Northeast SDG Index by NITI Aayog

• A milestone toward localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was achieved with the release of the first edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index Report and Dashboard 2021–22 by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (M/DoNER), today.
• The NER District SDG Index& Dashboard, a collaborative effort by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of DoNER, with technical support from UNDP, is the first of its kind in the country as it focuses on the North Eastern Region, which is of critical significance to the country’s development trajectory.
• The Index measures the performance of the districts of the eight States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura on the Sustainable Development Goals and their corresponding targets and ranks the districts based on the same.
• The index is based on NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index –the principal and official tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs at the national and State/ Union Territory levels and shares the common ethos of benchmarking performance and ranking the SDGs to foster competition among the districts.
• The index offers insights into the social, economic, and environmental status of the region and its districts in their march towards achieving the SDGs. It is a unique policy tool which has immense potential to measure district-level progress, highlight critical gaps, facilitate resource allocation, and will be a handy tool for policymakers in the eight North Eastern States, Ministry of DoNER and other Union Ministries.
• The NER District SDG Index aims at delineating progress at the district level on a basket of indicators and enhancing analytical understanding of sectoral issues as well as data gaps while assisting in designing future courses of action in the region.
• The modular nature of the index makes it a policy tool and a ready reckoner for gauging the progress of districts on the expansive set of the Global Goals, including health, education, gender, economic growth, institutions, climate change and environment, among others.

Overall results and findings

• Out of the 103 districts considered for ranking, 64 districts belonged to the Front Runner category while 39 districts were in the Performer category in the composite score and ranking of districts. All districts in Sikkim and Tripura fall in the Front Runner category and there are no districts in the Aspirant or Achiever categories.
• East Sikkim [Score 75.87] ranks first in the region followed by districts Gomati and North Tripura [Score 75.73] in the second position.
• The score for the 103 districts ranges from 53.00 in Kiphire [NL] to 75.87 in East Sikkim [SK].

India- Maldives Relations

The About Maldives

• Maldives is a small archipelagic state in the Indian subcontinent of Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 700 kilometres (430 mi) from the Asian continent's mainland.
• The maritime boundary between the Maldives and India runs through the Eight Degree Channel. It separates the islands of Minicoy and Maldives.
• The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south (across the Equator).
• Comprising a territory spanning roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi) including the sea, the land area of all the islands comprises 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi), Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed sovereign states as well as the smallest Asian country by land area and, with around 557,426 inhabitants, the 2nd least-populous country in Asia.
• Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island" where the ancient royal dynasties ruled for its central location.
• The Maldivian Archipelago is located on the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean; this also forms a terrestrial ecoregion, together with the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep.

Historical Background of Maldives

• In the 12th century, Islam reached the Maldivian Archipelago, which was consolidated as a sultanate, developing strong commercial and cultural ties with Asia and Africa.
• From the mid-16th-century region came under the increasing influence of European colonial powers, with the Maldives becoming a British protectorate in 1887.
• Independence from the United Kingdom came in 1965, and a presidential republic was established in 1968 with an elected People's Majlis. The ensuing decades have seen political instability, efforts at democratic reform, and environmental challenges posed by climate change.
• Maldives was a member of the Commonwealth from July 1982 until withdrawing from the Commonwealth in October 2016 in protest at allegations by the other nations of its human rights abuses and failing democracy. The Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth on 1 February 2020 after showing evidence of functioning democratic processes and popular support.
• Maldives became a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
• It is also a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement.
• The World Bank classifies the Maldives as having an upper-middle income economy.
• Fishing has historically been the dominant economic activity and remains the largest sector by far, followed by the rapidly growing tourism industry.
• Maldives rate "high" on the Human Development Index, with per-capita income significantly higher than other SAARC nations.

Maldive relations with India

• India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity and enjoy close, cordial and multi-dimensional relations.
• India was among the first to recognise the Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
• India established its mission at the level of CDA in 1972 and resident High Commissioner in 1980.
• The Maldives opened a full-fledged High Commission in New Delhi in November 2004, at that time one of its only four diplomatic missions worldwide.

1967 Maritime Treaty

• In December 1976, India and the Maldives signed a maritime boundary treaty to agree on maritime boundaries.
• Treaty explicitly places Minicoy on the Indian side of the boundary.
• India and Maldives officially and amicably decided their maritime boundary in 1976.

1981 Comprehensive Trade Agreement

• In 1981, India and Maldives signed a comprehensive trade agreement.
• Both nations are founding members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the South Asian Economic Union and signatories to the South Asia Free Trade Agreement.
• Indian and Maldivian leaders have maintained high-level contacts and consultations on regional issues.

Previous India’s Assistance to Maldives (PT SHOTS)

• 1988: Under Operation Cactus the Indian Armed Forces helped the government of Maldives in the neutralization of the coup attempt.
• 2004: India helped the Maldives after the tsunami.
• 2014: Under 'Operation Neer' India supplied drinking water to the Maldives to deal with the drinking water crisis.
• The two Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) given by India to the Maldivian armed forces have been used in saving Maldivian lives. The Advanced Light Helicopter is a multi-role, new generation helicopter in the 5.5-ton weight class, indigenously designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• Defence:

1. India provides the largest number of training opportunities for Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting around 70% of their defence training requirements.
2. In April 2006 Indian Navy gifted a Trinket Class Fast Attack Craft of 46 m length to Maldives National Defence Force's Coast Guard.

