Q1. India’s biodiversity rich zones are also ‘hotspots’ of ... · countries, it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of all avian, 6.2% of all reptilian, 4.4% of all amphibian,

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Model Answer

Intro

According to an international journal, PLOS Biology dedicated to

biological science, India’s biodiversity-rich Western Ghats, Himalaya and

the north-east have immense human impact. India ranks 16th in such

human impacts, with 35 species impacted on average.

Body

India’s biodiversity rich zones are also ‘hotspots’ of human impacts

1. A team of scientists found this when they mapped the distribution of

eight human activities including hunting and conversion of natural

habitats for agriculture in areas occupied by 5,457 threatened birds,

mammals and amphibians worldwide.

2. Using sources, including the recently-updated Human Footprint data,

they found that a staggering 1,237 species are impacted by threats in more

than 90% of their habitat; 395 species are affected by threats across their

entire range.

3. While the impact of roads is highest (affecting 72% of terrestrial areas),

crop lands affect the highest number of threatened species: 3,834.

4. The average number of species impacted in the South Western Ghats

montane rainforests is 60 and in the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf

forests, 53.

5. The maps show that roads and croplands are extensive in India and

conversion of habitat for such activities could be a main threat.

However, these very areas are also ‘cool-spots’

‘Cool-spots’ are the world’s last refuges where high numbers of threatened

species still persist. Cool-spots could be the result of protection or because

of intact habitat that has not been cleared yet.

Status of biodiversity hotspots in India

1. India, for the most part, lies within the Indo-Malaya Eco zone, with the

upper reaches of the Himalayas forming part of the Palearctic Eco zone.

2. India displays significant biodiversity. One of seventeen mega diverse

countries, it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of all avian, 6.2%

of all reptilian, 4.4% of all amphibian, 11.7% of all fish, and 6.0% of

all flowering plant species.

Q1. India’s biodiversity rich zones are also ‘hotspots’ of human

impacts. Evaluate

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Identifying such areas could aid conservation and development planning

for a country like India. However, these refugia do not necessarily have to

be off-limits to human development, just free of the actions that directly

threaten species there, add the scientists.

Conclusion

Therefore, there is an urgent need to plan for development that keeps

wildlife conservation as a primary goal in biodiversity-rich areas. This has

to happen before cold spots of human impacts converts into hotspots of

human impacts.



Model Answer

Intro

Body

Conclusion

Intro:

The bio-diversity related to agriculture is fundamental to food and

nutritional security which has multiple economic, ecological and

social benefits and is a crucial component of sustainable agriculture.

Biodiversity for food and agriculture includes the components of

biological diversity that are essential for feeding human populations

and improving the quality of life.

It includes the variety and variability of ecosystems, animals, plants

and micro-organisms, at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels.

Body:

But, the Conservation of plant diversity has received considerably

less attention than the conservation of animals, perhaps because

plants lack the popular appeal of many animal groups.

Many key components of biodiversity for food and agriculture at

genetic, species and ecosystem levels are decline. The proportion of

livestock breeds at risk of extinction is increasing

Q2. Despite the growing realization about the value of plant biodiversity

in agricultural production food security and ecological stability,

biodiversity associated with agriculture and food production is being

rapidly eroded. Comment (15 marks)

Approach

Intro:

Introduce the topic by providing importance of plant biodiversity in agriculture

and food production

Body:

Then, mention some reasons for the erosion of plant biodiversity

Conclusion:

In the last part of the answer, provide balanced conclusion with some

measures to conserve plant biodiversity.



Overall, the diversity of crops present in farmer fields has declined

and the threat to crop diversity is increasing.

The reasons for the erosion are as follows:

Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation: Habitat loss

and associated fragmentation is the biggest single threat to

plant diversity.

Overexploitation: Overexploitation of the whole plant or

enough of it to reduce the chance of survival―is the second

most important threat to plant species.

Invasive species: Invasive alien species are another potential

threat to native plant diversity.

