10 December 2022
| Content Arth Ganga Project GHAR Portal Data Three Himalayan medicinal plants enter IUCN Red List |
| GS 2 |
| Schemes |
Arth Ganga Project
‘Arth Ganga’ implies a sustainable development model with a focus on economic activities related to Ganga.
- Under Arth Ganga, the government is working on six verticals:
The first is Zero Budget Natural Farming, which involves chemical-free farming on 10 km on either side of the river, and the promotion of cow dung as fertilizer through the Gobardhan scheme.
The Monetization and Reuse of Sludge & Wastewater is the second, which seeks to reuse treated water for irrigation, industries and revenue generation for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
Arth Ganga will also involve Livelihood Generation Opportunities, by creating haats where people can sell local products, medicinal plants and ayurveda.
The fourth is to increase public participation by increasing synergies between the stakeholders involved with the river.
The model also wants to promote the cultural heritage and tourism of Ganga and its surroundings, through boat tourism, adventure sports and by conducting yoga activities.
Lastly, the model seeks to promote institutional building by empowering local administration for improved water governance.
GHAR Portal
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), has developed and launched a portal namely GHAR – GO Home and Re-Unite (Portal for Restoration and Repatriation of Child). The GHAR portal has been developed to digitally monitor and track the restoration and repatriation of children according to the protocol. The following are the salient features of the portal :
- Digital tracking and monitoring of children who are in the Juvenile Justice system and have to be repatriated to another Country/State/District.
- Digital transfer of cases of children to the concerned Juvenile Justice Board/Child Welfare Committee of the State. It will help in speedy repatriation of children.
- Where there is a requirement of a translator/interpreter/expert, request will be made to the concerned State Government.
- Child Welfare Committees and District Child Protection Officers can ensure proper restoration and rehabilitation of children by digitally monitoring the progress of the case of the child.
- A checklist format will be provided in the forms so that the children who are being hard to repatriate or children who are not getting their entitled compensation or other monetary benefits can be identified.
- List of Government implemented schemes will be provided, so that at the time of restoration the Child Welfare Committees can link the child with the schemes to strengthen the family and ensure that child remains with his/her family.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is administering the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) (as amended in 2021) and Rules thereunder, for ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-being of children. The Act provides for protection of children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law by catering to their basic needs through care, protection, development, treatment and social re-integration.
Under the JJ Act, 2015 (Sections 27-30), the Child Welfare Committees have been empowered to take decisions with regard to the children in need of care and protection for the best interest of the children. They are also mandated to monitor the functioning of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs). Similarly, under section 106 of JJ Act, 2015, every State Government has to constitute a District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) for every district to take up matters relating to children to ensure the implementation of JJ Act, 2015 and rules thereunder. To ensure effective coordination in the Child Safety, Protection and Development; District Magistrates have been made the head of DCPUs. DMs have been empowered to review the functioning of DCPUs and CWCs at regular intervals to ensure prompt decisions as per provisions of JJ Act and Rules are taken by these bodies, keeping in mind best interests of Children.
Data
As per 10th edition of International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Atlas, 2021, India has 74.2 million people with diabetes between the age of 20 – 79 years.
| GS 3 |
| Environment |
Three Himalayan medicinal plants enter IUCN Red List
Meizotropis pellita has been assessed as ‘critically endangered’, Fritilloria cirrhosa as ‘vulnerable’, and Dactylorhiza hatagirea as ‘endangered’
Meizotropis pellita, commonly known as Patwa, is a perennial shrub with restricted distribution that is endemic to Uttarakhand. “The species is listed as ‘critically endangered’ based on its limited area of occupancy (less than 10 sq. km),” the study stated. The species is threatened by de forestation, habitat frag mentation and forest fires. “The essential oil extracted from the leaves possesses strong antioxidants and can be a promising natural substitute for synthetic antioxidants in pharmaceutical industries.”
Fritillaria cirrhosa (Himalayan fritillary) is a perennial bulbous herb. “It is reasonable to conclude a decline of at least 30% of its population over the assessment period (22 to 26 years). Considering the rate of decline, long generation length, poor germination potential, high trade value, extensive harvesting pressure and illegal trade, the species is listed as ‘vulnerable’”. In China, the species is used for the treatment of bronchial disorders andpneumonia. The plant is also a strong cough suppressant, the IUCN assessment said.
The third listed species, Dactylorhiza hatagirea (Salampanja), is threatened by habitat loss, livestock grazing, deforestation, and cli mate change. It is extensively used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other alternative systems of medicine to cure dysentery, gastritis, chronic fever, cough and stomach aches.