India signs UNISA
India on 7 August 2019 signed a key UN convention on international settlement agreements, even as experts called for local laws to support the treaty’s implementation in business contracts.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21180-india-signs-unisa
#UNISA #India #JawedAshraf #NDIAC #ADR #IIIA #Singapore

Living indigenous languages
The Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea has the highest number of 'living' indigenous languages in the world (840), while India stands fourth with 453. 2019 is the United Nations' International Year of Indigenous Languages.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21179-living-indigenous-languages
#indigenous #UN #UNESCO #Australia #Pacific #UnitedNations #India

‘Climate Change and Land’ report
Agriculture and associated land activities related to food production could be contributing over a quarter of the global emissions of greenhouse gases, a new major report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21178-climate-change-and-land-report
#IPCC #GHG #GlobalWarming #anthropogenic #greenhouse #Agriculture

Curiosity rover completes seven years
NASA's Curiosity rover has completed seven years on Mars and it has shared a 360-degree view of the Teal Ridge alongside a throwback video of its landing on the red planet. It’s been seven years since NASA’s Curiosity rover first touched the surface of the Mars.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21177-curiosity-rover-completes-seven-years
#NASA #Mars #planet #MRO #UpperMountSharp #VeraRubinRidge #Curiosity

Tribunal for SFJ
The Centre has set up a tribunal to adjudicate whether or not there is sufficient reason to impose a ban on pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice, which was declared as an unlawful organisation last month.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21176-tribunal-for-sfj
#SFJ #Tribunal #UAPA #Prevention #ParamjeetSinghPamma

BASIC countries in making Paris agreement
Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of Parties (COP-25) meet to be held later in the year from 2nd to 13th December, the BASIC countries held its 28th Ministerial meeting on Climate Change from 14th to 16th August in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21254-basic-countries-in-making-paris-agreement
#BASIC #UNFCC #CBDRRC #UNSG #IPCC #ICAO #IMO #PrakashJavadekar #XIEZhenhua

What is the UN’s stand on Kashmir?
On August 16, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a “closed consultation” meeting on the situation in Kashmir. On August 5, India had ended the special status of the State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) under Article 370 and Article 35A, carving it into two Union Territories: J&K and Ladakh.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21253-what-is-the-un-s-stand-on-kashmir
#UN #Kashmir #UNSC #UNCIP #Pakistan #India #Ladakh

Konkan Exercise in English Channel
Indian Navy stealth frigate INS Tarkash joined the UK Royal Navy's HMS Destroyer in the English Channel for their annual Konkan Exercise this week. Konkan is a long-running exercise designed to test the ability of the two Commonwealth navies to operate side-by-side during war and other crunch scenarios.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21252-konkan-exercise-in-english-channel
#KonkanExercise #EnglishChannel #INS #IndianNavy #HMS #Destroyer

China launches rocket for commercial use
A Chinese government space agency successfully launched on 17 August 2019 its first rocket meant for commercial use, state television CCTV reported, as firms in the country compete to join a commercial satellite boom.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21251-china-launches-rocket-for-commercial-use
#China #CASC #SmartDragon #rocket #satellites #CAS #TechnologyCorp

Two galaxies colliding
NASA and European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hubble Space Telescope has just captured images of two luminescent galaxies catalogued as UGC 2369. The telescope was able to capture mutual gravitational attraction between both the galaxies. Interaction between galaxies is not an uncommon event, however, two similarly sized ones merging is one of a kind.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21250-two-galaxies-colliding
#galaxies #ESA #NASA #UGC2369 #MilkyWay #HubbleSpaceTelescope

GCF for Maharashtra
IN order to combat climate change in coastal towns of Maharashtra and enhance climate resilience of the coastal communities, the state government is set to get US$ 25.7 million under the United Nations-backed Green Climate Fund (GCF) over six years.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21958-gcf-for-maharashtra.html
#GCF #Maharashtra #SROCC #IPCC #UNFCCC #AndhraPradesh

World Heritage Site status for Hoysala temples
The State Archaeology Department has clubbed 14 temples from the Hoysala period reflecting similar architectural styles — including the monuments at Belur-Halebid and Somnathpur — for serial nomination to seek UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21957-world-heritage-site-status-for-hoysala-temples.html
#UNESCO #INTACH #WHS #Hoysala #SAD #INTACH

India-China business forum called off
AN INDIA-CHINA business forum that was to take place in Delhi later this weekhas been called off as the Indian government has not yet issued visas to the Chinese delegation.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21956-india-china-business-forum-called-off.html
#India #FICCI #IBLF #RCEP #CHINA #NitinGadkari #NITIAayog

T.N. Seshan dead
Former Chief Election Commissioner Tirunellai Narayanaiyer Seshan, who cracked the whip on money and muscle power in elections and proved to be a nemesis for political parties, died in Chennai on 10 November 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21955-t-n-seshan-dead.html
#TNSeshandead #CEC #MadrasChristianCollege #elections #Jayalakshmi

