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Protection of Environment For Sustainable Development

The protection of environment is needed for sustainable development. The Industrial pollution, degradation of forests, depletion of ozone layer, the green house gases results in global warming and climate which will have an adverse impact on environment and human health. There is a need for conservation of Biodiversity, protection of wetlands and prevention of environmental pollution, promotion of ecological balance enables sustainable development. There are several provisions provided in Indian Constitution for Protection of environment. There are certain legislations enacted viz. Environment Protection Act, Wildlife Preservation Act, Biodiversity Conservation Act, water and Air pollution prevention Acts etc The Judiciary playing a vital role in protection of Environment.  Through Judicial Activism the Supreme Court can issue directions under writ Jurisdiction under Article 32 of Indian Constitution. The United Nation Organisation passed several UN conventions like Ramsar Convention on protection of wetlands, and UN convention on Biodiversity etc. World Environment Day is being celebrated across the world on 5^th June every year.

Global Warming and Climate change

Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. Even though it is an ongoing debate, it is proved by the scientists that the planet is warming. Global warming is for real The average global temperatures are higher than they have ever been during the past millennium, and the levels of CO in the atmosphere have e crossed all previous records. The climate is changing. The earth is warming up, and there is now overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening, and human-induced. With global warming on the increase and species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many are agreed that climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. Recent years show increasing temperatures in various regions, and  increasing extremities in weather patterns. Climate Change resulting from increased green house gases concentrations has the potential to harm societies and eco-systems. In particular, agriculture, forestry, water resources, human health, costal settlements and natural eco-systems will need to adapt to a changing climate or face diminishing functions. The changing climate patterns, and especially increased frequency and severity of extreme events, will increase vulnerability to the natural disasters, both slower on set ones such as drought and rapid onset disaster such as flood and cyclones.

Forest Conservation

The role of forests in the national economy and in ecology was emphasized in the 1988 National Forest Policy, which focused on ensuring environmental stability, restoring the ecological balance, and preserving the remaining forests. Other objectives of the policy were meeting the need for fuelwood, fodder, and small timber for rural and tribal people while recognizing the need to actively involve local people in the management of forest resources. Also in 1988, the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 was amended to facilitate stricter conservation measures. The 2009 Indian national forest policy document emphasizes the need to combine India's effort at forest conservation with sustainable forest management. India defines forest management as one where the economic needs of local communities are not ignored; rather forests are sustained while meeting nation's economic needs and local issues through scientific forestry.

Protection of Wetlands

Wetlands are complex ecosystems and encompass a wide range of inland, coastal and marine habitats. They share the characteristics of both wet and dry environments and show immense diversity based on their genesis, geographical location, hydrological regimes and substrate factors. They include flood plains, swamps, marshes, fishponds, tidal marshes natural and man-made wetlands. Among the most productive life support, wetlands have immense socio-economic and ecological importance for mankind. They are crucial to the survival of natural biodiversity. They provide suitable habitats for endangered and rare species of birds and animals, endemic plants, insects besides sustaining migratory birds. India has a wealth of wetland ecosystems distributed in different geographical regions. India is also a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the Convention of Biological Diversity; Apart from government regulation, development of better monitoring methods is needed to increase the knowledge of the physical and biological characteristics of each wetland resource, and to gain, from this knowledge, a better understanding of wetland dynamics and their controlling processes. India being one of the mega diverse nations of the world should strive to conserve the ecological character of these ecosystems along with the biodiversity of the flora and fauna associated with these ecosystems. The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 158 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1758 wetland sites, totaling 161 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Ramsar Convention is the only global environment treaty dealing with a particular ecosystem. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was developed as a means to call international attention to the rate at which wetland habitats were disappearing, due to lack of understanding of their important functions, values, goods and services. Governments which have joined the Convention are expressing their willingness to make a commitment for helping to reverse that history of wetland loss and degradation. In addition, many wetlands are international systems lying across the boundaries of two or more countries, or are part of river basins that include more than one country.

Conservation of Biodiversity

Conservation of Biodiversity is the need of the hour. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 is a federal legislation enacted by the Parliament of India for preservation of biological diversity in India, and provides mechanism for equitable sharing of benefits arising out of use of traditional biological resources and knowledge. The Act was enacted to meet the obligations under Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to which India is a party. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established in 2003 to implement India’s Biological Diversity Act 2002. The NBA is a Statutory, Autonomous Body and it performs facilitative, regulatory and advisory function for the Government of India on issues of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources.

Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting endangered plant and animal species and their habitats. Among the goals of wildlife conservation are to ensure that nature will be around for future generations to enjoy and to recognize the importance of wildlife and wilderness lands to humans.  Many nations have government agencies dedicated to wildlife conservation, which help to implement policies designed to protect wildlife. Numerous independent nonprofit organizations also promote various wildlife conservation causes. Wildlife conservation has become an increasingly important practice due to the negative effects of human activity on wildlife. Wildlife Conservation Act 2002 was enacted to protect wildlife in India. The main objective of Project Tiger is to ensure a viable population of tiger in India for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values and to preserve for all time, areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people. Project Elephant (PE), a centrally sponsored scheme, was launched in February 1992 to provide financial and technical support to major elephant bearing States in the country for protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors.

Ozone Depletion

Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related phenomena observed since the late 1970s: a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere (the ozone layer), and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions. The latter phenomenon is referred to as the ozone hole. In addition to these well-known stratospheric phenomena, there are also springtime polar tropospheric ozone depletion events. The details of polar ozone hole formation differ from that of mid-latitude thinning, but the most important process in both is catalytic destruction of ozone by atomic halogens. The main source of these halogen atoms in the stratosphere is photo dissociation of man-made halocarbon refrigerants (CFCs, freons, halons). These compounds are transported into the stratosphere after being emitted at the surface. Both types of ozone depletion were observed to increase as emissions of halo-carbons increased. CFCs and other contributory substances are referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS). This is used to protect the ozone layer which protect humans from ultra-violet rays of Sun.

Environmental Impact Assessment

An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an assessment of the possible impacts that a proposed project may have on the environment, consisting of the environmental, social and economic aspects. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision makers consider the environmental impacts when deciding whether or not to proceed with a project. The International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) defines an environmental impact assessment as "the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made." EIAs are unique in that they do not require adherence to a predetermined environmental outcome, but rather they require decision ­makers to account for environmental values in their decisions and to justify those decisions in light of detailed environmental studies and public comments on the potential environmental impacts.

Environment and Indian Constitution

The Indian Constitution guarantees justice, liberty and equality to all citizens of the country. In Maneka Gandhi's case the court gave a new dimension to Article 21. It held that the right to 'live' is not merely confined to physical existence but it include within its ambit the right to live with human dignity. The same view was reflected by Court in Francis Coralie V. Union Territory of Delhi said that the right to live is not restricted to mere animal existence. Article 21 also constitute right to get pollution free water and air. Article 48 of Directive Principles of State Policy directs that the State to take steps to organize agriculture and animal husbandary on modern and scientific lines. Again Article 48-A requires the State to take steps to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country. In M.C. Mehta (II) V. Union of India, the Supreme Court, relying on Article 48-A gave direction to Central and State Governments and various local bodies and Boards under the various statutes to take appropriate steps for the prevention and control of pollution of water. Article 51-A says that it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and impove the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living.

Role of Judiciary in Environmental Protection

One of the most innovative parts of the Constitution is that right to enforce the fundamental rights by moving Supreme Court is itself a fundamental right under article 32 of the Constitution. Writ juridisdiction is conferred on Supreme Court under Article 32 and High Courts under Article 226 of the Constitution. Under these provisions Supreme Court and High Courts have the power to issue any drections or orders writ, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo-warranto and certiorari, whichever is appropriate High Court is wider in scope than that of Supreme Court. However, it may be pointed out that the law declared by the Supreme Court shall be binding on all Courts within the territory of India. Moreover, the Supreme Court in exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it. The Supreme Court and also various High Courts have taken innumerable measures in a series of their landmark judgements. Over the years the apex Court has been paying special attention for the protection of environment by giving effective directions to all the persons concerned with the matter by invoking its powers under the Article 32. An analysis of the various decisions of the Supreme Court reveals that the Apex Court has exercised its writ jurisdiction when there was leakage of hazardous gases like Chlorine from the Shri Ram Industries, throwing of waste material of alchohal plants into the adjoining nala resulting in spreading of obnoxious cells being released apart from mosquito breeding, discharge of highly toxic affluent by the tanneries, safety and insurance for the benefit of workers at the cost of employer, to entertain public grievances relating to environment in the nature of public inters litigation for banning of harmful drugs, pollution of holy Ganga by municipal sewage and industrial affulents, illegal mining of effecting ecology, pollution of waters in river polar in Tamil Nadu due to discharge of untreated affulents, assuring sustainable development detrimental to the forest growth, damage to the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, protecting the people from suffering of respiratory and other diseases reminding the enforecment agencies to do the job. The Environment pollution is not confined only to any particular country or particular region. It is widening and crossing over the state and political boundaries affecting land, water, air, space, perversely. Realising the degraded consequences of the environmental pollution and its future impact on living being the battle legal, political and scientific, has started in all forums of international, regional and national organizations.

