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Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 24 November 2016
:: National ::
SC says cases in different HC’s to continue on note ban
The Supreme Court refused to stay the cases in High Courts against the demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur said the petitions in the various High Courts highlighted the differ-ent inconveniences across the country.
“Maybe some relief can be had by these people.” Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to “shut its door” on the “frantic and affected” public.
The court also allowed co-operative banks to approach their respective High Courts with their grievances.
The Centre maintained that the demonetisation policy, an exercise intended to weed out black money and cripple terror funding, was a success.
Mr. Rohatgi responded thatthe situation was “much better” and more than Rs. 6 lakh crore had been deposited in banks since the demonetisation was announced on November 8.
The AG said queues in front of banks and ATMs had thinned and the situation would become normal in the next 20 days.
Potential Hydro power projects in Himalaya faces risk of flood
Potential hydro power projects in the Himalayan region would need to factor in chances of increased floods from the formation of new lakes and the expansion of existing ones due to melting glaciers, says an analysis of Himalayan glaciers.
The results are part of a modelling study by Swiss researchers on the impact of climate change in the Himalayas.
According to the study, 441 hydro-power projects spanning India, Nepal, Pakistan and China, that is, 66% of constructed and potential hydro power projects, are on possible Glacier Lake Out-burst Floods (GLOF) tracks.
This means they could be gorged with extra water from melting glaciers. Almost a third of these hydro power projects could experience GLOF discharges well abovewhat these dams account for, says a study.
India accounts for 129 of the hydro projects analysed. India's environment and water resources ministries areengaged in a tiff with the power ministry over the construction of forthcoming hydro power projects in Uttarakhand.
Broadly, they deal with the impact of these projects on the local ecology and on the natural flows of the rivers they are built upon.
In the Beas basin, six lakes in 1989 had increased to 33 in 2011, and in the Parvati Valley catchment area, there was an increase from 12 lakes (in 1989) to 77 lakes (in 2014).
Most of the Himachal Pradesh lakes were relatively small or with a capacity of a million cubic metres, and only a few of them had a capacity larger than 10 million cubic metres of water.
After proposal of several changes GST council meet postponed (Register and Login to read Full News)
Special window of Rs. 21,000 crore to district central cooperative banks (Register and Login to read Full News)
:: International ::
Nikki Haley picked as U.S. Ambassador to United Nations
Nikki Haley was named as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by President-elect Donald Trump, becoming the first Indian-American to be appointed to a Cabinet-level post in any U.S. administration.
Daughter of Indian immigrants from Punjab, Ms. Haley (44) is the first woman tapped by Mr. Trump for a top-level administration post during his transition to the White House.
The presidential transition team said this would be a Cabinet-level position in the Trump-Pence Administration. The Cabinet position would require confirmation by the Senate.
Noting that Ms. Haley is one of the most universally respected governors in the country,she has travelled abroad to negotiate with international companies on behalf of South Carolina.