World Air Quality Report 2024

 A recent report by IQAir revealed that India is among the world’s most polluted nations. Thirteen of the top twenty polluted cities globally are located in India. Byrnihat, Assam, is identified as the most polluted city. Despite a slight improvement in air quality, the overall situation remains dire.

Current Air Quality Statistics

• According to the World Air Quality Report 2024, India ranks as the fifth most polluted country, a slight improvement from third place in 2023.
• The average PM2.5 concentration in India decreased by 7% to 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre.
• However, cities like Delhi continue to struggle, with a PM2.5 level of 91.6 micrograms per cubic metre. This figure is nearly unchanged from the previous year.

Major Polluted Cities in India

The report lists Byrnihat, Delhi, Mullanpur, Faridabad, Loni, New Delhi, Gurugram, Ganganagar, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Muzaffarnagar, Hanumangarh, and Noida among the world’s top polluted cities. These cities report PM2.5 levels exceeding WHO limits by over ten times.

Health Impacts of Air Pollution

Air pollution affects public health. Life expectancy is reduced by an estimated 5.2 years due to poor air quality. A study published in Lancet Planetary Health indicates that approximately 1.5 million deaths annually from 2009 to 2019 were linked to long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution. PM2.5 particles, smaller than 2.5 microns, can infiltrate the lungs and bloodstream, causing severe health issues such as respiratory diseases, heart conditions, and cancer.

Sources of Air Pollution

Key sources of air pollution in India include vehicle emissions, industrial discharges, and the burning of biomass and crop waste. These pollutants contribute to the high PM2.5 levels observed in urban areas.

Proposed Solutions and Actions

Experts advocate for immediate action to address air quality issues. Recommendations include replacing biomass with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and providing higher subsidies for the poorest families. Expanding public transport and enforcing stricter emission laws are also vital. A combination of incentives and penalties for industries and vehicles is essential for effective pollution control.

Government and Community Role

The government must enhance data collection and take decisive action. Community involvement is crucial in promoting awareness and advocating for cleaner practices. Collaboration between the government, industries, and citizens can lead to improvements in air quality.

What is Assam’s healing law, and why it may be missing the mark

 

The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, 2024 was notified in March last year. The Act defines ‘healers’ in sweeping terms, opening up the possibility of misuse. It also misdiagnoses or ignores social realities, including why people sometimes gravitate towards healers and their unscientific methods.

It’s now almost a year since The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, 2024 – a law to “eradicate non-scientific healing practices…[used for] exploiting the innocent people…and destroying the fibre of the public health of society” – was notified.

The law targets “evil practices”, which it defines as “any act of healing practices and magic healing…with a sinister motive to exploit common people”.

It defines “healing and healing practices” in sweeping terms: “a traditional holistic approach to heal body, mind and spirit…with traditional medicine and art, including any system, treatment, diagnosis, or practice for ascertainment, cure, relief, correction of any human disease, ailment, deformity, injury or enhancement of a condition or appearance”.

What are the implications of the law, and are there similar legislation in other states as well?

Pitfalls in Assam Act

The very broad definition of healing under the Act – which may have been intended to provide cover against a challenge in court – leaves scope for the inclusion of entire systems of traditional medicine in its ambit.

These include Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani, which are identified as part of “Ayush” (along with yoga and naturopathy, sowa rigpa, and homoeopathy) and promoted by the central government’s Ministry of Ayush.

The definition also covers various forms of religious healing practised in temples, mosques, dargahs, and shrines, and by wandering mendicants.

The Act fails to distinguish clearly between religion and superstition. The use of ambiguous terms such as “ulterior/ sinister motive” for a healer opens the law up to questions about its intent.

By failing to carve out protections for faith-based rituals, the law risks infringing on the fundamental right to practise religion. Practices that have long been integral to worship in various cultures, including praying for the sick and ritual healing ceremonies, could now be subject to prosecution under the law.

Background of the law

In early February 2024, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated his government’s intent to curb evangelism, for which it was important to ban practices such as healing.

In response, the Assam Christian Forum denied that healing was being used for proselytisation, and submitted that labelling prayer as magical healing oversimplified the profound spiritual dimensions of both faith and life.

After the Bill was passed in the Assembly, the Chief Minister warned Badruddin Ajmal, chief of the opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), that he would be arrested if he took part in healing practices.

During the Assembly debate, after the opposition raised the issue of the potential impact of the law on tribal traditions, the Chief Minister said that only healing rituals that were carried out with ulterior motives would be targeted.

While the law does not define “ulterior motives”, given the CM’s statements that the intention is to prevent religious conversion through “magic healing”, it is likely that “ulterior motives” refer to religious conversion.

