e-Krishi Samvad
11-May-2017: Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister launch e-Krishi Samvad, an online interface
e-Krishi Samvad is an internet-based interface and is a unique platform that will provide direct and effective solutions to the problems faced by farmers and stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
Union Agriculture Minister said that people can directly connect to the ICAR website http://icar.org.in and get the appropriate solutions from the subject matter specialists and institutes through web or SMS. Stakeholders can upload photographs related to diseases of the crops, animals or fishes for diagnostics and remedial measures instantly from the specialists.
Those who have internet facility on the mobile phone can also avail this facility. e-Krishi Samvad is useful to get information pertaining to welfare and development of agricultural stakeholders.
Bicycle Patrols
30-May-2017: “Bicycle Patrols” launched by Delhi Police
As a 'green' initiative for patrolling the parks, congested lanes and by-lanes, the cooperative societies etc., the Delhi Police has introduced bicycle patrols to complement and supplement its existing motorcycle and PCR patrols which focus mainly on crime prevention along the arterial and main roads of Delhi.
Cycle patrols can go where traditional patrol vehicles cannot. The bicycle patrols will reach the narrow and heavily congested areas where mechanized vehicles find it difficult to reach and maintain a steady presence. They will also be utilized for patrolling during odd hours when the residents are taking rest, since they are less disturbing.
One of the main areas of focus of these bicycle patrols will be parks where citizens including senior citizens and women go for morning and evening walks. The bicycle patrols will also be introduced in the University campus areas and near schools/colleges where the police officers can have a friendly interface with the student community.
With zero environmental costs and additional health benefits for the riders, the bicycle patrol parties will also bring the concept of 'Policing by community involvement’ close to the largely immigrant and working class population which inhabits several areas of these three districts. The credibility and legitimacy of policing largely depends on the community support that follows from transparency in police functioning, integrity in exercise of its functions/services, and the accountability in doing so. The camaraderie developed by the bicycle patrol officers will further strengthen the strong community-oriented policing practiced by Delhi Police.
The bicycle patrols will mostly be in 'buddy pairs' and will normally cover a distance of 2 to 5 kilometres per patrol. The patrolling officers are equipped with standard police communication equipment which will operate in 'hands-free mode' and function like mobile police posts of the local Police Station. Each bicycle has been fitted with cell phone docks and equipment for keeping other accessories.
While focusing on the ‘Policing by community involvement’ model, the bicycle patrols will, apart from assuring the law abiding citizenry of their friendly and protective presence, also play the role of area domination, sending out a message of deterrence to the law breakers in the vicinity. Being slow paced, the spectrum of observation of bicycle patrol officers will be qualitatively much more meaningful in detecting unwarranted movements and questionable/suspicious presence in the areas of patrol. The officers are being specifically trained to make a note of the happenings around them for sharing and validation.
As a beginning, a total of 65 high-end bicycles have been operationalized, - 30 for North East district, 20 for East district and 15 for Shahdara district. The scheme will be extended to other areas of Delhi in due course.
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated(IUU) fishing
13-May-2017: Centre plans to provide financial assistance and introduce norms to improve labour conditions in the fishing sector.
The financial assistance will ensure that the Indian fishing fleet does not engage in ‘Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated’ (IUU) fishing, according to the National Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017.
The Indian marine fisheries account for an economic wealth of about Rs. 65,000 crore, according to the policy — meant to guide the coordination and management of India’s marine fisheries during the next 10 years. However, fishermen are having difficulties in availing institutional credit to buy fishing implements and crafts, and that the risky nature of returns has led to many fishermen falling into the debt trap of private financiers and middlemen. Therefore, the Centre, with the help of National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development, will provide financial assistance to fishermen with liberal terms and conditions.
IUU fishing:
“IUU” stands for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. IUU fishing includes all fishing that breaks fisheries laws or occurs outside the reach of fisheries laws and regulations. An important part of IUU fishing is illegal fishing, which usually refers to fishing without a license, fishing in a closed area, fishing with prohibited gear, fishing over a quota, or the fishing of prohibited species. Most of the world’s fish is caught in the national waters of coastal States. Illegal fishing in such areas can range from a licensed vessel fishing more than its allowed catch to a vessel coming into the zone with no fishing license at all, or even a vessel crew not reporting or underreporting their catch—even if the vessel is licensed to catch that species. A lot of unregulated fishing occurs on the high seas. The high seas are international waters beyond the exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the shoreline, of a coastal state. Patchy regulation, little enforcement, and the vast expanse of the ocean—the high seas cover almost 45 percent of our planet—combine to allow rampant illegal and unregulated fishing in those areas. Even when unregulated fishing on the high seas does not break any national law, it can have a significant harmful impact on marine life in the world’s oceans. So, the international community needs to develop and implement policy solutions that both forbid and eradicate these activities.
Impacts of illegal fishing:
Illegal fishing adversely affects legitimate commercial fishers as well as fish populations. Illegal fishers avoid overhead costs, such as licensing fees. They fish without the constraints accepted by legal fishers, often falsify documentation, and effectively “launder” their ill-gotten catch. Illegal fishers’ actions constitute a clear case of unfair competition since they operate without the costs of doing business legally or the strictures of following established policies and laws. Also, because illegal fishers do not report catch, their fishing activities affect the accuracy of official fish catch and stock estimates. This adversely affects how fisheries are managed because regulatory bodies use reported catches and stock estimates to set catch limits and otherwise manage fish populations. Thus, because the real volume of fish caught is unknown, it is very difficult to effectively manage fisheries where illegal fishing is taking place. Finally, illegal fishing often causes grave environmental damage, especially when vessels use prohibited gear, such as driftnets, that catches nontarget species (including sharks, turtles or dolphins) or physically damages or destroys reefs, seamounts, and other vulnerable marine ecosystems.