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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 27 October 2020

::NATIONAL::

Centre assures bringing in law to curb stubble burning

The Centre will bring in a law to address air pollution and check stubble burning in Delhi as well as the surrounding National Capital Region, the Supreme Court was informed on Monday.
“The new law is for tackling air pollution in NCR and the adjoining areas. It’s an ordinance,” Secretary in the Ministry of Environment R.P. Gupta told The Hindu.However, no consultation seems to have been undertaken so far with the Ministry of Agriculture on this.
With an increase in stubble burning — the burning of rice straw by farmers to clear fields for winter sowing in Punjab and Haryana — the Ministry has in recent years been tasked with funding the use of subsidised combine harvesters and machinery to dissuade the farmers.
The Delhi NCR already has a Graded Response Action Plan, which is overseen by the Environment Pollution Authority, that has specified a number of measures that governments must take — from banning diesel gensets to restricting vehicle movement — depending on the degree of pollution.
To check stubble burning this kharif (summer) season, the Punjab government has appointed 8,000 nodal officers in villages that grow paddy. Over 23,000 crop residue management machines are being given to farmers for on-site management of straw.

Evidences of dairy production found in Indus valley site

The year 2020 marks 100 years of discovery of Indus Valley Civilisation, and a new study has shown that dairy products were being produced by the Harappans as far back as 2500 BCE.
By analysing residues on ancient pots, researchers show the earliest direct evidence of dairy product processing, thus throwing fresh light on the rural economy of the civilisation. The studies were carried out on 59 shards of pottery from KotadaBhadli, a small archeological site in present-day Gujarat.
The team used molecular analysis techniques to study the residues from ancient pottery. “Pots are porous. So as soon as we put any liquid form of food, it will absorb it. The pot preserves the molecules of food such as fats and proteins. Using techniques like C16 and C18 analysis we can identify the source of lipids,” adds KalyanSekharChakraborty.
The team was also able to show which type of animals were being used for dairy production. They studied the tooth enamel from fossils of cattle, water buffalo, goat and sheep found in the area. Cows and water buffalo were found to consume millets, while sheep and goats ate nearby grass and leaves.

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::ECONOMY::

India begins anti-dumping investigation into imports from U.S,UAE

India has begun an anti-dumping investigation into the imports of low density polyethylene (LDPE) from the US, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Thailand after the Chemicals and Petrochemicals Manufacturers Association (CPMA) filed an application to initiate the anti-dumping investigation.
LPDE is used for producing trash bags, frozen food packaging, lamination film, bubble wrap, adhesive tape backing films and foam for manufacture of mattresses, among others.
As per the notification, the association has claimed that due to the price effect of dumped imports, performance of the domestic industry has been adversely impacted leading to an increase in its inventories, decline in its profitability, and return on capital employed.
For the first year, the DGTR has recommended to increase the rate of customs duty to the level of 100% of Most Favoured Nation applied rate of customs duty and 75% in the second year after it found a causal link between the increased imports of the goods due to the reduction or elimination of custom duty under the Korea-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and serious injury to the domestic industry.
The government on July 1, 2020, imposed safeguard measures by eliminating the concessions given under the FTA and increased the rate of custom duty to 10% on the imports of the product imported from Korea for 200 days.

PM calls for responsible fuel pricing

Global energy producers must pursue more ‘responsible pricing’ policies and India needs ‘affordable and reliable’ energy sources, Prime Minister NarendraModi said on Monday, arguing that world fuel prices have been on a ‘roller coaster’ for far too long.
India has been drawing investments across the oil and gas value chain and other sectors even during these challenging times, and the country is a bright spot in an otherwise difficult year for the sector, the PM said at the inaugural session of the India Energy Forum.
The PM listed seven key drivers of change on India’s energy map — accelerating efforts towards a gas-based economy; cleaner use of fossil fuels, particularly petroleum and coal; greater reliance on domestic sources to drive biofuel; achieving the renewable energy target of 450 GW by 2030; increasing the contribution of electricity to decarbonise mobility; moving into emerging fuels, including hydrogen; and digital innovation across all energy systems.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

India-U.S to sign geo-spatial cooperation agreement

India and the U.S. will sign the last foundational agreement, Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial cooperation (BECA) during the 2+2 ministerial dialogue on Tuesday, the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The 2+2 inter-ministerial talks are scheduled to be held on Tuesday morning. Later, the two visiting Secretaries will call on Prime Minister NarendraModi at his residence.
The two Ministers reviewed bilateral defence cooperation spanning “military-to-military cooperation, secure communication systems and information sharing, defence trade and industrial issues” and also discussed ways to take bilateral cooperation forward, the statement said.
The two Ministers also discussed “shared concerns and interests” over how best to ensure stability and security in Asia, said the sources, adding that specific issues would be discussed during the 2+2 talks that include Mr.Rajnath Singh and Mr.Esper. Mr.Pompeo and Mr.Jaishankar also discussed their government's positions on Afghanistan.
India has posted a liaison officer at the U.S. Navy Central Command in Bahrain recently and is also considering a U.S. request for posting liaison officers at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
A U.S. State department official said in Washington on Saturday that the talks will focus on four themes — regional security cooperation, defence information sharing, military-to-military interactions, and defence trade.

Japan aims zero carbon emissions by 2050

Japanese Prime Minister YoshihideSuga has said that the country will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Mr.Suga announced this in his policy speech at first parliamentary session since he took office last month.
The Prime Minister said, he intends to make a sustainable economy a pillar of his growth strategy and put maximum effort into achieving a green society.
Mr.Suga emphasized the need to shift away from fossil fuels to counter climate change as an opportunity rather than a burden.

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::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to come to force soon

The United Nations have announced that 50 countries have ratified an international Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) to ban nuclear weapons. The historic text would enter into force in January 2021.
India abstained itself from voting for the treaty. India states that it recognises only the Geneva based Conference on Disarmament as the powerful multilateral disarmament forum for negotiation.
This is the first multilateral treaty that is binding on instrument of nuclear disarmament. It strictly urges the countries to prohibit the use of nuclear weapons and condemns the use of nuclear weapon as well. The earlier treaties including the Non-Proliferation Treaty imposes partial prohibitions only.
The major nuclear powers say that the treaty does not have any provision on disarmament and verification. These countries claim that the new treaty is dangerous for the old Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). They also say that the treaty is divisive to international communities.
Honduras has became the 50th country to ratify the treaty.Countries like Russia, United States, Britain, France and China who are the major nuclear powers, however opposed the treaty.

: :SPORTS::

SAI approves coaching camp for table tennis

Sports Authority of India has approved the national coaching camp for Table Tennis. The camp will commence on 28th October and continue till 8th December.
The camp will abide by the Standard Operating Procedures set up by the Sports Authority of India for the resumption of sporting activities. This will be the first national camp for Table Tennis that will be held after the announcement of the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus in March this year.

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