Air pollution and nitrogen deposition: in the concentration

of the major greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O) are

considered separately below, but other air-borne pollutants

can also impact plant diversity (

Climate change: The impacts of anthropogenic climate

change are also complex and unpredictable, and even more

pervasive.

Conclusion:

Biodiversity for food and agriculture can be managed to maintain or

enhance ecosystem functions to provide options for the optimization

of agricultural production and contribute to the resilience of

ecosystems for risk mitigation.

Applications of biotechnologies for Conservation of Plants

Biodiversity can be done in order to offer new means of

improving biodiversity

Long-Term Conservation through Cryopreservation is

another way to conserve the plant bio-diversity

Plant tissue culture (PTC) is a quick, season independent and

efficient in vitro technique to propagate plants under a sterile

microenvironment.

In vitro clonal propagation method is commonly known as

micro propagation which helps to produce mass production

of plant propagates from any plant part or cell.

In vitro techniques used to achieve medium-term

conservation allow the storage of biological material from

several months to 2–3 years without subculture.



Model Answer

Intro

The Eastern Himalayas harbor an amazing diversity of life. There are 163

globally threatened species found in the Himalayas, including Asia’s three

largest herbivores – Asian elephant, greater one-horned rhinoceros and

wild water buffalo – and its largest carnivore, the tiger. The region is

home to:

• 10,000 types of

plants

• 300 mammals

• 977 birds

• 176 reptiles

• 105

amphibians

• 269 freshwater

fish

The Himalayan grasslands have the densest population of Bengal tigers,

which live alongside Asian elephants and one-horned rhinos. The

mountains offer refuge for red pandas, golden langurs and takins.

This is the only known location in the world where Bengal tigers and

snow leopards share habitat.

Body

Prevailing threats to the environment, biodiversity and human

livelihoods.

Habitat Loss:

The conversion of forests for agriculture and exploitation for

timber, fodder and fuelwood threaten the biodiversity in this

region.

Charcoal production in low elevation areas and intensive grazing at

higher elevations also threatens forests.

3. The Eastern Himalayas faces a number of serious issues that

threaten the environment, biodiversity and human livelihoods

of the region.Comment



Human-wildlife conflict

Levels of conflict heighten and tolerance decreases when

traditional practices are interrupted. WWF and other conservation

organizations work to eliminate human-wildlife conflicts. For

example, a community-managed livestock insurance plan

compensates villagers for livestock losses from snow leopards. As

these conservation measures take root, snow leopard numbers are

on the rise.

Climate change

Climate change is impacting people and threatening wildlife in the

Eastern Himalayas.

Many glaciers are melting and forming lakes prone to bursting and

downstream flooding.

Traditional water springs have dried up, limiting the water supply.

Farmers’ crops suffer from changing patterns of rainfall, which

threatens the food security of the local people.

Warmer temperatures and changing humidity have brought insect

pests and disease to areas where they were previously absent.

Illegal wildlife trade

In addition to deforestation and other habitat loss, poaching is the main

threat to wildlife in the region. Tigers and rhinos are the most at risk

because of their high commercial value in the black market

Issues due to Infrastructure development: The Eastern Himalayas relies

on hyfdroelectric power, and the countires of the region are looking to

take further advantage of this resource in the coming years. The creation

of numerous dams without due environmental impact assessment could

lead to the submergence of arable lands and biodiversity hotspots. Not

only would valley habitats be inundated by the creation of reservoirs, but

villagers would be displaced. The effect of dams on fisheries and fish

ecology is also a matter of concern

Conclusion

As a consequence less than 25% of the Eastern Himalayas' natural habitat

remains intact, with some 163 native species considered globally

threatened. Government needs to increase the pace of conservation efforts

to secure this natural heritage



Model Answer

Intro

Nature based tourism is Nature tourism or nature-based tourism includes

all tourist activity that depends directly on the use of natural areas and

resources that are in a relatively undeveloped state. This includes travel by

tourists to view beautiful scenery, for photography, or for recreation

connected with aquatic resources (e.g. water sports, boating, etc.),

vegetation and wildlife − and even includes trophy hunting for adventure.

