Why is single-use plastic being banned in India from July 1?

 The Centre has banned the use of ‘single-use plastic’ from July 1. The Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued a gazette notification last year announcing the ban, and has now defined a list of items that will be banned from next month.

“The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of following single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities shall be prohibited with effect from the 1st July, 2022,’’ says the Ministry notification.

What is single-use plastic?

As the name suggests, it refers to plastic items that are used once and discarded. Single-use plastic has among the highest shares of plastic manufactured and used — from packaging of items, to bottles (shampoo, detergents, cosmetics), polythene bags, face masks, coffee cups, cling film, trash bags, food packaging etc.A 2021 report by one of the Australian philanthropic organisations the Minderoo Foundation said single-use plastics account for a third of all plastic produced globally, with 98% manufactured from fossil fuels. Single-use plastic also accounts for the majority of plastic discarded – 130 million metric tonnes globally in 2019 — “all of which is burned, buried in landfills or discarded directly into the environment”, the report said.

On the current trajectory of production, it has been projected that single-use plastic could account for 5-10% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The report found that India features in the top 100 countries of single-use plastic waste generation – at rank 94 (the top three being Singapore, Australia and Oman. With domestic production of 11.8 million metric tonnes annually, and import of 2.9 MMT, India’s net generation of single-use plastic waste is 5.6 MMT, and per capita generation is 4 kg.

What are the items being banned?

The items on which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have announced a ban are earbuds; balloon sticks; candy and ice-cream sticks; cutlery items including plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, trays; sweet boxes; invitation cards; cigarette packs; PVC banners measuring under 100 microns; and polystyrene for decoration.

The Ministry had already banned polythene bags under 75 microns in September 2021, expanding the limit from the earlier 50 microns. From December, the ban will be extended to polythene bags under 120 microns. Ministry officials have explained that the ban is being introduced in phases to give manufacturers time to shift to thicker polythene bags that are easier to recycle. While manufacturers can use the same machine for 50- and 75-micron bags, the machinery will need to be upgraded for 120 microns.

According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, there is also a complete ban on sachets using plastic material for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco and pan masala.

Why these items?

Ministry officials have said that the choice for the first set of single-use plastic items for the ban was based on “difficulty of collection, and therefore recycling”.

“The enemy is not that plastic exists per se, but that plastic exists in the environment. When plastic remains in the environment for long periods of time and does not decay, it turns into microplastics – first entering our food sources and then the human body, and this is extremely harmful. We have chosen these items as they are difficult to collect, especially since most are either small, or discarded directly into the environment – like ice-cream sticks. It then becomes difficult to collect for recycling, unlike the much larger items,” said a Ministry official.

Satish Sinha of the environmental group Toxic Links described the items chosen as “low-hanging fruit”. “Of the single-use plastic industry – the production and sale of these items is miniscule. The largest share of single-use plastic is that of packaging – with as much as 95% of single use belong to this category – from toothpaste to shaving cream to frozen foods. The items chosen are of low value and of low turnover and are unlikely to have a big economic impact, which could be a contributing reason. Having said that, we do need to start with something, and it is a beginning,” said Sinha.

How will the ban be enforced?

The ban will be monitored by the CPCB from the Centre, and by the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) that will report to the Centre regularly. Directions have been issued at national, state and local levels — for example, to all petrochemical industries — to not supply raw materials to industries engaged in the banned items.

Directions have also been issued to SPCBs and Pollution Control Committees to modify or revoke consent to operate issued under the Air/Water Act to industries engaged in single-use plastic items. Local authorities have been directed to issue fresh commercial licenses with the condition that SUP items will not be sold on their premises, and existing commercial licences will be cancelled if they are found to be selling these items.

Last week, the CPCB issued one-time certificates to 200 manufacturers of compostable plastic and the BIS passed standards for biodegradable plastic.

Those found violating the ban can be penalised under the Environment Protection Act 1986 – which allows for imprisonment up to 5 years, or a penalty up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.

Violators can also be asked to pay Environmental Damage Compensation by the SPCB. In addition, there are municipal laws on plastic waste, with their own penal codes.

How are other countries dealing with single-use plastic?

Earlier this year, 124 countries, parties to the United Nations Environment Assembly, including India, signed a resolution to draw up an agreement which will in the future make it legally binding for the signatories to address the full life of plastics from production to disposal, to end plastic pollution.

