Earthquake

Recently, when an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 rocked Nepal, killing a few people and destroying many homes, India experienced strong vibrations.

Why did these tremors occur?

• The India and Eurasia Plate collisions, the primary cause of seismicity in the Himalayas, are cited by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as the cause of the earthquakes.
• At a relative pace of 40–50 millimetres each year, these plates are convergent.
• This region is one of the most seismically dangerous places on Earth as a result of the northward underthrusting of India beneath Eurasia.
• Some of the deadliest earthquakes have occurred in or near the Himalayas, including those with magnitudes of 8.1 in Bihar in 1934, 7.5 in Kangra in 1905, and 7.6 in Kashmir in 2005.

About Earthquake:

• To put it simply, an earthquake is the ground shaking. It happens naturally. It results from energy release, which creates waves that move in all directions.
• Seismographs are devices that record seismic waves, which are vibrations produced by earthquakes and propagate through the Earth.
• The epicentre is the point on the earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter, which is where the earthquake begins under the surface.
• Fault Zones, Tectonic Earthquakes, Volcanic Earthquakes, and Human-Induced Earthquakes are the different types of earthquakes.
• The magnitude or severity of the shock determines how the earthquake events are scaled. The Richter scale is the name given to the magnitude scale. The energy released during the earthquake is indicated by the magnitude. The magnitude is given in absolute numbers, ranging from 0 to 10.
• The intensity scale has the name of the Italian seismologist Mercalli. The event's visual damage is taken into account on the intensity scale. The intensity scale runs from 1 to 12.

Distribution of Earthquake:

• Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt: Home to over 81% of the planet's strongest earthquakes, the circum-Pacific seismic belt is the largest earthquake fault zone in the world. It carries the moniker "Ring of Fire."
• The belt is found near the tectonic plate borders, where oceanic crusted plates are subducting beneath other plates. Slip between plates and plate rupture are the primary causes of earthquakes in these subduction zones.
• The Alpine-Himalayan belt, also known as the mid-Continental belt, stretches from Europe to Sumatra and passes through the Himalayas, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic Ocean.
• About 17% of the greatest earthquakes in the world—including some of the most destructive—occur in this region.
• The third distinct belt is located after the submerged mid-Atlantic Ridge. The ridge indicates the separation of two tectonic plates (a divergent plate boundary).
• The majority of the mid-Atlantic Ridge is submerged and remote from populated areas.

What is India's Seismic Hazard Map?

• Because the Himalayas are technically active young fold mountains, India is one of the most earthquake-prone nations.
• Based on scientific information on seismicity, historical earthquakes, and the tectonic structure of the area, India has been categorised into four seismic zones (II, III, IV, and V).
• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) categorised the nation into four seismic zones by combining the first two zones. Previously, earthquake zones were divided into five zones according to the severity of the quakes.
• Seismic Zone II:
• Area with minor damage earthquakes corresponding to intensities V to VI of MM scale (MM-Modified Mercalli Intensity scale).
• Seismic Zone III:
• Moderate damage corresponding to intensity VII of MM scale.
• Seismic Zone IV:
• Major damage corresponding to intensity VII and higher of MM scale.
• Seismic Zone V:
• Area determined by the seismics of certain major fault systems and is seismically the most active region.
• Earthquake zone V is the most vulnerable to earthquakes, where historically some of the country’s most powerful shocks have occurred.

Read Also: Seismic Mapping of India

India's Edible Oil Industry

• In a recent argument against the approval for the release of GM mustard into the environment, the Centre cited the fact that India is currently importing and consuming oil made from Genetically Modified (GM) crops.
• Also, around 9.5 million tonnes (mt) of GM cotton seed is produced annually and 1.2 mt of GM cotton oil is consumed by human beings, and about 6.5 mt of cotton seed is consumed as animal feed.

What is the state of the Indian edible oil industry?

