Aaranyak, a society for biodiversity conservation, on Friday urged the Assam government not to take dehorning of rhinos as a measure to protect them from poachers. It cautioned that dehorning would only shift the problem. It also called for the setting up of fast track court to ensure that arrested poachers were brought to justice through speedy trial.
“Dehorning is not the ultimate solution to check poaching; it is only a strategy to buy time used by African countries. Rather, we suggest selecting sub-adult rhinos with limited horn growth for translocation,” said Aaranyak secretary-general Bibhab Kumar Talukdar. The Assam government recently constituted an expert committee to explore the possibilities of adopting dehorning as a measure to curb poaching.
Dr. Talukdar urged the government to take proactive measures like
1. intelligence gathering and
2. combat training to forest guards and range officers manning Kaziranga and other rhino-bearing national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
Poachers killed and dehorned 41 rhinos in 2013 and 21 in 2012, and have dehorned eight since the beginning of the year. The Gauhati High Court on March 4 asked the Director of Kaziranga National Park M.K. Yadava to submit a detailed report within two months suggesting effective and remedial steps to curb the poaching of rhinos in the national park.
Gyaan
Understanding Dehorning
Question: Why rhinos are poached?
Ans: for their horns
Idea: So if we remove the horn (dehorning) then they won't be poached (What an idea sirjee!!)
This is exactly what African countries where rhino poaching was on a high thought and went for dehorning of rhinos.
Namibia was the first country to use dehorning to protect rhinos from poaching. Between 1989 and the early 1990s, dehorning coupled with rapid improvements in security and funding for anti-poaching was perceived by stakeholders to have contributed significantly to reducing poaching losses. In Namibia, not a single dehorned rhino was poached.
There have been several other successful cases across Africa.
However, there are numerous cases where dehorning has proved insufficient to prevent rhinos from falling victim to poachers. Reason:
1. the horn is not removed completely and a small portion is left (called stub) because if stub is not left then deformed horns will regrow (horns are like our nails and they regrow after getting cut). So the value of rhino horn is so high that poachers even poach them for the stub.
2. Poachers may not be able to see that the rhino is dehorned.
3. Poachers may kill out of vengeance (badle ki bhaawna)
Other issues with dehorning:
1. regrowth is faster in dehorned rhinos. So every 12-24 months rhinos must be dehorned.
2. dehorning is costly and also can be fatal for the rhinos.
3. dehorning may also decrease the value of rhinos, whether for photographic or hunting tourism or as a potential live sale.
4. what should be done with the horns? These could be destroyed; however they are more likely to be stockpiled by owners awaiting the potential legalisation of the trade. Incidents of stealing have also occurred.
5. horns are used for various activities by rhinos. So dehorning them will be a loss for them.
For details click here
An opportunity to mend ties
News: The dismissal of visa fraud charges against India’s former Deputy Consul-General in New York, Devyani Khobragade
The New York District Court did not go into the merits of the charges against her, but decided the matter on the technical ground that she enjoyed diplomatic immunity after she was accredited to India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. A fresh indictment, however, is still possible.
India is seeking a permanent closure of the case.
Lessons for India:
1. India has to strengthen the principle of reciprocity in dealings with other nations.
2. It needs to devise a code of conduct under which its officials posted abroad will not violate domestic laws.
3. It needs a policy on consular and diplomatic officials engaging domestic workers so that there is no room for suspicion of human trafficking.
4. On a wider canvas, the country needs legislation to protect domestic workers from under-payment and exploitation.
Lessons for The U.S.:
to introspect on its overall approach: its failure to anticipate the fallout of the arrest, the manner of the arrest and its controversial decision to “evacuate” the family of the maid at the centre of the storm in an obviously pre-emptive move.
Gyaan
Diplomatic and consular immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty, accepted by 189 states till date, that defines a guideline for diplomatic relations between numerous independent countries. It specifies the privileges of a diplomatic mission that enable the diplomats to perform their diplomatic functions without the fear of any legal trouble or harassment from the host country. This forms the legal basis for the diplomatic immunity. The articles of the Vienna Convention are considered as a cornerstone for modern international relations.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 (VCDR), diplomatic immunity is granted to only certain individuals depending on their rank and the amount of immunity they require to carry out their official duties without legal harassment from the host nation. Diplomatic immunity allows foreign representatives to work in host countries without fully understanding the customs of that country. However, diplomats are expected to respect and follow the laws and regulations of their host countries.
Article 31 of the Convention exempts diplomatic agents from the civil and criminal jurisdictions of host states, except for cases in which a diplomatic agent (1) is involved in a dispute over personal real property, (2) has an action involving private estate matters or (3) is in a dispute arising from commercial or professional business outside the scope of official functions.
