India now has 10 Blue Flag beaches

In yet another recognition of India’s commitment to protect and conserve the pristine coastal and marine ecosystems through holistic management of the resources the globally recognized and the coveted International eco-label "Blue Flag”, has been accorded the Blue Flag Certification for 2 new beaches this year –Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry beaches.

What are Blue Flag beaches?

• Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label accorded by "Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark" based on 33 stringent criteria.
• Blue Flag for Beach Cleanup started in 1985 with the objective to enhance standards of cleanliness, upkeep & basic amenities at beaches.
• Each state and UT will nominate a beach to be funded by Integrated Coastal Management Programme.
• They must comply with 33 conditions related to Environment and Tourism.
• Spain tops the list followed by Greece, France. Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and SE Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
• Asia's 1st certificate went to Odisha - Chandrabhaga Beach.
• 12 beaches were considered: Shivrajpur (GJ); Bhogave (MH); Ghoghla (Diu); Miramar (Goa); Kasargod and Padubidri (Karnataka); Kappad (Kerala); Eden (Puducherry); Mahabalipuram (TN); Rushikonda (AP); Golden (Odisha) and Radhanagar (A&N).

• Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark (FEE) which accords the globally recognized eco-label - Blue Flag certification, has also given re-certification for 8 nominated beaches Shivrajpur-Gujarat, Ghoghla-Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri-Karnataka, Kappad-Kerala, Rushikonda- Andhra Pradesh, Golden-Odisha and Radhanagar- Andaman and Nicobar, which were awarded the Blue Flag certificate last year.

Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services (BEAMS)

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in its pursuit of “Sustainable Development” of the coastal regions of India embarked upon a highly acclaimed & flagship program Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services (BEAMS) which is one of the initiatives under ICZM approach that the MoEF&CC has undertaken for the sustainable development of coastal regions of India,  with a  prime objective to protect and conserve the pristine coastal and marine ecosystems through holistic management of the resources.
• This was aimed at achieving the globally recognized and coveted International eco-label "Blue Flag” , accorded by the International Jury comprising of members from IUCN, UNWTO,UNEP, UNESCO etc.
• FEE Denmark conduct regular monitoring & audits for strict  compliance  of the 33 criteria at all times.
• A waving “Blue Flag” is an indication of 100% compliance to these 33 stringent criteria and sound health of the beach.
• The objective of BEAMS program is to abate pollution in coastal waters, promote sustainable development of beach facilities, protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural resources, and seriously challenge local authorities & stakeholders to strive and maintain high standards of cleanliness, hygiene & safety for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment & regulations.

In the last 3 years or so, our Ministry have achieved commendable results in environmental management of these 10 beaches and some of them are enumerated below:

• Sand dune restoration and nourishment of 95,000 Sqm (approx.) with native plantation.
• Reduction in marine litter by 85 % and 78% in marine plastic in last 3 years.
• Scientific & responsible disposal of 750 tonnes of marine litter.
• Improvement in cleanliness level from “C” (poor) to “A++(outstanding) through scientific measurement system
• Saving of 1100 ML/year of municipal water through recycling
• 3 years’ database on regular testing of bathing water quality (physical, chemical and biological contamination) and health risk monitoring.
• Approx. 1,25,000 beach goers are educated for responsible behaviour in the beaches
• Increase in footfall for recreation activities by approx. 80% leading to economic development.
• Alternate livelihood opportunities for 500 fishermen families through pollution abatement, safety & services.

CRZ rules eased for Blue Flag beaches

• Blue Flag beach certification is accorded by Denmark based Foundation for Environment Eduation. It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987 and in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
• It has 33 stringent criteria under 4 major heads –

1. Environment Education and Information.
2. Bathing Water Quality
3. Environment Management and Conservation and
4. Safety and Services.

• This beach is an eco tourism model and marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers - clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities, a safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of that area. It requires beaches to create certain infrastructure like portable toilet blocks, grey water treatment plants, solar power plant, seating facilities, CCTV surveillance.
• Now CRZ rules are eased for Blue Flag beaches. Activities are permitted in CRZ including Islands, subject to maintaining a minimum distance of 10 m from the High Tide Line. States can construct infrastructure to enable International recognition. It is based on Cleanliness, and Environment propriety.

