Daily Current Affairs : 15th January 2024

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

1. Digi Yatra ad issues
2. River Interlinking Project
3. Coastal Erosion
4. Facts for Prelims

1 . Digi Yatra

Context: In 2023, as air travel peaked in the holiday season, it was found that security personnel and private staff were collecting facial biometrics at airport entry gates without the consent or knowledge of passengers for the Digi Yatra app. 
 
What are the complaints from air travellers? 

• Last month, there was a surge in complaints from passengers using various airports about the “coercive and deceptive” manner in which both private staff and CISF personnel were enrolling them for Digi Yatra. 
• Travellers said CISF personnel at the entry gate of passenger buildings were asking travellers to scan their boarding pass and capturing their photos, following which they would provide consent on behalf of the passengers for registering for Digi Yatra without seeking permission or even informing them. 

What is Digi Yatra? What are its objectives? 

• The Digi Yatra initiative aims to promote digital processing of passengers for paper-less and seamless movement through various checkpoints at airports such as the entry gate, security check area and boarding gate. 
• The Digi Yatra policy was unveiled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2018 as an entirely voluntary programme. 
• After some delay, it was rolled out from December 2022 at three airports, including Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Today, it is present at 13 airports, and will be expanded to 24 more airports in 2024. 
• The Digi Yatra app is not owned by the government, but by a consortium called the Digi Yatra Foundation whose shareholders comprise the Airports Authority of India and five private airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi. 
•  The government does not provide any funding for its implementation, and airports are required to spend from their kitty. 
• The implementation involves an app that passengers can download. They need to provide their name, mobile, email address and Aadhaar document to register. They also have to upload a selfie so that their image can be matched with the one on the Aadhaar. These two steps lead to the creation of a digi yatra travel id. 
• When passengers upload their air tickets, the digi yatra id gets updated with their travel details. 
• At airports, passengers scan their boarding pass at an e-gate and look into a camera that captures their image. 
•  Once the face verification is successful, the e-gate opens. This also creates the passenger data-set which is a combination of their facial scan and PNR. This data is then used as a single token at the remaining check points so that a passenger can simply zip through them with a mere facial scan without the need to produce a boarding pass. 
• The aim is to improve operational efficiency and allow faster processing of passengers, allowing airlines to track delayed passengers and enhancing security by ensuring there is no exchange of passes among passengers or wrong boarding. 

What are the issues about implementation? 

• The government maintains that there is no central storage of a passenger’s data, which is encrypted and stored in a secure wallet on his or her mobile device. Though the data is shared with the departure airport on the day of travel, it is purged within 24 hours. 
•  According to a detailed analysis by the Internet Freedom Foundation, the Digi Yatra policy states that the airports using the Digi Yatra Biometric Boarding System will adhere to the data protection law as mandated by the Government of India.  
• But the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 was passed by Parliament in 2023 and the rules are yet to be framed. 
• The Bill has also been criticised for giving the government broad powers to exempt any of its agencies from all its provisions. 
• These exemptions are also granted in the Digi Yatra policy.   

2 . River Interlinking Project

Context: Near-complete dam of Ken-Betwa project yet to get environmental nod.  

About the news

• A major dam project of the Madhya Pradesh government, which is part of the Centre’s marquee Ken-Betwa river interlinking project, was found to be in violation of environment clearance laws by an expert committee of the Union Environment Ministry. 
• The Centre has invoked a set of controversial orders whose legality is being examined by the Supreme Court. The sequence of events demonstrates the confusion among the States in interpreting the Centre’s environment clearance processes and how this results in ad-hoc fixes being applied as amends. 
• In 2019, the Madhya Pradesh government began constructing the Lower Orr dam which was part of the second phase of the Centre’s ambitious Ken-Betwa river interlinking project, only to be told by an expert appraisal committee (EAC), tasked with assessing the environmental impact of projects, in 2022 that the State had not taken a formal clearance from the Environment Ministry for the project.  

About the Project

• In December 2021, the Union Cabinet approved KBLP at a total cost of Rs 44,605 crore. In this project, the national and the Madhya Pradesh governments will link the Ken River with the Betwa river so that the latter can water the Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh.

Ken River

•  The Ken River is one of the major rivers in the Bundelkhand region of central India and flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is a tributary of the Yamuna.

