FORTNIGHTLY MANIFESTO DECEMBER 2018 PART-1 - MANIFEST IAS
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FORTNIGHTLY MANIFESTO
DECEMBER 2018 PART-1
ISSUE NO.03
The fortnightly compilation of the current affairs
write-ups, written by the faculty of Manifest IAS, which
covers both static and current dimensions of
important current affairs for 1st and 2nd week of
December 2018.
The write-ups can also be found in the section Manifest 11 on
our website https://www.manifestias.com
1
FORTNIGHTLY MANIFESTO
DECEMBER-2018 (PART-1) ISSUE NO: 03
MANIFEST-2019 INITIATIVE
WHAT IS MANIFEST 11? LOGIC BEHIND MANIFEST 11? WHAT IS MANIFEST PEDAGOGY?
HISTORY, ART & CULTURE ___________________________________________________________________________________ 2
GANDHI-MARX-MANDELA _______________________________________________________________________________________ 3
EVOLUTION OF SCRIPT IN INDIA __________________________________________________________________________________ 6
INDIAN SOCIETY _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 11
DRUG ADDICTION ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 11
TRIBALS AND TRIBAL POLICY __________________________________________________________________________________ 15
GEOGRAPHY __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20
FISHING AS AN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ____________________________________________________________________________ 20
HEAT WAVES _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 23
TROPICAL CYCLONES __________________________________________________________________________________________ 26
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE ________________________________________________________________________________ 31
WITNESS PROTECTION SCHEME _________________________________________________________________________ 31
UNDERTRIALS _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS _____________________________________________________________________________ 38
OPEC_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 38
BREXIT ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 40
CRIMEAN CRISIS _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 43
ECONOMY _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 46
BACK SERIES OF GDP __________________________________________________________________________________________ 46
FRBM ACT ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 47
AGRICULTURE _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 50
AGRICULTURE EXPORT POLICY _________________________________________________________________________________ 50
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY _______________________________________________________________________________ 53
NASA AND ITS ACHIEVEMENTS_________________________________________________________________________________ 53
HYPER-SPECTRAL IMAGING SATELLITE (HYSIS) ________________________________________________________________ 57
GENOME EDITING OR GENE EDITING ___________________________________________________________________________ 58
Mains test from this handout will be conducted on 15th & 22nd December at 10AM. It’s FREE &
you can write the test at out center. Visit OUR WEBSITE to know more about us.
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HISTORY, ART & CULTURE
Gandhi-Marx-Mandela
In news
200 years of Karl Marx and 100 years of Nelson Mandela
Dimensions
1. Role of Nelson Mandela in Anti-apartheid movement
2. Influence of Gandhi on Mandela.
3. Marx and his Scientific Socialism.
4. Differences between Gandhian socialism and Scientific socialism.
5. Ethics of Marxism.
Content
The Issue Marxian View Gandhian View
Philosophical basis Materialism, Scientific Socialism Spiritualism; Moral individualism
Negative, an ideological instrument for
Attitude toward Positive; a moralizing force; equal respect
the protection of private property and
Religion for all religions
declared it to be “opium of the people“
Negative; use of heavy machines stunts
Attitude toward Positive; necessary for full development
moral growth and creates vast
Technology of the forces of production
unemployment
Division of society into owners and non-
owners of means of social production Mental outlook based on appreciation for
physical labour. And the conception of
Basis of Classes
asserts that an individual’s position bread labour. The basis of the class is the
within a class hierarchy is determined by varying capabilities of individuals.
his or her role in the production process
Recommended
relation between Class conflict Class cooperation
Classes
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Doctrine of trusteeship: moral persuasion
Overthrow of capitalism; social of capitals to regard themselves as
Way to achieve
ownership of means of social production; ‘trustee’ of public property; restore
classless Society
Compulsory labour dignity of labour: universal bread labour
requiring everybody to do physical labour
An instrument of coercion of individuals; a
An instrument of class domination
soulless machine for enforcing rules and
Nature of State involving oppression and exploitation of
regulations without human sensitivity and
the dependent class
a sense of moral responsibility
When everybody follows the principle of
After full development of the forces of
Way to achieve Stateless non-violence (ahimsa) and becomes self-
production in a classless society, the
Society disciplined and self-regulated, the state
state will wither away
will become redundant
Image of Future Society
A self-regulated society comprised of self-
A self-regulated society ruled by the
disciplined individuals having minimum
principle: ‘from each according to his
needs, with a sense of moral responsibility
ability, to each according to his need’
toward social needs
Nelson Mandela
1. Mandela was a practical politician, rather than an intellectual scholar or political theorist.
2. For Mandela, politics has always been primarily about morally exemplary conduct, and only
secondarily about ideological vision, more about means rather than ends.
3. Mandela identified as both an African nationalist, an ideological position he held since joining
the ANC (African national congress), and as a socialist.
4. Mandela took political ideas from other thinkers—among them Indian independence leaders
like Gandhi and Nehru, African-American civil rights activists like Martin Luther king jr, and
African nationalists like Nkrumah(of Ghana) —and applied them to the South African situation.
5. At the same time he rejected the ideas such as the anti-white sentiment of many African
nationalists.
6. In doing so he synthesized both counter-cultural and hegemonic views, for instance by drawing
upon ideas from the then-dominant Afrikaner nationalism in promoting his anti-apartheid
vision.
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7. He held a conviction that “inclusivity, accountability and freedom of speech” were the
fundamentals of democracy, and was driven by a belief in natural and human rights. His vision
for south Africa is thoroughly democratic.
