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GM Seeds: A Solution to Food Security

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Syskool
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GM Seeds

On Tuesday, the Environment Minister, Prakash Javedker, asserted that the application of Genetically Modified (GM) technology for seeds is significant in enhancing agriculture productivity and food security. Giving strength to his remark he further informed his audience that around 18 field trials, to test different types of GM seeds, were going on; however, the Government  would take the decision about releasing genetically modified mustard after considering all the aspects related to the issue.

The Environment Minister has taken the name of GM mustard particularly; it shows the current importance of GM mustard that is going to be the first food-related transgenic crop and evolved as component of the research collaboration consisting of scientists working at Delhi University.

However, as GM mustard rests at an inflexion point fingers that such technologies are not fit for human consumption. In reply, those who are fovour of the use of GM technology to produce GM seeds claim that such technology is very important because on it depends the future of India’s Food Security.

The Minister, who was speaking at a press event organized to observe two years of NDA governance, did not hesitate in accepting the current situation of productivity in the field of agriculture and said, “India’s agricultural productivity is among the lowest (among nations)…. Science and technology has to be encouraged for this.” This acceptance on the part of the government is a good sign for the future of productivity in agriculture.

Must Read: Chabahar Agreement: Path to the Future India-Iran Relation

Background

The Economic Survey for 2015-16, tabled in the Parliament on 26 February, 2016, stated that India agriculture had become a victim of its own success. The Survey favoured the use of hybrid and Genetically Modified (GM) seeds to enhance crop yield that ultimately would bring major changes in the agricultural sector.

The Survey had put its force behind the idea that safety concerns linked to genetically modified (GM) seeds must be debated and tested in such way that they be introduced in the next six months; hence the current talk on the part of the government on the use of GM seeds.

The Survey had also suggested to evolve a regulatory process to approach safety concerns of GM crops. Reporting on the highly controversial GM seeds the survey penned down “Concerns about affordability of hybrids and GM seeds, environmental and ethical issues in cultivation of GM crops, risk to the food chains, diseases spread and cross pollination have resulted in their non-introduction. These issues need to be debated, tested, evaluated, so that introduction of hybrids is facilitated in the next six months.”

Taking a leaf out of the suggestions inked in the Survey the Government started examining the proposal on GM mustard seed in spite of the severe opposition from green activists.

To accomplish its task the Environment Ministry had set-up a Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee that included biotechnologists, ecologists and sociologists to make a decision on GM seeds, particularly GM mustard.

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GM crops: an abridged introduction

A Genetically Modified (GM) Crop is a plant that is a product of a new/original combination of genetic materials which are obtained through the application of modern biotechnology.

In GM crops genes are artificially roped in instead of the plant getting it through natural process of pollination. The plants grown in this fashion fall under the class of GM crop. However, if we take it theoretically and practically as well, it can be said that all crops are “genetically modified” from their wild condition through the natural process of domestication, selection and regulated breeding over period of time.

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Advantages of GM seeds

  • Can abridge crop damage from diseases, weeds and insects;
  • Can abate crop damage from adverse weather conditions;
  • Can enhance yields grown on the same or less acreage;
  • Can significantly improve nutrition value or other health benefits;
  • Can curtail the application of fossil fuel (with reduced trips across the field with equipment);
  • Can enhance water quality by more precise application of chemicals.

It is imperative to know here that GM seeds are being used and studied to assist in saving papaya crop from excision from Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV).

  • In the plantation of corn, GM seeds have abated soil loss by 69% due to conservation tillage practices that are made possible by Herbicide resistant crops and reduced soil compaction.

Read Also: International Year of Pulses 2016 : United Nations

Disadvantages of GM seeds

No one can deny the fact that crops from GM seeds go through more safety testing than any other agricultural products, including organic or conventional crops; however, there are some people who still have the opinion that in the context of the application of GM seeds, more researches are the need of the hour.

