only commercial miner in the country for more than four decades which has shown <strong>monopolistic tendencies in the sector</strong>. Monopoly in mining sector was incapable of meeting domestic demands.</li>
<li><strong>Low productivity</strong> of Coal India is still a concern.</li>
<li>Coal plants have <strong>higher operation and maintenance costs</strong> because of strict regulatory issues.</li>
<li>India&rsquo;s power regulators are not regularly updating prices to accommodate increases in operational costs due to regulation.</li>
<li>State Pollution Control Boards are ineffective at monitoring or enforcing compliance.</li>
<li>Expansion in power generation in India has been largely based on state financing i.e many coal power plants in India are constructed through massive debt financing from state-owned banks.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It shows that international investment in coal generation assets in India has been very less.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Government Initiatives</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In April 2018, The Ministry of Coal has launched <strong>UTTAM (Unlocking Transparency by Third Party Assessment of Mined Coal) Application for coal quality monitoring</strong>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The app aims to <strong>ensure transparency and efficiency in coal quality monitoring</strong> process and bring coal governance closer to people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a <strong>new coal linkage policy</strong> to ensure adequate supply of the fuel to power plants through reverse auction. The new policy will help in ensuring fuel supplies to the power plants in an organised manner.</li>
<li>Ministry of Coal has developed <strong>Online Coal Clearances System</strong> to provide a single window access to its investors to submit online applications for all the permissions / clearances and approvals granted by Ministry of Coal.</li>
<li><strong>Coal Allocation Monitoring System (CAMS)</strong> is developed to monitor the allocation of coal by CIL to States, States to SNA and SNA to such consumers in a transparent manner.</li>
<li><strong>Opening up of commercial coal mining</strong> for Indian and foreign companies in the private sector.</li>
<li>The CCEA approved the methodology for auction of coal mines/ blocks for sale of the commodity on 20 February 2018. The move has been defined as the most ambitious reform of the sector since its nationalisation in 1973.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The auction will be done on an online transparent platform. The bid parameter will be the price offer in Rupees/ Tonne, which will be paid to the State government on the actual production of coal.</li>
<li>This reform is expected to bring efficacy into the coal sector by moving from an era of monopoly to competition. It will increase competitiveness and allow the use of best possible technology in the sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Suggestions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a <strong>need for increasing production and competition</strong> by leveraging higher producing mines to enable more world-scale operations.</li>
<li><strong>Government should revisit coal grades pricing mechanism from grades based on coal mined to grades based on coal desired for end use.</strong></li>
<li>With a competitive coal mining sector in the country, the <strong>ability to raise competitive finance should also improve</strong>.</li>
<li>Coal mining needs to be facilitated with <strong>offtake routes for bulk transportation</strong> over long distances as with railways projects delayed for long periods of time it is imperative to look at alternatives</li>
<li>Risk is the biggest challenge in the sector and <strong>risk management needs new instruments, contracting, and incentives</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Creative and targeted financing</strong> should be brought in to address the power sector&rsquo;s burgeoning problems.</li>
<li>As India&rsquo;s coal is high in ash content, <strong>coal beneficiation</strong> should be done to reduce the ash content and improve its grade.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Coal beneficiation</strong> is a process by which the quality of raw coal is improved by either reducing the extraneous matter that gets extracted along with the mined coal or reducing the associated ash or both.</p>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The arrival of private players in the coal mining practices can bring a lot of better things into the picture.</li>
<li>In the long term, India needs to look at coal to gas i.e. more cleaner energy sources.</li>
<li>Clean coal as an idea has huge potential in India because of the age and inefficiency of some of our plants.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>With government&rsquo;s efforts to push renewable energy due to international conventions on climate change, increase in carbon cess and other initiatives for lesser use of coal, there is a need for &lsquo;Vision 2030 for the coal sector&rsquo;, which takes into account the environmental factors such as reduction of carbon footprint, abatement of global warming.</li>
</ul>
</li>
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		'article_id' => (int) 2044,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Karnataka Ordered to Release Cauvery Water',