• ‘Ekuverin’ is a joint military exercise between India and Maldives.
• Disaster Management: The Government of India has provided large-scale assistance to the Maldives in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and during the 2014 Male water crisis.
• Trade and Tourism: India is Maldives’ 4th largest trade partner after UAE, China and Singapore. In 2018, India was the 5th largest source of tourist arrivals in the Maldives.
• The Maldivian economy is heavily dependent on its tourism sector, which is the major source of foreign exchange earnings and government revenue.

Operation Sanjeevani

• India supplied 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines to Maldives, under Operation Sanjeevani as assistance in the fight against COVID-19.
• The medicines were delivered by a Hercules C-130J-30 aircraft of the Indian Air Force.
• The medicines include influenza vaccines, antiviral drugs such as lopinavir and ritonavir among others as well as consumables such as catheters, nebulisers, urine bags and infant feeding tubes.
• Lopinavir and ritonavir have been used to treat patients with COVID-19 in some countries.
• In March India also dispatched a 14-member Army medical team to Maldives to set up a viral testing lab there and gifted 5.5 tonne of essential medicines.

Maldives signs largest-ever infrastructure project with AFCONS

• The contract for the largest-ever infrastructure project in the Maldives was signed in Male.
• The Greater Male Connectivity Project ( GMCP) will consist of a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link between Male and the nearby islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. Indian construction giant AFCONS has been tasked with completing the project.
• AFCONS is known for its “extreme engineering” projects that also include the Chenab Railway Bridge.
• The project is funded by a grant of $100 million and a line of credit of $400 million from India.
• The GMCP project would be bigger than the Sinamale Bridge built with Chinese assistance that connects Male with Hulhumale and Hulhule and was completed in 2018.
• The Greater Malé Connectivity Project supports the vision of Prime Minister Modi and President Solih for strong bilateral relations.
• The seeds of the project were planted during the External Affairs Minister’s visit to Malé in September 2019.

Significance of GMCP

• The GMCP is concrete proof that India is a robust development partner of the Maldives in addition to being the First Responder in times of any emergency in the Maldives.
• The GMCP is not only the biggest project India is doing in the Maldives but also the biggest infrastructure project in the Maldives overall. This iconic project will give a major boost to the Maldivian economy.
• This project is significant because it facilitates inter-island connectivity in the country. Transport is a major challenge for residents who have to take boats or seaplanes to distant islands. Locals take ferries or boats. It becomes even more difficult during the monsoons when the seas are rough. This bridge that would connect Malé with the three neighbouring islands would ease the process.

Sugarcane Industry of India

Historical Background

• Sugar has been produced in India since ancient times and then it spread to other parts of the world.
• Click here for the information on Sugarcane crop in India. In India, sugarcane is planted thrice a year in October, March and July depending on part of the country.
• India has a long tradition of manufacturing sugar. References of sugar making by the Indians are found even in the Atharva Veda. India is rightly called the homeland of sugar. But in ancient times, only gur and Khansari were made and the modem sugar industry came on the Indian scene only in the middle of the 19th century, when it was introduced by the Dutch in North Bihar in about 1840.
• Unfortunately, this attempt could not succeed. The first successful attempt was made by the indigo planters at the initiative of Britishers in 1903 when Vacuum pan mills were started at Pursa, Pratabpur, Barachakia and Marhowrah and Rose in north-eastern U.P. and the adjoining Bihar.
• This happened when demand for indigo ceased to exist due to the introduction of synthetic blue in the market. In the early years of the 20th century, the industry grew rather sluggishly and there were only 18 mills in 1920-21 and 29 mills in 1930-31. The industry got a great fillip after the fiscal protection in 1931 and the number of mills rose to 137 in 1936-37. The production also shot up from 1.58 lakh tonnes to 9.19 lakh tonnes during the same period.
• The industry passed through an uncertain phase during and after the World War II and some stability was experienced only after 1950-51. There were 139 mills producing 11.34 lakh tonnes of sugar in 1950-51. After that, the plan period started and the industry made rapid strides. In the year 1994-95, there were 420 mills producing 148 lakh tonnes of sugar.
• Most of the sugar production in India takes at local Cooperative Sugar mills.

Factors responsible for the Location of Sugar Industry

• Sugar industry in India is based on sugarcane which is a heavy, low value, weight losing and perishable raw material.
• Sugarcane cannot be stored for long as the loss of sucrose content is inevitable. Besides, it cannot be transported over long distances because any increase in transportation cost would raise the cost of production and the sugarcane may dry up on the way.
• It is estimated that 50 per cent cost of production is accounted for by sugarcane alone. Normally, it requires about 100 tonnes of sugarcane to produce 10-12 tonnes of sugar. Even today most of sugarcane is transported with the help of bullock carts and cannot be carried beyond 20-25 km.
• The introduction of tractor-trolleys, trucks and even railway wagon have increased the distance covered by sugarcane to 70-75 kms. beyond which the transportation cost would increase exorbitantly. Therefore, the sugar industry is established in areas of sugarcane cultivation.
• Sugar industry has two major areas of concentration. One comprises Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab in the north and the other that of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the south.

