NR MadhavaMenon Panel for Sarkari Ads

NGOs PIL (2003)

1. Government advertisements even carry photos of ruling party leaders
(SoniaG), try to create impression as if she is responsible for public goods.
2. When ruling party uses public money to gain personal political mileage in
government ads, it violates following articles
3. Article 14. [Equality before the law];
4. Article 21 because public money diverted for partisan use. This is one type of
arbitrary executive action that undermines liberty of the citizens.
5. Therefore citizen can seek remedy in Supreme Court, under Article 32
Governments reply
1. NGO petitioner is exaggerating the matter. After all 60% of the Govt. ads deal
with job recruitment, public tender and notices.
2. Ads are not done for personal publicity but for informing junta about sarkari
schemes named after *you know who*.
Supreme Court order (2014)
1. Canada, Australia have official policy to regulate Govt. ads and prevent their
abuse.
2. But India doesnt have such policy
3. Hence we form Committee under N.R.Madhava Menon (former Director,
National Judicial Academy, Bhopal) to study best practices across the world
and recommend guidelines for sarkaari-ads.
4. Committee to give report within three months.
Environment Biodiversity (EnB)
E1: Avalanche Mitigation
April 2014, ~dozen Nepali Sherpa died during an avalanche in Mt. Everest
base camp. This lead to protests and other sherpas refusing to guide the
tourists.
Rapid downslope movement of snow, rocks and debris- is called
Avalanche.
Large avalanches have speed of upto 200kmph, resulting in massive
destruction of forests, highways, houses and power lines

Factors
Whenever gravitational force exceed the mechanical strength of snow
cover- avalanche occurs. This happens by triggers- natural and artificial
Natural triggers Artificial triggers
Large mass of fresh snowfall
blizzards
Global Warming, Rain
earthquakes
Skiing and mountaineering
Deforestation
loud sounds
Shouts
machine noise
sonic booms

E2: Jackfruit =Food security in Climate change
Why in news?
Earlier IPCC and World bank warned that climate change will create food
shortage & even subsequent wars.
Researchers say Jackfruit will be useful alternative to wheat, corn and other
staple crops, during such food shortage.
Originated from India, Then Spread to South Asian countries
Jackfruit is a member of mulberry family.
Largest edible fruit, Also called poor mans fruit
Can survive drought, frost, pest, high temperature.
Jackfruit is a dicot plant.
Jackfruit is unisexual plant.
Unisexual
Jackfruit, Corn, watermelon, Papaya, Cucumber.

Bisexual
mustard, hibiscus, rose, petunia
ackfruit is an example of multiple fruit. Other examples: pineapple,
mulberry and fig. Because ovary of multiple flowers are fused together &
produce the giant fruit.
One tree of Jackfruit bears 150-250 fruits. Each weighing between 5 to 45
kilos.
Even seeds can be eaten.
High calories but no cholesterol or saturated fat
Rich in potassium, calcium, and iron.
Mostly Grown in South western states of India, coastal areas, Himalayan
foothills.
Climate requirement: Humid tropical
Soil: Sandy, stony, laterite soil



Although not directly food security but these two can also aid because
theyre resistant to adverse weather and climate.
Besides, Hindu has been talking about these brinjal varieties every once in a
while so they become automatically sacred and important anyways.

