Ten relevant news updates from across the world, useful for examinations
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Headlines - 16 - 07 - 2021
- Environment Ecology and Climate Change - New Global Biodiversity Framework - A new Global Biodiversity Framework by "The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)" was released. It will guide actions worldwide through 2030, to preserve and protect nature and its essential services to people. The goal is to spur urgent and transformative action by Governments and all of society to contribute to the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its Protocols, and other biodiversity related multilateral agreements, processes and instruments. The framework is built around a theory of change which recognizes that urgent policy action globally, regionally and nationally is required to transform economic, social and financial models. The trends that have exacerbated biodiversity loss will stabilize in the next 10 years (by 2030) and allow for the recovery of natural ecosystems in the following 20 years, with net improvements by 2050 to achieve the Convention’s vision of “living in harmony with nature by 2050”. The four long-term goals are - (i) Enhanced integrity of all ecosystems; (ii) Valuing, maintaining or enhancing Nature’s contributions to people through conservation and sustainable use; (iii) Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the utilization of genetic resources; and (iv) Closing the gap between available financial and other means of implementation, and those necessary to achieve the 2050 Vision.
- Defence and Military - National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) - Two decades after the Kargil Group of Ministers’ recommendation, the Central government shall create and appoint a National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) with the objective of enhancing security architecture and energy security of India. The NMSC will work under Indian National Security Advisor (NSA), and will be the principal advisor to the government on maritime security domain. This appointment fills the need of the hour as the Navy, Coast Guard and state maritime boards all tend to work with overlapping jurisdictions. It is part of Act East Policy vision that includes SAGAR (Security and Growth of All in the Region), Deep Ocean Mission and the Sagarmala project to make India’s 12 major ports into world class standard. Over 70% of Indian trade including vital crude oil is transported through sea and protection of sea shipping lanes is vital to India’s security.
- Environment Ecology and Climate Change - China’s carbon trading market commences - China’s long-awaited carbon market started trading on 16th July. The emissions-trading system—which is the world’s largest—was first announced in 2017. Initially the market covers some 2,225 power plants that use fossil fuels, which produce between one-third and one-half of the country’s entire emissions. But it will not do much to aid the Chinese government’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2060. China has prioritised participation over the immediate reduction of emissions. Companies get large quotas to let them keep spewing out lots of carbon; fines for breaching the rules are low. Carbon prices started at less than 15% of Europe’s. The Chinese government says that it intends to expand the market rapidly. For now, it will not change the country’s status as the biggest polluter in the world.
- Indian Economy - Longevity Finance Hub - The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has constituted an Expert Committee to recommend approach towards development of Longevity Finance Hub in GIFT IFSC. The expert committee is being co-chaired by Ms. Kaku Nakhate (Bank of America India Head) and Mr. Gopalan Srinivasan (former CMD, New India Assurance Company). The IFSCA was established as a unified regulator to develop and regulate financial products, financial services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in India. ‘Longevity Finance Hub’ will cater to the investment and wealth management needs of the ‘silver generation’ comprising individuals aged 60 years and older. Global estimates suggest that there are one billion people in the silver generation. Their combined spending power is worth $15 trillion and the size is ever expanding.
- People and Personalities - Death of a remarkable photo journalist - A Reuters photojournalist was killed in Afghanistan during a clash between the army and Taliban fighters, on 16th July. Danish Siddiqui was embedded with Afghan special forces near the Wesh-Chaman border crossing with Pakistan, which was taken by the Taliban on 14th-15th. The crossing is strategically important to the Taliban—much of their leadership is based in Balochistan province, on the Pakistani side, as are many of their reservists. Danish's death was mourned by leading Ministers of Indian government, though many were critical of his work during Covid's second wave that ravaged India. Danish had taken elaborate set of pictures of the vast funerals that were avoided by mainstream media generally. His pictures of the mass graves along river Ganga's banks in UP had caused a stir.
