Daily Current Affairs Quiz: September 16, 2023

ANSWER: A

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: B

• The United Nations climate secretariat made public a ‘synthesis report’ on the results of three meetings held so far to discuss progress achieved by countries in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement of 2015.

WHY IS IT CALLED THE ‘GLOBAL STOCKTAKE’ REPORT?

• The synthesis report ties into a larger exercise called the ‘global stocktake,’ that is expected to take place once in five years.
• In 2015, countries committed in Paris to keep global temperatures from rising beyond 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century and “as far as possible” below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• Here they also agreed to periodically review, or take stock of efforts, made by individual countries in containing greenhouse gases and transitioning their fossil-fuel dependent energy systems to renewable sources.

KEY FINDINGS

• The report states that the Paris Agreement has galvanised countries into setting goals and signalling the urgency of the climate crisis.
• Governments need to support ways to transition their economies away from fossil fuel businesses and that states and communities must strengthen efforts.
• While rapid change could be disruptive, countries should work on ensuring that the economic transition be equitable and inclusive.
• It stated that much more ambition was needed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 and further by 60% in 2035 and reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 globally.
• Renewable energy has to be scaled up and all ‘unabated fossil fuels’ (for example, coal plants without carbon capture and storage mechanisms) were to be rapidly eliminated.
• Deforestation and land-degradation have to be halted and reversed.
• Agricultural practices critical to reducing emissions and conserving and enhancing carbon sinks have to be encouraged.
• Transparent reporting on adaptation could facilitate and enhance understanding, implementation and international cooperation.
• Averting, minimising and addressing ‘loss and damage,’ requires urgent action across climate and development policies to manage risks comprehensively and provide support to impacted communities.
• Financial flows needed to be made consistent with climate-resilient development to meet urgent and increasing needs.
• Access to climate finance in developing countries needed to be enhanced.

CONCLUSION:

• This document for the first time formally recognises the massive jump in finance necessary for the world to transition to a renewable energy economy.
• The Declaration noted the need for USD 5.8-5.9 trillion in the pre-2030 period required for developing countries as well as USD 4 trillion per year for clean energy technologies by 2030 to reach net zero by 2050.

ANSWER: C

• The Supreme Court recently onboarded its case data on the National Judicial Data Grid.

ABOUT NATIONAL JUDICIAL DATA GRID:

• The NJDG portal is a national repository of data relating to cases instituted, pending and disposed of by the courts across the country.
• It includes case details of 18,735 District and subordinate Courts and High Courts.
• It has been created as an online platform under the eCourts Project.
• Its key feature is that the data is updated in real-time and has granular data up to the Taluka level.
• The NJDG was built as part of Phase II of the e-Courts project, which is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• The platform has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

SIGNIFICANCE:

• NJDG works as a monitoring tool to identify, manage & reduce pendency of cases.
• For instance, for the year 2023, the total pendency of registered cases in SC is 64,854.
• But the Cases instituted last month were 5,412 while cases disposed of in the last month were 5,033.
• This shows that the pendency in SC is largely due to legacy cases since the Court is currently disposing of approximately the same number of cases filed on an annual basis.

IDENTIFICATION OF LIMITATIONS IN JUDICIARY:

• It also helps identify specific bottlenecks in judicial processes.
• For example, if the number of land disputes in a particular state shoots up, it helps policymakers look into whether the law needs to be strengthened.
• Referring to the data of year-wise pendency of cases, the CJI said the apex court has less than a hundred cases pending before 2000 and it gives data tools to the Chief Justice to re-organise work and dispose of the oldest cases.

INPUTS FOR SPECIFIC LAWS:

• It also helps generate inputs related to particular areas of law.
• For example, to track cases related to land disputes, Land Records data of 26 States have been linked with NJDG.

ANSWER: A

• India can now issue the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) Certificates.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF LEGAL METROLOGY

• It is an Intergovernmental organization established in
• The International Organization of Legal Metrology is an intergovernmental treaty organization which:
  • Develops model regulations, standards and related documents for use by legal metrology authorities and industry.
  • Provides mutual recognition systems which reduce trade barriers and costs in a global market.
  • Promotes and facilitates the exchange of knowledge and competencies within the legal metrology community worldwide,
  • Cooperates with other metrology bodies to raise awareness of the contribution that a sound legal metrology infrastructure can make to a modern economy.
• It is Headquartered at Paris, France.
• It is international standard-setting body in the sense of the World Trade Organization’s Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement.
• Members – It has 63 Member States and 64 Corresponding Members. India became the member in
• To sell a weight or measure in the International market an OIML Pattern Approval certificate is mandatory.

INDIA AND THE OIML

• India has now become authority for issuing OIML certificate for selling weights & measures anywhere in the world and Department of Consumer Affairs can issue the certificate now.
• India now joins as a 13th country to issue OIML approval certificates.
• Other countries – Australia, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, and Slovakia, can also issue this certificate.
• The OIML-Certificate System is a system for issuing, registering and using OIML certificates, and their associated OIML type evaluation/test reports.
• Advantages for India – Increase in exports, earning of foreign exchange, and generation of employment.

ANSWER: D

• A recent study alarmed that six of nine planetary boundaries have been breached by the world because of human activities.
• The planetary boundaries concept presents a set of 9 planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come.
• It was first proposed by former centre director Johan Rockström and a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists in 2009.
• The nine planetary boundaries identified are:

1. Climate change
2. Change in biosphere integrity (biodiversity loss and species extinction)
3. Stratospheric ozone depletion
4. Ocean acidification
5. Biogeochemical flows (phosphorus and nitrogen cycles)
6. Land-system change (for example deforestation)
7. Freshwater use
8. Atmospheric aerosol loading (microscopic particles in the atmosphere that affect climate and living organisms)
9. Introduction of novel entities

• Net Primary Production (NPP) is equal to the difference between the amount of carbon produced through photosynthesis and the amount of energy that is used for respiration.

ANSWER: C

• Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) organizes unique event showcasing the products and craftsmanship regular Divyang entrepreneurs/artisans from across the country, ‘Divya Kala Mela’ to continue the efforts Divyakala mela will be organized from 15-24th September 2023 at Varanasi.

Key details:

• It showcases the products and craftsmanship of Divyang entrepreneurs/artisans from across the country.
• This is a unique initiative of DEPwD towards economic empowerment of PwD/Divyangjan.
• The Divya Kala Mela presents a bigger platform for marketing and showcasing the products and skills of Divyangjan (PwD).
• The Divya Kala Mela, Varanasi is the seventh one in series starting from 2022.

ANSWER: C

• World Ozone Day or International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed annually on 16 September.
• The Theme: Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change.
• The day is dedicated to highlight the importance of Ozone layer and its significant contribution in protecting our planet Earth.
• Ozone layer is made up of Trioxygen molecule (O3) and has the potential to absorb harmful Ultraviolet (UV) rays.
• World Ozone Day is recognised to commemorate the Montreal Protocol –an environmental agreement that was established in 1987 against the Ozone depleting substances (ODS) including Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halons, Carbon Tetrachloride, and Methyl Chloroform.