Global wildlife population declines by 58% in 42 years since 1970: WWF report

Global wildlife population declines by 58% in 42 years since 1970: WWF report
The planet is entering an unchartered territory in its history in which humanity is shaping changes on the Earth, including a possible sixth mass extinction, says a WWF report
Global wildlife population, including that of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, have declined by 58% between 1970 and 2012 as a result of human activities and the number could reach nearly two-third, or 67%, by 2020, said a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report released on Thursday.
The ‘WWF’s Living Planet Report 2016’ report highlights the magnitude of human impact on the planet and highlights the changes needed in the way society is fed and fuelled. The report tracks over 14,000 vertebrate populations of over 3,700 species between 1970 and 2012.
It said that the planet is entering completely unchartered territory in its history in which humanity is shaping changes on the Earth, including a possible sixth mass extinction. Researchers are already calling this period the Anthropocene, an era in which human activities are influencing changes in the climate and the environment.
It said that the top threats to species are directly linked to human activities, including habitat loss, degradation and overexploitation of wildlife.
The report stated that India ranks fifth in terms of bio-capacity—an ecosystem’s capacity to produce resources such as food, fibre and renewable raw materials and absorb carbon dioxide.
“While Indians have a low personal footprint at an individual level, it is a challenge when aggregated by population size. This equation will be further affected as wealth grows and consumption patterns change. India’s carbon footprint currently makes up 53% of the country’s overall Ecological Footprint,” the report highlighted.
“Wildlife is disappearing within our lifetimes at an unprecedented rate. This is not just about the wonderful species we all love … biodiversity forms the foundation of healthy forests, rivers and oceans. Take away species, and these ecosystems will collapse along with the clean air, water, food and climate services that they provide us. We have the tools to fix this problem and we need to start using them now if we are serious about preserving a living planet for our own survival and prosperity,” said Dr Marco Lambertini, international director-general, WWF.
The report states that food production to meet the complex demands of an expanding human population is the primary factor responsible for the destruction of habitats and overexploitation of wildlife. At present, agriculture occupies about one-third of the Earth’s total land area and accounts for almost 70 % of water use.
“Our consumption patterns and the way we look at our natural world are constantly shaping the future of our planet. At WWF-India we believe that the power to build a resilient planet for future generations lies in our understanding of how we are moving into this new epoch that scientists are calling the Anthropocene and adopting sustainable practices that decrease humanity’s impacts on the planet. We need to come together as a global community and address the threats to biodiversity to protect our environment, as well as our economic and social structures,” said Ravi Singh, secretary general and chief executive of WWF-India.
However, the report said that 2020 is also a year of great promise as in that year, commitments made under the Paris climate deal will kick in, and the first environmental actions under the globe’s new sustainable development plan are due.
“If implemented, these measures, along with meeting international biodiversity targets set for 2020, can help achieve the reforms needed in the world’s food and energy systems to protect wildlife across the globe,” it added.
The report stressed that humans need to rethink how they produce, consume, and value the natural environment.

China will unveil its new generation J-20 stealth fighter jet

China will unveil its new generation J-20 stealth fighter jet at an air show next week, the air force said on Friday, the first public showing of a warplane China hopes will narrow the military gap with the United States.
The ability to project air power is key for China as it takes on a more assertive stance on territorial disputes with neighbours in the East China and South China seas.
The Pentagon has said the fifth generation stealth aircraft China is developing, the J-20 and the J-31, are necessary for China’s air force to evolve from a mostly territorial force to one that can carry out both offensive and defensive operations.

The J-20 will give a flight demonstration at next week’s China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in the southern city of Zhuhai, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force said in a statement on its official microblog.
Air force spokesman Shen Jinke said the J-20’s production was proceeding according to plan and would assist in the air force’s mission to “safeguard sovereignty and national security”.
“This is the first public appearance of China’s indigenously manufactured new generation stealth fighter jet,” the air force said.