8. He also spoke of an influential African ethical tenet, Ubuntu, which was a Ngnuni term
meaning “I am because you are.” Which emphasized on the essential unity of mankind?
9. A mix of the western democratic institutions derived from European influence and the ideas
of democracy and inclusivity which were part of the African tradition.
10. Mandela advocated the ultimate establishment of a classless society, openly opposed to
capitalism, private land-ownership and the power of big money. Mandela was influenced by
Marxism, and during the revolution he advocated scientific socialism.
11. But after his jail stint his leanings towards communism has reduced and he aimed for
establishment of a social democracy in South Africa. But that this was not feasible as a result
of the international political and economic situation during the early 1990s.
12. He was a diehard follower of Gandhi’s principles Truth and Nonviolence. He was honored
with the Bharat Ratna soon after his release from imprisonment in the year 1990.
13. Mandela once said that he could never achieve the height of humanity, the greatness of truth
and the value of simplicity that the Mahatma had set through practical examples in his life.
14. Mandela was inspired by the Satyagraha campaign led by Gandhi. It was a compelling act of
passive protest against oppression. This would later inspire the formation of the African
National Congress and strengthen Mandela’s belief in shared humanity.
15. And Mandela learned from Gandhi the essential virtues of forgiveness and
compassion, values that served him very well on his assumption of power as he clearly
declared that he was not just against black racism but is also against white racism too.
16. This forgiveness and compassion are the things which won him over the trust of the white
minority in South Africa. This forgiveness and inclusivity are the values which made South
Africa into a rainbow nation.
Manifest pedagogy
As it has been stated repeatedly over the course of our articles the issues or personalities of centenary
or some jubilee are very important. In this context this article is important from both ethics and the
history part. As this year is the prelude to 150 years of the birth of Gandhi, 200 years of birth of Karl
Marx and 100 years of the birth of Nelson Mandela.
Mould your thoughts: Test yourself
Gandhism is born in India matured under western influence and nurtured in South Africa but became
an inspiration to a generation of non-violent leaders both in and outside India. Elucidate. (15 marker)
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BCC Layout, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040 Contact: 9945 09 22226 Evolution of script in India In news Death of Iravatham Mahadevan an Indian epigraphist with expertise in Tamil-brahmi and Indus Valley script. Placing it in syllabus Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Dimensions 1. Difference between language and script 2. Indus valley script and the unending debate on its decipherment 3. The prominence of Brahmi script 4. The evolution of various scripts of India from Brahmi. 5. Modern Indian scripts. Content A language usually refers to the spoken language, a method of communication. A script refers to a collection of characters used to write one or more languages. A language is a method of communication. Scripts are writing systems that allow the transcription of a language, via alphabet sets. Indus script After the pictographic and petroglyph representations of early man the first evidence of a writing system can be seen in the Indus valley civilization. The earliest evidence of which is found on the pottery and pot shreds of Rahman Dheri and these potter’s marks, engraved or painted, are strikingly similar to those appearing in the Mature Indus symbol system. Later the writing system can be seen on the seals and sealings of Harappan period. Most inscriptions containing these symbols are extremely short (5 symbols), making it difficult to judge whether or not these symbols constituted a script used to record a language, or even symbolize a writing system. The long inscriptions are found in Gujarat particularly Dholavira where we find slabs of stone inscribed with inscriptions which might represent name plates of the houses with 24 to 34 symbols. The characters are largely pictorial but include many abstract signs. The inscriptions are thought to have been written mostly from right-to-left (because there are several instances of the symbols being compressed on the left side, as if the writer is running out of space at the end of the row there), but they sometimes follow a boustrophedonic (sarphalekhana) style. The number of principal signs is about 400. Since that is considered too large a number for each character to be a phonogram, the script is generally believed to instead be logo-syllabic. There were arguments that the Indus script is nonlinguistic, which symbolise families, clans, gods, and religious concepts and are similar to totem poles. Based on the extreme brevity of the MANIFEST IAS WWW.MANIFESTIAS.COM Raghavendra Arcade, No. 1582, 1st & 2nd floor, 1st Main Road, 1st Stage 2nd Phase, Chandra Layout, 2nd Phase, BCC Layout, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040 Contact: 9945 09 2222
7
inscriptions, the existence of too many rare signs and the lack of the random-looking sign repetition
that is typical of language.
But others have argued that it is a linguistic system and the debate shifted to whether it is the
predecessor of Dravidian script or the Brahmi script.
Some scholars have argued that the Brahmi script has some connection with the Indus system, but
others, such as Iravatham Mahadevan, have argued that the script had a relation to a Dravidian
language. This debate has been further fueled by the arguments of who were the initial and original
inhabitants of India the Aryan’s or the Dravidian’s.
Brahmi script
Brahmi is the originator of most of the present Indian scripts, including Devanagari, Bengali, Tamil,
and Malayalam etc. It developed into two broad types in Northern and Southern India, in the
Northern one being more angular and the Southern one being more circular. It was deciphered
in 1838 by James Prinsep. The best-known Brahmi inscriptions are the rock-cut edicts of
Ashoka in north-central India, dated to 250–232 BCE.
Many scholars support that Brahmi probably derives from Aramaic influence and others support that
the Brahmi language can have some Indus script influence.
The Brahmi script confirms to the syllabic writing system and was used more for writing Prakrit,
the language spoken by ordinary people initially and later Sanskrit also was written in this
script.