Similar laws elsewhere

• The Karnataka Prevention And Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017, exempts religious practices from the purview of the law.
• The Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, targets practices that cause physical harm or financial exploitation. The law also distinguishes between religious practices and “inhuman, evil and aghori practices and black magic”.

The faith in faith healers

People turn to traditional healers out of not just ignorance and superstition, but also desperation.

In many parts of Assam (and India), access to healthcare is limited, and there are often not enough qualified doctors to adequately serve the needs of the people. The situation is especially bad outside the urban centres.

Also, medical treatments, especially for chronic or serious conditions, can be expensive and involve long-term costs, which deter people from seeking professional healthcare.

Upshot of this situation

The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, 2024 raises several questions about the role of the state in regulating traditional and faith-based healing practices.

Protecting individuals from exploitative or harmful practices is indeed a legitimate objective for the state – the Maharashtra law, for example, arose from a movement spearheaded by the rationalist organisation Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, which aimed to inculcate a scientific temper, eradicate superstition, and fight the caste system.

However, the Assam law does not stem from such a social movement. The broad definitions in the Act can be seen as threatening or undermining religious freedoms. In fact, statements made by the state government before the passage of the law in the Assembly, and the pattern of arrests under its provisions thereafter, suggest that it may be used to especially target Muslim and Christian healers.

A Christian priest named Pranjal Bhuyan, who was the first person to be arrested under the law, claimed that a Hindu family in Lothagoan village had requested his presence to pray for a seriously ill relative. Criminalising such practices without addressing the root cause, the lack of access to quality healthcare, misses the point. Also, the tension between traditional healing and modern medicine is neither new nor unique to Assam. Sociologists have long written about the place that traditional healing practices occupy across cultures, and emphasised their significance in healing and psychotherapy, and in reintegrating individuals into society with attention to their moral and spiritual well-being.

A more effective approach to address these issues would be to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, promote scientific awareness, and engage with communities to address harmful practices without erasing cultural traditions.

Written by Leah Verghese and Suraj Gogoi

Source: Indian Express, 11/03/25

Assam Launches State Commission for Right to Public Services

 The Assam State Commission for Right to Public Services was recently launched by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati. The aim of the commission is to enhance accountability in public services. A manual detailing the appeal process for public service rights was also introduced, and the Commission’s official website was revealed to facilitate access to information.

Importance of Technology

Technology plays an important role in promoting accountability. The Chief Minister emphasized that good governance relies on citizens understanding their rights. Efficient service delivery is a government responsibility. The use of technology can streamline processes and improve transparency.

Madhya Pradesh was the first state in India to introduce the Right to Public Service Act in 2010. Assam followed with its version in 2012. The Act has been updated in 2019 and again in 2024 to enhance its effectiveness, which reflects the state’s commitment to improving public service delivery.

Seva Setu Platform

The Seva Setu platform classifies 725 services as citizen rights, which encompasses 64 government departments and three autonomous councils. The platform establishes clear timelines for service delivery. Since its launch, over 1.56 crore applications have been submitted, with a resolution rate exceeding 90%.

The Right to Public Service Act is now operational in 34 states. It works alongside the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Together, these laws empower citizens to access essential services and information effectively.

Leadership of the Commission

Sujoy Lal Thaosen, a retired IPS officer, has been appointed Chief Commissioner. Ranjan Kumar Chakraborty and Bimal C. Oswal will serve as members of the Commission. Their leadership is expected to drive the implementation of these reforms.

The Chief Minister urged officials to promote awareness about citizens’ rights. Active engagement with the public is essential for effective governance. Assam aims to set a benchmark for excellent service delivery.

Important Facts for Exams:

1. Seva Setu: Seva Setu is a digital platform in Assam. It classifies 725 services as citizen rights. The platform enhances transparency and efficiency in service delivery across various departments.
2. Right to Public Service Act: The Right to Public Service Act ensures timely access to government services. It originated in Madhya Pradesh in 2010. Assam adopted its version in 2012, with subsequent updates.

12th International Tourism Mart in Kaziranga

 The 12th International Tourism Mart (ITM) takes place in Kaziranga from November 26 to 29, 2024. This annual event aims to connect tourism businesses from northeastern India, which encourages partnerships among various stakeholders, including buyers, sellers, and media. The Ministry of Tourism organizes this mart to showcase the region’s tourism potential.

Focus on Sustainability

This year’s event marks sustainability and aligns with the “Travel for Life” initiative by the Ministry of Tourism. The goal is to reduce environmental impact. Participants will use energy-efficient methods. The use of single-use plastics will be avoided.

