CURRENT AFFAIRS (05-11-2022 TO 11-11-2022)

ACECLOFENAC DRUG

Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) has recently demanded a ban on using aceclofenac in cattle after a new study showed that the drug metabolised into diclofenac in water buffaloes — as it does in cows.

WHAT IS ACECLOFENAC?

Aceclofenac is the prodrug of the non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH ACECLOFENAC?

• Aceclofenac in water buffaloes poses the same threat to vultures as it is a pro-drug of diclofenac.
• Aceclofenac turns into diclofenac soon after it enters the livestock.
• Vulture Action Plan 2020-2025 also mentions the aceclofenac as ‘toxic’, along with other drugs like nimesulide and ketoprofen.

WHAT IS DICLOFENAC?

• Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory drug.
• It was banned for veterinary use by the Government of India in 2006.
• It was found to be the main cause of a dramatic decline (99%) of the vulture population across Asia.
• The drug caused accidental poisoning in raptors after they fed on carcasses of cattle injected with it.

WHAT IS VULTURE ACTION PLAN 2020-25?

❖ Drug control:

• To ensure minimum use of Diclofenac.
• To Prevent the poisoning of the principal food of vultures, the cattle carcasses, with veterinary NSAIDs, by ensuring that sale of veterinary NSAIDs is regulated and is disbursed only on prescription and by ensuring that treatment of livestock is done only by qualified veterinarians.
• To carry out safety testing of available NSAIDs on vultures and to develop new ones which do not affect vultures.

❖ Upscaling conservation:

• To establish Additional Conservation Breeding Centres along with Vulture Conservation Centres with samples and information collected from the wild analysed and stored at these centres.
• To implement the Vulture Safe Zone programme at eight different places in the country where there are existing populations of vultures.
• To launch conservation plans for the Red-headed and Egyptian vultures, with breeding programmes for both.

ELA RAMESH BHATT

Ela Ramesh Bhatt, popularly known as Elaben, a noted Gandhian, leading women’s empowerment activist, and renowned founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) (1972) passed away recently.

ABOUT HER LIFE

• She headed the women’s wing of Majdoor Mahajan Sangh – the Textile Labour Association founded by Anasuya Sarabhai and Mahatma Gandhi.
• She was the chairperson of the Sabarmati Ashram Memorial and Preservation Trust, also co-founded the Women’s World Banking, a global network of microfinance organisations, of which she was chairperson from 1984 to 1988.
• She was also nominated to Rajya Sabha, was a member of the Planning Commission, and was advisor to organisations like the World Bank.
• In 2007, she joined the Elders, a group of world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela to promote human rights and peace.
• She was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Ramon Magsaysay Award and Indira Gandhi International Prize for Peace among many other awards.

ABOUT SEWA:

An internationally famous women’s organisation which has worked wonders for poor women working in the unorganized sector and self employed women is SEWA, Self- Employed Women’s Association which was established in 1972, through the efforts of a Gandhian, Ela Bhatt.

She argues that the self-employed, like other workers, should have the right to organise. Until then trade unions existed only in the formal sector. The state government finally agreed and SEWA was registered as a trade union in 1972. It is the only trade union of its kind in India.

Over the years, SEWA has organised women into self-reliant cooperatives of weavers, block printers basket weavers, kerosene vendors etc. The aim was to take over production and marketing of their own product and do away with the middlemen. Today it has an all India membership of around ten lakh women. It set up the Shri Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank Ltd. or the Sewa Bank, in 1974, which is run entirely by women.

Development through micro banking can be slow but it is a sure way of development for the poor, says Ela Bhatt (the founder of SEWA and recipient of 2011 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development).

In 1992 an insurance programme was implemented by the Sewa Bank for its members. It was so successful that they later set up a separate insurance unit called Vimo Sewa, which insures women for life, health assets, widowhood and accidents in Gujarat.

It receives help from the Government of Germany. SEWA is funded by the Indian Government and also receives aid from many foreign agencies including the Ford Foundation and ILO. Its aim is to give a buffer to women in times of crisis.

BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENCE INTERCEPTOR

India conducted the first successful flight test of the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptor missile from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.

• AD-1 is a long-range interceptor missile designed for both low exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric interception of long-range ballistic missiles as well as aircraft.
• The missile is propelled by a two-stage solid motor and equipped with an indigenously developed advanced control system and a navigation and guidance algorithm.
  • These algorithms precisely guide the vehicle to the targets that move at very high speeds.

INDIA’S BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENCE SYSTEM

• India’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) programme aims to provide an air-defence shield from all types of hostile missiles, even the nuclear ones.
• DRDO is developing a two-tier BMD system to provide a multi-layered shield against ballistic missile attacks.
• The two-tier system is intended to destroy an incoming missile, at a higher altitude, in the exo-atmosphere and if that miscarries, an endo-atmospheric interception will take place.

TWO TIERS OF BMD SYSTEM

• Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile
  • This can intercept and destroy missiles at exo-atmospheric altitudes of 50–180 kilometres.
  • It is based on the Prithvi missile. Pradyumna Ballistic Missile Interceptor is going to replace the Prithvi air defence.
• Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Missile
  • The second layer is Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Missile for lower altitude interception.
  • This is designed to knock down hostile missiles in the endo-atmosphere at altitudes of 15-40 kilometres.
    • Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM) is part of AAD.

PAKISTAN PM MEETS CHINESE PRESIDENT

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a two-day official visit to China. He is the first foreign leader to visit China since President Xi Jinping won a third term in office.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• During this visit, the two leaders agreed to strengthen the all-weather friendship and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
• Chinese President told the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister that he was deeply concerned about the security of Chinese personnel working on projects in the country.
• China also stressed Pakistan was a priority in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy.
• China offered an additional $68 million in flood relief.

INCREASING TIES BETWEEN CHINA & PAKISTAN

• Over the years, China has expanded its footprint in Pakistan. Perhaps in no other country in South Asia has China expanded its footprint more than in Pakistan.
• The latest example of this was the Pakistan Day Parade in Islamabad in late March 2022, which saw the Pakistan’s military display several recently acquired military platforms from China.
  • J-10CE multirole fighter aircraft, battle tanks, self-propelled howitzers and air-defense equipment.
  • China’s supply of advanced military equipment to Pakistan — also including warships and submarines.
• Just how close Sino-Pakistani ties have become can be seen in a 33-point document issued by the two countries in February 2022.
  • Through this document, the two sides emphasized their support for each other’s core interests.

RISING CONCERNS FOR INDIA

• The growing Sino-Pakistani cooperation has set off alarm bells in India, especially as Chinese arms and money continue to flow into Pakistan.
• The Indian military, which is preparing for a potential two-front war with China and Pakistan, is also concerned about the possibility of the China establishing a more robust logistics and basing infrastructure in the region.
• The ‘central pillar’ of the relationship between the two countries is the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). (Part of Belt & Road Initiative)
  • CPEC is a series of long-term infrastructure, transportation, and energy projects valued at $62 billion as of 2020.
  • CPEC is opposed by India as this project is not only passing through India’s territory but also posing a threat to the sovereignty of India.
• China continues to support Pakistan against India at the UN Security Council (as seen in the repeated blocks by Beijing on joint India-US proposals to designate two Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives).

WHAT IS OBOR/BRI?

The OBOR initiative was announced in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping.

The ‘Belt’ refers to the ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’, which is a series of overland routes reminiscent of the Silk Road of antiquity and the late middle ages, while the ‘Road’ refers to the sea routes, which is also referred to as the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Objectives of OBOR/BRI (since 2016)

The objectives of the OBOR are as follows:

• Creation of a unified large market that makes use of both international and domestic markets.
• Facilitate cultural exchange and integration.
• Enhance mutual understanding and trust of member nations that will foster an innovative environment with capital inflows, talent pool and technology database.

Concerns wrt BRI:

• Poor track record of Chinese construction companies which are known for sub standard construction & mistreatment of local workers.
• Countries like Russia believe that BRI will reduce its sphere of influence in the CAR at the cost of increasing China’s influence.
• The risk of falling into a ‘debt trap’. Sri Lanka is believed to have fallen in this trap.
• Credit imperialism. China is charging exorbitant rate of interests for critical projects.