- World Politics - Merkel and Biden - During what was probably her last visit to the White House as chancellor, Mrs Merkel and Joe Biden failed to reach a compromise over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Germany vigorously supports the controversial pipeline—which would bring natural gas from Russia to the German coast—but America argues it would hand ever more power to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s autocratic president. Separately, chancellor Merkel promised “all the power of the state” to help people affected by severe floods thought to have killed more than 100 people in Germany and Belgium. More than a thousand are still missing. Heavy rain inundated Belgium, western Germany and the Netherlands, causing flash floods that caught both residents and officials by surprise. More rain is forecast for today.
- Science and Technology - UV-C Air Duct Disinfection System - The UV-C air duct disinfection system developed by CSIR-CSIO (Central Scientific Instruments Organisation) will be installed in Parliament for the mitigation of airborne transmission of SARS-COV-2. This system is designed to fit into any existing air-ducts and the virucidal dosages using UV-C intensity and residence time can be optimised according to the existing space. Uses - This system deactivates the virus in any aerosol particles by the calibrated levels of UV-C light (wavelength 254 nm). It can be used to disinfect the air in auditoriums, malls, educational Institutions, AC buses, hospitals, laboratories, and in railways. But these conventional germicidal treatments are done in unoccupied rooms as they can cause health problems. Because viruses and bacteria are much smaller than human cells, far-UVC light can reach their DNA and kill them. Finding - When exposed to 222 nm UV-C irradiation at 0.1 mW/cm2 for 30-seconds, 99.7% of SARS-CoV-2 viral culture was killed.
- Governance and Institutions - Draft Drone Rules, 2021 - Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has released the updated – The Drone Rules, 2021 for public consultation. The Drone Rules, 2021 will replace the UAS Rules 2021 (released on 12 March 2021). Approvals abolished include unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number, certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, etc. Number of forms reduced from 25 to 6. Fee reduced to nominal levels. No linkage with the size of the drone. Safety features like ‘No permission – no take-off’ (NPNT), real-time tracking beacon, geo-fencing etc. to be notified in future. A six-month lead time will be provided for compliance. Digital sky platform shall be developed as a business-friendly single-window online system. Interactive airspace map with green, yellow, and red zones will be displayed on the digital sky platform. Yellow zone reduced from 45 km to 12 km from the airport perimeter. No flight permission required upto 400 feet in green zones and upto 200 feet in the area between 8 and 12 km from the airport perimeter. No pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use), nano drone and for R&D organisations. No restriction on drone operations by foreign-owned companies registered in India. Coverage of drones under Drone Rules, 2021 increased from 300 kg to 500 kg. This will cover drone taxis also. Maximum penalty under Drone Rules, 2021 reduced to INR 1 lakh. This shall, however, not apply to penalties in respect of violation of other laws. Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries. Drone promotion council to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime.
- Constitution and Law - IT Act's Section 66A meets its end finally - The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has requested States and Union Territories (UTs)to direct all police stations under their jurisdiction not to register cases under the repealed Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. It asked the States and UTs to sensitize law enforcement agencies for the compliance of the order issued by the Supreme Court on 24.03.2015. The MHA requested that if any case has been booked in States and UTs under section 66A of the IT Act, 2000, such cases should be immediately withdrawn. The Supreme Court in its judgment on 24.03.2015 in the matter of Shreya Singhal Vs. Union of India, had struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. This made Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 null and void with effect from the date of the order, therefore 24.03.2015 and hence no action could be taken under this section.
- Religion - Haj 2021: A socially distanced pilgrimage - The world’s 1.9 bn Muslims are asked to observe the ritual of visiting Mecca once in their lifetime. Doing so is considered a sacred duty. That means almost 30 m Muslims each year should go on the pilgrimage. This year, when haj begins on July 18th, just 60,000 will do so. For a second year running, Saudi Arabia has banned foreigners from visiting and curtailed footfall because of the covid-19 pandemic. Tourism across the Middle East is down by 80%. Millions have lost their jobs. But that has not dimmed the ambition of Muhammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince who announced the launch of a new national airline, Flynas. And he is spending billions of dollars on resorts along the Red Sea coast. He wants tourism and a new entertainment industry to haul the kingdom out of obscurantism. The longer the global closure, he believes, the more time the kingdom has to catch up.
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