Daily Current Capsules - 18^th JULY 2019

Environment Conservation/International Organisations
Palau becomes 76^th country to join International Solar Alliance

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ISA ) + Mains ( GS III infrastructure development - energy + environment conservation+ GS II international organisations)
What's the NEWS

• Palau, an archipelago of over 500 islands in Oceania, became the 76^th signatory country to join the International Solar Alliance.
• Countries which have signed the agreement until now include India, France
• Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Japan, amongst others.
• The agreement was opened for signature during the COP22 at Marrakech on November 15, 2016.

Know! more about ISA

• The International Solar Alliance is a group of 121 solar resource-rich countries with headquarters in Gurugram, India.
• The organisation aims to deploy over 1,000 gigawatts of solar energy and mobilise more than USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• Last year in November, the Centre gave ex-post facto approval for moving resolution in the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance for amending its Framework Agreement to enable membership for all member countries of the UN. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Inclusion of the UN members to the Alliance will put solar energy in global agenda with the universal appeal for developing and deploying solar energy

Appointments
Anusuiya Uikey, Biswa Bhusan appointed Governors of Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the appointment of governor and role of governor)
What's the NEWS

• President Ram Nath Kovind has confirmed appointment of Rajya Sabha member Anusuiya Uikey as Governor of Chhattisgarh and Senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan as Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

Know! all about the Governors in India

• The governors and lieutenant-governors/administrators of the states and union territories of India have similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the President of India at Union level.
• Governors exist in the states while lieutenant-governors exist in union territories and in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies with the Chief ministers of the states and his/her councils of ministers.
• Articles 152-162 (in Part VI) of Constitution of India contain the provision related to Governors of states.
• Article 153: States that there shall be Governor for each state. The same person can serve as governor for two or more states, this was facilitated by 7^th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956.
• Article 155: States that Governor is appointed by President by warrant under his hand and seal. By convention, governor's appointment is done on recommendation of Prime Minister of India.
• He/she should be at least 35 years of age (Article 157). Person so appointed should not hold any other office of profit (Article 158).
• There is no fixed tenure of governor. He/she holds office at pleasure of President.

Environment Conservation
Extinction of Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican: SC forms panel to frame emergency plan

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about great Indian bustard and the lesser florican ) + Mains ( GS III environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• Taking serious note of alarming extinction of two Indian birds -- Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican -- the Supreme Court constituted a high powered committee to urgently frame and implement an emergency response plan for the protection of these species.

Know! more about the high powered committee and about the two Indian birds

• The top court constituted a three member panel comprising Director of Bombay Natural History Society; Dr Asad R Rahmani former Director of Bombay Natural History Society and member of governing body of Wetlands International South Asia and Dr Dhananjai Mohan, Chief Conservator of Forests of Uttarakhand.
• Directions needs to be issued to urgently frame emergency response plan for the immediate protection and recovery of both the species of bird in wake of the monsoon season.
• Over the last 50 years the population of the Great Indian Bustard has recorded a decline of over 82 per cent, falling from an estimated 1260 in 1969, to 100-150 in 2018.
• The population of the Lesser Florican (also known as the likh or kharmore) has seen a sharp decline of 80 per cent over the past few decades, from 3530 individuals recorded in 1999, to less than 700 individuals in 2018
• Both the birds are protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 but despite being accorded the highest level of protection under national law, the birds face the threat of imminent extinction.

Know! the threats faced by the birds

• The plea blamed various reasons for the threats faced by the two endangered birds including--mortality by collision with infrastructure, particularly powerlines and wind turbines, depletion of grasslands, hunting, development of mines and human habitation in and around their habitats and ingestion of pesticides.
• The sharp decline in numbers of both species demands an urgent response from the Respondents (Centre and states).

What's needed to be done

• Under the emergency response plan, the activists have suggested through the plea that steps should be taken for urgent dismantling and undergrounding of powerlines and wind turbines, immediate embargo on any upcoming wind, solar power projects, and powerlines in and around critical habitats.
• The plea among other steps sought immediate installation of diverters on powerlines in semi-critical habitats and urgent installation of predator-proof fencing in critical habitats to protect breeding grounds of both the species from invasive human activities as well as predators and immediate implementation of dog population control program.

Information Technology/Digital India
Google, Tata Trusts' Internet Saathi programme now live in 2.6 lakh villages

INTERNET SAATHI

• Google said the programme has contributed towards bridging the digital gender divide in rural India
• In its four-year journey, the programme has spanned the length and breadth of the country, covering 20 states

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about internet saathi) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of Information technology + GS II development process - role of NGO and SHG)
What's the NEWS

• Internet Saathi programme, a digital literacy initiative of Google India and Tata Trusts, aimed at empowering women in rural India, reaches 2.6 lakh villages across the country.

Know! more about the programme

• The company said the programme has contributed towards bridging the digital gender divide in rural India (female to male ratio from 1 in 10 in 2015 to 4 in 10 in 2018) and will expand to cover two new states -- Punjab & Odisha.
• In Punjab, the programme will cover around 5,000 villages. In Odisha, the programme has kicked off from Sindhia in Baleshwar, Parakana in Puri, Bhuinpur in Kendrapara, and will cover 16,000-plus villages.
• Launched as a pilot in Rajasthan in July 2015, Google and Tata Trusts had announced ambitious plans to scale up the programme to cover 3 lakh villages across India in December 2015.
• On adding Punjab and Odisha the programme will now extend its reach to 20 states in India.
• Since 2015 it has been expanded to states including- Uttar Pradesh, , Bihar, Haryana, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana , Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Goa.
  
  

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