Bangladesh became the first country to ban thin plastic bags in 2002. New Zealand became the latest country to ban plastic bags in July 2019. China issued a ban on plastic bags in 2020 with phased implementation.

As of July 2019, 68 countries have plastic bag bans with varying degrees of enforcement.Eight states in the US have banned single-use plastic bags, beginning with California in 2014. Seattle became the first major US city to ban plastic straws in 2018.

On July 2, 2021, the Directive on Single-Use Plastics took effect in the European Union (EU). The directive bans certain single-use plastics for which alternatives are available; single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds cannot be placed on the markets of the EU member states. The same measure applies to cups, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.

Vanuatu and the Seychelles have banned plastic straws outright.

Written by Esha Roy

Source: Indian Express, 21/06/22

Quote of the Day June 23, 2022

 

“To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.”
Brian Tracy

“आपके द्वारा कुछ ऐसा प्राप्त करना जिसे आपने पहले कभी भी प्राप्त नहीं किया है, आपको अवश्य ही ऐसा व्यक्ति बनना होगा जो आप पहले कभी नहीं थे।”
ब्रिअन ट्रेसी

Sewa International Unveils Its Sewa Fellowship Programme: Calling Young Individuals To Serve Bharat

 New Delhi : Aiming to create a progressive long-term impact in India, Sewa International a global non-profit organization, launches Sewa Fellowship to support individuals, societal leaders, and organizations aligned with the philosophy of serving India. The fellowship programme is an opportunity for young and dynamic individuals to bring positive changes at the grassroots level for nation-building.

The fellowship launch hosted at India International Centre, New Delhi, was attended by dignitaries who have pioneered in exploring new methods and exemplified processes for serving communities including, Shri Shyam Parande (the General Secretary of Sewa International), Dr. R Balasubramaniam (Member at Capacity Building Commission), Phoolbasan Bai (Renowned Social worker and Padma Shri Awardee), Dr. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar (Chairman at University Grants Commission), Gauranga Das (Divisional Director at ISKCON), Venkatesh Murthy (Founder and Chief Mentor at Youth for Seva), Ambassador Virendra Gupta (Former IFS) , Dr. Ram Kakani (Director at IIM Raipur), and Prof. Ajay Dubey from JNU and other renowned leaders from different walks of life.

Inviting applications from across India, the fellowship has a three-stage selection process. The first stage includes sharing the application with an essay writing or video-based essay defining the statement of purpose. The second stage will assess the candidate’s problem solving approach, and curiosity and humility through field assignments and personal conversation. The final selection is based on the individual’s behaviour/psychometric analysis, collaborative working attitude, and rigour for community work.

The 23-month immersive programme encompasses an extensive curriculum with a core emphasis on imparting knowledge, skills, and temperament training. It includes project management, research and development, monitoring and evaluation of live projects, and learning best practices to create an impact on society. The fellows will also be trained in skills such as critical thinking, systems thinking, eco-centered design, storytelling, leadership, sewa bhaav, communication, and fundraising, etc.

Shri Shyam Parande Ji, General Secretary, Sewa International, said, “We are delighted to celebrate Sewa International’s 25th Anniversary. In the initial 12 years, Sewa International worked with other institutions and later started its initiatives for the upliftment of society. He reiterated Swami Vivekananda’s message that a few heart-whole, sincere, and energetic men and women can do more in a year than a mob in a century. The world needs more young leaders to solve future problems. In his words, now is the time that young men and women must come forward and take the challenges of contemporary India and contribute to make India a global power. We operate on the ethos ‘neki kar darya me daal’, and work relentlessly to spread this message. Sewa Fellowship is a 100-week journey that will be led by experts in the field of social development. Under this, fellows will work with India’s most impactful NGOs and work on their development projects. We are looking for self-motivated individuals who want to devote their lives to building a new and better India.”

Chief Guest at the event, Dr. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the UGC, said, “There is a rampant need for fellowships in India to bring changes at the grassroots level. The Sewa Fellowship will not only identify problems in the social fabric but also help find sustainable solutions. It is a much-needed initiative that will positively accelerate development across the country.”

