Relevance IN - Prelims (about the objective of CDRR&R + about Sendai framework) + Mains (GS III disaster management -steps taken by India)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai presided over the valedictory session of the 1^st ‘National Conference on Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (CDRR&R) - 2020', organised by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)

• To enhance human capacity in terms of better understanding about coastal disaster risks and effective collaborative actions, by implementing Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, for reducing the risk and enhancing the resilience amongst the affected stakeholders.
• The aim of the conference was to explore and debate the most recent advances in the discipline, to enhance the understanding of the issues and solutions on various facets for coastal disaster risk reduction and resilience.
• It also emphasised on dissemination of information related to national and local strategies for coastal disaster risk reduction and resilience
• More than 175 participants from various central and state organisation/departments attended the conference.

• The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) is an international document which was adopted by UN member states at the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan and endorsed by the UN General Assembly in June 2015.
• It is the successor agreement to the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015), which had been the most encompassing international accord to date on disaster risk reduction.

• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is set to tell the National Green Tribunal that it created 243,499 biodiversity management committees (BMC) and 95,525 people's biodiversity registers (PBR) as of January 2020
• The green bench is hearing a case on the full implementation of the Biodiversity Act, 2002.

• BMCs are created for "promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity" by local bodies across the country
• BMCs consist of a chair person and not more than six persons nominated by the local body, of whom not less than one third should be women and not less than 18% should belong to the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes
• The Chairperson of the Biodiversity Management Committee shall be elected from amongst the members of the committee in a meeting to be chaired by the Chairperson of the local body
• The main function of the BMC is to prepare People's Biodiversity Register in consultation with the local people.
• PBRs contain "comprehensive information on availability and knowledge of local biological resources" but creating complete PBRs would take a year time as PBRs need to have information from all four seasons; one has to wait at least for a year
• The constitution of BMCs and PBRs in every state is in accordance with the provisions of Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and Biological Diversity Rules, 2004.
• A new framework to convert PBRs in electronic form - ePBRs - was also in progress.
• They will have more utility than physical notebooks. All new data will now be geo-tagged

• On June 5, 1992, India signed the Convention on Biological Diversity at Rio de Janeiro which provides a framework for the sustainable management and conservation of our country's natural resources.
• Ten years later, the Biological Diversity Act was enacted in 2002 in order to conserve biodiversity, manage its sustainable use and enable fair and equitable sharing benefits arising out of the use of biological resources with the local communities and to regulate the access to genetic resources and protection of biodiversity.
• This act provides for establishment of statutory bodies such as National Biodiversity Authority, State Biodiversity Boards, National and State Biodiversity Funds, Biodiversity Management Committee
• Though 17 years have passed since the enactment of the Act, most of the local bodies of 23 states have not prepared the People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), which are considered to be the basic records of a region's biological resources such as plants, animals and the traditional knowledge of the local people.
• In the absence of the PBRs, when the Act is not implemented, whatever environmental clearances are given for various projects without recording the real state of biodiversity, results in the environment impact assessment reports becoming illogical and invalid.
• Under the Act, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has been formed and is headquartered at Chennai.
• State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) also have been formed in all Indian states.
• But the constitution of the Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at local levels - in panchayats, municipalities and corporations in many states - is pending, causing delay in the preparation of PBRs of bio-resources (both wild and cultivated).
• Kerala was the first state to form BMCs and the preparation of PBRs have also been completed.
• Every year, the ‘International Day of Biodiversity' is observed on May 22 and the year 2010 was observed as the ‘International year of Biodiversity'

• The cabinet approved Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Regulation Bill, 2020 proposing a legal framework and code of conduct to keep a check on in vitro fertilisation, embryo transfers and sperm banks

• The bill proposes a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for anyone indulging in sale of embryo or trafficking at the first instance, and jail term of up to 12 years after that.
• It seeks to establish a national registry and registration authority which will be applicable to all medical professionals and clinics operating or providing services in the field of ART.
• The bill also envisages setting up a national board and a state board to help implement the legal framework.
• Besides, it proposes to create a Central database of all clinics and banks across the country.
• The database will also include detailed information about services like the nature of the method through which the outcome is achieved.
• The Central database will also be used for research purposes in this particular segment of health

Relevance IN - Prelims (about CCI)
What's the NEWS

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of 100% of the issued and paid-up share capital of North Eastern Electric Power Corporation by NTPC Limited from Government of India ("GoI"), under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002
• The Proposed Combination relates to the acquisition of 100% of the issued and paid-up share capital of the Target by the Acquirer from GoI.

