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Byju’s Classes CA September 2017 (1st week)

Atomic fuel reserve in Kazakhstan to ensure supply

World’s first Low Enriched Uranium Bank is all set to established at Oskemen.

The International Atomic Energy Agency launched the project in 2010.

The bank will hold 90 tons of uranium—enough to power a large reactor for three years—

and member states that withdraw from the bank will cover the cost of restocking.

To ensure transport, the IAEA signed an agreement with Russia in 2015 to allow the material

to travel through the country.

Purpose

The bank will serve as a source of last resort for low-enriched uranium when IAEA members

are unable to either produce it or if it becomes unavailable on the international market for

whatever reason.

This function will help non-proliferation efforts. By providing uranium, it will disincentivise

countries from developing their own uranium enrichment capacities.

The bank seeks to ensure that in the event of an international crisis or similar

circumstances, countries dependent on nuclear power would still have access to uranium.

Who manages the reserve and the criteria of disposal?

The IAEA, which manages the reserve, has established a series of strict criteria for a member state to

request and purchase uranium from the bank. These criteria include:

First, there must be a disruption in supply “due to extraordinary circumstances” that would

render the country in question unable to obtain fuel by the usual means.

In addition, the IAEA must have certified that nuclear material has not been diverted by

the country in the past and that the country complies with all safety measures.

The buying country must commit to using uranium only to produce fuel, never for

weapons, and not to enrich it or transfer it to third parties without the express consent of

the IAEA.

The IAEA is the world’s centre of cooperation in the nuclear field. It was set up as the world´s

“Atoms for Peace” organization in 1957 within the United Nations family. It also seeks to promote

the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear

weapons.

Gobindobhog rice gets geographical indication status

Gobindobhog rice, a speciality from Burdwan district of West Bengal, has got the geographical

indication (GI) status.


Significance of this move:

As a result of getting the GI tag, as the certification is also called, rice from other regions or rice of

other varieties cannot be branded as ‘Gobindobhog’. Hence, the marketability of the rice would be

strengthened, for the local, national and international markets.

About Gobindobhog rice:

Gobindobhog is a rice cultivar from West Bengal. It is a short grain, white, aromatic, sticky rice

having a sweet buttery flavor.

It derives its name from its usage as the principal ingredient in the preparation of the

offerings to Govindajiu, the family deity of the Setts of Kolkata.

The rice has several advantages. It is cultivated late and therefore not much affected by

rains. It is less prone to pests as well. The productivity per area is high and farmers get better

prices for Gobindobhog rice.

About GI tag:

GI is covered under the Intellectual Property Rights and the Trade Related Aspects of

Intellectual Property Rights.

A GI tag certifies the origin of a product or produce from a particular region as the quality

or other features of the product is attributable only to the place of its origin.

The tag helps farmers or manufacturers, as the case may be, to get a better price in the

market.

CIPAM-DIPP launches social media campaign to promote Geographical Indications

Context:

A social media campaign to promote Indian Geographical Indications (GIs) launched by the Cell for

IPR Promotions & Management (CIPAM) under the aegis of Department of Industrial Policy and

Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Objective:

The #LetsTalkIP is to make more people aware about the importance of Intellectual Property

Rights.

Keypoints:

A Geographical Indication or a GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin

and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

GI conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin

in that defined geographical locality.


Examples: Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees and

Tirupati Laddus are some of the GIs.

GIs are an integral part of India’s rich culture and collective intellectual heritage.

It has the responsibility towards the unique skills and knowledge of traditional practices and

methods, passed down from generation to generation, which need to be protected and promoted.

The promotion of GIs is in line with the Government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign.

It’s an area of strength and optimism for India, whereby the GI tag has accorded protection to a

number of hand-made and manufactured products, especially in the informal sector.

