During these times of marketing and gimmicks, it is the only quantity that sells, barely anyone is bothered about the quality! But, there are still a few who take it upon themselves to make sure, being in the public domain entails a lot of responsibility. It entails a lot of pressure to deliver information that matter! In this day and age, entertainment journalism has reduced to nothing but PR content that is so much replete in the media that original journalism is nowhere to be found! In fact, even in press conferences, some journalists are egged by the PRs to ask questions that according to them will benefit their clients (in this case the actors they are publicists to)! However, it is journalists like Sandip Pal who makes sure to steer clear of all such activities and is also brazen enough to ban any PR company or publicity personnel who indulge or want the journalists to indulge in such cheap tactics! 

He is always in a quest to bring reality in front of the world. In his own words, “being a public figure, I feel, the reality should not be messed with at all and I believe I can withstand whatever it takes to bring out the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in its absolute nudeness!” He further says, being a Bonafede journalist, it is my duty and why would I give in to cheap PR practices.” He questions! This is also the reason behind all the problems and controversies that he has faced and continues to face in his career! It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him journalism’s controversy child. Once again, he has managed to embroil himself in yet another controversy! 

Well, according to a source, “A few days ago, Sandip Pal had done a “Breaking Story” about the new film of Anurag Kashyap titled ‘Choked’. Being a competent journalist with very good sources, Sandip managed to cull out the entire story of Anurag’s film. When the director got to know about this, he thought it would really affect his film adversely, so without thinking twice, he called Sandip and asked him to take down the story!” The source continued, “However, Sandip Pal being what he is, did not take down the story and it is still very much up there.”

When we got in touch with Sandip, he confirmed the news. Quipped he, “Yes, it is true, Anurag called me to take down the story. According to him, my article was giving out all the major details of his film and it would be really disadvantageous for him and his film if people came to know about the main concept before it is released!”

Sandip further revealed, “Anurag also said, that he was anyway taking a risk by making this film with newcomers and on top of it, if media and then the audiences start making conjectures about his film from now, it would be very bad for the film. The intrigue of the film would be destroyed.”

When asked why he has still kept his article online, he brazenly stated, “Anurag did his job, he made a film, that is his job and I did mine. I wrote an article digging deep and bringing out a nice story, that is what my job entails. How can anyone stop me from doing my job? At the same time, I also realize that what he said was not incorrect. And it is obvious that he as a filmmaker will be piqued by my story.

Therefore, instead of taking down the story, I did remove a part of it which bothered him the most as the maker of the film. In this way, I kind of did what he wanted and at the same time, I didn’t cow down!”

Well, it seems to be quite a psychological affair, but having said that, taking a firm step in this way speaks volumes about Sandip’s cheek and audacity! And this is how journalists should work in real. Only then the phrase ‘free-press’ will be justified.

Read Full Story Here – Anurag Kashyap Has Named His Next Venture Choked And This Is The Reason Why 

YouGov research has revealed the interesting facts about the Indians. As per the recently released report of YouGov, a majority of Indians think sustainable manufacturing processes are important when buying fashion products. 

The sustainable fashion movement – which thinks it is important to gear the fashion industry towards being more ecological and socially just – has gained huge media coverage in recent years. This new data shows that more than four in five people (83%) consider sustainability when buying fashion items but it is far behind other factors. 

Note: Data collected online by YouGov Profiles among around 1007 respondents in India in July 2019 using YouGov’s panel of over 6 million people worldwide. Data is representative of the adult online population in the country.

What numbers says?

The report highlighted, at present, seven in ten people (72%) in India said they have heard about sustainable fashion. From these, two in five (40%) don’t know much about it, around a fifth (19%) know but have never tried buying it and only one in eight (12%) have bought it in the past.

YouGov’s survey shows that while it is less of a motivating factor when making a fashion purchase, more than four in five (84%) people who are aware of this concept are interested in buying sustainable fashion items. However, a better design range of sustainable fashion products (64%) is the key driver in what would motivate someone to buy sustainable items, followed by competitive prices (58%) and sustainability certification on labels (56%).

What do people say?

Many people also said they are likely to purchase more sustainable products if brands highlight the benefits and impact of buying sustainable fashion products in their communication (41%) and if they give reward points for buying sustainable fashion products (41%). More than a fifth (23%) would do so if sustainable fashion becomes a new trend after being endorsed by celebrities or influencers.