According to the epigraphers- All Indian scripts are derived from Brahmi. There are two main families
of scripts:
1. 1. Devanagari, which is the basis of the languages of northern and western India: Hindi,
Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Dogri, Panjabi, etc.
2. Dravidian which shows the formats of Grantha and Vatteluttu.
Kharosthi Script
It is the sister script and contemporary of Brahmi. It was written from right to left. It was used in the
Gandhara culture of North-Western India and is sometimes also called the Gandhari Script. Its
inscriptions have been found in the form of Buddhist Texts from present day Afghanistan and
Pakistan.
Gupta Script
It is also known as the Late Brahmi script. It was used for writing Sanskrit in the Gupta period. It gave
rise to the Nagari, Sarada and Siddhamatrika scripts which in turn gave rise to the most important
scripts of India such as Devanagari, Bengali etc.
Nagari Script
It was an Eastern variant of the Gupta script. It is an early form of the Devanagari script. It branched
off into many other scripts such as Devanagari. It was used to write both Prakrit and Sanskrit.
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Raghavendra Arcade, No. 1582, 1st & 2nd floor, 1st Main Road, 1st Stage 2nd Phase, Chandra Layout, 2nd Phase,
BCC Layout, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040 Contact: 9945 09 22228 It is the main script at present to write standard Hindi and Nepali. It is also used presently to write Sanskrit and is one of the most used writing systems in the world. It is composed of Deva meaning, God and Nagari meaning city, which meant that it, was both religious and urbane or sophisticated. It is written from left to right, has a strong preference for symmetrical rounded shapes within squared outlines, and is recognisable by a horizontal line that runs along the top of full letters. In a cursory look, the Devanagari script appears different from other Indic scripts such as Bangla, Oriya or Gurmukhi, but a closer examination reveals they are very similar except for angles and structural emphasis. Sarada Script The Sarada or Sharada script of the Brahmic family of scripts, developed around the 8th century. It was used for writing Sanskrit and Kashmiri. Originally more widespread, its use became later restricted to Kashmir, and it is now rarely used except by the Kashmiri Pandit community for ceremonial purposes. Sarada is another name for Saraswati, the goddess of learning. Siddhamatrika script (Kutila) This script was prominent in eastern India in 6th century AD leading to subsequent evolution of Gaudi script. This Eastern Nagari script or Bengali-Assamese script defines the unified usage of Bengali script and Assamese script thought minor variations within. Its usage is associated with the two main languages Bengali and Assamese. Western India Landa script The Laṇḍa scripts, meaning “without a tail”, is a Punjabi word used to refer to scripts in North India. Landa is a script that evolved from the Sarada script during the 10th century. It was used to write Punjabi, Hindi, Sindhi, Saraiki, Balochi, Kashmiri, Pashto and various Punjabi dialects. Gurmukhi script Gurmukhi is an alphabetic developed from the Landa scripts and was standardized during the 16th century by Guru Angad, the second guru of Sikhism. The whole of the Guru Granth Sahib is written in this script, and it is the script most commonly used by Sikhs and Hindus for writing the Punjabi language. Deccan Modi script Modi is a script used to write the Marathi language, which is the primary language spoken in the state of Maharashtra in western India. Modi was an official script used to write Marathi until the 20th century when the Balbodh style of the Devanagari script was promoted as the standard writing system for Marathi. Although Modi was primarily used to write Marathi. Gujarati script MANIFEST IAS WWW.MANIFESTIAS.COM Raghavendra Arcade, No. 1582, 1st & 2nd floor, 1st Main Road, 1st Stage 2nd Phase, Chandra Layout, 2nd Phase, BCC Layout, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040 Contact: 9945 09 2222
9 The Gujarati script, which like all Nagari writing system is a type of alphabet, is used to write the Gujarati and Kutchi languages. It is a variant of Devanagari script differentiated by the loss of the characteristic horizontal line running above the letters and by a small number of modifications in the remaining characters. The Gujarati script is also often used to write Sanskrit and Hindi. South India Grantha Script It is one of the earliest Southern scripts to originate from Brahmi. It branched off into Tamil and Malayalam scripts, which are still used to write those languages. It is also the predecessor of the Sinhala script used in Sri Lanka. A variant of Grantha called Pallava was taken by Indian merchants in Indonesia, where it led to the development of many South-East Asian scripts. It was used in Tamil Nadu to write the Sanskrit Granthas and hence, was named Grantha. The Grantha script was widely-used between the sixth century and the 20th centuries by Tamil speakers in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, to write Sanskrit, and is still in restricted use in traditional Vedic schools. It is a Brahmic script, having evolved from the Brahmi script in Tamil Nadu. The Malayalam script is a direct descendant of Grantha. Vatteluttu Script It was a script derived from the Brahmi and was used in the Southern part of India. It was used to write Tamil and Malayalam. It removed those signs from Brahmi, which were not needed for writing the Southern languages. Presently, both Tamil and Malayalam have moved on to their own Grantha derived scripts. Vatteluttu is one of the three main alphabet systems developed by Tamil people to write the Proto-Tamil language, alongside the ancient Granthi or Pallava alphabet and the Tamil script. Kadamba Script It is a descendant of Brahmi and marks the birth of the dedicated Kannada script. It led to the development of modern Kannada and Telugu scripts. It was used to write Sanskrit, Konkani, Kannada and Marathi. The Kadamba script was developed during the reign of the Kadamba dynasty in the 4th- 6th centuries. The Kadamba script is also known as Pre-Old-Kannada script. This script later became popular in what is today the state of Goa and was used to write Sanskrit, Kannada, Konkani and Marathi. Tamil Script It is the script used to write the Tamil language in India and Sri Lanka. It evolved from Grantha, the Southern form of Brahmi. It is a syllabic language and not alphabetic. It is written from left to right. Kannada script MANIFEST IAS WWW.MANIFESTIAS.COM Raghavendra Arcade, No. 1582, 1st & 2nd floor, 1st Main Road, 1st Stage 2nd Phase, Chandra Layout, 2nd Phase, BCC Layout, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040 Contact: 9945 09 2222