		'description' => '<p>The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has ordered Karnataka to release 9.19 tmcft of water for the month of June from the Biligundlu reservoir to the Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Central Government notified the Cauvery Water Management Scheme in June last year, inter alia, constituting the <strong>'Cauvery Water Management Authority'</strong> and the <strong>'Cauvery Water Regulation Committee'</strong> to give effect to the decision of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as modified by the Supreme Court vide its order dated 16<sup>th</sup> February, 2018.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by <strong>section 4</strong> of the <strong>Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956</strong> had constituted the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal vide notification dated the 2<sup>nd</sup> June, 1990 to <strong>adjudicate upon</strong> the water dispute regarding the Inter-State river Cauvery and the river valley thereof among the States of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union territory of Puducherry.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The quantum of water to be released is in line with the Supreme Court&rsquo;s order. While conferring authority to the CWMA to decide on releasing the Cauvery water, the Supreme Court said Karnataka&rsquo;s share of the water was 284 tmcft, Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s 404 tmcft, Kerala 30 tmcft and Puducherry 7 tmcft. Besides this, the court reserved 10 tmcft for environmental purposes and 4 tmcft for natural flow into the sea.</li>
<li><strong>Due to the poor monsoon and non-arrival of Cauvery water on time,</strong> the sluice gates of the <strong>Mettur Dam</strong> which are supposed to be opened on June 12 every year for the Kuruvai (Paddy) cultivation have not been opened since 2011. With the CWMA&rsquo;s direction, the farmers of Tamil Nadu are looking at initiating Kuruvai cultivation.</li>
<li>Also, several parts of Tamil Nadu are grappling with acute water shortage. The Centre had last week also issued a drought advisory to the state in the backdrop of depleting water levels in its reservoirs.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Cauvery River</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The river rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka state, flows in a southeasterly direction through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and descends the Eastern Ghats in a series of great falls.</li>
<li>Some of its tributaries are Arkavathi, Hemavathi, Lakshmana Theertha, Shimsa, Kabini and Harangi.</li>
</ul>
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		'article_id' => (int) 1854,
		'category_id' => (int) 31,
		'title' => 'Mining Sector in India',
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		'article_id' => (int) 1845,
		'category_id' => (int) 26,
		'title' => 'Mining Sector in India',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has recorded 377 mine deaths in last 3 years [as per data tabled in Lok the Sabha].</li>
<li>India plans to deep dive for extracting seabed minerals.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The total geographical area of India is around 328 million hectares out of which mining lease (other than fuel, atomic and minor minerals) constitutes around 0.14%, barely 20% of it is mined.</li>
<li>The Indian subsoils are rich in onshore and offshore crude oil and gas, coal, iron ore, copper, bauxite, etc.</li>
<li>India has large reserves of iron ore, bauxite, chromium, manganese ore, baryte, rare earth and mineral salts. India produces as many as 95 minerals, which includes 4 fuel, 10 metallic, 23 non-metallic, 3 atomic and 55 minor minerals (including building and other materials). In 2015-16, there were more than 2,101 reported mines excluding the atomic and minor minerals, natural gas and petroleum (crude).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Role of Mining in Indian Economy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Indian economy is expected to grow by approximately 7% in the years to come. Sectors like infrastructure and automobiles will receive a renewed thrust, that would further generate demand for power and steel in the country. The mining sector provides raw materials to these fast-growing sectors.</li>
<li>The total value of mineral production (excluding atomic &amp; fuel minerals) during 2017-18 has been estimated at $16.6 bn, which shows an increase of about 13% over that of the previous year.</li>
<li>The mining sector&rsquo;s contribution to the GDP is 2.3-2.5 % at present. Mineral production in India grew at a <strong>compound annual growth rate (CAGR)</strong> of 5.72% between 2013-14 and 2017-18.</li>
<li>It can cut down the import costs as the country is the 3<sup>rd</sup> largest steel producer, with a production of 101.4 million tonnes of crude steel in 2017.</li>
<li>India is the largest producer of sheet mica in the world and has the 7<sup>th</sup> largest bauxite reserves at around 2,908.85 million tonnes in FY17.</li>
<li>It is a labour-intensive sector and provides employment for both unskilled labour and skilled labour. Being a part of the primary sector, it largely provides unskilled jobs.</li>
<li>The Development of the mining-based industry also gives a boost to the associated industries and leads to the overall development of the region.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Geographical Distribution of Mines</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393833_image21.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393833_image21.jpg" width="590" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393855_image9.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1578393855_image9.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="590" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>The Legislative Framework of Mining Sector in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The entry at <strong>serial No. 23 of List II (State List)</strong> to the Constitution of India mandates the state government to own the minerals located within their boundaries,</li>
