Current Affairs - 2019-20

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Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a voluntary initiative that helps countries manage chemicals to reduce their harmful impact on human health and the environment. The goal of SAICM is to ensure that by 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health.
SAICM is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The development of SAICM was endorsed by Heads of State and Government at their summits in Johannesburg in 2002 and in New York in 2005.

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Gyan Chakra is a think tank on Defence and Strategic Affairs that has been formed by the Army’s Western Command. It includes a large number of defence veterans. It aims at providing an outlet to veterans for pursuing research on strategic and national security issues. “Gyan Chakra” will be an extension of the Khetarpal Officers Institute (KOI), Chandimandir.

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The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has introduced a new star rating methodology called Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) for air conditioners. Keeping the performance of air conditioners during higher temperature in mind, ISEER will address the different climatic zones in India and higher temperature. ISEER measures energy efficiency of air conditioners based on a weighted average of the performance at outside temperatures between 24 and 43 degree C based on Indian weather data.

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Monero (XMR) is an open-source cryptocurrency created in April 2014 that focuses on privacy, decentralisation and scalability.

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Tamang and the Limbu communities of Sikkim have been placed in the ST category.

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The Olympic Committee of Kosovo was represented at the Olympics 2016 Games for the first time since its formation in the wake of Yugoslavia’s break-up. Similarly, South Sudan which was formed in 2011, made its debut at the Olympics 2016.

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The Pam Rajput committee recently submitted its interim report on “Status of Women in India” to the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD). The committee has strongly supported the passage of Women’s Reservation Bill which has been hanging fire in Lok Sabha after being passed by the Upper House in 2010. However, it has called for 50% reservation instead of the current 33% reservation provided in the bill.

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The three proposed corridors are North-South connecting Delhi to Chennai, East-West connecting Kharagpur to Mumbai and East-Coast connecting Kharagpur to Vijayawada.

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No Indian institution figures in the top 250 of the Times Higher Education’s (THE) world university rankings 2019. Though, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has retained its position as the highest-ranked centre in India. It was placed between the 251-300 band, while IIT Indore, Bombay and Roorkee with Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeswara University from Karnataka make the country’s top five. Globally, University of Oxford has acquired first position for a third consecutive year followed by Cambridge and Stanford University. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology rose one place to number four. In India, number of Indian institutions in the rankings increased from 42 last year to 49, making it the fifth best-represented nation.

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Punjab has recently declared the endangered Indus river dolphin as the state’s aquatic animal. The decision was recently taken at a meeting of the state board for wildlife chaired by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Indus Dolphin is an endangered freshwater aquatic mammal found only in Indian and Pakistan in the Beas river. These are brown/grey in colour, but blind and live for at least for 30 years. The Chief Minister also gave approval to declare Kanjli Wetland and holy Kali Bein River as a wildlife conservation reserve to mark the historic 550th Parkash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The sacred Kali Bein River was associated with the life of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who got enlightenment while taking a dip in the holy river.