Examples of nature based-tourism are wilderness tourism, adventure

tourism, green tourism and ecotourism.

Eco-tourism

The word ecotourism was first invented and used by Hector. Ecotourism is

a form of tourism that focuses exclusively on wildlife, nature, or “exotic”

cultures. Some argue that it is a vague term used to market anything

related to nature or environmental tourism.

Body

Ecotourism and wildlife oriented tourism have become a major

economic activity for locals. It helps in providing source of

livelihood for local people.

o For instance-Local guides are often hired from the local areas

(who knows better than their local environment). It will be

beneficial for conserving biologically rich natural areas

Minimizes environmental impacts using benchmarks. -

Constant interaction between human beings and ecosystem sets up

the benchmarks for the tourists. For instance- In Corbett National

Park, only required number of visitors are supposed to visit the

sites on the first come first serve basis daily.

Improves contribution to local sustainable development- The

thrust of eco-tourism revolves around the concept of sustainable

and responsible tourism.

Requires lowest possible consumption of non-renewable

resources- The focus is on the beauty of the natural system and

rejuvenating the two components (biotic and abiotic) Hence, it

helps in conserving our precious exhaustible resources.

Sustains the well-being of local people- It helps in the all-

round development of the locals hosting eco-tourism. For

4. While nature-based tourism is just travel to natural places,

ecotourism provides local benefits. Elaborate



instance- The Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary caters to the needs of

the large number of local people such as Guides, Jeep Drivers,

Care Takers, Authorized shops etc.

Contributes to biodiversity- It helps in conserving

biodiversity. As ecosystem encompasses through the interaction

between humans and environment, which is vital for the

management and conservation of biodiversity.



Model Answer

Intro

Biodiversity loss, a decrease in biodiversity within a species, an

ecosystem, a given geographic area, or Earth as a whole. Biodiversity, or

biological diversity, is a term that refers to the number of genes, species,

individual organisms within a given species, and biological communities

within a defined geographic area, ranging from the smallest ecosystem to

the global biosphere.

The Living Planet Index, compiled by the WWF, provides an indication of

the declines in the overall abundance of wild species.

Body

Facts related to loss of biodiversity:

• Half of the world’s habitable land (some 51 million square km [19.7

million square miles]) has been converted to agriculture, and some 77

percent of agricultural land (some 40 million square km [15.4 million

square miles]) is used for grazing by cattle, sheep, goats, and other

livestock.

5.The continued loss of biodiversity will greatly impact human

society. In this context enumerate the major effects due to loss

of biodiversity.

.

Approach

Intro: Mention what is loss of biodiversity and facts related to it.

Body:

Loss of biodiversity and its impact on human society.

Impacts of biodiversity loss- mention societal, economical,

ecological and other impacts as well.

Mention Living Planet Report of WWF.

Steps taken to protect biodiversity-both national and

international

Conclusion: suggest some measures to reduce loss of biodiversity



• The massive conversion of forests, wetlands, grasslands, and other

terrestrial ecosystems has produced a 60 percent decline (on average) in

the number of vertebrates worldwide since 1970, with the greatest losses

in vertebrate populations occurring in freshwater habitats (83 percent)

and in South and Central America (89 percent).

• Over 12,000 Species are threatened with Extinction. More than half a

million species on land have insufficient habitat for long term survival

and are likely to become extinct. An average of 25% of animals and

plants are now threatened.

By and large over ten per cent of India's flowering plant species are

threatened with extinction.

Major effects due to loss of biodiversity: Two decades ago, at the first

Earth Summit, the vast majority of the world's nations declared that

human actions were dismantling the Earth's ecosystems, eliminating

genes, species and biological traits at an alarming rate. This observation

led to the question of how such loss of biological diversity will alter the

Functioning of ecosystems and their ability to provide society with the

goods and services needed to prosper.

• Societal impacts:

Food security: Humans rely on various plants, animals, and

other organisms for food, building materials, and medicines, and

their availability as commodities is important to many cultures.

The loss of biodiversity among these critical natural resources



threatens global food security and the development of new

pharmaceuticals to deal with future diseases.

