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[Newsbits] 3.11.2023 – Bletchley Declaration, Rafah Border Crossing, Adaptation Gap Report & more

Santhosh Kumar 03/11/2023
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newsbits mindmap notes

Kozhikode as ‘City of Literature’ and Gwalior as the ‘City of Music’

Kozhikode as ‘City of Literature’ and Gwalior as the ‘City of Music’ mind map with below nodes Context Inclusion in UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) Source Press Information Bureau (PIB) Cities Kozhikode Category Literature Gwalior Category Music Other Indian cities in UCCN Varanasi Category Music Srinagar Category Crafts and folk arts Hyderabad Category Gastronomy Jaipur Category Crafts and folk arts Chennai Category Music About Kozhikode Literary tradition Prominent writers and cultural figures Literary contributions First Malayalam novel: Kundalatha Authored in 1887 UNESCO Creative Cities Network Established Year 2004 By UNESCO Consists of Number of cities 350 Number of countries Over a hundred Purpose Encourage cooperation Recognize creativity Sustainable urban development Categories Crafts and folk arts Media arts Film Design Gastronomy Literature Music Aims Leverage creative, social, and economic potential Promote cultural diversity Enhance resilience to Climate change Inequality Rapid urbanization Promotes Culture of creativity in urban planning Solutions to urban issues

2023 British Academy Book Prize: Nandini Das

2023 British Academy Book Prize: Nandini Das mind map with below nodes Context British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding India-born author Nandini Das Source The Hindu (TH) About the book: ‘Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire’ Perspective on British Empire origins Story of first English ambassador to India Ambassador Sir Thomas Roe Contributes to understanding of world cultures and interactions About the Prize Established Year 2013 Formerly Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize Recognizes Outstanding non-fiction works Fields Humanities and social sciences Honours books that Display rigour and originality Enhance understanding of global cultures and interactions Prestigious literary awards Literary Award Description Notable Indian-Origin Recipients Pulitzer Prize Awarded for excellence in various fields Recipients Vijay Seshadri Siddhartha Mukherjee Geeta Anand Jhumpa Lahiri Danish Siddiqui Sanghamitra Kalita Gobin Behari Lal Booker Prize Recognizes the best novel in English Recipients Salman Rushdie Arundhati Roy Kiran Desai Aravind Adiga International Booker Prize Honours translated literature works Recipient Geetanjali Shree for “Tomb of Sand” (2022) Nobel Prize in Literature Prestigious award for literary contributions Recipient Rabindranath Tagore (1913)

Hydroclimate extremes

Hydroclimate extremes mind map with below nodes Context Study at Banaras Hindu University Examines global warming impact On hydroclimate extremes Over Indian River Basins (IRBs) Source: PIB Hydroclimatic extremes definition Extreme events Impact on human societies and ecosystems Events include Floods Droughts Heatwaves Rainstorms Study methodology Used high-resolution simulated precipitation data From Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-6 (CMIP6) experiments Findings Frequency of extreme rainfall expected to increase Over Western Ghats Over Northeast River basins Heavy rainfall intensity projected to increase Over Upper Ganga Over Indus basins Agricultural drought in lower Ganga basin Due to decline in mean rainfall Significance Need for policymakers to develop strategies To manage water surplus or scarcity Predicts 4% to 10% increase in heavy rainfall Over western part of Indian River basins Significant precipitation changes in specific areas Changes in hydroclimate extremes could impact Agriculture Health Socio-economic conditions Identifies major hotspots for future urban flooding In highly populated cities Suggests policymakers should design basin-specific climate adaptation and mitigation strategies Including water and emergency services policies To minimize risk associated with extreme events in these basins

Bletchley Declaration

Bletchley Declaration mind map with below nodes Context Bletchley Park hosting summit Event World’s first global summit on AI safety Year 2023 Historic role in World War II Sources Indian Express (IE) Reuters Declaration Countries involved Britain 28 other countries European Union Location of publication Bletchley Park, England Focus of the Bletchley Declaration Global collaboration on AI safety Two-fold focus Identifying shared AI risks Enhancing scientific understanding of risks Creating cross-country policies About Bletchley Declaration Recognition of AI Potential Enhance human well-being Risks Associated with AI Frontier AI Highly capable foundation generative AI models Nature of Risks Intentional misuse Unintended control issues Alignment with human intent Prediction difficulty Due to complexity International Cooperation Need emphasized Due to global nature of AI risks Collaborative Approach Required actors Companies Civil society Academia Mitigation Agenda Focus areas Building shared scientific understanding Developing risk-based policies Span across countries Historical Importance of Bletchley Park Role in World War II Breaking Enigma code Used by Nazis Turing Bombe Expedited code-breaking efforts Colossus development Considered world’s first programmable electronic computer

Mercury Contamination

Mercury contamination mind map Context Tropical birds in Central and South America Signs of mercury contamination Cause Artisanal and small-scale gold mining Proximity to mining Within 7 km Mercury use in Gold mining Forms amalgam with gold Extraction of gold from ore Amalgamation process Captures fine gold particles Environmental and health concerns Due to mercury pollution Key Findings Declining biodiversity Tropical birds affected Linked to Neurological illness Immune diseases Reproductive failure In humans and birds Birds as indicators Sensitive to ecosystem health “Canary in the gold mine” Signals environmental issues