10 Kannada script is widely used for writing Sanskrit texts in Karnataka. Several minor languages, such as Tulu, Konkani, Kodava, Sanketi and Beary, also use alphabets based on the Kannada script. The Kannada and Telugu scripts share high mutual intellegibility with each other, and are often considered to be regional variants of single script. Telugu script The Brahmi script used by Mauryan kings eventually reached the Krishna River delta and would give rise to the Bhattiprolu script found on an urn purported to contain Lord Buddha’s relics. The Bhattiprolu Brahmi script evolved into the Telugu script by 5th century C.E. Malayalam script The Malayalam script, also known as Kairali script is a Brahmic script used commonly to write Malayalam, which is the principal language of Kerala, India. Malayalam script is also widely used for writing Sanskrit texts in Kerala. Malayalam was first written in the Vatteluttu alphabet, an ancient script of Tamil. However, the modern Malayalam script evolved from the Grantha alphabet, which was originally used to write Sanskrit. Both Vatteluttu and Grantha evolved from the Brahmi script, but independently. Medieval and Modern scripts Urdu script The Urdu alphabet is the right-to-left alphabet used for the Urdu language. It is a modification of the Persian alphabet, which is itself a derivative of the Arabic alphabet. The standard Urdu script is a modified version of the Perso-Arabic script and has its origins in 13th century Iran. It is closely related to the development of the Nastaliq style of Perso-Arabic script. Urdu script in its extended form is known as Shahmukhi script and is used for writing other Indo- Aryan languages of North Indian subcontinent like Punjabi and Saraiki as well. Santali script Santali is a language in the Munda subfamily of Austroasiatic languages, related to Ho and Mundari. Till the nineteenth century Santali remained an oral language. A recent development has been the creation of a separate Old Chiki script for Santali by Pt. Raghunath Murmu in the 1970s which is used exclusively by the Santali speaking people of the Singhbhum Jharkhand and Odisha. Manifest pedagogy UPSC in recent times has been asking tangential questions surrounding a personality. This is being done by linking dimensions in the syllabus with the personality. Iravatham Mahadevan which was in news last week. His contributions to scripts particularly Harappan Script and Brahmi script was immense. So the issue of growth of language and script become a relevant topic. MANIFEST IAS WWW.MANIFESTIAS.COM Raghavendra Arcade, No. 1582, 1st & 2nd floor, 1st Main Road, 1st Stage 2nd Phase, Chandra Layout, 2nd Phase, BCC Layout, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040 Contact: 9945 09 2222
11 Test yourself: Mould your thoughts Sanskrit languages claim to be mother of all languages is contested but the Brahmi scripts claim to be the originator of all prominent Indian scripts is uncontested. Critically examine. INDIAN SOCIETY Drug addiction In news Prevalence of drug addiction in Punjab Placing it in syllabus 1. Problems in Indian society (not explicitly mentioned in the syllabus) 2. Indian Polity and Governance – Health 3. Internal Security Static dimensions 1. Definition of drug addiction 2. Extent of the problem in India 3. NDPS Act, 1985 Current dimensions 1. Specific focus – Punjab and North Eastern states Content Drug addiction is defined by the existence of both psychological dependence and physical dependence on at least one illicit substance, according to PubMed Health. Extent of the problem in India In a National Survey conducted by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, for the year 2000-2001(report published in 2004), it was estimated that about 732 lakh persons in India were users of alcohol and drugs. Of these 87 lakh used Cannabis, 20 lakh used opiates and 625 lakh were users of Alcohol. Specific focus- Punjab and North east Punjab and golden crescent A recent study by the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, — says that in Punjab, almost 4.1 million people have been found to have used a substance (licit or illicit) at least once in their lifetime. Among the lifetime users, four million were men and around 0.1 million women. The problem is further compounded by having international linkages. The best example being the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle. Licit substances consist of alcohol and tobacco, while illicit substances include opioids, cannabinoids, inhalants, stimulants, and sedatives. MANIFEST IAS WWW.MANIFESTIAS.COM Raghavendra Arcade, No. 1582, 1st & 2nd floor, 1st Main Road, 1st Stage 2nd Phase, Chandra Layout, 2nd Phase, BCC Layout, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560040 Contact: 9945 09 2222
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The Golden Crescent is the name given to one of Asia‘s two principal areas of illicit opium production
(with the other being the Golden Triangle), located at the crossroads of Central, South, and Western
Asia. This space overlaps three nations, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, whose mountainous
peripheries define the crescent
North east and golden triangle
Traditionally, the Golden Triangle is a region between the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and
Thailand; a famous region for its opium production.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) latest Southeast Asia
`Opium Survey 2013, opium cultivation in the Golden Triangle went up in 2013 propelled by a
13 per cent growth in Myanmar
A decade ago, the Golden Triangle supplied half the world’s heroin, but drug barons backed
by ethnic militias in Myanmar have turned to trafficking massive quantities of amphetamines
and methamphetamines – “which can be produced cheaply in small, hidden laboratories,
without the need for acres of exposed land” and these narcotics now dominate the Myanmar
part of the Triangle.
