High temperatures cause occasional spike in air pollution in summer, finds study

Even as air quality remains poorest during the winter, a study conducted in the summer months has found that high temperatures influence air quality through occasional spikes in the particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) levels.

The study was carried out in Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Lucknow and Kolkata by Climate Trends, a research-based consulting and capacity-building initiative. 

The study, released on Thursday, analysed April-May temperatures and PM 2.5 data for these five cities during the 2022-2024 period. While the PM 2.5 levels exceeded national ambient air quality standards in all the cities, the study stated that higher temperatures caused occasional spikes in PM 2.5 levels.

FOOD FOR A RAINY DAY

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintains foreign exchange reserves, now at over $650 billion, not to interfere with the normal functioning of the currency market. 

It seeks, instead, to ensure that exchange rate movements, while market-determined, are "orderly" and there is no "excessive volatility". A similar approach is arguably required in food. 

The government must consider building a buffer stock not just of rice and wheat, but even pulses, oilseeds, sugar, skimmed milk powder (SMP) and staple vegetables. 

A BEND IN THE RIVER

A nuanced understanding of climate-change-induced impacts and increased population pressures on the hydrology of the rivers is needed. 

This could be done by developing a mechanism for real-time data-sharing between the two riparians and evaluation of water quality and changing flow magnitudes in numeric terms.

Hoping for a miracle at COP29

In the recently concluded Bonn talks, a precursor to COP29 (to be held in Baku in November), there was no consensus regarding resource transfer for climate change. 

This, however, is not surprising given the fact that the world community has been labouring over the transfer of $100 billion per year for the last 15 years, without success. 

This kitty, however, has been given a new name - New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) - though without any flesh and blood in the form of money. 

The developed world is engaged in who should contribute to this fund and the latest missive is that countries like China and Saudi Arabia should also be viewed as donors rather than recipients.

Dawn of new era of Pakistan-China ties: PM Sharif after Beijing visit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said a new era of Pakistan-China cooperation in the information technology (IT), communication, mining, and energy sectors has dawned and will lead to economic development and deepening of the time-tested bilateral relationship.

The prime minister said that the promotion of Pakistan-China cooperation in these fields will lead to economic development, strengthening of regional ties, and deepening of relations between the two countries. "China has emerged as the strongest economic power and Pakistan can emulate its development,"

UP, West Bengal, Maharashtra had highest share of informal sector enterprises in 2022-23

Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra had the highest share of informal sector enterprises in both rural and urban areas in 2022-23, the latest Annual Survey of Unincorporated Enterprises for 2022-23 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) showed. 

While the share of informal sector enterprises decreased in the post-pandemic year 2022-23 for some states such as Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, the state of Uttar Pradesh topped among major states with an increase in the number of unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises.

Among the major states, Uttar Pradesh recorded a 13.83 per cent share of informal sector enterprises in 2022-23, that is, October 2022-September 2023, up from 12.99 per cent in the previous year.

Digital Bharat Nidhi: Govt's fresh attempt to improve rural telecom connectivity

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has released draft rules to operationalise the Digital Bharat Nidhi, which would replace the erstwhile Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and be a fresh attempt by the Central government at increasing telecom connectivity in rural areas.

The USOF is a pool of funds generated by 5 per cent Universal Service Levy that is charged to all the telecom fund operators on their Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR). 

The idea is that this money would be used to fund the expansion of telecom networks in remote and rural areas, where private companies may otherwise resist offering their services due to it not being a revenue-generating market.

WHY ARCTIC WILDFIRES ARE BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD

Smoke from raging wildfires has once again darkened the skies over the Arctic. It is the third time in the past five years that high-intensity fires have erupted in the region, Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said. 

A majority of fires are in Sakha, Russia, where more than 160 wildfires charred nearly 460,000 hectares of land up until June 24.

The June, 2024 total carbon emissions from the wildfires are the third highest of the past two decades, at 6.8 megatonnes of carbon, behind June 2020 and 2019, which recorded 16.3 and 13.8 megatonnes of carbon respectively, C3S added.

Wildfires have been a natural part of the Arctic's boreal forest or snow forest and tundra (treeless regions) ecosystems. However, in recent years, their frequency and scale have increased, primarily due to global warming. 

The vital importance of Putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin. 

The two leaders have met a total 16 times since Modi became Prime Minister, but not since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, provoking wide-ranging Western sanctions. 

Modi went to Russia for the Eastern Economic Forum meeting in Vladivostok in September 2019; Putin last visited India in December 2021 for the annual bilateral summit.