Expected Participants

Around 400 participants are anticipated, which includes tour operators, hoteliers, and homestay owners. Tourism service providers and influencers will also attend. Government officials and media representatives are key stakeholders. International students will participate to gain vital information about the tourism sector.

Event Highlights

The three-day programme features diverse activities. Presentations by state governments will inform attendees about local tourism. Business-to-business meetings will facilitate networking. Panel discussions will address industry challenges and opportunities. Food demonstrations will showcase local cuisine. Cultural evenings and live music will enhance the experience.

Participants will enjoy technical visits to important sites. The Charaideo Moidam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kaziranga National Park is renowned for its biodiversity. The Hathikuli Tea Estate offers vital information about tea production. The Orchid and Biodiversity Park showcases regional flora.

Media Coverage

Media representatives will cover the event extensively. They will highlight the potential of northeastern tourism. Coverage aims to attract both domestic and international tourists. The event will serve as a platform for promoting sustainable tourism practices.

Important Facts for Exams:

1. Charaideo Moidam: Charaideo Moidam is India’s 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is important for its historical burial mounds. The site reflects the cultural heritage of the Ahom dynasty.
2. Hathikuli Tea Estate: Hathikuli Tea Estate is known for its high-quality tea production. It offers vital information about traditional tea cultivation. Visitors can learn about the tea-making process and its history.
3. Kaziranga National Park: Kaziranga National Park is famous for its one-horned rhinoceros. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home to diverse flora and fauna, attracting eco-tourists.
4. Travel for Life: “Travel for Life” is an initiative by the Ministry of Tourism. It promotes sustainable tourism practices. The initiative aims to reduce environmental impact and encourage responsible travel.

Assam’s New Healthcare Innovation Institute Launched

 The Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute (AAHII) has been launched. This initiative is a collaboration between IIT Guwahati and the Assam Government. It aims to enhance healthcare self-reliance in India. The inauguration included a symposium attended by prominent doctors and scientists. The focus was on developing indigenous medical technologies. This aligns with the Make in India initiative.

Objectives of AAHII

The primary objective is to reduce dependency on imported healthcare technologies. AAHII will establish advanced research facilities and a super-specialty hospital. The project aims to improve healthcare accessibility and affordability. It seeks to bridge the gap between medical and engineering disciplines. This partnership is expected to encourage innovation in healthcare solutions.

Facilities and Features

The AAHII campus will include a 400-bed super-specialty teaching hospital. It will also feature state-of-the-art research laboratories. Residential facilities for healthcare professionals will be part of the campus. Six centers of excellence will focus on various fields. These include stem cell research, digital health, therapeutics, precision medicine, robotics, and affordable diagnostics.

Government Support and Vision

Ravi Kota, Chief Secretary of Assam, inaugurated the symposium. He brought into light the government’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare ecosystem. The Assam Government aims to leverage local resources for healthcare challenges. The initiative is seen as a bold step for both Assam and the nation. It represents a model for collaboration between academia, government, and healthcare professionals.

Contributions from Experts

Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director of IIT Guwahati, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration. He emphasized the importance of involving healthcare professionals in research from the start. Prof. Ashok K. Puranik from AIIMS Guwahati also pledged support for AAHII. He endorsed the vision of Design in India, Design for the World.

Industry-Academia Partnerships

The symposium discussed the need for stronger partnerships between industry and academia. U.S.-based cardiologist Dr. Naba Goswami addressed rural healthcare challenges. He advocated for collaborative efforts to enhance healthcare solutions. This initiative aims to create a self-reliant healthcare ecosystem in India.

Background of AGIHF

The Assam Government IIT Guwahati Healthcare Foundation (AGIHF) was founded in 2022. It is a Section 8 company managed jointly by IIT Guwahati and the Assam Government. AGIHF facilitates partnerships with industry stakeholders. The aim is to advance healthcare technologies in the region. This initiative marks an important milestone in India’s healthcare landscape. It aims to establish Assam as a leader in indigenous medical technology.

Important Facts for Exams:

1. AAHII: The Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute focuses on indigenous medical technology. It aims to reduce reliance on imports. This initiative promotes healthcare accessibility and affordability in India.
2. AGIHF: The Assam Government IIT Guwahati Healthcare Foundation was founded in 2022. It operates as a Section 8 company. The foundation encourages partnerships to advance healthcare technologies in Assam.
3. Prof. Devendra Jalihal: He is the Director of IIT Guwahati. He emphasises early involvement of healthcare professionals in research. His vision aligns with reducing healthcare import dependency.
4. AIIMS Guwahati: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Guwahati supports the AAHII initiative. Prof. Ashok K. Puranik is its Executive Director. The institute aims for innovative healthcare solutions in India.