Betwa River

• The Betwa is a river in Central and Northern India, and a tributary of the Yamuna. It rises in the Vindhya Range just north of Narmadapuram in Madhya Pradesh and flows northeast through Madhya Pradesh and Orchha to Uttar Pradesh. Nearly half of its course, which is not navigable, runs over the Malwa Plateau.

What is the Ken-Betwa link?

• The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) in August 1980 for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water, for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports
• The NPP comprises two components – the Himalayan Rivers Development and Peninsular Rivers Development.
• The Ken-Betwa link project (KBLP) is the first river interlinking project, among the 16 similar projects planned under the Peninsular Rivers Development of the NPP.
• It will connect the tributaries of the Yamuna River, namely the Ken River in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh and the Betwa river in Uttar Pradesh.

Ken Betwa river linking project: Benefits

• The government envisions the programme of interlinking of rivers as a top priority, towards sustainable development of water resources in India.
• The Ken Betwa link project has been planned as a multi-purpose project, for providing several benefits in terms of better utilisation of water resources and addressing the water scarcity in several parts of the Bundelkhand region.
• The region is prone to recurring drought conditions that have impacted socio-economic development in the area. Moreover, owing to the hard rock and marginal alluvium terrain, the location is not rich in groundwater. Hence, the Ken Betwa River project will help in utilising the floodwater during monsoon and stabilise the availability of water during lean months, especially in drought years.
• The project linking Ken and Betwa river will also provide annual irrigation and hydropower generation. The districts that will benefit from the Ken betwa link pariyojna include Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Sagar, Damoh, Datia,  Vidisha, Shivpuri, Raisen and Panna in Madhya Pradesh and Jhansi, Mahoba, Banda and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh. As many as 62 lakh people in the Bundelkhand region will also experience improved drinking water supply due to the project

Concerns raised over the environmental impact of the project

• While the Ken Betwa River interlinking project is expected to resolve the water problems in the drought-prone locations, many environment activists have expressed concerns over the impact it will have on the Panna Tiger Reserve.
• Over 46 lakh trees are likely to be felled due to the construction work within the national park. The tiger reserve is home to many critically endangered wildlife species. Moreover, the development of the Ken Betwa River interlinking project is also expected to result in the submergence of 6,017 hectares of forest land under the Daudhan dam of the KBLP.

Interlinking of Rivers in India

• Interlinking of rivers will help the country fulfill its dream of ensuring equitable distribution of water and, thereby, prosperity for all.
• There have been several such steps in this direction, and in 1980 a National Perspective Plan was formalised. This involved transfer of water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins/regions in which 30 links were identified.
• The National Perspective Plan comprises of two components, namely i) Peninsular Rivers Development and ii) Himalayan Rivers Development.
• The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was set up on 17th July 1982 by Government of India as a Society under Societies registration act 1860 under the Ministry of Water Resources to study the feasibility of the links under Peninsular Component of National Perspective Plan. The NWDA is fully funded by Government of India. Subsequently in 1990-91, NWDA Society resolved to take up the studies of Himalayan Component also.
• Four priority links for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have been identified viz;
  • Ken-Betwa link (Phase –I & II),
  • Damanganga-Pinjal Link,
  • Par-Tapi-Narmada link
  • Mahanadi-Godavari link

Why do we need to link rivers?

• Though India receives about 4,000 BCM (billion cubic meters) of precipitation annually, utilisable resources are only 1,123 BCM. Even these are not distributed evenly in space or time.
• Most of the precipitation occurs in about 90 days in a year and the distribution of annual average availability ranges from 510 BCM for Ganga, 527 BCM from Brahmaputra and 11.02 BCM for Pennar and 12.06 BCM for Sabarmati.
• This shows the skew between potential demands and availability.
• It has, therefore, been recognised that the inter-basin transfer of water is the only recourse for making an equitable distribution of water across the country and thereby ensuring equal opportunities of development.
• Inter-basin water transfer is not a new concept and there have been many such successful examples in the country.
• It has been practised in our country since 1887 when the Mulla Periyar dam was built and waters of the west-flowing river basin were transferred to east flowing Vaigai basin transforming agricultural development in and around Madurai for about 68,000 hectares.
• Similarly, we have already made trans- basin transfers in case of the Beas Satluj link, Sardar Sahayak pariyojana, Sardar Sarovar project, Kurnool Cudddapah canal etc which are functioning well.

