Government harps on sustainable lifestyle to fight climate change

Government harps on sustainable lifestyle to fight climate change

Addressing journalists in the national capital on Friday on Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), India's Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "Developed world polluted; we are ready to become part of the solution."

This is the tone of India's INDC submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The country has kept ambitious targets for itself, promising raising requisite funds, but said that the developed world would have to make technology transfers easier.

Javdekar ensured that the targets are not in contradiction with India’s growth. It will not put obstacles in the path of providing electricity and basic amenities to people across the country. He said the sectors which would receive more funding and focus owing to more vulnerability to climate change are agriculture, water resources, Himalayan region, coastal regions, health and disaster management.

He said that an important way to tackle climate change was by adopting healthy and sustainable lifestyle, which were “inherent in traditions and values of conservation and moderation “. He added that extravagant lifestyle of the west required five planets. “We will reduce consumerism in our lifestyle”.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, joint secretary, Ministry Of Environment, Forest, Climate Change, said that the government would launch campaigns asking people to reduce per capita consumption by not wasting food and limiting the number of cars per household.

India's INDC has been upheld by experts. "India's submission of its INDC represents an important milestone on the road to Paris,” said Lavanya Rajamani, professor at the Centre for Policy Research. “India must now invest its negotiating capital in addressing issues related to the legal character, transparency and review of national contributions on which the effectiveness of the 2015 agreement will hinge." 

“Despite huge developmental challenges, India has put forward a climate action plan that is far superior to ones proposed by the US and EU. Its ambitious focus on energy efficiency and dramatic increase in renewable energy deserves credit, but must lead to enhanced energy access for the poor. This clearly puts the onus on developed countries to meet their obligations of providing public finance and technology transfer to developing and least developed countries,” said ActionAid India’s Executive Director, Sandeep Chachra.

By October 2, 148 countries have submitted their INDCs. “ Ours is in line with other developing nations, “ said the minister.

Even though Javdekar did not clearly state that non-fossil fuel-based energy would be replaced with nuclear energy, there were indications towards the same. He said if Japan and Germany had decided to not use nuclear, they would have to use coal without reducing non-renewable sources of energy.

India said its efforts would need at least US$ 2.5 trillion to meet its climate change action between now and 2030. Javdekar said that the funds would be mobilised domestically as well as new and additional funds internationally. He said as India grows, the government would receive more money through taxes and it would channelised towards climate change. “ International community has pledged  US$ 100 billion as climate fund. If this mobilisation does not happen, we will see then what do we do.

Harjeet Singh, climate policy manager of non-profit Action Aid, said that funds should not be an issue to challenge climate change. “We do not mean trillions of dollars of public money. The fund of US$ 100 billion will leverage trillions. A lot of investment has to come from private sector.” Giving an example he said that if a new technology costs 10 per cent of the total investment in a project and if this 10 per cent is provided by the climate fund, then it will turn out to be a greatly attractive prospectus. The private sector will jump on such projects.

US decides to implement emission standards on all power plants; China promises emission trading system

US decides to implement emission standards on all power plants; China promises emission trading system

In a significant development months ahead of Paris climate talks, China and the US have come out with a joint announcement on climate change.The countries have highlighted their individual and joint initiatives in this regard.

Both the countries have reaffirmed their commitment to reach an ambitious agreement in 2015 that reflects the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances. It is important to note that the phrase “in light of national circumstances” was adopted in the Lima summit outcome text that does not leave much difference between developed and developing countries as the focus is on current emission trends rather than the historical emissions. The announcement between China and the US upholds the Lima text’s language of differentiation.

Money matters

The two countries have highlighted the importance of adaptation, means of implementation and strong mitigation actions. They have also reiterated that the developed countries are committed to a goal of mobilising US$ 100 billion a year jointly by 2020 for the Green Climate Fund to address the needs of developing countries. The funding would be secured from public and private and bilateral and multilateral sources, including alternative sources of finance. At present, US$ 4 billion in the fund account for just four per cent of the required mandate.While the United States has upheld its pledge for contributing US$ 3 billion to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), China would also fund about US$ 3 billion (¥20 billion) for setting up the China South-South Climate Cooperation Fund to support other developing countries to combat climate change. Both the US and China recognised and appreciated the critical role of cities, states and provinces in addressing climate change. They also stressed the importance of implementation of national actions and accelerating the long-term transition to a low carbon and livable society.