Niti begins work to improve data quality
Niti Aayog, India’s key policy think tank, has begun work on a roadmap that will suggest steps to swiftly tackle quality issues confronting official data.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22356-niti-begins-work-to-improve-data-quality.html
#NitiAayog #India #MoSPI #GDP #RajivKumar #HCE

PSLV turns money-spinner
Indian Space Research Organisation’s PSLV has turned into a money-spinner for the space agency as forex brought by the country’s mainstay rocket increased by Rs 90 crore from Rs 232.56 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 324 crore in 2018-19 fiscal year.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22355-pslv-turns-money-spinner.html
#PSLV #SSLV #RISAT #SatishDhawan #SDSC #Isro

Dharmadhikari panel winds up exercise
Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari one-man committee appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve the issue over allocation of the State-cadre employees between the power utilities of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana concluded its exercise without making any headway, with one of the two sides unwilling to budge its stance even by an inch.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22354-dharmadhikari-panel-winds-up-exercise.html
#Dharmadhikari #AndhraPradesh #SupremeCourt #AP #Telangana

Weakest outcome ever
The longest-ever climate conference delivered probably the weakest outcome ever. The two-week Madrid climate conference could produce an agreement only after removing everything that any country objected to from the final text, and postponing all decisions on the only major agenda item it had to finalise.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22353-weakest-outcome-ever.html
#Weakest #COP25 #IPCC #Madrid2019 #UN #ClimateChangeConference

'Kalpana' can foresee brain disorders
It is now possible to detect brain disorders well before time. Indian scientists at National Brain Research Center (NBRC) have developed a technology that uses the brain’s stress levels and pH to identify brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22352-kalpana-can-foresee-brain-disorders.html
#Kalpana #NBRC #GABA #Tesla #MRI #MRS #WHO #NINS

FC constitute a panel
The Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC) has constituted a panel to examine whether a separate mechanism be set up for the funding of defence and internal security.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22862-fc-constitute-a-panel.html
#FC #NKSingh #GDP #FRBM #GST #XVFC

SC rejects new schedule for AGR payments
In a major setback for the telecom companies, the Supreme Court on 14 February 2020 rejected the plea seeking new schedule of AGR payments. Coming down heavily on the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for not taking coercive action against telcos for failing to repay, the apex court ordered contempt proceedings against Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22861-sc-rejects-new-schedule-for-agr-payments.html
#SC #AGR #DoT #apexcourt #SUC #COAI #SupremeCourt

India, Portugal ink seven pacts
India and Portugal on 14 February 2020 signed seven agreements to boost cooperation in a range of areas after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa held extensive talks.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22860-india-portugal-ink-seven-pacts.html
#India #Portugal #Modi #RashtrapatiBhavan #AbuSalem

RK Pachauri died
RK Pachauri, 79, founder director of New Delhi-based think tank The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) and former chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), passed away on 13 February 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22859-rk-pachauri-died.html
#RK #Pachauri #IPCC #Teri #IndianRailways #NPP

Space snowman reveals secrets
NASA’s space snowman is revealing fresh secrets from its home far beyond Pluto. More than a year after its close encounter with the snowman-shaped object, the New Horizons spacecraft is still sending back data from more than 4 billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) away.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22858-space-snowman-reveals-secrets.html
#Space #NASA #snowman #spacecraft #NewHorizons

India gets its first CCA report
India will experience warmer days and nights along with frequent heavy rainfall spells causing floods till the end of 21st century, summarised a report titled ‘Climate Change Assessment (CCA) report over Indian region’.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/24003-india-gets-its-first-cca-report.html
#CCA #IPCC #India #IITM #IndiaMeteorologicalDepartment

Watch IPCC Assessment 6 | Climate Change | Geography Optional | Chandramouli Sir #UPSCaspirants #CrackUPSC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JappPu8aI4

Watch: IPCC Assessment 6 | Climate Change | Geography Optional | Chandramouli Sir #UPSCaspirants #CrackUPSC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JappPu8aI4&list=PLCUwtp5IghZluj6Moa1Ajc2qhQAqsWFl-&index=3

Watch: KSG DYK - IPCC, the body related to climate change was formed by? #SHORTS #UPSC #IAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beOy3J7xJzM

KSG Podcast - The UN 'house on fire' climate report | best daily editorial analysis for upsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sIH_DZPcK8
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - Reading new climate report | best daily editorial analysis for upsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoWDCDDVF-U
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - Malaria outbreak in Himalayan region | best daily editorial analysis for upsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuNJkdpsOyk
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - The UN 'house on fire' climate report | best daily editorial analysis for upsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sIH_DZPcK8&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=69
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - Reading new climate report | best daily editorial analysis for upsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoWDCDDVF-U&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=70
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

KSG Podcast - Malaria outbreak in Himalayan region | best daily editorial analysis for upsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuNJkdpsOyk&list=PLCUwtp5IghZmJBi1h7xiAhsORKmmumVsR&index=70
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

Today's Headlines - 28 July 2023
The Biodiversity Act approved for amendment
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

Lok Sabha gave its approval to a Bill to amend some provisions of the Biological Diversity Act of 2002. The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill seeks to address concerns of several central ministries, state governments, researchers, industry, and other stakeholders, regarding the implementation of the 20-year-old law that is meant to preserve the country’s biological diversity and to ensure its sustainable use.

