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Time: 45 min Date: 17-09-2021

Polity and Governance

'Crime in India 2020': NCRB Syllabus: GS 2/Issues Relating to Development

In News

● Recently, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released a report titled

'Crime in India – 2020'.

Major Findings of the report

● Impact of a pandemic: The Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown

resulted in a drop in traditional crimes like theft, robbery, and assault on women

and children in 2020.

○ There was a drastic jump in disobedience to government orders, primarily

arising due to violations of COVID-19 norms.

● Registered crimes: A total of 66,01,285 cognisable crimes comprising 42,54,356

Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 23,46,929 Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes

were registered in 2020.

○ India reported an average of 80 murders daily in 2020, totalling 29,193

fatalities over the year, with Uttar Pradesh topping the chart among states.

● Category wise data:

Image Courtesy: IE

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● Cybercrime:

○ India recorded 50,035 cases of cybercrime in 2020, with an 11.8% surge in

such offences over the previous year.

○ Bengaluru tops India in the highest number of cyber crimes registered in

2020.

Image Courtesy: News 18

● Crime Against Women :

○ Across the 19 metropolitan cities, a total of 35,331 cases of crime against

women were registered during 2020, showing a decrease of 21.1% over 2019

(44,783 cases).

■ The majority of crimes against women were registered under

‘cruelty by husband or his relatives (30.2%) followed by ‘assault on

women with intent to outrage her modesty (19.7%), ‘kidnapping and

abduction of women (19.0%) and ‘rape’ (7.2%).

● “False/fake news: Incidents of circulation of “false/fake news” and rumours, a

crime under the Indian Penal Code, saw nearly a three-fold rise in 2020 over 2019

○ Telangana with 273 cases tops the list of states followed by Tamil Nadu

(188) and Uttar Pradesh (166). Hyderabad tops the list of cities with 208

cases, followed by Chennai (42) and Delhi (30).

● Crime against senior citizens fell sharply last year.

○ As per the report, Pune recorded 224 cases in 2019 and 123 cases in 2020.

● Crimes against SCs and STs:

○ Uttar Pradesh (12,714) recorded the highest number of crimes against

Scheduled Castes in 2020.

● Crimes against children:

○ The total number of crimes against children in the country dropped from

1,48,090 in 2019 to 1,28,531 in 2020, the data showed.

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● Crime Rate :

Image Courtesy: TH

About National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB)

● It was set up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and

criminals.

● It was established on the recommendations of the Tandon Committee to the

National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA’s Taskforce (1985).

● NCRB was entrusted with the responsibility for monitoring, coordinating and

implementing the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS)

project in the year 2009.

● This project connects 15000+ police stations and 6000 higher offices of police in

the country.

● In August 2017, NCRB launched the National Digital Police Portal, which

allows search for a criminal/suspect on the CCTNS database.

● The Bureau has also been entrusted to maintain the National Database of Sexual

Offenders (NDSO) and share it with the States/UTs on a regular basis.

● NCRB has also been designated as the Central Nodal Agency to manage

technical and operational functions of the ‘Online Cyber-Crime Reporting

Portal.

Source: IE

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International relations

AUKUS Alliance

Syllabus: GS 2/Agreements Involving India &/or Affecting India’s Interests

In News

● Recently, the U.S., U.K. and Australia announced a new trilateral security

partnership for the Indo-Pacific region named ‘AUKUS ‘.

○ The three countries are already sharing extensive intelligence through the

Five Eyes alliance.

■ Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing arrangement between

the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

AUKUS Alliance

● Under it, the U.S., U.K will help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines

in the Pacific region.

● Focus: The focus of AUKUS will be on integrating all defence and security related

science, supply chains, industrial bases and technology.

○ It will also focus on protecting shared values and promoting security and

prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

● Implications:

○ Globally

■ It will help Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines

(SSNs) in cooperation with the UK & the US.

■ It will involve a new architecture of engagements across emerging

technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies,

cyber capabilities, and additional undersea capabilities.

■ It will enhance Australia’s contribution to its other partnerships,

including the QUAD.

■ The deal is seen as a step towards curtailing China, which has made

significant aggressive manoeuvres in the Pacific region, especially

in and around the South China Sea, where it has expansive territorial

claims.

● For India

○ QUAD is meaningless w/o the necessary capability upgrade of its

members, so it provides Naval strength to them.

