ARCHIVES

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‘Second Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2016’ to be held in IGNCA Premises from 15^th to 23^rd  October, 2016 

(Topic: Indian Culture)

About- “Second Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM)-2016” will be held from 15^th to 23^rd  October, 2016 in the premises of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Janpath, New Delhi.

Aim- To showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, viz – Handicrafts, Cuisine, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Documentation and Performing Arts-Folk, Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all in one place.

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-

• Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015 and after the grand success of the First Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav in November-2015.

 Highlights of Mahotsav-

• Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav would showcase all these aspects of Indian Culture in different areas designated for the same. Accordingly, there will be a ‘Shilp Haat’ in which pavilions called “Aaangans” would be put up by each of the seven Zonal Cultural Centers (ZCCs) of the country as well as the Academies and IGNCA.
• In this ‘Shilp Haat’ master craftsmen from all over the country will display and sell their crafts to the general public and sale of the publications of these autonomous bodies on various aspects of Indian Culture is also a salient feature.
• Demonstrations of the process of creation of the wares based on their crafts by the master-craftsmen will also be done here. The Aangans will be decorated by expert traditional painters and sculptors, in styles most representative of the regions that each of the ZCCs represents.
• Day-long performances of traditional performers of fringe-folk arts like ‘Behroopiyas’, ‘Baazigars’, ‘Kacchi Ghori’ etc will take place in the Shilp Haat and the rest of the campus. These artists are also known as ‘Maidaani Kalaakar’ as they perform in the open without any need for a stage.
• Facing the Shilp Haat will be a Food Court where master chefs of traditional delicacies from different regions of the country will treat the visitors to an unparalleled culinary experience. In the lawns opposite the ‘Maati Ghar’ and in the Art Gallery of the IGNCA, two photo exhibitions will run concurrently.
• One of these exhibitions is on Vandalism of places of historical and national importance in order to draw public attention to this very damaging activity done by misguided and insensitive people which causes irreparable damage and loss to irreplaceable national heritage. This exhibition will be as a part of the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ of the Prime Minister of India-albeit focused on a dimension of this Abhiyaan which has till now not received its due share of attention. The second exhibition will be on the recently Concluded ‘Simhastha Kumbh Mela’ showcasing its splendor and magnificence as well its importance in the cultural consciousness of the Nation.
• The Seven Zonal Cultural centers of the country have been enjoined upon with the task of organizing the RSM in Delhi as well as taking it to different cities of the country under the banner of the slogan “EK BHAARAT SHRESTH BHAARAT”.

Emphasize on-

• There is an urgent and pressing need to re-connect the people-especially the youth- with their indigenous culture, its multi-faceted nature, magnificence, opulence and historical importance in the context of India as a Nation over the millennia.
• In order to connect the youth, a massive exercise in the online and social media sphere is being undertaken and a mobile app for Android based smart phones has been designed, which was launched by the Culture Minister in the Press Conference.

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Launch of Enhanced Foreign Trade Data Dashboard

(Topic: Commerce and Industry)

About- As part of the initiative of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to provide easy access to the public with regard to India’s export, import and balance of trade data in an analytical format, over time and space, Commerce & Industry Minister launched a new enhanced Dashboard on Foreign Trade Data.

Usability- It will be used for transparent decision making and reaching out to people using real time data.

Help-

• Digitization of the government records and data analytics is also crucial for fast and effective evidence based planning and policy evaluation.
• This has an important role to play in effective and transparent governance.
• Dashboard would provide an enabling environment to importers and exporters to identify and access global trade opportunities based on reliable and updated information, directly accessible to the public through Government sources.

Foreign Trade Data Dashboard

• Dashboard is an improved version of the earlier EXIM Analytics Dashboard developed with many added features. It is more users friendly and would facilitate the general public to have an accurate picture on dynamics of foreign trade performance of India.
• New Dashboard gives a graphical collection of exports, imports and balance of trade of India; e.g., the Export turnover of the country – how it performs over time and space? What are the export destinations? What items are being exported? Which are the ports – inland, sea or airports from which the exports are taking place? The new interface is broadly divided into Exports, Imports and Balance of Trade views.
• Each of these views provide the user with features to inspect the trade that happens between India and a particular country, zoom into the activities of a particular port and reflect trade pattern over any months of the user’s choice.

