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The TRIPS agreement seems to further the hypothesis that only the intellectual contributions of the corporate-sponsored scientists need intellectual property protector and compensation. It pays no attention to the fact that there has been an uncompensated free flow of resources and knowledge from the developing countries to the first world especially when knowledge and biological resources are inalienable for most communities living in the third world countries.Convention of Biodiversity recognises this fact and provides protection to these biological resources and knowledge and prevents their exploitation. This difference in approaches and focus of the two agreements gives rise to a host of contradictions. The two legally binding international agreements are inconsistent and even contradict each other as said earlier on three major levels namely: (i) Objectives, (ii) Principles, and (iii) Legal…

The variations in the irrigation system in early India depended on particular environment, acreage of land under cultivation and the sponsoring agent the state, communities or individual. In other words, natural conditions and the control mechanism determined the type of irrigation.It could range from simple channels diverted from river or natural streams, water-bailing machines, pot-fitted wheels attached to the wells to developed technologies like Persian wheels; hillside channels watering terraced fields, canals, large reservoirs, tanks and embankments.The availability of water resources does not follow a uniform pattern. Uneven rainfall, failure of the monsoons, and scarcity and excesses of water have always compelled people to restrain and regulate the natural sources. Kautilya’s Arthasatra classifies the modes of water supply as: (1) Hastaprayartima drawing water with hands and carrying it to the…

There exist massive plates of rock below the earth’s crust, called tectonic plates, which are interlocked.These huge plates float on a layer of semi-solid rock, called the mantle, which causes the tectonic plates to move. If these plates somehow collide, pressure so caused results in cracks on the earth’s surface. The collision or the slipping of the tectonic plates causes vibrations in the earth due to rapid release of energy.These vibrations pass through the earth’s surface in waves and cause the earthquake. While an earthquake occurs only for a few seconds, the aftershocks can go on for days after that. Earthquakes are measured on a logarithmic scale developed by Charles Richter in 1935, called the Richter scale. Earthquakes measuring above 5.0 on the Richter scale can have damaging effects. Image…

The conservation of wild species in their natural habitats can also be done in biosphere reserves. Biosphere reserves are large protected areas with well defined boundaries. They usually spread beyond an area of 5000 sq km, and protect much larger areas of natural habitat than a national park or a wildlife sanctuary.Often the biosphere reserves include one or more national parks in its ambit. They are not meant for any particular species like white tiger or one horned rhinos, etc., but are created to protect and preserve the entire flora and fauna of a given region. Purpose of Biosphere Reserves: In biosphere reserves, protection is extended not only to the diverse flora and fauna of the protected region where the reserve has been set up, but also to the human…