State of Himachal Pradesh has been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF)

The State of Himachal Pradesh has been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). HP is the second State in the country (after Sikkim) to achieve the feat. With this, Himachal Pradesh has successfully achieved a total rural sanitation coverage of 100% in the State, with all 12 out of 12 districts in the State being both, declared as well as verified, as ODF

Antarctica's Ross Sea is now the world's largest marine protected area Ross Sea, Antarctica, will have special protection from commercial fishing activities

Antarctica's Ross Sea is now the world's largest marine protected area

A landmark international agreement to create the world’s largest marine park in the Southern Ocean has been brokered in Australia, after five years of compromises and failed negotiations.
More than 1.5m sq km of the Ross Sea around Antarctica will be protected under the deal brokered between 24 countries and the European Union. It means 1.1m sq km of it – an area about the size of France and Spain combined – will be set aside as a no-take “general protection zone”, where no fishing will be allowed.
Significantly, the protections are set to expire in 35 years.
The agreement came on Friday at the conclusion of two weeks of discussions between delegates from 24 countries and the EU in Hobart, at the annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

Evan Bloom from the US state department, the head of the US delegation to the meeting, told the Guardian he was “thrilled”.
“I think it’s a really significant moment,” he said. “We’ve been working towards this for many years. It’s taken time to get consensus but now we have established the world’s largest marine protected area.”
It is the first marine park created in international waters and will set a precedent for further moves to help the world achieve the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s recommendation that 30% of the world’s oceans be protected.
The Antarctic protections had been urgently sought because of the importance of the Southern Ocean to the world’s natural resources. For example, scientists have estimated that the Southern Ocean produces about three-quarters of the nutrients that sustain life in the rest of the world’s oceans. The region is also home to most of the world’s penguins and whales.
The Ross Sea is a deep bay in the Southern Ocean that many scientists consider to be the last intact marine ecosystem on Earth – a living laboratory ideally suited for investigating life in the Antarctic and how climate change is affecting the planet.
Andrea Kavanagh, the director of Antarctic and Southern Ocean work for the Pew Charitable Trusts, which has been working for years to achieve today’s result, said: “Today, CCAMLR made history by declaring the planet’s largest marine protected area in the Ross Sea.
“This landmark decision represents the first time that nations have agreed to protect a huge area of the ocean that lies beyond the jurisdiction of any individual country and shows that CCAMLR takes its role as protector of Antarctic waters seriously.”

The protections will not decrease the total amount of fish that are allowed to be caught in the Ross Sea, but it will move the industry away from the most crucial habitats close to the continent itself.

Russia has an industry catching antarctic toothfish there and the changes will push the fleet into waters where they will catch fewer immature fish, and where they won’t compete with as many orcas, who also rely on toothfish for food.
The agreement also establishes a large 322,000 sq km “krill research zone” that will allow for reseach catching of krill, but prohibit toothfish catching. Additionally, a 110,000 sq km “special research zone” will be established on the outside of the no-take zone, allowing catching of krill and toothfish only for research purposes.
“Today’s agreement is a turning point for the protection of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean,” said Chris Johnson, WWF-Australia’s ocean science manager. “This is important not just for the incredible diversity of life that it will protect, but also for the contribution it makes to building the resilience of the world’s ocean in the face of climate change.”
But the expiry of the protections in 35 years was a significant compromise. It came after five years of failed negotiations, with opposition from China and Russia which have fishing industries in the region.
The World Conservation Union definition of a marine protected area requires it to be permanent. “WWF has concerns that the Ross Sea agreement does not meet this standard,” Johnson said.
“We are optimistic that after years of deadlock at the annual CCAMLR meeting, today’s decision will spark renewed momentum for CCAMLR members to achieve permanent protection for the Ross Sea in coming years and also deliver marine protected areas in East Antarctica and the Weddell Sea.”
The Guardian understands that a proposal for 50 years of protection had been tabled but Russia wouldn’t agree.
Bloom said while the US and other countries preferred permanent protections, the compromise “was necessary in order for this to be adopted”.
Kavanagh said: “It can’t be overstated how difficult these negotiations were.”
“It took five years of talking about this one proposal exclusively to get it across the table. And if you look at other marine reserves that are permanent, they’re in one exclusive economic zone – it’s only one country that has to make the decision.
“And I’m positive that in 35 years, the conservation values that come out of the Ross Sea, the protections will be renewed. The world will be a different place in 35 years.”
The campaign group Avaaz had, with Leonardo DiCaprio, launched a petition calling for CCAMLR to establish “the world’s largest network of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean, starting with the Ross Sea and East Antarctica”. It received more than 2m signatures, Avaaz said.
“There’s massive momentum in the world right now to protect our oceans,” said Luis Morago, campaign director at Avaaz. “Governments have just set the landmark target of protecting 30% of our oceans, and millions of people all over the world are pushing for more protected areas to achieve that goal. The Ross Sea is just the start.”

