Daily Current Affairs for State Exams: 02 March 2022

Daily Current Affairs 02-03-2022

Important News: World

IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) on Climate Change

Why in News

India welcomes the release of the Working Group II (WG2) contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The report is about climate change impacts, risks and vulnerabilities, and adaptation options.

Key Points

Key findings of the Report:

The Report affirms that climate change due to historical emissions is leading to serious impacts which are already being felt globally including in developing countries with low contribution to cumulative emissions.
These impacts will rise as warming proceeds and will rise rapidly at higher levels of warming.
The Report is a clarion call for the world to abandon their unsustainable production and consumption and move urgently to climate resilient development.
The Report notes that the impacts and the consequent limitations to adaptation would rise beyond 1.5 degree warming above pre-industrial levels.

In India:

India notes that the Working Group I contribution to AR6 released in August, 2021 had made clear that developed countries need to rapidly decrease their emissions and reach net zero by 2050.
India faces multiple climate hazards and has high vulnerability to climate change.
India reaffirmed its commitment to climate actions, including the goal of net zero by 2070.

About Report:

The Assessment Reports, the first of which had come out in 1990, are the most comprehensive evaluations of the state of the earth’s climate.
The four subsequent assessment reports came out in 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2015. These have formed the basis of the global response to climate change.

The Assessment Reports – by three working groups of scientists:

Working Group-I – Deals with the scientific basis for climate change.
Working Group-II – Looks at the likely impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation issues.
Working Group-III – Deals with actions that can be taken to combat climate change.

About Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):

IPCC is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations responsible for advancing knowledge on human-induced climate change.
It was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and later endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it is composed of 195 member states.

Source: PIB

Ukrainian President signs formal request to join European Union

Why in News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that he has signed an official request for Ukraine to join the European Union (EU).

Key Points

Zelenskiy has asked the European Union to allow Ukraine to gain membership immediately under a special procedure as it defends itself from invasion by Russian forces.

Facts about the European Union (EU):

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
Founded: 1 November 1993
Members Countries: 27
The United Kingdom became the first member state to leave the EU on 31 January 2020.
In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Note: European Union has recently joined India’s International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure-CDRI.

Source: newsonair

Important News: India

Smriti Irani launches new motto of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

Why in News

Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani launched the new motto of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) - ‘भविष्योरक्षति रक्षित:’ on its 17th foundation day (1^st March, 2022).

Key Points

Smriti Irani also complemented the collaboration between NCPCR & Border Security Force for the special initiative called ‘SAHARA’, which is an initiative to provide psycho-social counselling & support to children of BSF jawans who made the supreme sacrifice.

About National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR):

NCPCR is an Indian statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.
The Commission works under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The Commission began operations on 5 March 2007.

Source: newsonair

Finance Minister Smt. Sitharaman will launch a major e-governance initiative - the Electronic Bill (e-Bill) processing system

Why in News

Finance Minister Smt. Sitharaman will launch a major e-governance initiative - the Electronic Bill (e-Bill) processing system as part of ease of doing business and Digital India eco-system on 2nd March 2022.
The electronic bill processing system launch will be a part of the 46th Civil Accounts Day

Key Points

The Finance Minister had announced this major e-governance initiative in the Union Budget 2022-23 presented in Parliament on February 1.
The e- Bill system will be implemented across all Central Ministries and Departments.
This will be a further step to enhance transparency, efficiency, and a faceless- paperless payment system.
Suppliers and contractors will now be able to submit their claim online which will be trackable on a real-time basis.

Note: The Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) observes the “Civil Accounts Day” since its inception in 1976. ICAS is one of the Civil Services of India, under the Department of Expenditure, Union Ministry of Finance.

Source: Business Standard

National Conclave on ‘Social Enterprises for Garbage Free Cities’

Why in News

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), is organizing a National conclave on ‘Social Enterprises for Garbage Free Cities: Encouraging Women Entrepreneurs in Waste management’ in Raipur, in collaboration with the Government of Chhattisgarh, on 3 March 2022.

Key Points

The day-long event will serve as a platform for peer learning for States and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) on various centralised and decentralized waste management practices, as part of the Mission’s capacity building initiatives.
The event will also witness the release of the “National Capacity Building Framework for Garbage Free Cities” under SBM-Urban 2.0, which will help build capabilities of relevant stakeholders to strengthen the urban sanitation sector in the country.

About Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0:

On 1^stOctober 2021, the Prime Minister launched the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 with the overall vision of creating “Garbage Free Cities”.
The Mission is being implemented under the overarching principles of “waste from wealth”, and “circular economy” for maximising resource recovery.
Recently, a Swachhata Startup Challengehas been launched by the Mission, in partnership with the Government of France.

Source: PIB

President of India inaugurates ‘Arogya Vanam’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Why in News

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated a newly developed ‘Arogya Vanam’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presence of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Key Points

Spread in 6.6 acres, the Arogya Vanam has been developed in the shape of a human sitting in the Yoga Mudra.
It consists of around 215 herbs and plants used for therapeutic purposes in Ayurveda.
The concept of Arogya Vanam has been conceived with the aim of publicising the importance of Ayurvedic plants and their effects on the human body.

Source: newsonair

Important News: Award and Honours

Government invites applications for National Startup Awards 2022

Why in News

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched the third edition of the National Startup Awards 2022.

Key Points

The first National Startup Awards were announced in 2020 and witnessed applications from over 1,600 startups and ecosystem enablers across India.
The recently concluded National Startup Awards 2021 saw participation from over 2,200 startups and ecosystem enablers.

About National Startup Awards 2022:

The awards for startups will be given in 17 sectors classified into 50 sub-sectors.
The 17 sectors are Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Construction, Drinking Water, Education & Skill Development, Energy, Enterprise Technology, Environment, FinTech, Food Processing, Health and Wellness, Industry 4.0, Media & Entertainment, Security, Space, Transport, and Travel.
In addition, there are seven special categories of awards for startups.

Note:

Startups are the key reason behind India’s meteoric rise in Global Innovation Index from 76 in 2014 to 46 in 2021.
In the startup world, 2021 has been recognised as the 'year of unicorns,' with 40+ unicorns added in the year.
India is emerging as a global innovation hub, boasting the world's third-largest startup ecosystem.

About Startup India scheme: It was launched on January 16, 2016 with the aim of promoting and supporting the start-ups in India by providing bank finances.

Source: PIB

IISER professor Deepak Dhar becomes first Indian to bag Boltzmann Medal 2022

Why in News

Physicist Professor Deepak Dhar has become the first Indian to be awarded the Boltzmann Medal 2022.

Key Points

He shares the medal with John J Hoefield of Princeton University.
Prof Dhar is presently the emeritus faculty at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune.

About Boltzmann Medal:

The Commission on Statistical Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) presents this medal once in three years for contributions in the field of statistical physics.
The medal presentation ceremony will be held during the StatPhys28 conference scheduled to be held in Tokyo in August this year.

Source: Indian Express

Important News: Books

Rahul Gandhi releases Tamil Nadu CM Stalin's autobiography

Why in News

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi released DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's autobiography, titled 'Ungalil Oruvan,' (One Among You).

Key Points

About MK Stalin:

MK Stalin is an Indian politician and the 8th and current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Since 28 August 2018 he has been the president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.
He is the son of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

Source: TOI