Insurgencies in Myanmar have been funded by narcotics trafficking. Cease-fires with the
civilian government of Myanmar have left rebel groups free to continue their manufacturing
and smuggling without interference. Since insurgencies based on purely ethnic issues are on
the way out, high profits and access to the lucrative Thai and foreign markets now drive
narcotics production and trafficking.
What needs to be done?
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Drug addiction being a social problem and also a law and order issue, having international linkages
needs a two pronged strategy:
1. Strong Acts and policies to deter peddlers complemented by International Cooperation
2. Sensitization and rehabilitation of drug victims
India already has The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 (in a bid to
criminalize the cultivation, possession of narcotic drugs) but it needs to be strengthened further.
It is necessary to understand that this Act has evolved over the years, and has been amended thrice
(1988, 2001 and 2014) which has changed its scope and direction.
The Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was passed in
1988 and was brought in to ensure full implementation and enforcement of the NDPS act.
The NDPS Act contains 5 Chapters, with each chapter dealing with a certain subject with respect to the
statute.
It introduces and defines the various narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and
finally highlights that the Central government has the power to omit or add other substances to
the list under the NDPS Act.
It also highlights the relevant Authorities and Officers that have been created under the NDPS
Act. It sets the guidelines for the Central government to appoint a Narcotics Commissioner,
to set up a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Consultative Committee and to
fund a National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse.
It lays out the Prohibition, Control and Regulation of the previously mentioned
substances. It prevents the cultivation or production of the coca plant, opium poppy or any
cannabis plant by anybody, while reserving these rights with both the Central and State
governments if they wish to do so, by creating rules later. Furthermore, all Inter-State and
International smuggling of such substances have been prohibited. It also looks at the regulation
on other controlled substance that can be used to create narcotic drugs and also has clauses
which illustrate cases under which opium poppy, coca plant, and cannabis plant can be legally
cultivated.
Under Offences and Penalties, it describes the punishment duration for various possible
crimes that can be tried under this Act, such as possession of such substances, for commercial
or recreational use, cultivation or preparation of such substances and smuggling of such
substances.
Finally, it looks at the Procedure of how the cases are to be dealt with, and also set the
guidelines for the officers empowered under this Act.
1. Criticism & Amendments of NDPS act
Over the years, this Act has been criticized as a hasty piece of legislation that had been
introduced under pressure and pointed key flaws in its functioning.
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Since there is no clear definition of what is to be done with naturally found plants like
cannabis, people have been able to get away legally for consuming bhang, because even that
isn’t mentioned in the Act.
Furthermore, the Act has been criticised for not giving the necessary leeway to the medical
usage of these substances, a change that was finally made in 2014. The 2014 amendment
created a list of ‘essential narcotic drugs’.
As mentioned before, since States have been given the power to allow the cultivation of
narcotic substances, Uttarakhand has moved towards legalizing marijuana. However, farmers
will only grow this for industrial purposes, generally to makes fibers, and not for recreational
purposes.
Moreover the Uttarakhand government has also been accused of coming down hard on drug
users and handing out similar punishments, as if they were drug suppliers. While there
definitely are some flaws that can be worked on, the statute has had an impact on modern
Indian society and is very important to any debate regarding drugs
The Act should be complemented by Sensitization of the effects of drug use and also rehabilitation of
drug abusers.
Drug and Alcohol abuse has become a major concern in India. The Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment, is the nodal Ministry for drug demand reduction.
It coordinates and monitors all aspects of drug abuse prevention which include assessment of
the extent of the problem, preventive action, treatment and rehabilitation of addicts,
dissemination of information and public awareness.
The Ministry provides community-based services for the identification, treatment and
rehabilitation of addicts through voluntary organizations.
Approach and Strategy of the Ministry-The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
recognizes drug abuse as a psycho-socio-medical problem, which can be best handled by
adoption of a family/community-based approach by active involvement of NGOs/CBOs. The
strategy for demand reduction is three pronged with the following:
Awareness building and educating people about ill effects of drug abuse.
Community based intervention for motivational counseling, identification, treatment and
rehabilitation of drug addicts, and
Training of volunteers/service providers and other stakeholders with a view to build up a
committed and skilled cadre.
Manifest Pedagogy
Drug addiction as an issue should be covered from 3 different perspective for holistic coverage.
1. Drug issue as a social problem
2. Drug addiction and role of government
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3. Drug chains and impact on internal security
The Act being highly in news can be a possible question in both prelims and mains.
Test yourself: Mould your thoughts
Briefly outline the features of NDPS Act, 1985. Do you think the Act adequately addresses drug
addiction as a social problem?
Tribals and Tribal Policy
In news
Protection of indigenous people and recent Sentinel issue.
Placing it in syllabus
Paper 2:
1. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising
out of their design and implementation.
2. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the center and states.
Static dimensions
1. Tribal policy: Pre-independence and post-independence
2. Different models of tribal development
Current dimensions
1. Draft National Policy on Tribals
Content
Tribal policy since the time of British:
During the British rule in the pre-independence period, most of the tribal communities in India
remained isolated from the mainstream of national life. Tribal areas were kept secluded and cut off
from the rest of the people. The policy of the British government was solely directed and dominated
by the colonial interests and based on isolation and exploitation of the tribals.
