1.Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR) Technique.

Source – The Indian Express

Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR):

In DSR, the pre-germinated seeds are directly drilled into the field by a tractor-powered machine.
There is no nursery preparation or transplantation involved in this method.
Farmers have to only level their land and give one pre-sowing irrigation.

Transplanting Paddy:

In transplanting paddy, farmers prepare nurseries where the paddy seeds are first sown and raised into young plants.
The nursery seed bed is 5-10% of the area to be transplanted.
These seedlings are then uprooted and replanted 25-35 days later in the puddled field.

Advantage with Direct Seeding of Rice.

Water savings
Less numbers of labourers required.
Saves labour cost.
Reduce methane emissions due to a shorter flooding period and decreased soil disturbance compared to transplanting rice seedlings.

Drawbacks of Direct Seeding of Rice

Non-availability of herbicides
The seed requirement for DSR is also high, 8-10 kg/acre, compared to 4-5 kg/acre in transplanting.
Further, laser land levelling is compulsory in DSR. This is not so in transplanting.
The sowing needs to be done timely so that the plants have come out properly before the monsoon rains arrive.
Weed management plays a big role in harvesting a successful crop in DSR. This is because the technique doesn’t require flood irrigation for three weeks after sowing, and weeds tend to grow easily, unlike the conventional method.

2.Separate religious code for Sarna tribals

Source – The Hindu.

About Sarna Religion

The followers of Sarna faith believe pray to nature.
The holy grail of the faith is “Jal (water), Jungle (forest), Zameen (land)” and its followers pray to the trees and hills while believing in protecting the forest areas.
Jharkhand has 32 tribal groups of which eight are from Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
While many follow Hindu religion, some have converted to Christianity — this has become one of the planks of demanding a separate code “to save religious identity”— as various tribal organisations put it.

About particularly vulnerable tribal group PVGTs

Particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) is a government of India classification created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the conditions of certain communities with particularly low development indices.
The Dhebar Commission (1960-1961) stated that within Scheduled Tribes there existed an inequality in the rate of development.
During the fourth Five Year Plan a sub-category was created within Scheduled Tribes to identify groups that considered to be at a lower level of development.
This was created based on the Dhebar Commission report and other studies. This sub-category was named “Primitive tribal group”.
2006 the government of India proposed to rename “Primitive tribal group” as Particularly vulnerable tribal group”
Presently, there are 75 PVTGs in 18 States and UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number are found in Odisha (13), followed by Andhra Pradesh (12), Bihar including Jharkhand (9) Madhya Pradesh including Chhattisgarh (7) Tamil Nadu (6) Kerala and Gujarat having five groups each.
The criteria followed for determination of PVTGs are as under:
A pre-agriculture level of technology;
A stagnant or declining population;
Extremely low literacy; and
A subsistence level of the economy.
Government of India designed a procedure to identify PVTGs.
According to the procedure, the state governments or UT governments submit proposals to the Central Ministry of Tribal Welfare for identification of PVTGs.
After ensuring the criteria is fulfilled, the Central Ministry selects those groups as PVTGs.

Previous year prelims question

Q.1 Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India: (2019)

Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.

PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.

A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.

There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1, 2 and 3
2, 3 and 4
1, 2 and 4
1, 3 and 4

Answer – c

3. UN convention on law of the sea UNCLOS

Source – the Hindu

Key Points

The United nation convention on law of the sea is an international agreement that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities.
It is also known as Law of the Sea. It divides marine areas into five main zones namely- Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, exclusive economic zone and the High Seas.
It is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces. It provides a different legal status to different maritime zones.
It provides the backbone for offshore governance by coastal states and those navigating the oceans.
It not only zones coastal states’ offshore areas but also provides specific guidance for states’ rights and responsibilities in the five concentric zones.
While UNCLOS has been signed and ratified by nearly all the coastal countries in the south china sea interpretation is still hotly disputed.
There is a maritime dispute in the east china sea as well.

Maritime zones

Baseline:
- It is the low-water line along the coast as officially recognized by the coastal state.
Internal Waters:
- Internal waters are waters on the landward side of the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
- Each coastal state has full sovereignty over its internal waters as like its land territory. Examples of internal waters include bays, ports, inlets, rivers and even lakes that are connected to the sea.
- There is no right of innocent passage through internal waters.
  - The innocent passage refers to the passing through the waters which are not prejudicial to peace and security. However, the nations have the right to suspend the same.

Territorial sea

• The territorial sea extends seaward up to 12 nautical miles (nm) from its baselines.

The coastal states have sovereignty and jurisdiction over the territorial sea. These rights extend not only on the surface but also to the seabed, subsoil, and even airspace.
But the coastal states’ rights are limited by the innocent passage through the territorial sea.

Contiguous Zone

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ):

Each coastal State may claim an EEZ beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea that extends seaward up to 200 nm from its baselines.
Within its EEZ, a coastal state has:
- Sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing natural resources, whether living or nonliving, of the seabed and subsoil.
- Rights to carry out activities like the production of energy from the water, currents and wind.
Unlike the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, the EEZ only allows for the above-mentioned resource rights. It does not give a coastal state the right to prohibit or limit freedom of navigation or overflight, subject to very limited exceptions.

High sea

- The ocean surface and the water column beyond the EEZ are referred to as the high seas.
- It is considered as “the common heritage of all mankind” and is beyond any national jurisdiction.
- States can conduct activities in these areas as long as they are for peaceful purposes, such as transit, marine science, and undersea exploration.

4. Bail under UAPA

What is UAPA?

Background:

On 17^th June 1966, the President had promulgated the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Ordinance “to provide for the more effective prevention of unlawful activities of individuals and associations”.

The introduction of the stringent measure sparked uproar in Parliament, resulting in the government retracting it.
Subsequently, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, which differed from the ordinance, was enacted

About :

UAPA is a law that aims to prevent unlawful activities and deal with terrorism. It is also known as the “Anti-Terror law”.
- Unlawful activities are defined as actions supporting or inciting the cession or secession of any part of India, or actions questioning or disrespecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- The national investigation agency NIA. is empowered by the UAPA to investigate and prosecute cases nationwide.

Amendments:

It underwent multiple amendments, in 2004, 2008, 2012 and most recently in 2019, expanding provisions related to terrorist financing cyber terrorism individual designation, and property seizure.

Related Concern:

•Low Conviction Rate: Under the UAPA, 4,690 persons were arrested between 2018 and 2020, but only 3% were convicted.

•Subjective Interpretation: The broad definition of unlawful activities allows for subjective interpretations, making it vulnerable to potential misuse against specific groups or individuals based on their identity or ideology.

•Limited Judicial Review: The 2019 amendment empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists without any judicial review raising concerns about due process of law and the potential for arbitrary designations.