ANTARCTICA PARLIAMENT

The Antarctic Parliament, or 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM 46), is being held in Kochi, India, from May 20–30.

Context:

• The 56 nations that make up the Antarctic Treaty will be present at the summit, which is being organized by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa, in collaboration with the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).The ATCM was last held in India in New Delhi in 2007.

The Antarctic Treaty

• The Antarctic Treaty was first signed on December 1, 1959, and the original signatories were twelve nations: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the USSR, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• The pact was ratified by 56 nations in total, including India, in 1983. It was first signed in 1961.
• Antarctica was essentially declared a “no man’s land” by the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed during the Cold War and placed Antarctica outside the purview of global geopolitical rivalry.

Key features:

• Antarctica must be utilized for peaceful reasons exclusively; militarization or fortification are not permitted.
• Each signatory will be allowed to conduct scientific research as they see fit, and they should cooperate as needed, exchange plans for scientific projects, and openly disseminate whatever data they collect.
• It is forbidden to conduct nuclear tests or dispose of radioactive waste anywhere in Antarctica.
• Currently, Antarctica, the world’s fifth-largest continent, operates under a treaty that serves as the cornerstone of all governance and activity.

India in Antarctica

• India has consulted on the Antarctic Treaty as a party since 1983. In this role, India takes part in and casts votes in all significant Antarctica-related decision-making procedures. 29 countries have consultative party status out of the 56 that are parties to the Antarctic Treaty.
• Since 1981, India has conducted scientific research in Antarctica. Set established in 1983 in Queen Maud Land, some 2,500 kilometers from the South Pole, Dakshin Gangotri was the first research station in Antarctica operated by an Indian team. Up until 1990, the station was in operation.
• With approximately 100 freshwater lakes spread across a 3-km-wide ice-free plateau known as the Schirmacher Oasis, India established Maitri, its second Antarctic research station, in 1989. It is still in use.
• India opened Bharati, its third research station in Antarctica, in 2012. Bharati is situated on the coast of Prydz Bay, around 3,000 kilometers east of Maitri. Despite being primarily dedicated to geological and oceanic research, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) uses the station to receive data from Indian remote sensing satellites (IRS).
• A few kilometers from the aging Maitri station, India intends to open Maitri II, a new station. By 2029, operations are scheduled to start.
• India reaffirmed its adherence to the Antarctic Treaty in 2022 when it passed the Antarctic Act.

Agenda before Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM)

• The goal of the ATCM is to promote international discussion on issues related to the southern continent, including law, logistics, government, science, and tourism.
• In the course of the conference, India aims to advance the notion of peaceful governance in Antarctica and emphasize that the preservation of the continent and its riches should not be compromised by geopolitical tensions elsewhere in the world.
• India will formally present its intention to build Maitri II to the members during the Kochi meeting. The ATCM must approve any new initiatives or development in Antarctica.

INDIAN POULTRY INDUSTRY

Experts have been warning for more than a decade about the dangerous conditions of industrial animal production, thus the current H5N1 outbreak was a disaster waiting to happen.

Context:

• The 20th Livestock Census estimates that India has 851.8 million poultry fowl. Small and marginal farmers, or “backyard poultry,” account for about 30% of this. The states with the largest populations of poultry are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, and Kerala.

Issues faced by the Indian Poultry Industry:

