24 SEP 2020

 

UN, Britain to co-host a global climate summit on Dec 12

The United Nations and Britain will co-host a global climate summit on December 12, the fifth anniversary of the landmark Paris Agreement.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will co-host the event to rally much greater climate action and ambition.
• National governments will be invited to present more ambitious and high-quality climate plans at the summit, which would involve government leaders, as well as the private sector and civil society.
• The summit is intended to increase momentum ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) to be held in Glasgow in November 2021.

G4 countries call for decisive push for UN Security Council reforms

Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries - India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany have highlighted the urgency of reforming the United Nations and updating its main decision-making bodies, in order to better reflect contemporary realities.

• They expressed disappointment at attempts to derail this process and committed to addressing the issue in a meaningful way and with increased urgency at this 75th anniversary of the UN.
• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, and his counterparts from Brazil, Japan and Germany met virtually during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

India aims to end tuberculosis by 2025

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that India has accorded high priority for ending tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Dr Harsh Vardhan said this while addressing Ministers of Member Nations of WHO, Heads and Representatives of UN Agencies through virtual interaction.
• Tuberculosis has been in existence since time immemorial and continues to remain a major global public health problem.
• TB is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs.
• TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air.

‘My family - my responsibility’ campaign will strengthen fight against COVID-19 in Maharashtra: CM Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed confidence that the recently launched campaign of My family - my responsibility by his government would strengthen the fight against COVID-19 in the state.

• The 'My family, my responsibility campaign launched on September 15 is aimed at effective healthcare education for control of the pandemic.
• It is being conducted in two phases- spread over September and October- with a target to reach out to 2.25 crore households.
• The Chief Minister said 59,000 health teams have been set up to carry out the 'My family, my responsibility campaign and 26 per cent of the households have so far been covered
• Besides creating public awareness about COVID-19, the campaign envisages conducting health checks to identify symptoms followed by proper treatment of patients.

Nagaland govt revokes COVID-19 Cess on petroleum products

Nagaland Government has decided to revoke COVID-19 Cess on petroleum products.

• The government took the decision to roll back the COVID cess listening to the people's demand and also considering the opening up of economic activities.
• Nagaland government had levied the COVID cess on diesel by 5 rupees per litre and on petrol 6 rupees per litre from 28 April this year.

Uttarakhand government inks MoU with ITBP to promote adventure tourism at Tehri Lake

The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote adventure sports activities at Tehri Lake in the state.

• ITBP along with the department will now work on the building of adventure sports activities like land base adventure centre, water base adventure centre, aero base adventure centre at Rajiv Gandhi Adventure Sports Academy situated at Tehri Lake.
• ITBP will train over 200 candidates selected by the state government or tourism department every year free of cost.
• All arrangements and expenses for the operation of and training in the academy will be borne by the ITBP.

Ishmael Toroama elected Bougainville president

Former rebel military commander Ishmael Toroama has been elected as president of Bougainville.

• Toroama was a commander in the secessionist Bougainville Revolutionary Army, and later worked on the peace and disarmament process.
• The general election was the first since Bougainville voted overwhelmingly to separate from Papua New Guinea at the end of last year.
• Bougainville, a mineral-rich and lush group of islands in the South Pacific, has developed little since a decade-long civil war that claimed as many as 20,000 lives came to an end in 1998.

RBI appoints AK Das as new administrator of PMC Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also appointed AK Das, ex-general manager at Union Bank of India, as the new administrator of the bank, with effect from September 23.

• The present administrator, JB Bhoria, stepped down from his role as the administrator of the bank due to health reasons.
• Last year on September 23, the banking regulator superseded the board of PMC bank, after discovering fraud and financial irregularities in the bank, to protect the interest of the depositors and to secure proper management of the bank.

President Ram Nath Kovind confers NSS Awards for 2018-19

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the National Service Scheme Awards for the year 2018-19 through virtual mode.

• The NSS Award for the year 2018-19 was presented to 42 awardees in three different categories like University, NSS Units and their Programme Officers and NSS Volunteers.
• The Department of Youth Affairs confers the National Service Scheme Award every year to recognize and reward outstanding contributions towards voluntary community service.
• The National Service Scheme (NSS) is an Indian government-sponsored public service program conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India.
• It was launched in the year 1969 with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service.
• The ideological orientation of the NSS is inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The NSS volunteers work on issues of social relevance, which keep evolving in response to the needs of the community, through regular and special camping activities.
• Such issues include literacy and education, health, family welfare and nutrition, environment conservation, social service programmes, rescue and relief during calamities.

Union minister Suresh Angadi dies of Covid-19

Union minister of state for railways and Karnataka BJP MP Suresh Angadi, 65, passed away days after he tested positive for Covid-19.

• Angadi is the first Central minister to die of coronavirus.
• Suresh Angadi Angadi was the fourth-term MP from Belagavi.

Actor Bhupesh Pandya passes away due to cancer

Theatre personality and Bollywood actor Bhupesh Pandya has passed away.

• He was seen in several films such as Vicky Donor, Parmanu, Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi, Delhi Crime has lost his battle to cancer.
• Bhupesh Kumar Pandya graduated from National School of Drama in 2001.

A book titled “Voices of Dissent” authored by Romila Thapar

Noted Indian Historian and author Romila Thapar has written a new book titled “Voices of Dissent”

• The book is a historical essay that explores dissent, including its articulation and public response to its forms, with a focus on the recent protest in India against the citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens.
• Thapar received the Kluge Prize in December 2008.
• She was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2005 which she declined stating that she made a resolve not to accept any “State Award”.