Newspaper Notes | 10 & 11 July 2022 | UPSC CSE

(Important Topics Covered - Team Shashank Sajwan)

1) The expansion of solar and wind power projects in western Rajasthan adversely
affect the desert ecosystem

- Installation of solar power plants in western Rajasthan have led to large scale felling
of KHEJRI trees.
- Particularly the Bishnoi activist, who have a sentimental attachment with KHEJRI or
PROSOPIS CINERARIA trees claim that the solar panels or causing incredible loss to
Thar Desert flora and fauna.
- KHEJRI plays an important role in maintaining the ecosystem of Thar region because
of its ability to survive in dry weather.
- The tree is used in different ways – source of water and firewood, helps in sustaining
the soil is nutrient value and ensuring a good yield of desert crops and food plant.
- The fruit of the Khejri tree is used to make the popular dish “SANGRI”.

2) Section 69A of the Information technology Act(IT Act)

- Twitter moved to the Karnataka High Court seeking to set aside multiple blocking
orders of the Central government as well as to alter their directions to identify
specific violative content than imposing a blanket ban on individual accounts.
- Section 69A of the IT act empowers the government to restrict access to any content
in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of the country, security of the state,
friendly relations with foreign states or for public order.
- All directions to restrict information or content in circulation must be recorded in
writing.
- The procedure for executing the provisions of the act are listed in the Information
Technology (Procedure and safeguards for blocking for access of information by
public) rules,2009.
- The main issue is the disparity in the assessment of what constitutes ‘free
expression’ and harm to public order.

3) First rewilding programme of the Red pandas

- In the first rewilding programme of Red pandas in India, the Padmaja Naidu
Himalayan zoological Park will release 20 of them in about five years to SINGALILA
national Park, West Bengal.
- Red Panda (AILURUS FULGENS) are categorised as the ENDANGERED species as per
IUCN red list of threatened species. “
- Red pandas are shy, solitary and arboreal animals are considered an “ indicator”
species for ecological change.
- Focus of red Panda augmentation programme – conservation breeding of red
pandas, selection of animals to be released in the wild, breaking their food
association with humans, tagging the animals released in the wild.
- in India, it is found in Sikkim, western Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling district of West
Bengal and parts of Meghalaya.

4) Monkey pox

- Monkey is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some other
animals.
- Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph notes, and a rash that forms blisters and
then crusts over.
- The time from exposure to onset of symptoms range from 5 to 21 days.
- There may be mild symptoms but it may occur without any symptoms being known.
- Cases may be severe especially in children, pregnant women or people with
suppressed immune system.
- The disease is caused by a zoonotic virus in the genius ORTHOPOXVIRUS.
- The virus may spread from infected animals by handling infected meats, via bites or
scratches.
- Human to human transmission can occur through exposure to infected body fluids,
contaminated objects, by small droplets and possibly the airborne route.
- There is no cure as of yet.

5) Centre asks states to encourage farmers to increase cultivation of paddy

- As per data collected by the crop division of the Union agriculture ministry:
- The difference in the area coverage from the 2021 figure of paddy is 22.75 lakh
hectares.
- Reasons for decrease in paddy cultivation – scarcity of water and fertilisers is forcing
farmers to reduce the sowing of paddy.
- Sowing of pulses such as black gram and yellow split pigeon pea has decreased,
while the cultivation of green gram or moong dal has increased by 37.47% and other
person is by 135.12.
- Groundnut and Soyabean cultivation is down by 18.95% and 21.74% respectively.
- Among four cereals, bajra has shown an increase in the sowing area, while the
cultivation of Jowar, ragi, maize and small millets have significantly reduced as
compare to last year’s cultivation.

6) “Renewable energy to reduce revenues “– Study by the International Institute of

sustainable development (IISD)

- The global transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources could
trigger financial challenges for India and major developing countries like Russia,
Brazil and China because of their high dependence on revenues from fossil fuels.
- By 2015, overall fossil fuel revenues in Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, India and China
could be as much as $570 billion lower than a business as usual scenario where
governments do not face down fossil fuels
- The widest gaps are expected to occur in India that is $178 billion, China $140 billion
and Russia $134 billion.
- India is a net importer of petroleum products, but it earns substantial revenues – via
cesses and taxes – from the consumption of petrol, diesel and oil.

7) Cloudbursts

- Sudden cloudbursts near the Amarnath shrine in Jammu and Kashmir triggered
heavy flooding.
- A cloudburst is a short term extreme precipitation that takes place over a small area
– it is not, as is sometimes understood, the breaking open of a cloud resulting in the
release of huge amount of water.
- Cloudbursts have a very specific definition – if rainfall of about 10 cm or above per
hour is recorded over an area of roughly 10 km X 10 km, it is classified as a
cloudburst event.
- While cloudbursts occur over plains as well, there is greater probability of their
taking place in mountainous zones.
- Cloudburst as a result in heavy downpours can trigger landslides and flash floods
causing extensive damage to life and property in the hills.

8) Krishna Raj Sagar Dam

- The dam is located in Karnataka, India

- It is below the confluence of river Cauvery with its tributaries Hemavathi and
Lakshmana Tirtha in the district of Mandya, Karnataka.
- It was constructed by Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, Maharaja of Mysore during the
famine despite the critical financial condition of the state.
- RANGANATHITTU Wildlife sanctuary is located nearby.

9) Proposed amendments to Environment(Protection) Act, 1986

- The ETA establishes the “framework for studying, planning and implementing long-
term requirements of environmental safety and laying down a system of speedy and
adequate response to situations threatening the environment “.
- Four key amendments proposed – The environment (protection) Act, 1986, the
Water (prevention and control of pollution ) Act, 1974, the Air (prevention and
control of pollution) Act, 1981 and the Public liability insurance act, 1991.
- These set of laws empowers the Central pollution control board to either shut down
a polluting industrial body or to imprison executives of an organisation found to be
environmental violators.
- The EPA currently says that violators face imprisonment up to 5 years or a fine up to
1,00,00 or both. If the violations continue, an additional fine up to Rs.5000 every day
during which such failure or contravention continues after the conviction may be
levied.
- There is also provision for the jail term to extend to 7 years.
- An analysis by the Centre for science and environment – Indian courts took between
9 to 33 years to clear a backlog of cases for environmental violations.

10) Sri Lanka’s governance crisis

- Following the storming of the Sri Lankan presidential palace by demonstrators, Sri
Lankan president has agreed to step down as President of the island nation.
- Sri Lanka has been grappling with unprecedented levels of inflation, near depletion
of foreign exchange reserves, shortages of medical supplies and and increase prices
of basic commodities.
- The crisis is said to have begun due to multiple compounding factors like money
creation, nationwide policy to shift to organic or biological farming, the Easter
bombings in 2019 and the impact of Covid 19 pandemic.
- India’s reaction – India has sought to maintain a safe distance from the Lankan
political establishment with the government saying that” it stands with the people of
the island nation as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress
through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional
framework“.