There is an apprehensive in the agriculture industry that GM seeds can cause the cultivation of those plants or crops that can lead to a pesticide resistance in insects. So agriculture industry has taken these threats seriously and is constantly engaged in studying and creating best practices.

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National Green Tribunal(NGT) and Yamuna Action Plan(YAP)

By
Syskool
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4
yamuna action plan

The National Green Tribunal was constituted on 18 October 2010, under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. The NGT was established for effective and speedy disposal of cases related to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.

Functions of NGT also include enforcement of legal rights related to environment and providing relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith.

Also Read: Indian River Systems

Functions of NGT

Being a specialized body it is armed with necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes which often involve multi-disciplinary issues. According to the National Green Tribunal Act (Section 19, clause I) 2010: “The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down by the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 but shall be guided by the principles of natural justice.”

In environmental matters, the NGT’s dedicated jurisdiction “shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in higher courts.” The Tribunal is empowered to make and strive for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filling the same. The principle place of Sitting the NGT is Delhi.

Composition of the NGT

Clause 1 of the section 4 of the NGT Act, 2010, while dealing with the composition of the Tribunal states: “The Tribunal shall consist of (a) a full-time Chairperson; (b) not less than ten but subject (not maximum of twenty full-time Judicial members as the Central Government may, from time to time, notify; (c) not less than ten but subject to maximum of twenty full time expert members, as the Central Government may, from time to time, notify.

Qualification for appointment of Chairperson of the NGT

According to the NGT Act 2010, the Chairperson of NGT must be a sitting or retire Judge of the Supreme Court of India or a sitting or retire Chief Justice of a High Court. He or She shall not hold any other office during his or her tenure as such.

Many projects have been undertaken by the successive Governments in the past to clean the river Yamuna, the dirtiest river of our country.

Also Read :The River Ganga

Background to Yamuna Action Plan (YAP)

Yamuna Action Plan is one of the largest river revival projects in India. It has been declared as a bilateral project between the Government of India and Japan. To implement the project the Government of Japan has catered a financial grant of 17.7 billion yen, under the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC). The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, National River Conservation Directorate and the Government of India.

Yamuna Action Plan

In order to clean Yamuna, the dirtiest river of the country, YAP was formally launched in 1993.  YAP has till date completed two phase as YAP-I and YAP-II. The YAP-I, covered Delhi, eight towns in Uttar Pradesh and six towns in Haryana. Under YAP-II, the stress was on the 22 km stretch of Yamuna. Now YAP-II is in process, that is phase III of Yamuna Action Plan for Delhi, with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,656 crore. YAP-III, initiated in 2013, was supposed to be completed by 2015.

Success Rate of YAPs

The cleaning of polluted Yamuna, under YAP-I and YAP-II, was carried out in accordance with the level of the biological oxygen demand of the Yamuna. Under these two phases 286 scheme were completed in 21 towns of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana at a cost of Rs. 1,453.17 crore. These schemes also consisted of 39 sewage treatment plants under which sewage treatment capacity of 767.25 million litres per day had been created.

In a recent report Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) has informed that to support aquatic life and day-to-day activities of the people living on the banks of the river Yamuna, 3.46 billion litres per day (BLD) of fresh flow of water is needed. This has been reported based on an analysis for the last 10 years. The Teri report has also described that the YAPs may not be 100% successful in improving water quality but it is true that the water quality has not deteriorated after its implementation.

