03.04.17 Daily Current Affairs

Sanskritization

• It is a particular form of social change found in India. It denotes the process by which castes placed lower in the caste hierarchy seek upward mobility by emulating the rituals and practices of the upper or dominant castes.
• This term was made popular by Indian sociologist M. N. Srinivas in the 1950s, although earlier references to this process can be found in Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
• M.N. Srinivas defined sanskritisation as a process by which "a low or middle Hindu caste, or tribal or other group, changes its customs, ritual ideology, and way of life in the direction of a high and frequently twice-born caste. Generally such changes are followed by a claim to a higher position in the caste hierarchy than that traditionally conceded to the claimant class by the local community.
• One clear example of sanskritisation is the adoption, in emulation of the practice of twice-born castes, of vegetarianism by people belonging to the so-called "low castes" who are traditionally not averse to non-vegetarian food.

International Labour Organization

• India is a founder member of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which came into existence in 1919. At present, the ILO has 187 members.
• The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together 1) governments, 2) employers and 3) workers’ representatives of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.
• The Union Cabinet recently has given its approval for ratification of the two fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization namely, Minimum Age Convention (No 138) concerning minimum age for admission to employment, and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No 182) concerning the prohibition and immediate action for elimination of the worst forms of Child Labour.
• The principal means of action in the ILO is the setting up of International standards in the form of Conventions, Recommendations and Protocol. India has so far ratified 45 Conventions, out of which 42 are in force. Out of these 4 are Fundamental or Core Conventions.

Algal Bloom

• Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. The human illnesses caused by HABs, though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal.
• But not all algal blooms are harmful. Most blooms, in fact, are beneficial because the tiny plants are food for animals in the ocean. In fact, they are the major source of energy that fuels the ocean food web.
• A small percentage of algae, however, produce powerful toxins that can kill fish, shellfish, mammals, and birds, and may directly or indirectly cause illness in people. HABs also include blooms of non-toxic species that have harmful effects on marine ecosystems. For example, when masses of algae die and decompose, the decaying process can deplete oxygen in the water, causing the water to become so low in oxygen that animals either leave the area or die.
• The satellite based information service for Detection and Monitoring of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) has been implemented at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) by Ocean Colour Application Team (OCAT).
• According to researchers, the bloom develops in the Arabian Sea “as a result of a continuous process of winter cooling and convective mixing.
• Cool dry continental air from the northeast causes an increase in surface density of the sea water due to evaporative cooling and increased salinity.” The “vertical mixing of the water masses causes recharge of water column with nutrients from the deep. The resulting nutrient enrichment increases the biological production” of the water, they noted.

Algal Bloom and India

• The coastal States of India may not suffer from the massive algal bloom that has been reported from the Arabian Sea. Ocean-watchers had earlier reported that a bloom of the size of Mexico, which originated in the Gulf of Oman, had reached the Arabian Sea and feared that it could reach Indian shores.
• Those at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, (INCOIS), Hyderabad, confirmed that the algal species green Noctiluca scintillans had bloomed. The presence of the green algae gives deep green colour to the ocean in the areas of spread.
• Researchers at INCOIS say that the current bloom was unlikely to impact the coastal States of the country. The researchers use remote sensing technique for the identification of the bloom species. In-situ studies were also carried out earlier by deploying research vessels to understand the various phases of the algal bloom.