PRE-Cure (Relevant Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination) Weekly Compilation for 1St Week of December 2020 (30Th November - 5Th December)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PRE-Cure (Relevant Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination) Weekly Compilation for 1st Week of December 2020 (30th November - 5th December) Visit our website www.sleepyclasses.com or our YouTube channel for entire GS Course FREE of cost Also Available: Prelims Crash Course || Prelims Test Series T.me/SleepyClasses Table of Contents 1. Geography .............................................................................................................1 1.1.Geospatial Practices for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific 2020 1 1.2.ADMM-Plus .............................................................................................................................2 1.3.Re- Invest ..................................................................................................................................3 1.4.Mega Food Park ......................................................................................................................4 1.5.Merchant Shipping Bill draft issued ..................................................................................5 1.6.National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre .............................................5 2. History ....................................................................................................................7 2.1.Lachit Diwas ............................................................................................................................7 2.2.PM Pays Tribute to Sir Chotu Ram Ji on His Birth Anniversar ...................................8 2.3.Constitution day .....................................................................................................................10 2.4.Lingayats ..................................................................................................................................10 2.5.Guru Nanak Dev Ji .................................................................................................................11 3. Polity .......................................................................................................................13 3.1.J&K’s Roshni Act ....................................................................................................................13 3.2.U.P. Unlawful Religious Conversion Prohibition Ordinance, 2020 ..........................14 3.3.President’s powers to pardon- in US, India .....................................................................16 3.4.One Nation, One Election ....................................................................................................17 3.5.Essential Services Maintenance Act .................................................................................18 4. Environment .........................................................................................................21 4.1.Pilibhit tiger reserve gets the first TX2 award ................................................................21 4.2.Blue Tide Spotted in Mumbai Beaches ............................................................................22 4.3.Elephant electrocution .........................................................................................................23 4.4.Sustainable peatland management can prevent future pandemics .........................25 5. Science & Technology ........................................................................................27 5.1.Japanese spacecraft carrying asteroid soil samples .....................................................27 5.2.Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope ....................................................................................28 5.3.Physical activity guidelines 2020: WHO ........................................................................29 5.4.India, US nuclear energy partnership ...............................................................................31 5.5.RT-LAMP ..................................................................................................................................31 5.6.JPC proposes to expand ambit of personal data protection Bill ................................33 5.7.Brain Fingerprinting ..............................................................................................................34 www.sleepyclasses.com Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses 1. Geography Click here to watch the following questions on YouTube 1.1.Geospatial Practices for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific 2020 • ‘Geospatial data’ means data that has a geographic component to it. • This means that the records in a dataset have locational information tied to them such as geographic data in the form of coordinates, address, city and PIN code. • Geospatial Practices for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific 2020 was released virtually by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). • Geospatial data, along with the existing statistics, were providing Asia-Pacific countries, with an additional layer of information to monitor the progress of the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). • However, despite advances in the availability and quality of geospatial information, several gaps and challenges remained for its effective use at the regional and national levels. Beyond COVID-19 • The report noted that the world had faced the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which had put further strain on already fragile development efforts. • None of the UNESCAP member nations were on track to fully achieve the SDGs in the next decade. • To elaborate on this, the UN report included 100 best practices from over 25 countries in the Asia- Pacific region including India. • These underline the importance of using space technology and the geospatial information to support the SDGs. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 1 T.me/SleepyClasses Praise for India • The report cited the role being played by ‘BHUVAN’, India’s national geo-portal developed and hosted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in combating COVID-19. • It also appreciated the water resource information system led by ISRO. • It showed how some other Asian countries — Thailand, Indonesia, China — had rapidly responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging geospatial information to aid in contract tracing, hotspot mapping and policy impact analysis, among others. • India was also been appreciated for making significant progress in responding to the demands of today’s cities by incorporating robust space technologies and Geographic Information System into the urban planning, transport management and traffic navigation techniques. • The report also flagged the role of the UN-led ‘Space+’ initiative that focuses on strengthening implementation through enhanced partnership with global and regional stakeholders. • Despite the progress, re-skilling of young workers and investments to strengthen their technological skills will be essential to support sustainable development and resilience in the Asia-Pacific region, the UNESCAP report said. 1.2.ADMM-Plus • Vietnam has invited India for ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM Plus) being hosted by Vietnam in December 2020. • The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region. • Eight Dialogue Partners are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA (collectively referred to as the “Plus Countries”). • Agreed five areas of practical cooperation under this mechanism are: ✓ Maritime security, counter- terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations and military medicine • A n e w p r i o r i t y a r e a o f humanitarian mine action was agreed in 2013. • It aims to promote mutual trust and confidence between defence establishments through greater dialogue and transparency. • The first ADMM-Plus was convened at Ha Noi, Vietnam in 2010. Available on App Store www.sleepyclasses.com 2 and Play Store Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses • 2nd ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in 2007 at Singapore adopted a resolution to establish the ADMM-Plus. • The chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus follows the chairmanship of the ADMM. 1.3.Re- Invest • 3rd Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and Expo (RE-Invest 2020) was inaugurated recently. • The summit is organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. • The theme for 2020 is ‘Innovations for Sustainable Energy Transition’. www.sleepyclasses.com Available on App Store Call 6280133177 and Play Store 3 T.me/SleepyClasses 1.4.Mega Food Park • Union Food Processing Ministry recently inaugurated a mega food park (MFP) at Phagwara in Kapurthala district of Punjab that will benefit 25,000 farmers and create 5,000 jobs. • This MFP is built at project cost of Rs 107.83 crores and spread over 55 acres of land is expected to benefit about 25000 farmers. • Punjab has been ahead in production of rice and wheat however, due to reduced ground water levels, diversification of crops is required. • Food processing sector needs to be focused upon so that farmers get fair prices and related sectors can also benefit. • The Sukhjit mega food park is equipped with warehouses, silos, cold storage, deep freezer and other related food processing facilities. • A Rs 10,000 crore fund has been created under Aatmanirbhar Bharat, for development of food processing sector which will benefit farmers and create employment