What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Western Ghats and its Conservation Efforts
• The Sixth Draft Western Ghats Notification
• Challenges Towards Conserving Western Ghats

Why in News?

• The Union Environment Ministry (MoEFCC) has issued a draft notification to declare the Western Ghats an ecologically sensitive area (ESA).
• The ESA includes villages in Wayanad (Kerala), where a devastating series of landslides on July 30 killed at least 210 people, with hundreds more still missing.

Western Ghats and its Conservation Efforts

• About Western Ghats:
  • It is a mountain range (in a stretch of 1,600 Km) parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula.
  • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world.
  • These are home to high mountain forests, which have been severely fragmented due to human activities, especially clear-felling for tea, coffee, and teak plantations.
• Conservation efforts:
  • In 2010, MoEFCC appointed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), to be chaired by ecologist Dr Madhav Gadgil.
  • It was formed to study the impact of population pressure, climate change and development activities on the Western Ghats.
• Recommendations of the WGEEP:
  • Designate the entire region as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and classify 64% of the Western Ghats into Ecologically Sensitive Zones called ESZ 1, ESZ 2 and ESZ 3.
  • Almost all developmental activities like mining, construction of thermal power plants, and dams were to stop along with the decommissioning of similar projects that have completed their shelf life in ESZ 1.
  • The report suggested a bottom-to-top approach and the establishment of a Western Ghats Ecology Authority to manage the ecology of the region and to ensure its sustainable development.
• Resistance to the implementation of the WGEEP’s recommendations:
  • Stakeholder states resisted the Gadgil panel recommendations amid fears of hindrance to development and loss of livelihood.
  • In 2012, MoEFCC constituted a High-Level Working Group on Western Ghats under former ISRO chief Dr K Kasturirangan, to formulate a report to replace WGEEP.
• Recommendations of the Kasturirangan-led panel:
  • It notified only 37% (against 64% by Gadgil commission) of the area as ecologically sensitive.
  • It also split the Western Ghats into cultural (human settlements) and natural (non-human settlements) regions. It was suggested that cultural lands be designated as an ESA.
• Status of implementation of above recommendations:
  • In 2017, MoEFCC demarcated an area of 56,825 sq Km in the Western Ghats as ESA as opposed to the 59,940 sq Km recommended by the Kasturirangan committee.
  • Kerala has 9,993 sq km; Karnataka 20,668 sq km, Tamil Nadu 6,914 sq km; Maharashtra 17,340 sq km; Goa 1,461 sq km and Gujarat 449 sq km.

The Sixth Draft Western Ghats Notification:

• Background:
  • The latest draft notification has been reissued because the previous draft (issued in July 2022) expired, and may have been prompted by recent devastating landslides in Wayanad district.
  • This comes 13 years after the first such demarcation was recommended by a panel led by eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil in 2011.
  • Since then, the proposed protected area has shrunk from the original 75% recommendation to the current 37%.
• About the draft notification:
• The proposal for the ESA classification covers six states and 59,940 square kilometres of the Western Ghats or roughly 37% of the range.
• It states that:
  • All new and expansion projects of building and construction with built-up area of 20,000 square metres and above, and
  • All new and expansion townships and area development projects with an area of 50 hectares and above or with built-up area of 150,000 square metres and above shall be prohibited.
• Impact of the latest draft:
  • If finalised, the notification would impose a complete ban on mining, quarrying, sand mining, thermal power plants, and polluting industries in the designated areas.
  • It would also prohibit new construction projects and township developments above certain thresholds.
  • Additionally, hydropower projects and less polluting industries would be regulated, and a monitoring mechanism would be established.

Challenges Towards Conserving Western Ghats:

• The outcome of this long-standing environmental protection effort remains uncertain, with conservation needs clashing with the developmental aspirations in one of India’s most ecologically significant regions.
• As the draft notification now stands, it is up to the Western Ghats state governments to accept or reject the proposal.
• Despite its six iterations, the draft notification is yet to become law, as all six affected States have objected to specific places that have been included in the ESA regions.
• The dominant sentiment in Kerala was that this notification would subsume agricultural plantations, curtail the State’s hydro-electricity plans, and would lead to a migration crisis given the State’s high population density.
• To address states’ concerns, MoEFCC constituted a high-level committee in 2022 to balance
  • Conservation aspects of the disaster-prone pristine ecosystem, and
  • The rights, privileges, needs and developmental aspirations of the region.
  • But is yet to submit its report.

Q.1 What are biodiversity hotspots?

