Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
According to the latest date by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), the Amazon Rainforest Forests in Brazil has recorded 74,155 fires since January 2019. Its satellite data showed an 84% increase as compared to the same period in 2018. The Amazon is the largest tropical forest in the world, which covers more than 5 million square kilometres across nine countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. It acts as an enormous carbon sink & stores up to an estimated 100 years worth of carbon emissions produced by humans, and is seen as vital to slowing the pace of global warming. It is the most significant climate stabilizer as it creates 20 percent of the air we breathe and it also holds 20% of the fresh flowing water on the planet. But in the last half-century alone, nearly 20% of the forest has disappeared. Scientists have warned that if tree loss in the Amazon were to pass a certain “tipping point”, somewhere between 25 -40%, deforestation could start to feed on itself and lead to the demise of the forest within a matter of decades. Hence, preserving the forest is of critical importance for both the region it encompasses and the rest of the world.

Notes:
The geographical details given in the figure indicates England, which is situated in Europe.

Notes:
• World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5th of June every year, and is the United Nation’s principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment.
• The International Day of Forests was established on the 20th day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2012.
• The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter.
• September 16 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This designation had been made on December 19, 2000, in commemoration of the date, in 1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Notes:
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the fifteen largest trading partners of India represent 59.37% of total trade by India in the financial year 2015-2016.[1] These figures include trade in goods and commodities, but do not include services or foreign direct investment.
India’s largest trade partners with their total trade (sum of imports and exports) in billions of US dollars for the financial year 2017–18 were as follows:
Rank    Country&Region        Exports     Imports    Total Trade
1            China                            16.34          68.06        84.4
2           United States               48.6            25.7           74.3
3          United Arab Emirates  30.29        19.45        49.74

Notes:
At the ninth edition of the Dhaka Literature festival West Bengal-based writer Abhisek Sarkar and Bangladeshi poet Rofiquzzaman Rony were given the Gemcon Young Literature Award and Gemcon Young Poetry Award. Abhisek and Rofiquzzaman won the awards for their creations, “Nishiddho” and “Dhoashar Tamate Rong,” respectively.

Notes:
Thailand hosted the 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)- Plus in its capital city Bangkok. ADMM-Plus is key ministerial-level platforms in regional security architecture for promoting strategic dialogue and practical cooperation between ASEAN and its 8 partner countries viz. India, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Russia and US.
Participants in this edition of ADMM-Plus included Defence Ministers from 17 countries of ADMM-Plus group. Thereby, India was represented by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. As part of the agenda for ADMM-Plus meeting, Defence Minister of India released ‘Handbook on Military Medicine for ASEAN’ along with Defence Minister of Myanmar Lieutenant General Sein Win.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi approved the establishment of the National Institute for SOWA-RIGPA in Leh, an autonomous organization under the Ministry of AYUSH on 20 November 2019.
The Bill aims to Sowa-Rigpa system of medicine in Leh consequent to the formation of Ladakh as Union Territory and for the promotion of the native culture of Ladakh. The Institute is aimed to bring a valid and useful synergy between Traditional Wisdom of Sowa-Rigpa and modern science, tools, and technology. It will promote interdisciplinary research and education of Sowa-Rigpa.

Notes:
India has reduced the emissions intensity of its GDP, that is emissions per unit of GDP, by 21% .The country is aiming to achieve the goal of 35% emissions reduction as promised in the Paris summit in 2015. It was mentioned that the Indian government has provided 80 million LPG gas connections, effectively replacing conventional firewood cooking stoves.
Paris Agreement is an international agreement that was initiated with an aim to combat climate change. The governments of 195 nations were gathered in Paris, France, and discussed a possible new global agreement on climate change from 30 November to 11 December 2015. It aimed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Notes:
As per the report published by Reserve Bank of India, the state of Maharashtra tops in ATM frauds for FY 2018-19. Maharashtra faced 233 cases with a total fraud amount of Rs 4.8 crore. Maharashtra is followed by Delhi and Tamil Nadu.