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CURRENT AFFAIRS
NOVEMBER 2018
• The Lokpal Act 2013 prescribed that the CBI director shall be
appointed on the recommendation of a committee comprising the
Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Chief
Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court nominated by him.
• The Central Government can authorize CBI to investigate such crime
in a State only with the consent of the concerned State Government.
The Supreme Court and High Courts, however, can order CBI to
investigate such a crime anywhere in the country without the
consent of the State.
2.9. BREXIT
Why in news? EU
• The European Union - often known as the EU - is an economic and
After months of negotiation, the UK and
political partnership involving 28 European countries.
EU agreed a Brexit deal at Brussels summit
• It began after World War Two to foster economic co-operation, with
paving the way for an orderly withdrawal the idea that countries which trade together were more likely to
of UK from EU. avoid going to war with each other.
What is Brexit? • It has since grown to become a "single market" allowing goods and
people to move around, basically as if the member states were one
Arguments in favor of Brexit country.
• It has its own currency, the euro, which is used by 19 of the member
• Trade benefits- UK feels that it can
countries, its own parliament and it now sets rules in a wide range
secure better trade deals with
of areas - including on the environment, transport, consumer rights
important countries like US, China, and even things such as mobile phone charges.
India.
• Arresting reckless spending-Britain
can stop sending £350 million
(equivalent to half England’s school
budget), to Brussels every week. This
money could be spent on scientific
research and new Industries.
• New Immigration laws- Some believe
that leaving EU could help Britain
reform its immigration policies which
currently is expensive and
ungovernable hence can offer an
open door to EU and non EU
immigrants, who could contribute to
Britain’s economy.
• Reasserting National sovereignty-
Those in favor of Brexit argue that
leaving EU would allow Britain to
recapture its lost position in international bodies hitherto captured by EU.
Multimodal transport is carried out using different modes of transport such as roadways, railway, waterway, and airway.
Key benefits of multimodal transport are:
• Minimizes time loss at trans-shipment points: Multimodal transport operator maintains its communication links and
coordinates that interchange onward carriage smoothly at transhipment points.
• Provides faster transit of goods: The markets are psychically reduced by faster transit of goods; the distance between
origin or source materials and customers is getting insignificant.
• Reduces the burden of documentation and formalities: The burden of issuing multiple documentation and other
formalities connected with each segment of the transport chain is reduced to a minimum.
• Saves cost: The savings in money from costs resulting from these advantages are usually reflected in the through
freight rates charged by the Multimodal transport operator (MTO) and also in cargo insurance cost.
• Establishes only one agency to deal with: The consignor/ consignee needs to deal with only the Multimodal transport
operator in all matters relating to goods, or delay in delivery of goods at destination.
• Reduces cost of exports: The inherent advantages will help to reduce the cost of exports and improve their competitive
position with pricing in the international market segment.
• Less Congestion: It helps to avoid over- burdening of any particular mode of transport and thus saves space and cost
associated with congestion. Moreover, this would save fuel and lessen the pollution.
India has witnessed growth in Multimodal transport in the recent times and the sector is still evolving.
• The advent of containerization along with initiatives from the Government such as passing Multimodal Transport Act,
1993 to the recent implementation of Goods and Services Tax have helped the country to progress towards an
integrated transport system.
• Government is planning a Policy on Multi modal transportation.
• Economic Survey 2017-18 estimates that Indian Logistics sector which is worth around USD 160 billion is likely to touch
USD 215 billion in the next two years with the implementation of GST. In order to realize this potential, the country
will need to make effective use of its strengths in IT and look out for collaborations with experts in this field.
The Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, established at the CoP22 (UNFCCC), aims to mobilize climate actions
quickly and to reap the benefits in efficiency and effectiveness through partnerships and coordination between different
actors.
It lists out some of the progressive steps taken and benefits of Climate action in the Yearbook of Global Climate Action
2018:
• About 60 per cent of the initiatives are producing outputs that put them on a path to achieving their desired
environmental or social outcomes.
• The outputs from cooperative initiatives are increasingly being delivered in low- or middle-income countries. This
reflects increased climate action in developing countries and increased international cooperation.
• Climate action is re-shaping the financial sector to help transition to a net-zero carbon and resilient society. Businesses
and investors are also reporting on and are managing climate risks and opportunities and implementing the
Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
• Increasingly mainstreaming of climate change into financial institutions’ operations and investment decisions. E.g. the
green bond market. In 2018, the total value of climate-aligned bonds peaked at USD 1.45 trillion.
(Read this article with October CA (IPCC Report) as this is majorly based on findings of the IPCC Report)
5.10. POLLINATORS
Why in News? • Pollination: It’s a process is based on the ecological
According to a recent studies, high levels of pollution is principle of species inter-relationship known as
having negative effects on plants and insects, resulting protocooperation, between plants and pollinators.
into decline of pollinator species. • Pollinators are external agents which help in the
transfer of pollen grains from one flower to
Importance of pollinators and pollination another of the same or another plant of the same
species. There are two types of crop pollinators
• Regulating ecosystem service in nature: Globally, found in nature:
nearly 90 per cent of wild flowering plant species o Abiotic pollinating agents are wind, water,
depend, at least in part, on the transfer of pollen by and gravity. Many agricultural crops,
animals. especially those that produce dry pollen such
• Food Security: Pollinator-dependent crops contribute as rice, wheat, maize, millet, chestnuts, pecan
to 35 per cent of global crop production volume. nuts, and walnuts are successfully pollinated
• Health: Pollinator-dependent food products are by wind.
important contributors to healthy human diets and o Biotic pollination agents include insects,
birds, and various mammals. Among insects,
nutrition.
bees, flies, beetles etc.
• Cultural Importance: Pollinators serve as important IPBES
spiritual symbols in many cultures. Sacred passages • Often described as the “IPCC for biodiversity”
about bees in all the worlds’ major religions highlight IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body
their significance to human societies over millennia. comprising 129 member Governments.
• Economic Importance: According to • It provides policymakers with objective scientific
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on assessments about the state of knowledge
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), regarding the planet’s biodiversity, ecosystems
pollinator contributed $0.831-1.5 billion annually for and the contributions they make to people, as well
as the tools and methods to protect and
just six vegetable crops in India.
sustainably use these vital natural assets.
Sources of Threats to Pollinators
• Environment pollution: Pollutants in the air, water and land affect the physiology and behavior of the insects.
• Anthropogenic factor like disturbance, degradation, fragmentation, shrinkage, and the loss of habitat
• Impact of introduced species: Alien invasive plants may impact negatively on insect biodiversity by changing
habitat quality, outcompeting native host plants, and interrupting vital ecological interactions.
• Increase in mono-cropping: The transformation of agriculture from traditional mixed crop farming to high
value cash crop farming has led to an increase in monocrop agriculture, resulting in reducing the food sources
for natural insect pollinators.
• Forest fires: It destroy the habitat, food sources and pollinators nesting in the area.
• Honey hunting: An increase and ruthless hunting of the nests of wild honeybees is contributing to the decline
in the population of indigenous honeybees.