Saturday, March 7, 2026
Home Blog Page 1390

Nigeria: 19 Indians kidnapped by pirates off western coast of Africa released

New Delhi (NVI): Nineteen Indians, who were kidnapped last month by pirates off the western coast of Africa have been released, while one died in captivity, according to the India Mission in Nigeria.

“Indian Govt & Mission gave highest priority and worked with @NigeriaGov on release of 20 Indian seafarers kidnapped on 15 Dec from MV Duke. 19 were released yesterday. One sadly died in captivity in adverse conditions. Our deepest condolences. Mission assisting in speedy return,” the High Commission of India in Abuja said in a tweet today.

Twenty Indian seafarers were kidnapped by the pirates from a commercial vessel (MV Duke) on December 15. One of them died in captivity due to adverse conditions.

The incident happened 10 days after 18 Indians on board a Hong Kong-flagged vessel were kidnapped by pirates near the Nigerian coast.

After the incident last month, the Indian mission in Abuja had taken up the matter with the Nigerian authorities and also with the authorities of the neighboring countries.

Wetlands vanishing 3 times faster than forests: Report

New Delhi (NVI): Wetlands are vanishing three times faster than forests, according to a report of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which cites pollution, over exploitation of resources and climate change as some of the major reasons for it.

The report says 35% of wetlands have disappeared since the 1970s and 87% have been lost since the 1700s.

Drainage and infilling for agriculture and construction and overfishing (an example of overexploitation of resources) are some other reasons posing threat to the wetlands.

To raise awareness on the values wetlands have for nature and society, each year, ‘World Wetlands Day’ is celebrated around the world.

A specific theme is attached to this day every year. The 2020 theme ‘Wetlands and Biodiversity’ has been chosen to initiate actions against the losing plant biodiversity of wetlands.

The impact of human civilisation on wetlands is a matter of concern as these ‘biological supermarkets’ play an important role in reducing the impact of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and cyclones.

2nd February of each year is celebrated as World Wetlands Day to mark the date of adoption of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The Convention is the only multilateral environmental agreement to date for conservation and wise use of wetlands.

The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention was adopted in 1971 at the Iranian City of Ramsar.

India is endowed by a rich diversity of wetlands ranging from high altitude wetlands of Himalayas, floodplains of mighty rivers as Ganges and Brahmaputra, lagoons and mangrove marshes on the coastline and reefs in the marine environments, according to the MoEFCC report.

“Water is life, and wetlands are the life support systems that ensure functioning of water cycle,” the report says, adding that wetlands are rich reservoirs of biodiversity.

40% of the world’s plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands. Over 1,00,000 freshwater species have been identified in wetlands so far. Coastal wetlands, especially, are among the most biologically diverse places. As per National Wetland Atlas, nearly 4.7% of India’s geographical area is under wetlands.

Piyush Goyal to lead Indian delegation to WEF 2020

NSE PIYUSH GOYAL
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal

New Delhi (NVI): Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will lead the Indian delegation to the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos from January 20 to 24.

The Union Minister will hold bilateral meetings with Ministers of Australia, South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Korea and Singapore. He will also meet Director General of World Trade Organization and Secretary General of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The Commerce and Industry Minister will participate in the WEF along with Union Minister of State for Shipping and Chemical and Fertilizers, Mansukh L. Mandaviya and Chief Ministers of the States of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, Finance Minister of Punjab and the IT Minister of Telangana.

The Indian delegation will also include Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, senior officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Invest India.

Goyal will also hold bilateral meetings with CEOs of companies, attend WEF sessions and round tables on Accelerating Investments in Indian Railways and attracting Global Institutional Investments in India.

Apart from this, he will participate in an informal WTO Ministerial gathering being held in Davos during this period.

The WEF annual meeting in Davos engages the world’s top leaders to shape global, regional and industry agendas at the beginning of the year. The theme of the 2020 meeting is stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.

PM’s ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with students, teachers and parents tomorrow to share tips on how to approach the upcoming Board exams.

During the ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ session, the Prime Minister will answer questions and interact with students on how they can beat examination stress.

This is the third edition of such an interaction.

“A lot of excitement and enthusiasm is being seen among the students, teachers and parents to not only participate in the unique event but also to receive valuable tips from the Prime Minister who is keen to ensure that the students take exams in a relaxed atmosphere and do not come under stress, to ensure better results in the long run,” the HRD Ministry said in a statement.

Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank also shared the information regarding the programme on his official Twitter handle.

The first edition the programme with school and college students “ParikshaPeCharcha 1.0” was held at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi on February 16, 2018. The second edition – “ParikshaPeCharcha 2.0” was also held at the same venue on January 29, 2019.

Delhi: Rare animal’s presence causes flutter in school

Representational Iimage of Asian Palm Civet

New Delhi (NVI): An Asian Palm Civet created flutter after it was found trapped inside ladies toilet at Kendriya Vidyalaya school in South Delhi’s Katwaria Sarai area. The rare animal was safely rescued by the Wildlife SOS and later released its natural habitat.

The staff at the school called the Wildlife SOS at its 24*7 helpline number, following which a team of two rescuers arrived at the spot. The animal was spotted stuck behind the toilet pod by one of the students who went to the washroom after the morning session.

The rescuers found the overwrought animal trapped behind the commode, struggling to free itself. The narrow confines of the restroom also turned the operation into a challenge. Following the rescue operation, which lasted almost 30 minutes, the civet was released back into its natural habitat.

Rakesh Dhyani, the Kendriya Vidyalaya staff who called the wildlife NGO said, “We had to take immediate action as the civet’s presence was stirring excitement in the school and we did not want any mishaps to occur. The forest department guided us to Wildlife SOS and mentioned that they are experts when it comes to dealing with urban wildlife. Their team handled the rescue quite skillfully.”

Wasim Akram, Deputy Director – Special Projects, Wildlife SOS, said the rescue team had to work quickly and efficiently to ensure that the animal was safe and sound. “Since this was a school, there were a lot of enthusiastic children they were dealing with, so crowd control was a bit of an issue. The team had to employ quite some dexterity to ensure that it did not hurt itself during the rescue.”

The Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) also called a toddy cat, is a small member of the family Viverridae native to South and Southeast Asia. Civet cats play an important role in the ecosystem by controlling the rodent population and are prime contributors to the dispersal of seeds as they often feed on feed on fruits, berries, coffee beans, insects and small mammals. This species is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Winter chill back to Delhi, temperatures plunge

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi woke up to a cold day today with the morning temperatures settling close to 6.2 degrees Celsius. The northerly winds blowing over the region from the snow-clad Himalayas has added to the winter chill.

Dry weather conditions are prevailing over Delhi-NCR during the last couple of days. While the day temperatures are below normal by two to four degrees, night temperatures remain close to normal, according to Skymet Weather.

Today the maximum temperatures are likely to settle at about 16 to 17 degrees while night temperatures will remain above 6 to 7 degrees.

From January 20 onward, another Western Disturbance will be affecting Western Himalayas. Due to the approach of this system, night temperatures would be increasing gradually till January 23. Following this, yet again the temperatures will decrease.

CISF to take over security of Srinagar, Jammu airports

File

Jammu (NVI): Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been entrusted with protection of sensitive Srinagar and Jammu airports, days after DySP of Jammu and Kashmir Police posted in anti-hijacking unit was arrested for links with terrorists.

CISF, which guards major airports of the country, will take over from Jammu and Kashmir Police from January 31, according to an official announcement.

“Acting upon the inspection of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and to bring the UT of J&K at par with the rest of the country, process has been initiated for the CISF to take over the security-related duties being performed by the JKP at Srinagar and Jammu Airports by 31st January,” an official release said.

The CRPF will continue to provide security as per the existing mechanism.

“Suitable arrangements are, accordingly, underway for deployment of CISF personnel at the two airports,” the release said.

The decision comes days after DySP of J&K Police Davinder Singh was arrested while ferrying two terrorists.

Singh was posted in anti-hijacking unit of J&K Police deployed at Srinagar airport.

Use of energy efficiency tools a must: Javadekar

Greater Noida (NVI): Use of energy efficiency tools is a must for tackling the adverse impact of climate change, Union Minister for Environment and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said here today.

Inaugurating the ELECRAMA 2020, the flagship showcase of the Indian electrical industry at India Expo Mart here, Javadekar said the annual growth of energy should be 10 per cent for many years to come even if the country’s economy grows at the rate of 6 per cent annually.

Referring to demand for more relief by the industry, he said the industry’s cause must translate into societal cause for the benefit of society as well as the industry.

“Electricity for a poor household is not only a facility but also an empowerment and main source of inspiration,” he said.

“3.5 crore households were given power connections under SAUBHAGYA(PradhanMantriSahajBijliHarGharYojana) scheme within a time frame of 1000 days,” he added.

