National Current Affairs – UPSC/KAS Exams – 30th November 2018
South Asia Youth Peace Conference
Topic: International Affairs
IN NEWS: South Asia Youth Peace Conference as part of Celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, inaugurated in the capital. The Conference is being organised by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, UNESCO MGIEP and STEP (Standing Together to Enable Peace).
More on the Topic:
- About 100 youth leaders from South Asian countries and different parts of India have come together to discuss different dimensions of ‘peace’.
- The countries represented include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
- As part of the ongoing celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, the young people have come together to create an action plan to power the Sustainable Development Goals through the lens of love and kindness.
Objective of the Conference:
- The objective of the conference is to eliminate stereotypes, prejudices across all borders, to understand micro-macro aspect of the issues, identify common challenges and develop plan of action, to build a network of youth leaders.
- The conference will have conversations on Gender, Food Security, Interfaith Harmony, Digital media, Art Democracy and other Dialogues.
- Amongst the objectives include the aim to equip young leaders with skills and knowledge based on peace education, critical enquiry and socio-emotional learning as a tool to engage with their peers.
- The aim is also to build a network of youth leaders and change-makers across South Asia who will join hands to address common challenging issues together.
Source:The Hindu
Cope India 2019
Topic: International Relations
IN NEWS: The air forces of the United States and India are scheduled to participate in a 12-day- long joint exercise ‘Cope India 2019’ at two air force stations in West Bengal in December 2018.
More on the Topic:
- The Cope India exercise is being held after a gap of eight years, with the last one having taken place in 2010.
- The exercise is a long-standing bilateral US Pacific Air Forces-sponsored Field Training Exercise, conducted with the Indian Air Force.
- It focuses on enhancing mutual cooperation between the US and India and building on the existing capabilities, aircrew tactics and force employment.
- Around 200 men from the US Air Force with 15 aircraft from the 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan and 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard will take part in the exercise alongside men from the Indian Air Force.
Source:The Hindu
Fly ash
Topic: Environment and Ecology
In news: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed penalties of up to ₹5 crore on thermal power plants that have not fully disposed of the fly ash they generated.
More on the Topic:
- The order is significant because of the high contribution of fly ash to air and water pollution and its impact on crops being grown in villages around these plants.
- Fly ash is a major source of PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) in summer. It becomes air borne, and gets transported to a radius of 10 to 20 kms.
- It can settle on water and other surfaces. Fly ash contains heavy metals from coal, a large amount of PM 2.5 and black carbon (BC). Proper disposal of fly ash is still not happening in many places.
Way Forward:
- Fly ash, the end product of combustion during the process of power generation in the coal based thermal power plants, is a proven resource material for many applications of construction industries and currently is being utilized in manufacturing of Portland Cement, bricks/blocks/tiles manufacturing, road embankment construction and low lying area development, etc.
- Road contractors and construction engineers need to know the benefits of using fly ash in construction.
- Measures need to be taken to reduce the cost of construction of roads using fly ash by way of tax structure, subsidies and transportation services.
- Besides, there is a need to prevent the ash from coming to the power plant by washing the coal at its place of origin. The government should also come out with a policy to encourage fly ash use in cement plant.
Source: The Hindu
Azov sea and Russia-Ukraine sea clash
Topic: International Relations
In news: Russia’s capture of three Ukrainian naval ships and over 20 crew members in the disputed Azov Sea has refocussed international attention on the conflict on Europe’s eastern corridors and Azov sea.
More on the Topic
- Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of violating international maritime law. They refer to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which both states joined in the 1990s.
- Ukraine insists on freedom of movement in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov in accordance with this agreement, while the Russian side is trying to draw territorial borders. The countries also have a bilateral agreement on the free use of the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov, an accord that Russia has never called into question.
- The Kerch Strait is the only connection between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and the only way to reach two important Ukrainian ports, Mariupol and Berdiansk. Russia has controlled the strait since annexing Crimea in 2014, which has made traffic significantly more difficult for Ukrainian ships.
Source: PIB
Biggest coral reseeding project launches on Great Barrier Reef
Topic: Environment and Ecology
In news: Scientists have launched the largest-ever attempt to regenerate coral on the endangered Great Barrier Reef by harvesting millions of the creatures’ eggs and sperm during their annual spawning.
More on the Topic:
- The plan is to grow coral larvae from the harvested eggs and return these to areas of the reef which have been badly damaged by climate-related coral bleaching.
- This is the first time that the entire process of large scale larval rearing and settlement will be undertaken directly on reefs on the Great Barrier Reef.
Coral Bleaching:
- Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their colour. Corals can recover if the water temperature drops and the algae are able to recolonise them.
Source:The Hindu
Emergency Response Support System (ERSS)
Topic: Polity and Governance
In news:The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) for Himachal Pradesh.Himachal Pradesh is the first state to launch pan-India single emergency number ‘112’ under ERSS.It will connect to Police, Fire, Health and other helplines through an Emergency Response Centre in the State.
More on the Topic:
- To ensure safety of women, a SHOUT feature has been introduced in 112 India mobile app to seek immediate assistance from registered volunteers in the vicinity apart from the immediate assistance from Emergency Response Centre.
- This feature is exclusively available for women.
- Central Government has allocated Rs 321.69 crore under Nirbhaya Fund for implementation of ERSS project across the country.
Source: PIB