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 (VCCR) is an international treaty that defines the guidelines for consular relations between the independent countries. A consul normally operates out of an embassy in a different country, and performs two functions: (1) protecting the interests of the country and the countrymen of the consul, and (2) furthering the commercial and economic relations between the two countries. While a consul is not a diplomat, they work out of the same premises, and under this treaty they are afforded most of the same privileges, including a variation of diplomatic immunity called consular immunity. This treaty has been accepted by 176 countries.
Consular immunity offers protections similar to the diplomatic immunity, but these protections are not as extensive, given the functional differences between consular and diplomatic officers. For example, consular officers are not given absolute immunity from a host country’s criminal jurisdiction (they may be tried for certain local crimes upon action by a local court) and are immune from local jurisdiction only in cases directly relating to their consular functions.
Some more info here
Another article on Food Security. According to it "Restricting the price subsidy to coarse grains alone will not only work better from both fiscal and equity points of view but also weaken the incentives for graft"
Long explanation is given in the article which I think is not worth saving. So keeping it short.
Price subsidy under NFSA is available on three different varieties of cereals, namely, rice, wheat and coarse grains and one of them is not even a normal good. In fact, coarse grains, unlike wheat and rice, are an inferior good, that is consumers with lower incomes consume more of them, and consumed mostly by the extremely poor, who are habituated to an ancient diet.
So benefits of giving subsidy on coarse gains only:
1. subsidy would not be regressive.
2. a body of science asserts that some varieties of coarse grains are even more nutritious than wheat and rice.
3. impact of the green revolution seem to be now giving way to wheat and rice. In comparison, yields for coarse grains have been growing much faster.
4. Unlike rice and wheat which require lots of water to grow, they are hardy and can flourish in relatively dry weather. Policies (support prices, procurement, and distribution) to induce greater consumption of coarse grains can raise incomes of farmers in the arid zones lacking irrigation who have remained relatively poor as they could not benefit from the green revolution.
5. coarse grains such as jowar, bajra and ragi are richer in proteins, calcium and iron and many of the poor are habituated to consuming them. Their consumption in place of wheat and rice can improve health as is being gradually realised.
6. weaken the incentives for graft, since pilfering and fraudulently obtaining the relatively cheaper coarse grains would be significantly less rewarding but not less risky.
7. better targeting and a lower fiscal burden as many among the not-so-poor who do not really need the subsidy would voluntarily opt out of the programme.
Such a reform of the programme, however, may be considered too drastic and politically unwise. Therefore, restricting the price subsidy to coarse grains alone can be done only gradually.
Gyaan
Inferior Good
An inferior good is a type of good whose demand declines when income rises.
Definition: An inferior good is a type of good whose demand declines when income rises. In other words, demand of inferior goods is inversely related to the income of the consumer.
Description: For example, there are two commodities in the economy -- wheat flour and jowar flour -- and consumers are consuming both. Presently both commodities face a downward sloping graph, i.e. the higher the price the lesser will be the demand and vice versa. If the income of consumer rises, then he would be more inclined towards wheat flour, which is a little costly than jowar flour.
The mindset of the consumer behind this behavior is that now he can afford wheat flour because of his increase in income. Therefore, he will switch his flour demand from jowar to wheat. Hence jowar, whose demand has fallen due to an increase in income, is the inferior good and wheat is the normal good.
What does regressive in economics means?
Regressive system is used to describe an economic or tax system in which there are advantages for rich people and disadvantages for poor people.
For example Economists generally regard sales taxes as regressive, since the poor spend a greater part of their income than the rich.
At nine-month low helped by easing onion and potato prices
Some GK gyaan
Boko Haram
The Congregation of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad better known by its Hausa name Boko Haram ( "Western education is sinful") is an Islamic jihadist and takfiri militant and terrorist organization based in the northeast of Nigeria, north Cameroon and Niger. Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002, the organisation seeks to establish a "pure" Islamic state ruled by sharia law, putting a stop to what it deems "Westernization."
For news on it Click here
Abuja - capital of Nigeria
Bandipur National Park, established in 1974 as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, is a national park located in the south Indian state of Karnataka.
Nagarhole National Park, also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka state in South India. This park was declared the thirty seventh Project Tiger tiger reserve in 1999.
For news on them click here
Bandipur National Park, established in 1974 as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, is a national park located in the south Indian state of Karnataka.
Nagarhole National Park, also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka state in South India. This park was declared the thirty seventh Project Tiger tiger reserve in 1999.
For news on them click here
WW-I Indian heroes to be honoured by U.K.
ReplyDeleteIndian soldiers who took part in World War I will be honoured by the United Kingdom through a series of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the war this year
-One million Indian soldiers fought the war and over 70,000 Indian servicemen died.