The National Green Tribunal was established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues. The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.

Legislations on Environment

Environmental quality has deteriorated during past two decades. This is because of the gap between the intent of the policy and the actual achievement. India's environmental problems are mainly due to its high population and limited natural resources. Protection of the environment poses a fundamental challenge to the nations desire to industrialize faster. Various efforts are being made to control India's environmental problems. The government has recognized the need for planned land and water resource management and the protection of environmental resources is included in the constitution since 1976. The constitution, 42^th amendment act of 1977 obligates the Government to protect and improve environment for the good of society as a whole. It also makes an environmental protection an obligation of the state and individual citizen and reads, "The state shall Endeavour to protect and improve the environmental and to safeguard forests and wildlife of the country." Article 51-A (9) states "It shall be duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures." A lot of Acts like Biodiversity Conservation Act, environment Protection Act, Wildlife Preservation Act, Water Pollution Prevention Act, Air Pollution Prevention Act etc. are enacted from time to time for environment preservation.

Sustainable Development

Economic development also refer as generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policy makers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area. Economic development can also be referred to as the quantitative and qualitative changes in the economy. Such actions can involve multiple areas including development of human capital, critica infrastructure,  regional competitiveness, environmental,sustainability, social,inclusion, health, safety, literacy, and other initiatives. Economic development differs from economic growth. Economic development is a policy intervention endeavor with aims of economic and social well-being of people, economic growth is a phenomenon of market productivity and rise in GDP. Consequently, as economist Amartya Sen points out: “economic growth is one aspect of the process of economic development. We should handover Quality Air, land and environment to future generations.

World Environment Day is being celebrated across the world on 5^th June every year.

Achievements of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Achievements of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs

   The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is committed to overall development (including health and education) of the people belonging to Scheduled Tribes and to protect the rights of such people and preserve and promote tribal culture and heritage.

The Ministry takes a gap filling role in the activities of various line ministries insofar as the welfare of the tribal population is concerned and implements a number of schemes through the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations or organizations recommended by the Multi-Disciplinary State Level Committee of the concerned State Government/UT Administration.

The capacity of tribal people to harness the fruits of development and to access various schemes for delivery of public goods and services has remained limited. The Integrated Tribal Development Agencies were the institutions assigned with the role to facilitate such access. But over the years, several scheme-specific bodies at District level became stronger whereas ITDAs/ITDPs have become weak or non-existent in most of the states. Similarly, Tribal Research Institutes have become weak in many states. This has reduced knowledge support to persons in charge of tribal development. Urban areas have seen increasing number of tribal people but there is no agency to look after their special problems. During the current year, the Ministry has taken up the strengthening of these institutions on priority and also to create new ones so that they can deliver goods and services more effectively. Under the existing scheme of SCA to TSP, Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution and the scheme of ‘Grant-in-Aid to Tribal Research Institutes’, the guidelines have been revised so that these institutions may be equipped with proper infrastructure, manpower and flexibility.

RECENT INITIATIVES TAKEN BY THE MINISTRY:

HEALTH & NUTRITION

Sickle Cell Anemia: A protocol for identification of Sickle Cell Hemoglobin in tribal students through a low cost “Turbidity Test” has been developed by ICMR.Training workshops organized by the Ministry to carry out these tests within this financial year. A card is being issued to each child on sickle cell status which would be used to counsel parents of sickle cell carriers not to marry other sickle cell carrier. The State of Gujarat has already completed more than 80% screening. Training workshops have been held in the states of Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

MALARIA: To reduce the incidences of Malaria amongst the tribal population, composite fish cultures in the ponds has been advocated. Using space technology mapping of existing ponds and potential ponds has been started and training workshops been held in all States/UTs with ST population. This prevents the breeding of mosquitoes.

