Government has conducted several studies to measure and quantify the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture. Extensive field and simulation studies were carried out in agriculture and allied sectors by several network centers consisting of ICAR Institutes such as Indian Agricultural Research Institute at New Delhi, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture at Hyderabad, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore etc. and State Agricultural Universities, located in different parts of the country. The climate change impact assessment was carried out using the crop simulation models by incorporating the projected climates of 2020, 2050 and 2080. Most of the results were obtained through incorporating the future projections by using modeling techniques like Had CM3 model.

From these projections, variability in temperature and rainfall pattern was observed in future periods with significant impact on crop yields. The Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) of the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) has studied the climate change impact assessment in the Himalayan region.

Clear indications of change in climate are being noticed in the country. Last three decades saw a sharp rise in all India mean annual temperature.

Spatio-temporal variations in projected changes in temperature and rainfall are likely to lead to differential impacts in the different regions. However, the major crops classified as risk prone under the impacts of climate change with reduced productivity are – Rice & Wheat especially in the Indo Gangetic Plains, Maize in Mid Indo-Gangetic Plains (MIGP) & Southern Plateau (SP), Sorghum & potato in West Bengal, and Southern Plateau.

The productivity is expected to increase in Soybean, Groundnut, Chickpea & Potato in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, Apple in Himachal Pradesh.

Government is committed to provide security to farmers. To provide claims against the crop yield losses due to natural risks/calamities, adverse weather conditions, pests & diseases etc. two major crop insurance schemes namely, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) are being implemented by the Government.

PMFBY provides comprehensive risk coverage from pre-sowing to post harvest losses against non-preventable natural risks. The RWBCIS provides indemnification for likely crop losses due to deviation in weather indices. Further, to provide adequate risk coverage the sum insured has been equated to Scale of Finance at minimum uniform fixed premium rate payable by farmers i.e. maximum 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi Crop and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops, with balance of actuarial/bidded premium being shared by the Central and State Government on 50 : 50 basis;

lowering of unit area of insurance to village/village panchayat level for major crops and to individual farm level for localised risks of hailstorm, landslide and inundation and post-harvest losses thereby promoting more realistic assessment of losses. In addition, assistance is also provided to farmers through other schemes namely, PM KISAN (for regular income), PM ASHA (Price support), National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief due to natural calamities etc.

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, through Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) has involved 8 agencies/ organizations to carry out pilot studies for Optimization of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) in various States including Andhra Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

During Kharif 2018, the Pilot Study was conducted for paddy crop in West Godavari district and during Rabi 2018-19, the study is being conducted in East Godavari and Krishna districts. The studies used various technologies, including Satellite data, Artificial Intelligence, Modeling tools etc. for reducing the number of CCEs required for insurance unit level for yield estimation. The studies have showed the possibility of reducing the number of CCEs up to 25-70% (depending upon crops and location), through the use of technology.

Carrying out large number of CCEs for calculation of yield data vis-à-vis claims at Gram Panchayat level is a major issue under PMFBY. A High Power Committee has been constituted to evaluate results obtained in these studies and provide recommendations for their implementation in the upcoming seasons.

The Government has set a target of doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022. The Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee to examine issues relating to doubling of farmers’ income and recommend a strategy to achieve doubling of farmers’ income in real terms by the year 2022. The committee has, inter-alia, appreciated the role of Digital Technology, which can play a transformational role in modernizing and organizing how rural India performs it’s agricultural activities. The technologies include Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, Block chain Technology, Internet of Things etc. The deployment of technology is very important to make schemes of the Ministry successful. Major technology interventions include :

Development of Kisan Suvidha mobile application to facilitate dissemination of information to farmers on the critical parameters viz., Weather; Market Prices; Plant Protection; input Dealers (Seed, Pesticide, Fertilizer) Farm Machinery; Soil Health Card; Cold Storages & Godowns, Veterinary Centres and Diagnostic Labs. With market information, Farmers are better informed about markets to sell produce, prevailing market prices and quantity demanded in the market. Thus, they can make informed decisions to sell produce at the right price and right time.