What is Clause 6 of Assam Accord, which Himanta govt said will implement?

 

Notably, 15 key recommendations of the Justice Biplab Sarma Committee will not be implemented for the time being. These, CM Himanta said, will require Constitutional amendments. Here's all you need to know about the issue.

After a meeting with representatives of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on Wednesday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma set the ball rolling for the implementation of 52 recommendations of the Justice Biplab Sarma Committee regarding Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, as announced by the Assam government earlier this month.

This comes more than four years after the Centre-appointed high-level committee finalised its report in February 2020.

Notably, 15 key recommendations of the committee will not be implemented for the time being. These, the chief minister said, will require Constitutional amendments to be implemented. “We will take up these matters with the Centre at the right forum,” he posted on X on Wednesday.

What is the Biplab Sarma committee report?

The historic Assam Accord was a Memorandum of Settlement between the Rajiv Gandhi-led Union government and the leadership of the Assam Movement, primarily the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), which was signed in 1985. The accord ended the six-year-long agitation in Assam against the entry of Bangladeshi migrants into the state. Clause 6 of the accord states that “Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.”

In July 2019, the Union Home Ministry constituted a 14-member committee chaired by retired Assam High Court Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma, and comprising judges, retired bureaucrats, writers, AASU leaders and journalists, to suggest ways to implement the clause. Among the key questions before the committee was a definition of “the Assamese people” eligible for the “safeguards” under Clause 6.

The committee finalised its report in February 2020. But instead of it being received by the Union Home Ministry, which had constituted the committee, the report was received by then Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal of the BJP. In August 2020, four committee members released the confidential report in the public domain.

Among the key recommendations made by the committee was that the definition of “Assamese people”, for the purpose of implementing Clause 6, should include “Indigenous Tribals”, “Other Indigenous Communities of Assam”, “Indian citizens residing in the territory of Assam on or before January 1, 1951” and their descendants, and “Indigenous Assamese” people. Based on this, the committee made several recommendations for reservations for “Assamese people”, including in Parliament, the state Assembly, local bodies, and jobs.

What recommendations of the report will the Assam government implement?

Chief Minister Sarma said that the state government has accepted 1951 as the “cut-off date” for the specific recommendations of the report. He said, however, that this definition of “Assamese people” is confined to only the context of the report’s recommendations.

Following a meeting with the AASU on Wednesday, he said that the 67 broad recommendations made by the report can be divided into three broad categories: 40 which come under the exclusive domain of the state government, 12 which will require the concurrence of the Centre, and 15 which are in the exclusive domain of the Centre. The 52 recommendations in the first two categories will be implemented by April 2025, for which the state government will submit a roadmap to AASU by October 25 this year.

These 52 recommendations largely deal with safeguards on language, land, and cultural heritage. Some key recommendations include:

Land

* Creating Revenue Circles where only “Assamese people” can own and possess land, and transfer of such land in these areas are limited to them alone;

* Launching a time-bound, three year programme to allot land titles to “Assamese people” who have occupied a certain piece of land for decades, but are without possession of land documents;

* Carrying out a special survey of char areas (riverine regions along the Brahmaputra), and for newly created chars to be treated as government land, in which river erosion-affected people should get priority in allotment;

Language

* Keeping Assamese as the official language throughout the state as per the 1960 Assam Official Language Act “with provisions for use of local languages” in the Barak Valley, Hill districts, and the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District;

* Making it compulsory for all state government acts, rules, orders, etc. to be issued in Assamese along with English;

* Constituting an Autonomous Language and Literature Academy/Council of Assam to preserve and promote all indigenous languages of Assam;

* Making Assamese a compulsory subject up to class VIII or class X in all English medium schools, both under the state board and CBSE;

Cultural heritage

 Establishing an autonomous authority for the development of sattras (neo-Vaishnavite monasteries), which will, among other things, provide financial assistance to them; and

* Creating multipurpose cultural complexes in each district to “uplift” the cultural heritage of all ethnic groups.

Chief Minister Sarma said that the autonomous councils of Assam’s Sixth Schedule Areas — namely the Bodoland Territorial Council, the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council — will decide whether to implement the 52 recommendations. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution provides autonomous tribal councils in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram certain legislative and judicial autonomy.

Along with the Sixth Schedule areas, Sarma said that the primarily Bengali-speaking Barak Valley will also be exempted from the implementation of these recommendations.

Which recommendations has the Assam government left out?

Some of the most sensitive recommendations by the committee, however, do not find mention in the 52 points listed by the state government. Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah recently referred to these as the “soul” of the committee’s report.