Promises on climate

Both the countries also highlighted their climate action in the coming times. In this regard, the US intends to finalise a federal plan to implement carbon emission standards for power plants in states that do not choose to design their own implementation plans under the Clean Power Plan. Additionally, the US intends to establish world-class fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles in 2016 and implementing them in 2019, finalizing separate standards for methane emissions from landfills and the oil and gas sector in 2016 and also finalising over 20 efficiency standards for appliances and equipment by the end of 2016.

China, on the other hand, has promised to set up national emission trading system in 2017. The system would cover key industry sectors such as iron and steel, power generation, chemicals, building materials, paper-making, and nonferrous metals. The Asian country has also agreed to promote low-carbon buildings and transportation, with the share of green buildings reaching 50 percent in newly built buildings in cities and towns by 2020. Emphasising on importance to public transport, China has talked aboutincreasing public transport in motorised travel to reach to 30 percent in big- and medium-sized cities by 2020. The country would also finalise fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles in 2016,which would be implemented in 2019.

Through the flagship mechanism of US-China Climate Change Working Group (CCWG), both the countries would continue to support each other’s domestic policies on climate change and exchange information in this regard.

The US in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) has pledged to cut the emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. China, although, has not announced any economy-wide cut, has pledged to decrease its emission intensity by 60-65 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. It would also increase the forest stock volume by around 4.5 billion cubic metres on the 2005 level by 2030and has announced 2030 as its peaking year.

Climate negotiations moving at a slow pace, but seemingly in the right direction

Climate negotiations moving at a slow pace, but seemingly in the right direction

With less than five days of negotiation left in the race to Paris COP 21, all parties attending the negotiations in Germany complained that discussions at the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) were superficial.

While there has been no significant improvement in finalising of the text, reports on developments have been presented in the discussions informally. With the announcement to issue a new "basis" text for the Paris deal in the first week of October, things seem to be moving in the right direction.

To enable negotiations to move in a planned manner, the session co-chairs introduced a tool in the scenario note in July so that parties could come prepared. This tool consisted of three parts:

• Part one comprises of provisions that are by nature appropriate for inclusion in an agreement.
• Part two contains provisions that are appropriate for inclusion in a decision.
• Part three contains provisions whose placement requires further clarity among parties in relation to the draft agreement or draft decision.

But with little progress being made, groups have proposed different methods to give a push to the process. The African group suggested a clearer mandate for the co-facilitators to act. The Umbrella Group (non-EU developed countries) proposed that work must occur within spin-off groups, while others wanted to directly proceed with text-based negotiations.

A number of spin-off sessions were held on issues of contention like differentiation, adaptation, loss and damage and long-term goals. The objective of the spin-off was to develop common understanding of a specific issue in a small group and then bring it to a bigger group. But it has been seen as a way of slowing down the process with too many spin-off sessions at the same time, making it difficult for countries with smaller delegations to attend. There has also been discomfort among parties because the text has not been discussed yet.

Developed countries have reiterated that the outcome should be based solely on mitigation-centric goals while developing countries continue to stay committed to elements discussed in the Durban decision (mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, capacity-building and transparency of action and support). Discussion on loss and damage has been the highlight of ADP2 with a number of negotiation groups stressing the need to address them and to move them into the negotiation text.

AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) reminded parties that even if a two-degree limit was agreed upon, it would prove to be an existential crisis for them with sea levels rising rapidly. They called for parties to cut the limit down to 1.5°C. AOSIS also asked developing countries to stand by their commitment of providing US $100 billion every year up to 2020 and scaling up their effort post-2020.

It has been reported that the US and the EU are considering loss and damage options for the Paris deal, which is the only sign of hope for non-annex countries to address adaptation and loss and damage in the final text. There has been an emphasis on trust and fulfilling of pre-2020 targets to gain the trust of all parties.

India’s INDC is fair, and its renewable energy and forestry targets are ambitious, says CSE

India’s INDC is fair, and its renewable energy and forestry targets are ambitious, says CSE

Author(s): Jyotsna Singh, Rakesh Kamal

Ahead of the UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change, scheduled in December 2015 in Paris, India on Sunday submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has called the Indian INDC “fair”, and its renewable and forestry targets “ambitious”.

In its INDC, India has pledged to improve the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 below 2005 levels. It has also pledged to increase the share of non-fossil fuels-based electricity to 40 per cent by 2030. It has agreed to enhance its forest cover which will absorb 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO_2, the main gas responsible for global warming) by 2030.