Import View-

• Import viewgives a sharp perspective of how India’s imports have changed compared to the previous year. The user may also observe how the import value has fared across the months of that year.
• The Top Commodities and Ports section details the top 5 commodities and ports, in addition to the ones at the lower end. The clickable world map reflects the performance of India in imports to rest of the world. The darker the country shade, the higher the import from it.
• The flow diagram to the right of the world map will visualise what percentage of the top commodities have been imported from the various ports (thickness of the line reflects the magnitude).

Export View-

• If users are curious to see how their selected choices were to behave in the Exports area, they merely need to click on the Export view on the top navigation bar.

Balance of Trade view-

• They can see a world map detailing countries with positive/negative balance of trade with India. Countries can be sorted by Import value and the corresponding value of Export trade.
• Visual comparison of import-export trade values over the years is also available.
• Touching a monthly value in Trade Performance would highlight corresponding value in the Balance of Trade performance chart as well, making it easy to understand India’s position on Balance of Trade (BoT) in that month compared to the previous months.

First World Tsunami Awareness Day to be celebrated at AMCDRR

(Topic: Disaster Management)

About- First World Tsunami Awareness Day will be celebrated on November 5, 2016. To commemorate the occasion, an event will be organised with Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Champions at the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016.

Schedule-

Conference is being organised from November 3-5, 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi by the Government of India in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

Significance-

• Significance of this day, the 5^th November, to tsunami awareness can be traced back to the year 1854. A villager in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, was concerned about an impending tsunami after a high-intensity earthquake on November 5, 1854. He set up a fire to rice sheaves on the top of a hill. Fellow villagers, who went atop to put off the fire, were saved even as a tsunami destroyed their village down below. This was the first documented instance of a tsunami early warning.
• To commemorate that day of “Inamura no Hi” (the burning of rice sheaves), a resolution was jointly proposed by 142 countries including Japan as a follow up of the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The United Nations designated the 5th November as World Tsunami Awareness Day

Help- The observance of the day would help to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami and shall stress on the importance of early warning systems in order to mitigate damage from the often devastating natural hazard. It also aims at reviving traditional knowledge about tsunamis.

Highlights of Conference-

• Awareness raising activities will be organized throughout the Conference through thematic events, exhibitions, and distribution of awareness materials.
• Following the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the Government of India established an Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) under the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) at Hyderabad.
• The Centre, operational since October 2007, has state-of-the-art infrastructure for generating and disseminating tsunami bulletins for the entire Indian Ocean region.

India, along with 23 other Indian Ocean countries, participated in a tsunami mock drill on September 7-8, 2016. Besides increasing awareness, the drill evaluated the preparedness of participating nations to handle tsunami and other similar emergency situations.

Cabinet approves MoU between Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) on General Cooperation with the New Development Bank (NDB), along with other Development Financial Institutions of BRICS nations

(Topic:  Cabinet decision)

About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of PM has given its approval for signing of a MoU on General Cooperation with New Development Bank (NDB) through the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism by Government at the level of Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs/ Export Import Bank of India.

Benefit-

• It will enhance trade and economic relations among the BRICS countries. There is no financial implication involved with signing of the MoU. The participating institutions from the BRICS nations will be benefitted by this MoU.

MoU-

• MoU is a non-binding umbrella agreement aimed at establishing a cooperation framework in accordance with the national laws and regulations, besides skills transfer and knowledge sharing amongst the signatories.
• Establishment of the NDB reflects the close relations among the BRICS countries and provides a powerful instrument for increasing their economic cooperation and help India play an enhanced international role.
• Keeping in view the strategic relevance of cooperation for sustainable development and inclusive economic growth, the signing of MoU is necessary in the context of cooperation extended by the Members in various forms for promoting and facilitating trade of goods and services as well as investments in mutual projects among the BRICS countries.

