Cyclone Dana to Hit Odisha and West Bengal
Syllabus: GS1/ Geography
Context
- According to the Indian Meteorological Department Cyclone Dana will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and make landfall in West Bengal and Odisha coast.
What is a Cyclone?
- A cyclone is a large-scale system of air that rotates around the center of a low-pressure area.
- It is usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.
- A cyclone is characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
- The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) classifies cyclones broadly into two categories: extratropical cyclones and tropical cyclones.
What are Extratropical Cyclones?
- Extratropical cyclones also known as mid-latitude cyclones occur outside of the tropics.
- They have cold air at their core, and derive their energy from the release of potential energy when cold and warm air masses interact.
- Such cyclones always have one or more fronts — a weather system that is the boundary between two different types of air masses.
- One is represented by warm air and the other by cold air — connected to them, and can occur over land or ocean.
What are Tropical Cyclones?
- Tropical cyclones are those which develop in the regions between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer.
- They are the most devastating storms on Earth.
- Such cyclones develop when thunderstorm activity starts building close to the center of circulation, and the strongest winds and rain are no longer in a band far from the center.
- The core of the storm turns warm, and the cyclone gets most of its energy from the “latent heat” released when water vapor that has evaporated from warm ocean waters condenses into liquid water, the agency added.
- Moreover, warm fronts or cold fronts aren’t associated with tropical cyclones.
- Tropical cyclones have different names depending on their location and strength.
- Hurricanes: Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the eastern and central North Pacific Ocean.
- Typhoons: In the western North Pacific.
Favorable Conditions for Tropical Cyclones
- Very Large Body of water: It provides a continuous source of water to the storm.
- Presence of Coriolis force: It is caused by the Earth’s rotation, and is responsible for giving the cyclone its characteristic circular motion.
- This force deflects the winds, making them spiral towards the low-pressure center of the storm.
- Pre-existing low-Pressure circulation: Tropical cyclones are defined by a low-pressure center, commonly referred to as the Eye of the Cyclone.
- Surrounding this eye, air converges, rises, and cools, leading to the formation of clouds and heavy rainfall.
- Warm Sea temperature: The warm surface water (above 26°C) heats the air above it, causing the air to rise and form the core of the storm.
IMD Classification of Cyclones
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies cyclones based on the sustained wind speeds associated with them
- Cyclonic Storm: 62-88 kmph
- Severe Cyclonic Storm: 89-117 kmph
- Very Severe Cyclonic Storm: 118-167 kmph
- Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm: 168-221 kmph
- Super Cyclonic Storm: Greater than 222 kmph
Adoption of Kazan Declaration at 16th BRICS Summit
Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations
Context
- The Summit in Kazan, hosted by Russia, focused on Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security.
Key Points of the Summit
- The Kazan Declaration, issued at the summit, is a comprehensive document that emphasizes the need for enhanced cooperation among the participating countries and presents the bloc’s unified stance on key global issues.
- The Kazan Declaration emphasized “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security” with commitment to fostering peace, ensuring a fairer international order, and promoting sustainable development.
- Russia emphasized a BRICS-led payment system against SWIFT, an international financial network that Russian banks were cut off from in 2022, as well as the escalating situation in West Asia.
- The BRICS nations agreed to explore initiatives, such as BRICS Grain Exchange and BRICS (Re)Insurance Company.
- The summit also endorsed the creation of a BRICS Partner Country category, which would allow other nations to collaborate with BRICS on various projects.
- BRICS R&D Vaccine Center was announced for fostering research in vaccine development.
- India’s initiative to create an International Big Cats Alliance was recognized during the summit.
What is BRICS?
- It is an acronym that refers to a group of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
- Origin: The term BRIC was coined by British economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to represent emerging economies.
- The group began holding annual meetings starting in 2006 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), and its success led to formal summits.
- BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits since 2009.
- South Africa was inducted in 2010.
- Expansion of BRICS: Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are the six new additions to the BRICS.
- It brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing around 41% of the global population, around 24% of the global GDP and around 16% of global trade.
Significance of BRICS for India
- Strengthening South-South Cooperation: India views BRICS as a platform for fostering collaboration among developing countries, amplifying their voices in global institutions like the UN and World Bank.
- Balancing Global Power: BRICS serves as a counterbalance to Western-dominated alliances such as the G7. For India, this helps in diversifying its foreign relations and reducing dependency on Western powers.
- Trade Diversification: BRICS promotes economic cooperation, trade, and investment between member countries.
- New Development Bank (NDB): It provides BRICS nations with access to funding for infrastructure and sustainable development projects, aligning with India’s growth objectives.
Challenges
- Varying Agendas: India’s concerns over terrorism and border security may differ from other members like China and Russia, who may prioritize their regional and geopolitical interests over these issues.
- Geopolitical Rivalry: China’s growing influence within BRICS, especially with the inclusion of countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia (which have strong ties with China), raises concerns about BRICS tilting towards a pro-China bloc.
- Balancing Middle Eastern Alliances: The inclusion of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE introduces complexities in India’s relationships within the Middle East.
- Trade Barriers: Intra-BRICS trade barriers such as tariffs, regulatory differences, and currency issues persist, limiting India’s ability to fully capitalize on trade opportunities within the group.
Way Ahead
- India’s participation in BRICS is crucial, both for advancing its national interests and for shaping global governance in an increasingly dynamic geopolitical environment.
- As one of the founding members, India has consistently played a key role in ensuring that BRICS remains a collaborative platform for emerging economies to assert their influence on the global stage.
