Earth Observation Satellite-6 (EOS-6) launched (GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully placed nine satellites, including an Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-06) in multiple orbits with the help of the space agency’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C54).
- The vehicle took off from the first launch pad (FLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), SHAR.
Background:
- The ocean observing mission is a follow up to OceanSat-1 or IRS-P4 and OceanSat-2 launched in 1999 and 2009, respectively.
Details:
- This is the 56th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the 24th flight of the PSLV-XL version with 6 PSOM-XLs.
- The eight nano satellites include ISRO Nano Satellite-2 for Bhutan (INS-2B), Anand, Astrocast (four satellites), and two Thybolt satellites.
- A collaborative mission between India and Bhutan, the INS-2B satellite has two payloads namely NanoMx, a multispectral optical imaging payload developed by SAC, and APRS-Digipeater, which is jointly developed by DITT-Bhutan and URSC.
Oceansat-3:
- The Oceansat-3 was placed in the polar orbit at the height of about 740 kilometers above sea level.
- While at ~1100 kilograms, it is only slightly heavier than Oceansat-1, for the first time in this series it houses three ocean observing sensors viz Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3), Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM), and Ku-Band scatterometer (SCAT-3).
- There is also an ARGOS payload. All these sensors have their own importance for India’s blue economy aspirations.
Ocean Color Monitor:
- The advance 13 channel OCM with 360 m spatial resolution and 1400 km swath will observe the day side of the earth every day and will provide crucial data on distribution of ocean algae which is the base of the food chain within marine ecosystem.
- The OCM-3 with high signal-to-noise ratio is expected to provide improved accuracy in daily monitoring of phytoplankton having wide range of operational and research applications including fishery resource management, ocean carbon uptake, harmful algal bloom alerts, and climate studies.
Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM):
- The SSTM will provide ocean surface temperature which is a critical ocean parameter to provide various forecasts ranging from fish aggregation to cyclone genesis and movement.
- Temperature is a key parameter required to monitor health of the coral reefs, and if needed, to provide coral bleaching alerts.
- The Ku-Band Pencil beam scatterometer onboard EOS-6 will provide high resolution wind vector (speed and direction) at the ocean surface, something which any seafarer would like to know of, whether its fishermen or shipping company.
- The data of temperature and wind is also very important for assimilation into ocean and weather models to improve their forecast accuracies.
ARGOS:
- ARGOS is a communication payload jointly developed with France and it is used for low-power (energy-efficient) communications including marine robotic floats (Argo floats), fish-tags, drifters, and distress alert devices useful for conducting effective search and rescue operations.
Significance:
- The launch of Oceansat-3 today is also significant since this is the first major ocean satellite launch coming from India since the initiation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UNDOSSD, 2021-2030).
- This satellite will have the capability to make concurrent measurements of Ocean Colour, SST and Sea Surface Winds, and is expected to provide a great boost to the ocean observing capabilities of the global scientific and operational communities in addressing the Ocean Decade objectives and challenges.
Darjeeling tea industry in crisis
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Context:
- Recently, during the annual general meeting of the Indian Tea Association (ITA) in Kolkata, the Tea Board of India said it had sought a special financial package of ₹1,000 crore from the Centre for the tea Industry over five years.
- Tea Board officials admitted that Indian tea had not been able to establish itself globally, and that one of its key brands, Darjeeling Tea, was under acute stress.
Why is it important to save Darjeeling Tea?
- Darjeeling Tea, called the ‘Champagne of Teas’, was the first Indian product to get the GI (Geographical Identification) tag in 2004 for its distinctive aroma and flavour.
- About 87 gardens in Darjeeling which employ about 55,000 workers produce approximately 7 million kg of tea, most of which is exported.
- Over the past few months a lot of gardens in the hills have changed hands because the owners were reeling under higher costs of production and other issues.
What is the threat from Nepal’s gardens?
- A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Commerce said “unhampered and easy influx of substandard tea from neighbouring countries, especially Nepal” is jeopardising the tea industry of India.
- The document pointed out that inferior quality tea from Nepal was being imported, and then sold and re-exported as premium Darjeeling Tea.
- Under the Revised Treaty of Trade between the Governments of India and Nepal in October 2009, both parties had agreed to exempt from basic customs duty, as well as from quantitative restrictions, the import of mutually agreed primary products.
- Nepal, which shares similar climatic conditions and terrain, produces tea at a lower price because of less input costs, particularly labour, and fewer quality checks. Even though the quality is no match, yet the tea from Nepal posed a serious challenge to Darjeeling Tea.
Is climate change impacting production?
- The reduction in production and rise of input costs is another worry. Tea production in Darjeeling which used to be around 10-12 million kg a decade back now stands at 6.87 mkg (2021).
- The decline in production is due to multiple factors, which include climate change, declining yields and high absenteeism among workers.
- Because of the hilly terrain of Darjeeling there is no land left for expansion of tea gardens. The tea bushes are older than other parts of the country. Uprooting and planting them is both time and cost intensive.
- Industry experts point out that an average tea garden in Darjeeling is about 150 hectares whereas those in the foothills vary from 400 to 500 hectares. The yield per hectare in the foothills, particularly the Dooars region, is about four times higher than the Darjeeling tea gardens.
- Some global factors like the decline in demand from European markets in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war have compounded the problem.
What is the way forward?
- Planters in Darjeeling say unless the Government restricts the influx of tea from Nepal, Darjeeling Tea cannot be saved.
- The Standing Committee of Parliament has recommended that the Government “review and revisit the Indo-Nepal Treaty for incorporating stringent requirements for certificate of origin on tea imports from Nepal.”
- The committee suggested that Small Tea Growers (STGs) should also be recognised as GI-registered producers on a par with the 87 tea estates which produce Darjeeling Tea to ensure better price premium. According to available data, about 52% of tea in the country is produced by STGs.
- The per capita tea consumption in the country remains at 850 grams and is less than neighbouring countries.
Birth certificate to be made mandatory
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
Why in news?
- The Central government proposes to make birth certificates a mandatory document for almost every sphere of life according to a draft Bill to amend the Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969.
Key Highlights:
- The centrally-stored data will be updated in real time without any human interface required, leading to addition and deletion from the electoral roll when an individual turns 18, and after death, respectively.
- According to the proposed changes, it shall be mandatory for hospitals and medical institutions to provide a copy of all death certificates, stating the cause of death, to the local registrar apart from the relative of the deceased.
- Though registration of birth and death is already compulsory under the RBD Act, 1969 and violating it is a punishable offence, the government intends to improve compliance by making the registration mandatory to avail basic services such as admission in schools and registration of marriages.
- The Bill to amend the RBD Act, 1969, proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), states that birth certificates issued by the local registrars will be “used to prove the date and place of birth of a person born on or after the date of Amendment for:
- admission into educational institutions; issuance of driving licence;
- preparation of voter list;
- registration of marriage;
- appointment in Central Government, State Government, local bodies and Public Sector Undertakings, statutory bodies, autonomous bodies under Central and State government;
- Issuance of passport and other cases as prescribed by rules.
National level database:
- It would enable the Registrar General of India (RGI) under the MHA to “maintain database of registered birth and deaths at the national level”, even though such data is maintained by State governments or municipal bodies.
- As reported, the birth and death database at the national level that will be available with the RGI may be used to update the Population Register, the Electoral Register, and the Aadhar, ration card, passport and driving licence databases.
Updation of National Population Register (NPR):
- If the amendments are implemented, the Centre could use the data to update the National Population Register (NPR) that was first prepared in 2010 and revised through door-to-door enumeration in 2015.
- The NPR already has a database of 119 crore residents and under the Citizenship Rules, 2003, it is the first step towards the creation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- It brought together representatives from 19 countries including Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Djibouti, and Australia.
- India was not invited.
