KONKAN 18

• The bilateral KONKAN exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom started off at Goa.
• This Bilateral exercise provides a platform for the two Navies to periodically exercise at sea and in a harbour, so as to build interoperability and share best practices.
• The naval cooperation is a tangible symbol of the commitment of both nations in ensuring a positive climate at sea for enhancing strategic stability and promoting economic prosperity.

Coral Bleaching

• Coral bleaching or whitening of coral that results from the loss of a coral’s symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) or the degradation of the algae’s photosynthetic pigment.
• Bleaching is associated with the devastation of coral reefs, which are home to approximately 25 percent of all marine species.
• It may result from increases in seawater temperature, particularly when associated with elevated levels of solar irradiance (e.g., ultraviolet radiation).
• It may also be caused by changes in seawater chemistry (e.g., due to ocean acidification or pollution),
• It takes place also when increased levels of sediment in seawater, or a coral’s exposure to sodium cyanide (a chemical used in the capture of coral reef fish).

Kerch Strait

• The Kerch Strait is the waterway between mainland Russia and Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
• It serves as the gateway into the Sea of Azov, which borders Russia and Ukraine.
• A bilateral treaty gives both countries the right to patrol the waters.
• Russia has significantly built up its military presence in the region since 2014.

Sea of Azov

• It is a sea in Eastern Europe. To the south it is linked by the narrow (about 4 km or 2.5 mi) Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea, and it is sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea.
• The sea is bounded in the north and in the west by Ukraine, in the east by Russia.
• The Don and Kuban are the major rivers that flow into it.
• The Sea of Azov is the shallowest sea in the world, with the depth varying between 0.9 and 14 metres.

Hog deer

• Hog deer are losing habitat in other countries, the genetically distinct and evolutionarily significant population found in Keibul Lamjao National Park.
• Hog deer is considered a biodiversity hotspot on the India-Myanmar border which makes significant for conservation.
• The Hog deer or Pada is an endangered species in the IUCN Red List.
• They are protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Inclusive Wealth Report (IWR)

• It is a biennial effort led by the UN Environment, which provides important insights into long-term economic growth and human well-being.
• The Index measures the wealth of nations through a comprehensive analysis of a country’s productive base and the country’s wealth in terms of progress, well-being and long-term sustainability.
• The biennial report finds The Republic of Korea, Singapore and Malta as the nations that have had the most economic growth.
• The report also revealed that carbon damage is relatively larger in high-income countries.

EX-INDRA 2018

• EX-INDRA is Indo-Russian joint military exercise, which helps in a common understanding of transnational terrorism, interoperability between the participants.
• The exercise aims for a conduct of joint tactical operations controlled by a Joint Command Post working under the aegis of United Nations.
• The participating contingents also carried out specialized joint training on hostage rescue by slithering from MI-17 helicopters.

Sustainable Blue Economy Conference

• The Sustainable Blue Economy Conference is the first global conference on the sustainable blue economy.
• It builds on the momentum of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris and the UN Ocean Conference 2017 “Call to Action”.
• The world has rallied around the enormous pressures facing our oceans and waters, from plastic pollution to the impacts of climate change. At the same time, there is international recognition that we need to develop our waters in an inclusive and sustainable manner for the benefit of all.

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

• It was established in November 1983 to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions in the fields of nuclear and radiation safety on a countrywide basis.
• It was constituted by President of India by exercising powers conferred by Section 27 of Atomic Energy Act, 1962 to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions under the Act.
• The regulatory authority of AERB is derived from rules and notifications promulgated under Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.
• Its mission is to ensure that use of ionising radiation and nuclear energy in India does not cause undue risk to health and environment.