What is the biodiversity law, and why does India need one?

Biological diversity refers to all kinds of life forms — animals, plants and microorganisms — their gene pools, and the ecosystems that they inhabit.
The 2002 Act was a response to the global need to protect and conserve biological resources, which are under threat due to human activities.
The extent of the damage was highlighted, much later, in a landmark 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a scientific body similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
That report issued a stark warning: about 1 million animal and plant species, out of a total of about 8 million, were facing the threat of extinction.
About 75 per cent of the Earth’s land surface and 66 per cent of the oceans had been “significantly altered”, it said.
But efforts to protect biological diversity had begun much earlier. In 1994, countries including India had agreed to a Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international framework agreement similar to the more famous one on climate change.
There was a general agreement on three things: (i) that indiscriminate use of biological resources needed to be halted, (ii) that sustainable use of these resources, for their medicinal properties for example, needed to be regulated, and (iii) that people and communities helping in protecting and maintaining these resources needed to be rewarded for their efforts.
India’s Biological Diversity Act of 2002 was enacted by the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with these objectives in mind.
It set up a National Biodiversity Authority as a regulatory body, and prescribed the conditions in, and purposes for, which biological resources could be utilised. The purposes are mainly related to scientific research and commercial use.
What amendments have been proposed in the biodiversity law?

The Bill passed makes several amendments to the 2002 Act, addressing most of the concerns raised by the practitioners of traditional systems of medicine, the seed sector, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Certain categories of users of biological resources, like practitioners of Indian systems of medicine, have been exempted from making payments towards the access and benefit-sharing mechanism.
Companies registered in India and controlled by Indians are now treated as Indian companies, even if they have foreign equity or partnership, thereby reducing the restrictions on them.
Provisions have been included to speed up the approval process in cases of use of biological resources in scientific research, or for filing of patent applications. The penalty provisions for wrongdoing by user agencies have been rationalised.

#upsc #news #todayheadline #biodiversity #amendment #enviroment #bill #microorganisms #ecosystem #intergovernmental #IPBES #IPCC #extinction #CBD #national #authority #traditional #medicine #rationalised

Today's Headlines - 03 August 2023
New IPCC assessment cycle begins
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded its elections, marking the beginning of the seventh assessment cycle. The elections commenced, during the IPCC’S 59th session held in Nairobi, Kenya. In the process, the body elected James Skea, professor of sustainable energy at Imperial College, London, as the new IPCC Chair.

About IPCC

It was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
The IPCC produces comprehensive assessment reports (ARs) that are considered the most authoritative source of scientific knowledge on climate change.
So far, it has released six ARs — the final synthesis report of the sixth AR came out in March 2023 — and with the latest elections, the body has initiated a new cycle of producing the next AR.

What does the IPCC Chair do?

The primary role of the IPCC Chair is to oversee the reports which come out in each assessment cycle.
Together with the IPCC Bureau, the Chair also sets the research agenda, which could include the release of additional special reports on specific topics.
The Chair is required to possess a rare combination of scientific and diplomatic skills, which are needed to get the approvals of governments on the report summaries.
The tenure of the Chair usually lasts five to seven years, depending on the duration of the assessment cycle, and they can serve up to two terms only — India’s RK Pachauri remains the only person till now to serve two terms as the Chair. He headed the fourth and fifth assessment cycles of the IPCC, between 2002 and 2015.

What are the IPCC assessment cycles?

So far, the IPCC has had six assessment cycles, during which it released six comprehensive assessment reports.
In each of these cycles, the body also produced several special reports on specific topics. Not only this, IPCC also publishes methodology reports during these cycles, in which it provides guidelines for governments to estimate their greenhouse gas emissions and removals.
Kickstarter in 2015, the sixth assessment cycle, the most recent one, was concluded in March this year with the release of the synthesis report — a relatively non-technical summary of the previous report that came out during the cycle.
The previous reports included reports put out by the three working groups, including Working Group I, which aims at assessing the physical scientific basis of the climate system and climate change, Working Group II, which examines the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change and its consequences, and the Working Group III, which focuses on climate change mitigation, assessing methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere
Notably, the IPCC doesn’t conduct its research, but asks the authors to “assess the thousands of scientific papers published each year to provide a comprehensive summary of what is known about the drivers of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and how adaptation and mitigation can reduce those risks”.

#upsc #news #headline #IPCC #cycle #panel #WMO #UNEP #ARs #agenda #report #bureau #diplomatic #greenhouse #methodology #technical #gas #emissions #synthesis #mitigation #research #focus #risks