NATIONAL URBAN HEALTH MISSION (NUHM)

The NUHM will meet health needs of the urban poor, particularly the slum dwellers by making available to them essential primary health care services. This will be done by investing in high-caliber health professionals, appropriate technology through PPP, and health insurance for urban poor.

Recognizing the seriousness of the problem, urban health will be taken up as a thrust area for the Eleventh Five Year Plan. NUHM will be launched with focus on slums and other urban poor. At the State level, besides the State Health Mission and State Health Society and Directorate, there would be a State Urban Health Programme Committee. At the district level, similarly there would be a District Urban Health Committee and at the city level, a Health and Sanitation Planning Committee. At the ward slum level, there will be a Slum Cluster Health and Water and Sanitation Committee. For promoting public health and cleanliness in urban slums, the Eleventh Five Year Plan will also encompass experiences of civil society organizations (CSO) working in urban slum clusters. It will seek to build a bridge of NGO–GO partnership and develop community level monitoring of resources and their rightful use. NUHM would ensure the following:
• Resources for addressing the health problems in urban areas, especially among urban poor.
• Need based city specific urban health care system to meet the diverse health needs of the urban poor and other vulnerable sections.
• Partnership with community for a more proactive involvement in planning, implementation, and monitoring of health activities. • Institutional mechanism and management systems to meet the health-related challenges of a rapidly growing urban population.
• Framework for partnerships with NGOs, charitable hospitals, and other stakeholders.
• Two-tier system of risk pooling: (i) women’s Mahila Arogya Samiti to fulfil urgent hard-cash needs for treatments; (ii) a Health Insurance Scheme for enabling urban poor to meet medical treatment needs.

3.1.55 NUHM would cover all cities with a population of more than 100000. It would cover slum dwellers; other marginalized urban dwellers like rickshaw pullers, street vendors, railway and bus station coolies, homeless people, street children, construction site workers, who may be in slums or on sites.

3.1.56 The existing Urban Health Posts and Urban Family Welfare Centres would continue under
NUHM. They will be marked on a map and classified as the Urban Health Centres on the basis of their current population coverage. All the existing human resources will then be suitably reorganized and rationalized. These centres will also be considered for upgradation.

3.1.57 Intersectoral coordination mechanism and convergence will be planned between the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and the NUHM.

Genetically modified crops hold the key to food security

In the debate over whether India should go for transgenic or genetically modified (GM) crops or not, there is a viewpoint that supports its ability to enhance production and increase food security, while against the motion there's a word of caution on the grounds that it will encourage monoculture and end diversity of traditional crops. Besides, biotech crops are still not perceived as fully safe for consumption, although nothing is proven scientifically.

The issue is significant as India's economic security depends heavily on agriculture, sustaining 58% of the population, as against 75% at the time of Independence. But since the onset of green revolution in the late 1960s, the country has made impressive strides in agriculture with better use of chemicals, high-yielding cereals and other plant varieties. The green revolution has boosted agricultural output substantially, increasing it 2.85 times to 235 million tones helping feed the country's population that has swollen from 440 million to 1.2 billion.

Saving millions from starvation, self-sufficiency is a driver for poverty reduction and economic transformation in rural areas. The mid-'90s marked a shift in which agricultural slowed down causing stagnation or even decline in farmers' income and agrarian distress turned serious with passing time. Agriculture is no more productive for small or marginal farmers, many of whom have committed suicide because of debt burden.

Studies show 40% farmers would switch over to another job. Sudhir Panwar, president of the Kisan Jagriti Manch, says "farmers are in agriculture by compulsion, not by choice. The impact is most visible in UP, which has seen net decline of 49 lakh agriculture workers in the last five years. The NSS report shows number of total agriculture workers went down from 4.03 crore in 2004-05 to 3.69 crore in 2009-10 and 3.54 crore in 2011-12," said Panwar.