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemic, and at least 70% of its primary vegetation has been lost. Globally, 36 zones qualify under this definition.

Q.2. What are shola forests?

Sholas are the temperate forests found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai and Palani hills.
 

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in the News?
• About Axiom-4 Mission
• Mission Objectives
• Key Features
• About International Space Station (ISS)
• Participating Space Agencies
• News Summary

Why in the News?

• India has shortlisted two astronaut-designates for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

About Axiom-4 Mission

• Axiom Mission 4 (or Ax-4) is a private spaceflight to the International Space Station.
• It is operated by Axiom Space and uses a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
• The flight is in collaboration with NASA and will be the fourth flight of Axiom Space after Axiom Mission 1, Axiom Mission 2 and Axiom Mission 3.
• Scheduled to launch in 2024, Axiom-4 will continue the company's pioneering efforts to establish a sustainable human presence in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Mission Objectives

• Commercial Space Endeavours:
  • Axiom-4 aims to facilitate commercial activities in space, including scientific research, technological development, and space tourism.
  • The mission will help demonstrate the viability of commercial space stations as a platform for business and innovation.
• International Collaboration:
  • Axiom-4 is set to carry a diverse crew of astronauts from different countries, reflecting the growing international interest in space exploration.
  • This mission will strengthen partnerships between nations and contribute to global space initiatives.
• Research and Development:
  • The mission will support various scientific experiments and technological tests in the unique microgravity environment of space.
  • Research areas include materials science, biology, Earth observation, and more, with the potential to yield groundbreaking discoveries and innovations.

Key Features

• Spacecraft and Crew:
  • The mission will use a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
  • The crew will consist of professional astronauts and private individuals, including researchers and potentially tourists, who have undergone rigorous training for the mission.
• Duration and Activities:
  • Axiom-4 is expected to be a short-duration mission, lasting approximately 14 days.
  • During their time aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the crew will conduct scientific experiments, perform technology demonstrations, and engage in educational outreach.
• Commercial Space Station Development:
  • Axiom Space's long-term vision includes building the world's first commercial space station.
  • The Axiom-4 mission is part of the company's broader plan to eventually transition from the ISS to their own independent orbital outpost.

About International Space Station (ISS)

• International Space Station is a modular space station launched in 1998.
  • Modular stations can allow modules to be added to or removed from the existing structure, allowing greater flexibility.
• It is a large laboratory in space that allows astronauts to come aboard and stay for weeks or months to carry out experiments in microgravity.
• The first crew on the ISS arrived on November 2, 2000.
• Objective:
  • To conduct scientific research in astrobiology, astronomy, meteorology, physics, and other fields.
• It is the largest artificial object in space.
• It circles the Earth in roughly 93 minutes, completing 15.5 orbits per day.
• Currently, the ISS has eight solar arrays generating about 160 kilowatts of power total.
• Altitude: 400 km

Participating Space Agencies

• It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies:
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA)
  • Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities (Russia)
  • Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Japan)
  • European Space Agency (Europe)
  • Canadian Space Agency (Canada)
• The station is divided into two sections:
  • The Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) – Operated by Russia,
  • The United States Orbital Segment (USOS) – Operated by the US as well as many other nations.
• The ownership & use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties & agreements.

News Summary

• India has selected Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
• This mission is part of a joint ISRO-NASA effort, stemming from a Space Flight Agreement with Axiom Space Inc.
• Group Captain Shukla will serve as the prime mission pilot, with Group Captain Nair as the backup.
• Both astronauts will undergo training in the U.S. starting in August 2024.
• Their participation will contribute to scientific research, technology demonstrations, and enhance India's human space program while strengthening ISRO-NASA cooperation.

Q1. What is the Lower Orbit of the Earth?

Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) is an orbit with altitude ranging from 200–300 km to 1600 km. In LEO, particles of different origin are encountered: protons, electrons, heavy ions, neutrons, and others.

Q2. What is Lagrange Point in simple words?

Lagrange Points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system like the Sun and Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion. These can be used by spacecraft as "parking spots" in space to remain in a fixed position with minimal fuel consumption.

Source: India selects 2 crew members for Axiom-4 mission to International Space Station 

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Background: the controversy
• Gender eligibility: a contentious issue in women’s sports
• Steps taken by sports federations deal with this matter

Why in News?

Imane Khelif, a 25-year-old welterweight from Algeria, qualified for the quarterfinals of the Olympic women's boxing tournament by dismantling Italy's Angela Carini in the round of 16. Their fight lasted just 46 seconds.