• Frequent bird flu outbreaks cause production to be disrupted, birds to be culled, and market panic to affect consumer demand.
• Another extremely contagious viral disease that has an impact on the production and health of chickens is Newcastle Disease (ND).
• Diseases are easier to spread in farms and live bird markets due to inadequate biosecurity precautions. Industrial environments frequently confine chickens to high densities in wired cages called “battery cages,” which causes stress and overpopulation. This activity contributes to environmental pollution and degradation by causing poor air quality, garbage accumulation, and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Because vital components of chicken feed, such corn and soybean meal, are heavily dependent on imports, volatile prices of these commodities not only impact production costs but also increase import dependency.
• During illness outbreaks, rumors and false information about chicken products can significantly lower demand, which can have an impact on the stability of the market as a whole.
• Inadequate cold chain facilities cause spoiling and waste, particularly during times of high production.
• A disjointed supply chain with several middlemen drives up transaction costs and reduces farmer earnings, while inadequate transportation infrastructure impedes the flow of goods and impacts the freshness and delivery schedules.
• For poultry farmers, the numerous overlapping laws from various levels of government can be confusing and difficult to comply with.
• Growth and modernization are impeded by the difficulty small- and medium-sized poultry farmers frequently face in obtaining formal loans.
• The operational efficiency of poultry farms can be negatively impacted by the difficulty of finding and keeping trained labor.
• Poor waste management techniques can make poultry farming worse by causing pollution in the water and air. Antibiotic resistance and hazards to public health have been raised by the increased use of antibiotics in poultry production due to the growing demand for protein.
• It’s still difficult to guarantee appropriate animal welfare standards throughout the sector.
• Due to contract farming agreements, debt accumulation, and the specialized skills needed for the profession, poultry farmers frequently encounter difficulties when trying to leave the business.

Initiatives for the Poultry Industry:

• The Poultry Venture Capital Fund (PVCF) is being implemented by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying as part of the National Livestock Mission’s “Entrepreneurship Development and Employment Generation” (EDEG).
• Various initiatives under the National Livestock Mission (NLM) that give States and Union Territories funding to carry out the Innovative Poultry Productivity Project (IPPP) and Rural Backyard Poultry Development (RBPD).
• Under the “Livestock Health and Disease Control” (LH&DC) program, the Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD) Scheme provides vaccinations against economically significant poultry diseases such as Ranikhet disease, Infectious Bursal disease, and fowl pox, among others, as well as containment and management of emerging and exotic diseases like Avian Influenza.

UNREST IN PAK OCCUPIED KASHMIR

Deadly violence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has erupted in the last several days, resulting in over 100 injuries and at least four fatalities from fights over the skyrocketing costs of necessities like petrol, wheat flour, and power.People in Pakistan are suffering due to the country’s economic crisis and high inflation rate, and some traders have also been negatively impacted by the suspension of trade with India.

Context:

• Following the midnight arrest of multiple leaders of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which had organized a “long march” to Muzaffarabad on May 11, the current wave of unrest started on May 10. Many were incensed over the crackdown, and thousands of people took to the streets as a result.

About the issue

• PoK politicians and activists have long accused Islamabad of “serious discrimination,” demonstrating against the imposition of “unjust” taxes on energy bills, significant reductions in budgetary grants, an increase in inflation, a shortage of wheat, load shedding, and the refusal to give locals preference when hiring.
• Premier Chaudhry Anwarul Haq of the area complained to Dawn that they weren’t getting their fair share of the 2,600MW of hydropower generated by the Neelum-Jhelum project.
• Haq has also stated that he was compelled to take money out of development funds in order to pay government employees’ salaries after his request for additional funding to do so was denied in the most recent budget.

Collapse of India trade

• Following the terror assault in Pulwama in February 2019, India increased customs duties on Pakistani exports, including rock salt, gypsum, cement, and dry dates, to 200%. This move severely hurt traders in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
• Pakistan’s exports to India decreased as a result, from an average of $45 million monthly in 2018 to just $2.5 million monthly between March and July 2019, according to Dawn.
• The issue became more complicated in August 2019, when India’s constitutional amendments in Jammu and Kashmir led to Pakistan ceasing all trade.
• Over the past five years, commerce between India and Pakistan has decreased to a low of roughly $2 billion annually, a negligible portion of the $37 billion trade potential that the World Bank estimates.

Manipuri Pony

Manipur has taken firm action to prevent the extinction of its famous Manipuri Pony, also known as Meitei Sagol.

About Meitei Sagol:

• One of the seven officially recognized horse and pony breeds in India, it is renowned for its diminutive size but exceptional qualities including endurance, agility, and intelligence. They are considered the original polo pony, having come from Manipur and being linked to the Sagol Kangjei sport.
• Threats to their population do, however, include habitat loss and a shortage of polo fields. The Manipuri Pony Conservation and Development Policy was introduced in 2016 by the Manipur government in response to these issues, which led to the breed’s designation as an Endangered Breed in 2013. A task group has been formed, a thorough census is being conducted, and immediate steps for pony conservation are being taken in an effort to protect the breed.