Maharashtra

• Maharashtra has progressed a lot and captured first position from U.P. to emerge as the largest producer of sugar in India. Large production of sugarcane, higher rate of recovery and longer crushing period are some of the factors which have helped the state to occupy this enviable position.
• The state has one-fourth of the total sugar mills and produces a little more than one-third of the total sugar of India. Sugar mills of Maharashtra are much larger as compared to the mills in other parts of the country. The major concentration of sugar mills is found in the river valleys in the western part of the Maharashtra Plateau. Ahmednagar is the largest centre. The other major centres are in the districts of Kolhapur, Solapur, Satara, Pune and Nashik.

Uttar Pradesh:

• Uttar Pradesh is the traditional producer of sugar and has been occupying the first rank among the major sugar producing states of India. However, its relative importance has been reduced during the last few years and the state has conceded the top position to Maharashtra and now occupies the second position. Uttar Pradesh has more mills than Maharashtra but they are of comparatively smaller size and yield less production.
• Presently, the state accounts for about 24 per cent of the total production of sugar in India. There are two distinct regions of sugar production in this state. One region consists of Gorakhpur, Deoria, Basti and Gonda in eastern Uttar Pradesh and the other lies in the upper Ganga Plain consisting of Meerut, Saharanpur, Muzaffamagar, Bijnore and Moradabad.

Tamil Nadu:

• Tamil Nadu has shown phenomenal progress with regard to sugar production during the last few years. High yield per hectare of sugarcane, higher sucrose content, high recovery rate and long crushing season have enabled Tamil Nadu to obtain highest yield of 9.53 tonnes of sugar per hectare in the whole of India.
• As a result of these advantages, the state has emerged as the third largest producer of sugar, contributing over nine per cent of the total sugar production of India. Most of the 32 mills of the state are located in Coimbatore, North Arcot Ambedkar, South Arcot Vallalur and Tiruchchirapalli.

Karnataka:

• Karnataka has 30 mills producing 1,151 thousand tonnes or over 6 per cent of the total sugar of India. Belgaum and Mandya districts have the highest concentration of sugar mills. Bijapur, Bellary, Shimoga and Chittradurga are the other districts where sugar mills are scattered.

Andhra Pradesh:

• Andhra Pradesh has more mills (35) than the neighbouring Karnataka but produces only 6.01 per cent of India’s sugar. This means that the mills are comparatively smaller. Majority of the sugar mills are concentrated in East and West Godavari, Krishna, Vishakhapatnam, Nizamabad, Medak and Chittoor districts.

Gujarat:

• Gujarat’s 16 mills are scattered in Surat, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Banaskantha, Junagarh, Rajkot and Jamnagar districts. The state produces about 5.56 per cent of the total sugar produced in India.

Haryana:

• Haryana has only 8 mills but their large size enables the state to contribute 1.91 per cent of the total sugar production. Sugar mills are located in Rohtak, Ambala, Panipat, Sonipat, Kamal, Faridabad and Hissar districts.

Punjab:

• Punjab has a total of 13 mills which are located in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Sangrur, Patiala and Rupnagar districts.

Bihar:

• Bihar was the second largest sugar producing state next only to Uttar Pradesh till mid- 1960s. Since then the state has been experiencing sluggish growth and consequently lost its prestigious position to the peninsular states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Its 28 mills make an insignificant contribution to the production of sugar. The belt of eastern Uttar Pradesh extends further east in Bihar and the districts of Darbhanga, Saran, Champaran and Muzaffarpur are included in this belt.

Others:

• Among the other producers are Madhya Pradesh (8 mills in Morena, Gwalior and Shivpuri districts), Rajasthan (5 mills in Ganganagar, Udaipur, Chittaurgarh and Bundi districts), Kerala, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam.

Difference between the Sugar Industry of Northern and Peninsular India:

There are marked differences between the sugar industry of the northern and the peninsular India. As a result of better conditions prevailing in the peninsular India, the sugar industry is gradually shifting from north India to the peninsular India.

This is evident from the fact that previously north India used to produce about 90 per cent of India’s sugar which is reduced to 35-40 per cent now. A brief description of differences between the sugar industry of the northern and peninsular India is given below:

1. Peninsular India has tropical climate which gives higher yield per unit area as compared to north India.
2. The sucrose content is also higher in tropical variety of sugarcane in the south.
3. The crushing season is also much longer in the south than in the north. For example, crushing season is of nearly four months only in the north from November to February, whereas it is of nearly 7-8 months in the south where it starts in October and continues till May and June.
4. The co-operative sugar mills are better managed in the south than in the north.
5. Most of the mills in the south are new which are equipped with modern machinery.

Sugarcane Market in India

• Around 525 mills produced more than 30 million tonnes of sugar in the last crushing season, which lasted from October to April.
• This makes India the world's largest producer, unseating Brazil.
• Some 50 million farmers and millions of more workers, are involved in sugarcane farming.
• India is the world's largest consumer of sugar.
• According to data from the Indian Sugar Mills Association, the country's sugar mill produce 268.21 lakh (26,821,000) tonnes of sugar between October 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020.