Other initiatives include:

Ø  Bring all pregnant mothers under immunization programme.

Ø  A protocol for including Folic Acid, every Monday immediately after the afternoon meal has been put in place.

Ø  To ensure regular intake of green leafy vegetables, kitchen gardens are encouraged. Traditional foods like minor millets, etc. are encouraged for cultivation and included as a part of the school meals.

Ø  Habit of hygiene and sanitation, use of recyclable material amongst school children, reduction in generation of garbage.

Ø  Circulars regarding hygiene and cleanliness were issued to the Tribal Welfare Departments of all states and union territories.

Ø  Engagement of trained lady health workers as Warden/Asstt. Wardens in girls’ hostels.

Ø  Suggestions obtained from citizens through MyGov.in platform on Low Literacy and High Dropout rates. Existing and potential dropouts are being targeted for suitable skill training with a livelihood focus.

Ø  Involvement of Parents and community in the education of the ST children and in the school management.

Ø  Role of Teachers expanded to include mentoring of students and counselling of students and parents. 

Ø  Utilising long summer vacation for Remedial coaching and vocational/skill development classes.

Ø  Special coaching for English and Mathematics after class V and Mathematics and Science after class VII to overcome barriers in curriculum.

Ø  Schools being positioned as nursery grounds for spotting and nurturing of natural talents of ST students for Academics, Sports, Traditional and Modern Skills etc.

Ø  Expansion of Scope of Education for Tribal children to include sports, physical education, work education, vocational education, Tribal Art, painting, crafts, kitchen gardening, health, hygiene and nutrition, etc to make the school education useful and relevant for the children and tribal communities.

Ø  Development of Bilingual Primers containing text both in regional and tribal languages but in local official script through Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA)

Ø  School curriculum for ST children in the age group of 5-16 years is improved to make it contextually relevant and culturally appropriate for the local tribal culture.

Ø  Long school vacation being synchronised with local tribal festival and harvest season.

Ø  Construction of functional girl’s toilets to address hygiene, sanitation and dropout of girl’s students.

Ø  Co-education Residential schools (200-300 student’s capacity) in block headquarters for quality education and physical safety.

Ø  Promotion of traditional food (minor millet and greens) in school meals.

Ø  School managements are empowered to engage teachers per class basis to overcome acute shortage.

Ø  100% screening of children for Sickle Cell Anemia Trait and counselling of parents.

Ø  Engagement of trained lady health workers as Warden/Assistant Wardens in girls hostels

Ø  Promotion of Education, in celebration and campaign mode. In collaboration with the states/UTs, local bodies and also with the All India Radio, Ministry is planning for wide publicity for admission, enrolment and education of Tribal children. Awareness drive in campaign and celebration mode is being designed targeting the Tribal children, parents, communities, teachers and school administration and will continue throughout the year.

VANBANDHU KALYAN YOJANA, a strategic process to converge resources to achieve desired outcomes through appropriate institutional mechanism, was launched on 28^th October, 2014. This approach envisages comprehensive development of tribals by shifting the working character into a holistic approach rather than focusing on physical and financial achievements. This approach commensurate to the Gujarat Model for over all development of the tribal people with sustainability.

CULTURE

National Tribal Festival – Vanaj

The Ministry is providing a national platform for conservation and promotion of cultural heritage of the tribals. A national festival was organized from 13 – 18 February, 2015 in Delhi to showcase tribal art, craft, food, literature, medicines and also display and sale of tribal art and crafts. This would be an annual event to be held between second Friday and third Wednesday of February.

e-GOVERNANCE

Ministry’s website www.tribal.nic.in has been awarded “Web Ratna Gold Icon 2014 Awards” for outstanding Content.

Ø  In addition to the tech enabled trade information and information of the Ministry including its financials being kept in public domain through the Ministry’s website, continuous updation of website and use of social media through twitter (@tribalaffairsin) and facebook (Ministry of Tribal Affairs) have been undertaken.