Since her victory, Khelif has been the target of a wave of abuse, with many calling her a “biological man” who had an “unfair advantage” over Carini. Some people also wrongly identified Khelif as a transgender woman.

The participation of trans women, and women having certain “masculine” biological characteristics like higher testosterone levels, in women’s sports has long been a subject of polarising debate.

Background: the controversy

• Boxers failed gender eligibility test conducted by International Boxing Association (IBA)
  • In 2023, Imane Khelif and Chinese Taipei boxer Lin Yu-ting were banned from competing in the IBA’s World Championship in New Delhi after failing a confidential "gender eligibility" test.
  • The IBA stated that the boxers did not meet the criteria to compete in the female category.
• Both boxers are competing in Paris Olympics
  • Both boxers are now competing at the Paris Olympics, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) derecognized the IBA over governance and financial issues.
  • The IOC-appointed unit governing the competition in Paris only requires the gender stated in an athlete’s passport for eligibility, and Khelif’s passport identifies her as female.
• Response by IOC
  • Following Khelif’s win and the subsequent abuse, the IOC stated that all Olympic boxers complied with eligibility and entry regulations.
  • It noted that both Khelif and Lin have competed in women’s competitions for many years, including the Tokyo 2020 Games.
  • The IOC also criticized the IBA's decision to ban the two women as arbitrary and not following proper procedure.

Gender eligibility: a contentious issue in women’s sports

• Organization of sports based on sex
  • Modern sports are organized on the basis of sex, with men and women competing in different categories.
  • This is because men, on average, have certain physiological advantages over women.
• Sex is determined based on chromosomes
  • Sex is determined based on chromosomes, which carry genes. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes — 22 are identical in men and women; one, the sex chromosome, is different.
  • The XX sex chromosomes result in the development of female sex organs, and XY in male sex organs.
  • The SRY gene, found on the Y chromosome, is responsible for the production of testosterone.
• Link between testosterone and athletic performance
  • Many studies have supported the link between testosterone and athletic performance.
  • As per them, the difference in circulating testosterone between adults likely explains most, if not all, sex differences in sporting performance due to testosterone's effects on muscle mass, strength, bone size, strength (density), and circulating hemoglobin.
• However, other studies note that data on this matter is currently inadequate.
• DSD and Swyer syndrome
  • Some people born with female reproductive organs may also carry the XY chromosome, in what is known as Swyer syndrome.
• This syndrome is one of many “Disorders of Sex Development”, or DSDs.
• Swyer syndrome, also known as 46 XY gonadal dysgenesis, is a rare genetic condition where individuals have one X and one Y chromosome in each cell (typically associated with males) but develop female reproductive structures.
• People with Swyer syndrome are genetically male but phenotypically female, meaning they have a female appearance and female external genitalia.
  • This is at the heart of the debate surrounding gender eligibility in women’s sports.
  • Many argue that in order to prevent some athletes from having an unfair advantage in women’s sports, women with DSDs must not be allowed to compete with other women.
• They claim that DSDs facilitate greater testosterone production, and other consequent athletic advantages.

Steps taken by sports federations deal with this matter

• Sports federations have their own eligibility criteria
  • In 2021, the IOC decided to allow international sports federations to develop their own eligibility rules based on an “evidence-based approach” considering principles of “fairness”, “inclusion”, “non-discrimination”, “no presumption of advantage”, and “prevention of harm.”
  • Previously, the IOC required women athletes who had transitioned from male to female to have testosterone levels below 10 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L).
  • World Athletics still uses testosterone levels as an eligibility criterion, requiring DSD athletes to maintain levels below 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months before competing.
• This is stricter than the pre-2023 requirement of 5 nmol/L for events ranging from 400 meters to a mile, with no restrictions on other events.
  • FINA, the world swimming body, the International Cycling Union, and the International Rugby Union have all implemented varying degrees of bans on trans women athletes.
• Debate goes on
  • There is still much unknown about the impact of testosterone on sporting performance.
  • Many question whether women born with higher levels of testosterone have any different advantage compared to people with other genetic advantages, such as LeBron James' height or Michael Phelps' large, fin-like hands.

Q.1. What is International Boxing Association (IBA)?

The International Boxing Association (IBA) is the global governing body for amateur boxing, responsible for overseeing international competitions, setting rules, and ensuring fair play. It organizes major tournaments like the World Championships and the Olympic boxing events. IBA also develops and enforces standards for the sport globally.

Q.2. What is Swyer syndrome?

Swyer syndrome, or 46 XY gonadal dysgenesis, is a rare genetic condition where individuals have XY chromosomes typically associated with males but develop female reproductive structures. People with Swyer syndrome appear female and have female external genitalia but lack functional ovaries or testes, impacting sexual development.