US FEDERAL RESERVE HIKES INTEREST RATE

Recently, the US Federal Reserve announced its fourth consecutive 75 basis point interest rate hike, which brought the benchmark federal funds rate to the range of 3.75% to 4%.

US Federal Reserve is the CENTRAL BANK of USA

The Fed also delivered a sharp tone in favour of over-tightening in a bid to contain inflation.

WHY WERE THE RATES HIKED?

• Inflation in the US remains elevated, reflecting supply and demand imbalances related to the pandemic, higher food and energy prices, and broader price pressures.
• However, the Central Bank of US only has the tools to control the demand side — which it is using to bring inflation in line with its mandate of 2%.

(Raising interest rates is a monetary policy instrument that typically helps suppress demand in the economy, thereby helping the inflation rate decline.)

• The Fed has said the battle against inflation would require borrowing costs to rise further.

IMPACT ON INDIA

• On Indian Market
  • Fed’s continuous rate hikes does not augur well for emerging markets including India.
  • An increase in US interest rates results in an outflow of funds to US markets, putting Indian stock markets and currencies under pressure.
  • Equity markets are likely to see increased volatility in the next few months.
• On Indian Rupee
  • The outflow of funds from Indian markets will have an impact on the exchange rate of Indian rupee against the dollar. The Indian rupee has been losing value against the dollar since early 2022.
  • A weaker rupee should help Indian exporters at some-level. Nonetheless, the chances of a recession in the rich world, including the US, have gone up and that will hurt them more.

UNIFIED DISTRICT INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR EDUCATION PLUS (UDISE+)

Ministry of Education recently released a detailed report on Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2021-22 on school education of India.

ABOUT UDISE+:

• The UDISE+ system of online data collection from the schools was developed by Department of School Education & Literacy in the year 2018-19 to overcome the issues related to erstwhile practice of manual data filling in paper format.
• In UDISE+ 2021-22, additional data on important indicators viz., digital library, peer learning, hard spot identification, number of books available in school library, etc have been collected for the first time to align with the National Education Policy 2020 initiatives.

THE FINDINGS

• According to the report, Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) has improved at primary, upper primary, and higher secondary levels of school education in 2021-22 as compared to 2020-21.
• In 2021-22, the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) stood at 26 for primary, 19 for upper primary, 18 for secondary, and 27 for higher secondary showing an improvement since 2018-19.
• In 2021-22, over 12.29 crore girls are enrolled in primary to higher secondary showing an increase of 8.19 lakh as compared to the enrolment of girls in 2020-21.
• More than 20,000 schools were closed across the country during 2020-21 while the number of teachers also declined by 1.95% in comparison to the previous year.
• It pointed out that only85% schools had computer facilities while nearly 34% had internet connection.
• While only 27% schools have special toilets for children with special needs (CWSN), more than 49% of them have ramps with handrails.

RISAT 2 SATELLITE

ISRO’s radar-imaging satellite Risat-2 has finally landed on Earth after completing its ‘job’ for over 13 years and lands near Jakarta.

ABOUT RISAT 2 SATELLITE

• It was launched on 20 April 2009 by a PSLV C-12 rocket following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
• It was India’s first “eye in the sky” to keep surveillance on the country’s borders as part of anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist operations.
• It was also used to track enemy ships at sea.
• The main sensor of RISAT-2, which was able to observe in all weather conditions day and night, was Israel Aerospace Industries’ X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar.
• It carried 30 kg of fuel for an initial designed life of four years.
• Due to proper maintenance of orbit and mission planning by the spacecraft operations team in ISRO and by economical usage of fuel, RISAT-2 provided very useful payload data for 13 years.

POLLUTION IN DELHI

The haze and smoke over Delhi has become an annual event for about three weeks in October-November.

It is commonly referred to as SMOG.

SMOG= Smoke + Fog

The current situation has triggered a temporary ban on construction activities and the movement of trucks and diesel four-wheelers that do not comply with BS-VI norms.

