WHY IN THE NEWS?

• The Vigilance Awareness Week 2021 has been organised by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) from 26 October to 01 November 2021.
• The annual event is celebrated during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel falls, which is held on October 31. The theme of Vigilance Awareness Week 2021: ‘Independent India @75: Self Reliance with Integrity‘.
• The week-long celebration aims to promote integrity, transparency and accountability amongst public servants and create awareness about the existence, causes and gravity of corruption and the threat posed by it to society as a whole.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2021 has been awarded to the Zimbabwean author and a filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga for a “new Enlightenment”, a work on violence in her country and all over the world by Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, an association of German book publishers and booksellers.
• Dangarembga is the first black woman to win the German Peace Prize. She has won the PEN Pinter prize 2021. Her debut novel, Nervous conditions were the first to be published in English by black women from Zimbabwe.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Goa has achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) and Electricity for every household. The original ODF protocol was issued in the year 2016. According to it, a city or ward is notified as ODF city or ward if not a single person is found defecating in the open, at any point of the day.
• Goa has also become the first state to provide tap water to every household under the “Har Ghar Jal Mission”. Apart from that, Goa achieved a 100 per cent target to provide free ration to the poor and needy. It has also completed 100 per cent first dose of covid-19 vaccination.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, on the banks of the Sarayu in Ayodhya, the Ram Katha Park has been renovated which will be renamed as Queen Heo Hwang-ok memorial park. The Korean queen is believed to have had Indian roots.

• In 2000, India and South Korea signed an agreement to develop Ayodhya and Gimhae as sister cities.
• Earlier, in March 2021 Indian Defence Minister and his South Korean counterpart inaugurated the India-Korea Friendship Park in a ceremony at the Delhi Cantonment.

About:

• She was a Korean queen who is believed to have been born Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya, daughter of King Padmasen and Indumati.
  • Padmasen ruled the ancient kingdom of Kausala (Kosala), a region that extended from present-day UP to Odisha.
  • The memorial park now comprises Queen and King Pavilions with their busts in place, and a pond to represent Princess Suriratna’s journey.
• Her story is described in Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of Three Kingdoms).
  • It is a 13^th-century collection of legends, folktales and history of Korea’s three kingdoms — Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla — and some other regions.
• In 48 BC, the princess travelled to Korea from the ancient land of ‘Ayuta’ and married Kim Suro, founder and King of Geumgwan Gaya in south-eastern Korea.
  • There is no consensus among historians on the location of ‘Ayuta’ as some historians believe that the princess could actually be from Thailand’s Ayutthaya kingdom.
  • While in the popular imagination, it is associated with Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, there is no Indian account of the legend.

Princess Journey From India to Korea:

• She travelled by boat along with an entourage, having been sent by her father, who is said to have had a dream about her marrying king Suro.
• A pagoda, believed to have been brought by the queen from India to calm the ocean gods, is placed next to the tomb.
• According to the legend, the princess had taken a golden egg to Korea, and the park includes an egg made of granite.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, the Union Minister of Finance participated in the 6^th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

India’s Stand:

Help in Covid:

• Appreciated AIIB’s prompt actions in providing financial support to Member Countries, including India, in their efforts to contain and combat Covid-19.

Multilateral Banking:

• Emphasised the importance of multilateral banks in supplementing countries’ efforts to cope with the Covid-19 crisis and the looming climate crisis.

Expectations from the Bank:

• Need to explore investment opportunities in the creation and development of assets in social infrastructure sectors.
• To further intensify private sector capital mobilisation for inclusive and green development.
• To set up a Resident Board and Regional Offices to ensure accountability, transparency and quality of operations and investments.

AIIB’s Stand:

Suggestion for India:

• It should strike a balance between ramping up physical infrastructure and the social infrastructure such as healthcare systems.

Future Endeavours in India:

• It would look to fund both social as well as climate-resilient infrastructure in India in the coming years.
• It will align its operations with the goals of the Paris Agreement to cope with climate change.

• India and AIIB
• India was among the AIIB’s 57 founding members in 2016.
• It is also its second-largest shareholder (with 7.62% voting shares) after China (26.06%).
• It has received USD 4.35 billion from the Bank. This is the highest of any country, with the bank so far approving loans of USD 19.6 billion to support 87 projects in 24 countries.

Turkey is second with USD 1.95 billion.

• AIIB has approved financing projects in India in a host of sectors like energy, transport and water including the Bangalore metro rail project (USD 335 million), Gujarat rural roads project (USD 329 million) and Phase 3 of the Mumbai urban transport project (USD 500 million).
  • India needed to develop modern infrastructure and when the Bank screened proposals, it worked with the government to ensure that priority was given to infrastructure projects which could deal with climate change.
• In a recent virtual meeting, India said that it expects AIIB to introduce new financing instruments, provide financing for social infrastructure and to integrate development of climate resilient and sustainable energy access infrastructure into AIIB’s recovery response to the Covid-19 crisis.
  • This implies that India is unlikely to alter its engagement with the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), despite a host of offensive measures announced recently to reduce its trade and investment links with China.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed on October 27, every year.

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

• Audio-visual Heritage Day is observed with the aim of raising general awareness among people related to the need of taking urgent measures.
• The day also acknowledges the significance of audio-visual documents.
• It also brings the priceless heritage of these documents to notice, telling the stories of lives & cultures from across the world.
• The day also sensitizes people across the world for conserving and safeguarding valuable audio-visual resources for future generations.

Why this day is significant?

The world, particularly the younger generation, is going digital in every significant aspect of life. Thus, this is significant as it reminds that even though we are moving forward, it is important to carry heritage so that it does not get lost. It encourages the preservation of work of professionals against the range of political, technical, social, financial, and other factors that threatens the safeguards of audio-visual heritage.

Theme of the day

The Audio-visual Heritage Day 2021 was observed under the theme “Your Window to the World”. The theme highlights that, audio-visual sources provide a window in the form of documentary heritage objects, to the world.

History of the day

This day was adopted by the 21st General Conference  of the recommendations, in the year 1980, in a bid to safeguard and preserve the moving images. The day was declared by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural organization) on October 27, 2005.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau reshuffled his cabinet. He has appointed Indian-origin Canadian politician Anita Anand as new Defence Minister of Canada.

Key Points

• Prime Minister reshuffled his cabinet after his Liberal Party returned to power in snap polls,
• Furthermore, there were calls for major military reforms. Public and political leaders are putting pressure on Canadian military to change its culture and create a system for preventing and managing sexual misconduct allegations.
• Anita Anand (54-year-old) will replace Indian-origin Harjit Sajjan.
• Harjit Sajjan is a long-term defence minister who was criticized for handling the military sexual misconduct crisis. Though, there are some reports that, Sajjan has been given charge as Minister of International Development Agency.

Why Anita Anand has been appointed?

As per Defence industry experts, Anita Anand is a strong contender for this position. This move will send a strong signal to the survivors and victims of military sexual misconduct. On this issue, government is serious about imposing critical reforms. She also holds a strong background as a corporate lawyer. She has served extensively on corporate governance in line with the rules and laws of managing operations of businesses.

Vote share

Anita Anand was declared winner in Oakville, with 46 per cent vote share. She was first elected as a rookie Member of Parliament in 2019, to represent Oakville in Ontario province. She also worked as procurement minister during the Covid-19 pandemic. Later, she was given charge of securing Covid-19 vaccines for Canada. and was often on the campaign trail with Trudeau.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, a report titled “Mapping India’s Climate Vulnerability – A District-level Assessment” has been released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) (not-for-profit policy research institution).

• The report has also launched the first-of-its-kind Climate Vulnerability Index.
• The index has analysed 640 districts in India and found that 463 of these are vulnerable to extreme floods, droughts and cyclones.

Key Points

• Affected States: 27 Indian states and Union territories are vulnerable to extreme climate events which often disrupt the local economy and displace weaker communities.
  • The states of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar are the most vulnerable to extreme climate events such as floods, droughts and cyclones in India.
• Magnitude of Impact of Climate Change: More than 80% of Indians live in districts vulnerable to climate risks.
  • 17 of 20 people in the country are vulnerable to climate risks, out of which every five Indians live in areas that are extremely vulnerable.
  • More than 45% of these districts have undergone “unsustainable landscape and infrastructure changes”.
• Low-level of Adaptability: More than 60% of Indian districts have medium to low adaptive capacity in handling extreme weather events.
• Role of Anthropogenic Activities: The anthropogenic activity has already made vulnerable districts become even more vulnerable to impacts of natural disasters. Some of the activities has led to:
  • Loss of wetlands and loss in mangroves which would act as a natural barrier, making it more vulnerable.
  • Landscape disruptions such as the disappearance of forest cover, over-construction, have led to degradation of natural ecosystems.
• Triggering Financial Crisis: Combating the rising frequency and scale of extreme climate events is fiscally draining for developing countries such as India.
  • Investments in infrastructure such as housing, transport, and industries will be threatened by these events, especially along the coasts, adding that mounting weather-related insurance losses could trigger the next financial crisis.