Among them are the introduction of an Inner Line Permit for entry into Assam as is in place in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram, as well as numerous reservations for “Assamese people”. The latter include 80-100% reservation in Assam’s seats in Parliament, and the same proportion reserved in the state Assembly and local bodies; 80-100% reservation in Assam government jobs; and 70-100% reservations in vacancies arising in undertakings run in partnership between the Assam government and private companies. There was also a recommendation for the creation of an Upper House (the Legislative Council of Assam) which would be completely reserved for the “Assamese people”.

The BJP’s political opponents have questioned where the Centre featured in discussions regarding the implementation of the committee’s recommendations. Former AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi, who was a member of the committee, questioned whether the Union Home Ministry even accepted the report.

“The Home Ministry has still not accepted the report… Until it accepts the report, the recommendations do not have any legal or constitutional value… the fundamental points here are those on political representation,” he said. However, Chief Minister Sarma has said that the Assam government will appeal to the Centre to have talks with AASU, and work towards the implementation of the remaining 15 recommendations.

“Our aim is that we should not let those recommendations which are attainable lie by the wayside because of those which are difficult and may take time,” he had said earlier this month.

Written by Sukrita Baruah 

Source: Indian Express, 27/09/24

An environmental imagination

 

Is ‘flood control’ even possible in geographies like the Brahmaputra valley with such a potent monsoon? Must every flood be a disaster?

This year’s flood in Assam has been devastating, although not unprecedented. In fact, floods in Assam have become an annual event, leaving millions of lives shattered every year and costing the state dearly. The scenes on our television screens and the social media feed leave us with a sense of déjà vu. These events are being normalised either as a natural disaster or, increasingly, as a climate change-induced phenomenon. It is a familiar story in other parts of eastern India as well, with Bihar being one of the worst-affected states.

While flash floods, a recurring event across Indian cities nowadays, are largely the result of poor urban planning and inefficient municipal administration, a flood has to be understood in relation to ‘flood control’ and, by extension, control of the river itself which poses larger, philosophical questions. This calls into attention our worldview on rivers, raising questions about how we imagine our ‘hydro-sociality’. Of further importance is to examine what one might call the ‘governmentality of floods’ — that is the power that an entire apparatus of institutions, practices, and technologies exercises vis-à-vis flood risk management.

Central to the Indian State’s flood management system is the construction of embankments which date back to the colonial era (although pre-colonial embankments also exist). Enough has been written about the perils of embankments and I will not go into those in this piece. Not only writings but songs have also been sung and films made about embankment-induced catastrophes. Way back in 1929, the American blues singers, Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy, composed “When the Levee Breaks” (later reworked by Led Zeppelin) in the context of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.

Be it the levees on American rivers or the colonial and post-colonial embankments on Indian rivers, research has shown that far from controlling flood, these embankments have aggravated the flood crisis, rendering traditionally flood-dependent communities flood-vulnerable. Critique of an embankment-centric flood control approach has, at times, emerged from within the State itself. The 1980 Rashtriya Barh Ayog report, for instance, noted: “Flood control should not be considered as an end in itself, rather it is the means to an end. Flood control has to be viewed within the broad context of the economic and social development in the country. Management of floods should be considered in the context of the overall plan for management of the water resources of a river basin… The approach, therefore, cannot be static, but should remain dynamic and flexible.”

Rural communities realise the risks posed by embankments very well. In my own research sites in Majuli, Assam, villagers have often referred to embankments as “mrityu-baan” (weapons of death). Clearly, neither research nor local knowledge has been given due attention by policymakers. Little wonder then that even as Assam was drowning recently — largely due to embankment breaching — the water resources minister of the state promised, ironically, hundreds of kilometres of new embankments.

Why this obsession with embankments?

In my view, the embankment fetish of the State is rooted in two factors: first, the modernist ideology, a hubris, of human’s mastery over nature, that nature can be controlled and disciplined; second, and more importantly, it highlights two interrelated things: first is what the anthropologist, David Graeber, said about bureaucracy, that it is a “dead zone of imagination”. Thus, the hydraulic bureaucracy cannot think beyond embankments or similar structures, as evidenced by the case of Assam ever since the Assam Embankment and Drainage Act of 1953 came to pass. Almost like an automated entity, the bureaucracy carries on with embankments year after year. Second, the embankments seem to have become part of the ecosystem of the hydraulic bureaucracy, with deep roots and rhizomes, entangling multiple actors with various stakes. So everyone loves a weak embankment that requires repairing or rebuilding.