○ India needs a broader coalition of countries in the Indo-Pacific region

to deal with China.

○ Any measure that boosts the capability of India's partners is a

welcome move.

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Nuclear submarines

● A nuclear-powered submarine is classified as an “SSN” under the US Navy hull

classification system, wherein ‘SS’ is the symbol for submarine, and ‘N’ stands

for nuclear.

● A nuclear-powered submarine that can launch ballistic missiles is called

“SSBN”.

● Conventional diesel-engine submarines have batteries that keep and propel —

though not very fast — the vessel underwater.

○ The life of these batteries can vary from a few hours to a few days.

● The newer Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines have additional fuel

cells that allow them to stay underwater for longer and move faster than the

conventional vessels.

○ However, the fuel cells are used only at strategic times, when the

endurance to remain submerged is required.

● Both conventional and AIP subs need to come to the surface to recharge their

batteries using the diesel engine.

○ The diesel engine also propels the vessel on the surface. However, the fuel

cells of AIP can only be charged at on-land stations, not while at sea.

● Importance SSN

○ The great advantage of an SSN is that its nuclear-powered propulsion

gives the submarine a near-infinite capacity to stay dived.

○ Since it is propelled by a nuclear-powered engine rather than by batteries,

it does not have to emerge on the surface at all, except to replenish

supplies for the crew.

○ SSNs are also able to move faster underwater than conventional

submarines.

■ These advantages allow a navy to deploy these submarines

quicker and at farther distances.

● It gives a navy the capability to reach far out into the ocean and launch

attacks.

India’s nuclear-powered submarines

● India is among the six nations that have SSNs.

○ The other five are the US, the UK, Russia, France and China.

● India has had the capacity since it got the Soviet-built K-43 Charlie-class SSN in

1987.

○ Commissioned with the Red Fleet of the USSR in 1967, it was leased to

the Indian Navy and was rechristened INS Chakra.

■ The submarine was decommissioned in 1991.

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● In 2012 India got another Russian SSN on a 10-year lease, called INS Chakra 2.

● The first Indian nuclear submarine, the INS Arihant, was commissioned in 2016.

○ A second Arihant-class submarine, INS Arighat, was secretly launched in

2017 and is likely to be commissioned soon.

■ After it demonstrated the capability to launch nuclear weapons in

2018, the INS Arihant is now classified as a Strategic Strike Nuclear

Submarine or SSBN, which means it is a nuclear-powered ballistic

submarine.

Source: IE

Art and Culture

'Shankhalipi' Inscriptions Syllabus: GS 1/Art and Culture

In News

● Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) discovered remains of an

ancient temple dating back to the Gupta period (5th century) in a village in Uttar

Pradesh’s Etah district.

● The stairs of the temple had ‘shankhalipi’ inscriptions.

(Image Courtesy: IE)

About the archaeological findings

● The Etah's Bilsarh village site was declared ‘protected’ in 1928.

● Every year, the ASI undertakes scrubbing work at the protected sites.

○ This year, the team discovered “two decorative pillars close to one another,

with human figurines.

■ To understand their significance, they conducted further excavation

and found the stairs.

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● The inscription on the stairs was deciphered by the archaeologists as saying, ‘Sri

Mahendraditya’which was the title of Kumaragupta I of the Gupta dynasty.

○ In the 5th century, Kumaragupta I ruled for 40 years over north-central

India.

■ The Guptas were the first to build structural temples, distinctly

different from the ancient rock-cut temples.

● As per the ASI, the stairs led to a structural temple built during the Gupta period.

● The discovery becomes significant since only two other structural temples from

the Gupta age have been found so far — Dashavatara Temple (Deogarh) and

Bhitargaon Temple (Kanpur Dehat).

(Image Courtesy: IE)

What is the Shankhalipi script?

● Shankhalipi or “shell-script” is a term used by scholars to describe ornate spiral

characters assumed to be Brahmi derivatives that look like conch shells or

shankhas.

● They are found in inscriptions across north-central India and date to between the

4th and 8th centuries.

● A similar inscription was found on the back of a stone horse sculpture from that

period that is at present in the State Museum at Lucknow.

● Both Shankhalipi and Brahmi are stylised scripts used primarily for names and

signatures.

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● The inscriptions consist of a small number of characters, suggesting that the shell

inscriptions are names or auspicious symbols or a combination of the two.