Top motivators to make a purchase

These motivations work differently across different demographic groups. While the top motivators for men are competitive prices (58%), and better designs (57%), in both cases women are more likely than men to be encouraged by these factors to make a purchase (59% and 72% respectively).

Difference exits even among age groups

While a good design range motivates both millennial and GenX, the latter are more likely to be influenced by labels containing information regarding the sustainable process of manufacturing (66% vs 50%) and by cheaper prices for sustainable fashion (68% vs 53%) as compared to millennial.

The past decade has seen a wave of disruptive entrepreneurship across sectors, thanks to factors like technology enhancements, pro-SME/MSME government policies, open international trade opportunities, and focus on skill development and vocational training. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) India Report 2016-17, prepared by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) and its associates, 11% of India’s adult population is engaged in “total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA)”, which makes them first-generation business entrepreneurs.  India’s Start-up ecosystem is one of the fastest-growing in the world, with over 190 deals worth $ 4 Billion closed in just Q1 of 2019.  

However, despite the buzz and the glamorous funding opportunities, the ground realities in the sector can be quite disturbing. Being a first-generation entrepreneur or a start-up founder can be a lonely job, with various roles to juggle single-handedly. This often also leads to an overwhelming pressure of execution and micro-managing the business, and ultimately losing track of the larger goal and growth opportunities. From cash flow constraints and challenges with scalability to internal difficulties with hiring and retaining talent, competing in an almost global market, legalities and accounts, self-doubt, long-term business planning and strategy to overall business positioning and goal setting, are all extremely vital factors that need to be addressed for the business to be successful. Despite a brilliant innovation and the right mix of service and solution, most entrepreneurs and start-up have difficulty holding on to the market and eventually fail. Even the ones with a glamorous round of funding lose track of strategic growth and spend chunks of the investor money on marketing and offering discounts, eventually burning out! 

• According to Shikhar Ghosh’s Harvard Business School study, almost 90% of start-ups and small businesses fail in 5 years
  
• 75% of venture-backed start-up also fail
  

As if in response to the above challenges, professional networking platforms have seen a steady rise in popularity. While on the primarily are looked upon as ‘new business’ opportunities, professional networking has evolved to go much more beyond the leads and referral domain. These platforms offer entrepreneurs, start-up and SME/MSME businesses a common ground to interact, learn and grow. Apart from fellow entrepreneurs, the platforms also offer mentorship and business guidance from people in the form of success stories, case studies and learnings, which is readily shared with the group. 

Here are 5 ways how networking platforms double up as strong mentoring sources:

1. Exchange of challenges and learnings:
   

Networking platforms offer a supportive environment to entrepreneurs where they can discuss the challenges they are facing or share learnings from a recent setback. These exchanges help create a sense of positivity and hope to know that the challenges are common and can be overcome, instead of being overwhelmed by trying to solve it alone.  

1. Providing solutions:
   

Being a group platform, the access to different point of views and recommended solutions to problems often comes from outside the sector/ industry, and can thus be enlightening and innovative. 

1. Right connections:
   

Apart from being a platform to voice out and exchange information, networking platforms also offer access to a vast network of reputed experts and people who can directly help in not just problem solving or getting new business but also to consult on varied factors of business. 

1. Industry insights and best practices:
   

Apart from focusing on new businesses and solving challenges, networking platforms also offer insightful analysis of industry and economy developments, impact of governance policies and recommendations on best practices which can help an entrepreneur to tide over rough weather by leveraging group intelligence. 

We have all heard and read inspiring stories of great business leaders who owe it all to their suite of advisors and mentors. It is also a proven fact that companies with founders who are mentored by other successful entrepreneurs are three times more likely to become successful entrepreneurs themselves. However, to be a successful entrepreneur, one need not necessarily be mentored under a world-class mentor or guru. Access to the right information and a close-knit support system of fellow entrepreneurs whom one can trust, can work wonders on multiple levels. From the opportunity to forge lifelong professional friendships to gaining trusted new business referrals and access to seasoned mentors, networking, when done right, can be a vital force in the evolution of a business and the businessman! 