Ø  Launching of MFP net – for real time prices across various mandees (www.trifed.in).

Ø  Linking Kisan Call Centre (1800-180-1551) with MFP Net to provide trade info of not only Minor Forest Produce, but also about agricultural products.

Ø  Launching of e-commerce portal for sale of tribal crafts and produce collaboration withwww.snapdeal.com for online sale of tribal products by TRIFED.

Ø  e-File Tracking System (for tracking files and correspondences), e-Samiksha (Real time Online Monitoring), PRAGATI (Public Grievances), AEBAS (Bio-metric Attendance System) my GOV (for seeking public views on various topics related to the Ministry), VLMS (VVIP Letter Monitoring System) are extensively used.

Ø  All payments in the Ministry are made through electronic transfer.

Ø  All procurements are made through tenders which are uploaded on the relevant portals.

Livelihood-

Ø  Livelihood activities which can provide regular, sustainable incomes have been supported and advocated e.g. promotion of Dairy Development through co-operatives and linking with Milk Federations would provide a range of veterinary services and regular income that has women participation. Similarly, backyard poultry can reach large number of households and help in providing protein and additional income.

Ø  Composite fish culture is for both containing mosquito population, providing protein supplement and income to the family. Usage of Space Technology for mapping existing water bodies and developing potential through MGNREGS has been promoted. In addition, Horticulture, Floriculture, improved varieties of traditional minor millets advocated and supported. Minor millets are more nutritious than polished rice or maize and hence recommended for menu in schools also. 

Fight against hunger too slow and uneven

The Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of chronically undernourished people in developing countries by 2015 is within reach. But progress must accelerate by the end of this year

Almost 800 million people, or one in nine in the world, continue to suffer from hunger. The number of hungry people has declined globally by more than 167 million over the last decade, and by more than 200 million since 1991; 780 million of the chronically hungry are in developing countries, where their share has declined from 23.4 per cent in 1991 to just under 13.0 per cent at the end of 2014.

Thus, according to the latest State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI 2015) report, the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the proportion of chronically undernourished people in developing countries by 2015 is within reach, but only if progress accelerates sufficiently by the end of this year.

Progress too slow

At the 1996 World Food Summit (WFS), heads of government and the international community committed to reducing the number of hungry people in the world by half. Five years later, the MDGs lowered the level of ambition by seeking to halve the proportion of the chronically undernourished.

By the end of 2014, 72 developing countries had reached the MDG Goal 1 target. Of these, 29 have also achieved the more ambitious WFS goal. However, the number of hungry people in the world has only declined by a fifth from the billion estimated for 1991.

…and uneven

Overall progress has been highly uneven. Some countries and regions have seen only slow progress in reducing hunger, while the number of hungry has even increased in several cases.

In sub-Saharan Africa, more than one in four people remains chronically hungry, while Asia, the world’s most populous continent by far, is also home to over half a billion hungry people. Meanwhile, Latin America, the Caribbean, East and Southeast Asia have significantly reduced both the share and the number of undernourished. Most countries have reached the MDG target. West Asia and Central Africa have seen a rise in the share of the hungry compared to 1991, while progress in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Oceania has not been sufficient to meet the MDG hunger target by 2015.

Lessons from experience

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for how to improve food security, SOFI 2015 identifies several factors that have played a critical role in achieving the hunger target.

Growth needs to be inclusive to reduce poverty and hunger. Access to food has improved rapidly and significantly in countries that have experienced inclusive economic growth, notably in East and South-East Asia. Better performers in Africa met the MDG hunger target while those that made slow progress did not.

Raising the productivity of family farmers can be an effective way out of poverty and hunger by increasing net incomes and in town investments for further improvements. improved agricultural productivity, especially by small holder family farmers and incomes, leads to poverty and hunger reduction.

Economic growth is usually helpful as it can expand the fiscal revenue base, including to finance social transfers and other assistance programmes. In Latin America and South Asia, social protection has made the difference, especially for the rural poor, who comprise 78 per cent of the poor globally.

The expansion of social protection — cash transfers to vulnerable households, food vouchers, health insurance or school meal programmes — correlates strongly with progress in hunger reduction. Besides the direct impact on relieving hunger and poverty, social protection can enable those with fewer assets to boost their incomes, and invest more, thus enhancing their resilience.

