Ten More Ramsar Sites Added

 India adds ten more wetlands designated as Ramsar sites to make a total 64 sites covering an area of 12,50,361 ha in the country. The ten new sites include, six in Tamil Nadu and one each in Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. 

Designation of these sites would conserve and manage wetlands and wise use of their resources.

India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. India signed it on 1st Feb 1982. So far 64 wetlands covering an area of 12,50,361 hectare have been designated as Ramsar Sites of International Importance from India, till date.

 Ten sites are:

1- Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary (TN): It is the largest reserve for breeding resident and migratory water birds and an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area forming part of the Central Asian Flyway.

2- Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (TN): This will be the first Marine Biosphere Reserve in South & South -East Asia.

3-Vembannur Wetland Complex (Kanya kumari, TN): It is an artificial human-made inland tank and part of the Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). It forms the southernmost tip of peninsular India.

4-Vellode Bird Sanctuary (TN): It lies near the temple town of Erode in the State of Tamil Nadu and is considered a paradise for bird lovers.

5-Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (TN): This also comes under the Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).

6-Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary (TN): Notable species observed at the site are oriental darter, glossy ibis, grey Heron & Eurasian spoonbill.

7-Satkosia Gorge (Odisha): The wetland is located over the Mahanadi River. Satkosia is the meeting point of the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats (two biogeographic regions of India), thus is a very important place for biodiversity.

8-Nanda Lake (Goa): The lake in South Goa had already been notified as a wetland. This will be Goa’s 1st Ramsar site.

9-Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary (Karnataka): It is a bird sanctuary in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka in India. It is the largest bird sanctuary in the state on the bank of the Kaveri River. It is designated as an Important Bird area (IBA).

10-Sirpur Wetland (Madhya Pradesh): Situated on the Sirpur Lake (created by the Holkars of Indore State in the early 20th century), the wetland is situated in Indore City

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India Designates 5 New Ramsar Sites

India has designated five (5) new wetlands of International importance, which include three wetlands (Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest & Pichavaram Mangrove) in Tamil Nadu, one (Pala wetland) in Mizoram and one wetland (Sakhya Sagar) in Madhya Pradesh, making a total of 54 Ramsar sites in the country.

1- Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest (TN): It is a freshwater marsh in Chennai. It is the only surviving wetland ecosystem in Chennai and the last remaining natural wetlands of South India.

2- Karikili Bird Sanctuary (TN): Located in the Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu

3- Pichavaram Mangrove (TN): It is located near Chidambaram in the Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu. It could be counted among the largest mangrove forests in the country (more than 1100 hectares).

4-Pala wetland (Mizoram): It is the largest natural wetland in Mizoram. The wetland is surrounded by green woodlands.

5-Sakhya Sagar (MP): This lake is an integral part of Madhav National Park in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.

The Ramsar sites have been increased from 49 to 54 sites. 

RAMSAR CONVENTION:-

• It is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

• It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed on 2 February 1971.

• Known officially as ‘the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat’ (or, more recently, just ‘the Convention on Wetlands’), it came into force in 1975.

Montreux Record:-

Montreux Record under the Convention is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.

It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.

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LORD RIPON AND HIS ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS

Lord Ripon was Viceroy of India from 1880 to 1884. Gladstone, after coming into power, chooses Ripon and sent him to India as a Viceroy. Therefore, Ripon was the representative of Gladstone. He had a strong belief in the laisse-fair, virtues of peace, and self-government.

Lord Ripon had a different perspective towards India than other Viceroys. Gladstone explained his policy towards India:

“Our title to be in India depends on a first condition, that our being there is profitable to the Indian natives; and on a second condition, that we can make them see and understand it to profitable”

Reforms brought by Lord Ripon in India-

1- The First Factory Act, 1881-In 1875, a committee was appointed to examine the conditions of factory work in the country. This committee brought some important changes in the factories.

And in 1881, Lord Ripon passed the First Factory Act. This act prohibited the employment of children under the age of seven. The number of working hours are limited for children below twelve. It also required that dangerous machinery should be fenced.