Source:indiaeducationdiary.in, 30/05/22

Current Affairs-June 22, 2022

 

YOGA DAY AWARDS

– Prime Minister’s award for outstanding contribution for promotion of Yoga announced

– Individual winners: Bhikkhu Sanghasena from Ladakh and Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues from Brazil

– Organisation winners: The Divine Life Society from Uttarakhand and British Wheel of Yoga from UK

INDIA

– Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha will be the opposition candidate for the Presidential Election

– Diplomat Ruchira Kamboj to become India’s Permanent Representative to UN

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– Ration card portability implemented across India with Assam being last to operationalise

– Expedite NPA resolution, focus on credit growth: Finance ministry to PSBs

– Govt dept to collaborate with SBI to create integrated pension portal

– Apollo Hospitals partners with Imperial Hospital, Bangladesh; to manage 375-bed multispeciality tertiary care hospital in Chittagong

WORLD

– Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Peace Prize medal fetches record $103.5 million in auction

– World’s largest recorded freshwater fish weighing 300 kg caught in Cambodia

– International Day of Yoga celebrated on June 21, theme: ‘Yoga for humanity’

– World Music Day celebrated on June 21

– International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice observed on June 21

SPORTS

– England’s Matt Fitzpatrick wins 2022 United States Open Championship in Boston

– Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins Formula One Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal

Current Affairs-June 23, 2022

 

INDIA

– Former Jharkhand Governor & Odisha minister Draupadi Murmu named candidate of be BJP-led NDA for Presidential polls

– Australian Deputy PM and Minister for Defence Richard Marles visits India

– EAM S. Jaishankar to lead Indian delegation to Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda from June 22 to 25

– PM addresses BRICS Business Forum virtually

– Centre flags off Bharat Gaurav train connecting India and Nepal operating on the Ramayana Circuit

– ‘Jyotirgamaya’ festival showcasing talent of unsung performers being held in New Delhi

– Illegal to use police personnel as orderlies for domestic work: Madras HC

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– India had current account deficit of 1.2% of GDP in 2021-22; had surplus of 0.9% in 2020-21: RBI

– Country’s foreign exchange reserves rose by USD 30.3 billion in 2021-22: RBI

– RBI stops non-bank payment instrument (PPI) issuers from loading wallets, cards via credit lines

– Yes Bank launches FDs linked to repo rate

– India stands 4th in global gold recycling; recycled 75 tonnes in 2021: WGC

– Bengaluru: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai inaugurates largest IKEA store in India

WORLD

– Afghanistan: Earthquake of magnitude 6.1 hits Paktika province; over 900 killed

– Russia warns Lithuania of serious consequences after it banned rail transfer of some goods to Kaliningrad

– South Korea launches first satellite with homegrown Nuri rocket

– Elon Musk’s $44 billion Twitter deal gets board endorsement

– UN Convention on Biological Diversity talks to move from China’s Kunming to Montreal over pandemic-related delays

SPORTS

– Former Australian cricketer Lisa Sthalekar becomes first woman president of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA).

Why attitudes towards domestic violence differ across cultures

 

The trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has captivated public interest with most onlookers echoing the jury's sympathy for the former. Media coverage of the trial has been widespread which has the potential to shape public opinion surrounding domestic violence. However, the issue is often covered problematically, especially in countries where violence against women has been normalised

After over six weeks of testimony in a defamation trial, the fate of actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has now been decided in Depp’s favour. This high-profile trial has been parodied, discussed, and remixed since it began on April 11, largely due to the fact that it has been publicly broadcast and live-streamed on YouTube.

Although the response has been polarised, the media and general public have generally tended to side with Depp. The TikTok hashtag #teamjohnnydepp has over 77 million views and videos poking fun at Heard’s emotional testimony flood Instagram’s trending page. Concerned onlookers have noted that whether one believes Depp to be guilty of domestic violence or to be a victim of it, the coverage of the trial both highlights the issue and makes a mockery of it

Not since Americans sat transfixed to their televisions during the O J Simpson trial in 1995, has a court case been so wildly followed. While few understand the intricacies of the legal system even a novice could ascertain that the public appetite for spectacle has bordered on insensitivity and possibly harm. Domestic violence (DV) is a serious and much to common a crime in countries across the world. However, despite the international consensus seemingly being united against it, standards of blame vary largely between countries and socio-ethnic groups.

What is domestic violence (DV)?

Traditionally, DV has been associated with physical violence that occurs between husband and wife but in recent decades it is now more commonly defined to include all acts of physical, sexual, economic, and psychological violence that may be committed by a family member or an intimate partner.DV can take on many forms such as assaults, threats, stalking, neglect and/or economic deprivation. With the emerging popularity of social media, technology can also be used to threaten, blackmail, and stalk victims.

