GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

To strengthen the spirit of cooperative federalism, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has asked Centre for at least three inter-state council meetings in a year.

• The Inter-State Council was established under Article 263 of the Constitution.
• Under the Constitution states that the President may constitute such a body if a need is felt for it.
• The Council was basically meant to serve as a forum for discussions among various governments.
• In 1988, the Sarkaria Commission suggested the Council should exist as a permanent body, and in 1990 it came into existence through a Presidential Order.

About Inter-state Council

• It is a mechanism that was constituted to support Centre-State and Inter-State coordination and cooperation in India.
• Functions:
• The main functions of the Council are inquiring into and advising on disputes between states,
• Investigating and discussing subjects in which two states or states and the Union have a common interest and,
• Making recommendations for the better coordination of policy and action.
• Members of the council:
• The Prime Minister is the chairman of the Council.
• The members include the Chief Ministers of all states and UTs with legislative assemblies, and Administrators of other UTs and,
• Six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Centre’s Council of Ministers, nominated by the Prime Minister.
• Working: The Council may meet at least thrice in a year.
• There is also aStanding Committee of the Council.

Role of the council

• The inter-state council is a recommendatory body that has been empowered to investigate and discuss subjects of common interest between the Union and state(s), or among states.
• It also makes recommendations for better coordination of policy and action on these subjects, and deliberations on matters of general interest to the states, which may be referred to it by its chairman.
• It also deliberates on other matters of general interest to the states as may be referred by the chairman to the council.

Issues regarding its working

• Irregular meetings: The Council has met only once in the last six years — and that there has been no meeting since July 2016. 
• Since its constitution in 1990, the body has met only 11 times.
• Increasing centralization: Consequent decrease of state’s stand on any national matter is a cause of concern for India’s federalism.

Two maternal nutrition schemes have been launched by the Prime Minister in Gujarat as ‘Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana’ and ‘Poshan Sudha Yojana’.

Key Highlights of the scheme

• Objective: To provide nutritious food to pregnant and lactating women and their new born children during the first 1000 days.
• Scope: It is a pilot project for 10 talukas of five tribal dominated
• Fund allocation: 800 crores will be spent under the scheme.
• Components: Under this scheme, pregnant and lactating mothers, free of cost, will be given:
• Two kg gram
• One kg tur dal
• One kg edible oil
• It will be distributed every month from the Anganwadi centers.
• Extended to tribal districts: The scheme has been extended up to 14 tribal dominated districts, which will help tribal women to curb from maternal mortality and Infant mortality in the state.
• Under this, they provide iron and calcium tablets to pregnant and lactating mothers of tribal districts and to educate them on nutrition.
• Mandate for benefits: Under this scheme, pregnant and lactating mothers registered in Anganwadis are provided complete nutritious food.

Impact of poor maternal health

• Malnutrition and Anemia during pregnancy can hinder the development of the foetus and the health of the baby can deteriorate.
• Spread of diseases: Diseases like Uterus cancer, Haemorrhage, Infections and even loss of life can be experienced if proper care is not taken during or after pregnancy.
• Lack of nutrition and unhealthy livelihood is major reason for most of the deaths recorded after giving birth.

Precautions to be taken

• Proper Hygiene and Sanitation is important.
• Nutritious food during and after pregnancy is must.
• Nutrition supplements like Iron Folic Tablets and Calcium tablets can help to recover from Anemia and Weakness.

Meghalaya’s Mawsynram, the world’s wettest place, rewrote its June rainfall records held since 1940.

• The 24-hour rainfall recorded recently was a whopping 6mm, surpassing the previous record of 945.4mm of 1966.
• The second closest rainfall record was held by nearby Cherrapunji, another wet place, where the 24-hour rainfall was 972mm.

About Mawsynram:

• Mawsynram is situated in East Khasi Hill district of Meghalaya, 15 km west of Cherrapunji, Mawsynram is 1400 m above sea level.
• The ‘Maw’ in Mawsynram is a Khasi word which means ‘stone’, thus referring to certain megaliths found in the Khasi Hill area.
• The village is most famous for the gigantic formation of a stalagmite, which resembles the shape of a ‘shivling’.
• With 11,872 mm of rainfall received annually, Mawsynram beats Cherrapunji by a slender margin.
• Cherrapunji receives 11,777 mm of rainfall.
• The rains are so intense in Mawsynram that the villagers use thick grass to sound-proof their huts from the deafening rain.
• The women of Mawsynram use rain covers known as ‘knups’, using bamboo slivers, plastic sheets and broom grass to create a rain shield that resembles a turtle shell, which is then worn on the head.
• The knups are large enough to keep rain off the whole body right up to the knees.
• Meteorologists believe Mawsynram’s location plays a huge part in it receiving huge amount of rainfall.
• Moisture gathers over the Bay of Bengal, it causes precipitation over Mawsynram, leading to a heavy and very long monsoon season.

