General Studies- II
Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Soil Health Card Day
Context
Soil Health Card Day to be observed on February 19.
About
- Deteriorating Soil Health Leads to Stagnation in Agricultural Productivity Soil Health Leads to Sustainable Farming.
- The Soil Health Card Day will be observed February 19.
- It commemorates the day Soil Health Card Scheme was launched on February 19, 2015 at Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
- The International Year of Soils was celebrated the same year.
What is Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme?
- Soil Health Card (SHC) is a Government of India’s scheme launched on on February 19, 2015 at Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
- It is promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- Implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all the State and Union Territory Governments.
Objective of SHC
- To issue soil health cards to farmers every two years so as to provide a basis to address nutritional deficiencies in fertilization practices.
- Advice him/her on the dosage of fertilizers and also the needed soil amendments, that s/he should apply to maintain soil health in the long run.
Why Soil Testing?
- Soil testing is developed to promote soil test based on nutrient management.
- Soil testing reduces cultivation cost by application of right quantity of fertilizer.
- It ensures additional income to farmers by increase in yields and it also promotes sustainable farming.
What is a Soil Health Card?
- SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings.
- It will contain the status of his soil with respect to 12 parameters, namely:
- N,P,K (Macro-nutrients);
- S (Secondary- nutrient);
- Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micro – nutrients); and
- pH, EC, OC (Physical parameters).
- Based on this, the SHC will also indicate fertilizer recommendations and soil amendment required for the farm.
How can a farmer use a SHC?
- The card will contain an advisory based on the soil nutrient status of a farmer’s holding.
- It will show recommendations on dosage of different nutrients needed.
- Further, it will advise the farmer on the fertilizers and their quantities he should apply, and also the soil amendments that he should undertake, so as to realize optimal yields.
- SHC will be made available once in a cycle of 3 years.
- The SHC given in the next cycle of 3 years will be able to record the changes in the soil health for that subsequent period.
Soil sample and testing
- Soil samples will be drawn in a grid of 2.5 ha in irrigated area and 10 ha in rain- fed area with the help of GPS tools and revenue maps.
- Soil Samples are taken generally two times in a year, after harvesting of Rabi and Kharif Crop respectively or when there is no standing crop in the field.
- Soil Samples will be collected by a trained person from a depth of 15-20 cm by cutting the soil in a “V” shape.
- It will then be transferred to soil test laboratory for analysis.
What is a soil test laboratory?
- It is a facility for testing the soil sample for 12 parameters.
- This facility can be static or mobile or it can even be portable to be used in remote areas.
- At the STLs owned by the Department of Agriculture and by their own staff.
- At the STLs owned by the Department of Agriculture but by the staff of the outsourced agency.
- At the STLs owned by the outsourced agency and by their staff.
- At ICAR Institutions including KVKs and SAUs.
- At the laboratories of the Science Colleges/Universities by the students under supervision of a Professor/ Scientist.
Significance of SHC
- The scheme provides for the analysis of soil composition by the State Governments once in every two years so that remedial steps can be taken to improve soil nutrients.
- Farmers can track their soil samples and also obtain their Soil Health Card report.
- While the Soil Health Management Scheme has turned out to be a blessing for the farmers, it is also creating jobs for the agrarian youth.
- Under the scheme village youth and farmers up to 40 years of age are eligible to set up Soil Health Laboratories and undertake testing.
- A laboratory costs up to Rupees Five Lakhs, 75% of which can be funded by the Central and State Governments.
- The same provisions apply to Self Help Groups, Farmers’ Cooperative Societies, Farmers Groups and Agricultural Producing Organisations.
General Studies-III
Topic- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
Blue Economy
Context
India-Norway opened the Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development
About
- India and Norway strengthen partnership on blue economy.
- India’s Minister for Earth Sciences and Norway’s Minister for Climate and Environment, opened the India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development.
- The two countries also commenced a new collaboration on Integrated Ocean Management & Research.
Background
- The India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development was launched jointly by the Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, and the Norwegian Prime Minister Ms Erna Solberg, during her visit to India in January 2019.
- The purpose of the task force is to develop and follow up joint initiatives between the two countries.
- The meeting on February 18th 2020 is the third meeting of the Task Force.
India-Norway cooperation on Blue Economy
- As a part of the Joint Initiatives, several projects on combating Marine Litter are already being implemented.
- The two Governments will develop a new framework for collaboration on Integrated Ocean Management and Research.
- The Norway-India cooperation in the field of oceans is based on our shared interest in the blue economy and the sustainable use of marine resources.
- Norway and India are engaging on ways to ensure integrated ocean management at the government level.