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• Antarctica
• Marine life
• European Union
• Wildlife
• Fishing
• Conservation

Sardar Patel : Organiser par excellence

Sardar Patel : Organiser par excellence

Exactly one hundred years ago in June, 1916 a stylish Gujarati barrister mocked at a new visitor in Kathiwari dress to Gujarat Club, Ahmedabad. The barrister kept playing cards with his friends, even as the visitor delivered a lecture to a tiny audience in the lawn. He knew that visitor was none else than Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who had set up his Satyagraha Ashram in Ahmedabad recently after returning from South Africa. But the barrister, a successful criminal lawyer, had no interest in Gandhi’s pursuits. But as Gandhi persisted with his visits for talks, the barrister decided to attend once out of sheer curiosity.

The talk sounded like a religious discourse rather than political speech. Yet something changed permanently inside the 41-year old unemotional barrister. Gandhi’s words kept haunting him for days till he became ‘reluctant recruit’ to Satyagraha’s cause. But being a pragmatic individual to the core, he did not openly join it until 1917. That year Gandhi was recognized as India’s political messiah after Champaran Satyagraha. He then became a loyal disciple of Gandhi, and subsequently became his most capable lieutenant. Whatever Gandhi conceptualized, he organized; whatever were Gandhi’s plans, he implemented. He burnt down his European suits and adopted dhoti-kurta made of Khadi. He was Sardar Ballabhbhai Jhaveribhai Patel (1875-1950), the iron man of India.

            Patel was born on October 31, 1875 at Nandiad (dist Khera, Gujarat), around 200 kms from Surat. He hailed from the community of Leva Patels, believed to have descended from warrior caste, though traditionally engaged in cultivation. They have a history of bravery and hard labour. Patel hailed from an agriculturist family, and virtually grew up in the fields. He always introduced himself as a farmer/agriculturist, even at the height of legal or political career. He had three brothers and one sister. Out of them Vithalbhai Jhaveribhai Patel (1873-1933), Bar-at-Law, became the first Indian President (Speaker) of the Central Legislative Assembly.

            Patel showed his promise as a popular leader as an elected representative of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (1917-1928). He was able to not only outsmart the British officialdom, but took several constructive initiatives for the townspeople. While being President of the Corporation (1924-1928) he once presented a unique example of ‘Swachh Bharat’. Patel, along with volunteers, cleaned the streets of Ahmedabad with brooms and dustcart, beginning with Harijan Basti (Dalit quarters). As the Plague broke out in Ahmedabad in 1917, he worked almost round the clock with his volunteers to help the victims and their families. He worked at great personal risk of infection as Lokmanya Tilak had done during Pune Plague, 1896. The strain broke Patel’s robust health, but sealed his reputation as a mass leader. Around the same time Khera Satyagraha (1918), a forerunner to epic Bardoli No-Tax Campaign (1928), reinforced Patel’s leadership qualities. Though the tax settlements demanded by the peasants at Kheda (Gujarat) were not fully met, it had two important results. First it led to recognition of peasants as stakeholders in determining land taxes, and it brought Gandhi and Patel together. A decade later Gujarat was ravaged by floods after the torrential rains of July 23, 1927. Patel mounted a Herculean mission to rescue and rehabilitate the flood victims, which brought him to nationwide focus. The Bombay government (Gujarat was then part of Bombay Presidency) recommended him for an award, which Patel politely declined.

