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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on September 04, 2024

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What do we know about ANIIDCO?

For Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national and international importance

For Mains Examination: GS II, III - Governance, Environment & ecology

Context:

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is the project proponent for the NITI Aayog-promoted ₹72,000 crore mega infrastructure project in Great Nicobar, the southernmost island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago

Read about:

What is Andaman and Nicobar Project?

What is Ten degree channel?

Key takeaways:

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is leading a ₹72,000 crore infrastructure project on Great Nicobar Island, endorsed by NITI Aayog. This project includes the development of a transshipment port, a greenfield airport, a tourism and township complex, and solar and gas-powered plants. ANIIDCO, a relatively lesser-known government-backed agency based in Port Blair, has been granted approval for this significant venture.

Background of ANIIDCO:

• ANIIDCO, established on June 28, 1988, under the Companies Act, aims to sustainably utilize natural resources to support balanced and environmentally-friendly growth in the region. Its core activities, according to its website, include trading petroleum products, Indian-made foreign liquor, and milk, managing tourism resorts, and developing infrastructure for tourism and fisheries.
• Over the last three years, its average annual revenue has been ₹370 crore with profits of ₹35 crore. Given its limited experience and scope, concerns have arisen regarding its ability to handle such a high-stakes project on Great Nicobar, an ecologically sensitive area home to indigenous communities and located in a seismically active zone.
• When ANIIDCO was appointed as the project lead in July 2020, the organization lacked both an environmental policy and the human resources required to manage the project. It wasn’t until late 2022, more than two years later, that ANIIDCO began recruiting experts in urban planning, environmental management, and other relevant fields.
• In May 2021, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Union Ministry of Environment raised several concerns regarding ANIIDCO’s internal environmental governance.
• The EAC questioned whether the corporation had a corporate environmental policy approved by its board, an administrative structure to ensure environmental compliance, and standard operating procedures to address violations. ANIIDCO later admitted that it had no such policy in place, yet the EAC still granted environmental clearance in November 2022.

Conflicts of Interest:

• In 2022, the Mumbai-based Conservation Action Trust filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal, challenging the forest clearance granted to ANIIDCO. The petition highlighted a potential conflict of interest, noting that the corporation's managing director was also the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Environment and Forests at the time the clearance was issued.
• This situation led to accusations of the project proponent essentially approving its own project. Additionally, the Chief Secretary, who chairs ANIIDCO's board, was appointed to the high-powered committee investigating complaints against the project, raising further concerns about self-evaluation.
• Many employees of ANIIDCO also serve as civil servants with responsibilities for environmental and tribal welfare in the region.

Ten Degree Channel

The Ten Degree Channel is a significant geographic feature in the Indian Ocean that separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands, both part of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. The channel is named after the fact that it lies along the 10-degree north latitude.

Here are key details about the Ten Degree Channel:

• Location: It runs between Little Andaman Island (the southernmost island of the Andaman group) and Car Nicobar (the northernmost island of the Nicobar group).

• Width and Depth: The channel is approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) wide and has an average depth of about 800 meters (2,625 feet).

• Strategic Importance: The Ten Degree Channel is important for maritime navigation as it connects the Bay of Bengal to the Andaman Sea. It is a key route for international shipping passing between the Indian mainland and Southeast Asia.

• Ecological Significance: The waters of the Ten Degree Channel are known for their rich marine biodiversity, supporting various species of fish, coral reefs, and marine mammals.

• Cultural and Political Relevance: It serves as the boundary between the Andaman and Nicobar districts, highlighting the division of the two major island groups under the administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India

 Follow Up Question

1.Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree Channel’? (2014)

(a) Andaman and Nicobar
(b) Nicobar and Sumatra
(c) Maldives and Lakshadweep
(d) Sumatra and Java

Why has H.P. raised the marriageable age for women?

For Preliminary Examination: Marriage age for Women, Definition of Child

For Mains Examination: GS II - Indian Polity & Governance

Context:

On August 27, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed a Bill raising the minimum marriageable age for women from 18 to 21 years. The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2024, was passed on the first day of the two-week monsoon session. It seeks to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (2006 Act) to advance gender equality.

Read about:

What is Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006?

What is the Procedure of President Assenting bills?

Key takeaways:

On August 27, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly approved a bill raising the legal marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years. The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2024, was passed on the first day of the monsoon session. It aims to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, to promote gender equality.

Why was the Bill introduced?

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu emphasized that the Bill reflects the Congress government’s dedication to improving women’s welfare. "We are the first state in India to legislate the increase in marriage age for girls to 21 years. The Congress has always prioritized women’s advancement," Mr. Sukhu stated in an interview with The Hindu.

While presenting the Bill, Dhani Ram Shandil, the Minister of Health, Social Justice, and Empowerment, pointed out that early marriages hinder girls' education and limit their life opportunities. The amendments aim to decrease early pregnancies and motherhood, which negatively impact women's health.

Key provisions of the Bill

Currently, Section 2(a) of the 2006 Act defines a “child” as a male under 21 years or a female under 18 years of age. The new Bill removes this gender distinction, redefining a “child” as any person under 21 years of age, regardless of gender.

Additionally, the Bill extends the timeframe for filing a petition to annul a marriage. Under Section 3 of the 2006 Act, a minor can file for annulment within two years after reaching adulthood (by age 20 for women and 23 for men). The new Bill extends this period to five years, allowing both genders to seek annulment until the age of 23, aligning with the new minimum marriage age. It also introduces a provision ensuring the Bill’s precedence over other laws.

Is Presidential assent needed?

Although Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla's approval is usually sufficient, this Bill introduces a different marriage age for women than the central law, creating a conflict with the 2006 Act, a law passed by Parliament. Article 254 of the Constitution comes into play, stating that if a State law contradicts an existing central law on a Concurrent List subject (such as marriage), the conflicting part of the State law becomes void.

To address this, the Bill must be sent to the President for approval under Article 254(2). If the President approves, the State law will override the central law but only within Himachal Pradesh.

Follow Up Question