● Shankhalipi is found to be engraved on temple pillars, columns and rock surfaces.

Chronology and meaning

○ The script was discovered in 1836 on a brass trident in Uttarakhand’s

Barahat by English scholar James Prinsep, who was the founding editor of

the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

■ A year later, he came across two more similar scripts at Nagarjuna

group of caves in the Barabar Hills near Gaya.

○ Prominent sites with shell inscriptions: The Mundeshwari Temple in

Bihar, the Udayagiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh, Mansar in Maharashtra

and some of the cave sites of Gujarat and Maharashtra. In fact, shell

inscriptions are also reported in Indonesia’s Java and Borneo.

■ Scholars have tried to decipher shell script but have not been

successful.

○ Detailed study of shell inscriptions: It was undertaken by Professor

Richard Salomon of the University of Washington.

○ There are a sufficient number of shell characters to represent the syllables

of the Sanskrit language and tentatively assigned sounds to some of the

characters.

○ In recent years, historian B N Mukherjee proposed a system of

decipherment based on a few key inscriptions, but his suggestions do not

bear scrutiny.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

● It is an attached office under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism

and Culture.

● It is the premier organization for the archaeological research and protection of

the cultural heritage of the nation.

● It regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of

the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It

also regulates the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.

Source: IE

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Indian Economy

Telecom Sector Reforms Syllabus: GS3/ Growth and Development

In News ● Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a relief package for the telecom sector.

○ This includes a four-year moratorium on payment of statutory dues by telecom companies as well as allowing 100% foreign investment through the automatic route.

Key Points ● Four-year moratorium on payment of statutory dues by telecom companies, both

AGR and spectrum charges. ● Definition of AGR has been rationalised by excluding non-telecom revenue of

telecom companies. ● 100 percent FDI (foreign direct investment) in telecom via the automatic route has

been approved. ● The regime of heavy interest, penalty and interest on penalty on payment of

licence fees, spectrum charges and all kinds of charges has been rationalised . ● The relief package for the telecom sector has offered the prospect of an annual

cash flow breather of an estimated Rs 45,000 crore to the fund-starved industry.

Image Courtesy: IE

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Brief History of AGR

● 1994: The telecom sector was liberalised under the National Telecom Policy,

1994 after which licenses were issued to companies in return for a fixed license

fee.

● 1999: To provide relief from the steep fixed license fee, the government gave an

option to the licensees to migrate to the revenue sharing fee model.

○ Under this, mobile telephone operators were required to share a

percentage of their AGR with the government as annual license fee (LF)

and spectrum usage charges (SUC).

○ License agreements between the Department of Telecommunications

(DoT) and the telecom companies define the gross revenues of the latter.

○ AGR is then computed after allowing for certain deductions spelt out in

these license agreements.

○ The LF and SUC were set at 8 percent and between 3-5 percent of AGR

respectively, based on the agreement.

○ The dispute between DoT and the mobile operators was mainly on the

definition of AGR.

○ The DoT argued that AGR includes all revenues (before discounts) from

both telecom and non-telecom services.

○ The companies claimed that AGR should comprise just the revenue

accrued from core services and not dividend, interest income or profit on

sale of any investment or fixed assets.

● 2005: Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) challenged the

government’s definition for AGR calculation.

● 2015: The TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal) stayed

the case in favour of telecom companies and held that AGR includes all receipts

except capital receipts and revenue from non-core sources such as rent, profit on

the sale of fixed assets, dividend, interest and miscellaneous income.

● 2019: Setting aside TDSAT’s order, the Supreme Court on October 24, 2019

upheld the definition of AGR as stipulated by the DoT.

Structural Reforms

● Rationalization of Adjusted Gross Revenue: Non-telecom revenue will be

excluded on prospective basis from the definition of AGR.

● Bank Guarantees (BGs) rationalized: Huge reduction in BG requirements (80%)

against License Fee (LF) and other similar Levies. No requirements for multiple

BGs in different Licenced Service Areas (LSAs) regions in the country. Instead,

One BG will be enough.

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● Interest rates rationalized/ Penalties removed: From 1st October, 2021, Delayed

payments of License Fee (LF)/Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) will attract interest

rate of SBI’s MCLR plus 2% instead of MCLR plus 4%; interest compounded

annually instead of monthly; penalty and interest on penalty removed.

