Daily Current Affairs :  21-11-2020

Table of Content :

1. India and the European Union (EU)
2. Five Eyes alliance
3. Global Bribery Risk Matrix
4. Meghalaya Integrated Transport project
5. Mission Purvodaya
6. Operation Thunder 2020
7. Willow Warbler
8. Rani Lakshmi Bai
9. IFAD Report
10.  DEEMED FORESTS
11. SAFAIMITRA SURAKSHA CHALLENGE
12. GREEN HYDROGEN PLANTS

1. The 12th counter Terrorism Dialogue between India and the European Union (EU)

• Both Condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism.
• India and the EU emphasized the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner.
• they also exchanged views on counter-terrorism challenges, including radicalization and violent extremism, terror financing and terrorist use of the internet.

2. Five Eyes alliance

• It is an alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and the US.
• It is a long-standing alliance where the intelligence agencies of these respective five countries share signal military and human intelligence among themselves.
• the alliance has urged china to reconsider its actions on disqualifying hong kongs elected legislators.

3. Global Bribery Risk Matrix

• It is released by TRACE, a World-leading anti-bribery standard-setting organization
• India Ranked 77th among 194 countries. India has performed better than china, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
• North Korea presents the highest commercial bribery risk, while Denmark the lowest, score is calculated based on four parameters.

1. Government and civil society transparency.
2. Business interactions with government.
3. Capacity for civil society oversight.
4. Anti-bribery deterrents and enforcement.

4. Meghalaya Integrated Transport project 

• India and the World Bank signed a 120 million USD loan to modernize the transport sector in the state of Meghalaya.
• The project aims to improve 300 km of strategic road segment through climate-resilient and nature-based solutions.
• The project will tap into Meghalaya'sgrowth potential in two ways:
• Within the state, it will provide the much-needed transport connectivity

1.Within the state, it will provide the much-needed transport connectivity

2.It will also position Meghalaya as a major connecting hub for international trade through Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,and the Nepal Corridor.

5. Mission Purvodaya

• It was launched by the Ministry of Steel in partnership with Cll  and Joint Plant Committee for Accelerated development of eastern  India through integrated steel hub in  Kolkata, West Bengal.

1.It would encompass Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and the Northern part of Andra Pradesh.

• It aims to enable swift capacity addition and improve the overall competitiveness of steel producers both in terms of cost and quality.
• Through this program, the government aims to transform logistics and utility infrastructure which would change the socio-economic landscape in eastern India

6. Operation Thunder 2020

• Coord initiated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization, a Month-long operation (14 September - 11 October 2020) rallied 103countries (including India) against environmental crime.
•  It is the fourth in a series of Thunder operations carried out annually since 2017.
• The participating countries focused mainly on the species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

7. Willow Warbler

• It is one of the longest migrating small birds that was sighted for the first time in India in Thiruvananthapuram
• Usually seen in European and the Palearctic regions, the birds migrate to sub-Saharan Africa during early winter.
• IUCN status - Least Concerned.

8. Rani Lakshmi Bai

• Prime Minister paid tribute to Rani Lakshmi Bai on her Jayanti {19 November).
• She became ruler of Jhansi after the death of her husband Raja Gangadhar Rao and when their adopted son was not recognized as ruler.
• She was one of the leading figures of the 1857 war of independence.
• Lakshmi Bai's hold on power in Jhansi lasted until March 1858,when company troops led by Gen. Hugh Rose laid siege to the fortress

9. SMALL FARMERS DEPRIVED OF CLIMATE FINANCE: INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IFAD) REPORT

• IFAD is an International Financial Institution and a specialized agency of United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries

Key Findings :

• Small scale farmers operating on less than 5 hectares of land represent around 95% of the world's farms and a cumulated area equivalent to 20% of the global farmland.

Barriers to small-scale agriculture finance Includes:

• The limited capacity of national governments to comply with international climate funds' procedures.
• National governments' capacity)' to develop climate adaptation and mitigation programs.
• Financial markets are not providing services adapted to farmers' needs.
• As the agriculture sector is seen as risky there is limited capital available for those Involved In small-scale agriculture.