This humility was the hallmark of Patel even after his great victory at Bardoli (1928). He was reluctant to stand up at Calcutta Congress in December, 1928. After repeated persuasion he stood up in the audience amongst delegates from Gujarat, and had to be physically forced to come to the dais. Bardoli (Dist. Surat) was Patel’s Kurukshetra. He gave extraordinary leadership to successful tax resistance campaign that rolled on for three months. Only Tilak’s Famine Relief Campaign in Maharashtra (1896) could be compared to it in organizational brilliance. Patel organized the Satyagraha on military pattern though completely non-violent. He himself was the Supreme Commander (Senapati) and under him were Sector Commanders (Vibhag Patis), and under then volunteers (Sainik). The battle field covered 92 villages and 87,000 peasants. He ran a thorough information network involving horse mounted messengers, bhajan singers, paper printers etc. His success at Bardoli, attracted the attention of the whole British Empire. But the best recognition came from a farmer of Nanifalod, in Bardoli Taluka. Kuverji Durlabh Patel said in an open meeting, “Patel you are our Sardar’. Thereupon the title ‘Sardar’ attached to him permanently.

Patel’s disciplinarian approach was legendary. Self-discipline was Gandhi’s mantra. But Patel brought the organizational discipline and cohesion necessary for mass movements. Patel arrived on the political scene exactly when Indian politics hit mass-movement stage. John Gunther, the American journalist, who surveyed Asian politics in 1930s found Patel ‘party boss par excellence’. He found Patel a man of action, of practicality, the man who got things done.

Patel’s organizational capacities were at test as independence approached.  There was a threat of India’s balkanization had the princely states, numbering around 565, not joined Indian Union. Some like Travancore wanted to remain free, whereas others like Bhopal and Hyderabad conspired to join Pakistan, though not contagious to it. Partly by diplomacy and partly by coercion, Patel won over the princely states to join the Indian union. Force had to be applied in the case of Hyderabad, where Razakars had unleashed terror on subject population.

As independent India’s first Home Minister, he dealt with onerous responsibilities of resettling Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan and organizing the civil services etc. Philip Mason, ICS, said Patel was a natural administrator who did not seem to need any prior experience. Kaka Kalekar, Gandhi’s close associate, said Patel belonged to the illustrious class of Shivaji and Tilak though he was an unquestioning follower of Gandhi. Patel completed 75 years in 1950, in a broken health due to excessive strain. He passed away in Mumbai on December 15, 1950. On the death bed he betrayed no anxiety about his family, but about the condition of the country.

It is a pity that the legacy of Patel suffered from neglect. The present government has done well to rectify the wrongs of history, and highlight Patel as India’s master nation builder.

Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms 2016

Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms 2016

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in partnership with the World Bank Group, is pleased to release the results of the Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms 2015-16. The Assessment studies the extent to which states have implemented DIPP’s 340-point Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) for States/UTs 2015-16, covering the period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. The BRAP includes recommendations for reforms on 58 regulatory processes, policies, practices or procedures spread across 10 reform areas spanning the lifecycle of a typical business.

Data for this assessment was collected from State Governments on the BRAP portal. The portal, among the first of its kind globally, allowed State Governments to submit evidence of implemented reforms. At least 32 State and UT Governments submitted evidence of implementation of 7,124 reforms. These submissions were reviewed by the World Bank team and validated by DIPP’s team to study whether they met the objectives of the BRAP. The portal allowed for collaborative dialogue between DIPP and the State Governments in finalizing the evidence submitted. A total of 6,069 reforms were approved as implemented or not applicable on the portal.

The results of the assessment demonstrate that States have increasingly risen to addressing the challenge of making it easier to do business. The national implementation average stands at 48.93%, significantly higher than last year’s national average of 32%. This demonstrates the great progress made by States this year.

The final rank of the States as of June 30, 2016 is shown in the table below.