(The author is Global Citizen, Serial & Social Entrepreneur, Real Estate Developer, Educationist, Angel Investor & Motivational Speaker)

In recent years, the Indian Logistics and Supply chain have undergone a transformation, thanks to the steady adaptation of ‘smart’, technologically empowered operational practices, coupled with accelerated growth opportunities. Additionally, as per the Global Ranking of the World Bank’s 2016 Logistics Performance Index in 2016, India jumped to 35^th position from its previous 54th position 2014, registering improvement in overall ranking across all the six components of the logistics performance index.  However, India’s fast track rise to become a global economy has led to a devastating impact on its environment and ecology. India’s poor Environmental Performance Index, which slipped from 141/180 in 2016 to 177/180 in 2018, is a loud warning sign for the economy to urgently adopt sustainable practices so as to remain globally relevant.  

Taking a cue from global trends and the ‘Green’ revolution that is bringing about the adoption of environmentally responsible business practices worldwide, the next wave of disruption for Indian logistics is in the making, with a steady evolution of ‘Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM)’ process, that is slowly making its impact. GSCM or Green Logistics is a process of adapting and adopting environmentally responsible processes that are sustainable and effective in minimizing the ecological impact of traditional logistics activities. However, the slow adoption of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices in India, can mainly be attributed to three basic factors: 

• Lack of strong environmentally responsible public policy for businesses
• Lack of economical or cost-effective infrastructure that can encourage GSCM
• Lack of public/ consumer awareness and preference for environmentally positive products/ services

Meanwhile, there are marginal players and a few start-up’s that are working towards creating a cost-effective and collaborative solution to make GSCM a more viable and popular practice among modern Logistic players. The rise of third-party logistics (3PL) service providers and the trend of outsourcing vs the traditional in-house logistic operations are small steps in the direction. The recent adoption of digitization in logistics is also driving practices like consolidation, the reduced dependency of physical documents, faster mode of transport, smarter warehousing, and freight management, etc., all of which are also contributing to reducing environmental impact brought about by traditional SCM.  However, a massive transformation in mindsets, policies, and business practices are needed for India to be looked upon as a truly eco-friendly and green business economy, with GSCM and Green Logistics being its backbone! 

Decoding the negative impact of major sub-sectors of modern Logistics and understanding how they can adapt and adopt ‘Greener’ processes, can be briefly explained as follows:

• Transportation: As one of the major contributors to environmental degradation, the transport sector alone contributes to about a quarter of global CO2 emissions. In India, the CO2 emission from fossil fuels has also grown at CAGR of 4.5%, as compared to the 1.16% growth in developed countries. Apart from CO2 emission, transportation also contributes to 30% of particulate matter in the air in metros, leading to air pollution, noise pollution, and degradation of green cover and open spaces due to the heavy infrastructure development in building wider roads and expressways. Adoption of Green Transportation can help the replacement of fossil fuel based technology with bio-fuel based one or with alternatives like CNG, hybrid, battery-operated vehicles, and equipment, etc. Additionally, taking into account details like fuel efficiency, payload management, routing, and driving techniques can go a long way in making ‘green transportation’ more cost-effective and sustainable. Consolidation of shipment and preference to railways or waterways as a preferred mode for transportation can also make a considerable impact on the environment while also saving cost and time. 
• Warehousing: Traditional warehouses, as concrete structures, consume a large amount of energy, especially for lighting, and HVAC systems required for managing a temperature controlled storage. They also lack optimum space utilization or planning, contributing to further wastage of energy and other utilities, while generating a lot of heat in the surroundings. Traditional structures, made of concrete, are massive and absorb a lot of heat, demanding extra energy to keep them cool. Further, they are seldom strategically located, thus contributing to additional transport and distribution efforts, which in turn add to the carbon footprint of the Supply Chain. Green Warehousing is adopting technology empowered management systems (WMS) and Warehouse Identification to optimize operations and reduce waste. Further, the use of pre-engineered steel structures and LEED-certified green buildings instead of the traditional concrete buildings helps optimize energy consumption and creates a smarter layout for easy operations. Adopting alternative energy sources like solar panels for lighting or the energy-efficient lighting sources, recycling water and installation of automated systems that check energy utilization, are all helping modern logistic providers to go ‘green’ and create cost-effective and sustainable warehousing operations.  
• Packaging and Recycling of Waste: Although a significant part of Warehousing processes, packaging, in itself, has been a major contributor to environmental hazards, especially with the rise in e-commerce. Traditional packaging material made of synthetic plastic can wreak havoc with the ecology as it takes hundreds of years to breakdown, choking up landfills and oceans in the process. Further, irresponsible waste disposal at warehouse levels is a major contributor to environmental degradation. Green Packaging and Waste Recycling can contribute manifolds in creating a Green Supply Chain. By implementing efficient packaging that is optimal, weighs less and thus is easier to transport, can be the first step. Replacing the plastic packaging with a bio-degradable material like paper and cardboard can be the next vital transition. Further, when discarding waste, it is beneficial to set up a recycling system to effectively process the large amounts of waste, mostly from packaging, before sending it away to landfills.
• Reverse Logistics: This is a process that takes care of recovery/ retrieval of parts, recycling of products and disposal of packaging waste. Although negligible in India, Reverse Logistics plays a key role in the GSCM and has been steadily growing, thanks to a substantial rise in the e-commerce sector, contributing to a massive packaging needs, as well as a rise in doorstep deliveries, and collection of returned goods. In terms of IT components and hardware which form a major chunk of e-commerce, disposal and e-waste management has been a real challenge. Reverse logistics has been playing a key role in facilitating optimum e-waste management by offering a structured process of collecting and re-distributing defective IT hardware to e-waste units. Apart from effective disposal and recycling of products, reverse logistics has also helped optimize costs, reduced packaging waste and helped spread awareness among end consumers about ecological and safe disposal of products, thus promoting a greener and cleaner ‘circular economy’.