Experts largely attribute DV to a need to assert power and gain control, and manage feelings of stress and inadequacy. Lenore Walker, a sociologist who founded the Domestic Violence Institute, also points to the prevalence of cycles of abuse, wherein abusers experience four phases of emotions. First is when the tension builds up, leading to the abuse. Next is a phase of calm where the perpetrator may feel guilt leading to a third phase in which they may be kind and affectionate. Lastly, when the victim may start to feel a sense of normalcy and hope, tensions build, after which the abuse is likely to continue.

DV is one of the most underreported crimes worldwide for both men and women, with one 2011 review article finding that the majority of victims fail to report the crime. This could be because they were financially trapped in the arrangement or because they felt a sense of guilt or shame.

While women are often initiators of DV, male violence is often more damaging. According to one US Justice Department analysis of crime, more than 40 per cent of adult female hospital emergency room visits are caused by violence by a male intimate partner. Furthermore, according to a 1998 National Crime Victimization Survey in the US, women experience violent domestic offences at a five times higher rate than men.

Who is the most vulnerable?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one of the most common factors in DV is a sense that abuse, whether verbal or physical, is acceptable. Other factors include substance abuse, poverty, mental health problems, and dependency on the abuser.

Men who perpetrate violence are likely to believe that their victim deserves the abuse and that their inadequacy is the chief cause of it. Social learning theory posits that people who have either witnessed abuse or experienced it during childhood are more likely to initiate it.

In developed nations, the rate of DV is much higher within families with household incomes of less than $7500. This is because financial insecurity creates stress and because women who are financially vulnerable are less able to leave abusive relationships.

Laws against DV also vary from country to country and while it is largely outlawed in the developing world, the same cannot be said about developing countries. In the UAE, for example, the Supreme Court upheld a man’s right to physically discipline his wife and children as long as he doesn’t leave any physical marks behind.

Moreover, DV is more acceptable in developing nations because attitudes support the practice. According to a Unicef survey, the percentage of women aged 15-49 who think a husband is justified in hitting his wife under certain circumstances is 90 per cent in Afghanistan, 87 per cent in Mali and 80 per cent in the Central African Republic.

According to Violence against Women in Families and Relationships, “globally, wife-beating is seen as justified in some circumstances by a majority of the population in various countries, most commonly in situations of actual or suspected infidelity by wives or their ‘disobedience’ toward a husband or partner.”

In many places, the so-called “honour killings” are also approved by a large section of society with one survey finding that 33.4 per cent of teenagers in Amman, the capital of Jordan, approved of the practice. Inappropriate clothing is also considered grounds for abuse in countries like Afghanistan where over 60 per cent of women believe a man is justified in hitting his wife if she wears inappropriate clothes.

ccording to Human Rights Watch, customs such as bride price only exacerbate abuse as women are then considered the property of their husbands. Forced and child marriages also contribute to the problem.

Additionally, religion plays an important factor as well. In Responding to Domestic Violence, a group of authors argue that Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism have all traditionally supported male-dominated households and that “socially sanctioned violence against women has been persistent since ancient times.”

Of all the major religions, none invoke as much scrutiny towards women’s rights as Islam. While some authors like Phyllis Chesler argue that Islam is connected to violence against women, others like Tahira Khan, a professor at Aga Khan University, argue that it is the cultural inferiority of women in Islamic countries that leads to abuse, not the religion itself.

Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in India showed that women (52 per cent) were also more likely than men (42 per cent) to believe that a man is justified in beating his wife. The highest acceptance for DV was in Telangana at 84 per cent while the lowest was in Sikkim, at 17 per cent.

Victim blaming is also prevalent, even in industrialised economies. One 2010 Eurobaramater poll found that 52 per cent of respondents agree with the assertion that the “provocative behaviour of women” was the leading cause of violence.

How does the media cover DV?

According to a study by the Reproductive Health Journal, mass media “reinforces existing inequalities and traditional roles and models of femininity and masculinity” with cultural products consumed by young audiences, “praise the subordinance of women to men and even sometimes justify violence.” As such, the mass media plays a key role in defining “romantic relationships,” and often perpetuates an ideal of love that supports unequal relationships.

The media has often made light of DV as well. In 2011, a Family Guy episode highlighted abusive relationships from a comedic perspective whereas, in Kasauti Zindagi Kay, an Indian soap opera, a woman who was slapped by her husband pleads with her family not to intervene on her behalf.