This act provided one hour of rest during the working period and four days’ leave in a month for the workers. Inspectors were also appointed to supervise the implementation of these measures.

This was the first time when the British Government tried to improve the working conditions of laborers in factories.

2- Financial Decentralization, 1882- Lord Mayo introduced the policy of financial decentralization, which was followed by Lord Ripon. Lord Ripon decided to increase the financial responsibilities of the provinces. 

The sources of revenue were divided into three classes: Imperial, Provincial, and Divided.

Imperial Heads: Revenue from Customs, Posts, and Telegraphs, Railways, Opium, Salt, Mint, Military Receipts, Land Revenue, etc. were included in the imperial head. The Central Government was expected to meet the expenses of central administration out of this revenue.

Provincial Heads: Revenue from Jails, Medical slices, Printing, Roads, General Administration, etc. were included in the provincial heads. As the income from provincial heads was insufficient for provincial expenses, a part of Land revenue was allocated to the provinces.

Divided Heads: The revenue from Excise, Stamps, Forests, Registration, etc. was divided in equal proportion among the Central and Provincial Governments. The system of Divided Heads begun by Ripon remained operative till it was changed by the Reforms of 1919.

3- Repeal of Vernacular Press Act-

Lord Lytton had imposed restrictions upon the newspapers published in Indian languages by the Vernacular Press Act. Vernacular newspapers were not allowed to publish anything likely to cause dissatisfaction among the people against the government.

In 1882, Lord Ripon repealed the Vernacular Press Act. It allowed equal freedom to the Indian Press. The repeal of this Act made Ripon popular in India and also he got the unending gratitude of the people of India.

4-Local Self Government (resolution of 1882)-

In 1882, Lord Ripon introduced the Local Self Government. This scheme developed the Municipal institutions, which had been growing up in the country ever since India was occupied by the British Crown.

Local Self-Government was given to the rural and urban bodies and the elective people received some wider rights. It was not enacted by any act. It was a resolution passed in 1882.

5-Hunter Education Commission 1882-83-  In 1882, Lord Ripon appointed the Hunter Commission under the leadership of William Wilson Hunter. 

William Wilson Hunter was the statistician, a compiler, and a member of the Indian Civil Service, who later became Vice President of Royal Asiatic Society.

 The Hunter Commission brought out the default of the primary and secondary education in the country. The commission recommended that: the responsibility for Primary Education must be given to the Local Boards and Municipal Boards. 

The major recommendations were as follows:

•The government should take proper care to increase primary education.

•There should be literary and vocational training in secondary education.

•The commission brought out inadequate facilities available for female education in the country.

               The recommendations were partly executed and there was a slow growth in the number of secondary schools in the country. 

6- Illbert Bill (1884) - The Ilbert Bill is named after Courtenay Peregrine Ilbert, a legal adviser to the Council of India.

Viceroy Ripon introduced the bill in 1883, with the intention of removing racial prejudice from the Indian Penal Code. Ripon proposed amending the country's existing laws to give Indian judges and magistrates the authority to try British offenders in criminal cases at the District level. It was never previously permitted.

As a result, Europeans living in India saw it as a humiliation, and the bill's introduction sparked fierce opposition in both Britain and India (by the British residents). As a result, it was withdrawn, but reintroduced and enacted in a severely weakened form in 1884.

           The amended bill stated that Europeans would be conferred on both European and Indian District Magistrates and Sessions Judges. In all cases, however, a defendant would have the right to a jury trial, with at least half of the members being European. Thus, this enactment stated that European criminals would only be heard by Indian Judges "aided by European Judges."

The passage of this bill opened Indians' eyes and deepened antagonism between the British and Indians. The result was increased nationalism and the formation of the Indian National Congress the following year.

The amended Ilbert Bill was passed as the Criminal Procedure Code Amendment Act 1884 on January 25, 1884.

Conclusion-  Lord Ripon was the man who worked for the betterment of native Indians and wanted to expand and improve the condition of education in the country.Even though he is described as Gladstone agent in India, he has proven to be a libertarian and a good administrator.

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