The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has also compiled more than 100 mobile apps developed by ICAR, State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras and uploaded on its website. These mobile apps developed in the areas of crops, horticulture, veterinary, dairy, poultry, fisheries, natural resources management and integrated subjects, offer valuable information to the farmers, including package of practices, market prices of various commodities, weather related information, advisory services, etc.

Development of mKisan Portal (www.mkisan.gov.in) for sending advisories on various crop related matter to the registered farmers through SMSs. Launching of e-National Agriculture Market initiative to provide farmers an electronic online trading platform.

Implementation of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, sub-scheme of Integrated Scheme of Agricultural Marketing, in order to improve/create scientific storage capacity for storing farm produce, processed farm produce and to reduce post-harvest storage loss.

Introduction of Soil Health Card Scheme to assist State Governments in providing Soil Health Cards to all farmers across the country once in a cycle of 2 years Soil health card provides information to the farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving crop productivity and soil fertility.

Providing subsidies under National Food Security Mission (Oil Seeds and Oil Palm) to farmers on seed components, transfer of technologies, production inputs and water carrying devices. Financial assistance is also being provided under this scheme for block demonstration, frontline demonstration, farmers training to educate farmers to adopt modern techniques of farming to yield good crop economically.

Use of space technology for various programmes/ areas such as Forecasting Agricultural Output using Space, Agro-meteorology and Land-based Observations project, Coordinated programame on Horticulture Assessment and Management using geo-informatics project, National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System, Rice-Fallow Area Mapping and intensification, geo tagging of infrastructure and assets created under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, and Crop Insurance.

Using machine learning process alongwith different computer algorithm for crop classification and area estimation. The Government has also set up 713 Krishi Vigyan Kendras and 684 Agricultural Technology Management Agencies at district level for dissemination of technologies among farm community. In addition, farmers are provided information through Focused Publicity Campaigns, Kisan Call Centres, Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres of entrepreneurs, Agri Fairs and exhibitions, Kisan SMS Portal, etc.

As on date 4, 53,622 farmers are practicing organic farming under Participatory Guarantee

System (PGS India) and 11, 47,401 farmers are registered in TraceNet under third party certification.

The estimated value of domestic organic market was Rs. 500-1000 crores as per Yes Bank study published in 2015. As per the ASSOCHAM and E&Y report published in 2018, the domestic organic market was valued at Rs. 2500 crores including Rs. 1500 crores in organised retail and Rs. 1000 crores by farmers’ direct market.During last two years different brands have been developed at State level for organic food market under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North East region (MOVCDNER) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) schemes. The details are given at Annexure I. Export has been initiated from Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram to Africa, UK & US, Australia and Italy respectively. Market linkage of producer clusters with some major agri-business, phytochemical and online grocery stores have also been established.

Government of India has been promoting organic farming under two dedicated schemes namely Mission Organic Value Chain Development North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) and Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) since 2015 through State Governments. Under these schemes, support has been provided for formation of farmers’ clusters/ Farmer Producer Organisation; incentives to farmers for input procurement, value addition including post harvest infrastructure creation, packaging, branding, publicity, transportation, organic fairs etc.. Organic Farming has also been supported under other schemes viz Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Network Project on Organic Farming under ICAR. Third party certification of organic farming is promoted by Agriculture Processed Food and Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce.

Funds have been sanctioned under RashtriyaGokul Mission for setting up of 21 Gokul Grams as Integrated Cattle Development Centres. As on date, 4 Gokul grams (Varanasi, Mathura, Patiala and Phora) have been completed and work is under progress in remaining 17 gokul grams. 17,86,651 farmers and 29160 organizations have been connected through e PashuHaat Portal.

2.078 crores cattle and buffalo have been identified using animal unique identification number (AUID) and health cards have been issued. This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri Giriraj Singh in Rajya Sabha today.

Background: NABCB signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) of the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) for its accreditation programme based on international standard, ISO/IEC 17024.

ISO/IEC 17024: Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons specifies criteria for the operation of a Personnel Certification Bodies (also known as a certification body for persons). The standard includes requirements for the development and maintenance of the certification schemes for persons upon which the certification is based.

Significance: With the above recognition, NABCB hopes to facilitate export of Indian services and skills into the world market by attesting that persons are certified following international standards by the certifying bodies. Personnel Certification would support many professionals in India, especially those who do not have formal education or certificate programme. Any person carrying ISO/IEC 17024 certificate with NABCB logo will be recognized internationally.

