National Commission of Schedule Tribes (NCST)

• In News 

• Recently in Parliament, the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs informed that the National Commission of Schedule Tribes is functioning with less than 50% of its approved strength.

National Commission of Schedule Tribes (NCST)

• Background:
  • The NCST was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the 89th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003.
  • By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely:
    • The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)
    • The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)
• Composition
  • The NCST panel has one chairperson, one vice-chairperson, and three members (two out of VC, and the members should be from the ST community). At least one member should be a woman.
  • The Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson, and the other Members hold office for a term of 3 years.
  • The members are only eligible for appointments for up to two terms.
  • The President appoints the members by warrant under his hand and seal.
• Powers and Functions
  • The Commission is vested with all the powers of a civil court while investigating any matter on the inquiry of any complaint relating to deprivation of rights and safeguards for Scheduled Tribes.
  • To investigate & monitor matters relating to Safeguards provided for STs under the Constitution or under other laws or under Govt. Order, to evaluate the working of such Safeguards.
  • To inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Scheduled Tribes.
  • To participate and advise on the planning process of socioeconomic development of the Scheduled Tribes and to evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and any State.
  • To present to the President, annually and at such other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguards.

Issues with NCST

• Appointments:
  • Lack of Appointment: It just has a chairperson and one member with all other posts empty, including that of the mandatory ST member.
  • As per parliament till 31st January 2023, against the total sanctioned posts of 124, 54 posts are filled and the vacant posts are 70.
  • The Group A posts in the NCST are filled by the Ministry, while the Group B and C posts are the NCST’s responsibility.
  • Lack of Candidates: In the recruitment process, the eligibility bar is set too high and the rules are impromptu changed. 
• Pending Reports: 
  • The commission has been dysfunctional for the last five years and has not delivered a single report to Parliament.
  • As per the Commission, in the financial year 2021-22, it has met only four times. Its rate of pendency of resolution of complaints and cases that it receives is also close to 50 percent.
• Budgetary Constraints:
  • The Commission does not have a separate Budget Head to advance its Demand for Grants in a realistic manner.

Way Ahead

• The Commission needs to function as per the constitutional authority allotted to it. It should work for the welfare of STs and prevent the exploitation of Schedule tribes.
• The pending vacancies should be immediately filled with the mandatory posts to be filled at the earliest for the smooth functioning of the commission.
• The reports which have not been tabled in parliament needed to be tabled and their recommendations be debated.
• The budgetary allocation to the commission needed to be reviewed accordingly so that the functioning of the constitutional body is not impacted  due to lack of funds.

Schedule TribesAs per Article 342 of the Constitution, the President through a public notification can declare the tribes or tribal communities or part of or groups within these tribes and tribal communities as Schedule Tribes.Criteria: The Constitution is silent about the criteria for the specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe. Primitiveness, geographical isolation, shyness, and social, educational & economic backwardness are the traits that distinguish Scheduled Tribe communities from other communities.There are 75 Scheduled Tribes known as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), which are characterized by: Pre-agriculture level of technology  Stagnant or declining population Extremely low literacy Subsistence level of the economyRelated CommitteesXaxa Committee (2013)Bhuria Commission (2002-2004)Lokur Committee (1965)

Left Wing Extremism

In News

• Recently, the Union Home Minister stated that the ministry is determined to destroy the entire ecosystem of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) by “financial choking”.

More about the news

• Reduction of deaths:
  • According to the Union Home Minister, for the first time in four decades, the number of deaths of civilians and security forces in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) came down to under 100 in 2022.
    • Left Wing Extremism had come down by 76% in 2022 as compared to 2010.
    • He was chairing the meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on LWE.
  • He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is determined to destroy the entire ecosystem of LWEs by financial choking.
• According to him, the MHA’s policy to deal with LWE has three main pillars:
  • Atrategy to curb extremist violence with ruthless approach, 
  • Better coordination between Centre and states, and 
  • Eliminating support for LWE through public participation in development.
• Strengthening Armed Forces:
  • New camps:
    • Sharing details of the measures taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs, he said since 2019, the armed forces had established 175 new camps to plug the security vacuum in the LWE-infested zones.
  • BSF Air Wing:
    • The BSF air wing has been strengthened with the induction of new pilots and engineers in the last one year to aid operations in LWE-affected areas.
  • Police stations:
    • Funds were also provided to the State police forces for modernisation and assistance related to construction of fortified police stations.

