Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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2017 was second hottest year on record

News

Last year was the second hottest worldwide on record, just behind a sweltering 2016 with signs of climate change ranging from wildfires to a thaw of Arctic ice, a European Union monitoring centre said.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the first major international weather agency to report global 2017 temperatures, said they averaged 14.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.

Findings in the Report

• Last year was slightly “cooler than the warmest year on record, 2016, and warmer than the previous second warmest year, 2015,” the report said.
  Temperature records date back to the late 19th century.
• The measurements back up a projection by the U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in November that 2017 would be second or third warmest behind 2016, as part of a long-term trend driven by man-made greenhouse gases.

Sweltering temperatures in 2016 were also boosted by a natural El Nino event that happens every few years and releases heat from the Pacific Ocean.

• Last year was the warmest year on record without the influence of an El Nino, according to Copernicus, run by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

India, U.K. to ink illegal migrants pact

News:

India will sign a pact with the United Kingdom for a return of illegal Indian migrants within a month of them being detected by British authorities.

Beyond News:

The U.K has consistently raised the issue of return of illegal migrants said to number in thousands with India.

The memorandum of understanding comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit in March.

During her maiden visit to India on November 7, 2016, British Prime Minister Theresa May had said the U.K. would consider an improved visa deal “if at the same time we can step up the speed and volume of returns of Indians with no right to remain in the U.K.”

An Indian delegation, led by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, is visiting the U.K. this week.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

India to regain top spot with GDP pegged at 7.3% in 2018-19: World Bank

News

The World Bank is estimating India’s economy to grow by 6.7 per cent in the current fiscal year, higher than the 6.5 per cent estimate by the Government of India.

Beyond News

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is expected to rise to 7.3 per cent in 2018-19, making India again the world’s fastest growing economy, according to the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects report released .

The report dropped the growth estimate for 2017-18 by 0.1 per cent from its projection June 2017, because of the disruptions to the economy from the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
But it raised the growth forecast for 2018-19 by 0.1 per cent from the June figure.

The bank has forecast a GDP growth of 7.5 per cent in 2019-20 and 2020-21. It saw benefits down the road from the GST.

Food Security Act: Team to probe bungling in Odisha

News

The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has decided to send its high-level team to Kandhamal to inquire into allegations of irregularities in implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in this underdeveloped district.

Beyond News

According to the order passed by the commission on January 8, the high-level committee will go to Daringbadi in Kandhamal to look into the matter and submit its report to the OHRC within 15 days.

The OHRC took this decision in view of serious objections raised by the petitioner convenor of ‘Banabasi Suraksha Parishad’ Narendra Mohanty against the report filed by the Kandhamal collector before the commission.

Mr. Mohanty said that, following an agitation by the tribals and Dalits living in the remote pockets of the district in 2016, the administration had declared issuance of around 1,000 new ration cards to beneficiaries.
But it was alleged that the real beneficiaries did not receive the ration cards and the subsidised food items.

State to unveil ‘Electricmobility policy’ soon

News

With electric power-based locomotion becoming the preferred mode of transport sooner than later, the Andhra Pradesh government will soon come up with an ‘Electric mobility policy’.

Why this news Important

This makes Andhra Pradesh the first State to not only identify and tap the potentially emerging sector, but also make a vision plan in tune with its policy of promoting clean energy.

Beyond News

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister made the announcement after laying foundation stone for the ultra modern global scale manufacturing facility of the Apollo Tyres at Chinna Pandur in Satyavedu, the tail-end constituency abutting Tamil Nadu.

He called electric-powered mobility as the next generation mode of transportation that must be adopted at the earliest.

He also said that,emphasis would be laid on Research and Development (R&D), creating demand and improving the charging infrastructure.

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