Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Editorials are covered separately. HINDU NOTES are available free date wise| CLICK HERE

Indian envoy in Pakistan meets Imran Khan

News:

• Pakistan is likely to boost its role in SAARCunder the Imran Khan government which will assume charge soon. An indication on this came at the first meeting between the newly elected leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Ajay Bisaria, Indian High Commissioner.

Beyond News

• They expressed the hope that the SAARC Summit would be held soon in Islamabad.
• The Indian High Commissioner said post the phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mr. Khan, there was a new optimism in India that relations would move forward positively.
• The summit-level meeting of the group had been uncertain since bilateral ties between India and Pakistan created a hurdle. An official source said Indian participation in the summit would ensure a visit by Prime Minister to Pakistan.
• Bilateral issues such as Kashmir were discussed at meeting.
• A press statement issued by the Indian High Commission said Mr. Bisaria raised the need to stop cross-border terrorism.

Ahead of pro-Khalistan rally, U.K. bats for right to protest

News

• Citizens in the United Kingdomhave the right to peaceful protest, said the spokesperson of the U.K. High Commission to India. The response from the U.K. authorities came a day after India said the pro-Khalistan rally planned in London aims to undermine the country’s territorial integrity.

Beyond News

• The spokesperson said the British police had all necessary powers to deal with any concerns regarding the rally.
• People in the U.K. have a right to protest and to demonstrate their views, provided they act within the law. Should a protest contravene the law, the police have comprehensive powers to deal with activities that spread hate or deliberately raise tensions through violence or public disorder. This does not negate the right to peaceful protest,” said a U.K. diplomatic source.
• The Ministry of External Affairs said the proposed rally, which will be held three days before Independence Day celebrations in India, is being organised by separatists.
• The London rally is expected to push the idea of an online referendum in 2020 largely among the diaspora Sikhs seeking the creation of the free state of Khalistan. A large protest was organised by the Anti-Terrorist Front outside the U.K. High Commission against the rally.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve enters UNESCO list

News

• The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR) of Sikkim, the highest biosphere reserve in the country that includes the third highest mountain peak in the world, Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), has been included in the UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WHBR).

Beyond News

• The decision was taken at the International Coordinating Council of Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme, UNESCO, in its 30th Session held at Palembang, Indonesia, last month, a press release by Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change said.
• With the inclusion of the KBR, one of the highest ecosystems in the world, reaching elevations of 1,220 m to 8,586 m above sea level, the number of biosphere reserves from the country included in World Network of Biosphere Reserves has increased to 11.
• The last biosphere reserve to be included was the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in Kerala in 2016. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first reserve from the country to be included in the WNBR. India has 18 biospheres reserves, of which 11 have been included in the WNBR.
• Inclusion of the KBR in the UNESCO list will boost the unique ecosystem of Sikkim on two counts: collaborative research and tourism.
• This development will boost international research collaboration relating to flora, fauna and ecosystem of the KBR.
• The Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), which comprises the core area of the KBR, was inscribed as India’s first “Mixed World Heritage Site” on July 17, 2016. Eighty six per cent of the core lies in the Alpine zone and the remaining portions are located in the Himalayan wet temperate and sub tropical moist deciduous forest.
• The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve is one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots that has good species diversity with high levels of endemism, with many mountains, peaks, lakes, caves, rocks, stupas (shrines) and hot springs.
• According to the Sikkim Forest Department, there are 4,500 species of flowering plants in the KBR, including 424 medicinal plants and 36 rhododendrons, 60 species of primulas and 11 varieties of oaks .
• The biosphere reserve has also listed 362 species of ferns. Over 118 species of the large number of medicinal plants are found in Dzongu Valley in north Sikkim.
• Many species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act have their home in the KBR. This includes the Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Black Beer and herbivores species of Musk deer, Great Tibetan Sheep, Blue Sheep, Boral and Barking Deer. Over 500 species and sub-species of birds, including high-altitude pheasants Monal Pheasants, Tragopan Pheasants and Blood Pheasants (the State Bird)  are also found in the reserve.

Praise for India’s green initiatives

News

• The UN’s environment chief has lauded India’ efforts to meet its energy needs through solar and curb use of plastics but said that countries still need to do lot more to protect the planet.

