As per the data, Vortexa (Energy Cargo Tracker), Russia has surpassed Saudi Arabia and Iraq, to become the top oil supplier of India in October 2022.

* Russia, which imported 0.2% of all oil by India in March 2022, has supplied 9,35,556 barrels per day of crude oil to India in October (highest ever).

* It now makes up for 22% of India's total crude imports, ahead of Iraq (20.5%) and Saudi Arabia (16%).

* In June 2022, Iraq was top oil supplier, while Russia was at second..

Source : The Hindu

The first edition of the Tokhü Emong Bird Count (TEBC) was organised by Nagaland from November 4 to 7, 2022.

 

Aim : To spread awareness about Nagaland’s bird diversity.

 

This event was organised in collaboration with the Wokha Forest Division and the Divisional Management Unit, Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP), Wokha, and Bird Count India.

 

It was held during the Tokhü Emong post-harvest festival of the Lotha Nagas..

Source : The Hindu

Vadodara became the second Indian city to issue a municipal bond with assistance from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Technical Assistance.

* The US Embassy and US Treasury officials joined counterparts on Thursday(3rd Nov 2022) from India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the city of Vadodara, and the Securities and Exchange Board to celebrate the successful issuance of Vadodara’s first-ever municipal bond.

 

Aim : The bond will provide funds for infrastructure projects in Vadodara. 

* Pune was the first city to issue such a bond in 2017.

 

* The bond was oversubscribed by 10 times ( ₹1007 crore in bids received from 33 bidders) and was priced at a low yield of just 7.15%..

Source : Mint

Haryana State Government’s Forest Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of the “Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI)” program in the state. The new program will enhance carbon sequestration, support local communities and strengthen the climate resilience of agriculture.

 

Supporting global climate change mitigation and adaptation goals, this initiative will bring together farmers, companies and other private institutions to rapidly expand tree coverage outside of traditional forests in the state.

 

The Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) program will take foward Haryana’s State Action Plan on Climate Change and will build on the state’s progress and harness agroforestry to bolster the resilience of farming systems, while also increasing the income of farmers in the state.

 

It will also support India’s Roadmap toward Carbon Neutral Economy by 2070.

 

The Trees Outside Forests in India program was launched in September by Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Secretary "Leena Nandan" and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Patricia Lacina.

 

The program will allocate up to $25 million over five years in seven states including Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

 

There will be implementation support from the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (ICRAF)..

Source : Financial Express

The global mean temperature in 2022 is estimated to be 1.15 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) average, likely making the eight years from 2015 the warmest on record, the World Meteorological Organisation(WMO) said in a report on Sunday(6th Nov 2022).

 

* The report titled 'WMO Provisional State of the Global Climate 2022' released at the 27th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC on Sunday(6th Nov 2022) stated that the rate of sea level rise has doubled since 1993 and has risen by nearly 10 mm since January 2020 to a new record high this year.

 

* The past two-and-a-half years account for 10 per cent of the overall rise in sea level since satellite measurements started nearly 30 years ago, the report stated.

 

* The figures used in the provisional 2022 report are till the end of September 2022. The final version will be issued next April.

 

* "The global mean temperature so far in 2022 has been 1.15 degree Celsius above the 1850-1900 average. If the current anomaly continues to the end of the year, the analysis would place 2022 as either the fifth or sixth warmest year on record (from 1850), and in each case marginally warmer than 2021".

* The eight years -- 2015 to 2022 -- are likely to be the eight warmest years on record..

Source : Economic Times

On November 6th every year, the UN observes the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. The day seeks to make people aware of the consequences that war and conflict have on the environment.

 

Loss of life and the destruction of property are obvious consequences of war and armed conflict. There is another consequence as well. This is the negative effect that war and conflict has on the environment. Some of these negative effects include:

 

* Water pollution

* Torched crops

* Poisoned soil

* Dead animals

* Destruction of forests

 

Sometimes these things are even done on purpose in order to gain a military advantage. There are also conflicts that involve natural resources, such as oil, gold, diamonds, and timber. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), 40 percent of internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources in the last 60 years.

