• Uttar Pradesh is set to have its fourth Tiger Reserve and 53rd tiger reserve in India. The tiger reserve is spread across over 36 sq km out of which the core area is 230.32 sq km and the buffer area is 299.05 sq km. Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate change Bhupendra Yadav confirmed the development.

Key Points:

• Apart from Ranipur, Uttar Pradesh has three tiger reserves, Dudhwa, Pilibhit, and Amangarh.
• Uttar Pradesh government approved the development of the first tiger reserve in the Bundelkhand region of the state on 28th September 2022.
• The UP government also approved the notification of the Ranipur Wildlife Protection Act 1973.
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also decided to establish the Ranipur Tiger Conservation Foundation along with sanctioning of requisite posts.
• Ranipur Tiger Reserve is covered by northern tropical dry deciduous forests and is home to mammals like megafauna tiger, leopard, bear, spotted deer, sambhar, and chinkara among others.
• According to the state government, the establishment of the Tiger Reserve in Ranipur will lead to the opening up ofeco-tourism in the area and create immense employment opportunities.

About:

• This flagship publication of the IEA has appeared every year since 1998.
• Its objective data and dispassionate analysis provide critical insights into global energy supply and demand in different scenarios and the implications for energy security, climate targets and economic development.

 Highlights:

• According to the World Energy Outlook 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a historic turning point in global energy markets, providing an unprecedented incentive to accelerate the transition to clean energy sources of fuel.
• Electricity and heat demand in the winter months shoot up in the Northern Hemisphere, so it is likely to be a challenging time for the European Union for the next couple of years.
• The global energy crisis has sparked desperate attempts from governments to promote energy security.
• Oil currently comprises 80 per cent of the global energy mix, but it may drop to 75 per cent by 2030 and around 60 per cent by 2050.

 IEA’s report talks mostly in terms of two models –

1. stated policies scenario (STEPS) and
2. announced pledges scenario (APS).
   • STEPS provides a more conservative benchmark for the future, because it does not take it for granted that governments will reach all announced goals.
     • Instead, it takes a more granular, sector-by-sector look at what has actually been put in place to reach these and other energy-related objectives, taking into account not just existing policies and measures but also those that are under development.
   • APS aims to show to what extent the announced ambitions and targets, including the most recent ones, are on the path to deliver emissions reductions required to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

• India:

• • India’s coal generation and oil imports are going to peak in 2030, while gas imports will double around the same time.
  • India became the world’s second‐largest coal producer in 2021 (in energy terms), overtaking Australia and Indonesia, and that it plans to increase domestic production by more than 100 million tonnes of coal equivalent (Mtce) by 2025 from the current levels.
  • At present, India accounts for just over 10 percent of global coal consumption, after China which accounts for 55 percent.

• Indian Army has won the inter-services paragliding championship held at Bir
• Col PS Chauhan, a spokesperson for the event, said that it was for the first time that the Indian Army has organized a para-gliding It was held at

Bir Billing which is among the top 10 paragliding sites of the country.

• The event started from October The prices to the winners would be distributed by the Lt Gen Oupender Duvedi GOC-in-C, Northern Command, he said.
• The first Zorinmawia Inter-services Paragliding X- Country Championship was named after Late Sep Zorinmawia, an ace army paragliding pilot, who sacrificed his life during validation paragliding flying training, he
• A total of 25 experienced paragliding pilots from the Indian Army and Indian Navy showcased their flying skills and manoeuvres during long X-country flight lasting many hours. The competition will not only augment operational preparedness of the armed forces but will also provide vide publicity to the sport, he said.

• Col Chauhan said that it would also help promote adventure tourism in the

• Just a few days before the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections and thousands of voters are showing their interest to press NOTA (none of the above) while exercising their voting right.
• This time also we can see this type of grievance in the various constituencies where some of the voters are expected to reject the electing
• The option of NOTA was first used in the year 2013 during assembly elections of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and
• The NOTA option would be made available for voter this time in Himachal Pradesh as well.
• According to reports, in the 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections in the state, 34,232 voters pressed NOTA and rejected all the candidates. Joginder Nagar received the highest 1,162 NOTA, and the second highest NOTA button was pressed in Shahpur where 1,010 voters rejected all the
• Voting is a conventional manner of will or opinion in an electoral The right to reject suggests that a voter while voting can reject all the contenders contesting the election. Such a right signifies a choice to remain nonpartisan. This may happen when a voter feels that none of the candidates has the right to be elected. It transpires by the way of the voter’s choice, belief, thinking and expression. The right to reject has its genus in freedom of speech and expression.
• NOTA is a popular choice amongst the people of Himachal Pradesh as 29,155 voters pressed NOTA in the 2014 Lok sabha election which increased by 33,008 in the 2019 Lok sabha election, where Dharmshala 11,327, Mandi 5,298, Hamirpur 8,026 and Shimla 8,357 people showed their disapproval to all the
• As BJP won this election from all four seats the percentage of people who chose NOTA option was 87 percent out total 38,01,793 votes polled in the state.

