Benefits of ethanol blending / Sendai Framework / Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

Benefits of ethanol blending 

1. It reduces the vehicular emissions especially carbon monoxide emissions. 
2. It is cheaper than petrol as it is cheaper to manufacture. 
3. It decreases a nation dependence on foreign oil. 
4. Ethanol has a higher octane rating than ethanol-free petrol. 
5. n case of India, ethanol production can give higher sugarcane price for farmers which can help in rural prosperity.

2016 Theme:  “Live to Tell: Raising Awareness, Reducing Mortality”. 

1. The 2016 edition of IDDR marks the launch of the new Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). UNISDR’s campaign for the day is Sendai Seven that seeks to create a wave of awareness about actions taken to reduce mortality around the world. 
2. Background The International Day for Disaster Reduction was instituted by UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 1989 to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. 
3. Earlier, this day was celebrated annually on the second Wednesday of October. But in 2009, the UNGA formally designated 13 October as the annual date by adopting Resolution 64/200. 
4. What is Sendai Framework? The Sendai Framework is a 15-year voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the countries have the primary role to reduce disaster risk. 
5. It also recognises that this responsibility of countries should be shared with other stakeholders including local government, private sector and other stakeholders. It is the successor agreement to the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005–2015), 
6. which was the most encompassing international accord on disaster risk reduction to date. The Sendai Framework also seeks to promote best practices at the international, regional and national level across all sectors, to reduce disaster risk and disaster losses. 
7. The framework has seven targets and first of it is reducing disaster mortality. 
8. The four priority themes of the Sendai Framework are: (i) Understanding disaster risk, (ii) improving disaster risk governance, (iii) investing in disaster risk reduction (through structural and non-structural measures) and (iv) disaster preparedness, early warning and building back better in the aftermath of a disaster.

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) 

1. PFRDA is a statuary pension regulatory authority established in 2003 under the PFRDA Act. 
2. It functions under the aegis of Union Ministry of Finance, 
3. Department of Financial Services. 
4. PFRDA promotes old age income security by establishing, developing and regulating pension funds. 
5. It also protects interests of subscribers to schemes of pension funds and related matters. 
6. It is responsible for appointment of various intermediate agencies such as Central Record Keeping Agency (CRA), 
7. Custodian, Pension Fund Managers, NPS Trustee Bank, etc.