In fact: Many floods, different, yet similar

Flood in Bengaluru

1. Recently, four atmospheric systems dumped an unusual amount of rain within the span of

24 hours on Bengaluru

2. Since the stormwater drains could not cope with the downpour, the city got heavily flooded

3. the reason behind the heavy flood was

(1) lack of drainage upgrade works

(2) the encroachment and filling in the floodplain on the waterways

(3) obstruction by the sewer pipes and manholes and relevant structures

(4) deposits of building materials and solid wastes with subsequent blockage of the system

(5) also flow restrictions from under-capacity road crossings (bridge and culverts)

Report on Srinagar Floods

1. After the Srinagar floods of 2014, a report by the Centre for Science and Environment

(CSE) noted that in the past 100 years, more than 50% of Srinagar’s lakes, ponds and

wetlands have been encroached

2. How: Due to construction of building and roads

Encroachment issues in Mumbai

1. Mumbai authorities had virtually forgotten the city’s Mithi river until

the catastrophicflooding of July 26, 2005

2. What was once a flowing river had been blocked at every corner

3. There were encroachments and constructions on the riverbed and at the point where

the river would discharge into the sea

Is it all about Human Intervention?

1. Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Srinagar, Delhi, Gurgaon, etc. are all examples of human

intervention that have rendered a city unfit to deal with a deluge

2. But floods are also a natural occurrence

3. In Assam and north Bihar, for example, they happen almost every year


4. There is, however, a human hand in such floods as well

5. With increasing deforestation in the Eastern Himalayas, the run-off has increased, and

carries along more sediment

The way forward

1. Unless natural sponges are revived and restored, India’s cities will remain vulnerable to

manmade flooding

2. Especially as climate

change makes rainfall patterns increasingly more erratic(unpredictable)

Agreeing to disagree: ending the Doklam stand-off

Context

1. With separate announcements, India and China have ended the Doklam military stand-off

2. Decision on Doklam, which comes a week before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled

to go to China

Separate announcements

1. The tone of the statement from New Delhi, referring to the “speedy disengagement of

border personnel” as part of the understanding between the two countries, shows that the

government’s policy of pursuing diplomatic measures in the face of China’s angry rhetoric

was wise

2. In turn, China’s statement, which said that Indian troops had withdrawn from the disputed

Doklam plateau while Chinese troops continue to patrol the area, gives Beijing the latitude it

requires to end the stand-off peacefully.

Modi and Xi Jinping meet

Once Mr. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met, diplomats must begin to repair

the rupture in ties over the past few months, beginning with the cancellation of the Nathu La

route for Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrims.

Other concerns

1. Statements from China during the stand-off indicate that it no longer recognises the gains

made in the Special Representative talks in 2012. Nor does it regard the India-Bhutan-China

tri-junction near Batang-La to have been settled.

2. India has made it clear that it does not consider the Sikkim boundary settled either, and both

sides will have to walk swiftly to come back to some semblance of an accord on such basic

issues before they can move further

Way forward

India and China must revert to the spirit of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement of

2013, which laid down specific guidelines on tackling future developments along the 3,488-

km boundary the two countries share.


What after the Doklam Standoff?

1. Several significant questions remain unanswered about the terms and conditions of the

resolution

2. But it provides India and China an opportunity to reflect over what went wrong and

rearrange this important bilateral relationship

3. Also, we need to examine the political strategy guiding India’s military deployment at

Doklam

Important lessons

(1) India is on its own

1. The most self-evident lesson from the Doklam stand-off is that we inhabit a ‘self-help’

world

2. It is important to note that none of the major

powers unambiguously and unreservedlysupported India’s position on Doklam

(2) China’s unnecessary concerns in South Asia

1. The second lesson is that China is unlikely to respect India’s ‘special relationships’ with its

neighbours

2. India has long enjoyed a special status in the South Asian region and often treated it as its

exclusive backyard

3. With China expanding its influence in the region and it is competing for status and influence

Other issues between India and China

1. It is also becoming abundantly clear is that the slowed down ‘Special Representatives’talks

on the India-China boundary question have not yielded much so far

2. And it is perhaps the appropriate occasion to revamp the dialogue process

3. The 19 rounds of talks held till last year have hardly anything substantive to show for

them in terms of the resolution of the boundary dispute

4. Indeed, the focus is increasingly shifting from conflict resolution to conflict management

5. It is high time, therefore, that the two countries appointed dedicated high-ranking

officialsto discuss the boundary issues in a more sustained and result-oriented manner

The way forward

1. While Doklam may now be a thing of the past, Sino-Indian ties are never likely to be the

same again

2. There will be skirmishes, war of words and attempts to outmanoeuvre each other in the

neighbourhood and beyond

3. India needs to constantly look over its shoulders for potential Chinese surprises, there is

also an urgent need to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to deal with Beijing