● For Auctions held henceforth, no BGs will be required to secure instalment

payments. Industry has matured and the past practice of BG is no longer required.

● Spectrum Tenure: In future Auctions, tenure of spectrum increased from 20 to 30

years.

○ Surrender of spectrum will be permitted after 10 years for spectrum

acquired in the future auctions.

○ No Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) for spectrum acquired in future

spectrum auctions.

● Spectrum sharing encouraged: additional SUC of 0.5% for spectrum sharing

removed.

● FDI Reforms: To encourage investment, 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

under automatic route permitted in Telecom Sector. All safeguards will apply.

Procedural Reforms

● Auction calendar fixed: Spectrum auctions to be normally held in the last quarter

of every financial year.

● Ease of doing business promoted: The cumbersome requirement of licenses

under 1953 Customs Notification for wireless equipment removed. Replaced with

self-declaration.

● Know Your Customers (KYC) reforms: Self-KYC (App based) permitted. E-KYC

rate revised to only One Rupee. Shifting from Prepaid to Post-paid and vice-versa

will not require fresh KYC.

Significance of Reforms

● Investment & Employment: This will pave the way for large-scale investments in

the telecom sector. Investment means employment - more the investment, more

the employment.

● Healthy Competition: It is a welcome step towards strengthening the industry

and ensuring survival of players to maintain healthy competition for the benefit

of the customers.

● Cash Flow & Relief: These measures are expected to ease the cash flow issues

being faced by some players in the industry and provide relief to companies such

as Vodafone Idea that have to pay thousands of crores of rupees in unprovisioned

past statutory dues.

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● Reducing NPAs: The telecom package comes as a relief to the banks as it mitigates

the imminent possibility of default by vulnerable operators. This would help in

stabilising and reducing the non-performing assets in the sector.

● Increased Repayments: The steps announced by the government will help the

companies conserve cash and it will significantly improve the probability of

repayment at least for the next 3-4 years.

Way Ahead

● The removal of non-telecom revenues from the definition of AGR and the removal

of penalty is a much needed change that has been brought in.

● There is a need for the government's intervention in setting sustainable telecom

floor tariffs, as it has done in the civil aviation sector to protect competition.

● More efforts are needed to address the significant losses in the balance sheets of a

majority of the stakeholders.

Source: IE

Biodiversity and Environment

India Observes 27th Global Ozone Day

Syllabus: GS 3/Environmental Pollution & Degradation

In News

● On 16 September 2021, India observed the 27th International Day for the

Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

○ The theme of World Ozone Day 2021 is “Montreal Protocol - Keeping us,

our food and vaccines cool”.

● On this occasion, an Action Plan for implementing the recommendations of the

India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) for thematic Area Space Cooling in Buildings

has also been released.

Global Ozone Day

● In 1994, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) declared the 16th September as

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

● The day marks the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete

the Ozone Layer, in 1987.

○ The Montreal Protocol seeks to phase out Ozone Depleting Substances

(ODS) to preserve the ozone layer and prevent further damage to it.

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Ozone

● Ozone is a molecule that contains three oxygen atoms (O3).

○ It is a pale blue gas with a pungent (chlorine-like) smell.

● The ozone layer is the common term for the high concentration of ozone that is

found in the stratosphere around 86 to 92 km above the earth's surface.

○ It was first discovered by the French physicists Charles Fabry and Henri

Buisson in 1913.

○ Density of Ozone is measured in the Dobson (Db) Unit.

○ Ozone Layer in the atmosphere is thicker over the poles than over the

equator.

● In the troposphere, it is considered as a pollutant causing eye irritation and

respiratory hardship.

How is Ozone Created?

● When the sun's rays (Ultraviolet rays) strike oxygen (O2) molecules, it splits

oxygen molecules into single atoms.

● The single atom Oxygen reacts with another oxygen molecule to form Ozone.

Source: Canada Government

Significance of Ozone

● It covers the entire planet and protects life on earth by absorbing harmful

ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation from the sun.

● Impact on Plants

○ Plants cannot live and grow in heavy ultraviolet radiation, nor can the

planktons that serve as food for most of the ocean life.

● Health impact of UV-B rays

○ With a weakening of the Ozone Layer shield, humans would be more

susceptible to skin cancer, cataracts and impaired immune systems.

● Without it, life may have been impossible on earth due to harmful UV-B rays.