Production of Sugarcane in India

• Sugar cane is very important input for making sugar. When production of sugar cane increases, sugar production also increases.
• Sugar cane's production increased from 110 million tonnes in year 1961 to 405 million tonnes in year 2019.
• Sugar cane are grown in 2413 thousand hectare in 1961 year to 5061 thousand hectare in year 2019.
• Production quality for sugar cane is also increased. Production quantity improved from 45 tonnes/hectare to 80 tonnes/hectare.

Types of Sugar Industry in India

• The sugar industry is divided into two sectors, including organized and unorganized sectors.
• Sugar factories belong to the organized sector, and those who produce traditional sweeteners fall into the unorganized sector.
• Gur and khandsari are the traditional forms of sweeteners.

Manufacturing Process of Sugar in India

Several steps are usually followed to produce sugar. These steps are mentioned as below:

• Extracting juice by pressing sugarcane
• Boiling the juice to obtain crystals
• Creating raw sugar by spinning crystals in extractors
• Taking raw sugar to a refinery for the process of filtering and washing to discard remaining non- sugar elements and hue
• Crystallizing and drying sugar
• Packaging the ready sugar

Click here for the Sugarcane Policy of India

Products and by products of Sugar industry

• The processing of sugarcane generates bagasse, molasses and press mud.
• Indian sugar industry has been using these by-products to generate bioethanol, electricity and many other products over the years.

Sugar Production in India

• Sugar industry is an important agro-based industry that impacts rural livelihood of about 50 million sugarcane farmers and around 5 lakh workers directly employed in sugar mills.
• Employment is also generated in various ancillary activities relating to transport, trade servicing of machinery and supply of agriculture inputs.
• India is the second largest producer of sugar in the world after Brazil and is also the largest consumer. India is largest producer of Sugarcane in the World beating Brazil.
• Today Indian sugar industry’s annual output is worth approximately Rs. 80,000 crores. There are 732 installed sugar factories in the country as on 31.07.2017, with sufficient crushing capacity to produce around 339 lakh MT of sugar. The capacity is roughly distributed equally between private sector units and cooperative sector units.
• In the 2014-15 crushing season, the sugar production of India has seen an increase of 11.5%.
• According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the opening stock at the start of the 2021-22 sugar season from October is anticipated to be nearly 8.7 million tonnes, the lowest in the last four years.
• Maharashtra is traditionally the leader when it comes to sugar production in India. Before Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, was the leader. Maharashtra has a longer crushing period than other states, and its recovery rate is also significantly higher.
• ISMA said that the sugar production in Uttar Pradesh is anticipated to be 11.9 million tonnes in 21-22, while in Maharashtra, production could reach 12.1 million tonnes, Karnataka is expected to contribute to a production of 4.87 million tonnes. In comparison, other states are expected to contribute 5.46 million tonnes to the overall sugar production in the country.
• Overall, nearly 5.45 million hectares of land have been brought under sugarcane this year from across the country, which is 3% above the current sugar season.
• In Maharashtra, the area under sugarcane was around 11% last year, while in UP, it has increased marginally by 0.21%. In Karnataka, nearly 4.19% more area has been brought under sugarcane in 21-22 regarding the 2020-21 season.
• One of the primary reasons for the increasing demand for sugar is the growing population of India and improving economic conditions. The majority of the sugar consumers that are produced directly by mills are bakeries, local sweets, and candy manufacturers. Together with the soft drink makers, they comprise almost 60% of the clientele. The primary consumers of khandsari are locally operating sweets establishments. Gur is also used in the rural areas in its Standard form as a sweetener as well as feed. Biscuit manufacturers, food products companies, pharmaceutical setups, hotels, and restaurants also consume fair quantities of sugar.

Import and Export of Indian Sugar Industry

• The Indian government has a rather strict policy when it comes to the import of sugar.
• During 2014, It raised the import duty from 15% to 40% to discourage this side of the sugar trade and promote exports.
• Thanks to the increased import duty, refiners find it rather hard – economically unfeasible to be precise – to bring in sugar, especially from countries such as Brazil, Pakistan and Thailand.
• The All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) stated that mills had exported 2.49 million tonnes of the sweetener so far in the 2020-21 marketing year ending September, with several shipments to Indonesia.

Problems of Sugar Industry in India

Sugar industry in India is plagued with several serious and complicated problems which call for immediate attention and rational solutions. Some of the burning problems are briefly described as under:

1. Low Yield of Sugarcane:

• Although India has the largest area under sugarcane cultivation, the yield per hectare is extremely low as compared to some of the major sugarcane producing countries of the world. For example, India’s yield is only 64.5 tonnes/hectare as compared to 90 tonnes in Java and 121 tonnes in Hawaii.
• This leads to low overall production and results in short supply of sugarcane to sugar mills. Efforts are being made to solve this problem through the introduction of high yielding, early maturing, frost resistant and high sucrose content varieties of sugarcane as well as by controlling diseases and pests which are harmful for sugarcane.

2. Short crushing season:

• Manufacturing of sugar is a seasonal phenomena with a short crushing season varying normally from 4 to 7 months in a year. The mills and its workers remain idle during the remaining period of the year, thus creating financial problems for the industry as a whole.
• One possible method to increase the crushing season is to sow and harvest sugarcane at proper intervals in different areas adjoining the sugar mill. This will increase the duration of supply of sugarcane to sugar mills.

