National Afforestation Programme (NAP) Scheme

National Afforestation Programme (NAP) Scheme: At A Glance

1. Background: MoEF was operating four centrally sponsored afforestation schemes during the 9th Plan, i.e. Integrated Afforestation and Eco-development Project Scheme (IAEPS), Area Oriented Fuel wood and Fodder Project Scheme (AOFFPS), Conservation of Non-Timber Forest Produce including Medicinal Plants (NTFPS), and Association of ST and Rural Poor in Regeneration of Degraded Forests (ASTRPS). The Mid-Term Evaluation of the projects under these Schemes recommended a decentralised approach and speedy fund transfer mechanism. Taking cue from these recommendations, a Pilot Scheme, Samnavit Gram Vanikaran Samridhi Yojana (SGVSY) was launched in 2000-01 utilising the delivery mechanism of Forest Development Agency (FDA) and Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC). 47 Pilot projects launched during 9th Plan were highly successful in terms of achievement of the set objectives.

As per 10th Plan document of Planning Commission relating to the Forests and Environment sector (para 9.1.27), the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) Scheme was initiated by scaling-up the SGVSY project experience and converging all afforestation schemes of the 9th Plan period to avoid duplicity or redundancy, and at the same time keeping in focus the decentralization agenda of the government. NAP is being operated as a 100% Central Sector Scheme.

2. Objectives:

The overall objective of the scheme is to develop the forest resources with people’s participation, with focus on improvement in livelihoods of the forest-fringe communities, especially the poor.

NAP Scheme aims to support and accelerate the ongoing process of devolving forest protection, management and development functions to decentralized institutions of Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) at the village level, and Forest Development Agency (FDA) at the forest division level.

3. Components:

Financial support under NAP Scheme is available for:

1. Mobilisation of village JFMC, and Micro-planning in project villages

2. Afforestation – following components:

• Aided Natural Regeneration

• Artificial Regeneration

• Bamboo plantation

• Cane Plantation

• Mixed Plantation of trees having MFP & medicinal value

• Regeneration of perennial herbs & shrubs of medicine value

• Pasture Development/ Silvipasture

3. Soil & Moisture Conservation

4. Entry Point Activity (for village development; average assistance Rs. 1.6 lakh per village)

5. Fencing, Monitoring & Evaluation, Training, Awareness raising, Overheads

4. Institutional framework and its strengthening

The NAP is being implemented through a 2-tier structure of Forest Development Agency (FDA) at the forest division level and Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) at the village level. Thus, FDA is the confederation of JFMCs in that forest division. FDAs are registered under the Societies Registration Act. JFMCs are registered either with the Forest Department or under Statutory provisions. The district-level officers of relevant line departments of the State Govt. and Panchayat Raj Institution are members of FDA.

The recent experience with present institutional framework of FDA at the forest division level and JFMC at the village level is encouraging. All 28 States have adopted this institutional framework including in the Autonomous Hill Districts in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram.

The institutions of FDAs and JFMCs are highly innovative resource transfer mechanisms whereby the Govt of India channelises funds directly to the grass root level implementing agency for the afforestation activities.

The structure of FDAs and JFMCs also caters to the gender concerns, whereby women membership to the extent of 50% has been made mandatory in these bodies. Members of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes are the focus group in JFMCs.

Training of FDA and JFMC members is organized by State Forest Departments, as well as by the Regional Centres of National Afforestation and Eco-development Board (7 Regional Centres in the country).

To help and guide the FDAs and JFMCs, there is also a National-level Steering Committee of NAP and another at State level called State-level Coordination committee chaired respectively by Secretary (Environment and Forests), Government of India, and Chief Secretary of the State Government.

The following additional steps are being undertaken to further strengthen these institutions:-

1. A Training Needs Assessment exercise is being undertaken by the Regional Centres of National Afforestation and Eco-development Board to identify the needs and capacities of different categories of staff and members of JFMCs and FDAs for efficient implementation of NAP, and subsequently develop training modules for the same.

2. It is proposed to encourage linkage of JFMCs with other rural development programme. JFMCs may leverage outside funds to augment Entry Point Activity component of NAP for this purpose.