Background-

• Five banks from the BRIC nations had established the BRICS Interbank Co-operation Mechanism to enhance trade and economic relations amongst the BRIC countries, and enterprises.
• BRICS Interbank Co-operation Mechanism now proposes to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on General Co-operation with the New Development Bank.

Inauguration of ‘Women of India Festival 2016’ of organic products at Dilli Haat at INA

(Topic: Women and Child Development)

About- Minister of Women & Child Development inaugurated ‘Women of India Festival 2016’ of organic products by women at Dilli Haat at INA, New Delhi.

Schedule- Festival to be held from October 14-23 will offer on sale the biggest selection of organic products ranging from food, fabrics and furniture to wellness, personal care and solar products.

Organised and sponsored by- Union Ministry of Women & Child Development, the ‘Women of India Festival 2016’celebrates and promotes women entrepreneurs from across India. Participants from the remotest areas of the country will travel to Delhi for the entire duration of the festival and sell their unique products in the capital.

Aim- Initiative is a move to benefit women entrepreneurs, and also actively promote organic food and products. The Women of India Festival is intended to highlight the health and environmental advantages of organic goods, provide a platform for women engaged in this economy and encourage the development of sustainable and easily accessible sales outlets for organic producers from remote areas.

Significance of Organic foods-

• Organic foods have been proven to contain more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than similar foods produced with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives.
• Organic farming relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost, and natural methods of pest control.
• Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticide exposure
• Organic plants and food crops have also been found to contain higher amounts of salicylic acid which fights bowel cancer; it helps to fight stress and disease.

Last year’s edition of ‘Women of India Festival’ selling organic produce saw thousands of people thronging to Dilli Haat each day. For the first time in India, over 500 women entrepreneurs from Leh to Kanyakumari and from Kohima to Kutch, came together with their organic products. This year will feature even more products including cereals, rice, pulses, spices, fabrics, dyes and dresses, cosmetics, household products, pickles, organic ice cream, preserves, oils, honey, tea, hair care, bath care, beauty care, aromatherapy products, kitchen composters, organic seeds and other bio products.

This year’s Festival will have 230 stalls and about 372 participants. The list includes producers from Delhi, NCR and 23 states/UTs. Apart from producers of locally grown and manufactured products, the participants also include Nourish Organic, The Altitude Store, Dew Drops, Organic World, Inhere Aajivika Utthan Samiti, Sonal White Cub, Aura Herbal Textiles, ASAL, Pro Nature Organics, Eco Green Unit, Avani, who will add further variety with their vast lifestyle range at the Organic Extravaganza.

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management 

(Topic: Cabinet Decisions)

About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of PM has given its approval for signing of a MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management.

MoU will be signed between– Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India and the Ministry of Interior, Government of Hungary.

Benefit-

• It will enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of water management, on the basis of equality and mutual benefits.
• This will encourage the development of bilateral relations between public and private organizations concerning water resources of both the countries.
• Both the countries will get benefited by joint activities and mutual exchange of scientific delegations and experts in the field of water resources development and management.
• The cooperation, particularly on river basin management/ integrated water resources management, efficiency in water supply and irrigation technology innovation and flood & drought management will help improve the socio-economic conditions of the people of both the countries.

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is entering into a MoU with Hungary with wide-ranging areas on water sector for the first time.

Union Textiles Minister to inaugurate India International Silk Fair

(Topic: Textile industry)

About- The flagship event of the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council, the 5^th edition of India International Silk Fair, will be inaugurated by the Union Textiles Minister, on 15^th October, at New Delhi.

Help-

• Provides an opportunity to small and medium entrepreneurs in showcasing their unique products to visiting overseas buyers.
• The fair will provide a unique opportunity to exporters in showcasing their products and to overseas buyers in sourcing the merchandize they require

Indian Silk Industry-

• Indian Silk Industry is very important, being rural and agriculture-based, providing livelihood to around 7 million people in the country.
• India is the second largest producer of silk in the world. While silk production in all other silk-producing countries is in decline, the silk production in India has consistently been on a rise.
• India is the only country in the world which produces all major varieties of silk, namely, Mulberry, Tasar, Eri and Muga.