3. Fluctuating Production Trends:

• Sugarcane has to compete with several other food and cash crops like cotton, oil seeds, rice, etc. Consequently, the land available to sugarcane cultivation is not the same and the total production of sugarcane fluctuates. This affects the supply of sugarcane to the mills and the production of sugar also varies from year to year.

4. Low rate of recovery:

• It is clear from Table 27.29 that the average rate of recovery in India is less than ten per cent which is quite low as compared to other major sugar producing countries. For example recovery rate is as high as 14-16 per cent in Java, Hawaii and Australia.

5. High cost of Production:

• High cost of sugarcane, inefficient technology, uneconomic process of production and heavy excise duty result in high cost of manufacturing. The production cost of sugar in India is one of the highest in the world. Intense research is required to increase the sugarcane production in the agricultural field and to introduce new technology of production efficiency in the sugar mills. Production cost can also be reduced through proper utilisation of by- products of the industry.
• For example, bagasse can be used for manufacturing paper pulp, insulating board, plastic, carbon cortex etc. Molasses comprise another important by-product which can be gainfully used for the manufacture of power alcohol.
• This, in its turn, is useful in manufacturing DDT, acetate rayon, polythene, synthetic rubber, plastics, toilet preparations, etc. It can also be utilised for conversion into edible molasses and cattle feed. Press-mud can be used for extracting wax.

6. Small and uneconomic size of mills:

• Most of the sugar mills in India are of small size with a capacity of 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes per day. This makes large scale production uneconomic. Many of the mills are economically not viable.

7. Old and obsolete machinery:

• Most of the machinery used in Indian sugar mills, particularly those of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is old and obsolete, being 50-60 years old and needs rehabilitation. But low margin of profit prevents several mill owners from replacing the old machinery by the new one.

8. Competition with Khandsari and Gur:

• Khandsari and gur have been manufactured in rural India much before the advent of sugar industry in the organised sector. Since khandsari industry is free from excise duty, it can offer higher prices of cane to the cane growers.
• Further, cane growers themselves use cane for manufacturing gur and save on labour cost which is not possible in sugar industry. It is estimated that about 60 per cent of the cane grown in India is used for making khandsari and gur and the organised sugar industry is deprived of sufficient supply of this basic raw material.

9. Regional imbalances in distribution:

• Over half of sugar mills are located in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and about 60 per cent of the production comes from these two states. On the other hand, there are several states in the north-east, Jammu and Kashmir and Orissa where there is no appreciable growth of this industry. This leads to regional imbalances which have their own implications.

10. Low per capita consumption:

• The per capita annual consumption of sugar in India is only 16.3 kg as against 48.8 kg in the USA., 53.6 kg in U.K., 57.1 kg in Australia and 78.2 kg in Cuba and the world average of about 21,1 kg. This result in low market demand and creates problems of sale of sugar.

Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme

• ‘Ethanol is an agro-based product, mainly produced from a by-product of the sugar industry, namely molasses.
• In years of surplus production of sugarcane, when prices are depressed, the sugar industry is unable to make timely payment of cane price to farmers.
• The Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme (EBP) seeks to achieve blending of Ethanol with motor sprit with a view to reducing pollution, conserve foreign exchange and increase value addition in the sugar industry enabling them to clear cane price arrears of farmers.
• The Central Government has scaled up blending targets from 5% to 10% under the EBP.
• The procedure of procurement of ethanol under the EBP has been simplified to streamline the entire ethanol supply chain and remunerative ex-depot price of ethanol has been fixed.
• To facilitate achieving of new blending targets, a "grid” which networks distilleries to OMC depots and details quantities to be supplied has been worked out.
• State-wise demand profile has also been projected, keeping in view distances, capacities and other sectoral demands.
• Excise duty was waived on ethanol supplies to OMCs for EBP by sugar mills during 2015-16 (up to 10 August, 2016). The results have been quite encouraging, with supplies doubling every year.
• In the year 2013-14, ethanol supplied for blending was only 38 crore litres, whereas in 2014-15, under the modified EBP supplies increased to 67 crore litres. In the ethanol season 2015-16, the ethanol supply has been historically high and has reached 111 crore litres achieving 4.2% of blending.

Other efforts for Sugar Industry in India

• The Government on 3.1.2014 notified a Scheme for Extending Financial Assistance to Sugar Undertakings (SEFASU-2014) envisaging interest free loans by bank as additional working capital to sugar mills, for clearance of cane price arrears of previous sugar seasons and timely settlement of cane price of current sugar season to sugarcane farmers.
• A scheme was notified on 23.6.2015 to provide soft loan to sugar mills to facilitate clearance of cane price arrears of current sugar season 2014-15.
• With a view to improving domestic sugar price sentiments, the Government fixed indicative export targets for each mill proportionate to their sugar production so as to evacuate 4 mMT of sugar stocks. No export subsidy or incentive is offered and the industry is expected to export at prevailing international prices and absorb the losses so incurred. It is expected that with stock evacuation, domestic sugar prices would increase and reach levels more supportive of cane prices. These are the Minimum Indicative Export Quotas (MIEQ).
• The Government vide notification dated 2.12.2015 had also extended production subsidy @ Rs. 4.50 per quintal to sugar mills to offset cost of cane and facilitate timely payment of cane price dues of farmers for the sugar season 2015-16.
• With a view, to keep the sugar prices at reasonable level and to ensure smooth supply of sugar for consumers, the Central Government imposed stock holding and turn over limits on sugar and on Sugar mills.