3 . Coastal Erosion

Context: Rising sea, shrinking sands erode vibrancy of Ganga Sagar Mela.  

About the news

• Rising sea level and erosion of the beach in front of the Kapil Muni temple on Sagar Island are turning out to be a damper on the Ganga Sagar Mela as the West Bengal government is desperately seeking a “national fair” status for the annual religious congregation. 
• With the sea level rising, the water is close to reaching the Kapil Muni temple. 
• Experts also point out that most of the constructions on Sagar Island has been done in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone. 

About Coastal Erosion 

• Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. 
• Some stretches of India’s shoreline are subject to varying degrees of erosion due to natural causes or anthropogenic activities. 
• The coastal erosion impacts coastal communities residing in the erosion prone areas including fishermen communities. National Centre for Coastal Research, (NCCR), an attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India has monitored the shoreline changes for entire Indian coastline using multi-spectral satellite images along with field-surveyed data for the period 1990-2018. It is observed that 33.6% of the Indian coastline was vulnerable to erosion, 26.9% was under accretion (growing) and 39.6% was in stable state. 
• The study by NCCR reveals that the shoreline changes are combined effect of natural and human activities and the receding coastline will cause loss of land/habitat and the livelihood of fishermen in terms of losing the space for parking boats, mending nets and fishing operations. 

Causes:  

• Wave Action: The force and frequency of waves hitting the shoreline can erode coastal areas. Powerful storms and high-energy waves, especially during cyclones or hurricanes, contribute significantly to erosion. 
• Tidal Currents: Tidal currents, influenced by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, can wear away coastlines over time. This is particularly evident in areas with strong tidal flows. 
• Wind Erosion: Wind can transport sand and other sediment, leading to erosion along coastlines. Wind erosion is more pronounced in areas with sparse vegetation and loose soil. 
• Storm Surges: Storm surges, often associated with tropical storms and hurricanes, can cause rapid and severe coastal erosion. The combination of strong winds and low atmospheric pressure can raise sea levels, leading to increased erosion. 
• Sea Level Rise: Global warming and climate change contribute to rising sea levels, which can accelerate coastal erosion. Higher sea levels increase the frequency and extent of flooding, leading to enhanced erosion. 
• Human Activities: Anthropogenic factors significantly contribute to coastal erosion. Examples include: 
  • Construction and Development: Buildings, roads, and other structures built along coastlines can alter natural coastal processes and contribute to erosion. 
  • Dredging and Sand Mining: Extracting sand from coastal areas for construction or other purposes can disrupt the natural balance of sediment transport, leading to erosion. 
  • Deforestation: Removal of coastal vegetation, such as mangroves and dunes, reduces natural protection against erosion. 
• River Discharge: Changes in river flow and sediment transport can influence coastal erosion. Dams and river channel modifications can alter sediment deposition along coastlines. 
• Subsidence: Land subsidence, either natural or human-induced (e.g., groundwater extraction), can exacerbate coastal erosion by lowering the elevation of coastal areas. 