4. The two sides also need to conduct bilateral consultations on various issues, like regional

economic development

Trump’s Pakistan test

Context

1. The article talks about the US president’s new South Asia doctrine

The idea of Strategic Defiance

1. In 1991, a war began to descend over Saddam Hussein’s Iraq

2. Pakistan, at that time, believed the war would create a Zionist-led order in West Asia

3. Once the United States started the war, Pakistan would lead a fightback by mid-sized powers

like Iraq and Iran, helped by China

4. This new idea was called “strategic defiance”

5. However, strategic defiance didn’t actually work for a country(like Pakistan) addicted

to United States’ patronage

Consequence of Trump’s new South Asia Doctrine

1. This new doctrine is threatening Pakistan with severe consequences

2. And this has made strategic defiance relevant again

The new South Asia strategy of the US

1. The pillars of the new South Asia strategy are

(1) Open-ended commitment to the Afghan war, with the use of all the instruments of

American power

(2) A greater role for India there, strategic partnership with India and destroying terror safe-

havens in Pakistan

2. And with it, growing Iranian, Chinese and Russian influence

Up and Down of the US aid to Pakistan

1. Each time the United States has cut aid to Pakistan, geopolitical situations forced it

to reverse course

2. In 1954, Cold War alliance-building led economic and military assistance to surge steadily

to $3 billion in 1963

3. Aid fell to near-zero levels after the United States detected Pakistan’s nuclear-weapons

programme in 1980

4. But the anti-Soviet Union jihad in Afghanistan saw the United States change course yet

again, and started giving aid of over $ 1 billion per year through most of the 1980s

5. The 1990s saw a sharp reduction in aid yet again, after the anti-Soviet jihad ended

6. But it surged after 9/11, rising to historic levels of $4.5 billion in 2010

http://www.civilsdaily.com/story/foreign-policy-watch-india-pakistan/#post-83839


Options in front of the US against terrorism(originated from pakistan)

1. The United States has the capacity to target jihadist infrastructure and individuals deep

inside Pakistan

2. It could also unleash its Afghan allies’ covert assets to execute retaliatoryterrorism in

Pakistan

China forced to abandon plan to enlarge BRICS in face of resistance from India, others

China has aborted its attempt to create a permanent BRICS Plus feature and invite other

countries to join in following resistance from the other members of the five-nation grouping,

including India, who apprehend dilution of BRICS’s goals if other counties, including Beijing’s

close allies, are brought in.

Background:

China has been campaigning for the creation of a permanent BRICS Plus arrangement to

enable non-BRICS countries to play an active role.

BRICS had started off with four members and Beijing was instrumental in bringing in South

Africa at a later stage. Critics say China wants to expand the BRICS mechanism as a means to

garner wider influence for itself.

About BRICS:

BRICS is the acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil,

Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Originally the first four were grouped as “BRIC”, before the induction of South Africa in 2010.

The BRICS members are all leading developing or newly industrialized countries, but they are

distinguished by their large, sometimes fast-growing economies and significant influence on

regional affairs; all five are G-20 members.

Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits. China will host the 9th

BRICS summit in Xiamen in September 2017.

Significance of the BRICS countries:

The five BRICS countries represent over 3.6 billion people, or about 40% of the world

population; all five members are in the top 25 of the world by population, and four are in the

top 10. The five nations have a combined nominal GDP of US$16.6 trillion, equivalent to

approximately 22% of the gross world product, combined GDP (PPP) of around US$37 trillion

and an estimated US$4 trillion in combined foreign reserves.


STPs to be constructed under Hybrid Annuity Model

In the first-of-its-kind success, the creation and maintenance of sewage treatment

infrastructure under Hybrid Annuity based PPP model has taken off, with NMCG awarding

work to private sector for construction and maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)

in two major cities in Ganga river basin – Varanasi and Haridwar. The awarded projects

would ensure that no untreated sewage waste water goes into river Ganga.

Hybrid Annuity based PPP model has been adopted for the first time in the country in

sewage management sector. Such a model has earlier been adopted successfully in highway

sector only.

What you need to know about the Hybrid Annuity Model?

The Government of India had accorded Cabinet approval to Hybrid Annuity-PPP model in

January 2016 with 100% central sector funding.