Historical Background

• The Central Bureau of Investigation traces its origin to the Special Police Establishment (SPE) which was set up in 1941 by the Government of India.

• The functions of the SPE then were to investigate cases of bribery and corruption in transactions with the War & Supply Deptt. Of India during World War II.
• Superintendence of the S.P.E. was vested with the War Department.
• Even after the end of the War, the need for a Central Government agency to investigate cases of bribery and corruption by Central Government employees was felt. The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was therefore brought into force in 1946.
• This Act transferred the superintendence of the SPE to the Home Department and its functions were enlarged to cover all departments of the Govt. of India.
• The jurisdiction of the SPE extended to all the Union Territories and could be extended also to the States with the consent of the State Government concerned.
• The DSPE acquired its popular current name, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), through a Home Ministry resolution in April 1963. Initially the offences that were notified by the Central Government related only to corruption by Central Govt. servants.
• In due course, with the setting up of a large number of public sector undertakings, the employees of these undertakings were also brought under CBI purview.
• Similarly, with the nationalisation of the banks in 1969, the Public Sector Banks and their employees also came within the ambit of the CBI.
• Founder Director: The founder director of the CBI was Shri D.P. Kohli who held office from 1st April, 1963 to 31st May, 1968.
• The motto of the CBI is Industry, Impartiality and Integrity.
• From 1965 onwards, the CBI has also been entrusted with the investigation of Economic Offences and important conventional crimes such as murders, kidnapping, terrorist crimes, etc., on a selective basis.
• The SPE initially had two Wings. They were the General Offences Wing (GOW) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The GOW dealt with cases of bribery and corruption involving the employees of Central Government and Public Sector Undertakings. The EOW dealt with cases of violation of various economic/fiscal laws. Under this set-up, the GOW had at least one Branch in each State and the EOW in the four metropolitan cities, i.e, Delhi, Madras, Bombay and Calcutta. These EOW Branches dealt with offences reported from the Regions, i.e, each Branch had jurisdiction over several States.
• As the CBI, over the years, established a reputation for impartiality and competence, demands were made on it to take up investigation of more cases of conventional crime such as murder, kidnapping, terrorist crime, etc.
• Apart from this, even the Supreme court and the various High Courts of the country also started entrusting such cases for investigation to the CBI on petitions filed by aggrieved parties.
• CBI is not only a premier anti corruption investigative agency in India but it has also the experience of handling high profile conventional crimes, economic offences, banking frauds and crimes with international linkages.
• The CBI is designated as the National Central Bureau of India for ICPO-INTERPOL.

Mission

• To uphold the Constitution of India and law of the land through in-depth investigation and successful prosecution of offences;
• To provide leadership and direction to police forces and
• To act as the nodal agency for enhancing inter-state and international cooperation in law enforcement.

Vision

Based on its motto, mission and the need to develop professionalism, transparency, adaptability to change and use of science and technology in its working, the CBI will focus on:

• Combating corruption in public life, curb economic and violent crimes through meticulous investigation and prosecution.
• Evolve effective systems and procedures for successful investigation and prosecution of cases in various law courts.
• Help fight cyber and high technology crime.
• Create a healthy work environment that encourages team-building, free communication and mutual trust.
• Support state police organizations and law enforcement agencies in national and international cooperation particularly relating to enquiries and investigation of cases.
• Play a lead role in the war against national and transnational organized crime.
• Uphold Human Rights, protect the environment, arts, antiques and heritage of our civilization.
• Develop a scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
• Strive for excellence and professionalism in all spheres of functioning so that the organization rises to high levels of endeavor and achievement.

Who exercises supervision over CBI?

• The superintendence of CBI related to investigation of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 lies with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and in other matters with the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) in the Ministry of Personnel, Pension & Grievances of the Government of India.

What types of Crime CBI investigate today?

CBI has grown into a multidisciplinary investigation agency over a period of time. Today it has the following three divisions for investigation of crime:-

• Anti-Corruption Division - for investigation of cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 & the Prevention of Corruption(Amendment) Act, 2018 against Public officials and the employees of Central Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Corporations or Bodies owned or controlled by the Government of India - it is the largest division having presence almost in all the States of India.
• Economic Offences Division - for investigation of major financial scams and serious economic frauds, including crimes relating to Fake Indian Currency Notes, Bank Frauds and Cyber Crime.
• Special Crimes Division - for investigation of serious, sensational and organized crime under the Indian Penal Code and other laws on the requests of State Governments or on the orders of the Supreme Court and High Courts. The laws under which CBI can investigate Crime are notified by the Central Government under section 3 of the DSPE Act.