Recommendations to channel climate finance to small- scale agriculture

• Enhance collaboration between public and private sectors to mitigate risk associated with investments in the agricultural sector.
• Subsidized loans based on Implementation of climate-smart agricultural subsidies for weather Insurance bundled with loans (Similar to lndla'sNational Crop Insurance Program.
• The transition of agribusinesses and finance service providers 1owards low emission supply drains.

10. KARNATAKA TO RELEASE 6.64 LAKH HECTARES OF DEEMED FORESTS

• The state government has been arguing that classification was done without taking Into account the needs of the people and is Impactingfarm'rs and also barred large tracts from mining.
• Reports by expert committees constituted by Karnataka government, after Supreme Court (SC) Judgement In 1996, identified 9.94 lakh hectares deemed forests.

About Deemed forest

• It refers to land tracts that appear to be a forest, but have not been notified so by the government or in historical records. It comprises of about 1%of India'sfotest land.
• Freedom to define which tracts of forest quality as the forest has been the prerogative of States since 1996.
• SC, in 1996 Godavarten Plan judgment. had broadened the definition of the forest to Include not just land classified as forests under forest or revenue departments. but also those that are forest according to definition a forest.
• SC directed the state to expert communities to Identify all forests,are-spelled of whether they are notified, recognized or classified under any law, and irrespective of land ownership.

11. URBAN AFFAIRS LAUNCHES SAFAIMITRA SURAKSHA CHALLENGE

• Under the challenge, all states/UTs pledged to make sewer-cleaning mechanized by April 2021, promote citizen awareness, and prevent Hazardous Meaning of Sewers and Septic Tanks.
• 243 cities will be awarded under three sub-categories based on population: up to 3 lakh,3 10 lakh, and over 10 lakh
• Manual Scavenging is defined as the removal of human excrement from public streets and dry latrines, cleaning septic tanks, gutters, and sewers.
• Official records show that manual scavenging has led to 376 deaths over the past five years.
• Sanitation being a State subject, people for cleaning of sewers and septic tanks are employed by local bodies.

Government Interventions

• Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Ory Latrines (Prohibition)Act, 1993, banned the employment of people as manual scavengers.
• Prohibition of Employment 15 Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013
• that bani manual scavenging In all forms provides for their survey and rehabilitation within a time-bound manner.
•  Establishment of National Commission for Safal Ka.ramcharls to look Into matters concerning the Safai Karamcharis' welfare.

12. INDIA MAY CALL BIDS FOR SETTING UP GREEN HYDROGEN PLANTS

• Green hydrogen is a clean-burning fuel that eliminates emissions by using renewable energy (such as wind, solar or hydro) to electrolyze water, separating the hydrogen atom within it from oxygen.
• Hydrogen derived using fossil fuels is called gray hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is made in the same way, but carbon capture technologies prevent C02 from being released.

Advantages of Hydrogen over conventional fuels:

• abundance, high energy density, ease of transportation over a long distance, better combustion characteristics, non-polluting nature, etc.

Signification for India

• Reducing dependence on oil imports.
•  It will help in resolving electricity transmission and evacuation related problems for green energy projects.
• Decarbonise a range of sectors including transport, iron, and steel, etc.
• Reducing emissions, improving air quality, and strengthen energy security
• The application includes Fuel cell vehicles, H2 Hybrid vehicles, power generation, chemical industries, Fertilizer industries, refineries, etc.

13. ANTI MALARIA DRUG RESISTANCE CAMOR) GROWING FAST, SAY WHO REPORT

• Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through infected female Anopheles mo•quitoes. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans.
• 2 species -Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodiumvivax -pose the greatest threat.
• According to the report Plasmodium vivax resistance to chloroquine (used as standard treatment drug) had been reported from all regions, including India.
• The study mentioned high AMORInTrlpura, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.
• Major reasons for resistance include imperfect coverage of antimalarial drugs, Improper
• diagnosis, misuse of drugs, and not-so-good mosquito-control programs
• the report was released as part of the ongoing World Antimicrobial Awareness week (18-24 November).
• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites resist the effects of medications, making common infections harder  realand increasing the risk of disease spread, severe Illness and death.

Jai Hind!

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