- BRICS presents India with a unique opportunity to diversify its trade networks, attract foreign investments, and engage in joint infrastructure and development initiatives.
- In this context, India should strategically utilize the resources of the New Development Bank (NDB) to finance critical projects that align with its long-term growth goals.
SC Upholds State’s Power to Regulate Industrial Alcohol
Syllabus: GS2/Polity
Context
- The Supreme Court (SC) upheld that States have the power to tax not just alcoholic beverages, but also ‘industrial’ alcohol.
About
- Industrial alcohol is not meant for human consumption. The key interpretative question before the court was whether “intoxicating liquor” can be defined to also include “industrial alcohol”.
- And whether states can regulate it or whether the Centre has exclusive control on the subject.
Dispute
- The dispute arises from two “overlapping” entries in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, which lays down the division of lawmaking powers between the Centre and the states.
- Entry 8 of List II (State List) gives states the power to regulate “the production, manufacture, possession, transport, purchase and sale of intoxicating liquors”.
- Entry 52 of List I (Union List) allows the Centre to regulate industries as a whole to the extent.
- The Centre argued that it “occupied the field” when it comes to industrial alcohol, and that states could not regulate the subject.
- States, on the other hand, argued that industrial alcohol can be misused to produce consumable alcohol illegally, which required them to enact legislation.
Industrial Alcohol
- Industrial alcohol is impure alcohol that is used as an industrial solvent.
- Mixing chemicals such as benzene, pyridine, gasoline, etc. in ethanol, which is produced by fermenting grains, fruit, molasses, etc., — a process that is called ‘denaturation’ — turns it into industrial alcohol.
- This makes the alcohol unfit for human consumption, and significantly lowers its price.
- It is used to manufacture a range of products including pharmaceuticals, perfumes, cosmetics, and cleaning liquids.
- It is sometimes used to make illicit liquor, cheap and dangerous intoxicants whose consumption poses severe risks, including blindness and death.
SC Ruling
- SC noted that the tax levied on alcohol is a key component of a state’s revenue, with state governments often adding an additional excise duty on alcohol consumption to further drive up incomes.
- The verdict also provides clarity on Centre-state relations when it comes to control over industries.
- It affirms the power of states to pass laws on subjects in the State List, even in the face of the wide powers granted to the Centre regarding the control of ‘Industries’ as a whole.
- The ruling also set aside the SC’s 1990 judgment in Synthetics & Chemicals Ltd. v State of Uttar Pradesh, which held that “intoxicating liquor” refers only to potable alcohol and, therefore, states could not tax industrial alcohol.
- The SC also held that “when there are two possible interpretations of the entries, the Court must choose the one that maintains the federal balance”.
| Seventh Schedule – Article 246 of Indian Constitution plays a crucial role in defining the distribution of powers between the Union government and the State governments. – It prevents overlapping or conflicting legislation. Three Lists: – Union List: Contains subjects on which only the Parliament can legislate. Examples include defense, foreign affairs, and atomic energy. – State List: Contains subjects on which only the State Legislatures can legislate. Examples include police, public health, and agriculture. – Concurrent List: Contains subjects on which both the Parliament and the State Legislatures can legislate. In case of a conflict, the Union law prevails. Examples include education, marriage, and bankruptcy. |
Stubble Burning Violates Article 21: SC
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
Context
- The Supreme Court emphasized that stubble burning violates citizens’ fundamental right to live in a pollution-free environment, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
About
- The court raised concerns regarding the actions taken by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
- It also pointed out that a proper machinery for collection of fines under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 had not been formulated.
What is Stubble Burning?
- It is the practice of intentionally setting fire to the crop residue (stubble) that remains in the fields after the harvest of grains like rice, wheat, and other cereals.
- The method is commonly used in North India, especially in Punjab and Haryana to quickly clear their fields and prepare them for the next sowing season.
- The smoke from stubble burning contains harmful pollutants like particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide, and greenhouse gases, contributing significantly to air pollution.
Reasons for Stubble Burning
- Cost-effectiveness: It is a quick and cheap method of clearing large fields.
- Time-saving: Especially in areas with short windows between harvesting and sowing seasons.
- Limited Alternatives: Farmers may lack access to affordable machinery that can remove stubble effectively.
Why is Delhi more Polluted than other Metropolitan cities?
- First, Delhi’s location in the Indo-Gangetic plain traps pollutants due to its geography and surrounding mountains prevent dispersal of pollutants.
- Second, Stubble burning by the nearby states releases massive amounts of smoke, which drifts towards Delhi and worsen air quality during late autumn and early winter.
- Third, Industrial and vehicular emissions worsen the atmosphere more.
- Fourth, Delhi experiences temperature inversion during winters, where cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground.
| Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) – CAQM was constituted under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021. – Objective: The Act provides for the constitution of a Commission for better coordination, research, identification, and resolution of problems related to air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas. – Powers of the Commission include; 1. Restricting activities influencing air quality, 2. Preparing codes and guidelines to prevent and control air pollution, 3. Issuing directions on matters including inspections, or regulation which will be binding on the concerned person or authority. 4. The Commission may impose and collect environmental compensation from farmers causing pollution by stubble burning prescribed by the central government. 5. The Commission issues orders to combat air pollution in NCR under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). – In case of any conflict, the orders or directions of the Commission will prevail over the orders of the respective state governments, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), state PCBs, and state-level statutory bodies. |