Cessation:

Although Indian logistics and supply chain has a long way to go before becoming a 100% Green Supply Chain, the process has begun to take shape. Through effective public-private partnerships, effective policies thrust and focus on long term economic development gains, the industry, like other sectors like manufacturing, automobile, etc., will eventually drive the transformation and development of GSCM in India.  

(The author is CEO, Robinsons Global Logistics Solutions)

Dubai is the synonym of rich and royal people. It is a dream of so many people to do business or to just to live in Dubai because of the amount of royalty and wealth that it offers.

There are a lot of people who want to work hard and achieve success but not everyone gets successful. Mr. Selaiman Azizi is one of those rare people who have achieved great success at a very young age. Selaiman is a business tycoon of Dubai and also a brand in himself across the Gulf, China, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Selaiman Azizi is a super successful businessman who owns a lot of business in petroleum, cigarette, food, hotel, jewelry and other various sectors. He also holds 50% of the shares in several companies in which he also the President or CEO in most of them. 

Over the years Mr Azizi has worked day and night for the expansion of his business worldwide and his hard work and dedication really paid off when his name finally became a brand around the world and now he is finally he is living a royal life that everyone dreams.

However, this success, money and all the wealth that Selaiman Azizi has seems so shiny and fancy, one thing all should know that it didn’t come easy. Mr Azizi has started working at a  young age as an oil trader and financial adviser and worked himself toward his dreams to finally see himself as a businessman. It took him years of hard work and struggle during his twenties.

Selaiman Azizi is a self-made man who had the will and determination to reach into a level where he can decide he wants to work with instead of letting the other people decide if they want to work with him. He spent his time and effort to always upgrade and progress at everything that he does and his focus and hard work helped him get here to his current position.

Mr Azizi’s story is an inspiration and motivational tale for all the aspiring people who wanna achieve something big in their life. The will and determination that he showed throughout his life are really impressive and inspirational for all of us.

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a statutory resolution removing Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and the J&K Reorganisation Bill, 2019 which bifurcates the State. The key bills were passed by voting with of 370 in favour and 70 against. The Rajya Sabha gave its nod to the bills on Monday.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a series of tweets, noted that “people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh would be proud that MPs overcame differences and discussed the future of these regions as well as ensuring peace, progress, and prosperity there. The widespread support can be clearly seen in the final numbers, 125:61 in RS and 370:70 in LS.

Replying to a day-long debate on the key bills, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the Lok Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir which has been bifurcated and given the status of a Union Territory with Assembly could be upgraded to the status of a full-fledged State as and when circumstances permit and things become normal.

He also withdrew the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019 as it would automatically fall in place after the Presidential order ceasing operation of Article 370, graning special status to the State, become effective. 

As the Home Minister rose to give his reply and Prime Minister Modi entered the House, elated members of the ruling party gave a standing ovation and chanted slogans like “Vande Matram”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. 

Mr. Shah described the government decision to do away with Article 370 which gives special status to the border State as “historic” and being in the national interest. He said the BJP-led government of PM Modi had risen above vote bank politics to pave the way for peace, development and progress in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Article 370 was a temporary provision whereas Article 371 is a special provision extended to states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.  