3. It is also proposed to formulate a financial management manual for FDAs and JFMCs so as to strengthen account keeping at the local level, and thus, empower communities for local-level decision making.

4. A national level JFM study has also been launched to assess strengths and weaknesses of implementation of JFM, and the progress of empowerment of the local communities in decision-making.

5. Establish a system of e-governance in National Afforestation and Eco-development Board.

5. Monitoring and evaluation mechanism

1. With a view to increasing the efficiency of NAP to meet the above goals, the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercise of the FDA projects is undertaken both by the State and Central Governments.

2. National Afforestation and Eco-development Board undertakes the first independent mid-term evaluation of the FDA projects within 24 months of sanction of the project with focus on people’s participation, functioning of JFMCs/ EDCs and the micro-planning exercise.

3. The final evaluation is required to be carried in the fourth year of the Project.

4. So far, National Afforestation and Eco-development Board has launched mid-term evaluation in respect of 250 FDA projects (including 47 Projects under SGVSY Scheme of the IX Plan).

5. In addition, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) has randomly selected 60 FDAs each in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 for monitoring of area coverage and forest cover increase therein.

6. Activities undertaken so far

715 FDAs have been operationalised so far at a cost of Rs. 1,514.79 Crores to treat a total area of 9.23 lakh ha. (as on 31.3.2006). Bamboo plantation, medicinal plants and Jatropha have been given adequate focus under NAP during the current plan period. State Governments have been advised to earmark 10% of the project area under NAP, as per feasibility, for Jatropha plantation. Rehabilitation of jhumlands (shifting cultivation) have been given specific focus under the programme, and so far 19 jhum projects have been sanctioned in NE States and in Orissa.

7. Progress/ Achievement made during 2005-06

95 new FDA projects have also been sanctioned to cover an area of 55,232 hectare through 2,391 Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs). These include 12 new FDA projects in the North East to cover a total project area of 5380 ha. through 183 JFMCs. An amount of Rs. 248.58 Crores has been released to Forest Development Agencies during current financial year, out of which the release to North Eastern States is Rs. 45.80 Crores (up to 31.3.2006).

8. Physical Outputs and Expected Outcomes

The goal of NAP is to promote improvement or increase in forest and tree cover. Two outcome parameters have, therefore, been identified with respect to NAP:

(i) 5 years after sanction, new plantations would, for each bio-geographic region, show the prescribed survival rates.

(ii) 6 to 12 years, after sanction, depending on the species, the new plantations would be revealed as either new area under Forest and Tree Cover or enrichment of forest cover in Satellite Imagery

9. Comparison of progress as compared to previous years

Year-wise progress of National Afforestation Programme in the Tenth Five Year Plan is given in the table below.

Year	No. of new FDA projects operationalised	No. of JFMCs	Project Area	Release (Rs. Crores)
2002-03	237	8209	405631	151.26
2003-04	231	7850	283272	207.98
2004-05	105	3474	107963	233.00
2005-06 (up to 31.3.2006)	95	2,391	55,232	248.58

10. State-wise Status

Progress of Forest Development Agency (FDA) projects from April, 2000 onwards (As on 31.3.2006)

Sl. No.	Name of State/Union Territory	No. of FDA Projects/Proposals sanctioned	Total project cost (in Rs. crores)	Area (in ha.)
1	Andhra Pradesh	32	83.02	47400
2	Chhattisgarh	32	73.83	42514
3	Gujarat	21	60.87	30445
4	Haryana	18	53.44	22105
5	Himachal Pradesh	27	52.38	32378
6	Jammu & Kashmir**	31	74.61	47839
7	Karnataka	45	112.15	59180
8	Madhya Pradesh	49	112.48	76520
9	Maharashtra	45	98.62	65738
10	Orissa	40	69.65	55022
11	Punjab	9	17.65	8235
12	Rajasthan	33	39.22	28190
13	Tamil Nadu	32	93.60	52253
14	Uttar Pradesh	58	104.35	63004
15	Uttaranchal	37	54.17	39134
16	Goa	3	2.39	1250
17	Jharkhand	30	56.33	39850
18	Bihar	10	16.12	12315
19	Kerala	24	47.54	16250
20	West Bengal	17	39.07	22856
	Total (Other States)	593	1261.49	762478
21	Arunachal Pradesh	19	27.04	21416
22	Assam	29	36.56	26955
23	Manipur	13	26.58	18374
24	Nagaland	16	37.71	25528
25	Sikkim	7	27.72	15280
26	Tripura	12	25.57	19405
27	Mizoram	19	60.12	26770
28	Meghalaya	7	12.00	7400
	Total (NE States)	122	253.30	161128
	TOTAL	715	1514.79	923606