-The Indian Army during World War I contributed a number of divisions and independent brigades to the European, Mediterranean and the Middle East theatres of war in World War I. One million Indian troops would serve overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war.
-In World War I the Indian Army fought against the German Empire in German East Africa and on the Western Front.
- Indian divisions were also sent to Egypt, Gallipoli and nearly 700,000 served in Mesopotamia against the Ottoman Empire.[1] While some divisions were sent overseas others had to remain in India guarding the North West Frontier and on internal security and training duties.
World war 2
British India (today known as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) was controlled by Britain and thus India officially declared war on Nazi Germany in September 1939.[1] The British Raj, as a possession of Great Britain, formed part of the Allied Nations and sent over two million volunteer soldiers to fight under British command against the Axis powers.
- several Indian Princely States provided large donations to support the Allied campaign during the War
-India also provided the base for American operations in support of China in the China Burma India Theater.
-ndians fought with distinction throughout the world; in the European theaters of Germany and Italy, in the deserts against Rommel and in the Asian region defending India against the Japanese, and liberating British colonies such as Singapore and Hong Kong when the Japanese surrendered in August 1945.
-The Muslim League supported the British war effort while the largest and most influential political party existing in India at the time, the Indian National Congress, demanded independence before it would help Britain. London refused, and when Congress announced a "Quit India" campaign in August 1942, its leaders were imprisoned by the British for the duration.
- Meanwhile, Japan set up an army of Indian POWs known as the Indian National Army with the help of Indian revolutionaries who were seeking independence from the British.
- The financial, industrial and military assistance of India formed a crucial component of the British campaign against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.[3] India's strategic location at the tip of the Indian Ocean, its massive production of armaments, and its huge armed forces played a decisive role in halting the progress of Imperial Japan in the South-East Asian theatre
- The Indian Army during World War II was one of the largest Allied forces contingents which took part in the North and East African Campaign, Western Desert Campaign and the Italian Campaign. At the height of the World War, more than 2.5 million Indian troops were fighting Axis forces around the globe
-After the end of the World War, India emerged as the world's fourth largest industrial power and its increased political, economic and military influence paved the way for its independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
from Indian express 15/03/2014
ReplyDeleteEver since the space race began, misfiring rocketry and misconceived missions have strewn Low Earth Orbit with about three lakh pieces of junk, aggregating to thousands of tonnes of metal and ceramic.
-They range in size from burnt-out rocket engines to tiny nuts and bolts. But since they are whizzing about at the speed of rifle bullets, size doesn’t matter. A half-inch screw could puncture the hull of a spacecraft, or even the space faring dreams of humanity.
-Space junk has been recognised as a hazard.
- the Australian National University had gathered $60 million in state grants and private investment for a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), an observatory which will target space junk. And then it will build lasers to zap them like the Death Star.
-the CRC has the relatively modest ambition of dislodging junk from orbit and into atmospheric re-entry. If they time re-entry over the night side of the planet, they can guarantee free stratospheric fireworks displays to light up the lives of generations to come.
Space debris, also known as orbital debris, space junk, and space waste, is the collection of defunct objects in orbit around Earth. This includes everything from spent rocket stages, old satellites, fragments from disintegration, erosion, and collisions. Since orbits overlap with new spacecraft, debris may collide with operational spacecraft.
- Impacts of these particles cause erosive damage
-Damage can be reduced with "Whipple shield", which, for example, protects some parts of the International Space Station. However, not all parts of a spacecraft may be protected in this manner, e.g. solar panels and optical devices (such as telescopes, or star trackers), and these components are subject to constant wear by debris and micrometeoroids.
Kessler syndrome: The Kessler syndrome (also called the Kessler effect,[1][2] collisional cascading or ablation cascade), proposed by the NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler in 1978, is a scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO) is high enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascade—each collision generating space debris which increases the likelihood of further collisions.
One implication is that the distribution of debris in orbit could render space exploration, and even the use of satellites, unfeasible for many generations.
A runaway Kessler syndrome would render the useful polar-orbiting bands difficult to use, and greatly increase the cost of space launches and missions. Measurement, growth mitigation and active removal of space debris are activities within the space industry today
Thank you vivek :) looking forward to more gyaan sharing...
Deleteaspirant aspirant partnerships rock.your blog is as per need of extant exam pattern.
Deletewonderful analysis sir..!!
ReplyDeleteGOOD THOUGHTS ARE RATIONAL
ReplyDeleteGood initiative ,
ReplyDeletethanx man
ReplyDeleteit is proving helpful for my interview prepration
DeleteIndian Tax system is progressive, because you have to pay more tax when incomes increases... like for slot 2 lakh- 5 la
ReplyDeletekh - 10%.
above 10 lac = 30%...
correct :)
Delete