DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

India is close to signing an agreement with the United States under which the process for the return of stolen antiquities will be hugely simplified.

What is an antiquity?

• Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972- It defines “antiquity” as
  • Any coin, sculpture, painting, epigraph or other work of art or craftsmanship
  • Any article, object or thing
    • detached from a building or cave
    • illustrative of science, art, crafts, literature, religion, customs, morals or politics in bygone ages

What is the legal framework in India for antiquities?

• Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904- It was enacted under Lord Curzon in British India to protect the ancient monuments and objects of archaeological, historical, or artistic interest.
• Antiquities (Export Control) Act, 1947- It is the first law that was enacted to regulate the export of antiquities from India.
• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958- It was enacted to preserve ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance.
• Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 (AATA) - It empowers the Central Government to compulsorily acquire any antiquity or art treasure and is based on UNESCO 1970 convention.
• Every person who owns, controls or is in possession of any antiquity shall register such antiquity before the registering officer and obtain a certificate in token of such registration.

What does the international conventions say about antiquities?

• UNESCO 1970 convention- It is on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
• Cultural property is defined as the property designated by countries having “importance for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science.”
• UN resolutions- UN resolution 2367 and other several resolutions condemned and prevented the illicit trafficking of cultural property, especially in conflict zones to promote peace and justice

An INTERPOL report in 2019 said that “the illicit international traffic of cultural items and related offences is sadly increasingly prolific.”

Can India bring back antiquities?

• International cooperation- First two categories’ requests have to be raised bilaterally or on international fora.
• In 2022, Maharashtra government announced that it was working to bring back the sword of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from London.
• This sword was given to Edward, the Prince of Wales (the later King Edward VII) by Shivaji IV in 1875-76.
• Proof of ownership- Antiquities in the second and third categories can be retrieved easily by raising an issue bilaterally with proof of ownership and with the help of the UNESCO convention.

UNESCO 1970 declaration stated that, “The requesting Party shall furnish, at its expense, the documentation and other evidence necessary to establish its claim for recovery and return.

According to scientists, North India can tackle smog using eco-friendly farm practices from the South.

What is a smog?

• Smog= Smoke + Fog
• Photochemical smog- It is called as a Los Angeles smog which is produced when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and at least one volatile organic compound (VOC) in the atmosphere.
• Sunlight hits these chemicals, thus forming airborne particles and ground-level ozone or smog.
• Sulphurous smog -It is called as London smog which is caused by the high concentration of sulphur oxides in the atmosphere

• Stubble burning The tight window between rice harvesting and wheat planting compels farmers in Punjab and Haryana to resort to burning stubble urgently.
• It produces large amounts of smoke and particulate matter that travel to nearby regions.
• Urbanisation- Industries in Delhi and other cities emit pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds that react with sunlight and form smog.
• Dust- Construction activities, road dust, and desert storms generate fine dust particles that reduce visibility and worsen air quality.
• Waste incineration- Burning of garbage and biomass in open dumps and landfills releases toxic gases and smoke into the air.
• Fireworks- During festivals such as Diwali, people burst crackers and fireworks that produce smoke and metal particles that add to the pollution.
• Vehicle emissions- The increasing number of vehicles on the roads, especially diesel ones, emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter that contribute to smog.
• Temperature inversions- These are layers of air in which temperature increases with height, instead of decreasing as usual.
• This prevents the vertical mixing of air and traps pollutants near the surface.
• Topography- The shape and features of the land, such as mountains and valleys, affect the flow and distribution of cold and warm air.
• This can influence the formation and strength of temperature inversions and the direction of wind currents.
• Wind speed and direction- The speed and direction of the wind can affect the transport and dispersion of pollutants.
• Low wind speeds and unfavourable wind directions can result in the accumulation of pollutants over the region.

What are the consequences of smog?

• Poor air quality- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data show the average Air Quality Index (AQI) over the past few days has been consistently above 450 (hazardous category).
• Health problems- It can cause or aggravate various health problems such as respiratory diseases, eye irritation, heart disease, birth defects, and reduced growth.
• Loss of biodiversity- Smog can inhibit photosynthesis, thereby damaging crops and forests.
• Climate change- Smog can also affect the climate by altering the radiative balance of the Earth.
• Economic losses- It can reduce the productivity, increase the health care costs, and lower the quality of life.
• Cultural damage- A thick layer of smog has engulfed the Mughal era monument Taj Mahal leading to discolouration, causing damage to its marble surface and the growth of algae in its walls.

What can be done to tackle smog?

• Eco-friendly farming practices- Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) of North India can reduce its smog problem by adopting practices like mulching and nitrogen-fixing that are used in the Cauvery basin of south India.
  • Mulching- It involves covering the soil surface with organic or inorganic materials that can help turn the stubble into natural manure and enrich the soil.
  • Nitrogen fixing- It involves growing plants that can convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available forms thus reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.
• Alternate crop patterns- Encourage farmers to shift away from rice and wheat cultivation and grow alternative crops with less stubble output.

Recently held 8th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) & 1st Climate Investments and Technology Impact Summit (CITIS) were included in the G20 India events in 2023.

India Water Impact Summit (IWIS)

• Launch – Though started as a one-time event in 2012, it evolved as an annual event since 2^nd summit in 2017.
• Objective – To bring clarity to the scientific, technological, socio-cultural, legal, policy and governance issues pertaining to river basin management in India.
• Organised by
  • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) – The implementation wing of National Ganga Council which was setup in 2016 under the River Ganga Authority order 2016 under the aegis of Ministry of Jal Shakti
  • Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) – A think tank and a centre of excellence formed under the aegis of NMCG is headquartered at IIT Kanpur.
• 8^th IWIS 2023 – Its aims to unite various stakeholders to address dynamic challenges and opportunities in India's water sector.
• Theme – Development vis-à-vis Land, Water and Rivers.
• Focus - Samarth Ganga on lines of productive land and lifestyle for rivers.