Know! about NTPC and about NEEPCO

• NTPC is a Maharatna Company having presence in the power generation business.
• The principal business activity of the company is electric power generation through coal based thermal power plants.
• NTPC is also engaged in the business of generation of electricity from hydro and renewable energy sources.
• NEEPCO is a power utility, primarily operating in the north-eastern region of India.
• The principal business activity of the Target is generation of power through hydro, thermal and solar power stations.
• The CCI approved the Proposed Combination under Section 31(1) of the Act.

Know! about Competition Commission of India

• Competition Commission of India is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 throughout India and to prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
• It was established on 14 October 2003. It became fully functional in May 2009
• The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, follows the philosophy of modern competition laws.
• The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.
• CCI goal is to create and sustain fair competition in the economy that will provide a ‘level playing field' to the producers and make the markets work for the welfare of the consumers.
• CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.

Prelims Factoids
1^st Khelo India Winter Games in Leh, Ladakh inaugurted

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Khelo India winter games + about khelo India)
What's the NEWS

• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has inaugurated the first-ever Khelo India Winter Games in the Union Territory of Ladakh at Leh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir
• The event, which is first of its kind in India, is being organised to promote winters ports in India and to popularise these games among the youth of the country.
• To channelize 20 percent share of youth energy of the world from India, the government is conducting University Games, Youth Games and Winter Games for the first time under the Khelo India programme.
• The second leg of the Khelo India Winter Games will be held at Kongdori, Gulmarg from 7^th till 11th March
• A total of three winter sporting competitions are being held during the Ladakh leg of Khelo India Winter Games, these are - Open Ice Hockey Championship, Figure Skating, Speed Skating.

Know! about Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG)

• Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), formerly Khelo India School Games (KISG), means Play India Youth Games, held annually in January or February, are the national level multidisciplinary grassroot games in India held for two categories, namely under-17 years school students and under-21 college students.
  
  
• Every year best 1000 kids will be given an annual scholarship of ₹5 lakh (US$7,000) for 8 years to prepare them for the international sporting events
• The first edition of the event was held in New Delhi, second edition in Pune and the recent third edition in Guwahati, Assam.

Know! about TOT

• The Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme will be held in December 2018- January 2019 in the first phase.
• A total of 160 trainers will be trained in 4 batches of 40 each in December-January period.
• This TOT Programme will be carried out semi-annually or quarterly to include all the interested teachers, principals, vice-principals and physical education trainers.

NITI Aayog
North East Sustainable Development Goals Conclave 2020

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the conclave highlights)
What's the NEWS

• The North East Sustainable Development Goals Conclave 2020 is currently underway in Guwahati.

Know! more about the conclave

• North East Sustainable Development Goals Conclave 2020 commenced on 24th February 2020, at the Assam, Guwahati with the goal of identifying solutions as well as accelerators for the implementation of SDGs in the North Eastern Region (NER).
• The 3-day Conclave is being organized by NITI Aayog, in partnership with the North Eastern Council, Govt. of Assam and Tata Trust, the conclave is supported by UNDP and RIS.
• NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national level.
• Progress in the northeast region is crucial in this decade of action for the country to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and this conclave is part of NITI Aayog's continuous efforts towards fostering partnerships at the sub-national level.
• In terms of SDG localisation, the states in the region have taken major strides in integrating the Agenda 2030 framework in their developmental planning and vision documents.

Defence/Prelims Factoids

Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI)
Relevance IN - Prelims (about MIDHANI)
What's the NEWS

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh reviewed the performance of Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI)

Know! ABOUT MIDHANI

• Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited, abbreviated as MIDHANI, is a specialized metals and metal alloys manufacturing facility in India, located in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• It is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) , under the administrative control of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
• MIDHANI is the only producer of Titanium in India.
• MIDHANI specializes in manufacturing a wide range of superalloys, titanium, special purpose steels and other special metals and alloys meeting stringent international standards for application in aerospace, defence, atomic energy, power generation, chemical and various other high technology industries.
• Import substitution of high-pressure discs for compressor of Adour MK 811 engines for Jaguar fighter plane and 74 kg titanium casting for naval application are some of the prominent achievements.
  
  

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