Reason is not far to seek. In spite of the success of green revolution, contribution of agriculture and allied sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen from 61% to 19% in the last five decades. Presently, India sustains 16.8% of world's population on 4.2% of world's water resourcesand 2.3% of global land. Per capita availability of resources is four to six times less compared to the world average which will decrease further with increasing demographic pressure and consequent diversion of the land for non-agricultural uses.

While sparing virtually negligible land from agricultural use, around 51% of India's geographical area is already under cultivation compared to 11% of the world average. The present cropping intensity of 136% has registered increase of only 25% since Independence. Rain-fed dryland constitutes 65% of the total net sown area. There is also an unprecedented degradation of land (107 million hectare) and groundwater resource, and also fall in growth rate of total factor productivity.

Experts at the UN Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) say by 2050 global population is expected to increase by 40% while associated global food production needs will expand by more than 70% with a rapidly growing middle-class in developing countries. India's population will grow to 1.3 billion by 2017, which means fresh demand for foodgrain in terms of quantity, quality and affordability, so current agricultural output needs to be doubled against odds like changing climatic conditions, declining ratio of arable land to population and water getting scarcer.

Agriculture intersects toughest challenges arising mainly from grim competition for supplies of fresh water, with its share dropping to 75% from the present 83% in the near future, in the wake of growing industrial and domestic sectors. Presently, excess exploitation of groundwater has caused sharp depletion of water table in central Punjab, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. In UP, over 260 out of total 800 blocks are already declared 'dark zones'. Yet, government has not taken water conservation measures for political reasons.

Overuse of canal water in south-west Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan is leading to water logging and development of secondary salinity. Conjunctive use of water and diversification of rice-wheat is required. The problem is compounded by water wastage, around 18.4 million m3/day. Utilising waste water after treatment for irrigation is yet to be made part of water conservation policy. Micro-irrigation and resource conservation technologies (RCTs), economising on water and nutrients need to be promoted in a big way.

Poor soil fertility is another challenge. Around 25 million hectares of land in the country has low productivity of less than 1 tonne/hectare due to deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients. Adoption of cost-effective technology to improve this mass of land could add 25 million tonnes of food grains to the national food basket per annum.

Production capacity of the ecosystem is constantly wearing away due to reckless use of chemicals and poor management of natural resources. The issue needs to be approached in terms of food security.

This brings into the picture GM crops, a new wave in agriculture as it can increase productivity and help farmers meet food needs of ever increasing population. GM crops are more robust against biotic and abiotic stresses, can resist disease, insects, weeds and climatic changes and are also better in value and nutrient composition. They are capable to tide natural vagaries like droughts, floods and climatic change conditions.

India has drawn a blank in developing the technology even after spending over Rs 200 crore on it in the last decade, while US takes the lead.

In 2012, 170 million hectares of land, around 12% of the global arable land, was planted with GM crops of soybean, corn, cotton and canola in 28 countries. United States of America planted the largest area, 69.5 million hectares, while Brazil showed highest increase in area planted with biotech crops (6.3 million hectares). India planted 10.8 million hectares of Bt cotton and the farm income from 2002 to 2011 was 12.6 billion dollars. Income from Bt cotton among small farm households in India made a positive impact on food security and dietary quality, suggesting transgenic crops can be important in food security strategy.

But the role of GM crops for food security remains subject of controversy. The negative perception is despite no adverse impact reported from any part of US where GM crops are in use for over two decades. In a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) declared GM crops are not inherently less safe than conventional crops. The GM crops issue should be approached in the light of scientific proof and bogey raised against it discarded, judging its from its fruits and not roots. Punjab government joined hands with US-based biotech company Monsanto for developing research demonstration farms. UP must follow suit.  This calls for a holistic approach in which appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks are required to ensure that the needs of poor farmers and consumers are taken into account and undesirable social consequences avoided

Indian PSLV successfully Launches IRNSS-1B Navigation Satellite

ndia's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has successfully launched the second satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System on 4 th april 2014. Blasting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on India's east coast at 11:44 UTC, the PSLV rocket performed a 19.5-minute flight before releasing the satellite into its intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The IRNSS constellation of satellites is currently under construction and will consist of seven spacecraft in Geostationary and Geosynchronous Orbits when complete. Once operational, IRNSS will give India independent access to navigation data without relying on foreign programs like GPS or Glonass. Friday's launch was preceded by a 58-hour and 30-minute countdown operation that commenced on Wednesday at 1:14 UTC and prepared the PSLV for liftoff. To loft IRNSS-1B, the PSLV used its largest configuration known as PSLV XL. The first two days of the long Countdown Operation were dedicated to fueling the second stage and fourth stage of the launcher as well as the Roll Control Thrusters on the first stage. PSLV uses a combination of solid- and liquid-fueled stages – the boosters, PS1 first stage and PS3 third stage use solid propellants that are loaded ahead of launch vehicle integration. Overall, PSLV stands 44.5 meters tall, has a diameter of 2.8 meters and a liftoff mass of 320,000 Kilograms. On Friday, the Mobile Service Tower was retracted, first to a stand-off distance of 50 meters before rolling to its launch position, 160 meters from the rocket that was fully fueled at this point. Afterwards, teams made final close-outs on PSLV and the service structure before departing the launch complex .

Photo: Indian Space Research Organization

Throughout the countdown, teams were watching over all systems of the rocket and the payload and completed electrical tests, checkouts of the communications system, control system verifications and Flight Termination System testing. Flight computers were configured for the Terminal Countdown Sequence and the final systems check was performed less than one hour from launch. When all systems were verified in good condition, the formal authorization for launch was given and the countdown headed into its Terminal Sequence at T-8 minutes.

At that point, the IRNSS-1B spacecraft underwent its transition to flight mode and it was switched to internal power. At T-5 minutes, the flight computers of PSLV were configured for flight and received their appropriate flight software. Ground tracking station readiness was verified to ensure PSLV could be tracked on its way downrange. At T-3 minutes, the launch vehicle transitioned to flight mode. Final countdown procedures included the pressurization of the propellant tanks aboard the launch vehicle that also transferred to internal power. At T-1 minute, the on-board Master Sequencer assumed control of the countdown, putting the rocket through the final steps ahead of liftoff.

At T-3 seconds, the two Roll Control Thrusters on the first stage ignited. As clocks hit zero, the PS1 Core Stage received its ignition command. To provide an extra kick to the vehicle, four of the six Solid Rocket Boosters were ignited in pairs at T+0.5 and T+0.7 seconds.

Pardoning powers of President and Governor

In the Constitution of India, the power of Presidential Pardon is found in Article 721. It empowers the President to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment in all cases where the punishment is for an offense against any law to which the executive power of the union extends. The same is also available against sentences of courts-martial and sentences of death. A parallel power is given to the Governor of a state under Article 1612 of the Indian Constitution. A pardon may be absolute or conditional. It may be exercised at any time either before legal proceedings are taken or during their pendency or after conviction. The rejection of one clemency petition does not exhaust the pardoning power of the president.

The Supreme Court has held in Maru Ram and Kehar Singh that the power under Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution is to be exercised by the Central and the State Governments and not by the President or Governor on their own.

While reading the letter written to Governor of Maharashtra for pardoning Actor Sanjay Dutt I ponder upon these lines  “Governor can grant pardon/reduce the sentence. For example in the case of Commander Nanavati who was held guilty of murder, the Governor gave him pardon although the minimum sentence for murder is life sentence.”

The brief facts of Nanavati3 case were:

Nanavati, as a Naval Officer, was frequently going away from Bombay in his ship, leaving his wife and children in Bombay. Gradually, friendship developed between Ahuja and Sylvia (wife of Nanvati), which culminated in illicit intimacy between them. On April 27, 1959, Sylvia confessed to Nanavati of her illicit intimacy with Ahuja. Enraged at the conduct of Ahuja, Nanavati went to his ship, took from the stores of the ship a semi-automatic revolver and six cartridges on a false pretext, loaded the same, went to the flat of Ahuja entered his bed-room and shot him dead. Thereafter, the accused surrendered himself to the police. He was put under arrest and in due course he was committed to the Sessions for facing a charge under s. 302 of the Indian Penal code4. But later Nanvati received pardon from Governor.