Different models of tribal development:
The approaches to the development of the tribal people in India can, be divided into three categories
such as; 1. Isolationist Approach, 2. Assimilation Approach and 3. Integration Approach
1. Isolationist Approach:
It was followed by the British after the policies of the British led to revolts against them by the
Tribes. It manifested in the form of British designating tribal areas as ‘excluded areas ‘ based
on the principle of non-interference
Under British rule, the extension of a centralized administration over areas, which previously
were outside the effective control of princely rulers, deprived many aboriginal tribes of
their autonomy.
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Though British administrators had no intention of interfering with tribesmen’s rights and
traditional manner of living, the very process of establishment of law and order in outlying
areas exposed the tribes to the pressure of more advanced populations.
The areas which had previously been virtually un-administered have been unsafe for outsiders
who did not enjoy the confidence and goodwill of the tribal inhabitants, traders and money-
lenders could now establish themselves under the protection of the
British administration and in many cases they were followed by settlers who succeeded in
acquiring large stretches of tribes’ land.
Administrative officers who did not understand tribal system of land tenure introduced
uniform methods of revenue collection. But these had the un-intended effect of facilitating
the alienation of tribal land to members of advanced populations.
There were some tribes, however, who rebelled against an administration, which allowed
outsiders to deprive them of their land.
In the Chhota Nagpur and the Santhal Parganas such rebellions of desperate tribesmen
recurred throughout the nineteenth century, and there were minor risings in the Agency
tracts of Madras and in some of the districts of Bombay inhabited by Bhils.
Santhals are believed to have lost about 10,000 men in their rebellion of 1855. None of these
insurrections were aimed primarily at the British administration, but they were a
reaction to their exploitation and oppression by Hindu landlords and money-lenders.
In some cases these rebellions led to official inquiries and to legislative enactments aimed
at protecting tribes’ right to their land. Seen in historical perspective it appears that land
alienation laws had, on the whole, only a palliative effect. In most areas encroachment on
land held by tribes continued even in the face of protective legislation.
2. Assimilation Approach
This believed in mainstream Tribals and their culture completely eroding their culture
completely by making them accept the mainstream culture
Acceptance or denial of the necessity for assimilation with Hindu society is ultimately a
question of values. In the past, Hindu society had been tolerant of groups that would not
conform to the standards set by the higher castes.
Those groups were denied equal ritual status; but no efforts were made to deflect them from
their chosen style of living. In recent years this attitude has changed.
It is the influence of the Western belief in universal values which has encouraged a spirit of
intolerance vis-a-vis cultural and social divergences.
India is a multilingual, a multiracial country and multi-cultural. And as long as the minorities
are free to follow their traditional way of life, it would seem only fair that the culture and
the social order of tribes however distinct from that of the majority community should also be
respected.
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Assimilation will occur automatically and inevitably where small tribal groups are
enclosed within numerically stronger Hindu populations.
In India’s northern and north-eastern frontier live vigorous tribal populations which resist
assimilation as well as inclusion within Hindu caste system.
3. Integration approach
The Government of India has adopted a policy of integration of tribals with the
mainstream aiming at developing a creative adjustment between the tribes and non
tribes leading to a responsible partnership.
By adopting the policy of integration or progressive acculturation the Government has laid
the foundation for the uninhibited march of the tribals towards equality, upward mobility,
and economic viability and assured proximity to the national mainstream.
The constitution has committed the nation to two courses of action in respect of scheduled
tribes, viz.
1. Giving protection to their distinctive way of life.
2. Protecting them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation and discrimination and
bringing them at par with the rest of the nation so that they may be integrated with the
national life.
Thus by the Constitution Order 1950 issued by the President of India in exercise of powers conferred
by Clause9 (i) of Article 342 of the Constitution of India 255 tribes in 17 states were declared to be
scheduled tribes.
India’s policy at the time of independence and Tribal Panchasheel:
The Constitution through several Articles has provided for the socio-economic development and
empowerment of Scheduled Tribes. But there has been no national policy, which could have helped
translate the constitutional provisions into a reality. Five principles spelt out in 1952, known
as Nehruvian Panchasheel, have been guiding the administration of tribal affairs.
Jawaharlal Nehru believed that the uplift of the tribal had to take place through a slow process of their
modernization, even while their culture had to be preserved. He had formulated the following five
principles for the policy to be pursued vis-a-vis the tribals. They are:
1. Tribals should be allowed to develop according to their own genius.
2. Tribals’ rights in land and forest should be respected.
3. Tribal teams should be trained to undertake administration and development without too
many outsiders being inducted.
4. Tribal development should be undertaken without disturbing tribal social and cultural
institutions.
5. The index of tribal development should be the quality of their life and not the money spent.
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Realising that the Nehruvian Panchasheel was long on generalities and short on specifics, the
Government of India formed a Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the first time in October 1999 to accelerate
tribal development.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is now coming out with the Draft National Policy on Tribals. Based on
the feedback from tribal leaders, the concerned States, individuals, organisations in the public and the
private sectors, and NGOs, the Ministry will finalise the policy. The National Policy recognises that:
1. A majority of Scheduled Tribes continue to live below the poverty line
2. They have poor literacy rates
3. They suffer from malnutrition and disease
4. They are vulnerable to displacement.
It also acknowledges that Scheduled Tribes in general are repositories of indigenous knowledge and
wisdom in certain aspects.