Under this model, the development, operation and maintenance of the sewage treatment

STPs will be undertaken by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be created by the winning

bidder at the local level. As per this model, 40% of the Capital cost quoted would be paid on

completion of construction while the remaining 60% of the cost will be paid over the life of

the project as annuities along with operation and maintenance cost (O&M) expenses.

One of the most important features of this model is that both the Annuity and O&M

payments are linked to the performance of the STP. This will ensure continued performance

of the assets created due to better accountability, ownership and optimal performance.

Ministry of Defence approves first phase of reforms in The Armed Forces

In a first ever exercise after Independence, the Ministry of Defence in consultation with the

Indian Army has decided to reform the Indian Army in a planned manner. These decisions

were approved by the Defence Minister Shri Arun Jaitley after an extensive consultation

with all stakeholders.

The purpose of reforms is to enhance combat capability and also optimize and rebalance

defence expenditure of Indian Army.

Background:

The Ministry of Defence had constituted a Committee of Experts under the Chairmanship of

Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar with a mandate to recommend measures for enhancing of

Combat Capability & Rebalancing Defence Expenditure of the Armed Forces with an aim to

increase “teeth to tail ratio”. The Committee of experts had submitted its report to the

Ministry in December, 2016, which was considered by the Ministry of Defence.


Major reforms concerning the following have been approved:

Optimisation of Signals Establishments to include Radio Monitoring Companies, Corps Air

Support Signal Regiments, Air Formation Signal Regiments, Composite Signal Regiments and

merger of Corps Operating and Engineering Signal Regiments.

Restructuring of repair echelons in the Army to include Base Workshops, Advance Base

Workshops and Static/Station Workshops in the field Army.

Redeployment of Ordnance echelons to include Vehicle Depots, Ordnance Depots and

Central Ordnance Depots apart from streamlining inventory control mechanisms.

Others: Better utilization of Supply and Transport echelons and Animal Transport units.

Closure of Military Farms and Army postal establishments in peace locations. Enhancement

in standards for recruitment of clerical staff and drivers in the Army. Improving the efficiency

of the National Cadet Corps.

Judicial performance index for lower courts

The NITI Aayog has suggested far-reaching reforms to expedite the justice delivery system,

particularly the lower courts where nearly three crore cases have been pending for years. The

recommendation comes against the backdrop of pendency of nearly 2.7 crore cases in subordinate

courts, which also face a shortfall of nearly 5,000 judicial officers.

Important recommendations made by the NITI Aayog:

Establish a judicial performance index to help the high courts and its chief justices to keep

track of the performance and process improvement at district courts and subordinate levels

for reducing delay.

The index can also include certain progress on process steps that have already been

approved by high courts, like burden of day-to-day activity being removed from judges and

given to administrative officials.

The process would require fixing non-mandatory time frames for different types of cases.

Using existing infrastructure and data, indicators could be created to see how long cases

have been pending, what percentage of cases have been delayed and how many cases were

disposed in the last year compared to the year before.

Create a separate administrative cadre in the judicial system to reduce the workload on

judges. This cadre should report to the Chief Justice in each high court to maintain judicial

independence.

High priority should be given to court process automation and information and

communication technology enablement for electronic court and case management,

including electronic management of court schedules and migration of all courts to the

unified national court application software.

Steps may also be taken for ensuring availability of online real time judicial statistics for

determining the adequacy of judicial manpower and infrastructure to deal with work load of

cases, which will enable priority appointment of judges at the lower judiciary levels keeping


in mind a scientific approach to assessing the number of judges needed to tackle the

pendency problem.

Government may have a look at internationally developed measures such as ‘global

measures of court performance’, created jointly by the Australasian Institute of Judicial

Administration, the Federal Judicial Center (US), the National Center for State Courts (US)

and the Subordinate Courts of Singapore.

BUSINESS & CLIMATE SUMMIT 2017

BUSINESS & CLIMATE SUMMIT 2017 is being held in New Delhi. Federation of Indian Chambers of

Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is organizing the third edition of BCS.

About BUSINESS & CLIMATE SUMMIT 2017:

The Business & Climate Summit is the leading annual forum for businesses, investors and

policymakers on climate action. It is where business and governments come together to agree on a

roadmap for reaching net zero emissions over the next half century.

It demonstrates how low carbon strategies are good for business and good for growth – and

builds the partnerships needed to scale up and accelerate the low carbon transition.

