Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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Delhi Declaration calls for joint fight against terror.

News:

• Counter-terrorism, identity security, military cooperation, and bilateral financial support were discussed in official level talks with leaders from ASEAN countries held on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of sectoral dialogue between two sides.
• The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit also came out with a comprehensive statement targeting terrorism and agreed to uphold freedom in the maritime domain.

Counter-terrorism

• A common topic at all the discussions that Prime Minister Modi participated was counter-terrorism.
• Focusing on the presence of the Islamic State and other forms of radicalism in the region, a joint statement, titled Delhi Declaration, issued after the plenary session, supported a common approach to counter terrorism and sought a comprehensive approach to combat terrorism through close cooperation by disrupting and countering terrorists, terrorist groups and networks.
• It includes countering cross border movement of terrorists and foreign terrorist fighters and misuse of Internet including social media by terror entities.
• Out of all the countries of ASEAN region, Philippines had the most serious threat from the Islamic State in the last few years and the bilateral discussion focused on this aspect.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Chinese scientists break key barrier by cloning monkeys

News

• Researchers at the Institute of Neuroscience in Shanghai have cloned monkeys using the same technique that produced Dolly the sheep two decades ago, breaking a technical barrier that could open the door to copying humans.

Beyond News

• Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, two identical long-tailed macaques, were born eight and six weeks ago, making them the first primates the order of mammals that includes monkeys, apes and humans  to be cloned from a non-embryonic cell.
• It was achieved through a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), which involves transferring the nucleus of a cell, which includes its DNA, into an egg which has had its nucleus removed.
• Researchers said their work should be a boon to medical research by making it possible to study diseases in populations of genetically uniform monkeys.

‘Vehicular emission a major cause for pollution on Bhogi’

News:

• The Puducherry city in Tamil nadu witnessed an increase in air pollution on Bhogi this year when compared with a normal day.

Bhogi day:

• Bhogiis the first day of the four-day Pongal festival. According to the Gregorian calendar it is normally celebrated on 13 January but sometimes it is celebrated on 14 January. In Tamil Calendar, this corresponds to last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi. It is a festival celebrated widely in Tamil Nadu,Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Beyond News:

• According to data available with the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC), the concentration of particulate matter was found to be slightly higher on Bhogi day when compared with a normal day.
• The air pollution levels and concentration of particulate matter were monitored at three locations in the city on a normal day (a day before Bhogi) and during the celebrations.
• The results revealed that the concentration of particulate matter and sulphur dioxide was found to be slightly higher on the Bhogi day.

Reasons:

• This may be because of sporadic activity of burning of unwanted old articles/waste/debris for a short period of time.
• An official of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment said that, vehicular emission is one of the major causes of the pollution as high humidity, foggy conditions and low wind speed were not favourable for easy diffusion of pollutants.

‘Solar smart tree’ crops up on Corporation premises.

News:

• With a view to tapping solar energy, the Thoothukudi Corporation in Tamil nadu has set up a ‘solar smart tree’ which will also facilitate a Wi-Fi hot spot and monitor air quality on the premises.

Beyond News:

• After Coimbatore, Thoothukudi has become the second corporation to implement this Rs. 3.5-lakh project.
• Thoothukudi is one of the 100 cities and towns selected by the Ministry of Urban Developmen under Smart City Mission.
• The ‘smart tree’ has a panel to tap solar energy and it can power six LED lights with a 12 hour backup. A small lawn with a stone bench in a shaded place has been planned around the ‘smart tree’ for visitors.

‘Air pollution not just confined to Delhi-National Capital Region’

News:

• The Supreme Court sounded the alarm on the bane of pollution spreading across the country, urging authorities to not limit their efforts at getting rid of toxicity in Delhi-NCR alone.

Beyond News:

• A Bench observed that cities like Patna and Raipur are probably more polluted than Delhi-NCR.
• The court asked the Centre to sit up and notice the pollution problems in two-tier cities and formulate an action plan to prevent and combat the rising graph of pollution.
• The Centre submitted that to ensure compliance with the orders passed by the apex court from time to time and for effective implementation of the actions prescribed in the Comprehensive Action Plan, the Central Pollution Control Board has been requested to issue appropriate directions under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
• These directions have been issued to stakeholders in the Centre and Delhi NCR States, that is, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, for undertaking necessary measures for meeting the timelines as prescribed in the Comprehensive Action Plan.

Reasons:

• Experts have blamed stubble burning by farmers, brick kilns, construction, vehicular pollution, firecrackers and hazardous industries as the main sources of pollution.

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