National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)

GS 3: Economy: Promoting Natural Farming

Why is it in the news?

• The Union Cabinet, on November 25, approved the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. The mission aims to promote natural farming nationwide in a mission-mode approach.

Natural Farming ·       Natural farming is a “chemical-free” farming system, as defined by the Agriculture Ministry. It relies on inputs derived from livestock and plant resources, excluding synthetic chemicals.   Benefits of Natural Farming ·       Natural farming reduces cultivation costs by decreasing dependence on external inputs and rejuvenates soil health, fertility, and resilience to climate challenges like floods and droughts. ·       It mitigates health risks linked to fertilisers and pesticides, ensuring nutritious food for farmers’ families. Additionally, it enhances biodiversity, soil carbon content, and water use efficiency, contributing to environmental sustainability for future generations.

Evolution of NMNF

• The NMNF is an extension of the Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhti (BPKP), launched under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY).
• Previously, natural farming was promoted under the Namami Gange scheme along a five-kilometre belt of the Ganga River in 2022-23. The government now aims to scale up the experiences from BPKP into a comprehensive mission through NMNF.
• In her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans to initiate one crore farmers into natural farming within two years, supported by certification and branding efforts. This will involve scientific institutions and gram panchayats.
• Additionally, 10,000 bio-input resource centres will be established. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised farmers adopting natural farming in his Independence Day speech, highlighting their role in environmental conservation.

Current Coverage of Natural Farming

• To date, 22 lakh hectares have been brought under natural farming, engaging 34 lakh farmers. This includes 4 lakh hectares under BPKP, 88,000 hectares under Namami Gange, and 17 lakh hectares under various state initiatives.
• The NMNF aims to cover an additional 7.5 lakh hectares, focusing on 15,000 clusters in willing gram panchayats, targeting one crore farmers.
• The NMNF stands apart from previous efforts due to its higher budget allocation, broader farmer outreach, and emphasis on creating a sustainable natural farming ecosystem.
• It also aims to establish national standards for chemical-free produce and introduce a single national brand. The scheme’s total outlay is ₹2,481 crore, with the central government contributing ₹1,584 crore and states providing ₹897 crore.

Implementation Strategy

• Around 2,000 NF Model Demonstration Farms will be established at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Universities (AUs), and farmers’ fields, supported by Farmer Master Trainers.
• Willing farmers will receive training in NF practices, including preparing inputs like Jeevamrit and Beejamrit. An estimated 18.75 lakh trained farmers will produce these inputs using livestock or procure them from bio-input resource centres (BRCs).
• Additionally, 30,000 Krishi Sakhis and Community Resource Persons (CRPs) will assist in awareness generation and farmer mobilisation.
• The mission targets 228 districts across 16 states with fertiliser sales exceeding the national average of 138 kg/hectare, particularly those exceeding 200 kg/hectare.
• It also prioritises regions along the Ganga’s main stem. These efforts aim to reduce the use of fertilisers, improve soil health, and encourage sustainable farming practices.

 One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)

GS 2: Society: Access to Research articles and Journal publications

Why is it in the news?

• The Union Cabinet approved the ‘One Nation One Subscription’ (ONOS) initiative on November 25, 2024, to centralize access to research articles and journal publications for government higher education institutions and R&D laboratories.
• With an allocation of ₹6,000 crore until 2027, the initiative aims to benefit institutions under both central and State governments through a national subscription.

About ONOS

• ONOS consolidates subscriptions to prominent academic journals into a single, centrally negotiated payment, eliminating the need for individual institutional subscriptions. This initiative will provide all individuals in India access to journals and research articles.
• Previously, subscriptions to scientific journals were a costly affair, with India spending ₹1,500 crore on electronic and print journals in 2018, along with ₹30-50 crore on databases like SCOPUS and Web of Science.
• In 2022, the government’s expenditure on journal subscriptions totalled ₹995 crore, covering ten library consortia and individual subscriptions. ONOS is also expected to provide concessions on publication fees for authors publishing in open-access journals.

Committees for Implementation

• To facilitate ONOS implementation, two additional committees were formed: the Planning and Execution Committee (PEC) and the Cost Negotiation Committee (CNC).
• The PEC, comprising library consortia coordinators and representatives from academic and R&D institutions, is tasked with strategizing ONOS implementation.
• The CNC, comprising members from existing consortia negotiation teams, will finalize membership terms, pricing, and conditions for subscriptions.

Conclusion

• Despite its ambitious scope, implementing ONOS requires meticulous coordination and negotiation to streamline subscriptions and ensure cost efficiency.
• However, the initiative is poised to reduce India’s high journal subscription costs while democratizing access to research resources across the country.

Controversy Surrounding the Sambhal Jama Masjid

GS 2: Polity and Governance: Places of worship act

Why is it in the news?

• On November 19, a petition was filed in the Sambhal district court alleging that the 16th-century Jama Masjid was built on an ancient Hari Har Mandir site.
• The claim mirrors dispute over other mosques like Gyanvapi in Varanasi, Eidgah in Mathura, and Kamal-Maula in Dhar. Notably, the Sambhal mosque is a protected national monument.