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS FOR TRIBALS:
Besides enjoying the rights that all citizens and minorities have the member of the Scheduled Tribes
have been provided with special safeguards as follows:
Protective Safeguards
Educational safeguards-Article 15(4) and 29
Safeguards for employment -Articles 16(4), 320(4) and 333
Economic safeguards -Article 19(Profession)
Abolition of bonded labour -Article 23
Protection from social injustice and all forms of exploitation -Article 46
Political Safeguards
Reservation of seats for ST in Lok Sabha and Assemblies-Article 330,332,164
Appointment of Minister in charge of Tribal welfare
Special provisions in respect of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur -Articles-371(A),371(B) and 371
Developmental Safeguards
Promoting the educational and economic interests of the Scheduled Tribes-Articles 46
Grants from Central Government to the states for welfare of Scheduled Tribes and raising the
level of administration of Scheduled Areas-Article 75.
Following the reorganization of states, the list of STs was modified by the Scheduled Castes and Tribes
List (Modification) order, 1956 on the recommendations of the Backward Classes Commission. In the
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revised list 414 tribes were declared STs. Since the revision of the list in 1956 there have been several
proposals for fresh inclusions and deletion from the lists of the SC and STs
IMPORTANT ACTS RELATED TO TRIBALS:
1. Forest Rights Act-2006; The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, was passed on December 15, 2006, in the Lok Sabha
and December 18, 2006, in the Rajya Sabha. It was signed by the President on December 29,
2006, but only notified into force on December 31, 2007 (one year later). The Rules to the Act –
which provide for some of the operational details – were notified into force on January 1, 2008.
2. Protection of Civil Rights act-1955; An Act to prescribe punishment for the [preaching and
practice of – “Untouchability”] for the enforcement of any disability arising there from for
matters connected therewith.
3. SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act; An Act to prevent the commission of offences of
atrocities against the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, to provide
for Special Courts for the trial of such offences and for the relief and rehabilitation of the
victims of such offences and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
4. Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 or PESA is a law enacted by the
Government of India to cover the “Scheduled areas”, which are not covered in the 73rd
amendment or Panchayati Raj Act of the Indian Constitution. It was enacted on 24 December
1996 to enable Gram Sabhas to self-govern their natural resources. It is an Act to provide for
the extension of the provisions of Part IX of the Constitution relating to the Panchayats to the
Scheduled Areas.
Government has relaxed the Resident Permit Area rules and also has planned tourism initiatives for
the Andaman region. All these reflect a break in the policy of the government towards tribals. This
needs to be read along with the recent incident of a US Christian missionary being killed by a
Sentinelese. How will these initiatives by the government towards the region affect the entire region?
Are they sustainable? Will it be accepted by the tribals is the real question?
Manifest Pedagogy
The issue of tribes has been a lot in news – Tribal displacement owing to Bullet train project or
construction of Sardar Vallabbhai statue, forest rights issue during elections in Chhattisgarh and
Madhya Pradesh, a US Christian missionary killed by Sentinelese tribe. All these have brought the
issue of government attitude towards tribes back to the focus. Governmental attitude includes
Constitutional provisions, policies, Acts, schemes and programmes and institutions.
Test yourself: Mould your thoughts
Restricted Area Permit has been eased and many new tourism initiatives are in the pipeline for
Andaman and Nicobar islands. Do you think such initiatives are in the right direction with respect to
the protection Indigenous Tribes in India? Substantiate
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GEOGRAPHY
Fishing as an economic activity
In news
Ghost fishing
Placing it in syllabus
Distribution of resources
Threats to marine ecosystem
Static dimensions
1. What is fishing
2. Geographic distribution of fishing areas
Current dimensions
1. Threats to fishing
2. Ghost fishing
Content
What is fishing?
The science of producing fish and other aquatic resources for the purpose of providing human food,
although other aims are possible (such as sport or recreational fishing), or obtaining ornamental fish
or fish products such as fish oil. Fisheries are harvested for their value either commercial,
recreational, or self-consumption.
Geographic distribution of fishing areas
There are five major fishing grounds of world. These are:
(a) The North West Pacific Region.
1. Extends southward from the outer Aleutian Islands in the north to the central Pacific, north of
the Philippine Islands.
(b)The North East Atlantic and adjacent waters of the Arctic
1. Extending from Iceland to Mediterranean shores including the European countries especially
Norway, Denmark, Spain Iceland and the United Kingdom.
2. Shallow waters of the North Sea especially the most exploited Dogger bank are important areas
where fishing is carried out all round the year.
(c) The North West Atlantic
1. It includes Grand Bank and the Georges Bank area of the Northwest Atlantic.
2. The convergence of the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current in that region enhances
productivity.
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(d) The North – East Pacific
1. Extending from Alaska to California along the western shores of North America form the fourth
large fishing area of the world.
2. This fishing ground comprises the world’s best cod fishing ground along with herring and
haddock.
(e) The South East Pacific
1. The northward flowing Peru Current provides an ideal environment for the anchovy
culture because it is associated with a coastal upwelling of nutrient rich colder water
laden with plankton on which the anchovy feeds.
(f) The West Central Pacific
1. Extends from the Philippines and Indonesia southward to the Australian coast.
2. This area, together with the Indian Ocean, comprises a major marine environment not being
fished at a maximum level.
What is Upwelling and how impacts Fishing:
Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler,
and usually nutrient-rich water towards the ocean surface, replacing the warmer, usually
nutrient-depleted surface water.
The nutrient-rich upwelled water stimulates the growth and reproduction of producers such
as phytoplankton. Due to the biomass of phytoplankton and presence of cool water in these
regions, upwelling zones can be identified by cool sea surface temperatures (SST) and high
concentrations of chlorophyll-a.
