Current Affairs for UPSC IAS Exam – 14 February 2020

Contents:

1. Publish Criminal History of Candidates, SC Orders Parties 
2. Ustr Takes India off the Developing Country List 
3. Experts’ Meet to Discuss Restoration of Sun Temple 
4. Time is Running Out to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

PUBLISH CRIMINAL HISTORY OF CANDIDATES, SC ORDERS PARTIES 

Why in news?

• The Supreme Court ordered political parties to publish the entire criminal history of their candidates for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections along with the reasons that goaded them to field suspected criminals over decent people
• The information should be published in a local as well as a national newspaper as well as the parties’ social media handles.  
• It should mandatorily be published either within 48 hours of the selection of candidates or less than two weeks before the first date for filing of nominations, whichever is earlier.

Information should be detailed

The published information on the criminal antecedents of a candidate should be detailed and include the nature of their offences, charges framed against him, the court concerned, case number, etc.

USTR TAKES INDIA OFF DEVELOPING COUNTRY LIST 

• The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has published a notice, amending lists of developing and least-developed countries that are eligible for preferential treatment with respect to CVD investigations. 
• The U.S. government has changed an administrative rule making it easier for it to impose countervailing duties (CVDs) on goods from India and certain other countries 
• India was, until February 10, on the developing country list and therefore eligible for these more relaxed standards. It has now been taken off of that list. 
• The new lists consist of 36 developing countries and 44 least developed countries

EXPERTS’ MEET TO DISCUSS RESTORATION OF SUN TEMPLE 

Why in news?

A plan to restore and preserve the nearly 800­ Year ­old Konark Sun temple in Odisha would be drawn up soon, after a two­ day conference of experts at the end of the month

The 13th century temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, had been filled with sand and sealed by the British authorities in 1903 to stabilize the structure

TIME RUNNING OUT TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 

Why in news? 

The Future of Earth, 2020,’ which was released here on Thursday by the South Asia Future Earth Regional Office, DIVECHA Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science lists 

1. Failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation
2. Extreme weather events
3. Major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse
4. Food crises
5. Water crises

 as the five global risks that can potentially impact the planet. 

Offering examples of how the interrelation of risk factors play a role, scientists say extreme heat waves can accelerate global warming by releasing large amounts of stored carbon from affected ecosystems, and at the same time intensify water crises and/ or food scarcity.

The loss of biodiversity also weakens the capacity of natural and agricultural systems to cope with climate extremes