November 19, 2016 current affairs

 November 19, 2016

 COP22 adopts Marrakech Action Proclamation

The COP22 to the UNFCC, 12th session of COP of Parties to Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12), and first session of COP of Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1) were held in Marrakech, Morocco. Nearly 200 nations attending the COP22 to the UNFCC have adopted Marrakech Action Proclamation for Our Climate and Sustainable Development. The 11-day meeting concluded with all participating member nations collectively reaffirming their commitment to climate action under Paris Agreement adopted in November 2015. It is urgent duty of countries to respond global warming which is warming the climate at an alarming and unprecedented rate.

Jagdish Singh Khehar appointed executive chairman of NALSA

The Union government has appointed Jagdish Singh Khehar, a judge of the Supreme Court, as the new Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). He succeeds Anil R. Dave who retired as Judge of Supreme Court after completing tenure of over six years. NALSA provides for free legal aid to the poor and weaker sections of the society. It has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Its aim is to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reasons of economic or other disabilities.

Indian Navy inducts 4 types of indigenously developed sonars

The Indian Navy has formally inducted four types of indigenously developed sonars that will boost its underwater surveillance capability. The systems have been designed and developed by NPOL Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), a Kochi based laboratory of DRDO. Abhay: It is an advanced hull mounted active-cum-passive integrated sonar system. It has been designed and developed for the smaller platforms such as shallow water crafts and coastal surveillance/patrol vessels. Humsa UG: It has been designed for upgrading the existing Humsa sonar system for intensifying the command over the high seas. This system is proposed to be installed on seven ships of three different classes of ships. AIDSS: It stands for Advanced Indigenous Distress sonar system for submarines. It is distress sonar is an Emergency Sound Signaling Device. It is used to indicate that a submarine is in distress and enable quick rescue and salvage. NACS: It stands for Near-field Acoustic Characterization System. It determines the in-situ performance of SONAR systems used to find the frequency-dependent 3-D transmission and reception characteristics of SONAR

International Conference on Brucellosis 2016 inaugurated in New Delhi The International Conference on Brucellosis 2016 and the 69th meeting of the International Society on Brucellosis was inaugurated in New Delhi. The three day conference has been organised by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in collaboration with Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR). Provide a technical platform for scientist and experts from all over the world including Participants from 26 countries. Help endemic countries in designing effective control strategies and eradication methods as per the laws governing the livestock production systems.

India is non-committal on market economy status for China India is not inclined to automatically grant the coveted ‘Market Economy Status’ (MES) to China under World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms in December 2016. The main reason India is reluctant to grant MES to China is that it will severely curb India’s ability to impose anti-dumping duties on ‚unfairly priced‛ Chinese imports. Earlier, US and the EU also had opposed to grant MES to China on the same issue. Under WTO norms, once a country gets MES status, exports from it are to be accepted at the production costs and selling price as the benchmark. Prior to this status, country is considered as a Non Market Economy (NME).

Scientists produce faster-growing crops by improving photosynthesis

Scientists have improved the photosynthesis process in the plants to produce faster-growing crops. The breakthrough was published in the journal Science. They had used genetic modification technology to improve photosynthesis in the plants. This modification increased amount of sunlight energy crop plants can channel into food production. The breakthrough has increased the yield in the experimental crop by 15 per cent. This is seen as a critical step towards increasing crop production to feed a growing global population.

Iran becomes India’s top crude oil supplier

Iran for the first time ever has surpassed Saudi Arabia to become India’s top crude oil supplier. It was revealed by ship tracking data and a report compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecasts. Earlier, Iran used to be India’s second-biggest oil supplier after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11. However, it had ceded its position to Iraq after the tougher western countries sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear development programme. India’s oil imports from Iran have shot up after sanctions were lifted in January 2016. In October 2016, oil imports from Iran surged more than threefold as compared October 2015.

Jammu and Kashmir Government launches Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project

Jammu and Kashmir Government has launched Jhelum-Tawi flood recovery project to give push to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure post-2014 floods in the state. The project which is funded World Bank was formally launched Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar. The project was conceptualised and pursued by former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in the aftermath of devastating floods of 2014 in the state. It aims at reconstructing and recovering support in flood-affected areas in which public infrastructure and livelihoods were impacted severely.