Significance
The strength and value added of the India-Norway Joint Task Force on Blue Economy is its ability to mobilise relevant stakeholders from both Norway and India at the highest level, and ensure continued commitment and progress across ministries and agencies.
Fundamentals
What is Blue economy?
- Blue economy is a term in economics relating to the exploitation and preservation of the marine environment.
- It is “All economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts.
- It covers a wide range of interlinked established and emerging sectors.
- According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem.”
- The idea of ‘blue economy’ was first articulated by Gunter Pauli in 2010 and later discussed at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio + 20 in 2012.
Major Sector covered in Blue Economy
- Renewable Energy
- Fisheries
- Maritime Transport
- Tourism
- Ocean Climate Change
- Waste Management.
Potential of Blue Economy
- On top of the traditional ocean activities such as fisheries, tourism and maritime transport, blue economy entails emerging industries including renewable energy, aquaculture, seabed extractive activities and marine biotechnology and bioprospecting.
- Blue economy also attempts to embrace ocean ecosystem services that are not captured by the market but provide significant contribution to economic and human activity.
- They include carbon sequestration, coastal protection, waste disposal, and the existence of biodiversity.
Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean
- The Indian Ocean is projected to become a dominant global geopolitical and economic force in the 21st century.
- Indeed, the region’s contribution to global GDP has significantly increased over the last century.
- However, based on Gross National Income, only three IOR countries—i.e., Australia, Singapore and United Arab Emirates—feature among the top 20 nations with highest per capita gross national income.
- Owing to limited land resource base, many of the coastal and island IORCs are dependent on marine resources for economic opportunities.
- Therefore, pursuing the goals of blue economy would be critical to the region’s prosperity and development.
Strategic Significance of Blue Economy
- Blue Economy (BE) has emerged as an influential concept in the Indian Ocean region and is a powerful and contested discourse among the member states of the leading regional governance organisation, the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s (IORA).
- Since its conceptualisation, a number of IORA states have been strongly advocating for increased cooperation and improved governance of BE.
- Bangladesh, has been at the forefront of regional attempts to promote BE;
- In 2014 it became the first country to host a major conference focused on proposing a Bay of Bengal partnership for Blue Economy.
- This was followed by an IORA-organised conference, ‘Enhancing BE for Sustainable Development’, in 2015.
- Such efforts led to an increased focus on sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region and the emergence of the IORA Declaration on Enhancing Blue Economy Cooperation for Sustainability.
- Subsequently, BE gained importance in India’s strategic and development vision.
Blue Economy potentials in the Indian Ocean
- The Indian Ocean region has been providing a unique ecosystem and connectivity routes to the resources for centuries now.
- The growth of technology and capabilities has expanded the opportunities further.
- A sustained—and sustainable—growth of blue economy in the Indian Ocean region would therefore require concerted efforts by governments, private sector and broader community, including the scientific ones.
- In terms of domestic consumption and trade, there has been a significant rise in the number of preferential trade agreements in the past two decades (World Trade Organisation, 2011).
- Yet, the Indian Ocean countries lag behind the rest of the world, especially compared to the United States and Europe that have many more agreements in place.
- In the absence of a non-regional approach to a sustainable economic growth, recent improvements and efforts being pursued by IOR countries towards global integration and increased productivity would be undermined.
India and Blue Economy
- India has a strategic location in the Indian Ocean region.
- It endorses the growth of the Blue Economy in a sustainable, inclusive and people centred manner through the framework of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
- India’s national vision about the sector is clearly articulated in the term “SAGAR”- Security and Growth for All in the Region.
- According to the Prime Minister, the Blue Chakra of India’s national flag represents the potential of the Blue Economy and India is committed to realise its full potential.
Challenges
The World Bank specifies three challenges that limit the potential to develop a blue economy.
- Current economic trends that have been rapidly degrading ocean resources.
- The lack of investment in human capital for employment and development in innovative blue economy sectors.
- Inadequate care for marine resources and ecosystem services of the oceans.
For Prelims
Jamshedpur City
Highlights
- Jamshedpur City is celebrating the completion of 100 years.
- Jamshedpur is one of the first industrial planned cities of India and the most populous urban agglomeration in Jharkhand.
History
- Jamshedpur City was originally a village called Sakchi.
- It was renamed as Jamshedpur by then Viceroy of India Lord Chelmsford in 1919 in the honour of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, founder of the Tata group.
- Jamshedji Tata had established the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in Jamshedpur in 1907.
- TISCO (now Tata Steel Ltd) is the oldest iron and steel enterprise of India.
Location
- It is located in Chota Nagpur plateau, surrounded by the Dalma Hills.
- It is at the confluence of Kharkai and Subarnarekha Rivers.
- Subarnarekha (Line of gold) river flows through the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.