Other Functions of CBI

• CBI can take over the investigation of a criminal case registered by the State Police in the following situations

1. The concerned State Government makes a request to that effect and the Central Government agrees to it.
2. The State Government issues notification of consent under section 6 of the DSPE Act and the Central Government issues notification under section 5 of the DSPE Act.
3. The Supreme Court or High Courts orders CBI to take up such investigations.

• Difference between National Investigation Agency and CBI: The NIA has been constituted after the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 mainly for investigation of incidents of terrorist attacks, funding of terrorism and other terror related crime, whereas CBI investigates crime of corruption, economic offences and serious and organized crime other than terrorism.
• SBI cannot take up suo moto investigation of any crime anywhere in India. As per section 2 of the DSPE Act, CBI can suo-moto take up investigation of offences notified in section 3 only in the Union Territories. Taking up investigation by CBI in the boundaries of a State requires prior consent of that State as per Section 6 of the DSPE Act. The Central Government can authorize CBI to investigate such a crime in a State but only with the consent of the concerned State Government. The Supreme Court and High Courts, however, can order CBI to investigate such a crime anywhere in the country without the consent of the State.
• The conviction rate of CBI is as high as 65 to 70% and it is comparable to the best investigation agencies in the world.
• CBI has been notified as the Interpol of India. CBI has a training academy in Ghaziabad, where it organizes training courses in various subjects not only for its own officers but for officers from other countries as well as from State & UT police organizations, vigilance officers of Public Sector Undertakings, Banks etc.

Role of CBI as Interpol of India

• In this era of globalization and information technology crime and criminals easily cross national boundaries.
• Crime and Criminals have gone transnational.
• The International Police Criminal Organization (ICPO or Interpol) has emerged as an important institution for strengthening cooperation amongst law enforcement agencies of various countries.
• As Interpol of India, CBI acts as an interface between the law enforcement agencies of India and other countries to ensure such cooperation.
• It facilitates exchange and sharing of information by these agencies. It also gets the red notices of the fugitive criminals, wanted in India, published. Besides above it also plays a role in negotiation and finalization of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) and Extradition Treaties between India and other countries.
• CBI also facilitates execution of Letter of Requests for Investigation in India and out of India.
• Extradition of Fugitives: CBI has a limited role in such matters. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is the nodal agency for extradition of fugitives. CBI Interpol can help the law enforcement agencies in tracing/locating the fugitive so that it can make a formal request for extradition of the fugitive to the MEA.

Lake Sambhar is shrinking

About Sambhar Lake

• The Sambhar Salt Lake, India's largest inland salt lake, is located 80 km southwest of the city of Jaipur and 64 km northeast of Ajmer, Rajasthan. It surrounds the historical Sambhar Lake Town.

• The lake receives water from six rivers: Mantha, Rupangarh, Khari, Khandela, Medtha and Samod.
• The lake is an extensive saline wetland , with water depth fluctuating from as few as 60 centimetres (24 in) during the dry season to about 3 meters (10 ft) at the end of the monsoon season.
• Sambhar has been designated as a Ramsar site (recognized wetland of international importance) because the wetland is a key wintering area for tens of thousands of pink flamingos and other birds that migrate from northern Asia and Siberia.
• The specialized algae and bacteria growing in the lake provide striking water colours and support the lake ecology that, in turn, sustains the migrating waterfowl. There is other wildlife in the nearby forests, where Nilgai moves freely along with deer and foxes.
• The salt (NaCl) concentration in this lake water differs from season to season. The salt concentration in the pans (kyars or Salt pans) varies and, accordingly, the colour of the brine ranges from green, orange, pink, purple, pink and red due to the bloom of haloalkaliphilic microorganisms.
• In November 2019, nearly 20,000 of migratory birds were found dead mysteriously in the lake area.

Avian Botulism in Sambhar Lake

• In late 2019, the lake bed had turned into a mass graveyard for migratory birds. An estimated 25,000 birds dropped dead: Kentish plovers, tufted ducks, northern shovelers, pied avocets, little ringed plovers, stilts and gadwalls, among 36 species.
• The Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, confirmed avian botulism — a neuro-muscular illness caused by a toxin which is produced by a bacterial strain — as the reason for mass mortality of birds, including migratory species from Northern Asia, at Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan.
• The illness, caused by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, affecting the nervous system of birds, leading to flaccid paralysis in their legs and wings and neck touching the ground.

Why is Sambhar Lake Shrinking?

• As Sambhar Lake came under the international spotlight for this mass die-off, another phenomenon drew attention to the lake: rampant illegal salt mining and a shrinking wetland.
• Salt pans were proliferating and illegal borewells dotted the area, causing a massive degradation of the famous lake.