Rainfall at Mawsynram:

• Since northeast India is mostly hilly and is an extension of the Indo-Gangetic Plains, the region is highly sensitive to changes in regional and global climate.
• Pre-monsoon and monsoon are the rainy seasons of northeast India. 
• Rain-bearing summer air currents (the Bay of Bengal branch of monsoons) that move north from Bangladesh’s hot and humid floodplains hit the funnel-shaped relief of the Meghalaya hills with deep valleys and gorges.
• The steep parallel mountains (Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills) in Meghalaya block the movement of the clouds to the north
• They are squeezed in through the gorges and then forced to ascend the steep slopes and shed most of their rainfall in the region.
  

About knups:

• Knups are made from banana leaves lashed to a frame of bamboo.
• They are worn rather than carried, which allows you to use your hands. And if you lean into the wind, they won’t blow inside out, or away.
• Knups are the traditional umbrellas of Northeastern India, and are here being used in the wettest place on earth, Mawsynram, which has over 38 feet of rain a year.
  

The Chinese National Crop Variety Approval Committee cleared the path for cultivating genetically modified (GM) crops.

• China released two standards that clear the path for the cultivation of genetically-modified (GM) crops in China.
• In China, GM crop varieties need to receive both a safety certificate and a “variety approval” before they can be commercially cultivated.
• Various genetically modified maize and soybean varieties have received the safety certificate since 2019.
• But none has yet received variety approval due to the absence of standards. Now these are available, the approval and commercialisation of such GM crops are on the horizon.

Impact of such a move:

• Improvement in yields: The change in regulations would potentially lead to an improvement in yields. This is aligned with China’s ambition of becoming self-sufficient in essential grains and oilseeds in the coming years. There are specific targets in products like pork, where the country wants to produce 95% of its consumption by 2025.
• Pressure on global prices: China is one of the world’s largest maize and soybean importers.
  • The country accounted for 13% of global maize imports in 2021 and roughly 60% of the world’s soybean imports. Reducing import volumes is likely to lead to downward pressure on global prices.
• Impact on South Africa: It will have an impact on the long-term growth of the South Africa’s agricultural sector. South Africa is a net exporter of maize, and increase in production in other parts of the world could bring increased competition and downward pressure on prices in the medium term.
• Positive impact on consumers: A reduction in the global maize and soybeans prices would be positive for consumers and the livestock and poultry sectors.

Coal India Ltd (CIL) recently said that it is looking at green mining options to lessen any adverse environmental impact by leveraging a slew of eco-friendly technologies in both underground and open cast mining.

• The state-run miner is exploring the feasibility of sharply ramping up its underground mining production to 100 million tonnes (MT) by FY30 from 25.6 MT in FY22. Underground mining is minimally invasive on land degradation.
• Around 70% of the country’s coal reserves are conducive for underground mining.

What is green technology?

• Green technology refers to technology that limits or reverses the effects of human activity on the planet.
• In mining, green technology refers to technology that will reduce carbon emissions in operations and mitigate adverse environmental impacts.
• It includes the use of minerals and metals that support a transition to low-carbon technologies such as solar panels or wind power.

How does technology impact mining operations?

• Technology can have a number of impacts on mining operations, including safety and productivity, environmental protection and opportunities for women.
• Safer working conditions through improved underground communication, automation, more sophisticated mineral and metal transportation, and emergency response measures are achieved by integrating technology into mining projects.

How can developing countries improve environmental sustainability through tech in mining?

• Developing countries often receive foreign direct investment for large-scale mining operations.
• This foreign investment is arriving with more technology to increase productivity during the mining concession period.
• Governments need to remain up to date in the latest innovations and changes brought to their jurisdictions to ensure that increased productivity comes with balanced with economic and social benefits over the life of the mine.

About Coal India Limited (CIL):

• Coal India Limited (CIL) the state-owned coal mining corporate came into being in November 1975.
• With a modest production of 79 Million Tonnes (MTs) at the year of its inception CIL, today is the single largest coal producer in the world and one of the largest corporate employer.
• Indian Institute of Coal Management (IICM) as a state-of-the-art Management Training ‘Centre of Excellence’, the largest Corporate Training Institute in India operates under CIL and conducts multi-disciplinary programmes.
• CIL is a Maharatna company is a privileged status conferred by the Government of India to select state-owned enterprises in order to empower them to expand their operations and emerge as global giants.