GS Analyst
Daily Current Affairs

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh chief ministers signed an agreement to settle the decades-old inter-state boundary dispute between the two states. 

What was the dispute about?

• Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which was earlier a part of undivided Assam, share an 804 km long boundary.
• While there were no tensions reported initially, frequent issues eventually came up.
• During British rule, there was a law which involved setting boundaries between plains and hills. This was later known as North East Frontier Tracts (NEFT).
• However, after independence, the Assam government was in control of the NEFT. This, in 1954, became the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and in 1972 became Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is essential to note that Arunachal Pradesh was a Union Territory in 1972 and gained statehood only in 1987.
• However, a 1951 report claimed that over 3,000 sq km of the area from Arunachal Pradesh had been transferred to Assam.
• While Arunachal Pradesh has constantly held that this area was transferred without the consent of its people, Assam has maintained that the transfer was legally carried out.

What is in the pact?

• The pact will bring settlement to 123 villages located along areas the two northeastern states share.
• Under the pact, both the state governments have agreed that it will be final with regard to these 123 disputed villages and neither of the states will make any new claim related to any area or village in future.

Who has the power to resolve Inter-state disputes?

• Article 131 is the main provision in the constitution regarding centre-state / inter-state disputes
• The Parliament has the sole responsibility to take decisions for altering any region of any state.
• However, the consultation of states is to be taken, which is not binding on the Parliament.
• The decision of parliament is also not binding on the states.
• To solve inter-state disputes, the Supreme Court has the sole power to make decisions.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) formally published Indian Space Policy, 2023.

Key Highlights of the Policy

The Indian Space Policy 2023 is a comprehensive set of guidelines that outlines the roles and responsibilities of different entities in the Indian space sector.

• Research & Development: The policy aims to keep India at the cutting edge of space research and development. ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation, has been tasked with focusing on applied research, technology development, and human spaceflight capabilities.
• Efficient collaboration between public and private sector: The policy outlines a strong emphasis on sharing technologies, products, processes, and best practices with New Generation Entities (NGEs) and Government companies.
• Privatising: The policy permits non-government entities to undertake end-to-end activities in the space sector through the establishment and operation of space objects, ground-based assets and related services such as communication, remote sensing and navigation.
• Democratizing Data for All: Data with a Ground Sample Distance (GSD) of 5 meters and higher will be made freely accessible on a timely basis.
  • This initiative promises to empower researchers, industries, and the general public with valuable information for various applications. In contrast, data with a GSD of less than 5 meters will be available for free to Government entities and at fair pricing for NGEs.
• Focus on human spaceflight capabilities: ISRO will work on developing the necessary technologies, infrastructure, and ecosystem for sustained human presence in space. This ambitious goal promises to propel India into the ranks of spacefaring nations. Additionally, the policy emphasizes the development of a collaborative framework for scientific research in multidisciplinary domains related to human space activities.
• Celestial Prospecting and In-situ Resource Utilization: ISRO is set to undertake studies and missions focused on in-situ resource utilization, celestial prospecting, and other aspects of extra-terrestrial habitability. This forward-looking approach will help India pave the way for future space exploration and utilization of resources beyond Earth.

Roles and responsibilities of organisations 

• NewSpace India Limited: The Public Sector Undertaking, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), has been assigned responsibilities for commercializing space technologies and platforms, as well as servicing space-based needs of users, whether Government entities or NGEs.
  • By manufacturing, leasing, or procuring space components and assets, NSIL will operate on sound commercial principles, furthering the growth of India's space industry.
• Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe): IN-SPACe will serve as the interface between ISRO and non-governmental entities. 
• Department of Space: The Department of Space (DOS) will oversee the implementation of the Indian Space Policy-2023, ensuring that stakeholders are suitably empowered to carry out their respective functions.
  • From international cooperation to sustainable space operations, DOS will play a pivotal role in the successful execution of the policy.

What are the expected benefits of the new policy?