It can also be used by regulators for establishing confidence in certified personnel for different activities. This signifies that the accreditation of personnel certification bodies by NABCB is now accepted as equivalent at international level.

About NABCB: NABCB, a constituent Board of the Quality Council of India, an autonomous body attached to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is responsible for accreditation of certification/inspection bodies as per applicable international standards under an international system of equivalence.

Significance of accreditation: Accreditation reduces risk for business and its customers by assuring that accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) are competent to carry out the work they undertake within their scope of accreditation.

The Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC): It was established on 1 January 2019 by the amalgamation of two former regional accreditation cooperations – the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC). APAC ‘s primary role is to manage and expand a mutual recognition arrangement (MRA) among accreditation bodies in the Asia Pacific region.

The MRA facilitates the acceptance of conformity assessment results (e.g. test reports, test certificates, inspection reports, and certification) across the region and with other regions around the world. APAC’s members include accreditation bodies, accreditation focal points and other organisations that have an interest in accredited conformity assessment results.

The approval for GI tag was jointly received by Karnataka and Maharashtra recently for making these chappals. There is a perception that these artisans are from Maharashtra alone, but a large number of them are from Karnataka, and have been making these chappals for centuries.

These leather chappals are hand-crafted and tanned using vegetable dyes. The art of making them is passed down one generation to another.

About GI tag: What is it? A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Significance of a GI tag: Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.

Security: Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse the name to market similar products. It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product.

Provisions in this regard: GI is covered as element of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under Paris Convention for Protection of Industrial Property. At international level, GI is governed by WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In India, Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999 governs it.

Registrar of Geographical Indications: The Controller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks appointed under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, shall be the Registrar of Geographical Indications. The Central Government may appoint such officers with such designations as it thinks fit for the purpose of discharging, under the superintendence and direction of the Registrar, such functions of the Registrar under this Act, as he may from time to time authorise them to discharge.

The ambitious programme has four main goals: energising panchayats. collecting feedback on delivery of government schemes and programmes. capturing specific economic potential. undertaking assessment of needs of villages.

Key features of the program: Under the program, the entire administrative apparatus of the state government is going to visit all the 4483 Panchayat halqas to get the grassroots level feedback from general public. The government has deployed one gazetted officer as nodal officer in each panchayat halqa, who will interact with panchayat members, general public to get the general feedback.

The program is primarily aimed at directing development efforts in rural areas through community participation and to create in the rural masses an earnest desire for decent standard of living.

What does ‘solstice’ mean? The term ‘solstice’ derives from the Latin word ‘solstitium’, meaning ‘Sun standing still’. On this day the Sun seems to stand still at the Tropic of Capricorn and then reverses its direction as it reaches its southernmost position as seen from the Earth. Some prefer the more teutonic term ‘sunturn’ to describe the event.

What causes this? Solstice is an astronomical event, caused by Earth’s tilt on its axis and its motion in orbit around the sun. At the June solstice, Earth is positioned in its orbit so that our world’s North Pole is leaning most toward the sun. As seen from Earth, the sun is directly overhead at noon 23 1/2 degrees north of the equator, at an imaginary line encircling the globe known as the Tropic of Cancer – named after the constellation Cancer the Crab. This is as far north as the sun ever gets.

Implications: All locations north of the equator have days longer than 12 hours at the June solstice. Meanwhile, all locations south of the equator have days shorter than 12 hours.

What’s the project? The Kaleshwaram project is an off-shoot of the original Pranahitha-Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme taken up by the Congress government in 2007 when Andhra Pradesh was not divided.

After the formation of Telangana in 2014, the TRS government redesigned the project on the ground that the original plan had too many environmental obstacles and had very low water storage provision — only about 16.5 tmc ft.

After conducting a highly advanced Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey for a couple of months, the government separated the original component serving the Adilabad area as the Pranahitha project and renamed the rest as Kaleshwaram by redesigning the head works, storage capacity and the canal system based on the data of availability of water at different locations along the course of the Godavari and its tributaries.

