DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 15TH OCT 2016
(Daily News India)
1. INDIA
AND RUSSIA INK AGREEMENT TO SET UP 25 AGRO IRRADIATION CENTRES
i. India and
Russia have signed an agreement for cooperation in the development of a network
of 25 integrated infrastructure Agro irradiation centres.
ii. It is for
the first time paves the way for establishment of network of integrated
infrastructure irradiation centres in India to reduce agricultural losses.
iii. These
irradiation centres will help in treatment of perishable food items to improve
shelf life and cut post-harvest losses.
iv. In India
post-harvest losses in food and food grains are around 40-50% due to
microbiological contamination, insect infestation, physiological changes due to
sprouting and ripening, and poor shelf life.
v. The
wastage of fruits and vegetables including cereals, meat, pulses and flowers
results in the annual loss estimated to be Rs. 2, 50,000 crores.
vi. Food
irradiation is a technology in which food products are subjected to a low
dosage of radiation to treat them for germs and insects, increasing their
longevity and shelf life.
2. INDIA
TO ELIMINATE USE OF HFC-23 BY 2030
i. India has
decided to eliminate use of HFC-23, a greenhouse gas that harms the ozone layer
by 2030.
ii. India is
taking the lead on tackling climate change.
iii. It was
announced during the 28th Meeting of the Parties toof parties to the Montreal Protocol
at Kigali in Rwanda.
iv. HFC-23
is a by-product of Hydrochloroflurocarbon-22, which is used in industrial
refrigeration.
v. It is a
potent greenhouse gas with global warming potential of 14,800 times more than
that of CO2.
vi. Montreal
Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer.
3. INDIA
RANKED 97TH IN 2016 GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX
i. India has
been ranked low 97th among the 118 countries surveyed in 2016 Global Hunger Index.
ii. It
describes India’s hunger situation as “serious.
iii. The GHI
is a multidimensional statistical tool used to describe the state of countries’
hunger situation.
iv. It
highlights successes and failures in hunger reduction and provides insights
into the drivers of hunger. Thus, GHI aims to trigger actions to reduce hunger.
v. It is calculated
by taking into account four indicator parameters such as:
a. Undernourished
population
b. Child
wasting
c. Child
stunting
d. Infant
mortality rate
4. INDIA
RECEIVES FIRST IRANIAN OIL PARCEL FOR EMERGENCY RESERVES
i. India has
received the first parcel of crude oil from Iran to partly fill the strategic
storage in southern India as part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserves storage.
ii. The
first parcel of 2 million barrels of Iranian oil was imported with the help of
very large crude carrier.
iii. India
is planning to fill half of the storage with 6 million barrels of Iranian oil
while continuing talks with United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for the
remainder.
iv. It is
necessary for India to have SPRs which will act as a valuable buffer against
short term oil supply disruptions and global price shocks.