• Vulnerability to natural disasters: Many scientists feel that the

world is in the middle of a sixth major mass extinction, one

caused solely by human beings. Natural ecological disturbances,

such as wildfire, floods, and volcanic eruptions, change

ecosystems drastically by eliminating local populations of some

species and transforming whole biological communities.

Impact on ecosystem services: Biodiversity plays an important

role in the way ecosystems function and in the many services

they provide. Services include nutrients and water cycling, soil

formation and retention, resistance against invasive species,

pollination of plants, regulation of climate, as well as pest and

pollution control by ecosystems.

DISEASES: Reduced biodiversity means millions of people

face a future where food supplies are more vulnerable to pests

and disease and where water is in irregular or short supply.

• The loss of plant species also means the loss of unknown

economic potential, as extinct plants can hardly be harvested for

food crops, fibers, medicines, and other products that forests,

especially rainforests, provide.

• Ecological Effects: The weight of biodiversity loss is most

pronounced on species whose populations are decreasing. The

loss of genes and individuals threatens the long-term survival of

a species, as mates become scarce and risks from inbreeding rise

when closely related survivors mate. The wholesale loss of

populations also increases the risk that a particular species will

become extinct.

• Mainstream and traditional medicines can be derived from the

chemicals in rare plants and animals, and thus lost species

represent lost opportunities to treat and cure. For example,

several species of fungi found on the hairs of three-toed sloths

(Bradypus variegatus) produce medicines effective against the

parasites that cause malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) and

Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi) as well as against human

breast cancer.

Steps taken:

International efforts:

o World Conservation Union (IUCN) is the world's largest

and most important conservation network that brings together 83

States, 110 government agencies, more than 800 non-governmental

organizations (NGOs), and some 10,000 scientists. Experts from

181 countries work for conservation of natural resources under

IUCN's various programmes in a unique worldwide partnership.



o United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

collaborates with a wide range of partners throughout the UN

system and beyond to provide information on the state of the

planet's natural resources and their contribution to sustainable

development.

o The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international

non-governmental organisation for the conservation, research and

restoration of the natural environment.

o World Conservation Strategy (WCS) was formulated by

IUCN in cooperation with UNEP, WWF, FAO and UNESCO. It

explains the contribution of living resource conservation to human

survival and to sustainable development and identifies the priority

conservation issues along with the main requirements for dealing

with them and proposes ways for effectively achieving the Strategy

aim.

o Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was negotiated

under the auspices of the UNEP. The three goals of the CBD are to

promote the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its

components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising

out of the utilization of genetic resources.

o Man And Biospehere (MAB) has initiated programmes and

activities focusing on the diversity and the resources provided by

nature, humans' impacts on biodiversity, as well as how biodiversity

affects human activities. The original objective of MAB was to

establish protected areas representing the main ecosystems of the

planet. A 'biosphere reserve' under MAB is a unique kind of

protected area.

Efforts at national level:

o The Central Government has enacted the Wild Life

(Protection) Act, 1972. The Act, inter alia, provides for the creation

of Protected Areas for the protection of wildlife and also provides

for punishment for hunting of specified fauna specified in the

schedules I to IV thereof.

o Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established for

control of illegal trade in wildlife, including endangered species.

o The Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Integrated Development

of Wildlife Habitats‘ has been modified by including a new

component namely ‘Recovery of Endangered Species‘.



o Protected Areas, viz, National Parks, Sanctuaries,

Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves all over the

country covering the important habitats have been created as per the

provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to provide better

protection to wildlife, including threatened species and their habitat.

Conclusion:

The decline in biodiversity is not just an environmental issue but also an

economic, security, moral and ethical issue. The biggest challenge and

opportunity lies in changing approach towards development. People need

to shift to clean technologies for protecting the nature. Ultimately, the

world needs to come together to make a global deal to save nature.



Model Answer

Intro

What is IPC?

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is the main criminal code of India.

It is a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects

of criminal law.

The code was drafted in 1860 on the recommendations of first law

commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter Act of

1833 under the Chairmanship of Thomas Macaulay.