SOFI 2015 estimates that some 150 million people worldwide have escaped extreme poverty thanks to social protection. However, more than two-thirds of the world’s poor still do not have access to regular social support. Transfers help households manage risk and mitigate shocks that would otherwise trap them in poverty and hunger.

With the number of undernourished people remaining “unacceptably high”, the need to strengthen the political commitment to eliminate hunger cannot be overemphasised. The pledges of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean at its 2013 summit and of the 2014 African Union summit to end hunger in their respective continents by 2025 are very encouraging. In 2015, the governments of the world are expected to strengthen financing for development, commit to the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals and ensure the needed collective action to address global warming. SOFA 2015 is a timely reminder of the enduring legacy of needless hunger and poverty which we must eliminate by 2030.

Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with care.’

Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with care.’

Environment Minister’s Message on the Occasion of
World Environment Day

Emphasising the need to alter consumption patterns in a manner that more and better can be done with less resources, Minister of State of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge), Shri Prakash Javadekar has exhorted people to make at least one change in their lives towards a more responsible resource consumption behaviour, or practice. In a message on the occasion of World Environment Day here today, Shri Javadekar said that business, as usual, was no longer an option.  The Minister emphasised that every individual has a responsibility in contributing to protect the environment and reduce the rate of depletion of natural resources.  He added that people could become agents of change, by being more conscious of the environmental consequences of their personal choices.   He pointed out that by the year 2050, with an expected population of 9.6 billion, it is estimated that three planets would be needed to sustain the ways of living and consumption. The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet.  Consume with care.”

Shri Javadekar also urged the industries and the society to adopt environmentally responsible practices such as the approach of three Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.   He said that while less than 3% of the water in the world is drinkable, one out of seven persons in the world do not have access to drinkable water.   Pointing out that dietary choices and habits affect environment, he said that 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, while almost 1 billion people go undernourished and another 1 billion go hungry.  Food sector accounts for around 30% of the world’s total energy consumption and around 22% of total greenhouse gas emissions, the Minister added. 

Following is the text of the message on the occasion of World Environment Day:

“Today we celebrate the World Environment Day, to raise awareness about the importance of a clean, green and healthy environment for human well-being and to encourage everyone for taking positive action in addressing challenging environmental issues. Celebrated each year on 5^th June, the Day marks the opening of the United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972.

The theme this year, ‘Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care’ is very topical and relevant, as it reminds us of the enormous impact that our personal choices and decisions in day-to-day lives as consumers, have on environment. It also emphasises the responsibility each one of us has, in contributing to protecting the environment and reducing the rate of depletion of natural resources.

Changes in natural resource base due to human activities have taken place more rapidly in the past 50 years than at any time in human history, causing continued deterioration of environment. As a result, many of the Earth’s ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points of depletion, or irreversible change. By 2050, with the current consumption and production patterns and with a rising population expected to reach 9.6 billion, it is estimated that we would need three planets to sustain our ways of living and consumption.

We simply cannot afford this, as we have but ‘Only one Earth.’ Ironically, this was the theme for the first World Environment Day 42 years ago in 1973. We still have some time to transform the challenges of limited and fast depleting resources into opportunities that will enhance the quality of life for all, without increasing environmental degradation and without compromising the resource needs of future generations.

This, however, calls for altering our consumption patterns in a manner that we do more and better with less; less of water, less of energy, and less of all other resources. ‘Business as usual’ is no longer an option for us. By becoming more conscious of the ecological impact of our actions and environmental consequences of the personal choices we make, we can become agents of change.

Unsustainable patterns of consumption are one of the major causes of increasing environmental deterioration. That we can make a difference through our choices and decisions can be gauged from these facts relating to water, energy and food:

·                  Less than 3% of the world’s water is drinkable, of which 2.5% is frozen. Water is being polluted faster than nature can recycle and purify. More than 1 billion people do not have access to fresh water. Excessive use/wastage of water is leading to global water stress.

·                  Energy consumption has grown most rapidly in transport sector, followed by commercial and residential use. The cost of renewable energy is becoming increasingly competitive, with that being derived from fossil fuels. We can therefore, shift our consumption patterns with lower energy and material intensity, without compromising on the quality of life.

