DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

08^th February 2022

No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	ABOUT THE ANTI-CORRUPTION WORKING GROUP	Prelims & Mains
2.	WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY	Prelims & Mains
3.	ATHIRAPPILLY HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT	Prelims & Mains
4.	ABOUT THE AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT CESS	Prelims Specific
5.	CLIMATE RESILIENCE INFORMATION SYSTEM AND PLANNING TOOL	Prelims Specific

 

1. ABOUT THE ANTI-CORRUPTION WORKING GROUP:

GS II

Topic – International Relations:

• Context:
• The G20 Working Group on Anti-Corruption, for the first time including sports as clearly within its jurisdiction, and thus has reached an agreement on high-level principles of Prevention and Combating Corruption.
• All about the ACWG:
• It was launched by G20 leaders at the 2010 Toronto conference.
• It is responsible for reviving and implementing the G20 Anti-Corruption Program.
• Submits its reports to the G20 leaders.
• It works closely with and supports the activities of relevant international organizations, including the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Action Task Force.
• What is the G-20:
• The G20 is an annual conference of leaders from economically and rapidly developing countries.
• Its members make up 85% of the world’s GDP, and two-thirds of its population.
• The G20 summit is officially known as the “Conference on Financial Markets and the Global Economy”.
• Genesis of G-20:
• Following the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998, it was agreed that the participation of major emerging market markets is necessary in the management of the global financial system, and G7 finance ministers agreed to establish a G20 Finance Minister meeting and the Central Bank Executive Meeting in 1999.
• Full G20 membership countries are:
• Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union.
• What is a G-20:
• The G20 developing countries, also known as the G21 / G23 / G20 + is an association of developing countries that was launched on August 20, 2003.
• Its origins can be traced to the Brasilia Declaration signed by the foreign ministers of India, Brazil and South Africa on June 6, 2003.
• The G20 + caters for 60% of the world’s population, 26% of agricultural exports and 70% of its farmers
• Source – The Hindu

2. WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY:

GS III

Topic – Conservation related issues:

• About the IEA:
• Established in 1974 under the aegis of the OECD, the IEA is an independent government agency.
• Its mission is guided by four areas of focus: energy security, economic development, environmental awareness and globalization.
• Headquarters (Secretariat) are located in: Paris, France.
• Roles and responsibilities:
• It was founded in the wake of the 1973-1974 oil crisis, to help its members respond to the massive disruption of the oil supply, a role that continues to be fulfilled till today.
• The IEA’s mandate has expanded over time to include monitoring and analysing global energy trends, promoting sound energy policy, and promoting international technology cooperation.
• Its Composition:
• It currently has 30 members & 8 association countries.
• To be a member of IEA, a country must be a member state of the OECD.
• But not all OECD members are members of the IEA.
• To become a member the country must show that it has:
• Crude oil reserves equal to 90 days of net import last year, which the government has access to immediately (even if not directly owned) and can be used to address global oil supply disruptions.
• Demand prevention program to reduce national consumption by 10%.
• Legislation and order implementation of Responsible Emergency Response Measures (CERM) nationally.
• Legislation and measures to ensure that all oil companies under their jurisdiction report details when requested.
• Existing measures to ensure the capacity to contribute to its IEA joint action plan.
• Source – The Hindu

3. Athirappilly Hydroelectric Project:

GS III

Topic – Infrastructure related issues

• Key Points:
• The Kadar community is facing further evictions due to the installation of separate power projects along the banks of the Chalakudy River.
• Additional Information:
• Silent Valley was one of India’s earliest ecological movements with extensive participation, during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It has forced the Kerala government to abandon the dam project across the Kunthi River, within the lush tropical forests of the Silent Valley in the Palakkad region of Kerala.
• Madhav Gadgil’s report called the Athirappilly hydel project ‘unpopular’ and dismissed it as nonsense for technical and economic reasons.
• The Kasturirangan panel simply recommended that the project impact be re-evaluated for environmental reasons.
• Source – Down to Earth

4. ABOUT THE AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT CESS:

Prelims Specific Topic:

• All about Cess Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC):
• Agricultural Infrastructure and Development (AIDC) was proposed in budget 2021-22.
• Aim: To raise funds to finance the development of agricultural infrastructure aimed at not only growing productivity but also helping to save and process farm produce efficiently.
• New fees will be levied on 29 products, most notably gold, silver, imported apple, imported liquor (excluding beer), imported lumps, palm oil imported, imported urea, and petrol / diesel products including branded products.
• It will lead to the reduction of taxes or duties and thus will not increase the incidence of taxes on consumers.
• Source – Press Information Bureau

5. CLIMATE RESILIENCE INFORMATION SYSTEM AND PLANNING TOOL:

Prelims Specific Topic:

• of India has introduced the Climate Resilience Information System and Planning (CRISP-M) tool under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA initiative.
• It will lead to integration of climatic information with the Geographic Information System (GIS) based watershed planning.
• It will also create new opportunities in our rural communities to address the challenges of climate change – to address climate change and thus protect the rural areas from climate-related disasters.
• Source – Press Information Bureau