11. Budget Allocation of the Scheme and Progress of Expenditure

Revised Estimate for the scheme during 2005-06 was Rs. 248.58 crores, out of which Rs. 248.58 crores were released till 31.3.06

12. Implementing organization along with details

The NAP Scheme is being implemented through two-tier decentralized mechanism of Forest Development Agency (FDA) at Forest Division Level and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at the village level.

13. New initiatives under the scheme

A number of initiatives have been taken by the Ministry to expedite the implementation of the scheme as well improve the qualitative aspects of implementation. These include: (i) in-principle decision has been taken by the National-level Steering Committee for electronic transfer the funds from Government of India to the FDAs to cut-down the delays, (ii) efforts are being made to step-up monitoring and evaluation of the FDA projects by activation of State-level Coordination Committees for NAP, increased field visit by officers, and expeditious commissioning by the States of first independent concurrent evaluation of FDA projects, (iii) 10 programmes have been arranged through the Directorate of Forest Education for training and capacity building of front-line staff of FDAs and JFMCs, and (iv) 45 district-level inter-departmental linkage workshops have been approved in the work programme of the Regional Centres of NAEB for the year 2005-06 and 2006-07 for promoting the linkage of NAP with other developmental programmes for enhancing the sustainability of JFM, and (v) a new component has been added in NAP to universalize JFM in all forest-fringe villages in the country.

INDIAN MISSILES

AGNI -I

Agni is an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile. Agni-I used solid propulsion booster and a liquid propulsion upper stage, derived from Prithvi, essentially to prove the re-entry structure, control and guidance. The strap-down inertial navigation system adopts explicit guidance, which has attempted for the first time in the world. It uses all carbon composite structure for protecting payload during its re-entry phase. The first flight conducted in May 1989, established the re-entry technology and precise guidance to reach the specific target. Agni-I flight trials having proved the long-range technologies, an operational version of agni with solid-solid propulsion system was test fired in April 1999, which is Agni-II with mobile capability.

AGNI-II :

Agni-II Missile: The range for Agni-II is performance, repeated guidance more than 2000 km. The salient features of performance capability and salvo firing the test firings are mobile launch capability, capability. With the completion of above multi-staging, state-of-the-art control and flight trials, the design and development of guidance, re-entry technology and the Trishul Missile is complete. sophisticated on-board packages including (g) Nag Missile: Nag is a third generation anti-advanced communication. Agni�II has also tank missile with �top-attack� and �fire and been inducted into Services. forget� capability.

AKASH:

Akash System is a medium range Surface to Air Missile with multitarget engagement capability. It uses high-energy solid propellant for the booster and ram-rocket propulsion for the sustainer phase. The propulsion system provides higher level of energy with minimum mass, compared to conventional solid/liquid rocket motor, that has better performance with minimum weight of the missile. It has a dual mode guidance, initially on command mode from a phased array radar and later radar homing guidance with unique software developed for high accuracy. The phased array radar provides capability for multiple target tracking and simultaneous deployment of missiles to attack four targets at the same time, in each battery. Multiple batteries constitute a group centre. The system is highly mobile and has gone through a number of flight trials providing the command guidance.

BRAHMOS :

BRAHMOS is a supersonic cruise missile and can be used against ship and land targets. It has a range of upto 300 kms. The missile is uniquely configured for installing in ships, submarines & aircraft and on ground vehicles. It has been flight tested twice during June 2001 and April 2002 meeting all mission objectives.