Exhibition-

• Indian Silk Export Promotion Council is sponsoring the visit of around 100 buyers from various overseas countries to visit stands of 120 exhibitors of silk and silk blended products that are manufactured in various parts of the country and exported all over the world.
• The 3-day exhibition is expected to generate a business of over US $50 million for SMEs engaged in producing silk and silk blended garments, fabrics, accessories and floor coverings.
• The fair is in line with the commitment of carrying forward the “Make in India” programme of the Government of India.

Cabinet approves establishment of an Indian Institute of Management at Jammu

(Topic: Cabinet Decision)

About- Union Cabinet, chaired by PM, has approved the establishment and operationalisation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Jammu in a transit/temporary campus at Old Government College of Engineering & Technology from the Academic Year 2016-17.

Project involves-

• This is a part of Prime Minister’s development package for Jammu & Kashmir. The Institute coupled with opening of IIT at Jammu, modernization of NIT Srinagar and opening of two new AIIMS institutions, one each in Kashmir region and Jammu region, would go a long way in meeting the requirement of high quality living and education in Jammu & Kashmir.

• Project will involve a cost of Rs.61.90 crore in temporary campus for the initial four years from 2016 to 2020.
• The student strength intake for this year in the Post Graduate Diploma Programme (PGDP) in Management is 54 which will progressively go up to cumulative student strength of 120 in the 4th year.
• Steps would also be taken up for setting up campus at Jammu and an out-campus in Kashmir region. The Detailed Project Report for the permanent campuses is under preparation and thereafter the process for setting up of the campuses would start.

Cabinet decision-

• Cabinet also approved formation of an IIM Jammu Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. IIM Jammu will be run and managed by the Society with a Board of Governors (BOGs) to be constituted by the Government of India, which will administer the Institute and would be responsible for establishment and operationalisation of the Institute.

Background

• Indian Institutes of Management are the country’s premier institutions imparting best quality education in management on globally benchmarked processes of education and training in management education and allied area of knowledge.
• At present, there are nineteen IIMs. Out of these, thirteen IIMs are located at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Shillong, Ranchi, Raipur, Rohtak, Kashipur, Trichy, Udaipur. Another six IIMs which have been started in 2015 are located at Amritsar, Sirmaur, Nagpur, Bodhgaya, Sambalpur and Vishakhapatnam. 

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management

(Topic: Cabinet Decision)

About- Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship PM has given its approval for signing of a MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management.

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is entering into a MoU with Hungary with wide-ranging areas on water sector for the first time.

MoU signed between- Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India and the Ministry of Interior, Government of Hungary.

Benefit-

• It will enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of water management, on the basis of equality and mutual benefits.
• This will encourage the development of bilateral relations between public and private organizations concerning water resources of both the countries.
• Both the countries will get benefited by joint activities and mutual exchange of scientific delegations and experts in the field of water resources development and management.
• The cooperation, particularly on river basin management/ integrated water resources management, efficiency in water supply and irrigation technology innovation and flood & drought management will help improve the socio-economic conditions of the people of both the countries.

4^th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting at Jaipur

(Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and further structure, mandate)

About- India will host the 8th BRICS Summit, in Goa on 15-16 October 2016 during its Chairmanship of BRICS, which it assumed on 15 February 2016.As the precursor the same, the 4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was convened on 8 October, 2016 at Jaipur.

Aim- to further strengthen the collaboration amongst the BRICS countries in the areas of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)