What is to be done? Is ‘flood control’ even possible in geographies like the Brahmaputra valley with such a potent monsoon? Must every flood be a disaster? Going back to the Rashtriya Barh Ayog’s recommendations, we must seriously consider watershed management and floodplain management at the basin level (thus requiring cooperation among riparian states and nations) while also pursuing various non-structural measures such as flood forecasting and warning, flood proofing, flood defence education, and capacity building of local communities and institutions. Deforestation of the Himalayas and its foothills must be stopped in order to reduce the force of the rivers in the monsoon. What if we built and revived a network of channels (like the ones that existed alongside rural roads and fields) that could absorb the excessive water in the monsoon? How about regulations on the types of permissible dwellings in flood-prone areas? There’s much to learn here from indigenous communities inhabiting the riverine geographies of the Brahmaputra for generations. A robust crop and livestock insurance system will also go a long way in checking floods. In short, we need a new environmental imagination if we are to co-inhabit these floodplains.

A resident of a riverside village in Majuli once told me: “Nodikhon bor komal, moromere subo lage” (The river is too delicate, it should be touched with love). How about we commit to that: to love our rivers, again?

Source"The Telegraph, 31/08/24

Author: Mitul Baruah

Assam’s Charaideo Moidams Added to UNESCO World Heritage List

 The Charaideo Moidams in Assam, which are royal burial grounds from the Ahom dynasty, were recently named UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This gives this nationally important area, which is about 30 km from Sivasagar in eastern Assam, international recognition.

What are Moidams?

Moidams are tumuli, which are earth mounds built over the graves of Ahom kings. The moidams of the Ahom royal family are in Charaideo, but you can find other buildings like them all over eastern Assam. Each moidam usually has a vault with rooms inside, a hemispherical mound on top, and a tower called the chow chali that is surrounded by an eight-sided wall. The Ahoms, who were related to the Tai people, chose burial over burning, which is different from Hindu customs. Their unique burial rituals, which were based on old Egyptian practices, meant that these moidams often held more than just the dead. They also held things for the afterlife, servants, animals, and even wives.

The Importance of Charaideo

Charaideo, whose name comes from Tai Ahom words that mean “shining town on a hill,” was the first capital of the Ahom kingdom, which was set up by King Sukaphaa in 1253 AD. It stayed an important power center and is still a place with a lot of historical and cultural value.

Tourism and Preservation

The moidams are popular with tourists today, but many of them are in bad shape. The Archaeological Survey of India only protects 30 of the over 150 moidams. People know that the Charaideo Moidams are important as a whole, especially since they are different from other similar grave sites in terms of size and number of people buried there. Assam’s culture will always be linked to the Ahom kingdom, which ruled for a long time from 1228 to 1826 AD. People praise them for how well they run their government and how strong their military is, especially when fighting off foreign attacks. Celebrating people like Lachit Borphukan at events shows how important they are to modern Indian culture, especially as nationalism grows.

Assam’s Foreigners Tribunals function

 The Assam government told its Border police on July 5, 2023, not to send cases of non-Muslims who came to India illegally before 2014 to Foreigners Tribunals (FTs). This comes after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019, which gives non-Muslims who are fleeing oppression in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan a way to become citizens.

Origins of Foreigners Tribunals

The Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964, which was made possible by the Foreigners Act of 1946, set up Foreigners Tribunals in Assam. They are meant to be like courts and let local governments send people they think are foreigners to them to be judged. In other states, cases like this are only dealt with under the Foreigners Act. But Assam has its method. At the moment, only 100 of the 300 FTs that the Ministry of Home Affairs has approved are working.

Role of the Border Police

The Assam Police Border Organization was created in 1962 and became a separate organization in 1974. It works with the Border Security Force to stop illegal immigration, find strangers, and watch over the border between India and Bangladesh. Members check people’s identities and send people they think might be a threat to FTs. They also deal with cases involving “D” voters, or people who aren’t sure they are who they say they are, and requests from people who were taken off the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Functioning of Foreigners Tribunals

FTs have the power of a civil court to call people to court, make sure they show up and look at proof. They have to send notices within 10 days of a referral and give people 20 days to respond and turn in proof. Cases must be decided by tribunals within 60 days. If you can’t prove your identity, you could be sent to a transit camp until you can be deported.

Criticism of Foreigners Tribunal Orders

Recent Supreme Court decisions have brought up problems with the FT system. For example, on July 11, the court overturned a mistaken statement that a deceased person was a foreigner, calling it a “grave miscarriage of justice.” Concerns have also been made about how citizenship checks are done at random and how some FT operations take advantage of people. For example, notices have been said to not be served properly, which violates the right to a fair trial.

About Citizenship (Amendment) Act

The Citizenship Act of 1955 was changed by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which was passed in India in December 2019. It gives religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 2014 a way to become Indian citizens. Some people say it goes against the secular ideals of the Indian Constitution. There were protests all over India because of the Act, which started conversations about national identity and religious oppression. Its application is still controversial, and there are legal challenges in the Supreme Court.