Area of the nation's economy:

• One of the world's top producers of oilseeds is India.
• The oil sector has a significant role in the agricultural economy.
• According to data given by the Ministry of Agriculture, it accounts for the expected output of 36.56 mt of nine cultivated oilseeds in the 2020–21 period.
• India is both the second-largest consumer and top importer of vegetable oil in the world.
• In India, edible oil demand is currently higher than domestic output. As a result, the nation must rely on imports to bridge the supply-demand gap.
• Currently, imports help India meet between 55% and 60% of its demand for edible oil. India must be self-sufficient in terms of oil production in order to satisfy domestic demand.
• Approximately 62% of all imported edible oils are palm oil (crude plus refined), which is primarily imported from Indonesia and Malaysia. Soybean oil (22%) is imported from Argentina and Brazil, and sunflower oil (15%) is primarily imported from Ukraine and Russia.

Oils Frequently Used in India:

• The most traditionally grown oilseeds in India are castor, linseed, niger seed, rapeseed, mustard, and rapeseed.
• In recent years, soybean and sunflower have also grown in prominence.
• Among the plantation crops, coconut is the most significant.
• The most significant non-conventional oils are cottonseed oil and rice bran oil.
• Edible oils are imported under an Open General License (OGL), according to the export and import policies.
• The government periodically examines the edible oil tariff structure in order to balance the interests of producers, processors, and consumers.

What related government initiatives are there?

• The National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm programme was started by the Indian government and is being carried out jointly by the federal and state governments, with a special emphasis on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the northeastern region.
• By 2025–2026, an additional 6.5 lakh hectares are planned for palm oil production.
• The Directorate of Sugar & Vegetable Oils under the Department of Food and Public Distribution has developed a web-based platform (evegoils.nic.in) for the monthly online submission of inputs by vegetable oil producers in order to enhance and systematise the data management system in the vegetable oil sector.
• The web also has a section where users can register online and submit their monthly output returns.

Read Also: NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT

India’s First Sovereign Green Bonds Framework

• The final Sovereign Green Bonds Framework of India was just authorised by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs.
• It will be possible to raise money for green projects by issuing sovereign green bonds.

What is the framework for sovereign green bonds?

• The Framework closely follows the Prime Minister's explanation of India's "Panchamrit" pledges at the Conference of Parties (COP) 26 in Glasgow in November 2021.
• India's dedication to its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets, set forth under the Paris Agreement, would be further strengthened.
• In order to approve important choices for the issuing of Sovereign Green Bonds, the Green Finance Working Committee (GFWC) was established.
• The framework has received a "Good" governance score and a "Medium Green" rating from the independent second opinion provider CICERO in Norway.
• The project or solution is given the "Medium Green" classification if it "represents important progress towards the long-term objective, but is not quite there yet."
• Both biomass-based renewable energy projects that depend on feedstock from "protected areas" and all fossil fuel-related initiatives have been excluded from the framework.

Sovereign Green Bonds: What Are They?

• Companies, nations, and international organisations all offer green bonds, which guarantee fixed-income payments to investors while only funding initiatives that benefit the environment or the climate.
• The initiatives could involve, among other things, green buildings, sustainable transportation, and renewable energy.
• These bonds' earnings are designated for environmental projects. This is different from regular bonds, which allow the issuer to use the proceeds for a variety of things.
• According to the London-based Climate Bonds Initiative, by the end of 2020, 24 national governments would have issued sovereign green, social, and sustainability bonds worth a total of USD 111 billion.

Sovereign green bonds' advantages

• Governments and authorities are sent a strong signal of intent about climate change and sustainable development by sovereign green issuance.
• Sovereign issuance can assist jump-start these significant capital inflows, as the International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Outlook 2021 estimates that 70% of the additional USD 4 trillion investment to reach net-zero is necessary in emerging/developing nations.
• The formation of a sovereign green benchmark could eventually result in the emergence of a thriving market for the issuance of green bonds by foreign investors.

