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- October 2019
Index
Toppers Talk
Art & Culture
Polity
- Right to access internet is fundamental right declares Kerala High Court
- Legal rights of Deities in India, Difference in Natural and Juristic Person
- Bru refugees refuse to return to Mizoram
- No animal sacrifice in Tripura temple-Orders High Court
- EC’s Order on Reducing Sikkim CM’s Disqualification Period
- Law Ministry issues corrigendum to Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act
- Appointment of the Judges in India.
- New Chief Justice of India- How is CJI appointed?
- Indian Penal Code 1860, HM Amit Shah wants to Overhaul IPC
- National Population Register (NPR) 2020
- Whistle Blowers Allegations on Infosys
Governance & Social Justice
- 60% girls in Delhi colleges anaemic
- Niti aayog’s School education quality index
- Multipurpose National Identity Card
- Population pyramid : India Vs China, Demographic dividend Phase of India
- UN Population Report, India will become the most populous country by 2027
- Supreme Court upholds SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendments Act
- Comparing Population Pyramids of India and China
- Waqf boards-Their governance and purpose
- Harvard Admissions Case
- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana- Ist Anniversary, Problems and solutions
- Significance of sexual and Reproductive Health-Status of reproductive services in India
- Pregnancy in Old Age, What is In Vitro Fertilisation-Risks and legal shortcomings
- Supreme Court Judgement on NGOs and RTI
- Social Stock Exchange
- Rajasthan Govt changes EWS norms, Sets Rs 8 lakh family income as only criteria
- Global hunger index 2019
- No Government job for those with more than two kids
- Ranitidine CANCER risk
- IIT Council Introduces Tenure track system
International Relations
- Bangladesh growing faster than India ?
- Cyprus dispute explained
- Donald Trump impeachment
- India wins Hyderabad Nizam case against Pakistan
- India’s reply to Pakistan at UNGA
- Prime Minister of Malaysia calls India and invader in Kashmir
- Should India recognise the armenian genocide ?
- Why are CARICOM countries important for India ?
- Why are countries leaving OPEC ?
- Attacks on Saudi Oil facilities
- Organization of Islamic Cooperation issues statement on Jammu and Kashmir
- Sri Lanka’s relations with India & China
- US troops start pullout in Syria as Turkey prepares for operation
- What are Vanilla Islands?
- India-USA trade deal
- UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award-2019
- Modi – Xi Informal meet at Mamallapuram – Historic Chinese links
- India China informal summit in Tamil nadu
- Pakistan save from FATF blacklist till 2020
- USA blacklists China organisations over Uighur Muslim abuse
- Why is Chile burning ?
- Why is the Philippines important for India
- Xi jinping Nepal visit 2019 and impact on India
- India Pakistan Cross LOC Trade suspended, Should India revoke suspension?
- Protests in Lebanon
- Chennai to Vladivostok Sea Route
- End of baghdadi
- Indian government’s security advisory
- Indians no longer require Visa to visit Brazil
- Non Aligned Movement 2019 summit
- US backed Ceasefire between Turkey and Kurds
- Pakistan stops postal exchange with India
- China’s GDP growth slows to 6% slowest in 27 years
- Common Goods for Health project by WHO
- Turkey attack Kurds in Syria
Geography
Economy
- Behavioural Aspect of Farmer Suicide
- Is rural India really open defecation free ?
- Global Growth Slow Down
- Nobel Prize in Economics 2019
- Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
- SBI wrote off bad loans worth 76,000 crores
- Surge in Onion Price
- Agriculture Credit by RBI’s Internal Working Group
- What is Debt to GDP Ratio?
- Yes Bank Crisis
- Nobel prize in Literature – Controversy
- Boosting Indian Exports
- Sopore Fruit Mandi deserted
- What is Pink Collarisation?
- Mizoram to have Broad Gauge railway line by 2021
- Demand downturn in Indian Economy
- Payment facilitation fund
- Participatory Guarantee Scheme
- RBI’s 4th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy 2019-20
- Tourism restrictions lifted in Kashmir
- Link between Jobs, Farming, and Climate
- Draft Social Security Code 2019
- State Tax Revenues, SGST and Central Tax Devolution are likely to fall short
- Competitiveness Index 2019 by World Economic Forum
- NITI Aayog’s Water Resources Strategy
- BSNL and MTNL financial issues-DoT prepares Rs 74000 crore revival plan
- 20th Livestock Census
- India falls 10 ranks in World economic forum’s Global competitiveness index
- RBI stops Printing Rs 2000 Notes
- What is the Unified Approach proposal of OECD?
- FCI granaries overflowing
- India’s Economic Growth 2019
- Financial Sector Scams in India
- Labour Market of India
- New Strategic Disinvestment Process
- Payment Delays to Sugarcane Farmers
- Why India’s IMF Quota is not increased
- What is monetary policy Transmission? Why banks are not reducing interest
- Mahatma Gandhi’s theory of Economics
- India moves up 14 spots to 63 on world Bank ease of doing business index
- New amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act
- Power Sector Scenario in India
- Telecos to Pay Rs 96,642 crore to the Government
- Camel population declines in Rajasthan
- Merger of BSNL and MTNL
- World bank on Indian economy
Defence & Security
- Nagas Kukis Conflict, What is the cause of the latest tensions?
- Case against 50 Celebrities controversy
- Can Indian Government intercept WhatsApp?
- UP Government fires 25000 home guards, Is Yogi Government’s decision justified?
- NCRB’s Crime in India 2017 report
- Aadhaar Social Media mandatory linking case
- What is TechSagar? National repository of India’s cyber tech capabilities.