Assam Witness Protection Scheme, 2024

 The Assam Cabinet started the Assam Witness Protection Scheme, 2024 because witnesses in court cases are being threatened more and more. This action is in line with Section 398 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and is meant to make evidence in court cases safer and more trusting.

Implementation of the Witness Protection Scheme

The plan lets witnesses ask for safety through a Competent Authority that is set up in each district. There is a District and Sessions Judge in charge of this authority, as well as the Head of Prosecution, an officer chosen by the District Magistrate, and the District Police Head. The method sorts witnesses into three groups, called A, B, and C, based on how dangerous they think the situation is.

Protection Measures and Funding

Protection tactics include trials that are recorded, putting in security systems at witnesses’ homes, and maybe even moving them temporarily. A State Witness Protection Authority will also create and oversee a special fund to help with these steps, making sure there are enough resources to protect witnesses.

Revisions in Transportation Penalties

Also, the Assam Cabinet has made important changes to the rules for transportation. To make things easier on people’s budgets, fines for riding a two-wheeler without the right paperwork have been removed. However, helmet laws are still in effect. The other way around, three-wheeled cars will get up to four warnings before they are fined for breaking the rules.

About Assam Witness Protection Scheme

The Assam government set up rules for the Assam Witness Protection Scheme in 2020 to keep witnesses in criminal cases safe from threats or harassment. As part of the plan, witnesses are kept anonymous, moved, given police protection, and given money if they need it. Based on risk levels, it tells the difference between the three types of threats and adjusts the security details accordingly. It also stresses that witness names should be kept secret, gives police agencies a few rules to follow, and includes monitoring and evaluation tools to see how well protection measures are working and make changes as needed.

Himanta Biswa Sarma writes: After decades of neglect, Viksit Assam is on the rise

 

PM Modi’s resolve of a Viksit Bharat during Amrit Kaal has been the guiding light for Assam to develop a roadmap for Viksit Assam 2047. In less than eight years, under his guidance, governance in the state has seen more public participation, transparency and accountability

Unlike King Karna, who was cursed by the earth goddess and a poor Brahmin, a prosperous Assam suffers the banes from the past regimes’ apathy and abandonment. In 1950-51, Assam had an enviable per capita income of 4 per cent above the national average. The state has had a tumultuous journey since then. After suffering repeated reorganisation – without economic planning – creating more states till 1971, subsequent blows such as bouts of illegal immigration, agitations, and extremism harmed Assam’s growth. By 1998, Assam’s per capita income went down to 41 per cent below than the national average.

Seven decades of darkness created a complex web of political, economic, and social challenges. We needed a million rays to disperse this darkness and this mission has been led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His love for the people of Assam and its development is evident in the host of central initiatives that the state has benefitted from in the recent past.

Be it an AIIMS in Assam, the Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Brahmaputra, India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge at Bogibeel, expansion of Guwahati airport, national highways, power infrastructure, expansion of refineries, gas and oil pipelines, new medical colleges and hospitals, Maa Kamakhya corridor, or massive programmes for women and youth empowerment in Assam, or even recent approval to set up Rs 27000 crore worth semiconductor unit, none of them would have been possible without PM Modi’s support. Indeed, wearing Assam’s traditional gamocha around his neck, he has been the biggest brand ambassador of Assam within and outside India.

When Jawaharlal Nehru, as a Prime Minister abandoned Assam amidst the 1962 Indo-China war while claiming his heart went out to the people of Assam, Prime Minister Modi repeatedly called the region Ashtalakshmi and Bharat’s growth engine.

The Modi government’s focus on Assam is evident in the several visits by the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues to the region. This has helped unleash a double-engine government. As the foot soldiers of Pradhan Sevak Modi who is leading us from the front, we are doing our best to march towards a Viksit Assam. PM Modi’s resolve of a Viksit Bharat during Amrit Kaal has been the guiding light for Assam to develop a roadmap for Viksit Assam 2047. In less than eight years, under his guidance, governance in the state has seen more public participation, transparency and accountability.

Law and order turnaround

We prioritised three issues: extremism, drugs and narcotics, and women’s safety. Our firm and timely measures ensured success on all these fronts. The near end of extremism is a result of negotiations with extremist groups jointly led by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the state. This has resulted in 11 peace accords since 2016, the latest one with ULFA

Second, as per the World Drugs Report 2018, Assam had 7.5 lakh active drug users. Assam and the northeast, which typically acted as a transit point for the illicit transnational drugs trade. We needed to put an end to this and disrupt the deep-rooted network. The Assam police undertook the task. In a massive crackdown between 2021 and 2023, the police registered a record 8,184 cases arresting 13,565 traffickers and seizing 346 kg of heroin and 98,993 kg of ganja and others worth Rs 1,186 crore.