International Status:

• Europe accounts for almost half of the estimated USD 40 trillion in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) funds.
• By 2025, it is predicted that around one-third of all global assets under management will be made up of ESG assets.
• Around USD 2 trillion is invested in ESG debt funds, of which over 80% are "environmental" or green bonds, with the remaining funds invested in social and sustainability bonds.

National Status:

• Indian organisations have issued green bonds worth more than USD 18 billion, according to the Climate Bonds Initiative, a global organisation striving to mobilise funds for climate change.

The Transport 4 All Challenge

It is a project of the Government of India's Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Aim:

• To bring cities, citizens, and startups together to create solutions that improve public transportation and better serve the needs of all citizens.
• Focuses on digital innovation and invites cities, citizens, and innovators to collaborate on developing contextual digital solutions to improve formal and informal public transportation in order to better serve the mobility needs of all citizens.

The Transport4All Digital Innovation Challenge is divided into three stages:

• Stage I PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Cities, with the assistance of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), identify key recurring problems that citizens and public transportation operators face.

• SOLUTION GENERATION AT STAGE II: Startups create prototypes of solutions to improve public transportation with input from cities and non-governmental organisations.

• PILOT TESTING AT STAGE III: Cities engage Startups for large-scale pilots and refine solutions based on citizen feedback.

• The Challenge's solutions aim to integrate formal and informal modes of public transportation wherever possible and desirable.
• Solutions that demonstrate the ability to meet the needs of citizens—those living in cities with varying contexts—would be tested in a number of cities across the country.

Read Also: Budget 2021 and Public Transportation

Pashmina Shawl

• Customs officials recently voiced complaints over the presence of "Shahtoosh" guard hair, which comes from endangered Tibetan antelopes, in Pashmina shawls in many of their export shipments.

Describe Pashmina.

• Pashmina is a type of wool with a Geographical Indication (GI) label that originates in the Indian state of Kashmir.
• In the past, the Kashmiri people relied on Pashmina shawls to keep them warm in the winter.
• The word "Pashmina" derives from the Persian word "Pashm," which refers to a weaveable fibre, specifically wool.
• Due to the high quality of the wool used and the labour-intensive process required to make each individual piece, pashmina shawls are quite expensive.
• Depending on the sort of work required, weaving a single Pashmina shawl takes a long time. One shawl typically takes up to 72 hours to finish.
• Source: The Changthangi goats (Capra Hircus), domesticated in Ladakh, are the source of the wool needed to weave Pashmina shawls.
• Fibre processing: The Changpa tribes of Ladakh, who care for the Changthangi goats, gather the raw Pashm.
• The Changpa are a semi-nomadic group that live in Changthang, which is located in the Ladakh and Tibet Autonomous Region.
• According to the Affirmative action reservation Program of the Indian Government, the Changpa were categorised as a Scheduled Tribe as of 2001.
• The only individuals that connect the Changpa tribe with the Kashmiris are the middlemen, from whom the Kashmiri weavers purchase the filthy raw pashm fibre.
• The fibre is subsequently combed and separated based on fineness.
• Then it is handspun, prepared into warps, and positioned on the handloom.
• The gorgeous, opulent pashmina shawls for which the fabric is famous are then created by hand weaving the yarn.
• In Kashmir, weaving Pashmina shawls is a craft that is traditionally passed down from one generation to the next.

Significance:

• One of the world's finest and highest-quality wools is pashmina.
• The Pashmina Shawl caught the interest of people from all over the world, making it one of the most sought-after shawls worldwide.
• The local economy was helped by its high demand.
• Manufacturers frequently adulterate Pashmina with sheep wool or ultra-fine merino wool due to its limited availability and expensive price.
• An Indian Standard for the identification, marking, and labelling of Pashmina items to confirm their purity was released by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in 2019.
• GI Certifying Criteria for Pashmina:
• 100% genuine Pashm should be used to make the shawl.
• The fibres should have a maximum fineness of 16 microns.
• Local Kashmiri weavers should handcraft the shawl.
• Only by hand should the yarn be spun.

Read Also: Bangalore Blue for Karnataka’s and GI analysis