He said the government would not hesitate in granting full=fledged statehood to Jammu and Kashmir which has been turned into a Union Territory as the situation improves. 

“I want to state that J&K is an inalienable part of India. There are no two versions about that.” Mr. Shah said. He added that Parliament is the highest and fully competent body to make laws and bring resolutions regarding a State of India, including J&K. There can be no question to this power of Parliament, he asserted. 

Mr Shah said that for 70 years, people of India have harboured this aspiration in their hearts that Kashmir must be an integral part of the country. Article 370 was the only roadblock to realise this goal, Mr. Shah said. The Home Minister thanked the Prime Minister for this historic and courageous step to remove this roadblock forever. 

Mr Shah reminded the Opposition and asked who took Kashmir matter to U.N. and brought a unilateral ceasefire in 1948. 

“Had our forces been given a free hand to deal with the situation, PoK would have been a part of India today,” he stated. 

“I want to assure the people of Jammu & Kashmir that the status of state would be restored once the situation normalises. Secondly, PoK and Aksai Chin are an inalienable part of J&K and 24 seats are still part of the legislature. J&K would have legislative assembly with elected representatives and it is a misnomer that the administration would be run by the Centre,” he assured the House. 

Replying to the points raised by some opposition members, the Home Minister said the matter was not pending in the United Nations and the question of plebiscite had ceased the day Pakistan waged a war against India in 1965. 

He said that it was Article 370 which gave rise to separatism and facilitated Pakistan stokes fires of terrorism in Kashmir Valley. He said that 41,500 lives have been lost due to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir over the past nearly three decades. 

Asserting that the time was ripe for abolishing Article 370 and integrate Kashmir into the national mainstream, the Home Minister said that discussions have been going on for the past 70 years but nothing had come out of it. “ What should we discuss with Pak-inspired elements? There is no need for such discussion with elements like Hurriyat. We will embrace the people of Jammu and Kashmir with love and affection,” he declared. 

He said that in the past five years the government had given Rs. 1.25 lakh crore package and out of which Rs. 80,000 crores have already been spent. He said that nobody has given a reason as to why Article 370 should be allowed to continue. “It is time to think out of the box and take the path which has not been taken for the development and progress of the State,” he said.

Photograph – Researchers showing the prototype of LTE-Wi-Fi integration 

 The demand for data-fueled by smartphones and other internet-connected devices is rising continuously. At the same time, poor mobile phone connectivity inside buildings has become a point of concern for operators and consumers. Indian researchers may have found a solution to these problems – integrating cellular or mobile networks with widely used Wi-Fi networks.

While the idea of such integration has been around for some time, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) have found a way to overcome several key technical hurdles that come in the way of integrating two diverse wireless technologies, and have developed a prototype system for the same.   

The researchers have proposed an architecture required for efficient integration of LTE (Long Term Evolution which is a 4G wireless standard) and Wi-Fi networks. As part of this work, traffic steering algorithm has been developed to solve disputes arising due to diverse serving rates of the two networks. In addition, the group has proposed ‘link aggregation’ techniques that can leverage the benefits of LTE to solve channel access problems with Wi-Fi. A working prototype for the integration of the two wireless systems has been developed.

Cellular and Wi-Fi technologies are meant to serve different purposes. Cellular covers users in large geographic areas but is limited by bandwidth and has poor coverage inside buildings. The spectrum is expensive, which, in turn, reflects in high data costs for consumers.  On the other hand, Wi-Fi which operates on unlicensed spectrum is inexpensive and has a reasonably large bandwidth. But it can’t be used to cover large areas and its performance falls when a large number of users are connected. 

“Integrating the two is a natural solution but involves significant technical challenges. LTE and Wi-Fi facilitate different data rates. In an aggregated system when the traffic is sent through both these networks, synchronization is lost in data transfer due to the diversification of data rates. The challenge is to make the traffic through two links to be delivered in sync,” explained Dr. Thomas Valerrian Pasca Santhappan, who conducted the research at IITH as part of his Ph.D. working under Dr. Bheemarjuna Reddy Tamma in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The proposed architecture could also be used for high data applications in future, according to researchers. 

