DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

The Supreme Court recently directed the Survey of India (SoI) to examine whether a mega car park constructed by Kerala at Mullaiperiyar Dam is encroaching property covered under the Periyar Lake Lease Agreement.

• About - It is a masonry gravity dam in Idukki district of Kerala, where the Periyar and Mullayar rivers meet.
• Construction - The dam was constructed during 1887-1895 across Periyar River in the then Travancore state (now Kerala).
• Agreement - Although the dam is located in Kerala, it is operated by Tamil Nadu following an 1886 lease indenture for 999 years.
• The lease indenture was signed between the Maharaja of Travancore and the Secretary of State for India.
• The Periyar Dam with full reservoir level of 152 ft. provides for diversion of water from the reservoir through a tunnel to Vaigai basin in Tamil Nadu for irrigation benefits.
• Rule Curve - According to Tamil Nadu Water Resources Organisation, Mullaperiyar is the 1^st reservoir to have Rule Curve implemented in India.

Rule Curve is a tabulation that specifies quantum of storage of water or empty space to be maintained in a reservoir during different times of a year, based on the rainfall data for 35 years.

• The dam is located in the Seismic Zone III area (moderate damage risk zone)
• Issue – There lies a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu and Kerala regarding the safety of the dam, release of water etc.

Unseasonal and sudden heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, hailstorms and lightning strikes, have claimed 27 lives in Gujarat.

What is lightning?

• It is a natural phenomenon where the electric charges travel from one point to the other within the clouds or between a cloud and the earth.
• It is accompanied by a bright flash and sometimes thunderstorms.
  • Inter cloud or intra cloud lightning- They are visible and are harmless.
  • Cloud to ground lightning- It is harmful as the ‘high electric voltage and electric current’ leads to electrocution.

• When the temperature drops, the water droplets that are held in the clouds begin to become ice crystals.
• These ice crystals will rub against one another, creating a static charge in the clouds.

• Electrostatic discharge- The positive and negative charges (opposite charges) attract one another. However, there will be air between the ground and the cloud.
• Because air is a poor conductor, it opposes the passage of charge.
• Beyond a certain point, the charge build-up gets tremendously massive and the discharge happens in a split second. This is known as an electric discharge.
• This massive charge flow generates heat and light.

What are the impacts of lightning?

• Loss of life- It is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in India.
  • As per National Crime Records Bureau, 2,876 people died due to lightning strikes in 2019.
• Health effects- It can cause burns, wounds, tissue damage, scarring, cataracts, hearing loss, broken bones, and muscle pains.
• It can affect the brain and nervous system, leading to brain damage, memory loss, coma, stroke and seizures.
• It can cause heart disorder which may lead to respiratory arrest.
• Psychological effects- It can cause behavioural changes, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias.
• Environmental impacts- Lightning can cause fires, power outages, damage to buildings and structures, and ozone depletion.
• Loss of biodiversity- It can cause forest fires, which can destroy the habitats and food sources of many animals.
• Positive impact- It can also produce nitrogen oxides that fertilize the soil and oceans and trigger chemical reactions that create ozone.

India has the opportunity to create national champions in the capital goods sector.

What are the challenges present in capital goods sector?

• Financial crunch- India invests only 0.7% of GDP compared to 2.5% of the developed world, which affects the competitiveness and productivity of Indian industry.
• Poor skillset- There is a mismatch between the jobs and the people, which is counter to the demographic dividend that India currently holds.
• Inverted duty structure- The import duty on raw materials and components is higher than the import duty on finished products, making domestic production uncompetitive and discouraging value addition.
• High export transaction costs- It includes costs related to transportation, logistics, documentation, certification and compliance, which increases the time and money required to export capital goods from India.
• Lack of strong institutional mechanisms - There is a lack of adequate and timely financing, insurance and marketing support for exporters of capital goods, especially for MSMEs.
• Poor demand- The traditional markets for Indian capital goods, such as the US and Europe, have been experiencing low growth and reduced investment, affecting the export prospects of the sector.
• Slowdown in domestic demand- This is due to policy uncertainty, regulatory hurdles, land acquisition issues, environmental clearance delays, and infrastructure bottlenecks, etc.
• Lack of private players- Private sector accounts for 75% of total investment in capital goods, but there is slowdown in private investments due to low-capacity utilization, high debt, and low profitability.
• Lack of awareness- MSMEs and SMEs form large part of capital goods but they are not aware of international standards and norms required to export their products.

What are the ways to improve the capital goods sector?

• Foster innovation- Investment in research will form the foundation for success of industrial development.
• Policy support- The Scheme for Enhancement of Competitiveness of the Capital Goods sector should be scaled up as it is nurturing collaboration between industry and academia with remarkable results.
• Infrastructure support- Buildind a strong logistics and port infrastructure would reduce the cost associated with transportation.
• Skill development- There is a need to skill and reskill the workforce to meet the changing demands of the industry.
• Promote environment sustainability- India should be a responsible and sustainable player in the global trade and prioritise products with a low carbon footprint.
• Access to testing facilities- India should ensure access to facilities for product testing, performance evaluation, and certification, especially for MSMEs.
• Impetus to Industry 4.0- It emphasises the integration of digital technology into manufacturing processes which will not only improve efficiency, but also enhance the capital goods sector’s capacity for innovation and adaption to changing market demands.
• Trade facilitation- Tariff rationalisation, trade agreements and diplomatic efforts will have to go hand-in-hand.
• Global collaborations- India can learn from joint ventures, technology transfers and collaborative research with other countries until it develops its own capabilities for “Creating in India”.

What lies ahead?

