<p style=”margin-bottom: 13px; text-align: center;”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>SOURCE – PIB</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom: 13px; text-align: center;”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>GS PAPER – 3</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
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<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>CONTEXT</span></span></span></span></b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>- <span style=”background:white”>On the eve of International Coastal Clean-Up Day which is celebrated across 100 countries since 1986, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announced at a virtual event that for the first time eight beaches of India are recommended for the coveted International eco-label, the Blue flag certification.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>ABOUT THE SCHEME</span></span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
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<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest beaches of the world.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-bottom:13px; margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”><span style=”letter-spacing:.25pt”>The <em><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas </span></b></em>is run by <em><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>the international, non-governmental,</span></b></em> non-profit organisation <em><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education)</span></b></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
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<p style=”margin-left:24px; margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><em><b><u><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>“BEAMS” </span></span></span></span></span></u></b></em><b><u><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>(Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services)</span></span></span></span></span></u></b></span></span></span></p>
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<li style=”margin-left:32px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>India’s own eco-label <em><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>BEAMS </span></b></em>by e-hoisting the flag -#<em><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>IAMSAVINGMYBEACH </span></b></em>simultaneously at these eight beaches. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:32px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>SICOM, MoEFCC in pursuit of promoting its policies for sustainable development in coastal regions have embarked upon a highly acclaimed program <em><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>“BEAMS” </span></b></em>(Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services) under its ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) project</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:32px; margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:150%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>This is one of the several other projects of ICZM that Govt of India is undertaking for the sustainable development of coastal regions, striving for globally recognized and the coveted eco-label ‘<em><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Blue flag</span></b></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
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