Left-wing Extremism(LWE) in IndiaAbout:Left-wing extremists, popularly known as Maoists worldwide and as Naxalites/Naxalism in India, has been a major threat to India since the 1960s. The Naxalites have frequently targeted tribal, police and government workers in what they say is a fight for improved land rights and more jobs for neglected agricultural labourers and the poor.Red Corridor:The influence zone of LWE in India is called the Red corridor, which has been steadily declining in terms of geographical coverage and number of violent incidents.History of LWE in India:The term Naxalism derives from the name of the Naxalbari village in West Bengal where a peasant revolt took place against local landlords over a land dispute in 1967.The origins of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India goes back to the Telangana peasant rebellion (1946-51), the movement was at its peak in 1967, when the peasants, landless labourers, and Adivasis raided the granaries of a landlord in the Naxalbari village in West Bengal.The Naxal rebellion was led by Charu Majumdar and his close associates, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal.These rebels not only were assisted by the people from nearby villages but also from the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese Media had called this movement the “Spring Thunder”.The movement initially took inspiration from China’s founding father, Mao Zedong, but had later become radically different from Maoism.

Reasons for Left Wing Extremism

• Tribal Discontent:
  • The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has been used to target tribals, who depend on forest produce for their living.
  • Massive displacement of tribal population in the Naxalism-affected states due to development projects, mining operations and other reasons.
    • Also, poor implementation of FRA, eviction of the land ceiling.
• Lack of Livelihood: 
  • Such people who do not have any source of living are taken into Naxalism by Maoists.
  • Maoists provide arms and ammunition and money to such people.
• Governance-related issues:
  • Government measures its success on the basis of the number of violent attacks rather than the development done in the Naxal-affected areas.
  • Absence of strong technical intelligence to fight with Naxalites.
  • Infrastructural problems, for instance, some villages are not yet connected properly with any communication network.
  • No Follow-Up from Administration: It is seen that even after police take hold of a region, the administration fails to provide essential services to the people of that region.

Government’s initiatives

• As part of the goal to ensure all-round development in the affected areas, several special schemes were being implemented apart from the flagship programmes of the Central government. 
• SAMADHAN doctrine:
  • It is the one-stop solution for the LWE problem. It encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels. SAMADHAN stands for-
    • S– Smart Leadership,
    • A– Aggressive Strategy,
    • M– Motivation and Training,
    • A– Actionable Intelligence,
    • D– Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas),
    • H– Harnessing Technology,
    • A– Action plan for each Theatre,
    • N– No access to Financing.
• ROSHNI:
  • It is a special initiative under, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (Formerly Ajeevika Skills), launched in June 2013 for training and placement of rural poor youth from 27 LWE-affected districts in 09 States
  • Intelligence sharing and raising of a separate 66 Indian Reserved Battalion(IRBs), CRPF battalions like COBRA battalion, Bastariya battalion etc were done by the government to curb the menace of LWE organizations.
• Road Connectivity:
  • Construction of 17,462 km of roadways had been sanctioned to improve road connectivity, of which work on about 11,811 km had been completed.
• Mobile connectivity:
  • For better mobile connectivity, 2,343 mobile towers had been installed in the first phase during the last eight years, and approval given to upgrade them to 4G. This apart, 2,542 new mobile towers were being installed in the second phase.
• Eklavya Residential Model School:
  • 142 Eklavya Residential Model Schools were sanctioned in 21 years prior to 2019, while in the past three years, 103 have been sanctioned. 
  • So far, 245 Eklavya schools had been sanctioned in 90 LWE-affected districts and 121 of them were now functional. 
• Banks, ATMs & Post offices:
  • The government also facilitated the opening of 1,258 bank branches and 1,348 ATMs in the worst hit districts, besides 4,903 post offices. 

India’s Disaster Relief Diplomacy

In News

• Recently, India dispatched Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft with relief material, a 30-bed field hospital, and rescue and medical personnel to Turkey as part of its Humanitarian And Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts to assist earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria.

About India’s Disaster Relief Diplomacy 

• India deploys its humanitarian aid mainly through bilateral and, gradually, multilateral channels. 
• India’s humanitarian assistance is listed as one of the forms of development support that the country extends to its partner countries across the world.
  • This assistance has included support in response to natural disasters, during long-term complex emergencies, and support provided in post-conflict, post-disaster, and pandemic situations. 
  • India developed a ‘SAARC COVID-19 Information Exchange Platform (COINEX)’ platform for use by all SAARC countries to facilitate exchange of specialized information and tools on COVID-19 among designated health professionals.
• With the onset of time, India’s practice of disaster diplomacy has come to form a primary facet of its Neighbourhood First policy. 

