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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 02 December 2020

::NATIONAL::

Government constitutes national panel to drive Paris Agreement goals

Through a gazette notification the Government of India has constituted the Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA) November 27, 2020.
AIPA has been constituted with the purpose of “ensuring a coordinated response on climate change matters that protects the country’s interests and ensures that India is on track towards meeting its climate change obligations under the Paris Agreement including its submitted Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)”.

Key highlights:

NDCs are the accounts of the voluntary efforts to be made by countries that are a part of the Paris Agreement, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic climate change.The three quantitative goals in the Indian NDCs are:
A 33-35 per cent reduction in the gross domestic product emissions intensity by 2030 from 2005 levels.
A 40 per cent share of non-fossil fuel-based electricity by 2030.
Creating a carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide through afforestation programmes.
Apart from these, there are five other non-quantitive goals in the Indian NDCs.
The NDCs are to be implemented in the post-2020 period. India had submitted its NDCs in 2015. Now, the AIPA, with its 17 members, has the responsibility of formulating policies and programmes for implementing them.
The committee will have the secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) as the chairperson and the additional secretary, MoEFCC as the vice chairperson, according to the notification.
The AIPA also has the responsibility of regularly communicating and reporting the NDCs to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
It will also define the responsibilities of the government ministries that would be crucial in achieving the country’s climate change mitigation and adaptation goals and submit a report every six months.
The AIPA will also act as a national authority for the regulation of carbon markets in India under the Article 6.2, Article 6.4 and Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement.

Election Commission proposes extending postal ballot facility for eligible overseas Indians

The Election Commission has proposed to the government to extend the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility, so far available to service voters, to eligible overseas Indian voters.
The Commission said with the successful execution of ETPBS in case of service voters, it is now "confident" that the facility can also be extended to the overseas electors.
The poll panel has observed, the Commission is technically and administratively ready to extend this facility in general elections to legislative assemblies of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Elections in these states are due sometime in April-June next year.
The Commission observed that Section 62 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 envisages right to vote for every citizen registered in the electoral roll who is not subject to disqualification for voting.

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::ECONOMY::

Indian Energy Exchange

Recently, traded volumes in electricity at IEX has grown by a strong 25% in 2020 in the first ten months.
IEX is the first and largest energy exchange in India providing a nationwide, automated trading platform forphysical delivery of electricity, Renewable Energy Certificates and Energy Saving Certificates.
It is regulated by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Other power exchange in India is Power Exchange India Ltd (PXIL).

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::INTERNATIONAL::

UN agency faces corruption, fraud allegations at climate projects

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is facing several allegations of fraud and corruption linked to the multibillion-dollar Global Environment Facility.
Report identified financial misstatements worth millions of dollars across UNDP's portfolio of GlobalEnvironment Facility (GEF)-funded projects around the world.
GEF was set up in 1991 by World Bank, UNDP and UN Environment Program to help fight environmentalchallenges such as deforestation, species conservation and pollution.
UNDP works to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries cansustain progress.
As UN's development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the SustainableDevelopment Goals.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Cryogenic propellant tank

HAL has delivered the biggest cryogenic propellant tank (C32 LH2) ever fabricated by the company to ISRO much ahead of the contractual schedule at a programme recently.
The C32-LH2 tank is a developmental cryogenic propellant tank of aluminium alloy designed for improving the payload capability of GSLV MK-III launching vehicle, said a press release from HAL.
The total length of weld carried out in the tank was 115 metres at different stages to the quality requirement of 100% tests on radiography, die penetrant check and leak-proof.
HAL has mastered the skills and technologies required for fabricating welded propellant tank of aluminium ally to such stringent quality requirement, added the release.

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Miscellaneous

Mount Ile Lewotolok

It is a volcanic mountain of Indonesia,located on lembatia island, that has been erupting frequently since 2017.
It is one of three currently erupting in Indonesia along with Merapi on Java island and Sinabung on Sumatraisland.
They are among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to itslocation on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.