Beyond News

• UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director said 2017 is the first year in human history when more electricity was generated globally from the sun, than oil, gas and coal combined.
• In an interview with UN News, he said southern India now has “the first all-solar airport in the world“.
• Some of India’s southern states were experiencing “the most rapid economic development anywhere in the world – based on solar energy”.
• The Cochin International Airport in Kerala is the first ever fully solar powered airport. Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), the company which owns and operates the airport, became power neutral in August 2015 with the commissioning of its 12 megawatt peak (MWp) solar power plant. It scaled up the installed capacity to 30 MWp by April 2018.
• By September 2018, the solar capacity at CIAL is expected to be increased to 40 MWp, with a power potential of 60 million units per annum, according to information on the CIAL website.
• In the United States, “there are five times more jobs in solar, than in coal”.
• China had recently prohibited all trading in ivory; very important because it stops the market for those killing elephants in Africa.
• Indonesia has reduced deforestation across its peatlands by close to 90 per cent. Peat is partially decayed, dead vegetation, which stores enormous amounts of carbon and, among other things, soaks up water – helping to mitigate flooding – during wet season and releases water during dry season.

Coastal villages to soon vie for UNESCO tag

News

• In the coming years, Indian coastal villages may be able to shed their ‘vulnerable’ tags in exchange for ‘tsunami-ready’ designation, bestowed upon them by the United Nations.

Beyond News

• A national-level board that aims to prepare India’s coastal communities to face tsunamis met for the first time, since its constitution two months ago, at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). The board resolved to write to governments of coastal States seeking recommendations for villages at risk. The recommendations would kick-off a pilot project under the hazard preparedness programme.
• These are the first steps being taken as part the Indian Ocean Tsunami Ready programme that was instituted under the aegis of UNESCO, said, the Director of INCOIS.
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation devised a programme to promote tsunami hazard preparedness among coastal communities by assessing preparedness and recognising with the ‘Tsunami-Ready’ tag.
• Guidelines for the programme were framed in September 2017. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami prompted setting up of early warning systems for the region which are now successfully producing alerts, preparing communities to survive tsunamis was the need of the hour.
• In India, the national board, comprising representatives from INCOIS, disaster management agencies, coastal States and the Ministry of Home Affairs, would help villages meet 11 criteria of tsunami preparedness before designating them tsunami-ready.
• Villages deemed ready by the national board would then get to apply at the international level to UNESCO for the tag.
• The INCOIS conducted a national-level workshop to prepare the Army, navy, coast guard and representatives from nine coastal States on Tsunami Standard Operating Procedure in view of an upcoming tsunami mock exercise in the Indian Ocean region on September 4 and 5.

New software to fill gaps in recording deaths

News

• In 2011, only 67% of an estimated 8.5 million deaths in India were registered. Although the number of registrations increased to 76% (of an estimated 8.1 million deaths) in 2016, the proportion of medically certified deaths is only 22%, as per the Registrar General of India’s report on Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD), 2015.

Beyond News

• These figures indicate the huge gap between deaths registered and deaths medically certified.
• To address this issue and bridge the gap between deaths registered and deaths medically certified, the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research under the Indian Council of Medical Research (NCDIR-ICMR) has developed an electronic mortality (e-Mor) software.
• It is largely observed that medical practitioners record the mode of dying or the immediate cause rather than the underlying /antecedent cause that led to death. At present, the information is largely incomplete and inaccurate.
• According to the World Health Statistics 2018 released by the World Health Organisation Organisation (WHO) for Monitoring Health for the Sustainable Development Goals, the completeness and quality of cause of death information is only 10%.
• The e-Mor software is for strengthening cause of death reporting systems in hospitals and improve death audits with use of appropriate tools for classifying deaths (International Classification of Diseases-10). This can bridge the gap and lead to better death statistics and surveillance in India.
• The software has been put to use in eight hospitals in the northeastern States.
• This e-mortality software will have a larger impact on research and public health.

NGT forms panel for Natural Conservation Zones

News

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a committee to ascertain whether sub-regional plans for protection of Natural Conservation Zones (NCZs) are in consonance with the regional plans prepared by the National Capital Planning Board.

Beyond News

• A Bench has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to be the nodal agency and hold a meeting within 30 days.
• Since it is stated on behalf of Haryana that its report will be submitted within one month, the said report may be taken into account. Similar reports may also be furnished by the other States.
• The Secretaries of Urban Development Departments of the States will be responsible for submitting sub-regional plans. The matter may thereafter be finalised as far as possible within three months.
• The committee will comprise officials from the Environment Ministry, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Central Pollution Control Board, National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation and officials from the State governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DATE WISE CURRENT AFFAIRS.