More about the news

• Following the petition, a court-ordered photographic and videographic survey commenced on November 19, with the report due by November 29.
• Although the first survey proceeded peacefully with officials and mosque committee members present, the second survey on November 24 led to violence.
• Unlike Ayodhya or Varanasi, the Sambhal dispute arose only in 2024. Historically, the mosque, built by Mughal Emperor Babur’s general Hindu Beg in 1528, has coexisted peacefully with other communities.
• Some historians trace the mosque’s origins to the Tughlaq era. Hindu traditions claim it incorporates parts of an ancient Vishnu temple and hold Sambhal as the prophesied birthplace of Kalki, Vishnu’s tenth avatar.

Places of Worship Act, 1991 ·       The Places of Worship Act mandates maintaining the religious character of places of worship as of August 15, 1947, except for the Ayodhya Ramjanmabhoomi dispute. ·       Section 3 explicitly bars converting a place of worship into one of another religious denomination. The Act was designed to prevent further disputes over religious sites.

• The petition in Sambhal seeks to alter the mosque’s religious character, directly opposing the Act. Petitioners reference Justice D.Y. Chandrachud’s 2022 observation that determining the religious character of a place may not violate the Act.

 

National Milk Day: Celebrating Verghese Kurien and India’s White Revolution

GS 3: Economy: India’s Self-reliance in Milk production

Why is it in the news?

• National Milk Day, observed on November 26, marks the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the visionary behind India’s self-reliance in milk production. His efforts led India to become the world’s largest milk producer, contributing 25% of global milk output.

Early Life and Education

• Verghese Kurien was born on November 26, 1921, in Kozhikode, Kerala. He earned degrees in physics (1940) and mechanical engineering (1943) with aspirations of joining the Indian Army.
• Later, he received a government scholarship to study dairy engineering, training at the Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry in Bengaluru. In 1948, he completed a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a specialization in dairy engineering from Michigan State University.

Birth of Amul

• In 1949, Kurien began working at a government creamery in Anand, Gujarat, as part of a mandatory assignment. There, he formed a bond with Tribhuvandas Patel, chairman of the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers Union, which sought to empower dairy farmers against exploitation by Polson, a milk monopoly.
• At Patel’s request, Kurien managed the cooperative’s machinery and eventually became its general manager. Under his leadership, the cooperative expanded its capacity, enabling direct producer-to-consumer milk distribution.
• This eliminated reliance on imported milk powder and benefited underserved areas. The cooperative, later named Anand Milk Union Limited (Amul), became a model for dairy cooperatives nationwide.
• Amul gained prominence as a successful brand under Kurien’s leadership. Alongside Patel and Dara Khurody, who established the Aarey Milk Colony in Bombay, Kurien was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1963.

Operation Flood and the White Revolution

• In 1964, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri visited Anand to inaugurate Amul’s cattle feed plant, endorsing its cooperative model. Kurien was appointed the first chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 1965.
• As NDDB head, Kurien launched Operation Flood in 1970, a transformative programme that increased milk production, reduced price volatility, and empowered dairy farmers through cooperatives.
• Spanning three phases, it tripled India’s milk production from 21.2 million tonnes in 1968–69 to 55.6 million tonnes by 1991–92.
• In 1973, Kurien founded the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, which owns the Amul brand. He also established the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) in 1979 to further strengthen rural development through cooperative models.

Conclusion

• Kurien’s vision and initiatives, including Operation Flood and Amul’s success, cemented his role as the architect of India’s White Revolution, empowering millions of farmers and transforming India into a global dairy leader.

Scientists Develop Pills That Can Replace Injections

GS 3: Science and Technology: Developing ingestible capsule

Why is it in the news?

• A team of scientists has developed ingestible capsules designed to release a burst of drugs directly into the stomach or other parts of the digestive system, offering an alternative to injections for drugs like insulin.
• The innovative capsules were inspired by the jet propulsion mechanisms of cephalopods such as squids and cuttlefish, which use jet propulsion to move underwater and shoot ink.
• This breakthrough was detailed in the study ‘Cephalopod-inspired jetting devices for gastrointestinal drug delivery,’ published in Nature, and involved collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk.

Significance of the Capsules

• Injections are commonly used for administering hormones, vaccines, antibodies, and cancer treatments, especially for larger biological molecules. These drugs often can’t be delivered through pills because they are quickly destroyed by digestive enzymes or the liver, limiting their effectiveness.
• Injections, while effective, carry risks such as infection, skin irritation, and discomfort. Pills, however, are more patient-friendly. The new capsules offer a potential solution, delivering drugs with higher efficiency, as they are designed to improve bioavailability—the body’s ability to absorb and use the drug—without the drawbacks of traditional injection methods.
• According to a bioengineering professor, the capsules represent “a significant leap forward in oral drug delivery of macromolecule drugs.”

Development of the Capsules

• The researchers took inspiration from cephalopods, whose ink-jets are finely tuned to adjust the pressure and direction of ink release. This natural mechanism was replicated to deliver drugs directly into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
• To mimic this jetting action, the capsules use compressed carbon dioxide or tightly coiled springs to generate the force needed to propel liquid drugs out of the capsule. The gas or spring is contained by a carbohydrate trigger that dissolves in an acidic or humid environment, such as the stomach.
• Once the trigger dissolves, the gas or spring expands, releasing a jet of drugs that ensures better absorption of medication before it is broken down by the body.

Conclusion

• This novel approach to oral drug delivery represents a significant advancement in medical technology.
• By using cephalopod-inspired mechanisms, these capsules offer a promising alternative to injections, potentially transforming how macromolecule drugs are administered, improving patient comfort, and enhancing drug absorption efficiency.