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Ozone Depleting Substances

● Major Ozone Depleting substances are

○ Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and

○ Halons

● The major sources of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs) are

○ Manufactured halocarbon refrigerants,

○ Solvents,

○ Propellants, and

○ Foam- blowing agents

Source: NOAA

Mechanism of Ozone Depletion: Role of Polar Stratospheric Clouds

● The largest Ozone hole appears over Antarctica at the onset of summer.

● Polar Vortex concentrates ODSs around poles.

● During winters, the Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) are formed.

○ They provide the catalytic site for reaction between Ozone molecules and

CFCs or Halons.

○ CFCs and Halons are non degrading long lived pollutants and create a

chain reaction which keeps on depleting ozone.

● Suddenly in winter, when Polar Stratospheric Clouds melt the hole suddenly

appears.

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Source: PublicHealthNotes

Key Highlights from the Celebration

● Successful phase out of Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS)

○ India’s success in implementation of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)

phase out programme is owing to the involvement of key stakeholders.

○ India involved the key stakeholders both at the planning as well as

implementation levels.

● Economic Impact v/s Environmental Goals

○ Adverse economic impacts should appropriately be addressed while

developing a Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase down strategy.

■ HFCs are under the Kigali Amendment.

● An Action Plan for implementing recommendations of the India Cooling Action

Plan (ICAP) for the thematic Area Space Cooling in Buildings has been released.

○ The Plan has been developed after mapping of the recommendations given

in the ICAP and after detailed discussions with various stakeholders

including line departments and Ministries.

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India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)

● The Plan is the first of its kind in the world to be developed by the MoEF&CC.

○ It addresses cooling requirements across sectors.

○ It also lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand through

synergies in actions for securing both environmental and socio-economic

benefits.

○ The ICAP aims to reduce both direct and indirect emissions.

● A Study Report on the Cold Chain sector in India was also released.

○ Objective: Promoting non-ozone depleting substances and Low- global

warming potential Refrigerants.

● Another Study Report on Public Procurement Policies for Refrigeration and Air-

Conditioning Equipment using non-Ozone Depleting Substances based

refrigerants was also released.

Montreal Protocol

● Montreal Protocol is a multilateral environmental agreement.

● It regulates the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances

(ODS).

● It was adopted on September 15, 1987.

● It is one of the most successful environmental agreements across the world.

Kigali Amendment

● The Parties to the Montreal Protocol reached agreement at their 28th Meeting of

the Parties on 15 October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda.

○ Aim: To phase-down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

○ Note: Although Montreal Protocol is for ODS, HFCs are not ODS.

■ HFCs are Green-House Gases but HFCs were invented to phase

out ODS.

○ Hence, taking moral responsibility to not create another monster to curb

one problem,the Kigali amendment was introduced.

● Countries agreed to add HFCs to the list of controlled substances, and approved

a timeline for their gradual reduction by 80-85 percent by the late 2040s.

Source: PIB

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Facts In News

Indian Economy

Euro Green Bond Tags: GS3 / Indian Economy

In News

● Recently, Power Finance Corporation (PFC) launched its maiden €300 million 7-

year Euro Green Bond issuance.

About

● The issuance saw strong participation from institutional investors across Asia and

Europe with participation from across 82 accounts and was oversubscribed 2.65

times.

○ The overwhelming response to the issuance reflects international investors’

confidence in PFC.

○ This issuance also demonstrates a commitment to achieving India’s

renewable energy goals.

● The pricing of 1.841 per cent achieved is the lowest yield locked in by an Indian

issuer in the Euro markets.

● It is not only the first Euro bond issuance by PFC but also the first-ever Euro-

denominated Green bond issuance from India.

○ Moreover, it is the first Euro issuance by an Indian non-banking finance

corporation(NBFC) and the first Euro bond issuance from India since 2017.

● Relevance

○ This bond issuance would help PFC in diversifying its currency book as

well as the investor base.

What is a Green bond?

● A green bond is a type of fixed-income instrument that is specifically earmarked

to raise money for climate and environmental projects.

● These bonds are typically asset-linked and backed by the issuing entity's

balance sheet, so they usually carry the same credit rating as their issuers’ other

debt obligations.

● Green bonds may come with tax incentives to enhance their attractiveness to

investors.

● The World Bank is a major issuer of green bonds.

Source: PIB

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International Organization

Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Tags: GS2 / International Organizations and Groupings

In News

● A Russia-led security bloc (CSTO) is planning to hold large military drills in

Tajikistan.