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Schedules in Constitution of India

By
Syskool
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5
schedules in Constitution of India

Followings are the schedules in Constitution of India are:

 

First Schedule
  • List of States & Union Territories
Second Schedule
  • Salary of President, Governors, Chief Judges, Judges of High Court and Supreme
    court, Comptroller and Auditor General
Third Schedule
  • Forms of Oaths and affirmations
Fourth Schedule
  • Allocate seats for each state of India in Rajya Sabha
Fifth Schedule
  • Administration and control of scheduled areas and tribes
Sixth Schedule
  • Provisions for administration of Tribal Area in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram
    & Arunachal Pradesh
Seventh Schedule
  • Gives
    allocation of powers and functions between Union & States. It
    contains 3 lists

    1. Union
      List (For central Govt)
    2. States
      List (Powers of State Govt)
    3. Concurrent
      List (Both Union & States)
Eighth Schedule
  • List
    of 22 languages of India recognized by Constitution
1.
Assamese
2.
Bengali
3.
Gujarati
4.
Hindi
5.
Kannada
6.
Kashmiri
7.
Manipuri
8.
Malayalam
9.
Konkani
10.
Marathi
11.
Nepali
12.
Oriya
13.
Punjabi
14.
Sanskrit
15.
Sindhi
16.
Tamil
17.
Telugu
18.
Urdu
19.
Santhali
20.
Bodo
21.
Maithili
22.
Dogri
  • Sindhi
    was added in 1967 by 21 Amendment
  • Konkani,
    Manipuri ad Nepali were added in 1992 by 71 amendment Santhali,
    Maithili, Bodo and Dogri were added in 2003 by 92 amendment
Ninth Schedule
  • Added
    by Ist amendment in 1951. Contains acts & orders related to land
    tenure, land tax, railways, and industries.
Tenth Schedule
  • Added
    by 52nd amendment in 1985. Contains provisions of disqualification of
    grounds of defection
Eleventh Schedule
  • By
    73rd amendment in 1992. Contains provisions of Panchayati Raj.
Twelfth Schedule
  • By
    74th amendment in 1992. Contains provisions of Municipal
    Corporation.

Digital India (DI) Project : A Mission

By
Syskool
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2
Digital India

Digital India (DI) is an initiative by the Government of India to make sure that government services are catered to citizens electronically by improving online infrastructure and by enhancing internet connectivity.

Objective

Digital India has the objective of connecting rural areas with high-speed internet networks and improving digital literacy. The custodian of the Digital India project is the Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) that is in charge of executive National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project. The scheme has three kernel components: the creation of digital infrastructure; delivering services digitally; and digital literacy.

Pillars of Digital India

Indian Government intends to secure growth on multiple fronts with the digital India programme. The Government specifically, intends to target nine Pillars of Digital India that are identified as Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity; Broadband Highways; Public Internet Access Programme; e-Governance- Reforming Government through Technology; eKranti – Electronic delivery of Services; information for all; Electronic Manufacturing; IT for Jobs; and Early Harvest Programme.

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Projects and Initiatives

The Government is busy preparing a roadmap to form 28,000 seats of BPOs in different states and establish at least one Common Service Centre in each of the Gram Panchayats in the State.

On 27 February, 2016, the Government of India came up with a proposal that it was going set-up National Institute of Electronics and Information and Technology (NIELIT) to cater computer training to youth and along with this a Software Technology park of India (STPI) would also be established.

The 2016 Central Budget of India announced 11 Technology initiatives consisting of the use of data analytics to get hold of tax evaders, making a substantial opportunity for IT firms to create the system that would be needed.

Digital Literacy mission is going to cover six crore rural household. There is a plan to connect 550 formers’ markets in the country through the use of the technology.

Support and Partnership in DI

At the launching ceremony of Digital India Weak, top CEOs from India and abroad made a commitment to invest Rs. 4.5 lakh crore (US $ 67 billion) to this initiative. These investments, according to the CEOs, would be utilized for making smart phones and internet devices at an affordable price in India that would not only help in generating jobs in India but would also assist in reducing the cost of importing them from abroad.

Giants from silicon Valley, San Jose, California assumed their assistance for Digital India during the PM Narendra Modi’s visit in September, 2015. Mark Zuckerberg, Face-book’s CEO, changed his profile picture in support of Digital India and initiated a chain on facebook and made a promise to work on Wi-Fi Hotspots in rural area of India.

