In an effort to address land degradation, the Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM) was officially launched at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education in Dehradun on May 20, 2023. This essential initiative was announced by the Prime Minister of India at the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 2019.
CoE-SLM plans to solve land degradation issues utilizing sustainable land management strategies and encouraging South-South Cooperation. The center aims to restore degraded land, adhere to international conventions and objectives such as the SDGs, Convention on Biological Diversity, and UNFCCC. It also intends to address the impact of land degradation on greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Battles Ambergris Smuggling
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) achieved a significant breakthrough by busting an Ambergris smuggling operation. This operation posed a serious threat to India’s plant and animal life. Established in 1957, DRI works under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), within the Ministry of Finance, to fight against smuggling and commercial frauds.
Ambergris, also known as “whale vomit”, is a highly valuable substance found in the intestines of sperm whales. Its primary use is in the perfume industry, particularly for creating musk fragrances. Due to its rarity and high demand, especially in countries with large perfume markets like Dubai, it has become a popular target for smugglers.
The Silent Pandemic: Arsenic Exposure
A recent study highlighted the potential cognitive impacts of low-level arsenic consumption on children, adolescents, and young adults in India. The research indicated that exposure to arsenic resulted in reduced grey matter and weaker connections in crucial brain areas responsible for concentration, task-switching, and information storage.
The study revealed a strong correlation between arsenic exposure, primarily through food intake, and the consumption of rice, particularly in South India. However, cooking rice in a specific way can substantially reduce the naturally occurring arsenic content without losing the rice’s micronutrient content. The researchers proposed that chronic exposure to arsenic may be a “silent pandemic” affecting a significant segment of the world population.
Exemptions on Annual Forex Spends
In response to concerns raised about the application of Tax Collection at Source (TCS) to small transactions under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), the Government of India announced that spending up to 7 lakh rupees through international debit and credit cards in a financial year would be exempt from a 20% tax.
This move is intended to eliminate procedural uncertainties with expenditures up to ₹7 lakh per year, which will neither fall under the LRS nor be subject to TCS. The government has pledged to make the necessary amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions Rules), 2000 to facilitate this exemption.
Moreover, the ministry reassured that the existing favorable TCS treatment for education and health payments would continue, with a TCS rate of 5% for such payments up to ₹7 lakh per year. This came after the Reserve Bank of India introduced a new provision under the LRS, allowing individuals to make forex remittances of up to USD 2.5 lakh annually.
