Air Quality Index

AQI is a number used to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become.As AQI increases, an increasingly large percentage of the population is likely to experience increasingly adverse health effects.Different countries have their own air quality indexes, corresponding to different national air quality standards.There are six AQI categories, namely Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe.
Good- 0-50 µg/m3

Satisfactory- 51-100 µg/m3
Moderately Polluted- 101-200 µg/m3
Poor- 201-300 µg/m3
Very Poor- 301-400 µg/m3
Severe- 401-500 µg/m3

Each of these categories is decided based on ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health breakpoints).AQ sub-index and health breakpoints are evolved foreight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb).

Topic- GS-3- Environment

Source- Indian Express + Central Pollution Control Board

‘India could achieve its 2030 climate targets’

India is among the small group of countries that are on track to achieve their self-declared climate targets under the 2015 Paris Agreement with their current policies in place, a new report released at COP 23 in Bonn has revealed.The Report says that only nine of the 25 top emitting countries it surveyed were in line with achieving their targets mentioned in their respective “Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs)” that every country had submitted in the run-up to 2015’s COP 21 in Paris.Besides India, other countries who are roughly on track to achieve their Paris pledges include China, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.

India’s target in Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)

India had promised to reduce its emissions intensity- greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP- by 33 to 35 per cent below 2005 levels by the year 2030.It had also promised to ensure that at least 40 percent of its energy in 2030 would be generated from non-fossil fuel sources, like solar, wind or bio-fuels.In addition, it had said it would rapidly increase its forest cover so that an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide is created by the year 2030.

Topic- GS-3- Environment

Source- Down to Earth

Govt sets up panel to probe NTPC blast

The Union power ministry set up a high-level committee to investigate the blast at state-run NTPC Ltd’s Unchahar power plant in Raebareli and suggest measures to prevent such incidents.The committee, headed by P.D. Siwal.NTPC, India’s largest power generation utility, has also set up a committee headed by executive director (operations) S.K. Roy to investigate the incident.

NTPC blast at Unchahar power plant

Feroze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Plant is located at Unchahar in Raebareli district in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The blast occurred in the boiler area of the recently commissioned 500 megawatts (MW) unit of the 1,550MW coal-fuelled plant.

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Source- Livemint

India’s Second Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) Established at Anna University, Chennai

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, has signed an Institutional agreement with Anna University to establish India’s second Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at Chennai.India’s first TISC was set up in Punjab.

Technology and Innovation Support Center Program

WIPO’s Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) program provides innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information and related services, helping them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).

WIPO-

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations.WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world".WIPO currently has 189-member states and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

DIPP-

Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion was established in the year 1995, and in the year 2000 Department of Industrial Development was merged with it.It is working under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.It is also responsible for facilitating and increasing the FDI flows to the country.

Intellectual property

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the intellect for which a monopoly is assigned to designated owners by law.

Intellectual property rights

Intellectual property rights (IPRs) are the rights granted to the creators of IP, and include trademarks, copyright, patents, industrial design rights, and in some jurisdictions trade secrets.

Topic- GS-3- Issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Source- PIB + Wiki

US wants to ‘increase societal tolerance’ in India with $500k to NGOs

The United States wants to “increase societal tolerance” in India with its recently announced nearly USD 500,000 grant to non-governmental organisations in the country.Th goal of the programme is to increase societal tolerance and improve civilian security to reduce religiously-motivated violence and discrimination, and the funds will support activities that work toward that end.This programme is funded by the US government foreign assistance funds.

Topic- GS-2-Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders

Source- Indian Express

'Warsaw convention' in Law

This refers to an international agreement that defines the rules and regulations that govern civil aviation.It was initially signed by a small group of countries but has since been amended multiple times and now been adopted by most countries in the world.Among other things, the Warsaw Convention defines the potential liability that an international carrier faces with regards to theair transport of people and luggage of various kinds.It helps provide a common framework for dispute resolution between parties belonging to different countries.

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Source- The Hindu