Protection needed

• The 230 sq.km., shallow, elliptical wetland straddles the districts of Jaipur, Nagaur and Ajmer.
• Salt production in Sambhar is nothing new. It has taken place for centuries, but in a traditionally sustainable manner, providing livelihood to the local community. The Mughals, the British, and now Sambhar Salts Ltd (a subsidiary of Hindustan Salts Ltd, a public sector company) have all controlled salt production.
• But today, there is a mushrooming of illegal salt mining and that is grievously threatening the wetland ecosystem.
• Nawa, on the northern side of Sambhar Lake, is controlled by private salt manufacturers. It is notorious for the many illegal borewells that over-extract brine. The salt pans encroach upon the lake, and pipelines transport the brine, with unauthorised electric cables, across several kilometres, connecting the lake bed to villages.
• Following a National Green Tribunal direction, some action against illegal borewells was initiated. Last year, 288 borewells, 32 submersible pumps, and 14 hectares of encroachment were cleared. .
• Sambhar Lake’s future is totally dependent on the seasonal rivers that flow into it during the monsoon. But now this water is being sucked away before it reaches the lake, causing it to dry up.
• Mendham, Rupangarh, Kharain, Khandel and several such streams and rivulets used to recharge the lake. But the farmers in the 7,560 sq. km. catchment area of the lake have built surface embankments across the rivers, obstructing their downstream flow into the lake.
• They have sunk tubewells along the rivers and laid pipelines to transport water to their fields, choking the rivers and ultimately threatening the wetland ecosystem.
• The lake supports flamingos and migratory birds from as far away as Siberia that feed on the algae and micro-organisms found in the saline waters. Members of Wildlife Creature Organization, a local NGO, recall wistfully how the entire lake would turn pink with thousands of flamingos just a decade ago.
• T.K. Roy, a conservationist, counted 1,004 birds belonging to 30 species during the annual Asian waterbird census in 2019. This is a dramatic decline from last year’s 43,510 birds.
• Sambhar, being on revenue land, was never scientifically managed as an ecosystem. “Sustainability will come only when there is optimum use. There is a habitat here for birds. Until the forest department is given an identified area for the habitat, they cannot make it sustainable.”
• To add to the wetland’s woes, a tented heritage resort has come up, and a 117-year-old, 11 km meter gauge train line was re-laid three years ago.

Why in news?

• The world famous Sambhar Salt Lake in Rajasthan, which is constantly shrinking with the degradation of soil and water quality and a decline in the population of migratory birds, needs a faster restoration for conservation of its wetland and salt brine worth $300 million, an expert study on the lake’s ecology has said.
• The study, undertaken by a research team of the Central University of Rajasthan’s School of Earth Sciences, has recommended urgent action to restore the lake’s ecosystem for protecting the birds and biodiversity as well as salt production.
• 30% of Sambhar Lake’s area had been lost to mining and other activities, including the illegal salt pan encroachments.
• It has also threatened the livelihoods of local people who have always lived in harmony with the lake and its ecology.
• The study team conducted geospatial modelling for 96 years, from 1963 to 2059, at a decadal scale with the integration of ground data on birds, soil and water. The satellite images were classified to cover Aravalli hills, barren land, saline soil, salt crust, salt pans, wetland, settlement and vegetation.
• Dr. Sharma said while the past trends showed a reduction of wetland from 30.7% to 3.4% at a constant rate with its conversion into saline soil, which increased by 9.3%, the future predictions had depicted a loss of 40% of wetland and 120% of saline soil and net increase of 30% vegetation, 40% settlement, 10% salt pan and 5% barren land.

Mission Karmayogi

• Dubbed the biggest bureaucratic reform initiative, the Union Cabinet 2020 approved ‘Mission Karmayogi’, a new capacity-building scheme for civil servants aimed at upgrading the post-recruitment training mechanism of the officers and employees at all levels.

• Mission Karmayogi aims to prepare Indian civil servants for the future by making them more creative, constructive, imaginative, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, energetic, enabling, transparent and technology-enabled.
• Mission Karmayogi programme will be delivered by setting up a digital platform called iGOTKarmayogi. Empowered with specific role competencies, a civil servant will be able to ensure efficient service delivery of the highest quality standards, the government said.
• The platform will act as a launchpad for the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB), which will enable a comprehensive reform of the capacity building apparatus at the individual, institutional and process levels.
• NPCSCB will be governed by the Prime Minister’s Human Resource Council, which will also include state Chief Ministers, Union Cabinet ministers and experts. This council will approve and review civil service capacity-building programmes.
• Besides this, there will be a Cabinet Secretary Coordination Unit comprising select secretaries and cadre controlling authorities.
• Also, there will be a Capacity Building Commission, which will include experts in related fields and global professionals. This commission will prepare and monitor annual capacity-building plans and audit human resources available in the government.
• Finally, there will be a wholly-owned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which will govern the iGOT-Karmayogi platform. It will be set up under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.
• The SPV will be a “not-for-profit” company and will own and manage iGOT-Karmayogi platform. The SPV will create and operationalise the content, market place and manage key business services of the iGOT-Karmayogi platform, relating to content validation, independent proctored assessments and telemetry data availability. The SPV will own all Intellectual Property Rights on behalf of the Government of India.
• How will it be funded? To cover around 46 lakh central employees, a sum of Rs 510.86 crore will be spent over a period of 5 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. The expenditure is partly funded by multilateral assistance to the tune of $50 million.
• Besides the setting up of the SPV, an appropriate monitoring and evaluation framework will also be put in place for the performance evaluation of all users of the iGOT-Karmayogi platform so as to generate a dashboard view of Key Performance Indicators.
• This exercise will “radically” improve the government’s human resource management practices and asserted it will use state-of-the-art infrastructure to augment the capacity of civil servants.
• Officers and employees in the government will get an opportunity to improve their performance under the Mission Karmayogi.