• The cascading effects of having a booming capital goods industry will help provide insulation from the uncertainties of the world and truly transform India’s aspirations from ‘Make in India to Make for the World’.
• With the momentous task of transforming India into the ‘Factory of the world’ and to reach a production size of 112 billion dollars by 2025, a concerted approach is the way forward
• There is a need to boost manufacturing and capital goods sector to achieve the India’s vision for 2047 as a developed nation.

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, GoI is organizing the 19th Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics (WPDCS19) of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)

• About - IOTC is an intergovernmental organization that manages tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas.
• Establishment - The Agreement for the establishment of the IOTC was adopted in 1993 and entered into force in 1996.
• It was created within the framework of the UN Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO) Constitution.
• Headquarters - Victoria, Seychelles.
• Objective - Appropriate management, conservation and optimum utilisation of stocks and encouraging sustainable development of fisheries based on such stocks.
• Members - 30 member countries including India
• Membership is open to Indian Ocean coastal countries and Countries that are members of the UN and UN special organisations and those who fish for tuna in the Indian Ocean
• Functions – The Commission has 4 key functions and responsibilities drawn from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
  • Reviewing the conditions and trends of the stocks of Tuna and tuna-like fish.
  • Encouraging, recommending, and coordinating research and development activities.
  • Adopting conservation and management measures to ensure conservation of the stocks.
  • Reviewing the economic and social aspects of fisheries, bearing in mind the interests of developing coastal states.

The Indian Ocean is the second largest tuna fishery in the world.

Tuna fish (Thunnus and Katsuwonus species)

• Tuna is a nomadic species found throughout the world's oceans.
• It belongs to a subgroup of the mackerel family.
• It is high in protein, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also known as Kera fish or Choora in India.
• Species - Northern Bluefin Tuna Albacore, Yellowfin Tuna, Southern Bluefin Tuna, Bigeye Tuna, Blackfin Tuna, and Longtail Tuna.

Bluefin tuna is the largest and most prized species and categorized recently as Endangered by IUCN due to overfishing.

Ecologists from Mexico’s National Autonomous University recently relaunched a fundraising campaign to bolster conservation efforts for axolotls.

• Axolotls are paedomorphic or neotenic aquatic salamanders.
  • Neoteny is a process in which there is a slowing down of the development of an organism.
  • The ability to retain juvenile or larval traits by an adult is called pedomorphosis.
• They are amphibians (can live both in water and on land) with feathery gills and lungs.
• It is also called as Water Monster.
• Habitat - Only found in Lake Xochimilco, near Mexico City.

Lake Xochimilco is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Characteristics - Axolotls are made of cartilage instead of bone.
• It is renowned for its ability to regenerate its spinal cord, heart and limbs and also readily make new neurons throughout their lives.
• They are over 1,000 times more resistant to cancer than mammals.
• Reason for its larval form - In axolotls, there is a surge in thyroxine release when the animal is in its early larval stage.
• However, the enzyme that makes it active is not present in the larvae, which blocks the metamorphosis (the process by which the young form of insects, frogs, etc., develops into the adult form).
• Conservation Status – IUCN – Critically Endangered
• Threats - Encroaching water pollution, a deadly amphibian fungus and non-native rainbow trout.

Scientists and conservationists across the world have expressed concerns recently that the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is outdated and unreliable.

IUCN

• About - International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership organization that works to protect nature and natural resources.
• Established in - 1948 in Fontainebleau, France.
• It was originally called the International Union for the Protection of Nature and later known as the World Conservation Union.
• Functions - It provides public, private, and non-governmental organizations with the knowledge and tools to achieve sustainable development.

IUCN’s Red Data List

• About - The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the Red Data Book, is a list of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological species.
• Founded in - 1964
• It is the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, backed by 1,300 member organisations and 16,000 experts.
• It describes itself as the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
• Functions - It provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions.

IUCN Red List Categories

Green Status of Species (GSS)

• GSS is a global standard created by the IUCN to measure how well a species is functioning in its ecological system and how much it has recovered due to conservation efforts.
• The GSS classifies species into 9 Species Recovery Categories which indicate the extent to which species are depleted or recovered compared to their historical population levels.
• The GSS became an optional part of Red List assessments in 2020.

• A former Somali refugee intent on bringing books and education to his compatriots in Kenya was recently received UN refugee agency’s prestigious Nansen Award.
• The Nansen Refugee Award is a medal given annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
• The award recognizes individuals, groups, or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the cause of refugees, displaced, or stateless people.

The award was established in 1954 to honor Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, diplomat, and the first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations.

• A recent study has found that the Muthassi Plavu at Thrikkodithanam, Kerala is 543 years old.
• Muthassi Plavu is a jackfruit tree stands tall near an ancient Mahavishnu temple.
• It has also ascertained the age of two other jackfruit trees located on the same property as 416 years and 396 years, respectively and temple advisory committee started efforts to secure a heritage status for the 3 trees.

Thrikkodithanam temple, regarded as an important seat of the Tamil Vaishnavite movement, dated back to 11 BC.

• Perur- Sundakamuthur Lake or Perur Lake located in the southwestern edges of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
• This Lake Stores the water from Noyaal River and distributes to the other lakes in the surrounding lakes of Coimbatore.

The Perur Lake Forum has conducted a 6-year study on the decline of water birds in urban wetlands.

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that India is set to launch its 1^st X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat).
• Aim - To investigate the polarisation of intense X-Ray sources.
• The satellite is planned to be launched on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). It is expected to have a mission life of at least 5 years.

The satellite will carry 2 scientific payloads in a low Earth orbit – POLIX And XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing).