. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	About the Elephant Conservation in India	Prelims & Mains
2.	Details of the Essential Commodities Act	Prelims & Mains
3.	About the SMILE Scheme	Prelims & Mains
4.	Details of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome	Prelims Specific Topic

 

1 – About the Elephant Conservation in India:GS III

Topic à Environmental Conservation related issues

 

·       Indian elephant statistics as of right now:

 

·       India is home to the largest population of Asian elephants, with an estimated 27,000 of them.

·       According to the 2017 Elephant Census, Kerala has the most elephants (6,019), followed by Assam (5,719). (3,054).

 

·       Asian elephants:

 

·       About:

 

·       Three subspecies of Asian elephants exist: the Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan.

·       The majority of the continent’s remaining elephants belong to the Indian subspecies, which has the widest range.

·       The dominant female elephant herd member is the largest and oldest (known as the matriarch). This herd is made up of the matriarch’s daughters and their offspring.

·       Elephants have the longest known gestation durations among mammals since they may carry a pregnancy for up to 680 days (22 months).

·       For females between the ages of 14 and 45, the average time between births is four years, rising to five years at 52 and to six years at 60.

·       20–40,000 people are thought to inhabit the planet.

 

·       Status:

 

·       On the IUCN Red List, endangered.

·       The 1972 Wildlife (Protection) Act’s Schedule I.

·       CITES’s Appendix I

 

 

 

 

·       African elephants:

 

·       About:

 

·       Two subspecies of African elephants are the Savanna (or bush) elephant and the Forest elephant.

·       Around 4,000,000,000 individuals on the planet.

·       In Botswana, hundreds of elephants died earlier in July 2020. (Africa).

 

·       Status:

 

·       CITES Appendix II

 

·       Threats:

 

·       Poaching has increased.

·       Habitat loss

·       Human-elephant conflict

·       Abuse while being imprisoned.

·       Maltreatment of elephants because of tourism.

·       Destruction of hallways and unauthorised mining

 

·       What measures have been implemented to encourage conservation?

 

·       Plans and actions to catch their murderers and poachers.

·       Many states have developed and designated elephant reserves. For instance, the elephant reserves in Mysuru and Dandeli, both in Karnataka.

·       Eradicating unwanted species from areas like lantana and eupatorium because they prevent the growth of grass that elephants can consume.

·       Elephant-human conflict prevention measures using barriers.

·       Steps for developing a cell for forest fire prevention research.

·       Gaj Yatra, a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about elephants, emphasises the value of safeguarding elephant corridors.

·       The Monitoring the Illicit Slaughter of Elephants (MIKE) programme, which was started internationally in 2003, looks at trends in data regarding the illegal killing of elephants from all around Africa and Asia in order to evaluate the performance of field conservation activities.

·       Project Elephant, a federally financed initiative that was started in February 1992, aims to protect elephants, their habitats, and their migration routes.

·       The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change provides financial and technical support for the project to the major elephant range states in the country.

·       Mahouts (people who work with, ride, and care for elephants) and their families place a high priority on elephant welfare.

·       The Madras High Court’s (HC) 2011 decision concerning the Nilgiris elephant corridor was recently upheld by the Supreme Court (SC), maintaining the elephants’ freedom of movement and the closing of resorts close by.

 

Source à The Indian Express

 

2 – Details of the Essential Commodities Act:GS II

Topic à Government Policies and Interventions

 

·       Details of the 1955 Essential Commodities Act:

 

·       Background: At the time the ECA Act 1955 was passed into law, there was a food deficit in the nation as a result of continuously low levels of foodgrain production.

·       To feed its people, the country was dependent on aid and imports (such wheat purchased from the US under PL-480).

·       In order to prevent food stockpiling and illegal marketing, the Essential Commodities Act was created in 1955.

·       Essential commodities are not specifically defined under the Essential Commodities Act of 1955.

·       A product that is listed in the Act’s Schedule is referred to as a “essential commodity” under Section 2(A).

·       According to the Act, the federal government is granted the power to include or omit a good from the Schedule.

·       If the Centre decides that declaring something essential is in the public interest, it may do so in collaboration with state governments.

·       The ECA 1955 is used to curb inflation by enabling the Center to give state governments jurisdiction over a variety of commodities’ commerce.

 

·       The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution is responsible for implementing the Act.

 

·       Impact:

 

·       By designating an item as essential, the government can set a stock limit and control its production, supply, and distribution.

 

·       Concerns associated with the Essential Commodities Act of 1955:

 

·       The Economic Survey 2019–20 emphasised that although government intervention under the ECA 1955 had little effect on lowering inflation, it frequently had an adverse effect on agricultural trade.

·       There are potential for harassment and rent-seeking when this sort of behaviour occurs. Rent-seeking is the term used by economists to describe unproductive income, particularly that obtained through corruption.

·       Traders usually buy far less than they ordinarily would during extra perishable harvests, and farmers frequently suffer substantial losses.

·       Farmers were unable to get better prices because there was a dearth of investment in cold storage, warehouses, processing, and export.

·       These issues led to the Parliament’s approval of the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. However, farmer opposition compelled the government to repeal this act.

 

·       How to Proceed:

 

·       The ECA 1955 was first used when India’s production of food grains was insufficient.

·       However, the government’s amendments to the ECA 1955 are a critical step in attaining its goal of doubling farmers’ earnings and enhancing the ease of doing business because India now has a surplus of the majority of agricultural products.

 

Source à The Indian Express

 

3 – About the SMILE Scheme:GS II

Topic à Government Policies and Interventions

·       Context:

 

·       The Government of India has created the extensive SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) scheme to address the continuing problem of poverty and beggarly.

·       75 Municipal Corporations will provide full rehabilitation for beggars in the spirit of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav as part of the “SMILE-75” Initiative.

 

·       Aim:

 

·       In partnership with NGOs and other stakeholders, Municipal Corporations will provide a variety of comprehensive welfare measures for those who engage in begging, placing particular emphasis on rehabilitation, medical facility provision, counselling, awareness, education, skill development, economic ties, and convergence with other Government welfare programmes.

·       The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment would allocate a total of Rs. 100 crore to the SMILE project from now until 2025–2026.

·       It seeks to develop a system of assistance for the thorough rehabilitation of beggars.

 

·       Managing Ministry:

 

·       Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

 

·       Components:

 

·       The following sub-scheme is part of it:

·       Comprehensive rehabilitation is required for those who beg.

 

 

·       Objectives:

 

·       to eradicate begging from municipal and urban areas.

·       to create a strategy incorporating the coordinated efforts of numerous partners for the complete rehabilitation of beggars.

 

·       How are beggars treated in India?

 

·       There are now 4,13,670 beggars in India overall, up from the previous tally (2,21,673 men and 1,91,997 women), according to the Census 2011.

·       The list is topped by Uttar Pradesh, with West Bengal coming in at number two and Bihar at number three. There are only two vagrants living in Lakshadweep, per the 2011 census.

·       The largest number of beggars of any union territory were in New Delhi (2,187), followed by Chandigarh (121).

·       With 22,116 beggars, Assam topped the list of northeastern states, while Mizoram came in last with 53.

 

Source à The Hindu

 

4 – Details of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

Prelims Specific Topic

 

·       About:

 

·       The neurological system, the immunological system, and the body’s capacity to produce energy are all impacted by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

·       The statement may minimise how severe the illness is, say specialists. In a 2015 article, the US Institute of Medicine proposed the term “systemic exertion intolerance disease” (SEID).

 

·       Causes:

 

·       Its beginnings remain a mystery. However, some likely triggers include hormonal imbalances, bacterial or viral disease, and genetic predispositions. Medical professionals must rely on physical examinations, blood tests, and urine tests because there is no specialised test for the illness.

 

·       Who could be affected:

 

·       ME/CFS can affect anyone, including kids and people of all ages. According to the CDC, more women and adults between the ages of 40 and 60 are affected.

 

 

 

·       Symptoms:

 

·       The primary indication symptom is the inability to conduct things that were previously accomplished without difficulty. A crushing fatigue that lasts for at least six months (or longer) after that and is worse than ordinary fatigue follows. The National Health Services in the UK claim that resting or sleeping will not make this weariness go away, and that exercising will usually make it worse (NHS).

 

·       Treatment:

 

·       There is currently no approved diagnosis or therapy for the illness. Medical specialists recommend methods to control disease symptoms instead.

 

Source à The Hindu