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH PHENOMENON

• Burning of agricultural waste
  • At this time of the year, the burning of agricultural waste in Punjab and Haryana is indeed the dominant reason for the smoke and haze over Delhi.
  • The particulate matter from the burning contributes 30-40% of the PM2.5 concentrations in Delhi’s air during this time.
• Weather
  • The weather also plays a critical role as well — a 30-40% rise in pollutants at any other time of the year would not cause the same impact. During October-November, the pollutants are trapped and tend to get concentrated at lower levels of the atmosphere, resulting in the smoke and haze situation that is being witnessed now.
• Other factors
  • Construction activities; Movement of diesel vehicles, particularly older trucks; Burning crackers during Diwali etc.

WHY FARMERS PRACTICE STUBBLE BURNING?

• Rice and wheat straws left in the field, after combine harvesting, are generally burnt by the farmers to facilitate seed bed preparation and seeding.
• Farmers find this method as quick and cheap compared to other practices for crop residue management.
• Since input costs of farming is going up day by day, farmers are not willing to further invest in equipments useful for crop residue management.
• Happy Seeder (a tractor-operated machine for in-situ management of paddy stubble) continues to be an expensive method for majority of farmers.

STEPS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT

• Taken by Centre
  • A Central Sector Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanisation for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’ was approved.
  • Farmers are being provided 50 percent of the cost of machinery/equipment as financial assistance for the purchase of such machinery.
  • Over the last three years, the Centre has been heavily subsidizing various agriculture machines.
  • Profit from the left-over biomass is shared with farmers.
• Taken by State Governments and Other agencies
  • States governments and other agencies are sensitising farmers on healthier practices.
  • Recently Punjab government decided to give incentives to industries which install paddy-straw-fired boilers.
  • It also decided to provide non-fiscal incentives to these industries in terms of availability of Panchayat land for storage of paddy straw with lease agreement upto 33 years.
• Pusa Decomposer
  • It is a bio-enzyme developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) to decompose crop residue.
  • It decomposes stubble within 20-25 days after spraying and turn it into manure, improving the soil quality.
  • It is cost effective as well. One packet of four capsule costs Rs 20 and can be used to make 25 litres of solution that can be used in one hectare.

SC UPHOLDS EWS QUOTA

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court, by a 3-2 majority, upheld the validity of 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019.

BACKGROUND:

Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the society was granted based on the recommendations of a commission headed by Major General (retd) S R Sinho.

The Commission was constituted by the then Union government in 2005, and submitted its report in 2010.

Based on this, the Cabinet, in 2019, decided to amend the Constitution (103rd Amendment) to provide reservation to EWS.

103^rd CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT ACT

• The 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 added Clause (6) to Article 15 of the Constitution to give the government the authority to make special provisions for the EWS among citizens who are not already eligible for reservation.
• The Act allows up to 10 per cent reservation in public and private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided, with the exception of minority-run institutions.
  • The Act also added Clause (6) to Article 16 of the Constitution to make employment reservations easier.
    • Article 16 of the Indian Constitution guarantees equal opportunity to all citizens in matters related to employment in the public sector.
• It was enacted to promote the welfare of the poor not covered by the 50% reservation policy for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
• The Act states unequivocally that the EWS reservation will be added to the existing reservation.

WHO CAN BE COUNTED AS EWS?

• Candidate’s annual family income must be less than 8 lakhs per annum,
• Their family must not own more than 5 acres of agriculture land,
• The residential flat area should be below 1000 sq. ft.,
• The residential plot area should be below 100 square yards if in a notified municipality sector,
• The residential plot area should be below 200 square yards if in a non-notified municipality sector.

