1. PM Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit to be held in Varanasi
Tags: place in news National National News
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the PM Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit in Varanasi on November 11.
Important facts
Sonowal will also inaugurate community ghats on National Waterway-1 (Ganga River) at Ravidas Ghat.
The Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, is organising the 'PM Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit' on November 11-12, 2022.
The summit will provide a networking platform for key stakeholders from the central government, state governments, industry and think tanks to share and discuss the National Master Plan.
About PM Gati Shakti Master Plan
In October 2021, the government announced the PM Gati Shakti programme.
It will bring 16 Ministries together for integrated planning and implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
It is multi-modal connectivity and will help in improving global competitiveness, boost manufacturing and modernise infrastructure in the country.
Its targets are to cut logistic costs, increase cargo handling capacity and reduce the turnaround time.
Economic zones like Textile Clusters, Pharmaceutical Clusters, Defence Corridor, Electronic Park, Industrial Corridor, Fishing Clusters, Agri Zone will be covered under this program to improve connectivity.
Significance
It will give a boost to the overall infrastructure of the country.
It will strive to build next generation infrastructure that improves ease of living as well as ease of doing business.
It will provide integrated and seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services as a mode of transport.
It will create many employment opportunities and boost the economy.
It will improve the global competitiveness of local products by cutting logistics costs and improving the supply chain.
2. Justice D Y Chandrachud takes oath as 50th CJI
Tags: National Person in news National News
Justice D Y Chandrachud took oath as the new Chief Justice of India on November 9, 2022. President Draupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Chandrachud as the 50th Chief Justice of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He succeeded Justice U U Lalit, who retired on November 8, 2022.
Important facts
Justice Chandrachud's term will last till November 10, 2024.
Justice Chandrachud, born on November 11, 1959, was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016.
His father Justice Y V Chandrachud was the 16th Chief Justice of India from 2 February 1978 to 11 July 1985.
Justice Chandrachud was the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court before his appointment to the Supreme Court with effect from October 31, 2013.
He was a judge of the Bombay High Court prior to his appointment as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court with effect from March 29, 2000.
Justice Chandrachud also served as the Additional Solicitor General of India from 1998 until his appointment as a judge in the Bombay High Court.
He was nominated as a Senior Advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998.
Justice Chandrachud gave historic judgments in matters relating to Section 377 IPC, Aadhaar, Sabarimala etc.
Recently a bench headed by Justice Chandrachud had allowed medical termination of pregnancy to unmarried women.
Supreme Court and its Chief Justice
The Supreme Court of India came into existence on 26 January 1950. The Federal Court which was set up under the Government of India act 1935 was converted into the Supreme Court of India.
Its first sitting was held on 28 January 1950.
The first Chief Justice of India was Harilal J.Kania.
The 16th Chief Justice of India, Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, is the longest-serving Chief Justice. He was Chief Justice of India for over 7 years (February 1978 – July 1985).
The 22nd Chief Justice of India, Kamal Narain Singh, is the shortest-serving Chief Justice. He was the Chief Justice of India for 17 days (25 November 1991 – 12 December 1991).
3. National Florence Nightingale Awards 2021
Tags: National Awards National News
On 7 November, 2022, the President of India presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2021 to the Nursing professionals.
Important facts
The award was conferred by the President to two nurses Shashikala Pandey and Ganga Joshi from Kumaon, Uttarakhand.
Shashikala Pandey, posted at BD Pandey Hospital in Nainital, has been given this honour for her dedication and selfless service towards patients.
Ganga Joshi has been given this award for her awareness program, special contribution to Covid-19, training of ASHA workers, participation in several trainings at the state and national level.
About the National Florence Nightingale Awards
These awards were instituted in the year 1973 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
The award is given to outstanding nursing personnel working in the Central, State/Union Territories, Private, Missionary and Voluntary Organizations.
The award carries a cash prize of Rs 50000/-, a certificate and a medal.
4. LS Speaker Om Birla inaugurated annual Convention of Central Information Commission
Tags: National Summits National News
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the annual convention of the Central Information Commission on 9 November, 2022 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Important facts
The Central Information Commission organises an annual conference every year during October-November.