It came into force in British India during the early British Raj

period in 1862.

However, it did not apply automatically in the Princely states,

which had their own courts and Lady legal systems until the 1940s.

The Code has since been amended several times and is now

supplemented by other criminal provisions.

Body

Why there is a need for reform in the Criminal Justice System in

India?

The system has become ineffective: The Criminal justice system based

on century-old outdated laws, has led to harassment of people by the

government agencies and also put pressure on the judiciary.

Inefficiency in justice delivery: The system takes years to bring justice

and has ceased to deter criminals. There is a lack of synergy among the

judiciary, the prosecution and the police.

Complex nature of the crime: Crime has increased rapidly and the nature

of crimes are becoming more and more complex due to technological

innovations.

Investigation incapability: It led to delay in or haphazard investigation of

crimes which greatly contribute to the delay in dispensing prompt

justice.

Inequality in the justice: The rich and the powerful hardly get convicted,

even in cases of serious crimes.

Q6. Why there is a need for reform in the Criminal Justice

System in India? Discuss along with the recommendation made

by the Malimath Committee in this regard.



The lowered confidence of common man: The judicial procedures have

become complicated and expensive. There is a rise in cases of mob

violence.

Recommendation of the Malimath Committee:

There is a need for more judges in the country.

National Judicial Commission:

o The Constitution of a National Judicial Commission to deal

with the appointment of judges to the higher courts and

amending Article 124 to make impeachment of judges less

difficult.

o The higher courts should have a separate criminal division

consisting of judges who have specialised in criminal law.

The Inquisitorial system of investigation practiced in countries such as

Germany and France should be followed.

Power for court to summon any person, whether or not listed as a witness

if it felt necessary.

Right to silence: A modification to Article 20 (3) of the Constitution that

protects the accused from being compelled to be a witness against

himself/herself.

The court should be given freedom to question the accused to elicit

information and draw an adverse inference against the accused in case the

latter refuses to answer.

The right of accused: A schedule to the Code be brought out in all

regional languages to make accused aware of his/her rights, as well as

how to enforce them.

Presumption of Innocence: The courts follow “proof beyond reasonable

doubt” as the basis to convict an accused in criminal cases which is an

unreasonable burden on the prosecution and hence a fact should be

considered as proven “if the court is convinced that it is true” after

evaluating the matters before it.

The victim should be allowed to participate in cases involving serious

crimes and also be given adequate compensation.

Victim Compensation Fund: A Victim Compensation Fund can be

created under the victim compensation law and the assets confiscated

from organised crimes can be made part of the fund.

Key issues

Malimath Committee report recommends making confessions made to a

senior police officer (SP rank or above) admissible as evidence. Confessions

to police have repeatedly come under scrutiny because of allegations of



custodial torture, instances of custodial deaths, fake encounters and

tampering with evidence.

The report recommends diluting the standard of proof lower than the current

‘beyond reasonable doubt’ standard. Such a measure would have adverse

implications on suspects and requires considerable deliberation.

In 2016, the Home Ministry had proposed insertion of two stricter anti-racial

discrimination provisions in the IPC.

The two amendments — Section 153A and Section 509A “to deal with

racially motivated crimes” received lukewarm response from the States.

Recent IPC reforms:

Way forward:

● appointing more judges and police personnel

● Improve investigative skills: Diluting the proof beyond reasonable

doubt precept will prove to be counterproductive. The onus must be on

improving investigative skills of police officers, improving quality of

documentation and separating criminal investigation responsibilities from

law and order duties.

● deploying scientific techniques, beefing up forensic labs, and other

infrastructure investments are the need of the hour.



● Audio-visual recording mandatory: It can be argued that audio-visual

recordings reduce the space for accused and witnesses to backtrack and

also gives judges the benefit of seeing whether the witness/accused is

under duress.




Documents

Q1. India’s biodiversity rich zones are also ‘hotspots’ of ... · countries, it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of all avian, 6.2% of all reptilian, 4.4% of all amphibian,