The case of Sanjay Dutt is totally different. Bombay blasts, 1993 resulted in over 250 fatalities and 700 injuries5. The Supreme Court, having found that Sanjay Dutt had in his possession a prohibited weapon without a licence, awarded him the minimum imprisonment which was prescribed under law. From above it is clear that Nanavati case and Sanjay Dutt case was totally different.

Dicey’s Rule of Law

Dicey said: “It means, in the first place, the absolute supremacy or predominance of regular law as opposed to the influence of arbitrary power, and excludes the existence of arbitrariness, of prerogative, or even of wide discretionary authority on the part of the government. Englishmen are ruled by the law, and by the law alone; a man may with us be punished for a breach of law, but he can be punished for nothing else. It means, again, equality before the law, or the equal subjection of all classes to the ordinary law courts; the ‘rule of law’ in this sense excludes the idea of any exemption of officials or others from the duty of obedience to the law which governs other citizens or from the jurisdiction of the ordinary tribunals; there can be with us nothing really corresponding to the ‘administrative law’ (droit administratif) or the ‘administrative tribunals’ (tribunaux administratifs) of France. The notion which lies at the bottom of the ‘administrative law’ known to foreign countries is, that affairs or disputes in which the Government or its servants are concerned are beyond the sphere of the civil courts and must be dealt with by special and more or less official bodies. This idea is utterly unknown to the law of England, and indeed is fundamentally inconsistent with our traditions and customs.”

Nanavati case involved no question about Dicey’s Rule of Law, nor even of the rule of law, because the Governor did not claim the power to act without the authority of law. The question was whether the suspension of Nanavati’s sentence by the Governor under Art. 161, which expressly conferred on him the power to grant reprive or respite, was valid in law. The majority held that it was not, because according to the majority the power of the Governor did not extend to suspending the sentence after the Supreme Court had admitted an appeal from it. Sinha, C.J. observed that to uphold the power of the Governor to suspend the sentence would involve a conflict between the executive and the judiciary, for an order of the Supreme Court releasing an accused on a bail of Rs. 10,000 could be nullified by obtaining a simple order of suspension from the Governor:

“Avoidance of such a possible conflict will incidentally prevent any invasion of the rule of law which is the very foundation of our Constitution.”

Judicial power to try and punish an accused person and the executive power to exercise clemancy and to pardon the accused, or to commute or remit his punishment, or to suspend his sentence by a reprive or respite, is part of our Constitutional scheme. The power to pardon, said Taft C.J., exists to ameliorate or avoid particular criminal judgments. It is a check entrusted to the Executive for special purposes. It requires no argument to show that occasionally miscarriage of justice does take place; that occasionally a judge enters the arena of conflict and his vision is blinded by the dust of controversy. Among other reasons, the power of pardon exists to remedy the miscarriage of justice or to remedy the consequence of human failings in a judge. Such miscarriage can take place in passing a sentence of death; it can take place equally in keeping an appellant in prison by refusing him bail. The Rule of Law, like the name of God, can sometimes be invoked in vain.

1 72. Power of President to grant pardons, etc, and to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases

(1) The President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence

(a) in all cases where the punishment or sentence is by a court Martial;

(b) in all cases where the punishment or sentence is for an offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the Union extends;

(c) in all cases where the sentence is a sentence of death

(2) Noting in sub clause (a) of Clause ( 1 ) shall affect the power to suspend, remit or commute a sentence of death exercisable by the Governor of a State under any law for the time being in force

2 Article 161 in The Constitution Of India 1949

161. Power of Governor to grant pardons, etc, and to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases The Governor of a State shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends

3 Appellants: K.M. Nanavati Vs. Respondent: State of Maharashtra

AIR1962SC605

4 Section 302. Punishment for murder

Whoever commits murder shall be punished with death, or 1[imprisonment for life] and shall also be liable to fine.