Cyber Security

• Cybercrime is a crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used to commit the crime and in many cases, it is also the target. Cybercrime may threaten a person or a nation’s security and financial health. In a computing context, security includes both cyber security and physical security.
• Currently, almost 70 categories of cyber security products have been identified. These include products used for data loss prevention, security analytics, big data analytics, web security, antivirus, mobile payments, mobile data protection, cloud security, spam-free email solutions, among others.

National Cyber Security Policy, 2013

• In light of the growth of the IT sector in the country, the National Cyber Security Policy of India 2013 was announced by the Indian Government in 2013 yet its actual implementation is still missing. As a result fields like e-governance and e-commerce are still risky and may require cyber insurance in the near future.

Its important features include:

• To build secure and resilient cyberspace.
• Creating a secure cyber ecosystem, generate trust in IT transactions.
• 24 x 7 NATIONAL CRITICAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION CENTER (NCIIPC)
• Indigenous technological solutions (Chinese products and reliance on foreign software)
• Testing of ICT products and certifying them. Validated products
• Creating a workforce of 500,000 professionals in the field
• Fiscal Benefits for the businessman who accepts standard IT practices, etc.

Countering cyber crimes is a coordinated effort on the part of several agencies in the Ministry of Home Affairs and in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

The law enforcement agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation, The Intelligence Bureau, state police organizations and other specialised organizations such as the National Police Academy and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) are the prominent ones who tackle cyber crimes.

National Cyber Response Centre – Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERTIn)

• CERT-In monitors Indian cyberspace and coordinates alerts and warnings of imminent attacks and detection of malicious attacks among public and private cyber users and organizations in the country.
• It maintains a 24×7 operations centre and has working relations/collaborations and contacts with CERTs, all over the world; and Sectoral CERTs, public, private, academia, Internet Service Providers and vendors of Information Technology products in the country.

National Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NIIPC)

• NIIPC is a designated agency to protect the critical information infrastructure in the country.
• It gathers intelligence and keeps a watch on emerging and imminent cyber threats in strategic sectors including National Defence.
• They would prepare threat assessment reports and facilitate sharing of such information and analysis among members of the Intelligence, Defence and Law enforcement agencies with a view to protecting these agencies’ ability to collect, analyze and disseminate intelligence.

 National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC)

• National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) is an organisation of the Government of India created under Sec 70A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended 2008).
• It is designated as the National Nodal Agency in respect of Critical Information Infrastructure Protection.
• NCIIPC has broadly identified the following as ‘Critical Sectors’–

1. Power & Energy
2. Banking, Financial Services & Insurance
3. Telecom
4. Transport
5. Government
6. Strategic & Public Enterprises

Cyberdome Project (UPSC Mains)

• Cyberdome, the hi-tech centre for cybersecurity being set up by the Kerala Police.
• Cyberdome will be a hi-tech centre for cyber security. The project is worth Rs. 2 crore. The project is being established on the public-private partnership model with the technical support offered by IT companies.

Unique features of the project:

• As many as 500 ethical hackers and cybersecurity experts would be involved in the project
• It would have centres for social media awareness, protection of children on the Internet, Internet monitoring and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in service delivery.
• It would also host an Anti-Cyber Terror Cell and a cybersecurity training unit.
• It would be equipped with an automated crime intelligence-gathering unit and a unit for anti-piracy on the Internet.
• It will have its server hosted at the State Data Centre. Software companies will provide technical support on a voluntary basis, develop software for the purpose, and supply technical manpower.
• The station will be manned by police officers with IT-related qualifications. The Additional Director General of Police (Crimes) will be in charge of the project.
• Cyberdome would be open to new models of partnership to find solutions to emerging threats and challenges.

Important functions:

• It would work on the prevention of hacking and defacement of websites and child pornography.
• It would have facilities to analyse Skype and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls and deal with money laundering on the Internet. Policing the Dark Net would be another mandate of the Cyberdome.
• Cyberdome would synergise its operations with the Computer Emergency Response Team-Kerala.