The underlying theme of BCS is that the businesses hold the key to meeting global carbon

reduction targets; and collaboration between business and government is critical to

success.

The Business & Climate Summit would be attended by Ministers, Senior Government

Officials, Business Leaders, International Agencies, Banks & Financial Institutions, Senior

Business Executives and Media from different parts of the world.

BCS 2017 – Objectives:

Express business belief that accelerated reduction in GHG emissions to limit global warming

to +2°C maximum is compatible with the pursuit of human, social and economic

development, and their commitment to engage in this direction.

Increase awareness of international policy makers about the wealth of solutions developed

by companies and the conditions for deployment of these solutions.

Debate and present the priority policies required to allow the accelerated deployment of

these solutions in the world and ensure that climate change is taken into account in all policy

decisions

Showcase business leadership in addressing climate change, highlight how businesses can

provide solutions to help governments achieve climate change objectives.


Implementation Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

The government has released the Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. The

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi had announced the pan-India implementation of this

scheme w.e.f. 01st January, 2017.

Guidelines inter-alia provide Aadhaar linkage, Direct Benefit Transfer, antenatal check-up

and registration of child birth & first cycle of immunisation of the child.

PMMVY is implemented by the Ministry of Women & Child Development in collaboration

with State Governments.

About PMMVY:

Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), previously Indira Gandhi Matritva

Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY), is a maternity benefit program run by the government of India.

It is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age

or above for first two live births.

It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth and

childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding

practices.

In 2013, the scheme was brought under the National Food Security Act, 2013 to implement

the provision of cash maternity benefit of ₹6,000 stated in the Act.

It is Centrally Sponsored Scheme under which the cost sharing ratio between the Centre and

the States & UTs with Legislature is 60:40, for North-Eastern States & three Himalayan

States, it is 90:10 and 100% Central assistance for Union Territories without Legislature.

SC to hear Rohingya plea for help

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an urgent plea made by two Rohingya Muslim

immigrants against the government’s proposed move to deport their 40,000-strong refugee

community back to their native Myanmar, where discrimination and possibly summary

executions await them.

Background:

A plea was filed in the supreme court by Rohingyas for protection of the life and liberty of

their community. Petitioners say, the Centre’s move to deport them violated the

constitutional guarantee that the Indian state should “protect the life and liberty of every

human being, whether citizen or not.”

As per the petitioners, “The proposed deportation is contrary to the constitutional

protections of Article 14 (equality), Article 21 (right to life) and Article 51(c) (respect for

international law and treaty obligations) of the Constitution.”

Recently, the National Human Rights Commission issued notice to the government on the

proposed deportation plan.

Who are the Rohingya?

Few years ago, religious and ethnic tensions between the Rohingya Muslims and the Rakhine

Buddhists (who make up the majority of the population in Mayanmar) escalated into


widespread, deadly rioting. Hundreds of thousands were forced to flee. Since then, ongoing

violent attacks have forced even more people to leave their homes.

The Myanmar Government says that Rohingya people are not Burmese citizens – but the

Rohingya have been living in Myanmar for generations. Today, they are a people with no

home or citizenship.

Rohingya people are being widely abused and exploited. They are one of the most

persecuted minorities in the world.

Way ahead:

The Myanmar Government should immediately end the violent crackdown on the Rohingya

and amend or repeal the 1982 Burma Citizenship Law to provide the Rohingya people with

full citizenship in the country. Bangladesh and other governments in Southeast Asia must

ensure those fleeing violence and seeking protection, are granted access. Guaranteeing they

will not be pushed back or arbitrarily detained and instead that all their rights will be

respected.

Rohingya children to get UNHCR cards in Bengal

The West Bengal government will distribute identity cards issued by the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to Rohigya children lodged in the juvenile justice

homes of the State.

The move comes at a time when there are reports that the Union government is planning to

deport Rohingyas refugees.

Background:

The UNHCR has issued identity cards to the Rohingyas in India so as to shield them from

harassment and arbitrary arrests. The UNHCR says some 16,500 Rohingya from Myanmar

are registered with it in India.

About UNHCR cards:

The UNHCR issues ID cards to registered refugees and documents to asylum-seekers which

help to prevent arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation. The card includes a number of

enhanced security features including 3D holograms, bar codes and a large SQR code. The

card is supported by enhanced biometric data collection at the UNHCR office, including

retina, 10 fingers and face scan.

