WILDLIFE (PROTECTION) AMENDMENT BILL 2021

Recently, Lok Sabha passed by voice vote the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 that seeks to provide for implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
It was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 17th December 2021.
It seeks to amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Bill seeks to increase the species protected under the law and implement the CITES.

Features:

CITES:

CITES is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
The Convention requires countries to regulate the trade of all listed specimens through permits. It also seeks to regulate the possession of live animal specimens.
The Bill seeks to implement these provisions of CITES.

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:

Currently, the Act has six schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and vermin species (one).

The Bill reduces the total number of schedules to four by:

Schedule I for species that will enjoy the highest level of protection.
Schedule II for species that will be subject to a lesser degree of protection.
Schedule III that covers plants.
It removes the schedule for vermin species.
Vermin refers to small animals that carry diseases and destroy food.
It inserts a new schedule for specimens listed in the Appendices under CITES (scheduled specimens).

Conservation Reserve:

State governments may declare areas adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries as a conservation reserve, for protecting flora and fauna, and their habitat.
The Bill empowers the central government to also notify a conservation reserve.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)

Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog launched Call for Applications for its two leading programs Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) and Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC).
The call for applications is a step to expand the current ecosystem of incubators and to provide them with access to global benchmarks and best practices.
Both the programs envision creating and supporting the innovative ecosystem in the country by establishing world-class institutions which shall help budding entrepreneurs of the country.
These AICs and ACICs will play a pivotal role in enriching the start-up and entrepreneurship ecosystem of India and echo the anthem of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Atal Incubation Centre

AIC is an initiative of the AIM, NITI Aayog to foster innovation and entrepreneurial spirit while creating a supportive ecosystem for start-ups and entrepreneurs in India.
Each AIC is supported with a grant of up to INR 10 crores over a period of 5 years.
Since 2016, AIM has established 68 Atal Incubation Centres across 18 states and 3 UTs which have supported more than 2700 startups.

Atal Community Innovation Centre

ACIC is envisaged to serve the unserved/underserved areas of the country with respect to the start-up and innovation ecosystem.
Each ACIC is supported with a grant of up to INR 2.5 crores over a period of 5 years.
AIM has established 14 Atal Community Innovation Centres across the country.

Atal Innovation Mission

AIM is Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Its objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness and create an umbrella structure to oversee the innovation ecosystem of the country.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT

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