This shows that the people of Himachal Pradesh are aware of their fundamental rights and honest with their choices.

• Recently, voters got a chance to press NOTA during the November 2021 by-elections for Mandi Lok Sabha seat along with Arki, Jubbal Kotkhai and Fatepur Vidhan Sabha seat where 14,852 voters disapproved of the
• Shockingly, in Mandi Lok Sabha seat, 12,661 votes pressed NOTA to reject all the candidates. For this particular seat, Congress Himachal Pradesh President Pratibha Singh fought the election against Brigadier Khushaal Thakur where Singh won the elections by 7,490
• Having only two major parties in power for such a long period is making people search some other political options where parties like Aam Admi Party could find a footing into the state.

• Defending champions Spain won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with a 1-0 victory over first-time finalists Colombia whose campaign ended in a heartbreak after an own goal in the summit clash.
• Spain emerged the winners after an own goal by Colombian defender Ana María Guzmán Zapata in the 82nd minute of the final at the D Y Patil Sports Stadium. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, alongside top officials from the Asian Football Federation (AFC) and All India Football Federation (AIFF), was in attendance at the venue as Spain eked out a solitary goal win and retained the title they also claimed in 2018.
• In the third-place classification match, Nigeria beat Germany 3-2 on penalties. Two missed penalties by Germany’s Paulina Platner and Loreen Bender and a save by goalkeeper Omilana Faith off Paulina Bartz’s shot paved the way for Nigeria’s first-ever medal in the tournament. Hosts India failed to clear the group stage after losing all their three matches.

• The Reserve Bank of India will launch the pilot project of Digital Rupee in the wholesale segment. Digital Rupee will be used for settlement of secondary market transactions in government securities.
• RBI said that use of E-Rupee is expected to make the inter-bank market more efficient. Settlement in central bank money would reduce transaction costs by pre-empting the need for settlement guarantee infrastructure or for collateral to mitigate settlement risk.
• RBI   has said that based on the learnings from this pilot, other wholesale transactions, and cross-border payments will be the focus of future pilots.
• Nine banks, viz., State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, IDFC First Bank, and HSBC have been identified for participation in the pilot.
• The first pilot use of Digital Rupee in the retail segment is planned for launch within a month in select locations in closed user groups comprising customers and merchants.

• The “Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal” for the year 2022 have been awarded for 4 Special Operations.
• The medal was constituted in 2018 with the objective to recognize those operations, which have high degree of planning, high significance for the security of the country/State/UT and have significant impact on the security of larger sections of the society.
• The award shall be conferred for Special Operation in the areas such as counter terrorism, border action, arms control, prevention of narcotics smuggling and rescue operations. It is announced on 31st of October every year.
• In a year, normally 3 Special Operations are considered for the award and in extra ordinary circumstances, the award may be given up to 5 Special Operations to encourage State/UT Police.

• The “Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal” for the year 2022 have been awarded for 4 Special Operations.
• The medal was constituted in 2018 with the objective to recognize those operations, which have high degree of planning, high significance for the security of the country/State/UT and have significant impact on the security of larger sections of the society.
• The award shall be conferred for Special Operation in the areas such as counter terrorism, border action, arms control, prevention of narcotics smuggling and rescue operations. It is announced on 31st of October every year.
• In a year, normally 3 Special Operations are considered for the award and in extra ordinary circumstances, the award may be given up to 5 Special Operations to encourage State/UT Police.

• The second edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2022 begins in New Delhi.
• During the Four-day conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address and interact with the Naval Commanders on matters pertaining to national security.
• The Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the Chiefs of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force would also interact with the Naval Commanders.
• During the conference, the Chief of the Naval Staff, along with other Naval Commanders will review major Operational, Material, Logistics, Human Resource Development, Training and Administrative activities undertaken by the Indian Navy in the last few months.
• They will further deliberate upon future plans for important activities and initiatives. The conference would also dwell upon the dynamics of the geostrategic situation of the region and the Navy’s readiness to deal with the same.

About:

• Theme: “Vision 2030: Chemicals and Petrochemicals Build India”.
• India Chem 2022 will showcase the Government’s policy for sustainable growth in the sector and provide a platform for national and international players to interact, exchange knowledge and forge alliances.
• The event will also highlight the investment opportunities especially in Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs) and focus on the “Make in India” initiative for making the country Atmanirbhar in sector.
• India Chem, the flagship event of the Department, is one of the largest composite events of the industry in the Asia-Pacific region and this comprises of an International Conference and Exhibition.
• Department is organizing the 12th edition of INDIA CHEM in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals industry:

• The Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals industry is the backbone of the Indian economy and plays a vital role in the growth of various key sectors like automotive, construction, electronics, health care, textiles and FMCG.
• Export of Indian Chemicals has registered an overwhelming growth of 106% in 2021-22 over 2013-14.
• India’s export of chemicals for 2021-22 has hit a record at US$ 29,296 Million, whereas in 2013-14, India’s chemical export was US$ 14,210 Million.