23rd April 2016

A.Union Cabinet approves signing the Paris Agreement adopted at 21st CoP

1.The Union Cabinet gave its approval for signing the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of Parties of UNFCCC held in Paris in December 2015. 

2.In this regard, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar will sign the agreement on behalf of India. 

3.The Paris Agreement on climate change is considered as a milestone in global climate cooperation. 

4.It is meant to enhance the implementation of the Convention and recognizes the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities, equity and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances. 

Key features of the Paris Agreement 
1.Rights of Developing Countries: Acknowledges the development imperatives of developing countries and their rights to development. 

2.It also supports their efforts to harmonize development with environment and protecting the interests of the most vulnerable. 

3.Sustainable Development: It recognizes the importance of sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption. 

4.In this regard developed countries take the lead and also highlight the importance of ‘climate justice’ in its preamble. 

5.Implementation of the Convention: It reflects the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities especially in the light of different national circumstances.

B.2016 Pulitzer Prize Winners 

1.The Sympathizer, a debut novel of Vietnamese American professor Viet Thanh Nguyen has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. 

2.While, Associated Press has won two prestigious Pulitzer prize in Public Service for coverage for an investigation of severe labour abuses tied to the supply of seafood to American supermarkets and restaurants. 

3.List of 2016 Pulitzer Prize Winners Books, Drama and Music Fiction: 
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. 
Drama: Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. 
History: Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America by T.J. Stiles. Biography: Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan,. 
Poetry: Ozone Journal by Peter Balakian. 
Music: In for a Penny, In for a Pound by Henry Threadgill. 
Journalism Public Service: Associated Press. Breaking News Reporting: Los Angeles Times Staff. 
Investigative Reporting: Leonora LaPeter Anton and Anthony Cormier of the Tampa Bay Times and Michael Braga of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 
Explanatory Reporting: Christian Miller of ProPublica and Ken Armstrong of The Marshall Project. 
Local Reporting: Michael LaForgia, Cara Fitzpatrick and Lisa Gartner of the Tampa Bay Times. 
National Reporting: The Washington Post Staff. 
International Reporting: Alissa J. Rubin of The New York Times. 
Feature Writing: Kathryn Schulz of The New Yorker. 
Commentary: Farah Stockman of The Boston Globe. 
Criticism: Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker. 

Pulitzer Prize: It honours the extraordinary work in US journalism, drama, literature and other areas. It also brings welcome attention and recognition to newspapers and websites.

C.Europe becomes world’s first region to end malaria: WHO 

1.Europe has become the world’s first region to wipe out Malaria, a mosquito-borne vetor disease with zero cases reported in the year 2015. 

2.It was revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its World Malaria Report 2015. 

3.Particular region or country is declared Malaria free by WHO after it has zero locally acquired malaria cases for at least three consecutive years. 

Key Highlights of Report 
1.The number of malaria cases fell to zero from 90,712 between 1995 and 2015 in the countries of European region.

2.Only 179 cases of malaria were reported in six countries in 2010. The last cases of malaria were reported in Tajikistan in 2014. 

3.The region was able to wipe out the deadly disease because of strong political commitment, improved detection and surveillance, mosquito control, cross-border collaboration. 

4.Until the end of World War II, the spread of Malaria was common in southern Europe, including Portugal, Italy, the Balkans and Greece. 

5.But the region was declared malaria free in 1975. In the year 2015, there were 214 million cases of the malaria across the world and it had killed around 438,000 people, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

D.Union Government renames Department of Disinvestment as DIPAM 

1.Union Government has renamed as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). 

2.In this regard, the Union Finance Ministry has issued notification. 

3.The renaming decision aims at proper management of Central government’s investments in equity and also its disinvestment proceeds in central public sector undertakings (PSUs). 

Key facts 
1.DIPAM will work under Union Finance Ministry. 

2.It has been mandated to advise the Union Government in the matters of financial restructuring of PSUs and also for attracting investment through capital markets.

3. It will deal with all matters relating to sale of Union Government’s equity through private placement or offer for sale or any other mode in the erstwhile Central PSUs. 

4.Henceforth all other post disinvestment matters will continue to be handled by the Union Finance Ministry or concerned department in consultation with DIPAM on necessity.