2016 Rank	State	Score (%)	2015 Rank
1.	ANDHRA PRADESH	98.78	2
1.	TELANGANA	98.78	13
3.	GUJARAT	98.21	1
4.	CHHATTISGARH	97.32	4
5.	MADHYA PRADESH	97.01	5
6	HARYANA	96.95	14
7.	JHARKHAND	96.57	3
8.	RAJASTHAN	96.43	6
9.	UTTARAKHAND	96.13	23
10.	MAHARASHTRA	92.86	8
11.	ODISHA	92.73	7
12.	PUNJAB	91.07	16
13.	KARNATAKA	88.39	9
14.	UTTAR PRADESH	84.52	10
15.	WEST BENGAL	84.23	11
16.	BIHAR	75.82	21
17.	HIMACHAL PRADESH	65.48	17
18.	TAMIL NADU	62.80	12
19.	DELHI	47.62	15
20.	KERALA	26.97	18
21.	GOA	18.15	19
22.	TRIPURA	16.67	26
23.	DAMAN & DIU	14.58	-
24.	ASSAM	14.29	22
25.	DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI	1.79	-
26.	PUDUCHERRY	1.49	20
26.	NAGALAND	1.49	31
28.	MANIPUR	1.19	-
29.	MIZORAM	0.89	28
30.	SIKKIM	0.60	27
31.	ARUNACHAL PRADESH	0.30	32
31.	JAMMU & KASHMIR	0.30	29
31.	CHANDIGARH	0.30	24
31.	MEGHALAYA	0.30	30
31.	ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS	0.30	25
31.	LAKSHADWEEP	0.30	-

Based on implementation of reforms, States have been divided into four categories, as below

Category	States
Leaders (90-100%)	Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab
Aspiring Leaders (70-90%)	Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar
Acceleration Required (40-70%)	Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi
Jump Start Needed (0-40%)	Kerala, Goa, Tripura, Daman & Diu, Assam, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Puducherry, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh, Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.

The highlight of the implemented reforms during this period is as follows:

•      Single Window Systems: Various States have created a dedicated body/bureau as a one-stop system for State level regulatory and fiscal incentive approvals. The online single window system has a provision for filing applications, payment, status tracking, online scrutiny and approval of applications. The officials of the Body/Bureau have also been given powers to grant approvals.

o     States include: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand

•      Tax reforms: States have made good progress in tax reforms. These include mandating e-registration for Value Added Tax (VAT), Central Sales Tax (CST), Professional Tax, Entry tax, etc, allowing online payment and return filing; providing e-filing support through service centers and helpline and risk-based tax compliance inspections.

o   States include: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal

•      Construction permits: Many States have allowed applicants to apply online and upload building plans for automated construction permit approval. In addition, several states have developed AutoCAD-based systems that automatically scan building plans and monitor compliance with the building bye-laws and building codes in force.

       o   States include: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttrakhand

•      Environment and labour reforms: States have also implemented advanced automated solutions to deal with environmental and pollution related applications and approvals. These solutions provides hassle free, 24 X 7 e-access to businesses to apply online, track applications, file returns and statements and get online permissions under various Acts and regulations.

       o   States include: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal

•      Inspection Reforms: A number of inspection reforms with regard to labour, tax and environment related compliances have been introduced across the States to help businesses comply with inspection requirements in a user-friendly manner. To bring in transparency, the states have also published comprehensive procedures and checklist for various inspections and have implemented online systems for allocation of inspectors to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the procedure.

       o   States include: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana,  Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand

•      Commercial disputes and paper-less courts: There has been significant progress this year in the area of judicial reforms compared to last year, particularly due to the passage of the Commercial Courts, Commercial Divisions and Commercial Appellate Divisions Act. To address the concern of time and costs associated with various legal processes, District Courts in various states have also made the provision of making online payments, e-filing and e-summons. Few States have also filled up vacancies in District Courts/commercial courts to ensure availability of adequate capacity for dealing with various cases.

       o   States include: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana

However, the present evaluation also highlights the need to properly communicate, monitor and evaluate these reforms to ensure that their impact is being felt on the ground.