According to Anne O’Brien, a professor at Maynooth University, victims of DV are often depicted in a way that justifies their abuse by mainstream news shows. She notes that coverage usually questions what the woman may have done to provoke the abuse while perpetrators are left off the hook because their actions are seen as being out of character. She also argues that the international media provides a simplistic narrative of abuse and “completely erases” the identities of women.

An Oxford University report further claims that media representation of DV tends to provide “racialising and class-biased discourses about abusers and their victims that frame domestic violence as the largest product of marginalised classes.” It also claims that’s that after the 9/11 attacks, media coverage of Islamic nations has justified “progressive” Western cultures with “backwards” Eastern ones.

However, despite the failure of the media to adequately address this issue, its potential to positively influence the narrative is profound. According to the Economics of Peace and Security Journal, media exposure can be a “positive source for changing social norms.” For example, it points to one study from Tamil Nadu which found that the introduction of cable television with programmes that present “urban attitudes,” is associated with a 16 per cent decrease in women’s reported acceptance of domestic violence and an 8.8 per cent decrease in their preference for having male children.

Similarly, after the highly publicised domestic violence trial of American football star O J Simpson, the then US president Bill Clinton approved the creation of a national Domestic Violence helpline which surged to record numbers in recent weeks. However, studies also found that while the number of DV related newspaper articles increased during the prime stage of the case, and after the trial was over, numbers began to decrease once again.

The impact of the media is perhaps best observed in cases that never go to court. In 2009, when Chris Brown punched his then-girlfriend Rihanna in the face, he was largely castigated on social media, despite the incident never going to trial. Today, a person accused of DV can be “cancelled” online, their reputations eternally forged in the annals of social media.

This phenomenon was observed in 2015, when a 20-year-old swimmer from Stanford, Brock Turner, was found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. Turner was only served with a six-month sentence, but a report from Buzzfeed publishing the victim’s statement was one of its most shared stories in the site’s history.

The outcome of the Depp Heard trial means that Heard is found guilty of defaming Depp in the eyes of the law. However, that does not excuse the vitriol and skepticism that she faced throughout the trial. Perhaps the best lesson we can learn about reporting or commenting on domestic violence cases, is that our judgement should be predicated on that of the law. No one wins when social media denigrates the alleged victim or abuser before a verdict is delivered.

Written by Mira Patel 

Source: Indian Express, 2/06/22

What is a black swan event?

 

A black swan is a rare, unpredictable event that comes as a surprise and has a significant impact on society or the world.

A study by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has spoken about the possibility of capital outflows to the tune of $100 billion (around Rs 7,80,000 crore) from India in case of a major global risk scenario or a “black swan” event.

What is a ‘black swan’ event?

A black swan is a rare, unpredictable event that comes as a surprise and has a significant impact on society or the world. These events are said to have three distinguishing characteristics – they are extremely rare and outside the realm of regular expectations; they have a severe impact after they hit; and they seem probable in hindsight when plausible explanations appear.

When did the term originate?

The black swan theory was put forward by author and investor Nassim Nicholas Taleb in 2001, and later popularised in his 2007 book – The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. The Sunday Times described his work as one of the 12 most influential books since World War II.

In his book, Taleb does not try to lay out a method to predict such events, but instead stresses on building “robustness” in systems and strategies to deal with black swan occurrences and withstand their impacThe term itself is linked to the discovery of black swans. Europeans believed all swans to be white until 1697, when a Dutch explorer spotted the first black swan in Australia. The metaphor ‘black swan event’ is derived from this unprecedented spotting from the 17th century, and how it upended the West’s understanding of swans.

When have such events occurred in the past?

Interestingly, Taleb’s book predated the 2008 global financial crisis – a black swan event triggered by a sudden crash in the booming housing market in the US. The fall of the Soviet Union, the terrorist attack in the US on September 11, 2001, also fall in the same category.t.

Is the Covid-19 pandemic a black swan event?

Taleb does not agree with those who believe it to be one. In an interview to Bloomberg in 2020, he called it a “white swan”, arguing that it was predictable, and there was no excuse for companies and governments not to be prepared for something like this.

While the outbreak of any pandemic is difficult to individually predict, the possibility of one occurring and having a major impact on systems around the world was known and documented.

Written by Saurabh Kapoor 

Source: Indian Express, 21/06/22