PINAKA:

Multi-Barrel Rocket System PINAKA, an area weapon system to supplement the existing artillery gun at ranges beyond 30 kms, having quick reaction time and high rate of fire has been accepted by the user after extensive trials

PRUTHVI:

Prithvi is a Surface-to-Surface Battle field Missile. It uses a single state, twin-engine liquid propulsion system and strap-down inertial guidance with real-time software incorporated in the onboard computer to achieve the desired accuracy during impact. Prithvi has higher lethal effect compared to any equivalent class of missiles in the world. Prithvi is a unique missile today having manoeuverable trajectory and high level capability with field interchangeable warheads. Its accuracy has been demonstrated in the development flight trials. Flight trails for Air force has been completed. This system is now being configured for launching from ship, increasing its capability as a sea mobile system.

TRISHUL:

Trishul is a Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile. It can also be used as an anti-sea skimmer from a ship against low flying attacking missiles. It employs dual thrust propulsion stage using high-energy solid propellant in a maraging steel flow chamber, and is operated on command guidance initially with ka-band gathering and then transferred to the tracking radar. It has necessary electronic counter-counter measures against all known aircraft jammers.

Trishul, with its quickest reaction time, high frequency operation, high manoeuverability, high lethal capability and multi-roles for three services, is state-of-the-art system providing considerable advantage to the Armed forces. This system has gone through development flight trials for army and sea skimmer trials for navy. The final evaluation is in progress before user trials.

RANDOM DEVELOPMENT

Technology Achievements

• Composite Pitot Adapter Development for better EM performance
• Qualified Composite Pitot Adapter with Lightning Test on Full Scale Radome
• Standardized Painting Scheme for Blister Free Surface
• Established the process for achieving �15� Angular tolerance requirement on Pitot Adapter Holes

Project Milestones/Achievements Delivery of Radome Assembly with due Airworthiness Certification for PV1 Aircraft 4 VTR Mouldings for PV4, PV5 & 2 Flight Standby completed Coupon level Mech., EM & Environmental Tests for QTAT completed which will be followed by Full Scale Radome Level Tests RE-ENTRY VEHICLE STRUCTURE Established Non-impact fastening of bulkheads SHELL-on-SHELL Technology Established Designed & developed tape wound CP shells Bonding technique of CE / CP shells (Shell-on-Shell) NDT techniques for Shell-on-Shell RVS sections Completed Autoclave (small)control up gradation N2 pressurization system for 3 autoclaves Civil works realized for RVS assembly facility

United Nations E-Government Survey 2010

E–Government Development Index Top 20 Countries
Country	Index
Republic of Korea	0.8785
United States of America	0.8510
Canada	0.8448
UK and Northern Ireland	0.8147
Netherlands	0.8097
Norway	0.8020
Denmark	0.7872
Australia	0.7863
Spain	0.7516
France	0.7510
Singapore	0.7476
Sweden	0.7474
Bahrain	0.7363
New Zealand	0.7311
Germany	0.7309
Belgium	0.7225
Japan	0.7152
Switzerland	0.7136
Finland	0.6967
Estonia	0.6965

E–Participation Index Top 20 Countries
Country	Index
Republic of Korea	1.0000
Australia	0.9143
Spain	0.8286
New Zealand	0.7714
UK and Northern Ireland	0.7714
Japan	0.7571
United States	0.7571
Canada	0.7286
Estonia	0.6857
Singapore	0.6857
Bahrain	0.6714
Malaysia	0.6571
Denmark	0.6429
Germany	0.6143
France	0.6000
Netherlands	0.6000
Belgium	0.5857
Kazakhstan	0.5571
Lithuania	0.5286
Slovenia	0.5143