<li>The entry at <strong>serial No. 54 of List I (Central List)</strong> mandates the central government to own the minerals within the <strong>exclusive economic zone of India (EEZ)</strong>. In pursuance to this Mines &amp; Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act of 1957 was framed.</li>
<li><strong>International Seabed Authority (ISA)</strong> regulates mineral exploration and extraction. It is guided by the&nbsp;<strong>UN treaty</strong> and India being a party to the treaty has received an exclusive right to explore <strong>polymetallic nodules</strong> over 75000 sq. km in Central Indian Ocean Basin.</li>
<li><strong>The MMDR Amendment Act of 2015</strong> introduces <strong>Mineral Concessions Grant</strong> through auctions to bring transparency and remove discretion; <strong>The</strong>&nbsp;<strong>District Mineral Foundation (DMF)</strong> to address the longtime grievance of the people affected by mining; and the&nbsp;<strong>National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET)</strong> for incentivising regional and detailed exploration to fill the gaps in exploration in the country, and stringent measures to check illegal mining.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The National Mineral Policy 2019</h3>
<p>It includes provisions which will give a boost to the mining sector such as:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Encouraging the private sector to take up exploration, on a&nbsp;<strong>revenue sharing model</strong>.</li>
<li>Provision of merger and acquisition of the mining entities and <strong>transfer of mining leases</strong> and creation of <strong>dedicated mineral corridors,</strong>&nbsp;and use of coastal waterways and inland shipping for evacuation and transportation of minerals to boost private sector mining areas.</li>
<li>It also mentions&nbsp;<strong>long term import-export policy</strong> for mineral, which will help the private sector in planning and bring stability in business.</li>
<li>The policy also makes efforts to <strong>harmonise taxes, levies, and royalty</strong> with the world benchmarks to help the private sector.</li>
<li>Provisions for&nbsp;<strong>e-governance, IT-enabled systems,</strong> awareness and information campaigns have been incorporated for regulations.</li>
<li>The utilisation of the <strong>District Mineral Fund</strong> for the equitable development of project affected persons and areas.</li>
<li>It also introduces the concept of i<strong>ntergenerational equity</strong> that deals with the well-being not only of the present generation and also of the generations to come.</li>
<li>It also proposes to constitute an inter-ministerial body to institutionalise the mechanism for ensuring <strong>sustainable development in mining</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges/Concerns Faced by Mining Sector in India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Displacement and rehabilitation issues</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Large scale displacement of local people leads to grievances and improper rehabilitation measures, thereby, leading to people&rsquo;s alienation and develop distrust over the government machinery.</li>
<li>It's not just a loss of land for the local population rather the loss of a tribal way of life and their rich cultural heritage.</li>
<li>It has given space to left-wing extremism in the resource-rich areas like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, etc.</li>
<li>Mining also puts the lives of miners at risk due to the rudimentary ways adopted and the absence of adequate safety gear and protocols. For instance, mine-related accidents at <strong>Ksan coal mine</strong> in Meghalaya- Jaintia Hills (2018), Chasnala near Dhanbad in 1975.</li>
<li><strong>Human Rights violations</strong> have taken place in forms of mine-related deaths, inadequate rehabilitation, and developmental steps, etc. <strong>Massive local protests have taken place</strong> against mining in Niyamgiri Hills of Odisha, POSCO in Odisha, Sterlite protest in T.N.</li>
<li><strong>Rathole mining:</strong> This is a form of illegal mining, especially practised in North eastern areas like Meghalaya <strong>(Ksan coal mine incident)</strong>. It involves digging of very small tunnels [only of 3-4 feet high], done both vertically and horizontally. The NGT banned it in 2015 on the grounds of it being unscientific and unsafe for workers. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>coal seam is extremely thin</strong> in Meghalaya, no other methods would not be economically viable. Removal of rocks from the hilly terrain and putting up pillars inside the mine to prevent collapse would be costlier. In Meghalaya, this is the locally developed technique and the most commonly used one.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Environmental/Health issues</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong> Environmental pollution</strong> has been caused by the Makrana marble mines in Rajasthan, the Granite mines of Karnataka have left a large hole on earth, Damodar river has been severely polluted by coal mining.</li>
<li><strong>Loss of biodiversity</strong> and local heritage due to mining activities.</li>