THE JUDGEMENT

• By a majority of 3:2, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution Amendment, which came into effect in January 2019.
• The challenge was based on the argument that the 103rd amendment violated the “basic structure” of the Constitution.
  • The Supreme Court had introduced the doctrine of basic structure in the landmark Kesavananda Bharati case, by which it ruled that certain aspects of the Constitution were inviolable, and could not be changed.
• The primary argument in this case was that the special protections guaranteed to socially disadvantaged groups is part of the basic structure.
  • The petitioners argued that the 103rd Amendment departs from this by promising special protections on the sole basis of economic status.
• Three judges, Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela Trivedi, and S B Pardiwala, have upheld the validity of the 103rd amendment.
• Justice Dinesh Maheshwari has ruled that reservation based only on economic criteria does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution.
  • He also added that the exclusion of classes covered in Article 15(4) and 16(4) — that is OBCs and SC/STs — in the 103rd amendment does not damage the basic structure.
• Justice Bela Trivedi ruled that treating EWS as a separate class would be a reasonable classification, and that treating unequal equally would violate the principle of equality under the Constitution.
  • Justice Trivedi said that 75 years after independence, it was time to revisit the system of reservation in the larger interest of society.
• Justice S B Pardiwala observed that “Reservation is not an end, it is means, it should not be allowed to become a vested interest”.

INDIA INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FUND SCHEME

Recently, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance notified Scheme for Financial Support for Project Development Expenses of PPP Projects – India Infrastructure Project Development Fund Scheme (IIPDF Scheme)

It is a Central Sector Scheme which will aid the development of quality PPP projects by providing necessary funding support to the project sponsoring authorities, both in the Central and State Governments.

FUNDING

• The corpus of the IIPDF shall comprise of initial budgetary outlay of Rs. 100 Crore by the Ministry of Finance. This would be supplemented, should it become necessary, through budgetary support by the Ministry of Finance from time to time.
• Funding under IIPDF Scheme is in addition to the already operational Scheme for Financial Support to PPPs in Infrastructure (VGF Scheme).
• Organisational Structure: The IIPDF will be administered by the Empowered Institution. The Empowered Institution will:
  • Select projects for which project development costs will be funded.
  • Set the terms and conditions under which the funding will be provided and recovered.
  • Set milestones for disbursing and recovering (where appropriate) the funding.
• The Public Private Partnership Cell of the DEA will provide support functions examine the applications received for assistance under IIPDF.

WANGALA DANCE

Members of the Garo tribal community recently performed Wangala dance on the occasion of ‘The Rising Sun Water Fest-2022’ on the banks of Umiam Lake in Meghalaya.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

• The Wangala Festival, also known as the 100 drum festival is celebrated with much zeal and enthusiasm in India’s north-eastern state of
• Celebrated since 1976, it’s the most important festival of the Garo tribe and attracts a lot of tourists.
• During the Wangala, tribals offer sacrifices to please their deity Saljong, the Sun God.
• It marks the end of the long harvest season.
• The celebration also signifies the end of a long toil period in the field for the Garo tribe before the start of the winters.

VOTING RIGHTS OF NRIs

On the assurance of the Attorney General that the Central Government was looking at ways to facilitate distance voting for non-resident Indians (NRIs), mainly migrant labourers, the Supreme Court disposed off a batch of petitions seeking remote voting for NRIs.

HOW MANY NRIs ARE THERE?

According to estimates, India has the largest diaspora population, with nearly 1.35 crore non-resident Indians spread across the globe.

Many of them are in the Gulf countries, the U.S. and the U.K.

VOTING BY NRIs IN THE PAST

• In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 99,844 NRIs registered and 25,606 electors turned up to vote.
• In the 2014 Parliamentary elections, 11,846 NRIs registered and only a fraction turned up to vote.
• Of the registered overseas electors, 90% belonged to Kerala. Others registered are from Gujarat, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu among other States.
• A major reason for low NRI registration and voting despite India amending the Representation of the People Act in 2010 to enable eligible NRIs who had stayed abroad beyond six months to vote is the condition that they have to visit the polling booth in person.

WHAT HAS THE GOVERNMENT DONE SO FAR?

• Since the in-person proviso of the amended Act discouraged many, petitions were filed in the Supreme Court between 2013 and 2014 by NRIs.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) formed a Committee in 2014 on the Court’s direction to explore the options for overseas electors.
• The committee narrowed it down to two remote voting options —
  • e-postal ballot and
  • proxy voting.

