Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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UNESCO names Kumbh Mela Intangible Cultural Heritage

News

• After ‘yoga’ and ‘Nouroz’, Kumbh Mela/ KumbhMela, the largest congregation of pilgrims on the planet, has been listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

Beyond News

• The Kumbh Mela is held in Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nashik.
• The inscription of ‘Kumbh Mela’ in the list was undertaken following recommendation by an expert body which examines nominations submitted by member countries of the UNESCO.
• The Intergovernment Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage under UNESCO has inscribed ‘Kumbh Mela’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 12th session held at Jeju, South Korea from 4-9 December 2017.
• This inscription is the third in two years following the inscriptions of ‘Yoga’ and ‘Norouz’ on 1st December 2016.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Wassenaar Arrangement decides to make India its member

News:

• In a significant development, elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement(WA) decided to admit India as its new member, which is expected to raise New Delhi’s stature in the field of non-proliferation besides helping it acquire critical technologies.

What is WA?

• The Wassenaar Arrangementon Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies, commonly known as the Wassenaar Arrangement, is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) with 42 participating states including many former Comecon (Warsaw Pact) countries.

Beyond News:

• The decision was taken at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna.
• India will become the Arrangement’s 42nd participating state as soon as the necessary procedural arrangements for joining the WA are completed.

Significance:

• India’s entry into the export control regime would enhance its credentials in the field of non-proliferation despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• The WA membership is also expected to build up a strong case for India’s entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
• The Wassenaar Arrangement plays a significant role in promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies.

India to achieve ‘electricity for all’ by early 2020s: IEA

News:

• Half a billion people have gained access to electricity in India since 2000, almost doubling the country’s electrification rate, according to the World Energy Access report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Important Findings in Report:

• This “remarkable” growth puts India on course to achieving access to electricity for all in the early 2020s
• The number of people without access to electricity fell to 1.1 billion in 2016 from 1.7 billion in 2000.
• It is on track to decline to 674 million by 2030, with India reaching universal access well before then. Since 2012, more than 100 million people per year have gained electricity access, an acceleration from the rate of 62 million people per year seen between 2000 and 2012.
• Half a billion people have gained access to electricity in India since 2000, almost doubling the country’s electrification rate.

Beyond News

The report also added that India is expected to reach universal electricity access in the early-2020s. Progress has also been made on clean cooking, although 830 million people in India still lack access.

Ministers not under RTI: HC

News

• The Delhi High Court has set aside the Central Information Commission order declaring Ministers as “public authorities” and answerable under the Right to Information law.

Beyond News

• The judge said that,there was no occasion for the CIC to enter upon the question as to whether a minister is a ‘public authority’ under Section 2(h) of the Act. Further, directions issued by the CIC are also wholly outside the scope of the matter before the CIC.
• The High Court’s order came on the Centre’s appeal against the CIC order.

The case emanates from an application filed by a Maharashtra resident who wanted to know how to get an appointment with the Union Law Minister.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

A.P. registers 11.37% growth rate in first half of current fiscal

News

• Andhra Pradesh has registered a growth rate of 11.37% during the first half of the current fiscal compared to the national growth rate of 5.8%.

Why this News Important?

• The State has registered highest growth rate in the agriculture and allied sectors with 25.60% as against the national growth rate of 2%.

Beyond News

• Industry and services sectors also registered highest growth rate of 7.43% and 8.38% respectively. These growth rates are higher than the national growth rates of 3.6% and 7.9% respectively.
• All the three sectors have shown a fall in growth during Q2 compared to Q1.
• The agriculture and allied sectors’ growth rate slipped to 24.05% in Q2 from 27.6% in Q1. Similarly, the industry sector has shown a growth rate of 6.80% in Q2 as against 8.05% in Q1.
• The services sector registered a growth rate of only 8.38% in Q2 as against 8.67% in Q1.
• A growth rate of 9.98% had been registered in the industry sector during the first half of 2016-17, while it is 7.43% during the first half of the current fiscal. The services sector too registered a fall from 9.57% in 2016-17 to 8.38% in 2017-18.
• The growth in these sectors is high compared to the national growth. Also, there is a fall in the national growth in the agriculture and allied sectors and services sector.

NGT raps Punjab, Haryana over their action plan on pollution

News

• The National Green Tribunal slammed Punjab and Haryana governments for filing generalised action plans to combat air pollution and directed them to refer to its previous judgements on the issue.

Beyond News

• A bench headed by NGT Chairperson, also summoned the environment secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan asking them to give a “workable solution” for combating the problem of pollution.

The tribunal took exception that Punjab and Haryana were following the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority’s (EPCA’s) comprehensive action plan and not applying their own mind.

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