What's the NEWS

• A team of herpetologists found a new species of venomous pit viper in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The snake was discovered while a research team from Pune-based ‘Indian Institute of Science Education and Research' was conducting surveys in Eaglenest region of Arunachal Pradesh.

Know! about the new species

• This new species of reddish-brown pit viper has a unique heat sensing system. The species is scientifically known as ‘Trimeresurus arunachalensis'.
• As of now, the team does not have any idea about the natural history of Arunachal pit viper as it could find only one male viper of the species
• Comparative analyses of DNA sequences and examination of morphological features suggested that the snake belonged to a species not described before.
• The team is conducting more surveys to sight the species and have an idea of its habitat, breeding, diet, etc.

Know! more about pit viper species found in India

• With this addition, India now has five pit viper species.
• This also makes Arunachal Pradesh the only state to have a pit viper named after it.
• This is the second snake discovered in Arunachal Pradesh after the non-venomous keelback in Lepa-Rada district of the state in 2018.

The other four species are:

• Malabar
• Horseshoe
• Hump Nosed
• Himalayan

Bilateral Relations
On Vietnam visit, Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu calls for building a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about India - Vietnam relations) + GS ( II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• India and Vietnam reiterated their commitment to build a peaceful Indo-pacific region, with respect to each other's national sovereignty and international law.

Know! more about the highlights of the visit

• India and Vietnam re-iterated their commitment for an open, transparent and inclusive regional architecture that enables citizens with freedom to navigate and travel, and conduct unconstrained economic activities.
• Both the sides pressed for peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of the international law.
• Naidu described Vietnam as a "strategic pillar of India's Act East Policy and our key interlocutor in ASEAN".
• Both the sides showed their consent for further strengthening cooperation in various fields such as defence sector, outer space, oil and gas, renewable energy, science and technology, infrastructure development, agriculture and other sectors.
• Naidu assured Vietnam of continuation of long-term and short duration scholarships and training programmes provided by India under ITEC programme and by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Know! more about Indo-Vietnam relations

• The bilateral trade between India and Vietnam stood at around USD 14 billion in 2018. This figure nearly doubled from USD 7.8 billion in 2015. Vice President Naidu expressed his belief in achieving bilateral trade target of USD 15 billion by 2020 with Vietnam.
• Moreover, India has been continuously providing training support to Vietnamese Armed Forces. India has also undertaken USD 100 million Line of Credit for constructing the high speed patrol vessels for Vietnamese Border Guards.

Environment Conservation
Ireland declares climate emergency
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about climate emergency + Mains GS III environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• Ireland became the second nation in the world after Britain to declare a climate emergency. The Irish Parliament accepted an amendment to a parliamentary report declaring the emergency without a vote.

Know! more about the step taken by British earlier

• The British Parliament became the world's first to declare a climate emergency by passing the largely symbolic motion on May 1, 2019.
• The move followed 11 days of street protests in London by the Extinction Rebellion environmental campaign group.
• The environmental group's ultimate aim is to slash global greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025 and to biodiversity loss.
• The British government is currently aiming to achieve the goal by 2050, which it says can be achieved without causing substantial economic damage and at a relatively low cost.

Know! about Climate Emergency

• The declaration of the emergency is a call for governments across the world to change their behavior towards the climate and biodiversity in profound ways, on a sustained basis.
• The declaration calls for the government to fast track legislative changes with respect to climate deterioration. It also involves drastic cut down of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

UN appoints actress Dia Mirza, Alibaba's Jack Ma as new 'SDG Advocates'
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about SDG and SDG advocates)
What's the NEWS

• Indian actress Dia Mirza and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma have been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the new advocates for the UN's ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• They will be among the new class of 'SDG Advocates', which includes 17 influential public figures

Know! the Role of SDG Advocates

• The key role of the SDG advocates would be to raise awareness, inspire greater ambition, solidify global political will and push for faster action on the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The SDGs were adopted by the world leaders on September 25, 2015 as a part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• According to the United Nations, the new class of SDG advocates will be driven by the key principles of the SDGs, which include peace, prosperity, people, planet, and partnerships.
• The advocates have been tasked with driving action, building ambition, solidifying global political will and leveraging and building bridges between their audiences and work together to drive progress on achieving the SDGs.

Know! more about SDG

• In September 2015, the General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Building on the principle of "leaving no one behind", the new Agenda emphasizes a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all.

Prelims Practise Questions
Consider the following statements regarding the pit viper species that are found in India
1. With the new discovery India now has four pit viper species.
2. Arunachal Pradesh the only state to have a pit viper named after it.
3. Malabar, Horseshoe, Hump Nosed, Himalayan are some of the species of pit viper
Find the correct statements from the option given below
a. Only 3
b. 1 and 2
c. 2 and 3
d. None

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