Highlights-

• Emphasis on adopting a five-pronged approach, viz. Institution Building, Implementation, Integration, Innovation and Continuity.
• Emphasis is on institution building, implementation of previous commitments, tapping synergies of the existing BRICS cooperation mechanisms, exploring some new areas of cooperation and maintaining continuity in the existing areas
• In alignment with the theme of India’s Chairmanship – Building, Responsive Inclusive and Collective Solutions, the Jaipur Declaration was unanimously adopted by all the BRICS countries. The member countries resolved to intensify, diversify and institutionalize STI cooperation through the BRICS research & innovation initiative.
• During India’s Chairmanship, significant progress have been achieved in joint knowledge creation in the areas of Photonics; Material Science & Nanotechnology; Biotechnology & Biomedical Sciences; Energy; Geospatial Technology; Astronomy; Prevention & Mitigation of Natural Disaster, Water and Solid State Lighting.
• In fulfillment of Prime Minister of India special attention on engagement of youth, who comprises 65% of workforce of BRICS countries together, India hosted the 1^st BRICS Young Scientists Conclave at Bengaluru and Hampi last week. More than 40 young scientists from BRICS countries participated in the event and discussed some exciting ideas in the field of affordable healthcare, energy solutions and computational intelligence. In order to stimulate and encourage young minds, BRICS Innovative Idea Prize for Young Scientists has been instituted.
• In order to harness the innovativeness of the youth, India’s proposal to establish a BRICS Science and Technology driven Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnership Programme was agreed by all the member countries.

GS-3

INS Sumitra visits Surabaya, Indonesia

(Topic: Indian Navy)

Outcome of-  In pursuit of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and outreach to friendly countries, the Indian Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel Sumitra, has arrived at Surabaya, Indonesia on a two day visit from 10-12 Oct 16, as part of its deployment to the South Western Pacific Ocean.

Aimed at- Strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing maritime security cooperation between the two countries.

Highlights-

India and Indonesia Relations-

• India and Indonesia have extensive historic, cultural and maritime linkages.
• Regular maritime interaction through- training exchanges, port calls, PASSEXs, biannual Coordinated Patrols (CORPATs) and the recently initiated annual bilateral maritime exercise, have reinforced the historic maritime relationship.
• Sumitra’s visit to Surabaya would further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and contribute to overall maritime security in the region.

Sumitra-

• Sumitra, is the fourth of the Saryuclass ships, based on an indigenous design and constructed by M/s Goa Shipyard Ltd, India.
• Since commissioning in 2014, the ship has been deployed for multiple operational tasks, the most notable being ‘Operation Rahat’, which entailed the evacuation of personnel of various nationalities from war-torn Yemen in 2015.
• The ship has a range of 6,500 nautical miles and is capable of embarking one Dhruv/ Chetak helicopter.

Coordinated Patrol and India-Indonesia Bilateral Maritime Exercise Commence at Belawan, Indonesia

(Topic: India maritime security)

About- In a demonstration of India’s commitment to its ties with Indonesia and to the maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, Indian Naval Ship Karmuk, an indigenously built missile corvette, based under the Andaman and Nicobar Command, alongwith a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft, is participating in the 28th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol and Second Bilateral Maritime Exercise, scheduled from 10-27 Oct 16 in the Andaman Sea.

Benefit-

• These interactions would also provide opportunities for extensive operational and training engagements, and contribute substantively to the maintenance of good order at sea.
• Exercise seeks to strengthen the existing bonds of friendship between India and Indonesia, and underscore India’s partnership and solidarity with friendly countries of the region.

Defence relations between India and Indonesia-

• Defence relations between India and Indonesia have been growing steadily with regular joint activities and interactions between the Armed Forces of the two countries.
• The two navies have been carrying out Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) on respective sides of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping, International trade and legitimate marine activities.
• The CORPAT has strengthened understanding and interoperability between the two navies and promoted net maritime security in the region.

HIMANSH, India’s Remote, High-Altitude Station opened in Himalaya

(Topic: Earth sciences)

About-As part of the Indian government’s initiatives to better study and quantify the Himalayan glacier responses towards the climate change, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences has established a high altitude research station in Himalaya called HIMANSH (literally meaning, a slice of ice), situated above 13,500 ft (> 4000 m) at a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

Himalayan region- Himalayan region has the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar caps, as this region is aptly called the “Water Tower of Asia” is the source of the 10 major river systems that provide irrigation, power and drinking water for over 700 million people live in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh– nearly 10% of the world’s population. Understanding the behaviour of these glaciers and their contribution to the sustainable supply of water for mankind and agriculture is one of the grand challenges of Indian scientific community.