*Fruit comes from Ovaries part and contains seed.
Vulture restaurant

Vulture = scavengers, feed on dead carcasses
But farmers use diclofenac drug on cattle.
Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
Vultures eat such dead cattle => its kidney fails due to diclofenac => IUCN
status: Critically Endangered
Therefore activists have started Vulture restaurants in Africa, India, Pakistan
and Nepal.
Farmers send dead cattle, staff examines then carcass left in open field for
vultures.
This is an example of in-situ conservation. (Ex-situ conservation example
would be = put vultures in Cage then feed them carcass.)
Similar restaurants even Tasmanian Devil by Australia. (IUCN Endangered)
Why in news? Because Gadchiroli forest department also started a vulture
restaurant.
More birds: Short eared Owl & Houbura Bustard
Short eared owl
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
It has fluffy feathers on head that look like ears, hence the name.
Hunt by day and night. Other owls dont.
Crepuscular: active during twilight.
Unlike other owl species, short-eared owls hunt by night and day
Found in grasslands, wetlands of most continents.
Threat: ground nest = dogs, fox etc.
Houbara Bustard
IUCN status Vulnerable
Mind it: Great Indian Bustard = Critically Endangered while Houbara is just
vulnerable.
Habitat: arid, semi-desert. In Western India, Pak and Afghanistan.
Threat: Men hunt them as Game in W.Asia. Its meat considered an
aphrodisiac (Sex tonic). Recently a Saudi prince alone killed ~2000 of them
within ~20 days vacation
Mangar forest NCZ
Mangar Forest: Last Natural forest near Delhi. Just 50 kms
Mangar Bani forest grove = considered sacred by local Gujjars.
Only forest in Haryana that has Dhau trees.
Timeline / Sequence of Events
2005: The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) declared it as
natural conservation zone (NCZ), prohibiting construction and tourism.
2012: revised guidelines to allow tourism, parks and resorts construction.
2014: PMO asked NCRPB to take approval from MoEF before moving ahead
with this new plan.
Why protect Mangar forest?
recently Black eagle spotted. only once in last 100 years.
Dhak trees only found here in the entire Haryana.
Ground water recharge for Gurgaon and Faidabad
Habitat for leopards coming from Sariska, Rajasthan.
Buffer for Asola sanctuary. (this is the only wildlife sanctuary under Delhi
Government.). Mind it: Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary belongs to Haryana
government.
Rainbow warrior 3

Arctic has 13% of worlds oil and 30% of gas. But until now, thick ice
cover=difficult to extract.
Global warming= ice became thin, Russian PSU Gazprom began drilling oil
in Barents Sea in Arctic region.
April 2014, Gazprom sent first shipment of this artic oil to Netherland.
Greenpeace NGO sent a ship Rainbow warrior III to create rastaa roko
against Russian ship. They tried to stop Russain ship from unloading oil at
Rotterdam port.
But Netherland police has arrested Greenpeace activists, hence in news.
Greenpeace argument:
Arctic ecosystem too fragile, hence offshore oil drilling bad. But Putin gave
permission to Gazprome without any EIA.
Europe should not buy oil from Russia, because it strengthens Putins hand, he
uses the money to destabilize the region (Ukraine).
Padmanbhaswami temple Controversy
Amicus Curie report detailing the mischief in temple asset management.
emple Treasures
Has total six secret chambers (Kallaras). From A to F
Chamber B not opened, has Cobra lock on it. People fear itll be bring bad
omen. (On History Channel, they even claim Chamber B may have Alien
technology that can bring disaster on earth like in Hollywood movies!)
Napoleonic era coins
East India company gold Mohur coins (total 17 kilos!)
Gold chains, crowns, rubies, plates, status.
Overall more than 1 trillion rupees worth assets. Richest temple in the world.
Gopal Subraminums Report
Supreme Court Amicus Curae Gopal Subraminums report says
1. Gold plating machine found @temple. And One of the locker trunk was not
locked. Meaning staff is replacing real gold asset with fake ones.
2. Temple trustees didnt maintain any account of gifts/donations in last 30 years,
nor filed any IT returns.
3. Locker B needs to be opened. Because there are reports that it has already been
opened in past, photographs were taken (to show the assets to foreign buyers in
black market). Hence temple staff creating rumors that itll create black omen.
(may be Locker Bs assets already sold off in the blackmarket!)
4. Even two new lockers found: G and H. Open them as well.
5. Large scale conspiracy- Dead rickshaw driver, acid thrown on one employee.
Police not doing anything- perhaps Royal rule predominate the social psyche
of local juntaa.
6. CAG should audit.
What has Supreme Court done?
1. Appointed team of auditors under ex-CAG Vinod Rai (2G fame).
2. Appointed an IAS officer as executive officer of the temple.
3. Ordered the temple management not to transfer or sell any property until
further order.
4. Next hearing in August 2014.
Naduvattam jail, Tamilnadu
1604: Portuguese visit Nilgiris.
1850s: 2nd Opium war.
British arrested some Chinese, brought them to Naduvattam Jail.
When these Chinese were released, they settled in this area itself.
Started tea and Cinchona plantation. Cinchona used to fight malaria.