The title of the convention is Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Citizen-centric Governance through RTI.
Transparency, governance, right to information and other important issues will be discussed in the convention.
This conference also contributes significantly in widening and deepening the RTI regime.
Right to information means participation of people in the process of governance and administration which becomes inevitable.
Right to Information Act, 2005
The Act makes it mandatory to respond to citizens' queries for government information in a timely manner.
Its main objective is to empower citizens, promote transparency and accountability in the working of government, prevent corruption and work for the people in a democracy.
Central Information Commission (CIC)
It was established by the Central Government in the year 2005 under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005. It is not a constitutional body.
It consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and a maximum of ten Information Commissioners.
The commissioners are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister as the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
The Commission inquiries from the concerned person in case of complaints received on any subject under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
5. UN chief calls for a climate solidarity pact between developed and emerging economies
Tags: Environment International News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a climate solidarity pact in which developed and emerging economies unite around a common strategy and mobilise resources to address the climate crisis.
Important facts
At the opening of the COP27 United Nations Climate Summit of the Parties in Egypt on 7 November, he said the proposed treaty would give all countries additional efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
He said the international financial system must be reformed to support low-income countries.
At the inaugural session of world leaders at COP27, he said all countries should make "extra effort" to cut emissions and end the construction of coal plants.
He said the two largest economies — the United States and China — have a particular responsibility to join efforts to make this pact a reality.
Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend COP27, although China has sent a delegation of negotiators.
Guterres also launched a plan for a global early warning system for extreme weather events, a project that would cost $3.1 billion over the first five years.
It will also deliver advance warnings about any extreme weather on the planet such as storms and heat waves.
COP27 is the 27th annual meeting of the United Nations on Climate. It is taking place in Sharm El Sheikh until 18 November.
6. At least 15,000 killed by Heat Wave in Europe this year : WHO
Tags: International News
The World Health Organization (WHO) on 8 November said, at least 15,000 people have died in Europe because of heat waves this year so far.
Important facts
According to reports recorded by health officials during the 3 months of summer, there have been nearly 4,000 deaths in Spain, more than 1,000 in Portugal, more than 3,200 in the United Kingdom and about 4,500 in Germany.
The three months of June-August were the hottest in Europe.
For example, France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) reported that more than 11 000 people died between 1 June and 22 August 2022, compared to the same period in 2019.
Temperatures in Europe have warmed significantly over the period 1961–2021 at an average rate of about 0.5 °C per decade.
According to a report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), it is the fastest warming region.
More than 148,000 people have lost their lives due to extreme temperatures in the European region in the past 50 years.
World Health Organisation (WHO)
The World Health Organisation is a specialised agency of the United Nations which was founded on 7 April, 1948.
Headquarters of WHO : Geneva, Switzerland
Members : 194 countries
Director General of WHO: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia.
7. World Heritage glaciers to disappear by 2050 : UNESCO
Tags: Environment International News
According to new UNESCO data, by 2050, one-third of the World's Heritage Sites of Glaciers will disappear.
Key points of the UNESCO report
The report highlights the accelerated melting of glaciers regardless of efforts to limit temperature rise.
The report says that it is still possible to save the other two thirds of glaciers, if the rise in global temperatures does not exceed 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial period.
The study, conducted by UNESCO in partnership with the IUCN, shows that these glaciers have been shrinking at an accelerated rate since 2000 due to CO2 emissions and higher temperatures.
Each year, glaciers are currently losing 58 billion tons of ice.
This is equivalent to the combined annual water use of France and Spain and is responsible for about 5% of the global sea-level rise.
Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emission
The study suggests that the only effective solution to this environmental threat is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as quickly as possible.
The report calls for a rapid reduction in CO2 emissions to save the glaciers and the biodiversity it supports.
In addition to reducing carbon emissions, UNESCO also advocated the creation of an international fund for glacier monitoring and conservation.
Some of the endangered glaciers
Kilimanjaro National Park and Mount Kenya (Africa)
Glaciers in Western Tien-Shan (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) that have shrunk by 27% since 2000
The Dolomites (Italy) (Europe),
Yellowstone National Park (North America).