Global Coalition for River Science and Management is a platform for hosting the best practices for monitoring and managing different aspects of river systems around the world.

Climate Investments and Technology Impact Summit (CITIS)

Objectives – To bind potential investors with technology providers.

• To review, test and implement new technologies that will significantly improve India’s river and land management scenario.
• To adopt suitable financing mechanisms.
• To collaborate within multiple sectors that are intricately linked with climate, air, land, rivers and water management.

The UNESCO report has stressed for mandatory participation of the vulnerable, neglected and marginalised individuals in policy decisions related to climate engineering.

• It is the intentional large-scale intervention in the Earth’s climate system to counter climate change.
• It is also known as geoengineering which involves 2 techniques.
• Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) – It removes and stores the emitted carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It includes
  • Direct air capture
  • Land-use management (afforestation / reforestation)
  • Sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Increasing the uptake of CO2 by the ocean
  • Enhancing natural weathering processes that remove CO2 from the atmosphere

According to a report in the journal Nature, so far, new CDR technologies have removed only about 0.1% of carbon that is around 2.3 million tonnes per year.

• Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) – It reflects sunlight back to space to reduce the amount reaching the Earth’s surface and is also known as solar geoengineering
• Techniques to increase surface reflectivity of Earth includes
  • Painting structures with reflective paints
  • Planting crops with high reflectivity
  • Enhancing the reflectivity of marine clouds
  • Injecting aerosols into the lower stratosphere to mimic the cooling induced by volcanic eruptions
  • Placing reflectors or shields in space
  • Removing infrared-absorbing clouds from the atmosphere to reduce trapped heat

• Challenges - CDR is expensive and is being developed by only a very small group of countries, firms and academics.

According to experts, if Global Biodiversity Framework Funds (GBFF) fails to find adequate money, countries will have to find more funds domestically.

• Establishment – It was launched at the 7th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Canada in 2023 where Canada and the United Kingdom made the initial contributions.
• Objectives
  • To help countries achieve the 23 targets set under the KMGBF (the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework).
  • To receive funding from all sources and quickly disburse through streamlined procedures.
  • To enhance the access for indigenous peoples and local communities, according to their own priorities.
• Finance - Private, philanthropic and government investments unlike GEF, which relied on just 40 donors for finance.
  • It has a cumulative budget of 5.25 billion USD for 2022-26, of which 36% is for biodiversity and the remaining is for projects on climate change, pollution, land and ocean health.
• Managed by – Global Environment Facility (GEF)
• Trustee of the GBFF – World Bank
• GBFF Council – More representations from developing countries than developed and decisions are to be taken by consensus.
• Activities – It will be used to approve projects until December 31, 2030, unless otherwise decided by the Council or the COP of UNFCC.

According to the recent quarterly bulletin of Periodic Labour Force Survey, unemployment rate in urban areas has come down.

• PLFS – It is published by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) since 2017.
• Objective – To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate).

Current Weekly Status (CWS) is the activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.

• Fieldwork – Data collection through 1st visit and revisit and since 2020 revisit data collection was also done through telephone mode.
• Sample Design – It uses a rotational panel scheme for each selected household in urban areas.
  • First visit schedule – 4 times
  • Revisit schedule – 3 times periodically

Findings of 20^th quarterly PLFS bulletins (July- Sep, 2023)

• The unemployment rate in urban areas of the country decreased from 7.2% to 6.6% in 1 year time period.
  • For persons of age 15 years and above, the unemployment rate was 6.6% while it was 6% for male category.

• The labour force participation rate in urban areas increased from 47.9% to 49.3% for persons of age 15 years and above in 1 year period.

• It is the largest wild cats and the umbrella species found from northern Mexico southward to northern Argentina.
• Jaguars are the largest of South America's big cats and the third largest cats in the world.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN - Near Threatened.
  • CITES - Endangered.

International Jaguar Day, celebrated on November 29 every year.

• India and Indonesia were the top 2 beneficiaries of the European Union’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) schemes for exports in 2022.
• In 2023, however, the situation is expected to change significantly as some of the largest recipients of GSP benefits, including several sectors from India, graduated out of the scheme.
• Under the GSP scheme, the EU allows identified products originating in certain developing countries preferential access to its markets in the form of reduced or zero rates of customs duties.

As the items become more competitive and reach a particular threshold, the GSP is withdrawn.

• It is India’s premium Cotton in the world cotton Trade.
• It is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Textiles, the Cotton Corporation of India, Trade Bodies & Industry.
• The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) has been designated as the implementing agency for Traceability, Certification and Branding of "KASTURI Cotton India".

India is the 2^nd largest cotton producer and the largest consumer of cotton in the world.

• Red Planet Day is annually observed on November 28 to mark the launch of Mariner 4, the first aircraft to land on Mars in 1964.
• Scientists explain that Mars, also known as the Red Planet, is cold and a sandy desert.

It is the 4^th planet from the sun, situated between the sun and from Earth.

• Vaccine maker Indian Immunologicals (IIL) has recently launched measles and rubella vaccine Mabella for children.

It was launched as part of the 25^th celebrations of the IIL division Human Biologicals Institute (HBI) in Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Tamil Nadu.