India has accepted the huge impact that climate change is exerting and will exert on different sectors of its economy and has agreed to enhance investments to adapt in vulnerable sectors like agriculture, water resources, coastal regions, health and disaster management.

India has also reiterated its need for international finance and technology support to meet its climate goals. In this regard, it has said it would require at least US $ 2.5 trillion (at 2014-15 prices) to meet its climate change actions between now and 2030.

“India’s INDC is fair and is quite ambitious, specifically on renewable energy and forestry,” says Sunita Narain, director general, CSE.

“India’s INDC reflects its development challenges, aspirations of large numbers of poor people and the realities of climate change,” adds Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE.

Dissecting India’s INDC

• India’s emissions intensity targets are similar to that of China’s. India has pledged to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 per cent by 2030, below 2005 levels. China has pledged to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 60-65 per cent during the same period. In 2030, both the countries will have almost same emissions intensity levels – 0.12 million tonnes of CO₂ per billion USD (in 2005 USD). This means that both these countries will emit about 120,000 tonnes of CO₂ for every 1 billion USD of GDP.

• India’s pledge to install 40 per cent of its total electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources is more ambitious than even that of the United States. In 2030, even under the most ambitious Clean Power Plan of US President Barack Obama, the US will only have about 30 per cent of its electricity capacity on non-fossils.
• CSE’s projections show that in 2030, India will have about 250-300 GW of solar and wind energy capacity. Under the Clean Power Plan, the US will reach 275 GW solar and wind capacity by 2030. China has pledged 300 GW solar and wind power by 2030.
• India’s forestry target is also very ambitious. It intends to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO₂through additional forests by 2030. In comparison, China will increase the forest stock volume by around 4.5 billion cubic meters by 2030. This translates into an additional carbon sink of about 5 billion tonnes of CO₂. Considering that China has three times more land area than India, India’s goal seems very ambitious.
• CSE’s projections shows that in 2030 India’s total emissions could reach about 4.5-5.0 billion tonnes. Its per capita emissions would be about 3.5 tonnes. In comparison, the per capita emissions of the US and China are projected to be around 12 tonnes.

“From all angles, India’s INDC is as good as China’s and better than the US’s considering that both these countries have higher emissions than India and are economically more capable of reducing their emissions and mitigating climate change,” says Chandra Bhushan.  

India’s INDC also highlights some tough challenges for the world. The INDCs submitted by all major emitters indicate the cumulative emissions of the world between 2012 and 2030 would be in the range of 700 to 800 Gt of CO₂. According to the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to meet the 2^OC temperature increase target, the world has an emission budget of only 1,000 billion tonnes of CO₂ till 2100. The world will consume most of this budget by 2030, leaving a small space for developing countries in Asia and Africa to grow in the future.

“INDCs submitted by all major countries indicate that the world is not on a path to the 2^OC target. This would be disastrous for poor people across the world. It is important this reality is discussed and resolved in the Paris climate conference,” adds Sunita Narain.    

Climate change can push more than 100 million people into poverty by 2030, says new report

Climate change can push more than 100 million people into poverty by 2030, says new report

Author(s): DTE Staff

In India alone, 45 million people could be pushed back over the poverty line by 2030, primarily due to agricultural shocks and increased incidence of disease

Ending poverty and fighting climate change cannot be done in isolation – the two will be much more easily achieved if they are addressed together, says a new World Bank report. Titled "Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty", the report has highlighted some climate-related threats to the poor. "Climate change is a threat that has the the power to push more than 100 million people back into poverty over the next fifteen years, says the report that was released on Sunday.
 

The international agency, however, has suggested that this threat can be contained through rapid and inclusive development that takes into account climate change, targeted adaptation measures, and emissions reductions efforts that protect the poor. " We have the ability to end extreme poverty even in the face of climate change, but to succeed, climate considerations will need to be integrated into development work. And we will need to act fast, because as climate impacts increase, so will the difficulty and cost of eradicating poverty," says John Roome, senior director for climate chnage at World Bank. 

Climate impacts will affect agriculture the most, a key sector in the poorest countries and major source of income, food security, nutrition, jobs, livelihoods and export earnings. Emission reduction policies that protect the poor need to be focussed on, states the international agency. By 2030, crop yield losses could mean that food prices would be 12 per cent higher on average in Sub-Saharan Africa. The strain on poor households, who spend as much as 60 per cent of their income on food, could be acute. The resulting malnutrition could lead to an increase in severe stunting in Africa of 23 per cent.