KRISHNA GODAVARI BASIN

Krishna-Godavari Basin is a peri-cratonic passive margin basin in India. It is spread across more than 50,000 square kilometres in the Krishna River and Godavari River basins in Andhra Pradesh. The site is known for the D-6 block where Reliance Industries discovered the biggest natural gas reserves in India in 2002.

Discoveries

The first gas discovery in the basin was in 1983, in Rajole Well No.1, when ONGC had a small office in Rajahmundry and Narsapur. Since that discovery Reliance and others have joined the exploration effort.

• 14 trillion cubic feet of gas by Reliance Industries in KG-DWN-98/l (KG-D6) in 2006.6000 feet below the sea floor.
• 20 trillion cubic feet (5.7×10¹¹ m³)cubic feet of gas by Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation in June 2005
• Potentially 20 trillion cubic feet (5.7×10¹¹ m³) of gas in place at D-3 and D-9 blocks, as estimated in May 2011. According to Reliance Industries: "This includes identified prospects and leads and a number of postulated prospects based on the play area and field size distribution."
• A gas discovery by ONGC in June 2009, which an anonymous company official said could have an estimated 10 trillion cubic feet (2.8×10¹¹ m³).

Ecology

The basin is home to Olive Ridley turtles, a Vulnerable species 

Projects

KG-DWN-98/1 (KG-D6) - 8100sq km. The total project is expected to cost $100 billion.50 km off the coast of Kakinada.

CAG Audit

The Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was supposed to relinquish 25% of the total area outside the discoveries in 2004 and 2005, as per the Production Sharing Contract (PSC). However, the entire block was declared as a discovery area and RIL was allowed to retain it. In 2011, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) criticized the Oil Ministry for this decision. The CAG also faulted RIL for limiting the competition in contracts, stating that RIL awarded a $1.1 billion contract to Aker on a single-bid basis.

EL NINO

What is El Niño?

El Niño is a naturally occurring event in the equatorial region which causes temporary changes in the world climate. Originally, El Niño was the name used for warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America. Now, El Niño has come to refer to a whole complex of Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperature changes and global weather events. The ocean warming off South America is just one of these events.

Why is it called El Niño?

Fishermen off the west coast of South America were the first to notice appearances of unusually warm water that occurred at year's end. The phenomenon became known as El Niño because of its tendency to occur around Christmas time. El Niño is Spanish for "the boy child" and is named after the baby Jesus.

What is ENSO?

ENSO is the "El Niño-Southern Oscillation," the name scientists use for what is often called El Niño. The Southern Oscillation is a see-saw shift in surface air pressure between the eastern and western halves of the Pacific. When pressure rises in the east, it falls in the west and vice versa. In the 1950's scientists realized that El Niño and the Southern Oscillation were parts of the same event.

What causes an El Niño?

In normal, non-El Niño conditions, trade winds blow in a westerly direction along the equator. These winds pile up warm surface water in the western Pacific, so the sea surface is as much as 18 inches higher in the western Pacific than in the eastern Pacific. These trade winds are one of the main sources of fuel for the Humboldt Current. The Humboldt Current is a cold ocean current which flows north along the coasts of Chile and Peru, then turns west and warms as it moves out into the Central Pacific. So, the normal situation is warmer water in the western Pacific, cooler in the eastern.

In an El Niño, the equatorial westerly winds diminish. As a result, the Humboldt Current weakens and this allows the waters along the coast of Chile and Peru to warm and creates warmer than usual conditions along the coast of South America. As far as we know, other forces, such as volcanic eruptions (submarine or terrestrial) and sunspots, do not cause El Niños.

How often does El Niño occur and how long does it last?