• Enhancing the Indian space economy: The Policy is expected to have a significant impact on the Indian space economy. It aims to increase India's share in the global space economy from less than 2% to 10%. 
• Making India a global space leader: Through a combination of research and development, collaboration, and innovation, the nation is poised to reach for the stars and solidify its position as a global space leader.

SpaceX's Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, exploded during the first test flight of the spacecraft designed to send astronauts to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

The explosion

• The Starship capsule had been scheduled to separate from the first-stage rocket booster three minutes into the uncrewed flight but separation failed to occur and the rocket blew up.
• Starship Super Heavy has experienced an anomaly before stage separation.
• Despite the failure to complete the full flight test, SpaceX declared it a success.

For more than a year now, locals, largely from the Gond tribe, in Hariharpur, Ghatbarra, and Fattepur villages, have been holding a sit-in at the entrance to Hariharpur against mining.

• Protests against mining in the Hasdeo Aranya region have been going on since the area was first granted clearance for this purpose by the Chhattisgarh government in 2010. However, there are no positive results.
• In March 2022, the Chhattisgarh government granted expansion approval for the project to open the Parsa Coal Block, which would dig under Hariharpur.
• Here, about 2 lakh trees have been marked for felling. The mines will expand into Fattepur and Ghatbarra.
• Mining will lead to the loss of about 8 lakh trees of the Sal forests in Hasdeo Aranya, which will end up affecting the catchment of the Hasdeo River.

Issues faced by the local people (with no voice)

• When the mining began, the blasting was a few acres away. Slowly, from 2018 onwards, it started coming closer. Today, the mine is less than 100 metres away from their backyard.
• Cattle have less to graze on, groundwater level has gone down
• The blasting has loosened the earth around borewells and tube wells people had been using for minor farming.
• The nearby stream which used to have water and fish throughout the year has turned into a muddy rivulet since the digging has affected the catchment area.

About the Hasdeo Aranya forests region

• The Hasdeo Aranya forests are called the lungs of Chhattisgarh.
• The Hasdeo Aranya (Aranya means forest) lies in the catchment area of the Hasdeo River and is spread across 1,878 sq km in North-Central Chhattisgarh.
• The Hasdeo River is a tributary of the Mahanadi River which originates in Chhattisgarh and flows through Odisha into the Bay of Bengal.
• Home to vulnerable population: Hasdeo Arand region is home to a large and vulnerable population, most of them being Adivasis and other traditional forest dwellers. Over 90% of the residents are dependent on agriculture cultivation and forest produce for their livelihoods.
  • The implementation of the Forest Rights Act has remained extremely poor to date leaving the population extremely vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

How significant is this region?

• Forest land: Around 80% of this is covered by good quality forest(approximately 1176 sq km has a canopy cover of over 40% while an additional 116 sq km has a canopy cover of over 70%).
• Biodiversity: Besides, the forests are ecologically sensitive due to the rich biodiversity. It is also part of a large elephant corridor stretching from supporting the migration of wild elephants from the Gumla district in Jharkhand to the Korba district of Chhattisgarh.
• Hasdeo Bango reservoir: It is also the watershed of the Hasdeo Bango reservoir on the Hasdeo River, which is a tributary of the Mahanadi River and one of the most important rivers of Chhattisgarh. The Hasdeo Bango Dam built across the Hasdeo River irrigates six lakh acres of land, crucial to a State with paddy as its main crop.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has released the report of the first census of water bodies.

Key highlights of the Census

• India has 24.24 lakh water bodies like ponds, tanks and lakes, with West Bengal accounting for the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134).
• The report states, “24,24,540 waterbodies have been enumerated in the country, out of which 97.1% (23,55,055) are in rural areas and only 2.9% (69,485) in urban areas.”
• As per the report,
  • 5 per cent (14,42,993) of waterbodies are ponds
  • tanks (15.7 per cent i.e. 3,81,805)
  • reservoirs (12.1 per cent i.e. 2,92,280)
  • water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams (9.3% i.e. 2,26,217)
  • lakes (0.9% i.e. 22,361)
  • others (2.5% i.e. 58,884)