Importance of Glaciers
Glaciers are important for survival. Half of humanity is directly or indirectly dependent on glaciers as a water source for domestic use, agriculture and electricity.
Glaciers are also supporters of biodiversity, which keeps many ecosystems alive.
Due to the melting of glaciers, people will have to face other challenges including water scarcity, increasing number of disasters, and loss of biodiversity.
8. UK court approves India's request for extradition of Sanjay Bhandari
Tags: Person in news International News
A magisterial court in the United Kingdom has approved the request for extradition of middleman Sanjay Bhandari to India in connection with charges of money laundering and tax evasion on November 7, 2022.
Important facts
Indian authorities had made two requests for the extradition of 60-year-old Bhandari. The first request was related to money laundering, while the second was related to tax evasion.
District Judge Michael Snow heard the case earlier this year at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London.
He said in his decision that there was no stay on Bhandari's extradition and decided to refer the matter to British Home Minister Suella Braverman, who is authorised to order extradition based on a court decision.
The court passed order on the basis of the assurance of the Government of India that Bhandari would be kept in a separate cell in Tihar Jail in New Delhi along with the concerned health facilities during the trial.
Bhandari is accused of concealing foreign assets, using old documents, profiting from assets not declared to the Indian tax authorities and falsely informing the authorities that he does not have any assets.
What is Extradition?
Extradition is the formal process of surrendering a person from one state to another.
The purpose of this process is the prosecution or punishment for offences committed by a person within the jurisdiction of the requesting country.
The extradition of a fugitive criminal to India is regulated under the Indian Extradition Act, 1962.
The Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) Division, Ministry of External Affairs is the central/nodal authority to administer the Extradition Act.
Extradition process can be initiated in case of under-investigation, under-trial and convicted criminals.
9. COP27: First time Compensating poor countries for climate disasters
Tags: Environment Summits International News
The 27th Conference of the Parties 9COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP27) is being held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on 31 October to 13 November 2022.
Important facts
In this, various countries have agreed to provide financial assistance to poor countries to deal with the loss and damage caused by climate change.
The participating countries agreed on a 20-point provisional agenda.
What is Loss and Damage?
It refers to the economic and non-economic impacts of climate change, including extreme events in countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
The demand for loss and damages is quite old, but it has faced strong resistance from rich and developed countries.
The term was introduced in 1991 as a demand by the island country of Vanuatu, representing the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
What is Conference of Parties (COP)?
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the 'Earth Summit', was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 3-14 June 1992.
The conference focused on the impact of human socio-economic activities on the environment.
The countries assembled here agreed to work together to deal with issues of sustainable development and climate change .
The Rio Earth summit agreed to create the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) where the member countries can discuss issues related to global warming and climate change and take steps to deal with these problems .
It entered into force on 21 March 1994, and has been ratified by 197 countries and territories .
The countries which has ratified the UNFCCC are called as Parties
Every year they meet to discuss climate change related issues . These meetings are called Conference of Parties(COP) .
The first COP was held in 1995 in Berlin, Germany .
10. MNRE notifies National Bio Energy Programme
Tags: National National News
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India has notified the National Bio-Energy Program on November 2, 2022.
Important facts
MNRE has continued the National Bio-Energy Program for the period from FY 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The program is recommended to be implemented in two phases.
The first phase of the program has been approved with a budget outlay of Rs 858 crore.
Biogas program will also assist in setting up household and medium sized biogas units in rural areas.
MNRE has been promoting bio-energy in India since the 1980s, to harness the vast surplus biomass, cattle dung, industrial and urban bio-waste available in the country for energy recovery.
The National Bioenergy Programme will comprises of the following sub-schemes:
Waste to Energy Program (program on urban, industrial and agricultural waste/residue to energy) to support the installation of large biogas, bioCNG and power plants (excluding power projects from MSW).
Biomass Programme (Scheme to Support Manufacturing of Briquettes & Pellets and Promotion of Biomass (non-bagasse) based cogeneration in Industries) to support setting up of pellets and briquettes for use in power generation and non-bagasse based power generation projects.
Biogas Program - To support household and medium sized biogas installations in rural areas.