WHAT IS ETPBS & PROXY VOTING?

• Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS):
  • The Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) involves the NRI voter sending an application to the returning officer in person or online.
  • The returning officer will send the ballot electronically.
  • The voter can then register their mandate on the ballot printout and send it back with an attested declaration.
  • The voter will either send the ballot by ordinary post or drop it at an Indian Embassy where it would be segregated and posted.
• Proxy voting:
  • Proxy voting, meanwhile, enables voters to appoint proxies to vote on their behalf.
  • Both ETPBS and proxy voting are currently available to only service voters, like those in the armed forces or diplomatic missions.

GOVERNMENT’s EFFORTS FOR REMOTE VOTING BY NRIs?

• In 2017, however, the government introduced a Bill to amend the Representation of People Act to remove the condition of in-person voting for NRIs and enable them to vote through proxies.
• The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in 2018 but never introduced in the Upper House, eventually lapsing with the 16th Lok Sabha.
• In 2020, the ECI wrote to the Law Ministry that it was “technically and administratively ready” to facilitate ETPBS for NRIs in the 2021 Assembly elections in five States but the External Affairs Ministry flagged “huge logistical challenges” relating to identity verification of voters, absence of polling agents, the burden on embassy staff etc.

MALABAR EXERCISE

The Navy chiefs of India, Australia, Japan and the U.S., which comprise the Quadrilateral (Quad) grouping, met in Japan recently and exchanged views on “further enhancing interoperability” in future editions of the Malabar multilateral naval exercise.

ABOUT THE EXERCISE

• Malabar is a multilateral naval exercise that began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the navy fleets of India and the United States.
• It includes simulated war games and combat manoeuvres.
• Since 2007, MALABAR has been held alternatively off Indian Coast and in the Western Pacific. Japan took part in it for the first time.
• The exercise has been held every year since 2002 (there was a gap after the 1992, 1995, and 1996 editions due to India’s nuclear testing).
• It was expanded into a trilateral format with the permanent inclusion of Japan in 2015.
• Currently, the Malabar exercise is among the navies of India, Japan, the US and Australia (since 2020).

GOVERNOR OF STATE

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TR Baalu urged all like-minded MPs to support a proposal to remove the Tamil Nadu governor, R N Ravi.

The DMK’s call for removal comes when Governors in several non-BJP-ruled states, including Kerala, have expressed disagreements with the government on various issues.

Issue in Kerala:

Governor Arif Mohammad Khan threatened to dismiss ministers in the cabinet of Kerala.

WHY?

The context for this particular confrontation appears to be the Governor’s reluctance to grant assent to the Kerala University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

APPOINTMENT & REMOVAL

• Under Article 155 and 156 of the Constitution, a Governor is appointed by the President and holds office during the pleasure of the President.
• If this pleasure is withdrawn before completion of the five-year term, the Governor has to step down.
• As the President works on the aid and advice of the Prime Minister and the council of ministers, in effect, the Governor can be appointed and removed by the central government.
• While the Governor’s duties and responsibilities lie in a particular state, there is no provision for impeaching the Governor.

ROLE OF GOVERNOR

• Article 163 of the Constitution says the Governor will normally be aided and advised by the Council of Ministers except in those functions which require his discretion.
  • Article 163(1): Council of Ministers must aid and advise the Governor.
  • Article 163(2): Governor can act in his/her discretion in certain matters as permitted by the Constitution.
  • Article 164(1): The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.

OTHER POWERS OF THE GOVERNOR

• However, governor enjoys certain powers granted under the Constitution, such as:
  • giving or withholding assent to a Bill passed by the state legislature,
  • assenting to the convening of the state legislative assembly,
  • determining the time needed for a party to prove its majority, and
  • which party must be called first do so, generally after a hung verdict in an election.

STATE OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE REPORT

State of the Global Climate report 2022 has been released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

As per the report, the global mean temperatures for 2022 are currently estimated to be about 1.15 degree Celsius higher than pre-industrial times.