<li>The prevalence of mining in an area causes various <strong>diseases</strong> like fibrosis, Pneumoconiosis, and silicosis in workers as well as locals.</li>
<li><strong> Water Pollution &ndash;</strong> water from streams and rivers in mining areas have become acidic and unfit for drinking. Eg: Meghalaya&rsquo;s Kopili river, Damodar river etc.</li>
<li>Contaminated air with high particulate matters is also a major problem in mining rich regions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administrative issues</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Arbitrary allocation of coal mines leads to the long litigation and eventually cancellation of allocations and charges of corruption in block allocations.</li>
<li>Delay in environmental clearances due to bureaucratic hindrances.</li>
<li>Judicial interventions lead to long delay and losses for investors. For ex: SC imposed a heavy penalty on illegal mining without green clearances in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Odisha in 2017. Banning of Vedanta group in Niyamgiri Hills of Odisha and shut down of 88 illegal mining leases in Goa in 2018.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Government&rsquo;s initiatives</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong> Star rating</strong> of mining leases to establish a sustainable development framework for the Indian mining sector.</li>
<li>An MoU was signed between the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO in January 2016 to undertake a pilot project on &ldquo;monitoring of mining activities using satellite imagery&rdquo; to deter illegal mining.</li>
<li><strong>The Mining Surveillance System (MSS)</strong> is launched to check illegal mining through automatic remote sensing detection technology.</li>
<li><strong>District Mineral Foundation Fund</strong> <strong>(DMF)</strong> was established for the welfare of mining-affected people and areas under <strong>Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana [PMKKKY]</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>The National Mineral Exploration Policy</strong> has been released to attract private exploration agencies.</li>
<li>100% FDI permitted via automatic route for mining and exploration of metal and non-metal ores. And approval route for mining of titanium bearing minerals and its ores.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a need for an expedition of the clearance process for the judicious utilisation of mineral resources.</li>
<li>Stringent implementation of mining-related rules is needed especially regarding the ban on Rat-Hole and unscientific mining to prevent mine-related accidents.</li>
<li>Ensure transparency in block allocations and rule-based order should be established.</li>
<li>Use of technology for a better way of mineral exploration and surveillance systems.</li>
<li>Proper rehabilitation of the displaced population, the tribal rights need to be respected in accordance with the law.</li>
<li>Proper environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA) must be conducted before allocating the projects.</li>
<li>Utilisation of DMF to construct physical &amp; social infrastructure and efforts should be made for the integration of the local population in the process.</li>
<li>A&nbsp;proper regulatory framework for the implementation of the NGT guidelines for the protection of forest and the least damage to the environment.</li>
<li>Adopting global practices in operations and ensuring safe working conditions for workers in the mining sector. Undertake measures to avoid occupational hazards.</li>
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		'updatedby' => (int) 9,
		'added' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'modified' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'[new]' => false,
		'[accessible]' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		],
		'[dirty]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[original]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[virtual]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[errors]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[invalid]' => [[maximum depth reached]],
		'[repository]' => 'tags'
	
	}
]
$title = 'Article Tags'
$lastyear = (int) 2018
$year = '2021'
$i = (int) 2017
$selected = ''
$m = (int) 13
$month = 'December'

include - ROOT/plugins/Drishti/src/Template/Element/rightsection.ctp, line 100
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1196
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1157
Cake\View\View::_renderElement() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1554
Cake\View\View::element() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 668
include - ROOT/plugins/Drishti/src/Template/Element/articlebox.ctp, line 5
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1196
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1157
Cake\View\View::_renderElement() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1554
Cake\View\View::element() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 668
include - ROOT/plugins/Drishti/src/Template/Articles/tags.ctp, line 61
Cake\View\View::_evaluate() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1196
Cake\View\View::_render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 1157
Cake\View\View::render() - CORE/src/View/View.php, line 765
Cake\Controller\Controller::render() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 623
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 125
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 93

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