Significance of these cards:

The government issues long-term visas to refugees which ease their access to public services

and employment in the private sector. Because of some recent changes to the

documentation processes, some refugees have reportedly been facing challenges in

accessing public services and opening bank accounts. It is important for refugees to have

access to employment and basic services. Therefore, refugee cards help in facilitating their

access to these services.

Sitharaman becomes India’s first full-time woman defence minister


Nirmala Sitharaman has become the first woman to become a full-time defence minister of

the country. Sitharaman will now be a member of the crucial Cabinet Committee on Security.

Facts for Prelims:

1st full time and overall 2nd woman to become defence minister: Sitharaman is the second

woman to take charge of the crucial ministry as Indira Gandhi, as the prime minister, had

also held the portfolio in the ’70s.

Members of the Cabinet Committee on Security include the prime minister, home minister,

external affairs minister and the finance minister.

Ahmedabad gets status of India’s first World Heritage City by UNESCO

The commercial capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad, has been formally accorded the status

of India’s first World Heritage City by UNESCO. In July, the UN agency had inscribed

Ahmedabad as India’s first World Heritage City at a meeting held in Poland.

Facts for Prelims:

The honour makes the walled city of Ahmedabad the first city in India, and the third in Asia,

to be on the list. The other two cities are- Bhaktpur in Nepal and Galle in Sri Lanka.

India is second after China in terms of number of world heritage properties in ASPAC (Asia

and Pacific) region, and overall seventh in the world.

India now has a total of 36 World Heritage Inscriptions — 28 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed

site.

Background:

Founded in the 15th century by Sultan Ahmad Shah, the walled city of Ahmedabad, on the

eastern bank of the Sabarmati river, presents a rich architectural heritage. It has 28

Archaeological Survey of India’s centrally protected monuments.

World Heritage Cities:

The World Heritage Cities Programme is one of six thematic programmes formally approved

and monitored by the World Heritage Committee. It aims to assist States Parties in the

challenges of protecting and managing their urban heritage. The programme is structured

along a two-way process, with 1) the development of a theoretical framework for urban

heritage conservation, and 2) the provision of technical assistance to States Parties for the

implementation of new approaches and schemes.

Tigers to make a comeback in Buxa reserve

Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal has been identified for the tiger augmentation

programme by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).


Where will tigers come from?

Tigers from the forest reserves of Assam, which have a similar flora and fauna, will be

introduced in Buxa. The reserve is located very close to Assam’s Manas Tiger Reserve, and

some experts believe that animals from Manas often come to Buxa using Bhutan as a

corridor.

What are the challenges?

Human habitation: The initial plan is to introduce six tigers at Buxa, but this poses a

challenge to forest officials as there is human habitation in the area. The tiger reserve has an

area of about 757.9 sq km, of which 390 sq km lies in the core area and 367 sq km in the

buffer zone. There are about 38 villages in Buxa and 49 villages in the fringe area.

A number of tea gardens are located on the periphery of the reserve. The people residing in

the villages mainly work at the tea plantations. In an attempt to mitigate the human versus

animal conflict, the Forest Department has started awareness programmes in the villages

before introducing the tigers.

Presence of broad gauge rail: Besides the population pressure, another major challenge at

Buxa is the broad gauge rail line passing through the reserve, connecting Siliguri and

Alipurduar. Over the past few years, a number of elephants and other animals have died,

having been run over by trains.

About Buxa Tiger reserve:

Notified as a tiger reserve in 1983, Buxa consists of moist, deciduous and evergreen forests.

It stretches to a length of 50 km from west to east and 35 km from north to south. Northern

boundary of Buxa Tiger Reserve runs along the international border with Bhutan. The

Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of BTR and the eastern boundary touches

that of the Assam state.

The Phipsu Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the north of BTR. Manas National

Park lies on east of BTR. BTR, thus, serves as international corridor for Asian elephant

migration between India and Bhutan.

Over the past few years, the number of tigers in the Buxa reserve has been hotly debated by

wildlife enthusiasts. While Forest Department officials claimed there were tigers in the

reserve, almost no sighting of the big cats raised questions about their presence. The survey

of tigers in 2011 based on DNA analyses of scat put the number of tigers at 20.

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