Rafah Border Crossing

Rafah Border Crossing mind map Context Egypt's response Receive wounded Palestinians Receive Palestinian dual nationals From Gaza through Rafah border crossing Response to Conflict between Hamas and Israel Source Hindustan Times (HT) About Rafah Crossing Southernmost exit from Gaza Strip Borders with Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula Controlled by Egypt Only exit Not leading to Israeli territory Currently closed crossings Erez Kerem Shalom Rafah as primary point For people and humanitarian aid

Adaptation Gap Report, 2023

Adaptation Gap Report, 2023 mind map Context United Nations (UN) Report Declining adaptation finance Developing countries' needs not met Adaptation Gap Report Annual publication By United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Since 2014 Independent assessment Global adaptation to climate change Co-producers UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP) Objectives Inform climate negotiations Among UN member states Explore options Enhance national and global adaptation efforts Alignment With UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Global stocktake Findings of Adaptation Gap Report, 2023 Finance needs Developing countries 10-18 times greater than public finance flows Funding in 2021 15% lower than previous years Current adaptation finance gap USD 194-366 billion per year Adaptation finance gap definition Difference between adaptation financing needs and finance flows 55 climate-vulnerable economies Losses and damages Over USD 500 billion in last 2 decades Investment benefits Against coastal flooding USD 1 billion investment Leads to USD 14 billion reduction in damages In agriculture USD 16 billion per year Prevents 78 million people from starvation or chronic hunger National adaptation planning instruments 5 out of 6 countries have at least one Progress slowing for global coverage 7 ways to increase financing Include domestic expenditure International finance Private sector finance

National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP) and Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP)

National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP) and Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP) mind map Context Non-fossil-fuel sources in India 2023 capacity 44% non-fossil-fuel sources 25% in energy terms 2030 projection 65% capacity from non-fossil-fuel sources 40%-45% in energy terms Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) Launches NECP and EEFP Joint venture Of public sector undertakings (PSU) Under Ministry of Power Source: PIB National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP) Subset of Clean Cooking Scheme Focus Non-Solar/Electricity-based Induction Cook stoves Aligns with Go-electric initiative By Ministry of Power Goal Deploy 20 Lakh energy-efficient induction cook stoves Objectives Reduce environmental impact of cooking Ensure cleaner air Improve health Reduce dependence on imported energy Save costs for users Partnership With Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) For large-scale deployment Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP) Ceiling fans and electricity consumption 40% of residential electricity Over 25% of India's overall electricity Potential savings 20% of residential electricity By replacing fans with energy-efficient ones Goal Distribute 1 crore efficient BLDC fans Initiated during G20 Energy Transitions Working Group, 2023 Objectives Reduce energy consumption Reduce environmental impact Enhance consumer comfort Lower electricity bills

Silk

Silk mind map Context Researchers in China Model proposal Explain cocoon colour variations Source: TH Silk reeling From cocoons of silk moth (Bombyx mori) Classification based on feed Domestication Over 5,000 years ago From wild moth (Bombyx mandarina) In China Types of silk Mulberry Long, fine, smooth threads Non-mulberry Shorter, coarser, harder threads Mulberry Silk Ancestral Species Bombyx mandarina Domesticated Species Bombyx mori Spread From China, Korea, Japan, Russia To around the world including India Size comparison Smaller in wild Larger when domesticated Fibre length Shorter in wild Up to 900 metres in domesticated Cocoon colour range From brown-yellow in wild To various colours in domesticated Yellow-red Gold Flesh Pink Pale green Deep green White Flying ability Exists in wild Lost in domesticated Pigmentation Observed in wild Lost in domesticated India's silk production 2nd largest producer After China Non-mulberry silk 30% of India's silk production Silk Colour Carotenoids and flavonoids In mulberry leaves Absorbed by silkworms Transport to silk glands Bound to silk protein Domesticated cocoons Water soluble colour Fades over time Chemical compounds Made by the mulberry leaves Cocoon colour mutations Responsible for different colours

Gravitational Constant (G)

Gravitational Constant (G) mind map Context Gravitational force dependency On gravitational constant Reference The Hindu Space-time Warping by mass More mass More warping Gravity definition Force along warped path Tends to move objects Towards the mass Gravitational constant characteristics Denoted by 'G' Fundamental physical constant Historical determination By Henry Cavendish In 1797 Importance in theories Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation Gravitational force between two objects Proportional to Product of masses Inversely proportional to Square of distance between them G as proportionality constant Value 6.673 × 10–11 N m² kg⁻² Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity Space and time are relative Motion relative to frame of reference Describes gravitation Especially in extreme conditions Massive celestial objects Describes curvature of space-time In presence of mass and energy Importance of G Understanding celestial mechanics Determining mass of celestial bodies Value determination uncertainty About 22 parts per million

Other news

Other news Torkham border crossing Deadline expiration For undocumented foreigners Resulting in exodus 1.7 million people Forced to leave Pakistan Location Torkham border crossing Connects Nangarhar province of Afghanistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Formation As trilateral maritime security grouping Members India Sri Lanka Maldives Operating in Indian Ocean region Focus areas Maritime security Countering terrorism Cybersecurity 2020 Expansion Mauritius added as member Observers Bangladesh Seychelles Invitation To Bangladesh and Seychelles Likely to join As full members

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