World Air Quality Report, 2020

• The report was launched by IQ Air, a Swiss air quality technology company specialising in protection against airborne pollutants, and developing air quality monitoring and air cleaning products.
• According to the report, Delhi remained the most polluted capital city in the world.
• The report, however, shows that Delhi’s air quality improved by approximately 15 per cent from 2019 to 2020.
• India, on the whole, had improved its average annual PM2.5 (particulate matter) levels in 2020 than in 2019.
• 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are from India.
• South Indian cities recorded relatively better air quality, though they remained above the daily WHO limit of 25 g/m3 for most parts of 2020.

Project SAMVAD

SAMVAD - Support, Advocacy and Mental Health Interventions for Children in Vulnerable Circumstances and Diseases

• The project, aimed at mental health outreach for children who are abandoned and orphaned, child survivors of trafficking, or in conflict with law, was led by National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development is funding the project.
• The project is being run in collaboration with Panchayati Raj Ministry at a cost of Rs.56 crore for five years.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021

• The Bill amends the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.
• The Bill provides that the term “government” referred to in any law made by the Legislative Assembly will imply Lieutenant Governor (LG).

Inquiry by the Assembly into administrative decisions

• The Bill prohibits the Legislative Assembly from making any rule to enable itself or its Committees to:

1. consider the matters of dayto-day administration of the NCT of Delhi
2. conduct any inquiry in relation to administrative decisions

• Further, the Bill provides that all such rules made before its enactment will be void.

LG’s opinion for executive actions

• The National Capital Territory of Delhi Act specifies that all executive action by the government, whether taken on the advice of the Ministers or otherwise, must be taken in the name of the LG.
• The Bill adds that on certain matters, as specified by the LG, his opinion must be obtained before taking any executive action on the decisions of the Minister/ Council of Ministers.

• A 90-day long expedition onboard research vessel RV Sindhu Sadhana with 30 scientists took off from Visakhapatnam recently.

TraceBioMe Project

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO), Goa, has initiated a mission recently under one of its flagship project TraceBioMe.
• CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has been commissioned to conduct genome and proteome mapping (micro nutrients) present inside single-cell organisms in the Indian Ocean.
• The mission aims for mapping the genetic diversity of organisms and the effect of micronutrients and trace metals on them in the Indian Ocean.
• The project envisages extensive sampling of water, sediments, planktons and various organisms in different parts of the Indian Ocean to study the presence of different kinds of organisms and the trace metals and micronutrients found therein using modern state-of-the-art molecular techniques as well classical techniques. 

• Parliament has recently passed the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 that increases the time period within which an abortion may be carried out.
• The Bill amends the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 which provides for the termination of certain pregnancies by registered medical practitioners.
• Currently, abortion requires the opinion of one doctor if it is done within 12 weeks of conception, and two doctors if it is done between 12 and 20 weeks.
• The Bill allows abortion to be done on the advice of one doctor up to 20 weeks, and two doctors in the case of certain categories of women between 20 and 24 weeks.
• The Bill states that the upper limit of termination of pregnancy will not apply in cases where such termination is necessary due to the diagnosis of substantial foetal abnormalities.
• For a pregnancy to be terminated after 24 weeks in case of substantial foetal abnormalities, the opinion of the State-level medical board is essential.

Solution Blowing Process

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi has developed a fibrous membrane filter using a biopolymer-based material that helps to separate out the heavy metals from water samples.
• These membranes contain adsorbents materials that attract and hold the metals.
• The adsorbents contain a large amount of a biopolymer, Chitosan, derived from crab shells that is mixed with a well-known polymer, Nylon.
• While normally, the fibres used to make regular cartridge filter-assemblies are processed by a method called melt blowing, the IIT Mandi researchers have used a process called “solution blowing”.
• It produces fibres that are nanometres in diameter, a hundred thousand times thinner than a single human hair.
• When the fibres get finer, their surface area increases tremendously, which results in better adsorption of heavy metals.
• The solution blowing technique could replace 40 per cent of the nylon with chitosan, which means 40 per cent less fossil-fuel-derived, polluting plastics.
• The researchers are all set to scale up the technology to industrial scales so that they could handle larger volumes of metal-contaminated water.
• The study was funded by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India.

Bhaona

• It is a mythology-based theatrical performance that involves dialogues, songs, and dances.
• It was the creation of saint-reformer Sankardev, who started neo-Vaishnavite movement.
• It usually involves 40-50 performers wearing costumes and ornaments including those playing heavy drums and cymbals.
• The actors who perform it are known as Bhaoriya.

Other Art forms developed by Sankaradeva

• Initially, Sankaradeva wrote his prose in Sanskrit but later used Assamese and Brajavali.
• Brajavali is a literary language limited to theatrical usage, in which Sankardeva wrote his songs and plays to develop the following artforms

1. Borgeet- a new form of spiritual music.
2. Monastic dance that evolved as Sattriya - a classical dance form which acts as a medium for propagation of the Vaishnava faith.

Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2021

• It was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of Corporate Affairs, It amends the Insurance Act, 1938. 
• The Act provides the framework for functioning of insurance businesses and regulates the relationship between an insurer, its policyholders, its shareholders, and the regulator (the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India). 
• At present the act allows foreign investors to hold up to 49% of the capital in an Indian insurance company, which must be owned and controlled by an Indian entity. 
• The Bill increases the limit on foreign investment in an Indian insurance company from 49% to 74%, and removes restrictions on ownership and control. 
• However, such foreign investment may be subject to additional conditions as prescribed by the central government.

Anti-defection law

• In 1985 the Tenth Schedule, popularly known as the anti-defection law, was added to the Constitution.
• The penalty for shifting political loyalties is the loss of parliamentary membership and a bar on becoming a minister.
• The law specifies the circumstances under which changing of political parties by MPs invite action under the law.
• The law covers three types of scenarios with respect to an MP switching parties.
• The first is when a member elected on the ticket of a political party “voluntarily gives up” membership of such a party or votes in the House contrary to the wishes of the party.
• The second possibility is when an MP who has won his or her seat as an independent candidate after the election joins a political party.
• In both these instances, the MP lose the seat in the House on changing (or joining) a party.
• The third scenario relates to nominated MPs. In their case, the law specifies that within six months of being nominated to the House, they can choose to join a political party.
• The time is given so that if a nominated MP is not a member of a political party, they can decide to join one if they want.
• But if they don’t join a political party during the first six months of their tenure, and join a party thereafter, then they lose their seat in Parliament.

World Energy Transitions Outlook Report

• This report, previewed at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2021, was released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
• It says that the Covid-19 crisis offers an unexpected opportunity for countries across the world to decouple their economies from fossil fuels and accelerate the shift to renewable energy sources.
• It proposes energy transition solutions for the narrow pathway available to contain the rise of temperature to 1.5°C and halt global warming. 
• IRENA estimates that by 2050, 90% of total electricity needs would be supplied by renewables, followed by 6% from natural gas and the remaining from nuclear.