“Integration of the two technologies could help serve bandwidth-hungry applications like Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, as well as mission-critical applications such as healthcare, industrial automation, connected cars. This LTE-Wi-Fi integration is a primer for multi-connectivity in 5G. It could bring down capital expenditure for mobile network operators which, in turn, would mean lower cost of data for users,” Santhappan added. 

The integration could be done in different ways. “Both cellular and Wi-Fi together can be employed to serve user needs. This means a user receives data traffic from both cellular and Wi-Fi simultaneously when he or she is in coverage of both. There could also be ‘soft handover’ or traffic steering between cellular and Wi-Fi and vice-versa. A user is served either through cellular or Wi-Fi networks and is allowed switching between the two based on the coverage the user resides in,” the researcher said. However, he said, there are many underlying challenges to achieve these scenarios and “I have addressed primary challenges and made the system functional.”

The prototype can be further developed using the source code which has been made available in public domain (in GitHub) for anyone wishing to work on it. The technology will be incorporated in the indigenous 5G testbed being developed by Indian institutions. 

Commenting on the work, Satya N Gupta, telecom expert and Secretary General, ITU-APT Foundation of India, said it was an important development as new Wi-Fi standard 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) was fast emerging on the scene. “Wi-Fi 6 introduces new capabilities for carriers, cities and enterprises to cost effectively provide additional coverage and capacity, mainly indoor, to address the 5G use case requirements,” he said. New 5G standards are being developed with capabilities for Wi-Fi integration including trusted access traffic steering, switching and splitting.

However, Gupta said many challenges remain to be addressed such as enabling Wi-Fi only devices to connect to the 5G core; developing an interface to enable network manageability and policy control between 5G core and Wi-Fi networks; and the ability of a client to route traffic over one or more accesses making optimal use of available connectivity. A simplified IP-based network architecture using unlicensed spectrum and a low cost wireless backhaul can help in developing frugal 5G for rural areas. (India Science Wire)

Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj has been admitted to AIIMS after suffering a heart attack on Tuesday evening. She is in a critical condition and is in an emergency.

BJP leaders Dr Harshvardhan and Nitin Gadkari have reached AIIMS to meet her.

A star minister during Modi government’s first stint, Sushma Swaraj did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and chose to sit out of the government this year on account of her health.

Swaraj, who was for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s most prominent woman face, did not contest the recently held Lok Sabha elections in which the party won a massive majority. Last November, she had announced she would not contest the general elections.

Swaraj was perhaps the most ‘millennial’ minister the Indian government has ever had. From being tagged the ‘supermom’ of India by Washington Post to becoming one of the most-followed politicians on Twitter, the late external affairs minister had truly struck a chord with young and old alike with her round-the-clock social media presence, eagerness to help, and ready wit on social media.

She took a personal interest in resolving minor issues like issuance of visa to the needy and getting relief to Indians in distress. She built an Indian human capital abroad and the response was an outpouring of support for the Modi government from the non-resident Indian community.

News Source – News18 & India Today

In the current discourse on climate change, trees and forests are often positioned as viable mitigation measures. Big numbers like the need to plant trillion trees are often mentioned. However, there is emerging scientific thinking that trees alone cannot be a silver bullet and that forests are the most effective as a part of a broader portfolio of mitigation measures. 

While forests can create local microclimates to help generate local rainfall, decreased evapotranspiration can intensify droughts when soil moisture decreases due to warming or rainfall deficits. Plants exchange energy, carbon and water with the atmosphere as a part of photosynthesis and respiration. Warm temperatures can exacerbate soil moisture loss via evaporation and intensify droughts. Plants also try to save water by modulating water that reaches the atmosphere through the process known as evapotranspiration. Measurements have shown that temperature, vapour pressure deficits and heat loss from the soil which together determine how rapidly droughts intensify depend not only on climate but also on plants due to their own efforts to manage their water demand.

This was presented nicely in the context of what is known as Natural Climate Solutions (NCSs) by Bronson Griscom of Nature Conservancy and collaborators from across the world in a 2017 publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA. The crux of their finding is that Natural Climate Solutions have maximum payout when implementation considers food and fiber security as well, besides biodiversity. If carbon reduction is kept as the sole goal for reforestation and afforestation, we will lose the target on important socioeconomic factors of food and fibre security, especially for the developing world. 

The portfolio of NCSs, therefore, must include conservation, restoration, and management of land use across forests, wetlands, grasslands and agricultural lands. Afforestation and reforestation efforts should provide pathways to balance the portfolio when tradeoffs may be needed to manage food and fiber security and biodiversity with urbanization and other economic development goals. 