The increased availability of nutrients in upwelling regions results in high levels of production
and thus fishery
Threats to fishing
1. Climate Change
2. Runoff Pollution
3. Shoreline Development
4. Urban waste (plastic)
5. In-Stream Gravel Mining
6. Altered Flows In Rivers And Streams
7. Factory Farms
8. Disease
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9. Invasive Fish And Other Aquatic Species
10. Pollution from Outboard Motors / chemical released from boats.
11. Mechanized fishing (using trawlers)
12. Overfishing
Ghost fishing
Ghost fishing is a term that describes what happens when derelict fishing gear ‘continues to fish’.
Derelict fishing gear, sometimes referred to as “ghost gear,” is any discarded, lost, or abandoned,
fishing gear in the marine environment. This gear continues to fish and trap animals, entangle and
potentially kill marine life, smother habitat, and act as a hazard to navigation. Derelict fishing gear,
such as nets or traps and pots, is one of the main types of debris impacting the marine environment
today.
The issue of “ghost fishing” was first brought to the attention of world at the 16th Session of the FAO
Committee on Fisheries in April 1985.
The main impacts of abandoned or lost fishing gear are:
Continued catches of fish — known as “ghost fishing” — and other animals such as turtles,
seabirds, and marine mammals, who are trapped and die;
Alterations of the sea-floor environment; and
The creation of navigation hazards that can cause accidents at sea and damage boats.
Solutions
The FAO/UNEP report makes a number of recommendations for tackling the problem of ghost
nets:
1. Financial incentives. Economic incentives could encourage fishers to report lost gear or bring
to port old and damaged gear, as well as any ghost nets they might recover accidentally while
fishing.
2. Marking gear. Not all trash gear is deliberately dumped, so marking should not be used to
“identify offenders” but rather better understand the reasons for gear loss and identify
appropriate, fishery-specific preventative measures.
3. New technologies. New technologies offer new possibilities for reducing the probability of
ghost fishing. Sea-bed imaging can be used to avoid undersea snags and obstacles. Using GPS,
vessels can mark locations where gear has been lost, facilitating retrieval, and transponders
can be fitted to gear in order to do the same.
4. Improving collection, disposal and recycling schemes. It is necessary to facilitate proper
disposal of all old, damaged and retrieved fishing gears, according to the report.
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5. Better reporting of lost gear. A key recommendation of the report is that vessels should be
required to log gear losses as a matter of course. However a “no-blame” approach should be
followed with respect to liability for losses, their impacts, and any recovery efforts, it says.
Manifest Pedagogy
Questions on marine ecosystem and threats to it is emerging as an important area for both prelims
and mains. Impact of climate change on ocean environment is important dimension of preparation.
Issues of increasing sea surface temperature, ocean acidification, marine pollution and destruction,
coral bleaching etc. are some probable topics of preparation.
And the best way to prepare fishing as a topic would be to study it under two heads
1. Geography
2. Agriculture and Economy
Test yourself- Mould your thought
Assessing the major threats and shortcomings, discuss how fishing can be made sustainable in India.
Heat Waves
In news
Heat waves impact on India
Placing in the syllabus
Geophysical events and climate change
Static dimensions
1. What is heat wave?
2. Causes of heat waves?
3. Impact
Current dimensions
1. Climate change and heat waves
2. Impact on India
3. Heat waves and NDMA guidelines
Content
What is a heat wave?
A heat wave can be seen as “an extended period of unusually high atmosphere-related heat
stress”. Therefore, a heat wave always includes the combination of intensity and duration of high
temperature periods.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has given the following criteria for Heat Waves:
Heat Wave need not be considered till maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40˚C
for Plains and at least 30˚C for Hilly regions.
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When normal maximum temperature of a station is less than or equal to 40˚C Heat Wave
Departure from normal is 5˚C to 6˚C Severe Heat Wave Departure from normal is 7˚C or more.
When normal maximum temperature of a station is more than 40˚C Heat Wave Departure from
normal is 4˚C to 5˚C Severe Heat Wave Departure from normal is 6˚C or more.
When actual maximum temperature remains 45˚C or more irrespective of normal maximum
temperature, heat waves should be declared.
Higher daily peak temperatures and longer, more intense heat waves are becomingly increasingly
frequent globally due to climate change. India too is feeling the impact of climate change in terms of
increased instances of heat waves which are more intense in nature with each passing year, and have
a devastating impact on human health thereby increasing the number of heat wave casualties
Causes
Heat waves occur wherever a mid-level high-pressure system develops over an area. This high-
pressure system forms a “cap” over the affected area, trapping heat that would otherwise rise into the
air to cool off before circulating back to the surface. This reduces the chance for precipitation to form,
and the result is just a continual build-up of heat.
These high pressure systems are slower to change during the summer. This means the heat can linger
on and on, and why temperatures may not cool off enough at night to offer a sense of relief.
Impact
Increased human morbidity and mortality, particularly among the elderly and infirm.
Stress for outdoor workers.
Increased bushfire risk.
Stress in animals;
Damage to crops and vegetation;
Increased energy demand, e.g. greater demand for air conditioning;
Stress on energy supply infrastructure;
Increased demand for water, e.g. human consumption, cooling in power stations, evaporative
cooling in homes and offices;
Infrastructure stress: buildings, roads, rail and other infrastructure;
Climate change and Heat waves
While natural variability continues to play a key role in extreme weather, climate change has shifted
the odds and changed the natural limits, making heat waves more frequent and more intense.
Global warming is causing more frequent heat waves. Record-breaking temperatures are
already happening five times more often than they would without any human-caused global warming.
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