Impact: The Kaleshwaram project has provision for the storage of about 148 tmc ft with plans of utilising 180 tmc ft by lifting at least 2 tmc ft water every day for 90 flood days. The project is designed to irrigate 7,38,851 hectares (over 18.47 lakh acres) uplands in the erstwhile districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy.

What’s unique? According to engineers, KLIP has many unique features, including the longest tunnel to carry water in Asia, running up to 81 km, between the Yellampally barrage and the Mallannasagar reservoir. The project would also utilise the highest capacity pumps, up to 139 MW, in the country to lift water.

Context: Indian Navy and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) have signed a contract for supply of heavyweight torpedo Varunastra to Indian Navy.

Varunastra is basically a ship-launched, electrically-propelled underwater weapon equipped with one of the most advanced automatic and remote-controlled guidance systems. It is the only torpedo in the world to have a GPS-based locating aid. The anti-submarine electric torpedo when fired can travel at 40 knots, or 74 kmph.

The operational range is 40 km and it can carry a warhead weighing 250 kg. The weapon has been jointly developed by the Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NTSL), Visakhapatnam and the Bharat Dynamics Limited -BDL (Hyderabad).

Indian Navy launched Operation Sankalp in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to reassure Indian flagged vessels transiting through the area following the recent maritime incidents in the region.

The operation has been launched in the wake of escalating tension in the Gulf of Oman, where two oil tankers were attacked last week.

The International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on June 21. It was first introduced by the United Nations on June 21, 2015. The main aim is to create an awareness worldwide on the importance of staying fit and healthy.

Why was June 21 selected to be International Yoga Day? June 21 is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed this date at the United Nations General Assembly 2014. 2019 Theme: Yoga for Climate Action.

What is a cess? A cess is levied on the tax payable and not on the taxable income. In a sense, for the taxpayer, it is equivalent to a surcharge on tax.

A cess can be levied on both direct and indirect taxes. The revenue obtained from income tax, corporation tax, and indirect taxes can be allocated for various purposes. The proceeds of all taxes and cesses are credited in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI), an account of the Government of India.

Difference between tax and cess? Unlike a tax, a cess is levied to meet a specific purpose; its proceeds cannot be spent on any kind of government expenditure. While the tax proceeds are shared with the States and Union Territories according to the guidelines by the Finance Commission, the cess proceeds need not be shared with them. Recent examples of cess are: infrastructure cess on motor vehicles, clean environment cess, Krishi Kalyan cess (for the improvement of agriculture and welfare of farmers), and education cess.

Education cess: The education cess, at 2%, which was first proposed in 2004, was aimed at improving primary education. In 2007, an additional cess of 1% was introduced to fund secondary and higher education (SHEC). And recently, in the 2019 Union Budget, a 4% health and education cess was announced which incorporates the previous 3% education cess as well as an additional 1% to provide for the health of rural families.

How is it utilised? In order to utilise the cess proceeds lying in the CFI, the government has to create a dedicated fund. As long as a dedicated fund is not created, the cess proceeds remain unutilised. The dedicated fund for primary education is the ‘Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh’, or PSK, (created in October 2005, a year after the cess was introduced) while that for higher and secondary education is the ‘Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh’ (set up in August 2017).

Present concerns: It is shocking that Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh has remained dormant as of March 2018. Moreover, data from the 2017-18 annual financial audit of government finances conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) show that Rs. 94,036 crore of SHEC proceeds is lying unutilised in the CFI.

The degree of economic injustice becomes sharper when the unspent account is seen in conjunction with the Central government’s expenditure on education; for example, in 2017-18, the public expenditure on school and higher education was estimated to be Rs. 79,435.95 crore. In other words, the cumulative unutilised SHEC funds far exceeded the expenditure on both school and higher education for the year 2017-18.

Need of the hour: Since a cess is introduced with a specific purpose, it is completely unjustified when the proceeds remain unutilised for so many years. Moreover, in the current context of self-imposed fiscal discipline and the consequent reduction of public expenditure, the opportunity cost of unutilised education cess proceeds is significantly high. Finally, it is imperative that the government immediately begins utilising cess proceeds and also publishes an annual account of the manner in which they have been utilised.

To make the point clear, the proceeds from the education cess cannot be used for cleaning the environment and vice versa.