 

History : In November 2001, the UN General Assembly declared November 6th as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. The day is also referred to as World Day to Protect the Environment in War..

Source : National Day Calendar

Technology services company Zensar Technologies Ltd has appointed Anant Goenka, son of RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka, as interim managing director saying chief executive officer "Ajay Bhutoria" is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed health condition.

 

Anant Goenka, managing director at Ceat Ltd, has been tasked with the additional responsibility of steering Zensar, prompting a few analysts and proxy advisory firms to question the succession planning at the country’s tenth largest IT services company.

 

“This is to inform you that the board of directors (Board) of the company at its meeting held today, pursuant to the recommendation(s) of Nomination and Remuneration Committee and Audit Committee, unanimously approved appointment of Mr. Anant Goenka, as interim managing director of the company, effective immediately, as Ajay Singh Bhutoria, chief executive officer and managing director has experienced a health ailment and would be able to resume his normal activities only after he recovers from the ailment," Zensar said in a filing made to the exchanges on 2 November 2022.

 

“Mr. Anant Goenka has been appointed for a term up to the next annual general meeting of the company or 31 July 2023 whichever is earlier subject to requisite approvals under the relevant regulations, as an interim arrangement till Ajay Singh Bhutoria fully recovers to attend office. There would be no remuneration payable to Anant Goenka in his capacity as interim managing director.".

Source : Mint

Independent India's first voter, the 106-year-old "Shyam Saran Negi" passed away Saturday(5th Nov 2022) morning at his native place in Himachal Pradesh's Kalpa, days after he cast his last vote in the 14th Assembly elections of the state.

Negi had cast his first vote in the independent country on October 23, 1951, in the Kalpa polling station, becoming the first voter in the country, and he cast his vote for the 34th time on November 2, 2022 which became his last, a feat that was acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"This is commendable and should serve as an inspiration for the younger voters to take part in the elections and strengthen our democracy," PM Modi had tweeted.

Born on July 1, 1917, Negi claimed he had cast his vote in every parliamentary, Assembly and panchayat election.

The 106-year-old had voted on November 2 through a postal ballot.

Chief Minister Jairam Thakur consoled Negi's demise and said that the memory of the first voter of the country casting his last vote "will always be emotional"..

Source : Business Insider

Recently, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance notified Scheme for Financial Support for Project Development Expenses of PPP Projects – India Infrastructure Project Development Fund Scheme (IIPDF Scheme)

 

What is it? It is a Central Sector Scheme which will aid the development of quality PPP projects by providing necessary funding support to the project sponsoring authorities, both in the Central and State Governments.

* The corpus of the IIPDF shall comprise of initial budgetary outlay of Rs. 100 Crore by the Ministry of Finance. This would be supplemented, should it become necessary, through budgetary support by the Ministry of Finance from time to time.

* Funding under IIPDF Scheme is in addition to the already operational Scheme for Financial Support to PPPs in Infrastructure (VGF Scheme).

Organisational Structure : The IIPDF will be administered by the Empowered Institution. The Empowered Institution will:

* Select projects for which project development costs will be funded.

* Set the terms and conditions under which the funding will be provided and recovered.

* Set milestones for disbursing and recovering (where appropriate) the funding.

* The Public Private Partnership Cell of the DEA will provide support functions examine the applications received for assistance under IIPDF..

Source : PIB

According to Uttar Pradesh government, Mathura-Vrindavan, one of India’s largest pilgrimage centres, aims to become a “net zero carbon emission” tourist destination by 2041.

 

 

* It is located on the banks of the river Yamuna.

* It is situated the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

* The entire land is dotted with magnificent temples, dedicated to various aspects of his life. 

* Some of the famous temples are : Govind Dev Temple, Rangaji Temple, Dwarikadhish Temple, Bankey Bihari Temple and the ISKCON Temple.

* Gokul, Barsana and Goverdhan are the other township associated with the legend of Lord Krishna..

Source : The Hindu