Determinants 

• The ethos of India’s humanitarian assistance can be traced to its cultural and spiritual values. 
  • All the major religions – Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam – espouse solidarity with the suffering.
• The government acknowledges the importance of the UN’s four fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.
• India is also a signatory to all four Geneva Conventions and participated in the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit. 
• The South-South Cooperation(SSC)’s foreign policy principle also informs and prompts India’s humanitarian actions, with India often seeking to respond in accordance with the expressed needs of recipient country governments.

Previous instances of India sending aid to natural disaster-hit countriesThe United States of America: An Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft delivered 25 tonnes of relief supplies for the Hurricane Katrina victims at the Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas  in 2005. The relief supplies comprised 3,000 blankets, bed sheets, tarpaulins and personal hygiene items.Maldives: After the 2004 Tsunami, the Indian government announced a composite package worth five crore rupees. Under “Operation Castor”, 50 sorties were undertaken and four aircraft and two Naval ships were engaged in relief operations.Sri Lanka: India sent its forces to carry out rescue operations, called “Operation Rainbow”, in Sri Lanka hours after the Tsunami struck the country in 2004. Myanmar: When cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar in 2008 killing at least 20,000 people, India was among the first countries to send aid to them. It gave 125.5 tonnes of relief material, including medicines, clothing, utensils, water tanks, tents and tarpaulin.Japan: The 2011 Tsunami wreaked havoc in Japan. Apart from providing relief materials, India also sent 46 members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to search and rescue in the town of Onagawa. The team included a doctor, three officers, six inspectors, two paramedics and constables and carried 9,000 kg of equipment and food.Nepal: In the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, the NDRF deployed 16 of its urban search and rescue (USAR) teams, which comprised more than 700 rescuers in the country. The teams organised six medical camps and attended to 1,219 persons. India’s humanitarian assistance mostly flows through bilateral channels.However, various Indian governments have also engaged with multilateral platforms. A recent collaboration with Australia (as part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue group, QSD or Quad) while providing assistance to the Kingdom of Tonga is an example of such an initiative.India has also been working with UN agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to deliver food and other humanitarian support over the past two decades.  Similarly, with the help of the WFP, the country managed to deliver wheat to Afghanistan in March 2022.OthersIndia launched relief operations for neighbouring countries: Operation Castor in Maldives, and Operation ‘Gambhir’ in IndonesiaIn 2007, in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr that hit Bangladesh, Operation ‘Sahayata’ was launched India also offered help to Pakistan after the 2010 earthquakeSamudra Maitri was an operation that helped Indonesians during the October 2018 earthquake and tsunami

Importance 

• Disaster assistance becomes an instrument for maintaining and fostering friendly relations with other countries.
• It is a way to earn the goodwill of foreign governments and the local people by promoting a positive image of the helping nation
  • Given its quest for becoming a regional power and securing a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, India is increasingly eager to portray itself as a provider of development assistance.
• Disaster Diplomacy is filled with possibilities for the future and India has the potential to become the region’s Good Samaritan – a power that the extended neighbourhood looks to for help.

Challenges and Constraints

• India has performed well in terms of assistance, but the timing of these relief efforts remains a grey area. 
• Often relief efforts reach affected people long after disasters strike leading to the destruction of life and property.
• Sometimes  India failed to project itself as an aid giver in the global media.
• It has been observed that the Indian armed forces face challenges related to preparedness for disaster response and recovery.

Conclusion and Way Forward 

• It is important that special budgetary allocations be made for disaster management-related expenditures.
• Apart from this, emerging forums like the Quad should be utilised for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
  • This will also bolster India’s image as a growing power, with the capability in administering operations outside its borders
• There is a need to increase in capacity – stockpile reserves, trained personnel, and procedures – along with a coordinated effort with other countries and the United Nations to fulfill the tenets of Vasudhaiva Kudumbkam

K.G. Balakrishnan Commission

In News

• Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment stated that the government is fully committed to providing all the facilities to enable the Balakrishnan Commission to function effectively.

About K.G. Balakrishnan Commission 

• The Union government has notified a Commission in 2022 under the former Chief Justice of India and former chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) K G Balakrishnan .
• The three-member Commission will also comprise retired IAS officer Dr. Ravindra Kumar Jain and University Grants Commission member Prof Sushma Yadav.
• It will submit its report within two years.

Purpose 

• To examine the issue of whether Scheduled Caste (SC) status can be accorded to Dalits who have over the years converted to religions other than Sikhism or Buddhism.  
• The commission’s inquiry will also look into the changes an SC person goes through after converting to another religion and its implications on the question of including them as SCs. 
• These will include examining their traditions, customs, social and other forms of discrimination, and how and whether they have changed as a result of the conversion.  
• The commission has also been empowered to examine any other related questions that it deemed appropriate, in consultation with and with the consent of the Central government.