HIMANSH-

• The station houses many instruments to quantify the glacier melting and its relation to changing climate.
• Some of the instruments that are available at this research facility include, Automatic Weather Stations for weather monitoring, water level recorder for quantifying the glacier melt, ground penetrating radar to know the thickness of glaciers, geodetic GPS systems to study the glacier movements, snow fork for studying snow thickness, steam drill, snow corer, temperature profilers, as well as various glaciological tools. Further, the researchers would be using this as a base for undertaking surveys using Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that would digitize the glacier motion and snow cover variations with exceptional precision.
• “Himansh” will provide the much needed fillip to the scientific research on Himalayan glaciers and its hydrological contribution.

Initiative by-

• The ongoing initiatives by NCAOR would contribute to the integrated study the glaciers in the upper Indus basin (Chandra basin) in Himachal Pradesh and their contribution to discharge.
• According to the UN data, the contribution of snow/glacier melt in annual stream runoff is substantially higher (>40%) in Indus basin as compared to Ganga and Brahmaputrabasins (<10%).
• Therefore, understanding the glacier mass balance and their contribution to the Indus River is more critical than other basins towards the understanding on the impact of glacier retreat on the water cycle in the northern India and Pakistan.
• Some of the bench mark glaciers that are already being studied under this project include Bada Shigri, Samudra Tapu, Sutri Dhaka, Batal, Gepang Gath and Kunzam.
• An integrated study using glaciological, geodetic, glacio-hydrological methods will shed light on the glacier response to the changing climate in this region and will also quantify the contribution from glacial melt water to the river discharge in Indus basin.

‘Make in India’ to make a mark at AMCDRR

(Topic: Disaster and Risk Reduction)

About- An exhibition with a thematic focus on ‘Make in India’ will be organised in New Delhi at Vigyan Bhawan, the venue of the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016.

Conference is being organised from November 3-5, 2016 by the Government of India in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

Aim at- Showcasing good practices in Disaster Risk Management through the initiatives displayed by various governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations as well as other stakeholders.

India is one of the signatories of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) adopted at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in March, 2015. Reaffirming its commitment to address DRR and strengthen resilience to disasters, India launched its National Disaster Management Plan earlier this year in line with the priorities defined in the Sendai Framework.

Introducing DRR in governance is key to sustainable economic development and is linked to indicators of growth such as eradication of poverty and malnutrition, improved standards of healthcare and education, better sanitation, protection of environment, among others.

Highlights-

• Visual material, publications, posters, multimedia and latest technological innovations showcasing India’s efforts at Disaster Risk Reduction, mitigation and preparedness will be displayed at the exhibition.
• The exhibition will also be leveraged to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage, handloom and handicraft products to the international delegates from 60 Asian countries that are participating in the Conference.
• Besides the exhibition, a national-level painting competition for schoolchildren aged 10-14 years, a short films competition and the first World Tsunami Awareness Day are also being organised during the Conference. All these events are aimed at generating awareness on issues related to DRR.

PetroFed signs MoU with TERI to undertake a study on Climate Change Risks 

(Topic: Petroleum and Natural gas)

About- PetroFed, an apex society of entities in the Hydrocarbon sector, signed a MoU with TERI to undertake study on “Climate Change Risks: Preparedness for Oil and Gas Sector”.

Help- It will provide a missing link between the policy and the practice in the Hydrocarbon sector.

India’s Energy scenario-

• India is a low per capita energy consumer but as the country is moving towards double-digit growth rate, its energy consumption is bound to increase.
• Share of gas in the Indian energy basket is 6.5 to 7 per cent while the world average is 24 per cent. India aspires to take the share of gas to 15 per cent in the next 3 to 5 years so as to have a new gas based economy
• Government is focusing on gas, renewable energy and bio-energy to meet its requirements.
• It is important to understand the implications of various energy sources and to develop an Indian model for the nation’s energy sector.

Need to emphasise on- Scientific research, appropriate business models and creation of awareness among the people.

