Current Affair 1:

. Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (LEAF) Coalition

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At the recently concluded Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April 2021, Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (LEAF) Coalition, a collective of the United States, United Kingdom, and Norway governments, came up with a $1 billion fund plan that shall be offered to countries committed to arrest the decline of their tropical forests by 2030.

The goal of the coalition is for government and private sector participants to pay for high-quality emissions reductions from tropical forests, verified against an independent standard. This public-private partnership is intended to mobilize finance needed to protect tropical forests, with an initial goal of raising at least $1 billion USD this year.

The LEAF Coalition empowers tropical and subtropical forest countries to move more rapidly towards ending deforestation while supporting them in achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

The LEAF coalition initiative is a step towards concretizing the aims and objectives of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism. REDD+ was created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It monetized the value of carbon locked up in the tropical forests of most developing countries, thereby propelling these countries to help mitigate climate change.

 

Current Affair 2:

National Green Tribunal.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has slammed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and its contractors for environmental violations in the ongoing four-laning project of National Highway 44 from Udhampur to Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir.

National Green Tribunal

First of all why this body?

The National Green Tribunal has been established on under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property.

Composition:

The chairperson shall be appointed by the central government in consultation with the chief justice of India. Judicial member & expert member shall be appointed on the recommendations of select committee as provided by the central government.

Chairperson, judicial member & expert member shall hold office for a term of 5 years but shall not be eligible for re- appointment.

Removal and suspension of Chairperson, Judicial Member and Expert Member:

Jurisdiction:

Current Affair 3:

Global Cybersecurity Index 2020

Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020 is released by by ITU (International Telecommunication Union).

The Global Cybersecurity Index aims to raise awareness of country-level commitments on cybersecurity, to identify strengths and areas for improvement, and share current cybersecurity practices.

The Index maps 82 questions on Member State cybersecurity commitments across five pillars:

1. legal measures;
2. technical measures;
3. organizational measures;
4. capacity development measures;
5. cooperation measures

 

Measure of India with rank 1 (US).

US scores:

India scores:

International Telecommunication Union:

1. It is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.
2. Founded in 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks. It is Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
3. It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strives to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide.
4. Recently, India got elected as a member of ITU Council for another 4-year term - from 2019 to 2022. India has remained a regular member since 1952.

 

Current Affair 4:

Zebra loach - an endangered fish species

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Zebra Loach, an endangered fish species endemic to the Western Ghats is being unsustainably harvested from the biodiversity hotspot to supply the international aquarium pet trade. The trade is legal but unregulated.

Unprotected in India’s wildlife laws, loaches and other freshwater ornamental fishes struggle between government mandates of conservation and increasing exports.

According to the latest research, 148 zebra loaches were exported per day, between 2012 and 2017, from India.

Vulnerable species like the zebra loach should be included in the CITES appendices in order to get accurate export level data and establish sustainable ornamental trade in freshwater fish.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild.

The research also sheds light on the “poor enforcement” of biodiversity regulations and wildlife trade laws within Asia as zebra loach was categorized as endangered in 2011 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature but has not yet been listed in CITES appendices.

No species of freshwater fish are included in the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972) – except for freshwater pipefishes (which find a place because their entire family, Syngnathidae, which also includes seahorses, are listed). So, therefore, this trade is not illegal and makes it difficult to monitor.

Current Affair 5:

Central Government amended rules for qualification of Judicial member in Tribunal.

The Central Government has amended the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal, and other Authorities (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of Service of Members) Rules, 2020 enabling the appointment of Advocates with ten years experience as Judicial Members of various Tribunals (not only High Court).

What was before the amendment?

After amendment:

A person shall not be qualified for appointment,– (a) as a Judicial Member, unless he,– (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has, for one year, held the post of Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Legal Affairs or the Legislative Department including Member –Secretary, Law Commission of India; or (iii) has, for two years, held a post of Additional Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Legal Affairs or Legislative Department; or (iv) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (v) has, for ten years, been an advocate with substantial experience in litigation in service matters in Central Administrative Tribunal, Armed Forces Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court.

So, now for every such tribunal it will read as:

For, National Green tribunal

(a)is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (b) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (c)has, for ten years, been an advocate with substantial experience in litigation in matters relating to environment and forest in National Green Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court.

Also, see a few more:

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal

Judicial member qualification: (a) is or has been a Judge of a High Court; or (b) is a Judicial Member of the National Company Law Tribunal for five years; or (c) has been an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation in matters relating to company affairs before National Company Law Tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court.

Appellate Tribunal for Electricity

Judicial member qualification: (a) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (b) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (c) has been an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation in matters relating to power sector before Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, State Electricity Regulatory Commission, Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, High Court or Supreme Court.

 

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