Present Status 

• Currently, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 provides for only those belonging to Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist communities to be categorised as SCs. 
• When enacted, the Order only allowed for Hindu communities to be classified as SCs based on the social disabilities and discrimination they faced due to untouchability.
  • It was amended in 1956 to include Sikh communities and again in 1990 to include Buddhist communities as SCs. 

Other Efforts have been made to include Muslims and Christians of Dalit origin among SCs

• After 1990, a number of Private Member Bills were brought in Parliament for this purpose.
•  In 1996, a government Bill called The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill was drafted, but in view of a divergence of opinions, the Bill was not introduced in Parliament.
• The UPA government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up two important panels:
  • the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, popularly known as the Ranganath Misra Commission, in October 2004
    • It  submitted its report in 2007, recommended that SC status should be “completely de-linked from religion and Scheduled Castes [should be made] fully religion-neutral like Scheduled Tribes.
  • a seven-member high-level committee headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar to study the social, economic, and educational condition of Muslims in March 2005.
    • The Sachar Commission Report observed that the social and economic situation of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians did not improve after conversion. 
• The National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Minorities had also recommended providing SC status to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians in affidavits filed before the Supreme Court in 2011.

Future Outlook 

• This is a seminal and historically complex sociological and constitutional question, and a definite matter of public importance given its importance, sensitivity, and potential impact, any change in definition in this regard should be on the basis of a detailed and definitive study and extensive consultation with all stakeholders and no commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 (60 of 1952) has so far inquired into the matter.”

Do you Know?The rationale behind giving reservations to Scheduled Castes was that these sections had suffered from the social evil of untouchability, which was practiced among Hindus. Under Article 341 of the Constitution, the President may “specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall be deemed to be Scheduled Castes”.Religion-based bar does not apply to converted STs and OBCs The rights of a person belonging to a Scheduled Tribe are independent of his/her religious faith.”Following the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, several Christian and Muslim communities have found a place in the Central and state lists of OBCs.

Global Climate Resilience Fund

• Context

• The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) along with the SEWA, and other organisations announced a 50 million-dollar Global Climate Resilience Fund for women. 

About

• Global Climate Resilience Fund:
  • The fund will empower women and communities to fight climate change and help provide new livelihood resources and education.
  • It aims to provide solutions to the problems of women working under the sun, especially for workers in the informal sector like construction, waste recycling, plastic, farming, etc. 
  • The fund brings together a group of concerned people like the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), Rockefeller Resilience Centre, Desai Foundation, the AI Gore Foundation, Council for Inclusive Capitalism, and the American India Foundation.
  • The members do not have to pay insurance premiums and during extreme heat conditions when one does not work, this insurance will provide regular income.
• Clinton Global Initiative:
  • The CGI is a membership-based organization that brings together leaders from across the business, government, and nonprofit sectors to drive action on global challenges.

Challenges faced by women due to Climate Change

• Reduced Economic Opportunities: Climate change can disrupt livelihoods, particularly in communities relying on agriculture or fishing, resulting in reduced economic opportunities for women.
• Forced Migration: Climate-related natural disasters and rising sea levels can result in migration, which can lead to increased insecurity for women.
• Water Scarcity: The girls and women are traditionally allotted tasks of collecting firewood and water and are asked to travel for long distances to provide for their families.
• Health Risks: Climate change can facilitate the spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue and negatively affect women’s reproductive health.
• Food Insecurity: Climate change affects agriculture and leads to food shortages, women and children are often the first to suffer from hunger.
• Increased Care Responsibilities: Climate change exacerbates existing gender inequalities and increases the care responsibilities for women, who are often in charge of their family’s health and well-being.

Way Ahead

• To address the challenges faced by women due to climate change, the following solutions can be implemented:
  • Climate Resilient Infrastructure: Climate-resilient infrastructure, including clean water systems, improved agriculture methods, and disaster-resistant housing, can help alleviate the effects of climate change on women.
  • Climate-Smart Agriculture: Adopting climate-smart agriculture techniques, like conservation agriculture and agroforestry, can increase food security and reduce the effects of climate change on women’s livelihoods.
  • Economic Empowerment for Women: Women should have access to resources and opportunities, such as education and job training, to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change. Eg. Mudra Yojana
  • Care Work Support: Providing support for care work, such as paid leave and child care, can ease the burden on women and enable them to participate in climate-related activities.
  • Gender-Inclusive Strategies: Climate change policies and initiatives should consider the unique needs and experiences of women.
  • Reproductive and Health Rights: Ensuring access to reproductive health services and family planning can help women adapt to the impacts of climate change. Eg. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan 
  • The Government schemes like UJJwala and Har Ghar Jal scheme can help fight women’s challenges regarding water scarcity and the collection of wood.