Beneficial outcome of study-

• The study will provide important inputs for future strategy on oil and gas infrastructure development.
• The study will also provide a comprehensive analysis of threats posed by Climate change to Oil & Gas sector and shall provide a way forward to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.
• The study will suggest suitable measures for the Oil & Gas sector to achieve India’s INDC target of reducing emission intensity of GDP by 33 – 35 per cent below the levels in 2005 by 2030.
• The study would further highlight how the global market and technological options are likely to change as a result of global climate policy measures; and how the 1.5 degree and 2 degree scenarios of global warming are likely to affect the infrastructure and operations in different climatic zones of India.

India Welcomes Landmark HFC Agreement at Kigali 

(Topic: Environmental Protection)

About- India joins the nations of the world in lauding the Hydroflurocarbon (HFC) Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, agreed to at the 28th Meeting of Parties at Kigali, Rwanda.

Kigali Agreement-

Kigali Agreement is a reaffirmation of the global intent to mitigate climate change and exemplifies international co-operation in this regard. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is legally binding and will come into force from January 1, 2019.

Agreement upholds–

• Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR & RC).
• It recognizes the development imperatives of high-growth economies like India, and provides a realistic and viable roadmap for the implementation of a phase-out schedule for high global warming potential (GWP) HFCs.

On India’s Part-

• India is happy to have played a positive, constructive and collaborative role towards reaching this agreement.
• Right from the outset, India demonstrated exemplary flexibility and an open mind to work with all nations. This enabled a fair and equitable, yet ambitious Agreement that is in the best interest of our people, in the best interest of all developing nations, and in the best interest of the world.

Germany to collaborate with India to improve rail connectivity of Indian ports: may also bring in technology for scrapping old vehicles; India ready for flex-fuel compatible automobiles

(Topic: Indian Railways)

About-Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping has said that India and Germany are all set to collaborate on projects for improving rail connectivity of Indian ports.The two countries will work together on projects worth Rs one lakh crore being implemented by the Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd (IPRCL).

Why needed?

• For efficient evacuation of cargo from the Ports and to reduce logistics cost, last mile rail connectivity of Ports is extremely important. Indian port Rail Corporation Ltd. has been set up specifically to work in this area.
• This would help bring in foreign investment and cost effective, environment friendly, innovative technology for the port rail connectivity projects.

Highlights-

• It was proposed in meeting to form groups with representatives of IPRCL and DB to identify areas of cooperation and potential projects, as also to identify cost effective new rail technologies that can be implemented.
• In the transport sector, discussions were held on cooperation for developing vehicle scrapping capacity in India. India has invited Germany to share environment friendly technology for scrapping of old vehicles and also for processing of the waste thus generated.
• In what may be a major step towards reducing pollution, Minister informed that India has put in place all required regulations for the use of Flex-fuel like ethanol mixed with petrol.
• German automobile manufacturers can be called upon to produce cars that can run on flex-fuel for India, like the ones being produced in Canada and USA.

Cabinet approves new link between Sahibganj bypass in Jharkhand to Manihari bypass in Bihar including four lane bridge on river Ganga

(Topic: Economic Affairs)

About- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the PM, has approved the construction of new link between Sahibganj bypass in Jharkhand to Manihari bypass in Bihar including four lane bridge on river Ganga.

Help-

• Project will help in expediting the improvement of infrastructure in Bihar and Jharkhand and also in reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying in the area in these States.
• Development of this stretch will also help in uplifting the socio-economic condition of this region in the State.
• It would also increase employment potential for local labourers for project activities. It has been estimated that a total number of 4,076 mandays are required for construction of one kilometre of highway. As such, employment potential of 89,000 (approx.) mandays will be generated locally during the construction period of this stretch.

Work will be done under the National Highways (Others) on Hybrid Annuity Mode. The concession period of the Project is 19 years including a construction period of four years.

Background-

• New project highway is a new formation of the missing link at NH-131A to NH-133B connecting Sahibganj in Jharkhand and Manihari in Bihar. At present, there is a missing link between Jharkhand to Bihar as there is no Bridge on the river Ganga at this location.
• Vehicular traffic uses Vikramshila Setu at Bhagalpur on Farakka barrage thus travelling a long distance to reach their destinations in North Bihar.