Rationale for military exercise in Tajikistan

● Tajikistan is the only country out of the six-member bloc led by Russia that shares

a border with Afghanistan.

● The series of drills will include the largest exercise this year among CSTO nations.

● As a collective measure to ensure Tajikistan’s security in case of an “aggravation”

on its border with Afghanistan.

Image Courtesy: Kabar

About Collective Security Treaty Organization

● It is an intergovernmental military alliance that was signed on 15 May 1992.

● In 1992, six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent

States—Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—

signed the Collective Security Treaty

○ This is also referred to as the “Tashkent Pact” or “Tashkent Treaty”.

● Three other post-Soviet states—Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Georgia—signed the next

year and the treaty took effect in 1994.

● Five years later, six of the nine—all but Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan—

agreed to renew the treaty for five more years, and in 2002 those six agreed to

create the CSTO as a military alliance.

Source: TH

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Biodiversity & Environment

Mura-Drava-Danube (MDD) Syllabus: GS3/

In News

● UNESCO has recently designated Mura-Drava-Danube (MDD) as the world’s

first ‘five-country biosphere reserve’.

About Mura-Drava-Danube (MDD)

● It is a biosphere reserve which covers 700 kilometres of the Mura, Drava and

Danube rivers and stretches across Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and

Serbia.

● It is also called the “Amazon of Europe”.

● The total area of the reserve is around a million hectares which makes it the largest

riverine protected area on the continent.

Source: Interreg Danube

Significance

● Diverse Landforms:

○ The reserve is home to floodplain forests, gravel and sand banks, river

islands, oxbows and meadows.

● Flora and Fauna:

○ It is home to continental Europe’s highest density of breeding white-tailed

eagles (more than 150 pairs).

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○ Many endangered species such as the little tern, black stork, otters,

beavers and sturgeons are also found here.

○ It is also an important annual resting and feeding place for more than

250,000 migratory birds, according to WWF.

● Population

○ Almost 900,000 people live in the biosphere reserve.

Benefits

● Recognition to Sustainable Environment Efforts

○ The new reserve represents an important contribution to the European

Green Deal.

○ It also contributes to the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy

in the Mura-Drava-Danube region.

■ Aim of the Strategy

● To revitalise 25,000 km of rivers and

● To protect 30 percent of the European Union’s land area by

2030.

● Push to Boost Sustainable Business Practices

○ MDD’s recognition was a mandate to all five countries to jointly advance

the protection and revitalisation of the Mura-Drava-Danube area.

● Cross Border Cooperation for Environment

○ The Interreg Danube Transnational Programme-funded Amazon of

Europe Bike Trail project is an example of multinational efforts to promote

eco-friendly practices.

■ This project is a long-distance cycling trail following the Mura,

Drava and Danube river landscapes for over 1,250 km.

○ When booking this cycling adventure, part of the spending directly

supports nature conservation initiatives in the region.

Source: DTE

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Places in News

Place in News: Faroe Islands Tags: GS1/ Places in News

In News

● Recently, approx 1,400 Dolphins were killed as a part of old tradition in Faroe

Islands.

About

● The "grindadrap" is a practice whereby hunters first surround the whales with a

wide semi-circle of fishing boats and then drive them into a bay to be beached and

slaughtered.

Faroe Islands

● It is an archipelago, in the North Atlantic ocean, located 320 kilometres northwest

of Scotland, and about halfway between Norway and Iceland.

❖ An archipelago is a group of islands closely scattered in a body of water.

Usually, this body of water is the ocean, but it can also be a lake or river.

● Like Greenland, it is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

○ It is a part of the Nordic countries

● The terrain is rugged; the climate is subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc)—windy, wet,

cloudy, and cool.

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Scandinavian and Nordic countries

● The use of the word 'Skandinavien' is common in Swedish, Norwegian

and Danish languages because that word refers to the ancient territories

of the Norsemen: Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

● Faroe Island and Iceland were part of the Norsemen territory as well.

● 'Nordic' is a term derived from the local Scandinavian-language word

'Norden' which in literal terms means, the northern islands.

● Nordic countries include Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden,

and the Faroe Islands (an archipelago of islands as an autonomous

country within the kingdom of Denmark).

● These countries share similar flags, languages, and many cultural

traits.

Source: IE

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