1. Supreme Court seeks government’s response on ‘Project Great Indian Bustard’ conservation programme
Tags: Environment National News
The Supreme Court on November 28 sought the government's response on developing a conservation program called 'Project Great Indian Bustard' to address the crisis faced by the critically endangered bird species.
Important facts
A public interest litigation was filed in the country's top court, in which an appeal was made to give directions to save the Godavan i.e. Great Indian Bustard bird.
In fact, many Great Indian Bustards or Godavan have died due to criss-crossing of power transmission lines in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
While hearing the petitions filed in this context, the court sought answers from the government and advised to start Project Great Indian Bustard.
The Supreme Court has advised to start 'Project Great Indian Bustard' on the lines of 'Project Tiger' for the rescue of an endangered bird Great Indian Bustard.
About Great Indian Bustard
It is considered India's most critically endangered bird species and especially found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
It is one of the heaviest flying birds endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
It is the state bird of Rajasthan.
These birds are on the verge of extinction, with barely 50 to 249 surviving, according to a 2021 report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
It is a large bird with brown-and-white feathers with black crown and wing markings. It is one of the heaviest birds in the world.
Its habitat is Arid grasslands.
IUCN Status - Critically Endangered.
Listed in Wildlife Protection Act’s Schedule 1.
The cause of the decline in numbers is Hunting, Intensification of agriculture, Power lines.
2. India assumes the Presidency of the UNSC for December month 2022
Tags: International News
According to the External Affairs Ministry, India has assumed the Presidency of the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) for the month of December 2022. India will be the President of the UNSC for one month as the 2 year term of India as a non-permanent member of the UNSC ends on 31 December 2022.
India became the non -permanent member of the UNSC on 1 January 2021. During its 2 year terms India has become the President of the UNSC for the second time . Earlier it became President in August 2021.
According to the External Affairs Ministry during India’s Presidency two key events are scheduled in the UNSC.
There will be a debate on ‘“Maintenance of International Peace and Security: New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism’ and others will be on “Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts: Global Approach to Counter Terrorism - Challenges and Way Forward”.
Both the sessions will be chaired by the External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar.
India has been elected 8 times as a non-permanent member of the UNSC. India has been elected in 1950, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1991, 2011 and 2021.
The UNSC consists of 15 members. China, US, Russia, France and the United Kingdom are permanent members. Rest 10 non-permanent members are elected for a period of 2 years.
At present the UN has 193 member countries.
3. India to assume chairmanship of Wassenaar arrangement on 1 Jan 2023
Tags: International News
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced that India will assume Chairmanship of Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) on 01 January 2023 for a period of one year.
At the 26th annual Plenary of the WA held in Vienna, Austria on 30 November-01 December 2022, Ambassador Eoin O'Leary of Ireland handed over the Chairmanship to Ambassador Jagdeep Majumdar, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UN and International Organizations in Vienna.
India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) on 08 December 2017 as its 42nd Participating State.
Wassenaar Arrangement
The Wassenaar Arrangement was established in July 1996 at Wassenaar, Netherlands. It is a voluntary export control regime of 42 member countries. The member countries exchange information on transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies.
The main aim of the Wassenaar agreement is to discourage its member countries from exporting conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies to countries which are a threat to global peace.
The WA Plenary is the decision-making and governing body of the Arrangement. It is composed of representatives of all Participating States who normally meet once a year at Vienna, Austria.
External Affairs' Minister : S.Jaishankar
4. G-20 Finance Ministers meeting to be held in Bengaluru in February 2023: Nirmala Sithraman
Tags: place in news National
The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that Bengaluru, Karnataka will host a meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in February 2023. India assumed the Presidency of the G-20 on 1 December 2022.
She announced this at the Vananam Startup Inclusivity Summit in Bengaluru.
Mr Sitharaman has asked the Start-ups to utilise this event to showcase their profile to the visiting international guests. The Finance Minister said, different cities in India have been selected to host G-20-related meetings next year.
5. DigiYatra facilities starts at the Delhi, Varanasi and Bangalore airport
Tags: National
The Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the Digi Yatra facility at the IGI Airport in New Delhi on 1 December 2022. This facility has also been simultaneously launched at the Kempegowda International Airport Bangalore, and the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi. Initially the DigiYatra facility will be only for domestic flights.
Initially 7 airports were selected under the Digi Yatra facility. In the first phase it has been rolled out in Delhi, Varanasi and Bangalore. In the second phase it will be rolled out in 4 more airports by March 2023.
The Government plans to roll out the DigiYatra facility at GMR Hyderabad International Airport, Hyderabad, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport Kolkata, Pune International airport Pune, and at the Vijayawada International Airport, Vijaywada in the second phase by March 2023. Later, the facility would be implemented across various airports in the country.
The beta version of the service was introduced at Delhi and Bengaluru airports on Independence Day this year.
What is DigiYatra?
DigiYatra is based on facial recognition technology and will make the boarding process faster and seamless.
Passengers will have to register on the DigiYatra app through their respective Aadhaar cards to avail the service.
The initiative will automate the entry and verification of passengers at all airports checkpoints and will use facial features to establish a traveller’s identity and link it to their respective boarding passes.
This will result in shorter wait times in lines, quicker processing times, and simpler procedures for the passengers.
Who developed the DigiYatra?
Digi Yatra has been promoted by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. To develop a facial recognition system at the airports, Digi Yatra Foundation was set up in 2019.
The Digi Yatra Foundation is a joint venture of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), Cochin International Airport (CIAL), Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL), Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (HIAL) & Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL).
6. Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin dies aged 96
Tags: Person in news International News
Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin died on 30 November, 2022 at the age of 96 in Shanghai, of leukaemia and multiple organ failure.
Important facts
He was the first Chinese President to visit India in 1996 when India and China moved towards normalising the bilateral ties.
Jiang was China's president from 1993-2003.
Under his leadership, Hong Kong was peacefully handed over to China in 1997 and China joined the World Trade Organization, which laid the groundwork for China to become the world's second largest economy with high-speed development.
Jiang Zemin took command of China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.
He consolidated the powers of the Communist Party of China, weeded out internal dissent, and in 1999 cracked down on the religious sect Falun Gong, which was seen as a threat to the party.
He is also credited with the country's further integration with the global order and higher status as a world power.
India - China relation in his tenure
His visit to India in 1996 was seen as a major step towards the normalisation of India-China bilateral relations.
During his visit, the two countries signed a comprehensive agreement to restore peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and reached a consensus on building a constructive and cooperative partnership.
Both sides signed several agreements for confidence building in the military sector along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Both sides also discussed reducing border troops.
This was followed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to China in 2003, when both sides decided to appoint their respective Special Representatives (SRs) to explore a solution to the boundary issue under the framework of the Boundary Agreement.
Jiang was then the chairman of the Central Military Commission and Hu Jintao took over as the Chinese President in 2002, a year earlier.
7. Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter Mk-III squadron, commissioned in Chennai
Tags: Defence National News
With a view to further strengthen Coast Guard Area East, 840 Sqn (CG), an Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III squadron was commissioned by DG VS Pathania on 30 November at ICG Air Station, Chennai.
Important facts
The commissioning of 840 Sqn (CG) marks a significant progress towards self-reliance in helicopter manufacturing, in line with the government's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
It will provide a fillip to the capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard in the security sensitive waters of Tamil Nadu and Andhra region.
A total of 16 ALH Mk-III aircraft have been inducted into the Indian Coast Guard in a phased manner and four of these aircraft are positioned in Chennai.
Since induction, the squadron has flown over 430 hours and conducted numerous operational missions.
About ALH Mk-III helicopters
The ALH Mk-III helicopters, indigenously manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
It features state-of-the-art equipment including advanced RADAR as well as Electro optical sensors, Shakti engines, full glass cockpit, high-intensity search light, advanced communication systems, automatic identification system as well as search-and-rescue homer.
The facility will enable the squadron to conduct maritime reconnaissance, and conduct search and rescue operations over extended ranges, operating day and night from ships.
The aircraft has the ability to switch from an offensive platform with a heavy machine gun for transfer of critically ill patients to a benign platform carrying ICUs.