'Unhealthy' trends 

At the global level, warming of 2-3 degrees Celsius could increase the number of people at risk for malaria by up to five per cent, or more than 150 million more people affected. Diarrhea would be more prevalent, and increased water scarcity would have an effect on water quality and hygiene. "The result would be an estimated 48,000 additional deaths among children under the age of 15 resulting from diarrheal illness by 2030," warns the report. 

Building more resilience 

Improving people’s capacity to prepare for and cope with shocks could be one significant measure to fight the expected impacts of climate change. For instance, in Kenya, the Hunger Safety Net Program prevented a five per cent increase in poverty among beneficiaries following the 2011 drought. In Uganda, the combination of new crop varieties and extension visits increased household agricultural income by 16 per cent.

The report has looked at different scenarios to 2030 to find that without good development, more than 100 million additional people would be living in poverty. In India alone, an additional 45 million people could be pushed back over the poverty line by 2030, primarily due to agricultural shocks and increased incidence of disease.

Cacao tree originated 10 million years ago: scientists

Cacao tree originated 10 million years ago: scientists

Author(s): DTE Staff

Early evolutionary origin of the species is good news as it suggests that cacao has had enough time to diversify genetically

Next time, when you bite into your favourite chocolate bar, just think how ancient the cacao tree is. A study suggests that the cacao tree is much older than previously thought of.

“Studies of the evolutionary history of economically-important groups are vital to develop agricultural industries and demonstrate the importance of conserving biodiversity to contribute towards sustainable development. Here, we show for the first time that the source of chocolate, Theobroma cacao, is remarkably old for an Amazonian plant species,” James Richardson, tropical botanist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK, and lead author of the study, said.

Richardson, along with researchers from the University of Rosario and the University of the Andes in Colombia, the University of Miami, USA, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), found that the Theobroma cacao is one of the oldest species in the genus Theobroma, having evolved around 10 million years ago.

Early origin a good thing

The early evolutionary origin of the species is good news. It suggests that cacao has had enough time to diversify genetically, with each wild population adapting to its local habitat.

Wild populations of the cacao across the Americas may be treasure troves of genetic variation, which could be bred into cultivated strains to make the latter more resistant to diseases and climate change and perhaps even create new flavours of chocolate.

Chocolate, produced from the seeds of Theobroma cacao, is one of the most popular flavours in the world, with sales touching $ 100 billion per year.

But as global demand increases, there are fears that the industry will fail to cope with the increasing public demand for the product. The main problem, common to several other crops, is the lack of genetic variation in cultivated cacao, which makes it vulnerable to pests and blights.

“After ten million years of evolution, we should not be surprised to see a large amount of variation within the species, some of which might exhibit novel flavours or forms that are resistant to diseases. These varieties may contribute towards improving a developing chocolate industry,” Richardson added.

“We hope to highlight the importance of conserving biodiversity so that it can be used to augment and safeguard the agricultural sector. By understanding the diversification processes of chocolate and its relatives we can contribute to the development of the industry and demonstrate that this truly is the Age of Chocolate,” co-author Santiago Madriñán of the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, said.

Maternal mortality on a decline, but challenges remain

Maternal mortality on a decline, but challenges remain

Author(s): Vani Manocha

An earlier report had said that India accounts for the maximum number of maternal deaths in the world — 17 per cent or nearly 50,000 of the 289,000

The number of women dying during pregnancy, childbirth or within six weeks after birth has fallen by 44 per cent since 1990, say United Nations agencies, including the World Bank.

A recently-released report has said that maternal deaths around the world dropped from about 532,000 in 1990 to an estimated 303,000 this year. This equates to an estimated global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 216 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, down from 385 in 1990. 

“The MDGs triggered unprecedented efforts to reduce maternal mortality,” said Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General, Family, Women’s and Children’s Health. “Over the past 25 years, a woman’s risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes has nearly halved.  That’s real progress, although it is not enough. We know that we can virtually end these deaths by 2030 and this is what we are committing to work towards,” Bustreo added. 

Titled "Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015 – Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division", the report is the last in a series that has looked at progress under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Talking about how the world is placed to handle the problem in next few years, Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of United Nations’ Population Fund said, “Many countries with high maternal death rates will make little progress, or will even fall behind, over the next 15 years if we don’t improve the current number of available midwives and other health workers with midwifery skills.” 

The report further suggests that Those countries are Bhutan, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Maldives, Mongolia, Rwanda and Timor-Leste. Despite this important progress, the MMR in some of these countries remains higher than the global average.