The disturbing infant and maternal mortality rates coupled with the crime against women of Assam were a matter of deep concern. Our strict policies curbing child marriages, repealing the colonial Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorces Registration Act, and focusing on women’s health have shown a significant decline in crime against women – by 51.7 per cent from 2021 to 2022. These steps have gone a long way in ensuring stability and a secure environment in the state.

Women and Youth-led Development

Our strategic roadmap for economic development is showing results. The state’s internal revenue crossed Rs 28,424 crore in FY23-24 (April-Jan). The steady rise in revenues and increased capital expenditure has resulted in continuous double-digit growth in GSDP and per capita income. Assam’s GDP, supported so far by consumption and government expenditure, is now poised to focus on encouraging investment and entrepreneurship.

The outlook is quite clear in the systematic manner in which we have rolled out our flagship schemes. We started with the biggest DBT programme, Orunodoi, for 26 lakh antyodaya women to provide an economic and nutrition safety net with Rs 1,250 per month, micro-finance loan waivers for women SHGs and more. As per NITI Aayog’s multi-dimensional poverty index, 80.36 lakh people in Assam have been uplifted from poverty with a steep decline in poverty headcount ratio from 36.97 per cent in 2013-14 to 14.47 per cent in 2022-23.

As we move ahead, the government has now strategically focused on women and the youth to boost entrepreneurship. In response to the clarion call of our Prime Minister to create one crore lakhpati didis in the country, Assam created 8.72 lakh lakhpati didis. This is 27 per cent of the 40 lakh SHG members. These women had not only built strong businesses for themselves but also are a living example of prudent fiscal discipline. The NPAs for SHGs in Assam stand at 1.05 per cent, almost 40 per cent below the national average.

We are on the cusp of an MSME revolution with 4.2 lakh enterprises registered on the Udyam portal. Other flagship schemes – Chief Minister Atmanirbhar Assam Abhiyan and Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan – are focused on incubating entrepreneurship among two lakh youth and 39 lakh women over the next two years. This would bring in an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The start-up ecosystem in the state has also shown a major uptick with several initiatives. We supported 275 start-ups and are on the path of creating 1,500 more.

The next phase: Capital assets and Industrialisation

The massive capital investment of about Rs 50,000 crore from the state budget drowned the frequent lament about prolonged monsoon-related delays in project execution. This includes social infrastructure and the state is now building 24 medical colleges and hospitals against just six that we had in 2016.

The government’s push towards transformative policy initiatives like the semiconductor industry, methanol production, EVs, etc, has set the tone for investments in manufacturing. Assam’s first methanol plant with a Rs 1,600 crore investment, inaugurated by the Prime Minister in April 2023, has already started exporting to Bangladesh and Nepal. Large oil and gas investments including a Rs 28,000 crore expansion of Numaligarh Refinery, expansion of Digboi refinery, railway projects, and airports are at an advanced stage. In the last few months, the state approved Rs 13,400 crore worth of 21 mega industrial units. We are now working on organising our second global investors’ summit in November.

Farm exports from the region have grown by 250 per cent in the last three years and will continue to grow. The tourism sector is another area where the state is seeing a manifold rise.

Tata Semiconductor Unit

The Tatas’ love for Assam goes beyond tea. The industrial group has always been a true friend to the state and the relationship goes beyond business. The Tatas have partnered with Assam in a range of sectors from establishing a cancer-care network to the hospitality sector, and now to a semiconductor plant.

The recent approval by the Union Cabinet for a Rs 27,000 crore Semiconductor Assembly Testing Marking and Packaging (ATMP) Unit by the Tatas is a historic development. The construction work will start in the next 100 days in Jagiroad with a capacity of 48 million per day. Soon, the project location will see a new world-class township to serve its 15,700 employees and another 13,000 indirectly employed.

Tech giants IBM and Tesla are Technology partners for this unit for the co-development of flip-chip and ISP technology respectively. For wire-bond technology, Tatas have operational experience. This would be a gaSeven decades of darkness are now behind Assam’s Amrit Peedi. Our youth are our heroes. We commit ourselves to providing them with opportunities in Amrit Kaal. Rs. 10 lakh crore GSDP target for Assam is just 3-4 years away. Besides, our collective vision is to make Assam one of the top five states in Bharat. As Assam aspires to contribute to the country’s growth, we shall continue to fire on all cylinders.me-changer for the northeast region and catalyse India’s economic ties with South East Asia.

Source: Indian Express, 9/03/24