12 December 2015 Current Affairs
India, Japan sign MoUs on civil nuclear energy, high speed rail
India and Japan have signed an MoU on cooperation and assistance in the Mumbai – Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project, Bullet Train project. The two countries have also entered into two comprehensive technological cooperation agreements for modernization and upgradation of Indian Railways.The MoU was signed in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New Delhi. Japan has offered an assistance of over Rs.79,000 crore for the project. The loan is for a period of 50 years with a moratorium of 15 years, at an interest rate of 0.1 per cent. The project is a 508 Kilometer railway line costing a total of Rs. 97,636 crore, to be implemented in a period of seven years. India and Japan also signed a pact on civilian nuclear cooperation after five years of negotiations. Under the pact both sides have confirmed cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Dilip Kumar conferred with Padma Vibhushan
Legendary actor Dilip Kumar (93) has been conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan, country’s second highest civilian award. It was bestowed upon him by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his residence in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Union Government had selected veteran actor for the Padma Vibhushan on the eve of 66th Republic Day. He is famously known as Tragedy King. He also won the Padma Bhushan (1991), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1994), Pakistan’s highest civilian award Nishan-e-Imtiaz (1998) and Guinness World Record for winning the maximum number of awards by an Indian actor.
Ahmad Javed appointed as Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Mumbai Police commissioner Ahmad Javed has been appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, which has a 2.8 million-strong Indian community. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly as Javed is scheduled to retire on January 31, 2016. Ahmad Javed is the IPS officer of 1980 batch from Maharashtra Cadre. He had recently replaced Rakesh Maria as the Mumbai Police commissioner.
UNFCCC adopted Paris Agreement on Climate Change
Conference of the Parties 21 (COP 21) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 12 December 2015 adopted the Paris Agreement on Climate Change which was attended by 192 parties. India was represented by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar. The primary objective of the protocol is to limit the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. Efforts will be made to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels so that it will be possible to reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. Developed countries will raise finances to the tune of 100 billion US dollars per year as the floor by 2020, to help developing nations in both mitigation and adaptation activities. And, other nations are encouraged to provide funding voluntarily. The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement shall undertake its first global stock take in 2023 and every five years thereafter.