Source: Explained: The gender issue in the Imane Khelif vs Angela Carini boxing match controversy | NBC New York | Today

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Great Nicobar Island
• Great Nicobar Island project
• Legal Challenges to the GNI Project

Why in News?

The Central government's Rs 72,000 crore Great Nicobar Island (GNI) infrastructure project includes constructing an airport for civilian and defense use, an international container transshipment terminal, and a township.

The project has faced legal challenges in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Calcutta High Court.

Recently, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO), the project's implementing agency, submitted conclusions from a high-powered committee (HPC) formed by NGT in 2023.

The HPC concluded that the proposed transshipment port does not fall within the Island Coastal Regulation Zone-IA (ICRZ-IA), where ports are prohibited.

Great Nicobar Island

• Geographical location
  • Great Nicobar, the southernmost of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a cluster of about 836 islands in the eastern Bay of Bengal.
• The two groups of which are separated by the 150-km wide Ten Degree Channel.
• The Andaman Islands lie to the north of the channel, and the Nicobar Islands to the south.
  • Indira Point on the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island is India’s southernmost point, less than 150 km from the northernmost island of the Indonesian archipelago.
• Ecosystem
  • The Great Nicobar Island has tropical wet evergreen forests, mountain ranges reaching almost 650 m above sea level, and coastal plains.
  • The Island has two national parks and a biosphere reserve.
  • Many endangered species are found at the Island. The leatherback sea turtle is the island’s flagship species.
• Tribes of Nicobar
  • Great Nicobar is home to the Shompen and Nicobarese tribal peoples.
  • The Shompen are hunter-gatherers who depend on forest and marine resources for sustenance.
  • The Nicobarese, who lived along the west coast of the island were mostly relocated after the 2004 tsunami.
  • An estimated 237 Shompen and 1,094 Nicobarese individuals now live in a 751 sq km tribal reserve, some 84 sq km of which is proposed to be denotified.

Great Nicobar Island project

• In November 2022, the Environment ministry has given environmental clearance for the Centre’s ambitious Rs 72,000 crore multi-development projects in Greater Nicobar Island.
• The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) is a mega project to be implemented at the southern end of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The project includes an international container trans-shipment terminal, an international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar based power plant over an extent of 16,610 hectares in the island.
• The port will be controlled by the Indian Navy, while the airport will have dual military-civilian functions and will cater to tourism as well.

Legal Challenges to the GNI Project

• Legal Challenges and Grounds for Appeals
  • In 2022, environmental activists challenged the environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances granted to the project.
  • They cited irreversible damage to biodiversity, inadequate environmental impact studies, and opacity in the clearance process.
  • They highlighted the impact on the Shompen and Nicobarese tribal communities and the ecological sensitivity of the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ-IA).
• NGT's Response and Formation of HPC
  • The NGT formed a high-powered committee (HPC) to revisit the project’s green clearance due to concerns about coral conservation, the port’s location in a prohibited area, and limited baseline data.
  • The HPC concluded that the proposed port does not fall in the ICRZ-IA.
• Recent petitions
  • In May 2024, Kothari filed two petitions before the NGT’s eastern bench.
  • The first challenged the exclusion of parts of the project from ecologically sensitive areas as per the 2019 CRZ notification.
  • The second accused the MoEFCC of contempt for not updating the NGT on the HPC’s findings and failing to act as directed.
  • ANIIDCO filed a counter affidavit, while MoEFCC requested more time to respond.
• High Court Cases
  • The activists also filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging the NGT’s April 2023 order.
  • The petition argued that the NGT special bench overstepped its jurisdiction and failed to adequately consider the project’s environmental impact, delegating decision-making to the HPC.
  • It contended that the NGT should have directly evaluated the clearances and not relied on the committee.

Q.1. What is Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO)?

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO) is a government agency responsible for implementing and managing infrastructure projects in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It oversees development initiatives, including the Great Nicobar Island project, focusing on enhancing regional infrastructure and economic growth.

Q.2. What is Island Coastal Regulation Zone-IA (ICRZ-IA)?

Island Coastal Regulation Zone-IA (ICRZ-IA) is a category under India's Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, designating areas along island coasts where certain developmental activities are prohibited to protect sensitive ecosystems. This zone aims to preserve coastal habitats, biodiversity, and the natural environment from detrimental impacts of construction.

Source: Explained: Legal challenges to the Great Nicobar infrastructure project  | The Hindu