APPSC EXAMS EVOLUTION PATTERN

APPSC GROUP-4 HOSTEL WELFARE OFFICERS GENERAL STUDIES SOLVED PAPER

APPSC GROUP-4 HOSTEL WELFARE OFFICERS GENERAL STUDIES SOLVED PAPER CLICK HERE

ASEAN Summits

Sixteenth ASEAN Summit, Ha Noi, 8-9 April 2010

Fifteenth ASEAN Summit, Cha-Am Hua Hin, Thailand, 23-25 October 2009

Fourteenth ASEAN Summit, Cha-am, Thailand, 26 February - 1 March 2009

Thirteenth ASEAN Summit, Singapore, 18-22 November 2007

Twelfth ASEAN Summit, Cebu, Phillipines, 9-15 January 2007

Eleventh ASEAN Summit, Kuala Lumpur, 12-14 December 2005

Tenth ASEAN Summit, Vientiane, 29-30 November 2004

Ninth ASEAN Summit, Bali, 7-8 October 2003

Eighth ASEAN Summit, Phnom Penh, 4-5 November 2002

Seventh ASEAN Summit, Bandar Seri Begawan, 5-6 November 2001

Fourth Informal Summit, Singapore, 22-25 November 2000

Third Informal Summit, Manila, 27-28 November 1999

Sixth ASEAN Summit, Ha Noi, 15-16 December 1998

Second Informal Summit, Kuala Lumpur, 14-16 December 1997

First Informal Summit, Jakarta, 30 November 1996

Fifth ASEAN Summit, Bangkok, 14-15 December 1995

Fourth ASEAN Summit, Singapore, 27-29 January 1992

Third ASEAN Summit, Manila, 14-15 December 1987

Second ASEAN Summit, Kuala Lumpur, 4-5 August 1977

First ASEAN Summit, Bali, 23-24 February 1976

United Nations International Decades

As well as the annual celebration of certain UN-designated days and weeks, we find ourselves in the midst of celebrating several on-going internationally-declared decades (proclaimed by the UN General Assembly). Often, an international decade is launched by either an international year or on an international day.

1993-2002	Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa
1993-2002	Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons
1993-2003	Third International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination
1994-2003	International Decade for the World's Indigenous People (following 1993 International Year for World's Indigenous People)
1995-2004	United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education
1997-2006	United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (following 1996 International Year for the Eradication of Poverty)
2001-2010	International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (following 2000 International Year for the Culture of Peace)
2001-2010	Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism
2001-2010	Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa
2003-2012	United Nations Literacy Decade: Literacy for All (from 8 September 2003 - International Literacy Day)
2005-2014	Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People
2005-2014	United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
2005-2015	International Decade for Action, “Water for Life” (from 22 March 2005 - World Water Day)
2006-2016	Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions (relating to the Chernobyl disaster)
2008-2017	Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty
2010-2020	United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification

United Nations International Years

Since 1959 the UN has designated International years in order to draw attention to major issues and to encourage international action to address concerns which have global importance and ramifications. There is a concerted effort not to designate every year - for fiscal reasons and to avoid any process of trivialization. The following is the chronological list of years designated to date:

1959/60	World Refugee Year
1965	International Cooperation Year
1967	International Tourism Year
1968	International Year for Human Rights
1970	International Education Year
1971	International Year for Action to Combat Racism & Racial Discrimination
1974	World Population Year
1975	International Women’s Year
1978	International Anti-Apartheid Year
1979	International Year of the Child
1981	International Year of Disabled Persons
1982	International Year of Mobilisation for Sanctions Against South Africa
1983	World Communications Year
1985	International Youth Year
1986	International Year of Peace
1987	International Year of Shelter for the Homeless
1990	International Literacy Year
1992	International Space Year (endorsed, not declared)
1993	International Year for World’s Indigenous People
1994	International Year of the Family; and International Year of Sport & Olympic Ideal
1995	United Nations Year for Tolerance
1996	International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
1998	International Year of the Ocean
1999	International Year of Older Persons; and Centennial of the First International Peace Conference
2000	International Year for the Culture of Peace; and International Year of Thanksgiving
2001	International Year of Volunteers; and United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations; and International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
2002	International Year of Mountains; and International Year of Culture Heritage; and International Year of Ecotourism (http://www.world-tourism.org/index.htm or http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/ecotourism/iye.htm)
2003	International Year of Freshwater
2004	International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and Its Abolition; and International Year of Rice
2005	International Year of Microcredit; and International Year for Sport and Physical Education
2006	International Year of Deserts and Desertification
2008	International Year of the Potato; and International Year of Planet Earth; and International Year of Sanitation; and International Year of Languages
2009	International Year of Human Rights Learning - from 10 December 2008 (Human Rights Day) to 10 December 2009 International Year of Reconciliation; and International Year of Natural Fibres; and International Year of Astronomy
2010	International Year of Biodiversity; and International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding - from 12 August 2010 (International Youth Day) to 11 August 2011
2011	International Year of Forests; and International Year of Chemistry