UPSC 2017: Comprehensive News Analysis - November 05

A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. India and China oppose Fiji proposal to enhance Paris climate deal pledges
2. When Egypt's World Youth Forum #WeNeedToTalk backfires
3. Colombia signs UN deal against cocaine production
4. China unveils massive island-building vessel
C. GS3 Related
D. GS4 Related
E. Prelims Fact
F. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
G. UPSC Mains Practice Questions 

A. GS1 Related

B. GS2 Related

In news:

• Fiji, which is the president of the conference, wants all countries to upwardly revise their targets ahead of climate change negotiations under the Paris climate agreement which begins in the German city Bonn, as the latest data shows that carbon emissions in 2016 was the highest ever.
• The proposal has been backed by out-going president Morocco.
• 197 countries will discuss the rules for operationalizing the climate accord that aims to restrict temperature rise by 2-degree Celsius to the pre-industrial levels by 2100.
• As US is out of Paris Climate Agreement, India should take it as an opportunity and a call for great and more ambitious action, not a call for inaction.

INDIA REPORT CARD

Positives :-

• India’s installed solar capacity has increased three-fold to 13.4 GegaWatts (GW) since the Paris deal was signed in 2015.
• Renewable including hydro and wind, has become a sunshine sector for India with the installed capacity of over 58 GW by end of last fiscal, which is among the top five countries in the world.
• India is on track to meet its target of generating 40% of the energy from renewable sources by 2030 and to meet its target of reducing emission to GDP ratio called emission intensity by 33% by 2030 of the 2005 level. By 2016, the emission intensity reduction recorded was 18%.

Negatives :-

• India’s increasing dependence on coal to meet its energy needs still remains a concern for the global climate community. Around 59% of the total electricity generated in India is powered by coal.

ISSUES AT BONN :-

• Pre-2020 Agenda: The developing world will seek a status report from the rich nations on their promise to mobilise US $100 billion a year from 2020 for rest of the world to fight climate change and to enhance emission reduction targets. The developing nations say the rich nations are far away from meeting these targets.
• Facilitative Dialogue 2018: This will thresh out key issues such as a transparent mechanism to review targets under the Paris agreement, when the targets need to be enhanced and how. Developing countries do not want review of the targets already decided, especially for climate change causing rich nations.
• Finance: Finance has been a bone of contention between the developed and the developing world with rich nations not willing to provide access to technology to address climate change. The Green Climate Fund set up to provide clean technology impetus to the developing world has not fully taken off and there is no clarity on how compensation mechanism called loss and damage will be operationalised.

Key Points:

• World Youth Forum going to be held in Sharam El Shiekh & will be inaugurated by President of Egypt Mr Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
• The Forum aims to provide a platform to the youth from all over the globe to engage with the key global policy makers.
• The forum will also cover role of youth in business and innovation, challenges and making of future leaders, gender equity and women empowerment among other things.

Key Points:

• Colombia has signed a $300 million agreement with the UN aimed at reducing the production of cocaine.
• According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), farmers who switch from growing coca, the raw material used to make cocaine, to safer crops will be compensated under the deal.
• Colombia is ranked as one of the main drug-growing nations in the world by the UNODC.

In news:

China has unveiled a massive ship described as a “magic island maker” that is Asia’s largest dredging vessel.

The boat named Tian Kun Hao is capable of digging 6,000 cubic meters an hour, the equivalent of three standard swimming pools.

What is Dredging?

Dredging is a digging activity usually carried out underwater, in shallow seas or freshwater areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and widening.

What is Artificial Islands?

An artificial island is an island that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means.

C. GS3 Related

D. GS4 Related

E. PRELIMS FACT

F. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam

G. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

GS Paper II

GS Paper IV

Also, check previous Daily News Analysis