Disaster Management
Science & Technology
- ISRO’S Project NETRA
- Facebook’s LIBRA Currency in trouble
- WHO launches first World report on Vision
- 2019 Nobel prize in physics
- 2019 Nobel prize in Physiology and Medicine
- Elon musk’s starlink project
- NASA’s ICON mission
- New King of the Moons in the Solar system is Saturn
- What Is Spectroscopy ?
- Quantum supremacy
Environment
- Climate Vulnerable Mapping Of India
- C40 Cities
- Gujarat Unveils emission trading scheme
- Forest Plus 2.0
- Himalayan States seeks Green Bonus
- India to Phase Out Single Use Plastic (SUP) by 2022
- Role of Volcanoes in Global Warming
- NH 766 ban controversy, Protests in Kerala against night traffic ban on the forest stretch
- Climate Change needs Global Solution
- Aarey Forest -2185 trees to be cut for Mumbai metro
- Government to build 1400 km long Green wall
- Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi
- Aerosol formation brightening clouds
- Anthrax outbreak in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Two affected buffaloes died
- Species in News from June to October 2019
- Climate Action Summit 2019
Prelims bits

Tag:GS3||Environment||Biodiversity||Conservation Efforts
Why in news?
- Karnataka imposed a night traffic ban on NH 766 connecting Wayanad that led to massive protests in Wayanad.
- Supreme Court upheld night traffic ban, crucial for the safety of wildlife in Bandipur tiger reserve in Karnataka.
What Is The Issue:
- The existing night traffic ban has been in effect since 2009 and in March 2018, the National Tiger Conservation Authority had also advised the Centre against the elevated corridor project since this could have a damaging impact on the forest ecology which has a significant tiger population.
- This is a 19-km stretch running through protected Bandipur forest on which vehicular movement is not allowed between 9 pm and 6 am. The ban was first imposed in 2009 following a report by an expert committee concluding that night traffic posed serious threat to life and the biological behavioral pattern of the wildlife in the protected forest.
Reason of Protest in Wayanad:
- Sc upheld the night ban: the ban has already in place for 10 years but the current agitation or violence is because of a current decision given by apex court.
- The apex court directed the MOEFCC and the NHAI regarding the issue of highway NH 766. SC directed the ministry and NHAI they should find alternative routes and NH 766 should be shut down permanently.
- It also directed the Centre to come up with permanent measures so that highways do not pass through core areas of tiger reserves.
- Alternative route: finding an alternative route and complete ban is an issue that is the reason for an indefinite hunger strike by youth leaders from various parties demanding round the clock connectivity through the forest stretch of NH-766.
Past protests:
- High court: It was imposed by the Chamarajanagar district administration of Karnataka. Activists then moved the Karnataka High Court seeking re-imposition of night traffic ban. The high court upheld the night traffic ban in 2010 and directed the Karnataka government to develop an alternate route. Kerala government approached the Supreme Court for relief. After much delay, the Supreme Court upheld the night traffic ban.
- Alternative route: The Supreme Court, like the high court, also directed the governments to develop alternate road connectivity.
Argument in favour of the night ban:
- Karnataka and Tamilnadu government: both government in the support of the night ban.
Argument against night ban:
- Construction of elevated sections: The state government has to urge the Ministry of Environment and Forests to consider the construction of elevated sections on the highway. The Kerala government has been stating that an elevated corridor can be constructed on the 25-km stretch of National Highway 212 (now called 766). for e.g, the National Highway Authority of India has built several underpasses on NH 44 which passes through Pench and Kanha tiger reserve.
- Economic development impacted: various religious organizations, youth, and traders believe that the ban will impact the Wayanad economic development. It will also impact interstate trade because it is the only route that connects Wayanad with Karnataka.
Positive Impact of night ban:
- Animal fatalities came down: The night traffic ban has brought down the number of accidents and injuries to the wild animals. But it has come at a cost to the people of Wayanad, which depend a lot on the markets for its agricultural and livestock products in neighboring Karnataka districts.
- Connects three reserved forests: Bandipur tiger reserve is spread over about 1,000 sq km across three states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. In fact, it connects three reserved forests of the Nagarhole National Park of Karnataka, the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala and lot of flora like elephants, tiger, and deers live there.
Way forward:
- The Centre has now assured Kerala that a committee would be set up to study the night traffic ban on the national highway passing through Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.
- Other roads:
- So, the alternative currently available to people is the one that connects Wayanad with Mysuru running through Mysuru Kutta, Gonikuppal and Hunsur in Karanataka. The problem is that this route is 35 km longer than the national highway, and it also passes through the same forest.
- The routes connect Wayanad with neighboring areas of Karnataka. One of them – between Mysuru and Wayanad – had been closed for night traffic, from 6 pm to 6 am.
- Tigers use these underpasses regularly even during the daytime. Similar mitigation measures could be considered on NH-766 to remove barriers to free movement for wildlife.
Conclusion:
- Central and State Governments have to safeguard the interests of local communities while upholding the collective responsibility to protect our environment.
Additional Info:
Bandipur Tiger Reserve:
- One of the oldest tiger reserves: Home to about 140 tigers, more than 1,500 elephants, and over 25,000 deer, Bandipur is one of the oldest tiger reserves in India. It was once a forest where the Maharaja of Mysore would go for hunting. When Project Tiger was launched in 1973, Bandipur forest was declared as a tiger reserve.
- In 1984, Bandipur tiger reserve became a national park.
- Connects three reserved forests: In fact, it connects three reserved forests of the Nagarhole National Park of Karnataka, the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala.
References: