Learn with NITISH KUMAR

CLIMATE AMBITION SUMMIT Focus: GS-III Environment and Ecology Why in news? The United Nations, United Kingdom and France co-hosted the Climate Ambition Summit 2020, held virtually, which marked the fifth year of adoption of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The UN General Secretary highlighted that the international community might be able to reach the carbon neutrality which is set out in the Paris Agreement only if global emission will be reduced by 45% by 2030 compared with the levels of 2010 Details of Climate Ambition Summit The Summit has the objective to set out new and ambitious commitments under the three pillars of the Paris Agreement that are mitigation, adaptation and finance commitments. The Summit will provide a meaningful platform for businesses, cities and other non-state actors who are rallying together and collaborating to support governments and accelerate the systemic change required to reduce emissions and build resilience. Highlights of the Indian PM’s address at the summit India has reduced its carbon emission intensity by 21% over 2005 levels. India’s renewable energy capacity is the 4th largest in the world and it will reach 175 GigaWatts in 2022. India’s solar capacity has grown from 2.63 Gigawatts to 36 Gigawatts in 2020. India has pioneered two major initiatives ‘Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’ and ‘International Solar Alliance’. A United Nations report released earlier this year stated that India’s per capita emissions are actually 60% lower than the global average. Paris agreement and Climate Change The Paris Agreement was adopted under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015. The central aim of the agreement is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping the global temperature rise, in this century, well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. China who is the largest emitter, has recently stated in UN that its CO2 emissions will peak before 2030 and will achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. The US has become the first nation in the world to formally withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. This weakens the global fight against climate change as US is the second largest emitter (~15%). Current Status of Global Emissions Five years after the Paris agreement, all states have submitted their national contributions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The contributions are radically insufficient to reach the well below 2 degrees Celsius limit and are even further from the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature limit identified in the Paris Agreement. Besides India, only Bhutan, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Morocco and Gambia were complying with the accord. China has the highest GHG emissions (30%) while the US contributes 13.5% and the EU 8.7%. -Source: Indian Express 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

POLAVARAM PROJECT Focus: GS-III Industry and Infrastructure Why in news? Work on construction of the Polavaram project is going on as per schedule and 41% of the works has so far been completed. Polavaram Project The Polavaram Project is an under construction multi-purpose irrigation National project on the Godavari River in the West Godavari District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. Its reservoir back water spreads into parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. It gives major boost to tourism sector in Godavari Districts as the reservoir covers the famous Papikonda National Park, Polavaram Hydroelectric project (HEP) and National waterway 4 are in under construction at left side of the river. National River Linking Project (NRLP) The National River Linking Project (NRLP) formally known as the National Perspective Plan, envisages the transfer of water from water ‘surplus’ basins where there is flooding to water ‘deficit’ basins where there is drought/scarcity, through inter-basin water transfer projects. Digging further into the term ‘surplus’ as per the Government, states that it is the extra water available in a river after it meets the humans’ requirement of irrigation, domestic consumption and industries thereby underestimating the need of the water for the river itself. The National River Interlinking Project will comprise of 30 links to connect 37 rivers across the nation through a network of nearly 3000 storage dams to form a gigantic South Asian Water Grid. It includes two components: Himalayan Rivers Development Component Himalayan Rivers Development Component under which 14 links have been identified. This component aims to construct storage reservoirs on the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, as well as their tributaries in India and Nepal. The aim is to conserve monsoon flows for irrigation and hydropower generation, along with flood control. The linkage will transfer surplus flows of the Kosi, Gandak and Ghagra to the west. A link between the Ganga and Yamuna is also proposed to transfer the surplus water to drought-prone areas of Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Peninsular Rivers Development Component Peninsular Rivers Development Component or the Southern Water Grid, which includes 16 links that propose to connect the rivers of South India. It envisages linking the Mahanadi and Godavari to feed the Krishna, Pennar, Cauvery, and Vaigai rivers. This linkage will require several large dams and major canals to be constructed. Besides this, the Ken river will also be linked to the Betwa, Parbati, Kalisindh, and Chambal rivers. Proposed benefits of the Project Hydropower generation The river interlinking project claims to generate total power of 34,000 MW (34 GW). Out of this, 4,000 MW will come from the peninsular component while 30,000 MW from the Himalayan component. The addition of hydropower is expected to curb the drinking water woes of millions and supply water to industries in drought-prone and water-scarce cities in south and west India. Irrigation benefits The project claims to provide additional irrigation to 35 million hectares (m ha) in the water-scarce western and peninsular regions, which includes 25 m ha through surface irrigation and 10 m ha through groundwater. This will further create employment, boost crop outputs and farm incomes and multiply benefits through backward (farm equipment and input supplies) and forward linkages (agro-processing industries). Along with this the project is expected to create several benefits for navigation and fisheries. -Source: The Hindu 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

Bhutan and Israel in the Map Join >> @dailynewscom

ISRAEL AND BHUTAN ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC TIES Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? Recently, Bhutan and Israel established formal ties with a formal ceremony in New Delhi where the Ambassadors of these countries to India exchanged agreements. Recently, in deals brokered by the United States, Israel has established full relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in the last two months, while Bhutan established ties with Germany, its first new formal relationship since 2013. Details The accord between the majority-Jewish Israel and the majority-Buddhist Bhutan follows several years of secret talks with the aim of establishing an alliance, according to the statement from the Foreign Ministry. The two nations agreed to work closely on water management, agriculture, health care and other areas. Key areas of cooperation between the two countries would include economic, technological and agricultural development. The ties between the peoples through cultural exchanges and tourism would also be further enhanced. Israel has supported Bhutanese “human resource development since 1982, especially in the area of agriculture development that has benefited hundreds of Bhutanese youths, which highlighted the “cordial” relations maintained between the countries despite a lack of formal ties. Israel Israel is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. It has land borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the east, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to the east and west, respectively, and Egypt to the southwest. Israel’s economic and technological center is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, although international recognition of the state’s sovereignty over Jerusalem is limited. In its Basic Laws, Israel defines itself as a Jewish and democratic state and the nation state of the Jewish people. The country is a liberal democracy with a parliamentary system, proportional representation, and universal suffrage. The prime minister is head of government and the Knesset is the legislature. Israel is a developed country and an OECD member. Bhutan Bhutan is a landlocked country in the Eastern Himalayas in South Asia. It is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north and India to the south. Bhutan is geopolitically in South Asia and is the region’s second-least-populous nation after Maldives. Thimphu is its capital and the largest city, while Phuntsholing is its financial center. In South Asia, Bhutan ranks first in economic freedom, ease of doing business and peace and is the least corrupt country in the region as of 2016. Bhutan is also notable for pioneering the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH). It continues to be a least developed country, but expects to graduate from this status by 2023. The government is a parliamentary democracy; the head of state is the King of Bhutan, known as the “Dragon King.” Hydroelectricity accounts for most of its exports. -Source: The Hindu 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

RARE MYRISTICA SWAMP TREEFROG FOUND Focus: GS-III Environment and Ecology Why in news? Myristica swamp treefrog, a rare arboreal species endemic to the Western Ghats that bears the scientific name Mercurana myristicapalustris , has been recorded for the first time north of the Shencottah gap in the Vazhachal Reserve Forest in Kerala’s Thrissur district. Details These frogs are rare and elusive for the reason that they are arboreal and active only for a few weeks during their breeding season. During this season, there is a large aggregation of males that descend from the high canopy of the trees. The males vocalise in groups from the low perches in the swamps. They exhibit unique breeding behavior. The breeding season, unlike for other frogs, starts in the pre-monsoon season (May) and ends before the monsoon becomes fully active in June. -Source: The Hindu 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

Galaxy NGC 6240 NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shared the images of Galaxy NGC 6240 that contains two supermassive Black Holes in the process of merging. From astronomers to general space enthusiasts, black holes are a topic of interest for many. If you're someone who spends a lot of their time researching facts about this region of space-time or watching videos on the same, then you must check out this news. Galaxy NGC 6240 The black holes, located in Galaxy NGC 6240 are 3,000 light-years apart and they will drift together to form a larger black hole millions of years from now. As per a blog post by the observatory, the merging process began some 30 million years ago The pairs of massive black holes in the process of merging are expected to be the most powerful sources of gravitational waves in the Universe. Seen as the bright 'dots' near the centre of this image, the black holes are just 3,000 light-years apart. About Chandra X-ray Observatory It is a telescope specially designed to detect X-ray emissions from very hot regions of the universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes. Orbiting at 139,000 km in space, the telescope was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-93 by NASA in 1999. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

Good morning friends! Have a wonderful and enthusiastic day.

Why Parliamentary scrutiny is important? • The demand for the repeal of the laws passed by Parliament only recently essentially points to a serious lapse in the management of the legislative work in Parliament. • While undertaking scrutiny, the committees invite various stakeholders to place their views before them. The Bills which come back to the Houses after the scrutiny by the committees will be in a much better shape in terms of their content. • That is the reason why the Rules of the Houses provide for reference of the Bills to the committees. Although, technically, the reference to the committees is within the discretion of the Speaker or the Chairman, the intendment of the Rules is that all important Bills should go before the committees for a detailed examination. • It does not mean that Speaker or the Chairman can exercise their discretion not to refer to the committee an important Bill which has serious implications for society. • Data show that very few Bills are referred to the Parliamentary Committees now because Ministers are in a hurry to pass them. • Presiding Officers are required to exercise their independent judgment in the matter and decide the issue. They need to keep in mind the fact that the Bills which the government brings before the Houses often have serious shortcomings. They are in fact draughtsman’s creations. Members of Parliament who know the ground realities better apply their mind and put them in a better shape. • The Indian experience of legislative scrutiny of Bills goes back to the post ­Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms. • Prior to the formation of Standing Committees, the Indian Parliament used to appoint select committees, joint select committees, etc. for detailed scrutiny of important legislative proposals of the government Functioning by consensus: • Our Parliamentary Committees have a tradition of working in a non-­party manner. The reports of these Committees are based on consensus. It may be a bit difficult for people to believe that the instrumentalities of Parliament could rise above parties. • Despite the adversarial politics playing out in full force in the Houses, the calm atmosphere prevailing in the committee rooms and the purposiveness shown by the members in dealing with issues are a tremendously reassuring factor. To make these systems gradually non­-functional and irrelevant is to invite disaster.

Good morning, have a nice day ! * Useful Alerts * ❇️ * COVID-19 highlights: * ▪️* There is a steady decline in the daily deaths from past many days; * ▪️* Daily deaths have been below the 500 mark for the last 7 days * ▪️* Recovery Rate to 94.89% * ❇️ * Prime Minister Modi addresses Global Climate Summit and says; * ▪️* India has not only achieved its target as per Paris Agreement 2015 but has also gone beyond it * ❇️ * Farmers from Haryana met Union Agriculture Minister and gave letter of support for the #FarmLaws * ❇️ * DPIIT releases Toys (Quality Control) Second Amendment Order; to exempt Handicraft and GI Toys from Quality Control Order * ❇️ * International travel of more than 37 lakh people facilitated since 6 May under Vande Bharat Mission * ❇️ * Avoid large gatherings or visiting crowded places for your safety. Stay safe and stay healthy. * Join >> @dailynewscom

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation https://youtu.be/Kc4dYbHQRe4

New ‘Policy on School Bag 2020’ by the Ministry of Education Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and Interventions In news According to the new Policy on School Bag, School bags should not be more than 10% of the body weight of students across classes I to X and there should be no homework till class II. Key takeaways The new Policy also recommends that the weight of the bag needs to be monitored on a regular basis in schools. They should be light-weight with two padded and adjustable straps that can squarely fit on both shoulders and no wheeled carriers should be allowed. The policy even recommends that the weight of each textbook may come printed on them by the publishers. The recommendations have been arrived based on various surveys and studies conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The ‘Policy also recommended good quality mid-day meal and potable water to all the students so that they need not carry lunch boxes or water bottles. The policy said there should be no bags in pre-primary. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

BSNL announces Satellite-Based Narrow Band-IoT Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Sci & Tech In news BSNL, in partnership with Skylotech India, announced a breakthrough in satellite-based NB-IoT (Narrow Band-Internet of Things). Key takeaways This is indigenously developed by Skylo. It will connect with BSNLs satellite- ground infrastructure and provide PAN-India coverage, including Indian seas. The coverage will be so vast that it will not leave any dark patch within the boundary of India. This is the world’s first satellite-based NB-IoT network. This new technology supports India’s plan of bringing indigenous IoT connectivity to India’s core sectors. This technology has already been tested successfully in Indian Railways, fishing vessels, and enabling connected vehicles across India. A small, smart, incredibly rugged box, the Skylo ‘User Terminal’ interfaces with sensors and transmits data to the Skylo Network and into people’s hands. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

New species of Indian Muraingrasses spotted by scientists in Goa Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment In news A new species of Indian Muraingrasses (Genus Ischaemum) have been spotted by scientists in Goa in the Western Ghats. It is known for their ecological and economic importance, such as fodder. Key takeaways The discovered novel species was named Ischaemumjanarthanamii from plateaus of Western Ghats of Goa. It was named so in honour of Prof. M. K. Janarthanam, Professor of Botany, Goa University, for his contribution to the Indian grass taxonomy and documentation of the floristic diversity of Goa state. It grows on low altitude lateritic plateaus in the outskirts of Bhagwan Mahavir National Park, Goa. The species has adapted to survive harsh conditions, low nutrient availability, and blossoms every monsoon. Do you know? Globally 85 species are known from Ischaemum, of which 61 species are exclusively found in India. The Western Ghats have 40 species with the highest concentration of the genus. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

Bills proposing death penalty for rape approved by Maharashtra cabinet Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and Interventions In news In order to curb crimes against women and children in Maharashtra, the state cabinet approved two draft bills that propose death penalty for cases of rape, acid attack and child abuse. Key takeaways The two interconnected bills are the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act 2020 and the Special Court and Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law 2020. These bills are part of Shakti Act. They seek to amend relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedural Code (CrPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The bills also have provisions to increase the quantum of punishment, including life term, cover new categories of crimes, and propose a mechanism for speedy trials. The media is not allowed to report the name of a rape victim. The proposed Acts will provide similar protection to victims of molestation and even acid attack. The draft bills propose to amend IPC Section 376 (rape) to increase the quantum of punishment to life term or death penalty in heinous cases where there’s adequate conclusive evidence or exemplary punishment is warranted. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

Karnataka’s New Anti-Cow Slaughter Bill Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Policies and Interventions In news Karnataka passed the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill (2020) in the Assembly. Key takeaways The Bill envisages a ban on all forms of cattle slaughter and stringent punishment for offenders. ‘Beef’ is defined as the flesh of cattle in any form. The word ‘cattle’ is defined as “cow, calf of a cow and bull, bullock, and he or she buffalo below the age of 13 years”. The Bill also terms shelters established for the protection and preservation of cattle registered with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries as ‘gau shalas’. Police officers ranked sub-inspector and above or a competent authority will have the power to search premises and seize cattle and materials used or intended to use to commit the offence. Cow slaughter is termed as a cognizable offence in the bill. Violators can attract 3 to 7 years of imprisonment. While a penalty between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5 lakh can be levied for the first offence, second and subsequent offences can attract penalties ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

Foundation stone laid for New Parliament Building Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Parliament In news Indian Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the New Parliament Building recently. Key takeaways The new parliament building is a part of ₹ 20,000 crore Central Vista project. The four-story building will be triangular and its interiors will have three national symbols – the lotus, the peacock and the banyan tree – as its themes. The parliament building will be ready in 2022. The old Parliament building will be turned into a museum. The new Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha halls will have increased seating capacities. In addition, seating in the Lok Sabha hall can be expanded to 1,272 to host joint sessions. Dholpur stone will be the primary construction material and red granite may replace red sandstone in some interior sections. The building will be equipped with modern audio-visual communication systems. It will also be fully wheelchair- and disabled-access friendly. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

Morocco to normalize ties with Israel Morocco has become the fourth Arab nation this year to recognise Israel after interventions by the US. Must read: What are Abraham Accords? Israel and Morocco After the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco is the fourth Arab State since August to commit to establishing diplomatic relations with the Jewish State. Morocco and Israel had respectively maintained liaison offices in Tel Aviv and Rabat in the 1990s, before closing them in 2000. Israeli PM Netanyahu anticipated direct flights between the two countries soon. Palestinian officials condemned the agreement, saying it encouraged Israel's denial of their rights. For the sake of Western Sahara The White House said the US would recognise Morocco's claim over Western Sahara as part of the deal with Israel. The US recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory. A former Spanish colony, it was annexed by Morocco in 1975. Since then it has been the subject of a long-running territorial dispute between Morocco and its indigenous Saharawi people. Morocco says it has always been part of its territory, while the African Union recognizes it as an independent state. A 16-year-long insurgency ended with an UN-brokered truce in 1991 and the promise of a referendum on independence, which has yet to take place. Ground realities The latest move by the Trump administration will not necessarily have an immediate impact on the ground because the dispute is seen as greater than the whims of the American president. However, Trump's backing of Morocco's claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara is a big deal because it diminishes the hope of a people who have aspired for the independence of that territory for decades. The UN is still mandated to oversee a referendum for the independence of Western Sahara - although this hasn't materialized since 1991. Why Arab countries are normalizing their ties with Israel? Economics: The Gulf States see opportunities for trade and more. The deal helps the ambitious gulf, who has built themselves into military power as well as a place to do business. Common enemy: The UAE has used its already well-equipped armed forces in Libya and Yemen. But its most serious potential enemy is Iran, just on the other side of the Gulf. For the Iron wall: Normalizing its relations with gulf is a genuine achievement for the Israelis who is a believer in the strategy first described in the 1920s of an "Iron Wall" between the Jewish state and the Arabs. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom

What is Shakti Act? In a bid to curb crimes against woman and children in Maharashtra, the state cabinet unveiled the 'Shakti Act.' The Act is modelled on the lines of Andhra Pradesh's Disha Act, which was brought last year after a veterinarian was raped and murdered in Hyderabad. Why have stringent laws have consistently failed to instill any fear in rapists? Shakti Act: Key Provisions It proposes stringent punishment including the death penalty and heavy fines for the culprits. Special police teams and separate courts will be set up for investigation and trial of cases against women and children. The perpetrators if found guilty will be punished with imprisonment for life for not less than ten years but may extend to the remainder of natural life or with death in cases which have characteristics of being heinous in nature. A sum of Rs 10 lakh will be given to an acid attack victim for plastic surgery and facial reconstruction and the amount will be collected as fine from the convict. The investigation shall be completed within a period of 15 working days from the date of registration of an offence. This can be extended by 7 days. After a charge sheet is filed trial shall be conducted on a day-to-day basis and completed within a period of 30 working days. Some cases will be tried in-camera for the recording of evidence of victims and witnesses who are vulnerable. Enforcement, not the law Despite several laws, incidences of rapes continue unabated. In fact, now we hear cases of extreme brutality. The general perception is that since the laws have been made more stringent, so the rapists resort to extreme measures in a bid to destroy the evidence. One thing is very clear, Laws alone cannot provide a solution to this problem. What should be done? Law provides for speedy investigations and fast track of trials in rape cases. What we need is better policing, making public spaces safer for women, ensuring round the clock surveillance of isolated areas and deployment of police at all strategic points. Prevention and not punishment is the solution and that requires concerted efforts on part of all the stakeholders. It is not harsher punishments that will deter. It is the fear of being caught and not being spared. The message should go out loud and clear that no one is above the dignity and safety of women in our country. 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 Join >> @dailynewscom