El Niños occur irregularly approximately every two to seven years. Warm water generally appears off the coast of South America close to Christmas, and reaches its peak warmth in the eastern Pacific during the late fall of the following year. After peaking, the waters will tend to cool slowly through the winter and spring of the next year. Effects can be felt continually around the globe for more than a year, though this is generally not the case in any one place.

What effects does El Niño have on world climate?

A strong El Niño is often associated with flooding rains and warm weather in Peru, drought in Indonesia, Africa, and Australia, torrential downpours and mudslides in southern California, a mild winter in the northeast, and fewer hurricanes in the southeast. Keep in mind that these effects aren't guaranteed, but an El Niño makes these conditions more likely to happen.

El Niños occur irregularly approximately every two to seven years. Warm water generally appears off the coast of South America close to Christmas, and reaches its peak warmth in the eastern Pacific during the late fall of the following year. After peaking, the waters will tend to cool slowly through the winter and spring of the next year. Effects can be felt continually around the globe for more than a year, though this is generally not the case in any one place.

How does El Niño affect sea life and birds?

In non-El Niño years, upwelling of deep, cold ocean water brings up nutrients that lie near the bottom. Fish living in the upper waters feed plankton that are dependent on these nutrients. Kelp forests also depend on cool, nutrient-rich water for survival and growth. An El Niño reduces the upwelling of cold water off the coast of the Americas. When this happens, fish either die or migrate into areas where they'll find more to eat. With the fish gone, sea birds that depend on them may die or go elsewhere. Kelp forests are often destroyed by storms and ocean swells.

Off California, fish populations may also be reduced. Marine mammals, such as seals and sea lions, that feed on fish may be affected. Californians may see an increase in dead and live strandings of seals and sea lions along the coast, and poor seal and sea lion pup survival at island breeding sites. However, despite the increased number of deaths of marine mammals during an El Niño, scientists report the long-term growth rate for California sea lions and harbor seals to be 6 to 10 percent annually. An occasional increase in strandings or deaths of these animals is not a threat to their overall population.

How does El Niño affect ocean fishing?

In California, warmer than normal ocean temperatures mean fishes normally found off Mexico, such as yellowfin tuna and dorado, are more common off southern California. However, bait, such as anchovy and squid, may travel to the north, and some game fish, such as white seabass and California halibut, may follow them.

Are all El Niño's the same?

Every El Niño is somewhat different in magnitude and duration.

How can we predict El Niño?

In the tropical Pacific Ocean, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operates a network of buoys that measure temperature, currents and winds in the equatorial band. The collected data are evaluated by complex computer models designed to predict an El Niño. Even these complex models, however, cannot predict the exact intensity or duration of an El Niño, nor can they predict how areas will be affected.

What is the difference between El Niño and La Niña?

Both refer to different phases of ENSO. El Niño refers to a pattern characterized by the tropical Pacific's warmest water spreading eastward to the coast of South America. The opposite condition is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific; hence the strongly contrasted name, La Niña.

 

IRNSS 1-B

IRNSS-1B is the second out of seven in the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) series of satellites after IRNSS-1A. The IRNSS constellation of satellites is slated to be launched to provide navigational services to the region. It was placed in geosynchronous orbit on 4 April 2014.

Satellite

The satellite will help augmenting the satellite based navigation system of India which is currently under development. The navigational system so developed will be a regional one targeted towards South Asia. The satellite will provide navigation, tracking and mapping services.

IRNSS-1B satellite has two payloads: a navigation payload and CDMA ranging payload in addition with a laser retro-reflector. The payload generates navigation signals at L5 and S-band. The design of the payload makes the IRNSS system interoperable and compatible with Global Positioning System (GPS) and Galileo.The satellite is powered by two solar arrays, which generate power up to 1,660 watts, and has a life-time of ten years.

Launch

The 1,432 kg satellite was launched on 4 April 2014 at 11:44 UTC (17:14 IST) aboard the PSLV-C24 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.