Additional InformationClimate Resilience Fund: The Climate Resilience Fund mobilizes resources to support resilience and sustainability outcomes in communities across the U.S. and for the natural systems on which they depend.Global Climate Resilience Program: The programme aims to help people adapt their lives and livelihoods to our changing climate, protect themselves from the increasing risks of disasters caused by climate change and become more aware of, and resilient to, current and future climate shocks.

Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)

• In Context

• Recently, the Union Budget has announced Rs 2,516 crore for computerisation of 63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) over the next five years.

Aim

• The step aims to  bring greater transparency and accountability in the operations of PACS.
• Also, to enable PACS to diversify their business and undertake more activities.

What are PACS?

• About:
  • PACS are village level cooperative credit societies that serve as the last link in a three-tier cooperative credit structure headed by the State Cooperative Banks (SCB) at the state level. 
• Financial Structure:
  • The primary credit societies’ working capital is derived from their own funds, deposits, borrowings, and other sources.
    • Deposits are made by both members and non-members.
    • Borrowings are primarily made from central cooperative banks.
  • Credit from the SCBs is transferred to the district central cooperative banks, or DCCBs, that operate at the district level. 
  • The DCCBs work with PACS, which deal directly with farmers.
  • PACS are involved in short term lending — or what is known as crop loan. 
    • At the start of the cropping cycle, farmers avail credit to finance their requirement of seeds, fertilizers etc. 
    • Banks extend this credit at 7 percent interest, of which 3 per cent is subsidized by the Centre, and 2 per cent by the state government. 
    • Effectively, farmers avail the crop loans at 2 percent interest only.
• Organisational Structure:
  • Since these are cooperative bodies, individual farmers are members of the PACS, and office-bearers are elected from within them.
  • The membership fee is low enough that even the poorest agriculturist can join.
  • A village can have multiple PACS.

Significance of PACS

• It is a village-level institution that works directly with rural residents.
• PACS provides the last mile connectivity to the farmers as the timely access to capital is necessary at the start of their agricultural activities.
• PACS have the capacity to extend credit with minimal paperwork within a short time.
• PACS typically offer the following services to their members:
  • Input facilities in the form of a monetary or in-kind component
  • Agriculture implements for hire
  • Storage space

Where is computerisation needed?

• While SCBs and DCCBs are connected to the Core Banking Software (CBS), PACS are not, therefore a compatible platform is necessary to bring about uniformity in the system.
• Computerisation of PACS has already been taken up by a few states, including Maharashtra.

Nisar Mission

• In Context

• The NISAR satellite is all set to arrive in India as recently, the satellite got a send-off ceremony at NASA.

About

• The SUV-size satellite will be shipped to India in a special cargo container flight later in February 2023 for a possible launch in 2024 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh.

Key Facts about NISAR

• NISAR is an Earth-observation satellite  that stands for (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar).
• Developed by:
  • It is Jointly developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation under a partnership agreement signed in 2014.
• Function:
  • It will scan the globe every 12 days over the course of its three-year mission of imaging the Earth’s land, ice sheets and sea ice to give an unprecedented view of the planet.
• Features:
  • The 2,800 kilogram satellite is a dual-frequency imaging radar satellite.
  • While NASA has provided the L-band radar, GPS, a high-capacity solid-state recorder to store data, and a payload data subsystem, ISRO has provided the S-band radar, the GSLV launch system and spacecraft.
• Another important component of the satellite is its large 39-foot stationary antenna reflector.
  • The reflector will be used to focus “the radar signals emitted and received by the upward-facing feed on the instrument structure.

Objectives of the Mission

• NISAR will observe subtle changes in Earth’s surfaces, helping researchers better understand the causes and consequences of such phenomena. 
• It will spot warning signs of natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides. 
• The satellite will also measure groundwater levels, track flow rates of glaciers and ice sheets, and monitor the planet’s forest and agricultural regions, which can improve our understanding of carbon exchange.
• ISRO will use NISAR for a variety of purposes including agricultural mapping, and monitoring of glaciers in the Himalayas, landslide-prone areas and changes in the coastline.
• By using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), NISAR will produce high-resolution images.
  • SAR is capable of penetrating clouds and can collect data day and night regardless of the weather conditions.