·                  Food sector, due to environmental impact in its production phase, accounts for around 30% of the world’s total energy consumption and around 22% of total greenhouse gas emissions. 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, while almost 1 billion people go undernourished and another 1 billion, hungry.      Over-consumption of food is detrimental to our health, as well as to the environment. Dietary choices and habits, therefore, affect environment.

India has had a long cultural tradition of frugality and simple living in harmony with nature. As a result, conservation ethos is deeply ingrained in our people. However, unfortunately, the symbiotic relationship of man with nature gets debilitated as societies develop, risking the well-being of future generations.

In today’s times, when we look closely at the relationship between people and environment, though hard to see at first, we would be able to recognise unsustainable behaviours amongst most of us. Let us try asking ourselves some difficult questions.

-          Do I need everything I own?

-          What if I did not own this?

-          What are my real needs?

-          Am I aware of what I eat, how it is produced and how far it has travelled?

-          Is my house energy efficient?

-          How do I commute daily?

-          Do I know how to save on water, electricity, fuel etc.?

-          What are the social and environmental impacts of my lifestyle?

-          What can I do to be more sustainable?

Going by the likely answers that we may get to these questions, we would realise that we need to be much more frugal in the way we use natural resources, while also recognising that for us, inclusive growth and a rapid increase in per capita income levels are development imperatives. In this context, the Government’s policy on ‘Zero defect, Zero Effect’; the programme on ‘100 Smart cities’; the campaign on ‘Swachh Bharat’; and the mission on ‘Namami Gange’ are very apt and relevant.

            The challenge of production and consumption of environment friendly goods in India is huge. This would entail use of raw materials which are organic, locally produced or environment-friendly; and green-energy based technology. Though there are indications that impressive changes are taking place, the outlined factors are yet to be embedded fully with the production processes in India. These create two main challenges: firstly, the problem of availability and acquisition of green raw material and technology, which is a critical challenge for the producers in developing countries such as India, given the lower level of research and development (R&D) and issues arising from transfer of technology from other nations. Second, and a more important challenge is the high cost of production of green goods, since the inputs (raw material and technology) invariably cost higher than the ones used for non-green variants.

India, like other developing and emerging economies, has a tremendous advantage of knowledge about the adverse impact of earlier development paradigms and a vast array of new technologies. Significant reductions in environmental pressures can be achieved by appropriate private and public consumption patterns, to supplement gains achieved through better technology and improved production processes.

The 3Rs approach of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle should be the core of environmentally responsible practices that the industries and society at large should imbibe.

As we celebrate the 2015 World Environment Day, let us pledge to make at least one change in our lives towards a more responsible resource consumption behaviour or practice.

How apt was Mahatma Gandhi, when he said, ‘Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not for every man’s greed.’

Let us re-establish the link with nature, as did the ancients in India centuries ago, and take from Earth and the environment only so much, as one puts back into them.  The sages of Atharva Veda chanted in their hymn to Earth, I quote:

“What of thee I dig out, let that quickly grow over;

Let me not hit thy vitals, or thy heart”.”

Towards making a Corruption-Free Government

he Narendra Modi Government has completed one year in office on May 26 this year and during this period, there have been enough moves by the NDA Government to remove corruption from the administration. One of the 2014 Lok Sabha election promises was to root out corruption and bring back black money stashed abroad. Modi Government,  in one year, certainly has not ended these two major evils that have been afflicting Indian economy right from independence, but the measures taken so far, have given enough confidence to the people that the new Government is serious in rooting out corruption from the administration..

            There are no short-cuts. But even skeptics cannot deny the fact that there are no 2G, Commonwealth games or coal scams during the last one year and it goes to Modi’s credit that his image is not tarnished unlike his predecessor Manmohan Singh, who despite being personally honest, seems to have done very little to stop mega scams running into lakhs of crores of rupees right under his nose. None can dispute the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun in right earnest to make the system transparent as we have seen in recent coal auction or the 2G spectrum auction which together fetched a little over Rs 3 lakh crore to the exchequer, which would also be shared with states where the coal mines are located. Modi may not have fulfilled his promise to put Rs 15 lakh in every bank account holder by bringing back trillions of ill-gotten money stashed abroad, but he has certainly ensured some beginning is made to ensure Swiss authorities cooperation to get into the bottom of some of the black money stashed abroad.