8. ICG conducts 24th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan and Preparedness Meeting
Tags: Defence National News
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on 30 November conducted the 24th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP) and Preparedness Meeting in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Important facts
Director General, ICG V S Pathania, who is the Chairman of NOS-DCP, chaired the meeting.
During the meeting, national capabilities were reviewed with the objective of ensuring collective preparedness to respond to any oil and chemical spill contingency in Indian waters.
The meeting was attended by around 100 delegates including representatives from various ministries, central and state government departments and agencies, state pollution control boards, ports and companies dealing with oil spills.
Currently, as the third largest importer of crude, India receives a large volume of oil through ships.
Similarly, India stands sixth in the world as a major chemical importer country.
Risks of oil and chemicals spill
Spills of both oil and chemicals pose inherent risks to coastal populations, marine ecosystems, industry and the ancillary tourism industry as well as various establishments in India's maritime zones and associated coastlines.
Hence, preventive measures are required to be taken by the Central Coordinating Agency, Ports, Ship Owners, Oil Handling Facilities, Coastal States and other relevant stakeholders to prevent any possible marine spillage.
About Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
It is an Armed Force, Search and Rescue and Maritime Law Enforcement agency under the Ministry of Defence.
It was established in August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 as an independent Armed force of India.
It is the fourth largest Coast Guard in the world.
It has played a vital role in securing Indian coasts and enforcing regulations in India's maritime zones.
It is headquartered in New Delhi.
9. 100 national monuments to be illuminated to mark India’s assumption of G -20 Presidency on 1 December 2022
Tags: National
The Government of India has decided to illuminate 100 monuments in the country with the G20 logo on 1 December 2022 to mark the first day of India’s Presidency of the G-20 group.
During the G-20 Bali Summit in Indonesia, the Indonesian President Joko Widodo handed over the presidency to Prime Minister Modi symbolically, on 16 November 2022. But officially India will take over the G-20 presidency on 1 December 2022. India will be holding the G-20 presidency from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
During the course of its Presidency, India will be holding about 200 meetings in 32 different sectors in multiple locations across the country.
The 18th G-20 Leaders' Summit at the level of heads of state/government is scheduled to be held on September 9-10, 2023 in New Delhi.
Logo
The G20 Logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag – saffron, white and green, and blue.
It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. The Earth reflects India’s pro-planet approach to life, one in perfect harmony with nature.
Below the G20 logo is “Bharat”, written in the Devanagari script.
Theme
The theme of India’s G20 Presidency - “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth One Family One Future” - is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad.
Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life, human, animal, plant, and microorganisms and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.
Message of the Logo and Theme
The logo and the theme together convey a powerful message of India’s G20 Presidency, which is of striving for just and equitable growth for all in the world, in these turbulent times, in a sustainable, holistic, responsible, and inclusive manner.
For India, the G20 Presidency also marks the beginning of “Amritkaal”, the 25-year period beginning from the 75th anniversary of its independence on 15 August 2022,
Group of 20 or G-20 is a multilateral organisation of 19 countries and the European Union was set up in 1999.India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.
10. BIS signs MoU with top six engineering institutes of India
Tags: National National News
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has signed MoUs with six engineering institutes to implement Indian Standards as part of their curriculum.
Important facts
This initiative is towards institutionalising engagement of BIS with the eminent institutes for securing active participation of academia.
BIS has signed an Agreement with the following engineering Institutes-
Indian Institute of Technology BHU,
Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur,
Indian Institute of Technology Indore,
Indian Institute of Technology Patna,
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
National Institute of Technology Trichy
The MoU is for establishment of ‘BIS Standardization Chair Professor’ at these institutes.
It will promote excellence and leadership in teaching, research and development in the field of science and various disciplines in the respective institutions.
Under the agreement, technology innovation and standards development will be linked together to promote the development of technology oriented products and services.
About Bureau of Indian Standards
Bureau of Indian Standards is the national standards body of India under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
Headquarters- Manak Bhawan, Old Delhi
Director General- Pramod Kumar Tiwari
Established- 23 December 1986