The minister also asked the electrical industry to focus on quality of electrical equipment, stating that main cause of fire incidents in many cases is poor quality of equipment and faulty wiring.

He urged the power industry to become part of product chain and not just supplier of spare parts.

Emphasising on the quality of electrical goods, he said there can be no compromise on quality. People want ease of living and new facilities for which electricity is an asset.

“People will need more electricity and more electrical equipment and therefore demands of power as well as electrical goods are bound to go up,” he added.

He further added that the per capita consumption of energy is very low in India as compared to developed countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Power Minister R.K. Singh said the electricity sector has been transformed in the last few years and the whole country has been connected with one grid and one frequency. Now India has become power surplus country and is exporting power.

He said that per capita consumption need to be tripled to reach the global average of 3600 units.

The Minister also spoke about the need of reform in the power distribution system.

“The government is coming out with a new trajectory of loss reduction and distribution companies will have to follow this trajectory if they want to get further grants from the central government or if they want to access loans from the power finance corporation,” he added.

ELECRAMA is a platform to connect the world with Indian industry in respect of technology, new trends and innovation for future energy transition.

Greenland losing 25 bn tons of ice sheet every year: Study

New Delhi (NVI): Greenland ice sheet is losing 25 billion tons of ice per year, according to a study, with researchers warning that if this rate continues, the global sea level will rise approximately 3 to 5 inches by 2100.

Greenland lost a whopping 3.8 trillion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2018, leading to a rise in global sea levels by 10.6 millimeters, according to the study, during which 89 polar scientists from 50 scientific institutions assessed the current rate of ice loss by combining 26 satellite data sets from 1992 through 2018.

The study to track global warming’s effects on Greenland also measured changes in the Greenland ice sheet’s volume, flow and gravitational potential.

This means that Greenland’s current rate of ice loss has accelerated from 25 billion to 234 billion tons per year, a whopping nine times increase in faster melt rate.

Warmer air at the surface of the ice sheet is responsible for about half of the ice that Greenland is losing each year.

Warmer ocean temperatures around Greenland’s coastline, icebergs calving into the ocean and the ice sheet shedding ice into the ocean more quickly accounts for the other half of the ice loss.

For perspective, 3.8 trillion tons of ice melting off of Greenland and into the ocean between 1992 and 2018 is the same as adding the water from 120 million Olympic-size swimming pools to the ocean every year, for 26 years.

This extra water is enough to cause at least 0.4 inches of sea level rise just from Greenland alone.

Even a small bit of sea level rise exacerbates the impacts of flooding during storm surges, high tides and hurricanes and exposes more and more people around the globe to increased flooding.

The findings in this study are consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s worst-case climate warming projections.

Is global warming responsible for chinstrap penguin decline?

New Delhi (NVI): Climate change is a major threat to global biodiversity. Antarctic ecosystems are no exception. A population of chinstrap penguins is feeling the heat, with more than one-third of a breeding colony lost in the past 20 years, new research finds.

The last decade was the hottest ever recorded on Earth, and 2019 was the second hottest year ever measured. The data has raised new concerns, and one of the places most seriously affected is Antarctica, at the bottom of the planet.

A warming planet, which is causing sea ice in Antarctica (and elsewhere) to melt, may ultimately be to blame for the plummeting penguin population, the researchers said. That’s because the chinstraps’ main food, shrimplike creatures called krill, depend on algae that attach to that ice.

Chinstrap penguins in Antarctica has seen a 36 per cent decline since 1991, in what researchers say is a consequence of declining krill populations. There has been a decline of around 150,000 chinstraps since the last major survey 50 years ago.

Scientists and researchers from Stony Brook, Northeastern Universities and Greenpeace have counted each member of the chaotic colony on foot from island to island across the Antarctic Peninsula, comparing different penguin populations to see how the animals are adapting to climate change. While it looks frigid, it is one of the fastest-warming areas on Earth.

“Sea ice is really what brings all of the ocean life here together. If there is less sea ice, there’s less krill, which means less food for the chinstrap penguins,” says a researcher.

Penguins are a lot like people – they need food and a good environment to thrive. The researchers say that if the world continues to warm, other species – even human beings – will be affected.

In addition, to protect the organisms that call the Antarctic home, we need to reduce human impact by reducing overfishing, tourism and even research activity.

1...1,3891,3901,391...1,526Page 1,390 of 1,526

MUST READ