Google committed to cater broadband connectivity on 500 railway stations in India. Microsoft took a vow to cater broadband connectivity to five hundred thousand (five lakh) villages in India and make India its cloud hub through India data centres.

Read Also: All About Niryat Bandhu Scheme

Services under DI

Some of the facilities, going to be catered through the initiative of Digital India, include: Digital Locker, e-education, e-health, e-sign and national scholarship portal. Indian Government has also decided to initiate Botnet cleaning centres as a port of Digital India Project.

Digital Locker

Digital Locker is one of the most-important initiatives under the Digital India Project/Programme. It is intended to minimize the usage of physical documents and enable sharing of e-documents across agencies.

The sharing of the e-documents, with the help of this Portal of DI is going to be done through registered repositories. This will, therefore, make sure the authenticity of the documents online.

Residents too can upload their own electronic documents and digitally sign them using the e-sign facility. These digitally signed documents can be shared with Government organizations and other entities as well.

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Ecosystem

By
Syskool
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0
ecosystem
ecosystem

An ecosystem consists of the biological community that occurs in some locale, and the physical and chemical factors that make up its non-living or abiotic environment. There are many examples of ecosystems — a pond, a forest, an estuary, a grassland. The boundaries are not fixed in any objective way, although sometimes they seem obvious, as with the shoreline of a small pond. Usually, the boundaries of an ecosystem are chosen for practical reasons having to do with the goals of the particular study.

Read Also: On Saving the Mother Earth

Components of an Ecosystem

The parts of an ecosystem can be listed under the headings “abiotic” and “biotic”.
Abiotic components:

Sunlight, Temperature, Precipitation, Water or moisture, Soil or water chemistry

Biotic Components

Primary producers, Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, Detritivores

By and large, this set of environmental factors is important almost everywhere, in all ecosystems. Usually, biological communities include the “functional groupings”. A functional group is a biological category composed of organisms that perform mostly the same kind of function in the system; for example, all the photosynthetic plants or primary producers form a functional group. Membership in the functional group does not depend very much on who the actual players (species) happen to be; only on what function they perform in the ecosystem.

Processes of Ecosystems

The plants, zebra, lion, and so forth illustrates the two main ideas about how ecosystems function: ecosystems have energy flows and ecosystems cycle materials. These two processes are linked, but they are not quite the same

Energy enters the biological system as light energy, or photons, is transformed into chemical energy in organic molecules by cellular processes including photosynthesis and respiration, and ultimately is converted to heat energy. This energy is dissipated, meaning it is lost to the system as heat; once it is lost it cannot be recycled.  Without the continued input of solar energy, biological systems would quickly shut down. Thus, the earth is an open system with respect to energy.

Elements such as carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus enter living organisms in a variety of ways. Plants obtain elements from the surrounding atmosphere, water, or soils. Animals may also obtain elements directly from the physical environment, but usually they obtain these mainly as a consequence of consuming other organisms. These materials are transformed biochemically within the bodies of organisms, but sooner or later, due to excretion or decomposition, they are returned to an inorganic state. Often bacteria complete this process, through the process called decomposition or mineralization

During decomposition these materials are not destroyed or lost, so the earth is a closed system with respect to elements (with the exception of a meteorite entering the system now and then). The elements are cycled endlessly between their biotic and abiotic states within ecosystems. Those elements whose supply tends to limit biological activity are called nutrients.

Must Read: AGRO-FORESTRY

The transformations of energy in an ecosystem begin first with the input of energy from the sun. The process of photosynthesis captures energy from the sun. Carbon dioxide is combined with hydrogen to produce carbohydrates (CHO). Energy is stored in the high-energy bonds of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.

There are many food links and chains in an ecosystem, and all of these linkages can be referred as a food web. Food webs can be very complicated, where it appears that “everything is connected to everything else”, and it is important to understand what the most important linkages are in any particular food web.

Also, Read:

Ecology and Environment

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Project Mausam

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