01-12-21 Daily-Punjab-PPSC Current Affairs

The stubble burning season has come to an end with the cumulative “fire counts” inPunjabandHaryanarecorded by Nasa satellites in September to November being the highest in five years.

As per data from Nasa’s VIIRS 375m satellite, 86,606 fire counts were detected in the two states from September 1 to November 29, a 7.3% increase over the same period last year.
The data also reveals a sharp increase in burning in Haryana as compared with the 2020 season. The number of fire counts in Punjab this year was 76,680, as opposed to 75,193 last year, and 9,926 in Haryana, up from 5,506 in 2020.

Meanwhile, an analysis done by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the forecasting body under the Union ministry of earth sciences, shows that the share of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 in the second week of November (November 9-13) was 30%. The contribution of local sources was 52% and external sources (emissions within 200-km range of Delhi) was 18% was during the same period. However, as the impact of stubble burning became negligible to just 4% in the last week of November (November 23-27), the share of local sources of pollution in Delhi’s PM2.5 rose to 78%, while external sources remained constant at 18%, the analysis noted.

The Indian Athlete Anju Bobby George has accomplished the Woman of the Year Award from World Athletics.

Highlights:

She has won the accolade for grooming young girls to take up Sports.

In the 2005 IAAF World Athletics Finals, she was a gold medallist and the first Indian contestant to win a bronze medal in the long jump at the World Championships in Athletics held in 2013 in Paris. In the 2004 Olympics, she finished sixth.

Anju was conferred the Arjuna award in 2002, Padma Shri in 2004, Khel Ratna in 2003.

In 2021, she won the BBC lifetime achievement award under Best Athlete Category.

In 2016, she formed a sports academy for young girls, helped India advance in sports, and inspired more Women to follow in her footsteps.

She is also presented with the award for advocating gender .

The Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey recently replied to question in Lok Sabha that the Government of India has amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. This was done to protect the interests of the consumers in the country.

The unit sale price of the commodity should compulsorily be displayed on the package. This allows the consumers to make informed decision irrespective of quantity and size of the commodity packed in the package. Also, this will remove the inexactness in declaration of quantity in pre packed commodities.

The Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Judges Bill in Lok Sabha, which amends The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Condition of Service) Act and the Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act.

Highlights

The bill attempts to explain whether the SC and HC judges can get additional pensions on attaining a certain age.

All the retired judges or his family (after his death) can get an additional quantum of pension. This is generally referred to as a family pension.

The pension slabs for the retired High Court and Supreme Court judges start when finishing 80, 85,90,95 or 100 years.

The confusion is whether the pension should be paid from the Month’s first day as he completes the age or the first day he enters the age. The bill inserts explanation about this issue.

India recently joined the Troika. The G20 Troika is made of Indonesia, India and Italy. That is Troika is made of the current presidency, Indonesia; the previous presidency Italy and the incoming presidency which is India.

Troika means a group of three people working together. It is an English word. The Troika of G20 is made of the current, next and immediate past host countries. The Troika ensures continuity and provides presidency support.

The G20 operates without a permanent staff or secretariat. The chair of the group rotates annually among its members. The current chair establishes secretariat temporarily. This secretariat organises meetings and coordinates the working of the group. Thus, there is need for Troika to help with the secretariat so that there is continuity in the works of G20.

In 2019, the G20 was hosted by Japan. In 2020, Italy hosted G20. In 2021, it is Indonesia. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, it will be hosted by Indonesia, India and Brazil.

Thus, the following countries formed the Troika in G20

2020: Japan, Italy and Indonesia

2021: Italy, Indonesia and India

2022: Indonesia, India and Brazil

World AIDS Day is observed across the globe on 1st December.

Highlights:

It provides a chance for people worldwide to join in the fight against HIV, aid people with HIV, and remember those we have lost from an AIDS-related illness.

This theme of World AIDS Day 2021 is End inequalities. End AIDS and End Pandemics.

With a singular focus on reaching people left behind, WHO and its partners highlight the increasing disparities in access to essential HIV Services.

The day was first marked in 1988 and was also the first-ever international day for global Health.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a recurring disease induced by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The immune system of the person experiencing the disease gets damaged and reduces the body’s disease-fighting ability.