Measures taken

• Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has delineated the hazard line for the entire coast of the country. The hazard line is indicative of the shoreline changes, including sea level rise due to climate change. This line is to be used by agencies in Coastal States as a tool for Disaster Management including planning of adaptive and mitigation measures. The hazard line features in the new Coastal Zone Management Plans of the coastal States/Union territories approved by the MoEFCC. 
• MoEFCC has notified Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019 with a view to conserve and protect coastal stretches, marine areas and to ensure livelihood security to the fisher and other local communities. The coastal regulations, however, permit setting up of erosion control measures in the coast. The notification also provides for No Development Zones (NDZ) along various categories of coastal areas to protect India’s coastline from encroachment and erosion. 
• Chief Secretaries of all the Coastal States / UTs, including Puducherry, have been requested to finalize the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) as per CRZ Notification 2019 which also includes mapping of erosion prone areas and preparation of Shore Line Management Plan for such identified eroding stretches shown in the CZMP. 
• MoEFCC has framed a national strategy for coastal protection along with guidelines for all Coastal States and Union Territories. 
• The Flood Management Scheme of Ministry of Jal Shakti, including anti-sea erosion schemes, are planned and executed by the State Governments with their own resources as per priorities of States. Union Government renders assistance to states which is technical, advisory, catalytic and promotional in nature. 
• Considering the importance of collection of data on coastal processes towards coastal protection measures, a new component “Coastal Management Information System (CMIS)” was initiated under the Central Sector Plan Scheme “Development of Water Resources Information System”. CMIS is a data collection activity carried out to collect near shore coastal data which can be used in planning, design, construction and maintenance of site specific coastal protection structures at vulnerable Coastal stretches. Establishment of three sites each in the State of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and UT of Puducherry has been completed. 
• Coastal erosion mitigation measures have been taken up at Puducherry and Chellanam in Kerala, which helped in restoration and protection of coastal areas lost at Puducherry and flooding at Chellanam Fishing Village. Technical support has been extended to the coastal States in the design of coastal protection measures at vulnerable stretches and preparation of Shoreline Management Plans. 

4 . Facts for Prelims

Ganga sagar mela 

• The Gangasagar fair and pilgrimage is held annually on Sagar Island’s southern tip, where the Ganges enters the Bay of Bengal. This confluence is also called Gangasagar or Gangasagara. Near the confluence is the Kapil Muni Temple. 
• The mela of Ganga Sagar is one of the biggest with more than 30 lakhs of pilgrims from various part of the country. 
• Ganga Sagar, the largest and the oldest living tradition in Bengal, has been mentioned in Indian epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, putting its existence as early as 400 BCE.  
• Legends suggest that the first Kapil Muni’s temple was constructed by Queen Satyabhama in 430 AD, and the present idol was established by Swami Ramanand in 1437, marking the beginning of a pilgrimage that remains timeless till today. 
• Gangasagar is not just a pilgrimage; it is an intricate intermingling of emotion and faith. It is the season of harvest in many parts of India, while in other parts it is the season of new beginnings. People from different strata of society come together to thank the sun god for the good harvest. 

Vadnagar site

• A joint study by the Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) has found evidence of cultural continuity in Vadnagar, the Prime Minister’s native village, even after the Harappan collapse, thus making it likely that the “Dark Age” was a myth. 
• Vadnagar is a town and municipality in the Mehsana district of the state of Gujarat in India. 
• Its ancient names include Anartapura (the town of Anarta) and Anandapura. 

Sultanpur wetlands

• Sultanpur National Park is a Ramsar site located at Sultanpur village on Gurugram-Jhajjar highway, Haryana
• The wetland harbours a rich plant and animal life: it supports more than 220 species of resident, winter migratory and local migratory waterbirds at critical stages of their life cycles. 
• More than ten of these are globally threatened, including the critically endangered sociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarius), and the endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), saker falcon (Falco cherrug), Pallas’s fish eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus) and black-bellied tern (Sterna acuticauda). 
• The Site regularly supports more than 7% of the biogeographic population of bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) and more than 8% of the biogeographic population of greylag goose (Anser anser). 

Sadbhavna scheme

• As part of ‘Operation SADBHAVANA’, Indian Army is undertaking multiple welfare activities such as running of Army Goodwill Schools, Infrastructure Development Projects and Education Tours etc. for the children living in remote areas of Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh. 
• To improve the standard of education and to provide them with quality education, Indian Army is presently running seven (07) Army Goodwill Schools (AGS) under ‘Operation SADBHAVANA’ in Ladakh Region. More than 2,200 Students are currently studying in these schools. 
• The funds under the scheme are being utilised for various activities like Human Resource/Skill Development, Sports, Healthcare, National Integration, Infrastructure Development, Ecology, Environment and Education. 
• Women in remote areas of Ladakh are being empowered through various training programmes organised and funded through ‘Operation SADBHAVANA’ in Vocational Training Centres, Women Empowerment Centres and Computer Centres at various locations in Ladakh. 

e-migrate portal

• It is a portal of Ministry of External Affairs, in which all workers going to conflict zones or places without sufficient labour protections are required to register. 
• Passports issued under the ECR (Emigration Check Required) scheme cover workers travelling to 18 countries, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.