Relevance IN - Prelims (about International Day for Biological Diversity + about CBD + launch of key initiatives + role of UNDP and UNEP + WWF + aichi targets +NBA ) +Mains ( GS III Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• In a virtual celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2020, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched key initiatives towards conservation of biodiversity.
• Theme - OUR SOLUTIONS ARE IN NATURE

• The Environment Ministry launched the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ‘Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme
• It proposes to engage 20 students with postgraduate degrees for a period of one year through an open, transparent, online competitive process.
• Objective - to engage dynamic and creative students, who are willing to learn about natural resource management and biodiversity conservation and to support the projects of NBA in various State and Union Territories and to technically assist the State Biodiversity Boards/UTs Biodiversity Council in discharge of their mandates. an open, transparent, online competitive process.

• The Ministry also launched UNEP Campaign on Illegal Trafficking of Endangered Species: ‘Not all Animals Migrate by Choice'.
• The campaign Not all Animals Migrate by Choice, launched by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, with UNEP, seeks to address these environmental challenges, to raise awareness, and to advocate solutions.

• A Webinar Series on ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Biological Diversity Act, 2002' was launched along with the WWF Model Conference of Parties (MCoP), an initiative which involves the younger generation so they can usher in a new beginning and engage in conversations around impact of humanity's footprint on biodiversity

• The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
• It was created by the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December to mark the adoption of the text of the Convention of Biological Diversity(CBD)

• The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement adopted at the Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992.

• The CBD was negotiated under the guidance of the United Nations.
• It was signed by more than 150 government leaders at the Rio Earth Summit (which official denomination is the 'United Nations Conference on Environment and Development').
• The Convention is now one of the most widely ratified international treaties on environmental issues, with 194 member countries.

• The ‘Aichi Target' adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its Nagoya conference.

• It was established by the Central Government in 2003 to implement India's Biological Diversity Act (2002).
• The NBA is a Statutory Body and it performs facilitative, regulatory and advisory functions for the Government of India on issues of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources.

• It is the United Nations' global development network.
• It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves.
• It provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries.
• It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations.
• UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion.
• It works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity. It works internationally to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The UNDP Human Development Report Office also publishes an annual Human Development Report (since 1990) to measure and analyse developmental progress.

• The United Nations Environment Programme(HQ-Nairobi-Kenya) is responsible for coordinating the UN's environmental activities and assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.

• The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961, working in the field of wilderness preservation, and the reduction of human impact on the environment.
• WWF is the world's largest conservation organization with over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries,
• WWF is a foundation with 55% of funding from individuals and bequests, 19% from government sources (such as the World Bank, DFID, USAID) and 8% from corporations
• WWF aims to "stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature
• The Living Planet Report has been published every two years by WWF

• It is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.
• Under Section 38 (Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities and to disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action

• The year 2020 which is also the "SUPER YEAR FOR BIODIVERSITY", as the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity with 20 global Aichi targets adopted in 2010 ends in 2020 and all the countries together are in the process of preparation of Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

• The final period for the 2011-2020 Strategic Plan on Biodiversity and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
• The end of the 2011-2020 United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, leading to the transitional phase for the start of other new pivotal biodiversity- related decades 2021-2030

• The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about UMANG mobile app and its multiple applications) + Mains ( GS II Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e governance- applications

Know! the benefits of UMANG app

• The UMANG mobile app (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is a Government of India all-in-one single, unified, secure, multi-channel, multi-platform, multi-lingual, multi-service mobile app, powered by a robust back-end platform providing access to high impact services of various organizations (Central and State).
• Prime Minister of India launched the UMANG App in 2017 to bring major government services on a single mobile app, with a larger goal to make the government accessible on the mobile phone of our citizens.
• About 660 services from 127 departments & 25 states and about 180 utility bill payment services are live and more are in pipeline.
• MeitY has taken various initiatives in recent past to ease of lives of citizens by facilitating online delivery of Government services.
• To further enhance the initiatives of Digital India Programme, MeitY has brought the India Meteorological Department (IMD) services on the "UMANG App".

The following 7 services hosted on http://mausam.imd.gov.in web site of IMD have been on-boarded on UMANG Mobile application:
1. Current Weather -Current temperature, humidity, wind speed, direction for 150 cities updated 8 times a day. Information on sunrise/ sunset and moonrise/ moonset is also given.
2. Nowcast- Three hourly warnings of localized weather phenomena and their intensity issued for about 800 stations
3. City Forecast - Past 24 hours and 7 day forecast of weather conditions around 450 cities in India are given.
4. Rainfall Information- All India district Rainfall information daily, weekly, monthly and cumulative series are available.
5. Tourism Forecast- Past 24 hours and 7 day forecast of weather conditions of around 100 Tourist cities in India are provided.
6. Warnings- The alert issued to warn citizens of approaching dangerous weather. It is colour coded in Red, Orange and Yellow are the alert levels with Red as the most severe category.
7. Cyclone- Cyclone warnings and alerts provides the track of cyclonic storms along with likely time and point of crossing of coast.

Health
Dr. Harsh Vardhan elected as Chair of Executive Board of WHO

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the role of executive board) + Mains ( GS II Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
What's the NEWS

• The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been elected as Chair of the Executive Board of World Health Organization for the year 2020-21.
• This took place today during the 147th session of the Executive Board, in a meeting that was virtually held.
• Dr Harsh Vardhan has also been a member of several prestigious committees of WHO like Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) and the Global Technical Consultative Group (TCG) on Polio Eradication. He has also served as an Advisor to the WHO.

Know! about the Executive Board of WHO

• The World Health Organization(WHO) is governed by two decision making bodies - the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board.
• The Executive Board is composed of 34 individuals technically qualified in the field of health, each one designated by a Member State elected to do so by the World Health Assembly. Member States are elected for three-year terms.
• The Board meets at least twice a year; the main meeting is normally in January, with a second shorter meeting in May, immediately after the Health Assembly.
• The main functions of the Executive Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work
• India is a member state of the South East Asia Region at the WHO. Last year, the bloc had unanimously decided that India's nominee would be elected to the executive board for a three-year term beginning May.
• The Board chairman's post is held by rotation for one year by each of the WHO's six regional groups: African Region, Region of the Americas, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, and Western Pacific Region.

Know! about WHA

• The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the WHO's decision-making body, and consists of 194 Member States.
• It is the world's highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers from member states.
• The members of the WHA generally meet every year in May in Geneva at the Palace of Nations, the location of WHO Headquarters.

Science & Technology
Carcinogenic or Mutagenic compound
Relevance IN - Prelims ( to remember terminologies like carcinogenic or mutagenic compound N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA)
What's the NEWS

• Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, has developed an electrochemical sensing platform for detecting carcinogenic or mutagenic compound N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA) sometimes found in food items like cured meat, bacon, some cheese, and low-fat milk.
• It was achieved by developing a modified electrode by immobilizing carbon nanomaterials (carbon dots) in DNA.

Know! more about Carcinogenic compound and its detection mechanism

• Some harmful chemicals belonging to Nitrosamine family are present in cured meats, bacon, some cheese, low-fat dry milk, and fish.
• Such chemicals include carcinogenic ones like NDMA and NDEA, which may also alter the chemical composition of our DNA. Hence it is important to develop detection techniques to detect them.
• The scientists, have fabricated an electrochemical biosensor using DNA immobilized on the surface of carbon dots for sensitive and selective detection of N-nitrosamine.
• The electrochemical biosensor platform was developed using the ability of NDMA and NDEA, to alter the DNA.

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