Suggestions

• Decentralized Planning: Since most districts in India are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, a district-wise climate action plan is required.
  • The CEEW study also indicated that only 63% of Indian districts have a District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP).
  • Policymakers, industry leaders and citizens must use the district-level analysis to make effective risk-informed decisions.
• Mobilizing Green Finance: With loss and damage rising exponentially due to the climate crisis, India must demand climate finance for adaptation-based climate actions at COP-26 (Climate Conference).
  • At COP-26, developed countries must regain trust by delivering the USD 100 billion promised since 2009 and commit to stepping up climate finance over the coming decade.
  • Further, India must collaborate with other countries to create a Global Resilience Reserve Fund, which could act as insurance against climate shocks.
• Climate Risk Identification: Finally, developing a Climate Risk Atlas for India would help policymakers to better identify and assess risks arising from extreme climate events.
  • Climate-proofing of physical and ecosystem infrastructures should also now become a national imperative.
• Institutional Setup: India must create a new Climate Risk Commission to coordinate the environmental de-risking mission.
  • Enhanced climate finance can also support India-led global agencies like the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to further mainstream climate actions.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the abundance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere once again reached a new record last year (2020), with an annual rate of increase above the 2011-2020 average.

• This is despite the approximately 5.6% drop in fossil fuel CO₂emissions in 2020 due to restrictions related to the pandemic.
• Earlier, the WMO released a report named United in Science 2021. WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
• The WMO Global Atmosphere Watch Programme coordinates systematic observations and analyses of greenhouse gases and other atmospheric constituents.

Data Analysis:

• Concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), the most important greenhouse gas, reached 413.2 parts per million in 2020 and is 149% of the pre-industrial level.
  • Many countries are now setting carbon neutral targets and it is hoped that COP26 (Climate Conference) will see a dramatic increase in commitments.
• Methane (CH₄) is 262% and Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) is 123% of the levels in 1750 when human activities started disrupting Earth’s natural equilibrium.
• The economic slowdown from Covid-19 did not have any distinguishable impact on the atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and their growth rates, although there was a temporary decline in new emissions.
• From 1990 to 2020, radiative forcing – the warming effect on our climate – by long-lived greenhouse gases increased by 47%, with CO₂accounting for about 80% of this increase.
• The ability of land ecosystems and oceans to act as “sinks” may become less effective in future, thus reducing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and act as a buffer against larger temperature increases.

Concerns:

• An increase in the temperature is expected by the end of this century far in excess of the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
• Parts of the Amazon rainforest have gone from being a carbon sink that sucks carbon dioxide from the air to a source of CO₂due to deforestation and reduced humidity in the region.
• Given the long life of CO₂, the temperature level already observed will persist for several decades even if emissions are rapidly reduced to net zero. Alongside rising temperatures, this means more weather extremes including intense heat and rainfall, ice melt, sea-level rise and ocean acidification, accompanied by far-reaching socioeconomic impacts.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, scientists have discovered a new species of beetle named Trigonopterus corona on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

• It is not the only insect species to be named after the pandemic. In April 2021, a new species of caddisfly (a moth-like insect) was collected near a stream in Kosovo, and named Potamophylax coronavirus.

About:

• It has been named on pandemic which reflects the large impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on this project.
  • The researcher had been studying this genus (Trigonopterus) for the past 15 years and was delayed because Covid-19 pandemic hit.
• Trigonopterusis a hyperdiverse genus of flightless hidden-snout weevils (Cryptorhynchinae) ranging over the Indo-Australian-Melanesian archipelago.
  • Weevils are often called flour bugs because that is where they are frequently found, they are a type of beetle with an elongated snout.
• The genus Trigonopterusoriginated in Northern Australia and rapidly diversified in New Guinea before colonizing Sulawesi and dispersing further west to Sundaland (a bio-geographical area of south-eastern Asia).