Comprehensive News Analysis 26-06-2022

By Kriti Gupta (BYJU'S IAS)|Updated : June 26th, 2022

Comprehensive News Analysis covers all the important articles and editorials of 'The Hindu' from the UPSC/IAS examination point of view.

2. Salt sector crisis pinches livelihood of lakhs

Syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.

Prelims: Salt industry in India 

Mains: Challenges associated with the salt industry in India 

Context

This article talks about the challenges faced by the salt industry.

Salt industry in India 

  • India is ranked as the third-largest producer of Salt in the World after China and USA.
  • At the time of Indian independence, India was importing salt from the UK and the salt industry in India has achieved tremendous growth in terms of becoming self-sufficient and also exporting its surplus.
  • The major sources of salt in the country include:
    • Sea brine
    • Lake brine
    • Sub-soil brine 
    • Rock salt deposits
  • Nearly 99.5% of salt is produced either from the seawater or from the subsoil water and the entire process is done by seeding, cultivation and harvest.
  • The major salt-producing states are Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal.
    • Gujarat produces nearly 28.5 million tonnes of salt a year, which is about 80% of India’s total production.
  • About five lakh people currently work in the salt industry
  • It is estimated that 87.6% of the total number of salt producers are small-scale producers.
  • Salt is listed under the Union List of the seventh schedule of the Constitution of India.

Challenges associated with the salt industry in India

  • The salt industry is currently facing huge challenges in meeting the demand and in addressing the crisis faced by salt farmers.
    • At present, India produces 36 million tonnes of salt and its demand, including for export, is 31.5 million tonnes. However, the demand is increasing at the rate of 8% but the production is increasing at just 3%.
    • This is expected to create a demand and supply gap in the coming years.
  • Currently, farmers earn about ₹250 to ₹300 for a tonne of salt produced and the problem is that the prices keep fluctuating.
  • Further, the workers are affected because of the lack of an adequate system for wages and social security benefits.
  • Even after 75 years of Independence, the laws governing the salt industry are the ones that were framed by the British.
    • About 120 years ago, Britishers extracted salt from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh through mining and hence the British put salt production as mining. 
    • But currently, only about 0.5% of salt is produced through mining.
    • Experts say that since it is listed as a mining industry, all laws governing the industries are applicable to salt production even as the production is done through simple solar evaporation.
Nut Graf

The challenges and concerns associated with the salt industry have to be immediately addressed as the industry has played a crucial role in changing the course of the history of India and continues to be the source of livelihood to lakhs of people in the country.

D. GS 4 Related

1. Jyotirgamaya Festival

SyllabusGS-1, Indian Heritage and Culture; Salient aspects of Art Forms

Prelims: World Music Day, Jyotirgamaya Festival and Sangeet Natak Akademi 

Context

On the occasion of World Music Day, Jyotirgamaya Festival was organised.

Jyotirgamaya Festival

  • Jyotirgamaya Festival is organised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi 
  • Jyotirgamaya is a unique festival organised to showcase the talent of rare musical instruments from across the country, including street performers, train entertainers, performers attached to temples, etc.
  • The festival aims to spread awareness about the need to protect the craft of making and the skill of playing rare musical instruments, and to provide a platform to ‘unheard’ artists.

Sangeet Natak Akademi 

  • Sangeet Natak Akademi was established in 1953 with the objective of preserving and promoting the vast intangible heritage of India’s diverse culture expressed in forms of music, dance and drama.
  • It is the apex body in the field of performing arts in the country
  • It is an autonomous body working under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture.
  • The Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi is appointed by the President of India for a term of five years.
  • The registered office of the Akademi is at Rabindra Bhavan.
  • The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are the highest national recognition conferred to artists.

G. Tidbits

1. Hasina opens Padma multipurpose bridge

  • The Government of India congratulated Bangladesh on the completion of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge which is regarded as the biggest infrastructure project in Bangladesh.
  • Along with enhancing the internal connectivity in Bangladesh, the Padma bridge is expected to improve trade and logistics between India and Bangladesh. 
  • The bridge is expected to play a crucial role in improving bilateral India-Bangladesh and subregional links.
  • The Padma Bridge will facilitate faster transportation of goods and commodities between Bangladesh and India and other countries like Nepal and Bhutan.

2. Udaipur’s ‘bird village’ to be declared wetland

  • Menar in Udaipur district which is regarded as the “bird village” is set to be notified as Rajasthan’s new wetland. The move is expected to help the region get the Ramsar site status under the Ramsar convention, 1971.
  • Currently, Rajasthan has two wetlands recognised as Ramsar sites namely Keoladeo Ghana in Bharatpur district and Sambhar Salt Lake in Jaipur.
  • The two lakes in the village namely the Brahma and Dhandh host a large number of migratory birds during the winter season which include the greater flamingo, white-tailed lapwing, pelican, marsh harrier, bar headed goose, common teal, greenshank, pintail, wagtail, green sandpiper and red-wattled lapwing.

3. Kerala to have its own regional red list of birds

  • Kerala will have its own red list of birds as the Kerala Bird Monitoring Collective led by Kerala Agricultural University and the Bird Count India will conduct the regional red list assessment.
  • It makes Kerala the first State to have a region-specific red list of birds
  • The IUCN guidelines for preparing the red list have five main criteria namely the population size reduction measured over 10 years or three generations, geographic range on the basis of extent of occurrence or area of occupancy, small population size and decline, very small or restricted population, and quantitative analysis indicating the probability of extinction in the wild
  • According to the global IUCN red list, Kerala has 35 threatened species of birds which includes the Red-headed vulture and White-rumped vulture which are critically endangered and Steppe Eagle, Banasura Chilappan and Nilgiri Chilappan which are endangered and 11 species are vulnerable.

H. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. Anti-defection law has been rendered meaningless due to loopholes in the law. Explain the statement with relevant examples. (15 Marks, 250 Words) (GS Paper 2/Polity)
  2. Should the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi be allowed to restart its operations? Critically Analyze. (10 Marks, 150 Words) (GS Paper 3/Environment and Ecology)

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