Corruption is deep-rooted in the country and various studies show that at least $8 billion, inflation indexed, is siphoned off every year and one estimate suggests that over $620 billion has been siphoned off since independence due to ambiguity and loopholes in policies, which is a major breeding ground. Transparency International has estimated that the black money stashed abroad by Indians could be as high as $1.4 trillion including the ill gotten money secured in major scams, which surface periodically like Bofors, Jaguar and other defence deals besides mega scams like coal and 2G.

The money that is siphoned off in scams is no doubt large but the money made in petty corruption is not smaller though they are not stashed abroad. The money made through corruption starting from driving licence, MNREGS, PDS system, subsidies, public procurement, bribing lower staff to push files, paying money to taxmen for getting their returns scrutinized and securing genuine refunds, real estate registration, bribing the cops for traffic and other violations and so on hit hard the common man most and stunts economic development. The parallel economy, which could be as much as 50 per cent of GDP contributes greatly to inflation, delay in decision making and at times stalls development activities because some vested groups are not able to make money.

            Business guru C K Prahalad had estimated that India lost at least $50 billion worth of investments annually because of corruption. This is because corruption made investors change their mind in investing in the country. It is well established that lower the corruption like in Singapore, higher and faster is the economic development. India is not the only country which has high rate of corruption, the problem is there in other emerging economies as well but the type of corruption that exists in India afflicts day to day activity more and perhaps drastically slows down bureaucratic decisions leading to huge time and cost overruns in projects.

Corruption might not be the only factor but certainly a contributory factor for the huge number of projects stalled in the country. At one point of time during UPA-ll, as much as Rs 18 lakh crore worth of projects were stalled. Lately, Modi government has ensured that these stalled projects started moving, some of them held up because of corruption According to Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal, the transparent coal e-auction, which has potential for Rs 3.35 lakh crore revenue going to coal bearing states, especially in eastern India, will help greatly in reducing corruption. Modi has already decided to crackdown on corruption and his office has directed all central department on time-bound action within 60 days to enforce rule of law. Ministers have been asked to sanction prosecution or order disciplinary action within 60 days against officials found to have indulged in corruption or misconduct respectively, after vigilance inquiry.

            In sectors and services where public interface is high or which impact the daily affairs of the masses, the direction is that there should be zero-overhand of licence or other application beyond a prescribed time period. These instructions are fine. But the question how far these would be implemented by the concerned agencies in right earnest. The new Government has to be really strict to enforce its instructions. One of the reasons for policy paralysis during the second half of UPA regime was because government officials did not want to take any decision for fear of being accused or prosecuted at a later date. So they used to keep on pushing files after seeking some clarifications. This ensured that they are not accused of not working but at the same time ensured no decision was taken. The PMO has also instructed officials to identify and crack down on areas where middlemen were suspected to be operating. In an open letter to the nation to mark the completion of one year in office on May 26, Modi said his government has acted to tackle “unabated corruption”. Uncompromising adherence to the principle of purity, in action as well as intent only ensures corruption-free society.

            More time is needed to judge whether these have helped in reducing corruption. One area where government should concentrate is bringing about systemic changes and automation, which would help in minimizing corruption if not eliminate it. For example computerisation and automation of railway ticketing has virtually eliminated touts and reduced to a large extent corruption. But there are several other areas in railways where corruption is rampant like contracts, catering, procurement, scrap disposal and so on, which are not yet fully transparent. Smart cards in metros have virtually eliminated ticketless travel. Likewise digitalization, a pet subject of Modi, will minimize corruption in movement of files, tenders and so on as it would introduce transparency.

            The root cause of corruption in this country is that too many people are chasing too few things, so without progress and honesty among politicians and business cutting across all parties, corruption will remain. Complicated laws too add to the problem as it leads to discretionary powers with politicians and bureaucracy, a breeding ground for corruption. Government should also attempt cleaning up of laws including that of taxes, make government procurement transparent and impart moral education to all so that in the long term, India becomes somewhat like Singapore as far as corruption is concerned and day to day life became easier. Modi Government has started the process with great zeal, but it has to be sustained for getting long term benefits.