Okhla Sanctuary

Also called Kalindi bird sanctuary Okhla barrage over Yamuna River Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar district, on Delhi-Uttar Pradesh state border

These Kind of topics are important for Location based questions asked in Prelims

Kambala

Recently in news as Karnataka HC has banned Kambala annual Buffalo Race (he-buffalo) Held in coastal districts of Karnataka Opposed and criticised by animal lovers as the sport perpetuates cruelty

Sambhar Lake degrading for lack of preservation

largest among the 26 Ramsar Sites in India Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan losing its birdlife and biodiversity due to drying up conditions

Ramasar Site

Ramsar Sites are declared as per the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an inter-governmental treaty

that provides the framework for national and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

These sites are declared as per the recommendation of the Environment Ministry of the respective countries.

After Nalanda, Vikramshila, another university remains found in Bihar

university at the Buddhist monastery site of Telhara in Nalanda district Telhara was visited by Chinese traveller Heuen Tsang in the 7th century A.D., and it was

mentioned as "Teleadaka" in his account ‘Tiladhak University’ was laid during the Kushan period in 1st century AD and not the Gupta

period. Chinese Traveller Hsuan-Tsang referred to Buddhist mahavihara found at the site as “Tilakakiye” in

the 7th Century. After discovery of remains of 4th century ancient Nalanda and 8th century Vikramshila university,

this is the discovery of remains of third ancient university in the state

Nod to dilute stake in public banks

Union Cabinet gave its to allow Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to dilute government holding up to 52 per cent in a phased manner to raise over Rs 1.68 lakh crore

to meet their additional capital requirements under BASEL-III capital adequacy norms. Among 27 PSBs GoI controls 22 through majority holding. In the remaining 5 banks, State Bank of India holds majority stake

BASEL-III capital adequacy norms

Basel III is the international regulatory framework for banks. Basel III is a comprehensive set of reform measures, developed by the Basel Committee on

Banking Supervision, to strengthen the regulation, supervision and risk management of the banking sector".

What are the objectives/aims of the Basel III measures?

Basel 3 measures aim to:1. improve the banking sector's ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic

stress, whatever the source2. improve risk management and governance3. strengthen banks' transparency and disclosures.

Thus we can say that Basel III guidelines are aimed at to improve the ability of banks to withstand periods of economic and financial stress

How Does Basel III Requirements Affect Indian Banks

The Basel III which is to be implemented by banks in India as per the guidelines issued by RBI from time to time, will be challenging task not only for the banks but also for GOI.

It is estimated that Indian banks will be required to rais Rs 6,00,000 crores in external capital in next nine years or so i.e. by 2020

Expansion of capital to this extent will affect the returns on the equity of these banks specially public sector banks.

Green Climate Fund

GCF is frequently in news in the backdrop of Lima Climate Meet 2014 The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a fund within the framework of the UNFCCC mechanism to redistribute money from the developed to the developing world, in order to assist the

developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change. The GCF is based in the new Songdo district of Incheon, South Korea. It is intended to be the centrepiece of efforts to raise Climate Finance of $100 billion a year by

2020.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

international environmental treaty negotiated at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED),

informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992. The objective of the treaty is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a

level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system Signed 9 May 1992 Location New York City, US The treaty itself set no binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries contains no enforcement mechanisms treaty is considered legally non-binding treaty provides a framework for negotiating specific international treaties (called "protocols") that

may set binding limits on greenhouse gases. As of March 2014, UNFCCC has 196 parties. The parties to the convention have met annually from 1995 in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to

assess progress in dealing with climate change. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was concluded and established legally binding obligations for

developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions The 2010 Cancún agreements state that future global warming should be limited to below 2.0 °C

(3.6 °F) relative to the pre-industrial level The 20th COP will take place in Peru in 2014.

Later negotiations

Kyoto Protocol (Important)

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005.

The Kyoto Protocol sets emissions targets for developed countries which are binding under international law.

The Kyoto Protocol has had two commitment periods, the first of which lasts from 2005-2012, and the second 2012-2020.

The US has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified by all the other Annex I Parties. The Protocol is based on the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities: it puts the

obligation to reduce current emissions on developed countries on the basis that they are historically responsible for the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

As a result, it sets binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialized countries, mostly Member States of the European Economic Area (EU + EFTA) in its first commitment period.

China, India, and the United States have all signaled that they will not ratify any treaty that will commit them legally to reduce CO2 emissions.

After the Kyoto Protocol, parties to the Convention have agreed to further commitments. These include the Bali Action Plan (2007), the Copenhagen Accord (2009), the Cancún agreements (2010), and the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (2012).

Bali Action Plan

adopted in 2007 all developed country Parties have agreed to "quantified emission limitation taking into account

differences in their national circumstances."

Copenhagen and Cancún

produced the Copenhagen Accord The Accord states that global warming should be limited to below 2.0 °C (3.6 °F). According to the UNFCCC, these targets are relative to pre-industrial temperatures. The Accord was not formally adopted by the Conference of the Parties. The Cancún agreements were adopted by the COP in 2010. The agreement states that global warming should be limited to below 2.0 °C (3.6 °F) relative to the

pre-industrial level.

Durban and Doha

In 2011, parties adopted the "Durban Platform for Enhanced Action". As part of the Durban Platform, parties have agreed to "develop a protocol, another legal

instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all Parties This new treaty is due to be adopted at the 21st COP, and implemented in 2020.

Annex I

There are 43 Parties to the UNFCCC listed in Annex I of the Convention including EU. These Parties are classified as industrialized (developed) countries and "economies in transition" (EITs).

Annex II

There are 24 Parties to the UNFCCC listed in Annex II of the Convention, including the European Union.

These Parties are made up of members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

66th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Political Science Optional, Paper 2, Topic Human Rights. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights (UDHR) The Declaration was drafted on the initiative of the United Nations Commission on Human

Rights Almost every nation established their respective National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) NHRIs across the world have been set up to constantly review and uphold the available safeguards

for human rights protection NHRIs have been provided a clearly defined and broad-based mandate, encompassing all human

rights — civil, political, social, cultural, and economic.

NHRC

In India, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established by The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

It has the powers of a civil court while looking into cases of human rights violations. After completion of its enquiry in a case, the Commission recommends to the concerned authority

to initiate proceedings against those responsible for human rights violations.

Human rights problems in India

In India, the bulk of human rights problems that come forth for the consideration and intervention of the NHRC relate to atrocities by the police and security forces, including extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, and corruption at all levels of government.

The world’s largest democracy is also dogged by separatist violence, life-threatening prison and police custody conditions, sex trafficking, environmental destruction and a general environment of impunity.

Hundreds of millions of people live in poverty, and women, children (especially the girl child), religious minorities, Dalits, Adivasis, and members of the LGBT community face discrimination and violence.

Persons with disabilities often have no recourse to decent employment and/or adequate treatment.