General Studies- II
Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
India Meteorological Department (IMD)
Context
India Meteorological Department (IMD) to celebrate 145th Foundation Day.
History of Meteorological Services in India
- The beginnings of meteorology in India can be traced to ancient times.
- Early philosophical writings of the 3000 B.C. era, such as the Upanishadas, contain serious discussion about the processes of cloud formation and rain and the seasonal cycles caused by the movement of earth round the sun.
- Varahamihira’s classical work, the Brihatsamhita, written around 500 A.D., provides a clear evidence that a deep knowledge of atmospheric processes existed even in those times.
- Kautilya’s Arthashastra contains records of scientific measurements of rainfall and its application to the country’s revenue and relief work.
- Kalidasa in his epic, ‘Meghdoot’, written around the seventh century, even mentions the date of onset of the monsoon over central India and traces the path of the monsoon clouds.
Pre independence Meteorological Services in India
- Meteorology, as we perceive it now, may be said to have had its firm scientific foundation in the 17th century after the invention of the thermometer and the barometer and the formulation of laws governing the behaviour of atmospheric gases.
- It was in 1636 that Halley, a British scientist, published his treatise on the Indian summer monsoon.
- Which he attributed to a seasonal reversal of winds due to the differential heating of the Asian land mass and the Indian Ocean.
- India is fortunate to have some of the oldest meteorological observatories of the world.
- The British East India Company established several such stations:
- At Calcutta in 1785 and Madras (now Chennai) in 1796 for studying the weather and climate of India.
- The Asiatic Society of Bengal founded in 1784 at Calcutta, and in 1804 at Bombay promoted scientific studies in meteorology in India.
- Captain Harry Piddington at Calcutta published 40 papers during 1835-1855 in the Journal of the Asiatic Society dealing with tropical storms.
- He coined the word “cyclone“, meaning the coil of a snake.
- In 1842 he published his monumental work on the “Laws of the Storms”.
Modern India Meteorological Department (IMD)
- In the year 1875, the Government of India established the India Meteorological Department.
- The first Director General of Observatories was Sir John Eliot who was appointed in May 1889 at Calcutta headquarters.
- At Present, The IMD is under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.
- India Meteorological Department (IMD) is collaborating with meteorological agencies in China and Pakistan, among others.
- It provides climate forecast services to countries in Hindu-Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region.
- These countries have agreed to establish regional climate centre that will provide orecasting services and climate analyses.
- This centre will be under World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mandate
- Taking meteorological observations and providing current information.
- Forecasting information for the most favorable operation of weather-dependent activities such as irrigation, agriculture, aviation, shipping, offshore oil exploration and so on.
- Offering warning against severe weather phenomenon such as tropical cyclones, dust storms, norwesters, heat waves, cold waves, heavy rains, heavy snow, etc.
- Providing met-related statistics needed for agriculture, industries, water resources management, oil exploration, and any other strategically important activities for the country.
- Engaging in research in meteorology and allied subjects.
- Detection and location of earthquakes and evaluation of seismicity in various parts of the country for developmental projects.
General Studies-III
Topic- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Soil and Water Resources Management
Context
International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate Smart Agriculture and Global Food & Livelihood Security begins in New Delhi.
About
International Conference on “Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate Smart Agriculture and Global Food and Livelihood Security” hosted by The Soil Conservation Society of India (SCSI).
Organisers
The conference is being organized jointly by-
- The Soil Conservation Society of India (SCSI),
- International Soil Conservation Organization (ISCO),
- World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC).
Soil Conservation Society of India (SCSI)
- Soil Conservation Society of India was born at Hazaribagh. Bihar (now in Jharkhand) in December 1951.
- at the first National Symposium on Soil Conservation organized by the first multidisciplinary Department of Soil Conservation created by the Damodar Valley Corporation. on the pattern of the TVA-Tennessee Valley Authority (USA).
- It was registered at Patna, Bihar under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
Mandate of SCSI
- The Society is mandate to the welfare of farmers and all the rural people whose livelihoods are associated with the natural resources.
- It works for the cause of conservation, development, management and sustainable use of the soil, land, water and associated resources of plants and animals.
- It is an association of conservationists-scientists, professionals and all those who pledge to work for the wise use of the precious finite and limited soil resources.
WASWAC World Conference IV
- The World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC), International Soil Conservation Organization (ISCO), and Soil Conservation Society of India (SCSI)) will hold a joint international conference in 2019.
- This will be WASWAC’s 4th World Conference, ISCO’s 20th International Congress, and SCSI 4th International Conference.
- SCSI will host the joint conference and other prominent international scientific and professional organizations have been invited to be co-sponsors.
- Theme– “Managing Soil and Water Resources for Climate-Smart Agriculture toward Global Food and Livelihood Security.”
- The conference will focus on the protection and conservation of land and natural resources for sustainable use and development.
About World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC)
- WASWAC, as a worldwide academic society, was established in USA in August 1983.
- The WASWAC secretariat is located at to the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES) Beijing.
- The aim of WASWAC– is to promote the wise use of management practices that will improve and safeguard the quality of land and water resources so that they continue to meet the needs of agriculture, society and nature.
- The vision of WASWAC– is a world in which all soil and water resources are used in a productive, sustainable and ecologically sound manner.
General Studies- II
Topic- Important aspects of governance, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential.
PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation)
Context
Prime Minister chaired the 31st interaction through PRAGATI — the ICT based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.
About
- PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) is a unique integrating and interactive platform.
- The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies:-
- Digital data management,
- Video-conferencing,
- Geo-spatial technology.
Cooperative federalism
- It offers a unique combination in the direction of cooperative federalism.
- It brings on one stage the Secretaries of Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of the States.
- With this, the Prime Minister is able to discuss the issues with the concerned Central and State officials with full information and latest visuals of the ground level situation.
Aim
- The platform is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances.
- Monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State Governments.
Key features
- It is a three-tier system:
- PMO,
- Union Government Secretaries, and
- Chief Secretaries of the States.
- Issues to be flagged before the PM are picked up from the available database regarding Public Grievances, on-going Programmes and pending Projects.
- Prime Minister interacts with the Government of India Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries through Video-conferencing enabled by data and geo-informatics visuals.
- It is also an innovative project in e-governance and good governance.
- The programme will be held once in every month on Fourth Wednesday to be known as PRAGATI Day.
For Prelims
Harvest Festivals in India
Highlights
‘Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal have been celebrated all across the country. These festivals are considered as Harvest Festivals in India’.
Lohri is primarily celebrated in Punjab and some parts on North India.
- It is observed a night before Makar Sankranti.
- It is essentially termed as the festival of the farmers and harvest, whereby, the farmers thank the Supreme Being.
Makar Sankranti marks the onset of summer and the six months auspicious period for Hindus known as Uttarayan – the northward movement of the sun.
- The Gujarat government has been hosting the International Kite Festival since 1989
- The festivities associated with the day is known by different names in different parts of the country:
- Lohri by north Indian Hindus and Sikhs,
- Sukarat in central India,
- Bhogali Bihu by Assamese Hindus,
- Pongal by Tamil and other South Indian Hindus.
Pongal, the four-day occasion is observed in the month of Thai.
- It is celebrated when crops such as rice are harvested and people show their gratitude to the almighty and the generosity of the land.
- The word Pongal means ‘overflow’ or ‘boiling over’.Also known as Thai Pongal.
- Tamilians celebrate the occasion by making traditional designs known as kolams in their homes with rice powder.