India leads with maximum maternal deaths

A UN report had earlier revealed that in 2013, India accounted for the maximum number of maternal deaths in the world — 17 per cent or nearly 50,000 of the 289,000. Nigeria was second with nearly 40,000. Maternal mortality ratio in India in the same year was 190 per 100,000 live births

In Bihar, a state among those with high MMR in India, it was found that sex determination tests and lack of ambulances are major reasons for maternal deaths in the state’s capital region. 

"India decreased its MMR by more than 68%, which is very significant," says Fadéla Chaib of World Health Organization (WHO). Chaib, however, warns that India will need to further accelerate its rate of decline and ensure that all women have access to care before, during, and after pregnancy. "To do this, it is not only about health care issues like making sure medical interventions are available but also improving the education of girls, avoiding early marriage, and ensuring gender equality. We should also not forget that ensuring that a wide range of contraceptive options is important to help women plan and space, and avoid pregnancies," she tells Down To Earth.

India will need to further accelerate its rate of decline and ensure that all women have access to care before, during, and after pregnancy. To do this, it is not only about health care issues like making sure medical interventions are available but also improving the education of girls, avoiding early marriage, and ensuring gender equality. We should also not forget that ensuring that a wide range of contraceptive options is important to help women plan and space, and avoid pregnancies. India should also continue its efforts to conduct special studies on maternal mortality, as it helps to provide data. All of these actions will help India reach its SDG on maternal mortality.

A ray of hope

The Sustainable Development Goals demand end of preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age by 2020, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births. By the end of this year, about 99 per cent of the world’s maternal deaths will have occurred in developing regions, with Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for two in three (66 per cent) deaths. But that represents a major improvement:  Sub-Saharan Africa saw nearly 45 per cent decrease in MMR, from 987 to 546 per 100,000 live births between 1990 and 2015. But this also means that a lot more remains to be done in the next few years.

The greatest improvement of any region was recorded in Eastern Asia, where the maternal mortality ratio fell from approximately 95 to 27 per 100,000 live births (a reduction of 72 per cent). In developed regions, maternal mortality fell 48 per cent between 1990 and 2015, from 23 to 12 per 100,000 live births.

Need for better data

Analysis suggests that efforts to strengthen data and accountability especially over the past years have helped fuel this improvement. However, much more needs to be done to develop complete and accurate civil and vital registration systems that include births, deaths and causes of death. Maternal death audits and reviews also need to be implemented to understand why, where and when women die and what can be done to prevent similar deaths, says the report.

CURRENT AFFAIRS NOV/14/2015

1. Northeast India’s first elephant hospital established at Kaziranga National Park

i. Northeast India’s first hospital for elephants has been established at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

ii.Kaziranga National Park is located in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam.

iii. It was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 by UNESCO for its unique natural environment.

2. Terrorist attacked  Paris, Hundreds of people Killed

i. Terrorists  attacked six locations around Paris killing around 160 civilians and injuring hundreds of people.

ii.Maximum deaths occurred in the Bataclan concert venue, around 80000 football fans in the Stade de France (National Stadium of France) came under the deadliest attacks who were watching a friendly match between France and Germany.

iii.Recently in the January 2015 terrorists killed 11 people when they stormed into the offices of the French satirical weekly newspaper in Paris.

3. 126th birth anniversary of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru is being observed as Children's Day

i. Birth anniversary of  First Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru celebrated in all over India. ii.President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and other dignitaries paid tributes to Pandit Nehru at his memorial Shanti Van in the national capital.

ii. The  Birth anniversary of  Former Prime Minister  Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is also celebrated as Children's Day.

4. NGT directs collection of ‘green tax’

i. To control and minimize the health hazards originating from bursting of firecrackers, the Pune Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed civic bodies to levy Rs. 3,000 as ‘green tax’ from sellers.

ii.The fund collected from the tax will be used to clean solid waste generated from firecrackers at public places.

 iii.The money will be used exclusively for environmental activities such as planting trees and constructing toilets for women.

5. Russia's athletics federation provisionally suspended from international competition

i. Russia's athletics federation has been provisionally suspended from international competition - including the Olympic Games

ii.It was suspended  for its alleged involvement in widespread doping

iii.The International Association of Athletics Federations took action after the publication of an independent World Anti-Doping Agency  report that alleged "state-sponsored doping".

6. Shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma becomes first para athlete from India for 2016 Rio Paralympics

i.Indian shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma became the first para athlete from India to grab a quota for 2016 Rio Paralympics.

ii. The grabbed place in Olympics after getting a 12th place finish in men's 50m rifle three position at the IPC Shooting World Cup at Fort Benning, USA.

Venue for 2016 Rio Paralympics: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

CURRENT AFFAIRS NOV/13/2015

1.’INDIAN TEAM WON NASA AWARD’

i.Indian scientist team led by Sameer Panda won the NASA award for an innovative technology named Burst Prevention & Puncture Curative technology.

ii.They won the award in the Create the Future Design Contest- 2015 conducted by NASA in New York.

iii.Indian Team won the award for Mild Run Flat Tyre based on BPPC technology.

iv.The technology decreases the possibilities of bursts, takes care of punctures and dynamic wheel balancing.

2. INDIA’S COAST GUARD OFFSHORE PATROL VESSEL ‘SAMARTH’ COMMISSIONED INTO INDIAN NAVY

i. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar commissioned the India Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Samarth’ at Vasco in Goa.

ii.Samarth patrolling vessel is equipped with  most advance technology, navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery.

3. ‘ABRAHAM M KEITA’ WON THE 2015 ‘INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S PEACE PRIZE’

i. Abraham M Keita was honoured  with the prestigious International Children’s Peace Prize 2015.

ii.The  award is given for his extraordinary work for justice for child victims of physical or sexual violence, and for successfully campaigning for the Liberian parliament to adopt the Children’s Law.

iii.International Children’s Peace Prize is awarded annually to child from across the world for his or her dedication to children’s rights.

4. ‘12TH ASEM FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEET HELD IN LUXEMBURG

i. 12th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Luxembourg.

ii.The meeting  was chaired by Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

iii.The Theme of the summit was ‘Working Together for a Sustainable and Secure Future’

5. ‘SUBIR GOKARN’ APPOINTED AS IMF'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

i. Former Deputy Governor of RBI Subir Vithal Gokarn was appointed as an Executive Director on the board of the International Monetary Fund.

ii.He will replace Rakesh Mohan at the International monetary fund.

President of IMF: Christine Lagarde

Members in IMF: 188

Headquarters of IMF: Washington D.C, USA

6. PRESIDENT APPROVED ‘HARYANA GAUVANSH SANRAKSHAN AND GAUSAMVARDHAN BILL’

i. President Pranab Mukherjee gave approval for  Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Bill.

ii.Now, Cow slaughter in Haryana will invite rigorous imprisonment ranging from 3 to 10 years and a fine of up to 1 lakh rupees.

iii.Any person who attempts to export cows for slaughter will be imprisoned for not less than 3 years and up to 7 years. In addition, fine between 30000 rupees and 70000 rupees will be imposed.

CURRENT AFFAIRS NOV/12/2015

1. PM NARENDRA MODI ON A THREE DAY VISIT TO UK

i. PM Narendra Modi is a three-day visit to UK to boost investment opportunities and hold talks on various bilateral issues mainly relating  to security concern.

ii. It is PM Narendra modi’s first visit to Britain as Prime Minister.

PM of United Kingdom: David Cameron

2. INDIA CAN BE A CHINA-LIKE GLOBAL GROWTH POWERHOUSE OF THE 2020: THE ECONOMIST

i. The international Magazine ‘THE ECONOMIST’ has stated India can be a China-like global growth powerhouse of the 2020s, provided it addresses several challenges.

ii.The magazine has stated India is the only country that has the potential to change the world in the 2020s, in the way that China changed it in the 2000s.

3.’BIS’ ELECTS ‘RAGHURAM RAJAN AS ITS VICE-CHAIRMAN’i. Raghuram Rajan, Governor of Reserve Bank of India, has been elected as vice-chairman of the Bank of International Settlement.

ii.He will have a three-year term as vice-chairman of the BIS.

iii.Raghuram Rajan is the first Indian central bank Governor to become the vice-chairman of BIS.

 iv.The Bank for International Settlements is the world’s oldest international financial organizationestablished in May 1930.

4. INDIA’S GSAT-15 COMMUNICATION SATELLITE LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY

I.GSAT-15 is India’s latest communications satellite which was recently successfully launched

ii.GSAT-15 was launched from Kourou in French Guiana in South America.

iii.GSAT 15 will replace two older spacecraft-INSAT 3A and 4B- that will likely expire in the coming months.

iv.GSAT-15 will deliver telecommunications services that will provide more bandwidth for Direct-to-Home television services.