ABOUT WMO

• It is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 193 Member States and Territories.
• It was established by the ratification of the WMO Convention in 1950.
• WMO became the specialised agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences a year later.
  • The UN Economic and Social Council is the parent organization of WMO.
• WMO is headquartered at

KEY FINDINGS

• Global mean temperature in 2022
  • The global mean temperature in 2022 is currently estimated to be about 15 (1. 02 to 1. 28)⁰C above the pre-industrial level (1850-1900 average).
  • This makes it difficult to meet the goal of keeping warming within 50C goal by the end of the century.
• Eight warmest years on record
  • Fuelled by ever-rising greenhouse gas concentrations and accumulated heat, the past eight years (2015-22) are on track to be the eight warmest on record.
  • The report says that the year 2022 will possibly be the fifth or sixth warmest year.

(The warmest year on record so far has been 2016, when the global mean temperatures were measured to be about 1.28 degree Celsius higher than pre-industrial times.)

• Vulnerable population most affected
  • The report flagged how global warming made every heatwave more intense and life-threatening especially for vulnerable populations.
  • An upsurge in climate change impacts can be seen as sea level rise accelerates, European glacier melt shatters records and extreme weather causes devastation.
• Impact of climate change
  • The rate of sea level rise has doubled since 1993. It has risen by 10mm since January 2020 to a new record high this year. The past two and a half years alone account for 10% of the overall rise in sea level.
  • The impact of rise in temperature can also be seen in:
    • record breaking rain in July and August that led to flooding in Pakistan;
    • large parts of Europe sweltered in repeated episodes of extreme heat;
    • UK saw a new national record in July, when the temperature topped more than 400C for the first time.

COALITION FOR DISASTER RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE (CDRI)

Taking forward the initiative of the India-backed Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently announced a 5-year program to establish early warning systems around the world.

The proposal calls for a $3.1 billion investment between 2023-27 to increase infrastructure and capacity in early warning systems.

The above program was announced by the UN Secretary General at the ongoing COP27 climate change conference at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

WHY IS EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IMPORTANT?

• Many countries, including India, have established robust disaster management practices that have significantly reduced human casualties in disasters.
• However, the economic costs of a disaster remain enormous, owing primarily to the destruction of large infrastructure.
• According to the WMO, nearly half of the world’s countries, the majority of which are least developed and small island states, lack early warning systems.
• Early warning systems save lives and give significant economic advantages. For example,
  • A mere 24 hours’ notice of an upcoming hazardous occurrence can reduce the resulting harm by 30%.
  • Spending roughly $ 800 million on early warning systems might save up to $ 3-16 billion in damages per year.

WHAT IS CRDI?

• CRDI is an India-backed international platform, announced by the Prime Minister of India at the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit in New York in 2019.
• Secretariat of CDRI would be based in New Delhi.
• CDRI is an attempt to bring countries together to share and learn from the experiences of one another to protect their key infrastructure – highways, railways, power stations, communication lines, etc., against disasters.
• It aims to assist member nations in integrating disaster management policies into all of their activities.
• CDRI members include not just countries, but UN bodies, financial institutions, groups working on disaster management, etc.

SIGNIFICANCE

• To identify and promote best practices: This means, the platform is not meant to plan, execute or finance infrastructure projects.
• To provide access to capacity building.
• To work towards standardisation of designs, processes and regulations relating to infrastructure creation and management.
• To make entire networks resilient, as modern infrastructure is also a web of networked systems, not always confined to national boundaries.

NATIONAL BIO ENERGY PROGRAM

Recently, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) said it will continue National Bio Energy Programme till 2025-26.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) notified the National Bioenergy Programme on November 2, 2022.

The Programme has been recommended for implementation in two Phases. The Phase-I of the Programme has been approved with a budget outlay of Rs. 858 crore.

The programme will aid the use of huge surplus biomass, cattle dung, and industrial and urban biowaste available in the country for energy recovery.

SUB SCHEMES UNDER BIO ENERGY PROGRAM

• Waste to Energy Programme: Programme on Energy from Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Wastes/Residues to support setting up of large Biogas, BioCNG and Power plants (excluding MSW to Power projects).
• 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 Programme to support setting up of family and medium size Biogas in rural areas.