Griscom and his colleagues provide detailed carbon mitigation potentials of 20 Natural Climate Solution options for 2030, which is an important year for many of the goals under the Paris Climate Agreement. The forest-based solutions focus on reforestation and avoidance of forest loss and fire management. The solutions under agricultural and grassland management rely on biochar (charcoal created by converting biomass into solid carbon to manage soil carbon, fertility and agricultural productivity), agroforestry, conservation agriculture, grazing, and nutrient management. Coastal and peat restorations fall under solutions for wetlands. 

The inclusion of such solutions could offer many potential benefits such as improvements in water and soil quality, biodiversity and habitats, protection against floods, and overall enhancement of climate resilience. More importantly, these also significantly enhance the probability of restricting global warming to less than 2 degrees by 2050 by sequestering carbon and avoiding some greenhouse gas emissions. 

Development and careful management of such a broad portfolio is critical particularly for a country like India, which must always balance its commitment to the Paris Agreement with its growing population and demand for food including meat and fish products due to increasing income levels. Such solutions are also extremely beneficial to maintain adequate quantity and quality of water to meet the demands for industrial, domestic, food and energy sectors as well as increasing monsoon extremes. 

Returning to trees, a new study reported in journal Science maps global natural tree cover by focusing on protected areas. In an innovative approach, researchers have used climate, soil and topographic features to develop a predictive model for calculating the additional potential for tree cover for the entire globe. The team estimates that the existing canopy cover of 4.4 billion hectares could be expanded by an additional 0.9 billion hectares leading to total sequestration of over 200 gigatonnes of carbon. 

In their map, researchers have shown that India has additional tree potential over the western and eastern coasts as well as northwest and central-eastern region covering Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. All of these regions are also at potential risk of canopy cover loss under climate change. This should serve as guidance for choosing areas for forestation and species of trees for each region with the future climate in mind, to ensure their growth and survival.

When it comes to implementing Natural Climate Solutions on agricultural land, India needs to consider the growing agricultural vulnerabilities with multiple stressors from global warming, monsoon extremes, groundwater depletion, and struggles with crop choices. Scalable solutions for agricultural land management including conservation agriculture, biochar, and agroforestry must find new and viable approaches and incentives. Additional carbon sequestration on agricultural lands is imperative for India to stay true to its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) targets. Such an approach will also bring soil health improvement as well as soil moisture persistence and drought resilience with reductions in agricultural vulnerabilities. 

The urgency of defining a portfolio of Natural Climate Solutions is obvious for India. A portfolio that manages carbon, as well as water quantity and quality, is the need of the hour for the country, considering that up to 70% or more of the water resources are consumed by agriculture. (India Science Wire)

[The writer is a professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science and Earth System Science at the University of Maryland. He is currently a visiting professor at IIT Bombay]

Mayank Mishra is just 18 but at this very young age, he is breaking boundaries in the digital world. With self-learned skills and blooming talent, he is known to be the Youngest Talent Manager in India. Mayank is managing the biggest social media artists in the country by working with the founder of “The Hasley India”.

He plays a crucial role as an Influencer Associate in the newly founded artist managing firm, FameGame Management. The company was introduced in the early 2019 but already has various famous names under their wing such as Ashish Chanchlani, Slay Point, Rishhsome, Triggered Insaan and many major Instagram Influencers. Mayank not only plays the role of a manager but also contributes to the core of Digital Marketing in the company. 

Mayank’s journey started as a graphic designer where he used to create memes and has over 20k followers on Instagram. He was always sure about his passion to work in the digital world alongside focusing on his medical too. As he belongs to the medical background, it was but natural that Mayank was expected to follow the same footpath as his father. But he knew he wanted to make it big in the marketing field and his passion brought him to Delhi which helped him become the youngest talent manager in India.

He is not only professionally associated with big names like Ashish Chanchlani, Slay Point, Rishhsome, Triggered Insaan but is also the man behind the camera for “The Hasley India” and “Pataakha”.

His creative and funny memes helped him to get noticed by a lot of people and he bagged the chance to work with The Hansley India. Mayank Mishra is truly an inspiration to the youth and to those who dream to make it large in the field of creativity and digital market. He holds a vision to grow big in his field and get known because of his talent.